Before I show these chairs, I am letting you know that I am selling them.  Yes, they are cane chairs and they are beautifully Frenchy, but I’ve recently made room for two pairs of French chairs and I just can’t make room for a third.  Now it’s out there and you can hold me to it!  (It’s tough for me.)   This pair of chairs have a beautiful shape, but a finish that wasn’t quite right for my taste.   I painted the pair in Shutter Gray Milk Paint followed by a wash of Ironstone and one coat of Furniture Wax.  The wash brings out the details of the piece and softens the finish to give it a soft, aged look.     It’s a subtle finish, but makes a big difference, especially on a piece with lots of detail.   Here’s my latest video tutorial to show how simple

I show in my latest “Boxwood Dresser” how Milk Paint can look when the bonding agent is added and it’s not distressed.  As you can see, a beautiful finish can be achieved (without using a separate primer coat!)   Here’s how…   More videos to come…

This week seems to be all about me being in front of the camera. I’m making video tutorials for my milk paint line, videos for the enhanced e-book version of my book (coming out in November), AND I have a camera crew coming to my house tomorrow to do some filming for a special project.  I’m still sporting the curly hair and it’s been a little unruly on camera, but I’m going with it!  (Actually, I think you’ll have to wait for the next video to see the curls.  I’m wearing pigtails in this one.)  Anyway, it’s been a bit of a change for me to wear lipstick in my workshop. So, in this video I share tips on mixing milk paint with a blender.  I think one of the toughest things for people to get used to when using milk paint for the first time is the texture. When

 I’m still working on all of my video tutorials for the Milk Paint website.  Actually, this will be an ongoing project as I share new techniques and creative ways to use Milk Paint and the companion products, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Today I’m sharing about Hemp Oil, the top coat sold with my line as an alternative to wax.   So, what is Hemp Oil?  It’s an all natural oil that contains no VOCs and no petrochemicals.  It can be used on raw wood to seal and protect it, on old wood to revive it or on porous painted surfaces as a topcoat.  I used it on the interiors of the drawers on my Linen dresser…   It’s so easy to apply.  You just dampen a clean cloth with the hemp oil and rub it on.  That’s it.  You don’t have to worry about streaks or brushstrokes or

I finally got around to editing and uploading my latest milk paint video…   I talk through how to get the “chippy” look on pieces and answer some common questions about the process. Enjoy! (If you usually read my posts through e-mail, click over to my blog to watch the video.)  If you’d like to see my other videos, head over to my You Tube channel.  More to come… Second, there’s an event you may have heard of…  Junk Bonanza.  One day I will go.  Oh yes.  One day I will go.  Until then, if your calendar is free September 13-15, 2012, you may be able to go to Junk Bonanza for FREE!  The annual Junk Bonanza brings together more than 140 juried vendors of select vintage treasures, junk and antiques and is in Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. The winner of this giveaway will receive: ~ 2 VIP tickets, which