Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Archives | Page 14 of 42

Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint

All Things Home

another pair of frenchies

There are some things that I hold onto for years. They survive the purges and my “selling moods”. I just know I will have the perfect use for them some day. Well, some day finally came for these linen grain sacks that I’ve been holding onto for years. A reader, who lived in Europe, found them for me and sold me a few for a great price. They were something like $5.00/each. I think she was able to get them for $1.00/each out of an old factory. I used a couple of them on a chair a few years ago, but have been saving the rest for just the right project. These chairs were that project… I got the chairs last Wednesday when another reader was delivering all of those ironstone bowls to me. She brought along some other things she thought I would be interested in, including this pair of cane-backed French

March 10, 2016 35 Comments

Before and Afters

mini dresser makeover & “hand painted” stencils

I am always drawn to child/doll furniture or salesmen’s samples (small, portable versions of full-sized pieces of furniture). There is just something so sweet about them. But, after buying a few of them and noticing how long it took to sell them, I stopped buying them. I can get a better bang for my buck if I spend it elsewhere, so I look at them and “aww” and open the drawers and then walk away. Most of the time. I made an exception with this one. It was well priced and I liked the simple shape. Here is how it looked when I picked it up… It was fine, but just looked a little drab. We painted it in Farmhouse White, leaving the knobs wood. That was Kriste’s suggestion and I loved it. I added a stencil to the front in MMS Milk Paint Linen. I like the soft tone-on-tone

March 6, 2016 21 Comments

Before and Afters

hardware cabinet no. 1 makeover

There are times when I’m out shopping for antiques and I see a piece and just know. I know the price has been marked down because it’s stinky and dirty and a drab color and it’s going to be a lot of work to overhaul. I know that I can work a little magic on it and make it an awesome piece. I just know. And, when I spotted two of these almost identical hardware cabinets, I knew. They were both marked down dramatically, because of the reasons I mentioned above. They stunk. They really needed to be cleaned and painted. And it was going to be a royal pain in the rear to paint all of those cubbies. BUT, I just couldn’t pass them up. Everyone is looking for pieces with cubbies these days and these had loads of potential. And loads of cubbies. I had a few moments

March 4, 2016 51 Comments

Before and Afters

painted mora clock & farmhouse white in australia

When I decide to paint something, it doesn’t take me long to add the powder to the water and dip in a brush. Remember the Mora clock from Antique Farmhouse I posted about over the weekend? It looked beautiful as is, but how could I resist painting it in MMS Milk Paint Mora? A Mora clock painted in Mora. I painted the trim in Linen and finished the entire piece with a little bit of Antiquing, White and Furniture Wax. It has a soft, muted finish that I really love and suits the Swedish style of the clock. I used all three of the waxes to bring out different aspects of the finish…highlight the texture, simulate age and grunge that may have built up in crevices and on ledges. The key was keeping it subtle, so the result wasn’t smudgy. If you apply tinted waxes properly, you really shouldn’t be

February 25, 2016 24 Comments

Before and Afters

Custom White Milk Paint Dresser

Remember this dresser I showed you a preview of last week? When I finished it, I put the hardware back on and took some pictures, but it just wasn’t working for me. The hardware just isn’t right for the piece and, while I love the blue & white quilt, I didn’t love it as a backdrop for this piece. So, I ordered different hardware for it and reworked some things while I was in the studio today. Here is how the piece started… It’s actually a sweet piece and wasn’t bad at all, but the wood is a bit too orange for my taste. I found it for a good price on craigslist. I left the top as is and painted the body of the piece in a custom mixed white – equal parts MMS Milk Paint Mora and Farmhouse White. It’s layered over Bergere with a Beeswax Finish Resist between the

February 18, 2016 32 Comments

All Things Home

Kim’s coastal bedroom | non-chippy milk paint

I love the look of paint that has been worn with time. Chips, flakes, rubbed areas that reveal the warm patina of the wood underneath. It just speaks to me. But, I know some people look at those pieces and wonder when you’re going to repaint or refinish them. It’s just not a look that is up everyone’s alley. My mom is one of those people who doesn’t like the “chippy look.” I know! Where in the world did I come from, right?! She does still ask her chippy-loving daughter to paint furniture for her, though. It’s always a good challenge for me and forces me out of my comfort zone. For her bedroom makeover, that large oak cabinet was begging to be painted. It felt massive and orange and a little dated as it was. I suggested painting it in Marzipan, to keep it light and fresh, but my

February 2, 2016 53 Comments

All Things Home

creating a chippy finish

One of the reasons I love milk paint is because it can chip and flake in a way that makes a freshly painted finish look authentically old. This chipping can be a bit random, though. I’ve tested out a lot of different products and techniques to consistently force chipping to happen and, while I’ve achieved some great finishes, the consistent, authentic-looking chipping has been illusive. Until now. Last week, I had several of my milk paint retailers in the studio for some refresher training and we played with some products and techniques to see what we came up with. On of the favorite teachniques was painting a coat of milk paint, followed by some 100% Beeswax Finish in select places, then another coat of paint, another coat of Beeswax Finish, and so on. I think I did five coats altogether, using a heat gun to help dry time. The result was

February 1, 2016 32 Comments

All Things Home

farmhouse white ticket & reviving old metal

If you haven’t noticed, I am just a little excited about our new MMS Milk Paint color, Farmhouse White. I’ve been into white lately, anyway, but I’m just so in love with the tone and coverage of this paint. It’s a winner. Launching the color in the usual way just didn’t seem like enough. I got this idea that it would be fun to offer a “golden ticket” style giveaway as we launch this color. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a scavenger hunt? A hidden surprise tucked into a product? The suspense of opening each bag, thinking it might be the one! So, somewhere out in the US, there are two $250 USD Farmhouse White Tickets hidden in two bags of Farmhouse White milk paint! The ticket will work like a gift card that you can spend on any MMSMP products, colors, finishes, brushes, etc. that you want. AND, we don’t want

January 17, 2016 26 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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