A while back, I sent Layla some Shutter Gray MMS Milk Paint to paint a newly acquired secretary desk. The funny thing is that I had the identical secretary at one point. Identical, I tell you!
Anyway, she painted it in Shutter Gray and it looked amazing in her sun/music room. It’s now been moved to the kitchen and Shutter Gray isn’t playing nice with her freshly painted island, so it’s time for a new color.
(photo courtesy of The Lettered Cottage)
We chatted about it a little and she requested a mint. I can do mint. I just need to find the right combination. So, I took some time to play around with that today.
I grabbed Boxwood, Lucketts Green, Eulalie’s Sky and Grain Sack to start with. I tried a few different combinations with Boxwood, but it was just going too sage.
So, I started over with Lucketts Green and Eulalie’s Sky.
When mixing colors, I like to start with very small quantities first, so I can make sure I’m headed in the right direction before I whip up a larger batch.
I love how the blue pigments come to life as soon as the water hits it. Once I figured out the ratios I liked, I mixed them in a larger batch, so I could paint some swatches.
…and I think I found it.
The recipe is – 1 part Lucketts Green + 1 part Eulalie’s Sky + 2 parts Grain Sack = Layla’s Mint. No pressure or anything, Layla!
(It does dry a little darker than it appears in the pictures.)
The nice thing about this recipe, though, is that it can easily be adjusted. If Layla mixes it up and decides it’s too green for her space, she can increase the Eulalie’s Sky portion. If it’s too blue, increase Lucketts Green. If it’s too dark, add more Grain Sack. Get the idea?
A word of advice, though, when mixing paint. Don’t mix a color, wait 3 minutes, get excited about it and then paint an entire piece. Mix some different options, write down the ratios, paint swatches and then leave them for about 30-60 minutes, so they can fully dry. Colors can look very different when they are dry. I’m always eager to like the colors I mix, but getting away from them for a little while gives me a chance to look at them with fresh eyes.
On a side note, I spilled some water on my dining table top, which is an old barn door finished with Hemp Oil. Look at that water bead up!
I wouldn’t leave it sitting there for an extended period, but it was nice to see the finish “in action.”
Oh, and one last thing! It’s finally been confirmed and scheduled…the Chapel Market in Pike Road, Alabama is on for 2014 and I will be there! More details will be coming soon…
That is a very pretty color! I just so happen to have all those MMS colors handy and might have to try that on my next painting project! 🙂
Love this color! Marian, I have a (sort of) unrelated question. Can hemp oil be used over ASCP, as well as over your milk paint? I’ve never used the oil before, and would like to give it a try; and I primarily use Chalk Paint. I read all I could find on the MMSMP site, but didn’t see anything regarding hemp oil over Chalk Paint. Thanks in advance for this information!
Marian,
I am a big fan of your hemp oil…it’s some awesome stuff. Layla’s mint is one pretty color and I am sure she will love it on her furniture. I need to get brave and mix some colors.
Blessings,
Linda
That mint color looks good enough to eat…….like melted ice cream!
Looks like it could use a few chocolate chips! Sara
I am SO excited you’ll be in Pike Road, AL!! I live just a few hours from there so I will definitely be coming. ; )
Hurray for Pike Road – it was great last year and I am so happy it will happen again!
Love that mint too!
I love this mint color! I’ve got a hutch to paint and I think I might be using a similar color! Thanks for the inspiration!
Marian — is it possible to mix the colors AFTER you’ve mixed each color separately r does the mixing have to happen while still in powder form?
Such a pretty color! x
Yay to a repeat performance at the Chapel Market! I had to cancel my trip there last year so I’m glad I have another shot! Love the mint green—so pretty and would complement a lot of color schemes.
Love the new color! So pretty! Mint is one of my favorite colors!
That color is stunning, exactly what I am doing in a newly constructed sewing/craft room. I guess I better figure out how to get what I need to go crazy painting with it. WOW
it is beautiful and so soft
You are the master! That is a great colour and works with her island so well.
I love mint – one of my personal favorite colors!! My only question is – when I mix your paint, while I am painting a large piece, I keep stirring while painting and it always ends up streaky and different colors. Am I not mixing it long enough? Other than that, I love your paint! Sometimes people like the streaks of color in the pieces I paint!
Pretty! I’d love to see a side by side of how that compares with the mint I made with Lucketts Green and white wax. I might have to mix up a batch to compare. I love mint!
That is so funny. I get her posts as well and that was the first thing I thought….love the secretary but they fought each other. That mint will be perfect…so fresh! Boy it’s good to have crafty friends!
Oh wow… you DID get it! What a pretty color. and The hemp oil does seem to leave a really rich luster and finish!
Cindy
that hemp oil is great; I liked the outcome on my front door and had enough left over to do the stairstep wood…not attracting any dust either…good stuff
Boy, you certainly are good at what you do! That is the perfect mint!! So very pretty! I can’t wait to get the chance to do my own mixing – I really love Eulalie’s blue! Thank you for more wonderful inspiration!
Marian, I am a LOVER of all things mint and your shade looks delicious enough to eat!! I had some odd chairs I wanted to paint mint and put them on a screened back porch breakfast nook. I should have gone with your milk paint, but I’m not confident enough to mix a shade. I must have sampled 8 or 9 mint green swatches before I found one that was not aqua and not sage. I finally found a color and asked the paint store to add a few drops of white and there was my crisp mint green. It’s pretty, though not as pretty as yours!
Hope you add this to a RECIPE CARD and keep it for a reference guide. THANKS HEEPS on the hemp oil update., gonna use on my old chairs!! GREAT INFO!!!!
I often see questions here that I would like the answers to as well. Do you answer these questions in a private message? I’d love it if there were answers published here under the questions that readers have.
Layla’s Mint is beautiful! <3 Even though, I'm not 100% sure what Milk Paint is, but I'll go Google it. 😀
I love the mint! I’m visiting Long Island and found a shop that has all your paint. I also found a primitive hutch there similar to your past blog except with glass doors on top. I’m shipping it to Wa. state where I live now. I can’t wait until it arrives as I have been looking for several years. When I saw your’s and how beautiful your paint made it I knew I had to buy this….I may have to try the
mint….
Love the mint…unfortunately I have none of your paint. WIsh you made smaller packages 🙂