Apron Strings and Dried Lavender Retiring

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint is retiring the colors Apron Strings and Dried Lavender.  Get these lovely colors before they are gone for good.  

Store Closing

***Effective Immediately****

After a number of ongoing issues regarding the safety and integrity of the building we are renting, and our landlord's refusal to perform any proper maintenance, code enforcement was forced to condemn the building at 1340 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, Illinois, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

The Painted Chest will be closed until we can secure a new storefront.  I am having the store telephone number, 618-565-8404, transferred to my home so that my customers can still reach me for questions or to purchase paint.

Those of you who have pieces in for custom work, please know that it will all be completed, it might just take a little longer.  I will be contacting all of you by telephone over the next couple of days to update you on the status of your projects.

I can't thank you all enough for your support and patronage!!  This is just a little bump in the road and I will be back.

If you would like to order Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, please contact me by e-mail or telephone.  If you would like to order Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint, you can e-mail, telephone, or visit this LINK to order.

You will find the most recent updates on my Facebook page HERE.

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The Painted Chest was featured in Life & Style Magazine!

My goodness, time flies when you are having fun.  I don't think I ever told you guys that I was featured in Life & Style magazine!

Back in December, I received a call from a writer from Life & Style who wanted to come interview me for the next issue of their magazine.  To say I was excited was an understatement!  While it is a regional magazine, they are very choosy about who is featured.  I had only had my store open a month when I got the call.  Chanda Green was amazing and really put me at ease.

It was just supposed to be a short little article, so I was really surprised when February rolled around and I had a two-page spread.

Ms. Green's writing is much better than mine, so I will just let you read the piece for yourself.

I'm on pages 41 and 42 CLICK HERE.

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Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint European Colours

We are very excited to announce that we will be carrying Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint's NEW European Colour Collection!!  We are expecting our shipment to arrive any day now.  I will be sure to let you know when it hits the shelves.  

In the mean time, say 'hello' to Arabesque, Bergere, Layla's Mint, Marzipan, Mora,  and Schloss.

First up is:

Arabesque

Think ballet tights, dusty pink tutus and pale tea roses and you’ll have a good idea what to expect from Arabesque.  This decidedly feminine color is also surprisingly neutral, making this pink one that goes beyond nurseries.

Bergere

This smokey blue gray inspired by the painted frames of a pair of antique French Bergere chairs.  This blue is more subtle than the other blues in our line, but still makes a statement.

Layla's Mint

A version of this warm, minty green was originally custom-mixed for Layla of The Lettered Cottage.  It ended up being the perfect green to add to our subtle European colour collection.

Marzipan

Named for the delicious almond paste famous in Germany, Marzipan is an equally delicious warm neutral.  It’s an off-white with beige and warm gray undertones. It pairs beautifully with Ironstone for a subtle contrast.

Mora

Mora is named for the famous curvy clocks made in Mora,Sweden.  It is a whisper of a color – a neutral with gray, blue and green undertones.

Schloss

This rich, stone color is named Schloss,the German word for castle.  It’s warmer and richer than Trophy, making it the “greige” that our customers have been asking for!

Which new color from the European Collection is your favorite?

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The Painted Chest Grand Opening

It's the announcement that many of you have been waiting for...

Exciting Changes Happening!!!

The Painted Chest is MOVING!!!  That's right, I am moving into my very own store!!!  My new location will be at 1340 Walnut Street in Murphysboro, Illinois.  It's right on the corner of 14th and Walnut streets.  I can't tell you how excited I am to see my dreams coming true!

Another paint line is also coming to The Painted Chest!  Fusion™ Mineral Paint is an amazing new furniture paint made by Homestead House Paint Company, also the manufacturer of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.

You can learn more at Fusion™ Mineral Paint HERE.

I have also been asked to be a part of the Fusion™ Mineral Paint Leadership Team as the new Midwest Regional Merchant Trainer!!!

What does that mean?  That means that I will be teaching all of the new Midwest Fusion™ Merchants (retailers) how to use Fusion™ and its companion products as well as how to teach workshops to their own customers.

My region covers the following 11 Midwest states:  Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

This is also the reason why I am opening my own store, because all of those retailers will be coming to Murphysboro, Illinois for their training!!!

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How to Achieve a Chippy Finish with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint is known for its natural ability to chip and give an aged, worn, well-loved feel to a piece.  But did you know that sometimes it is actually hard to achieve that look?

On raw wood, Milk Paint actually absorbs into the wood like a stain instead of sitting on top like typical paint.  If you want that chippy look on raw wood, you will need to use a resist like Hemp Oil.  That's right, Hemp Oil is not only a finishing top coat on your painted piece, it can be used to create that chippy look that we all love.

Enter this 1912 Lane cedar chest.  It was still as sturdy as the day it was made but the finish on top was a little too loved over the years.  It had water rings from cups sitting on it, chipping and peeling veneer and even a few gouges to the top.  Cigarette burns too!

My client wanted this piece painted in Mustard Seed Yellow and really wanted to see a lot of chipping on this piece.  However, the veneer on the top needed to be removed and the deep gouges needed to be filled.  That left me with raw wood on the top.  

Raw wood top with wood filler applied to the damaged spots.

After giving it a coat of stain, I sporadically applied Hemp Oil to the top and immediately started painting.  You do not want to give the Hemp Oil a chance to soak in.  You also do not want to over-work your brush or you will end up with Hemp Oiled stripes on your piece and the chipping will not look natural.

The front of the cedar chest actually still had some old varnish on it.  I lightly scuffed it will a medium grit sanding sponge, wiped it down and started painting.  Much to my surprise and excitement, I received all kinds of chipping!  I was actually a little nervous that it would be too much chipping for my client, but she loved it.

This is what Milk Paint looks like as it dries and begins to chip.  You can use a fine grit sanding sponge or a putty knife to gently remove the flaking paint.

I finished the piece with Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax and lightly buffed it.  I really love how this piece turned out.  Mustard Seed Yellow is such a fun color without being too bold.  It's vintage but modern.  I think it suits this piece well.

Do you like the chippy look?  Do you want to learn how to achieve the chippy look on raw wood?  Sign up for my next Milk Paint 101 workshop HERE and I will teach you how! 

Linking up to the following parties:

  

http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/

Domestically-speaking.com

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