Reimagined Monday: A Very Special Gift using Chalk Paint™

We received this gem of a Reimagined Monday submission and are happy to share it with you now that Christmas has been celebrated and the surprise is out from under the tree!

Lois wanted to do something special for her son that has very personal meaning and felt that Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan was the perfect solution.

"Hi. Just finished my Christmas projects for my son.  My mother passed away at 94 years of age in September and left 3 very tired looking stacking stools to my eldest son.  I decided to give them a facelift and surprise him for Christmas. I am sure he is going to be as thrilled as I am.   

I had heard about Annie Sloan's chalk paint on a television program and was eager to give it a try.  I was so excited that there was a store relatively nearby (by prairie standards) and made the journey from Lloydminster to Edmonton to get some advice and my supplies.

Here are the before and afters:   

I started off with two coats of Emperor's Silk and followed up with 1 1/2 coats of graphite.   

I then waxed and sanded back the edges to reveal the red and then followed up with two additional layers of wax. Unfortunately when I purchased the paint you did not have any waxing brushes in stock so I applied the wax with a rag.
 
I think I would have been even more successful had I been able to use the brush but I am happy with the results nonetheless.

Perhaps I will win this context and get the much desired waxing brush!!  I am definitely going to use this paint again and have a long list of projects awaiting. 

Merry Christmas!

Lois Classen-Lorenz"

We think they look fantastic, Lois -- we agree that a wax brush makes projects that much easier and we hope you ended up with one in your Christmas stocking!

Best of luck in this month's Reimagined Monday draw!

Don't forget to enter our monthly contest for your chance to win!

Here's the info:

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process using Chalk Paint™ or Milk Paint and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw.

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com for your chance to win!

♥, 
Apple Box Boutique

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We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Reimagined Monday: Camping In Style ...& Colour!

Well, as they say, better late than never!  We're still moving a tad slow around here thanks to that hideous spring flu, but wanted to post this makeover as a little pick-me-up on a chilly, wet and windy day.

Contrary to what it seems (at least here in Alberta), summer is right around the bend, and now is the time to start those projects to make it another fantastic, colourful season.

That is just what Angela Boone Leachman did to jazz up her vintage trailer using Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan in Emperor's Silk, Provence, Graphite, Pure White, and Arles.

Can you spot all the different colours and shades?

Suffice it to say that we LOVE her reimagination!

Don't forget to enter our monthly contest for your chance to win!  
Here's the info:

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process using Chalk Paint™ or Milk Paint and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

♥, 
Apple Box Boutique

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Project Personality: Let's Catch Up (SO much to tell)!

Project Personality

with Apple Box Boutique founder Leanne Playter Korsos

Hello, and welcome to Project Personality -- It's time to catch up, don't you think?

I may lose everyone here, but I am going to go ahead and risk it... yup, because "risk" is my middle name!  Well, not really... Leanne is my middle name but we'll save that wacky story for another day :)

"Why might I lose you?", you ask!  Because once you read the following words you may very well be out the door and on the way to the boutique (or at least running around frantically looking for your car keys like I do) but there is more great news after this so I hope you'll hang around a minute.  

Are you ready?  Here goes...

We Are Restocked with Chalk Paint™

We have shelf-loads of quarts, samples, brushes, books, aprons and anything you could possibly need to get going on your weekend and summer projects!  Just think... all it will take is opening a can.  No priming, no sanding, no worrying about the surface of virtually any object. Easy peasy!

But that's not all!  I did promise more great news...

We were double-shipped a paint order and are guaranteed not to run out of Scandinavian Pink as we near the end of May.  With this being our Colour of the Month, more Chalk Paint™ enthusiasts have given it a try and it has become immensely popular.  Now you can get your hands on some while the price is as low as we go.

If you like this:

I've always said you can hear the angels sing after the second coat of Chalk Paint™

or this:

Scandinavian Pink, Graphite and Old White Chalk Paint™... Oooo-la-la!

or this:

Gratuitous inclusion 'cause I love Flamingos

then you'll LOVE this:

Now, on to more info (does the arrow give that away?)

A while back we introduced "Something Old Something New" (SOSN), a special feature where we post an item that we have been hoarding for one reason or another, but that we need to let go of.  The best part is that we let go of it for way less than it is or may be priced at.

Here is the latest, knocked down from $135 to $95.  We've been hiding it in and around the boutique, referring to it as a good example of Chalk Paint™ in Emperor's Silk with Graphite and a clear wax finish.  It holds a bar fridge (honest, we kept it for the colour), is open in the back to allow for venting (the air-flow kind), and has a wine rack ('nuff said).  

As with any SOSN item, the first to claim it with their pocket book (in-store, online or over the phone) is the proud owner of this great bar cabinet, at a great price!

Want to learn how to makeover something

so it's as cute as this cabinet? 

We have two seats remaining in our Workshop this Sunday.  It is the "bring your own piece" class, which teaches you loads of stuff and is lots of fun (plus we eat yummy food!):

Click this cool logo to read about it and register!

Last but not least -- because there is too much good stuff to not mention it -- tonight is the Highland's Outdoor Farmer's Market from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM.  It is across the street, so be sure to stop in at Apple Box Boutique (we're open until 9:00 PM Thursdays!) and visit all the other fabulous shops along the street.  Last week was bustling... get down early to make away with all the  goodies before they're gone!

Should I be this excited?  It may be because I snuck in the Flamingo picture.  Nope, it's because I've had so much fun catching up with you!

Looking forward to seeing you tonight!

~♥~ Leanne

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January 2013 Colours of the Month!

The January 2013 Colours of the Month have been discounted at the boutique, but we realized that with the changes happening here, we didn't get them published at On The Apple Box! 

Inspired by the silvery, shiny, shimmery New Year we selected classic Graphite from Annie Sloan's decorative Chalk Paint® collection and Shutter Grey (our take on silver!) from Miss Mustard Seed's designer Milk Paint line.

What will you reimagine to celebrate the New Year?

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Fall Sale! Great Deals -- Get Them Before They 'Leave'!

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn... it's hard to believe summer has passed but with fall comes a feeling of fresh starts (remember those first crisp school days), which is why we are making room in the Boutique for all the new things to come!

And that means... it is Fall Sale time!

Here is a sneak peek of some of the pieces on sale today and tomorrow:

♥,  
Apple Box Boutique

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We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Reimagined Monday: DIY Bench Makeover

Tausha at Sassy Style Design has been afflicted with the same condition that we have at Apple Box Boutique.  ASCP-itis!  We have BIG love for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and today's Reimagined Monday post is another fabulous example of why we adore it.

Check out Tausha's blog for an upbeat look at home decor, design and furniture make-overs or catch Tausha on Utah's Studio 5 television for lots of fun crafts and more.

But first... here is an excerpt from Tausha's entryway 'shabby chic' bench makeover:

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

DIY Bench Makeover

"If you have ever visited my blog before, you know that I LOVE Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!

We are talking, pretty sure it’s not healthy to love paint as much as I love this paint.

Why do I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint so much?

The versatility, hands down. You can paint anything with this paint. Anything! You can read more about my past Annie Sloan Chalk paint projects here. I give a lot of tips and ideas to help you love the paint as well. 
 

The reason I am talking about my love affair with the chalk paint is because of my Entryway Makeover.

  

I painted a sad, forgotten bench and now it takes the center stage it so deserves.

(Yes, I totally realize that I am talking about my bench like it is a person…)
 

 

The bench is the perfect fit for my entryway. I don’t have a huge space and this bench measures 11” deep, so it fits perfectly. Plus, I love the cute curves.

My bench left a lot to be desired before...

I am totally over the whole honey oak look. It was great in the 90’s, but not so much now.  It had been a while since I had used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I knew that it would be perfect for my bench DIY. 

I didn’t have enough of one color, so I mixed my own. That is one of the many reasons why I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I can mix colors  to my hearts desire. I wasn’t too worried about brush strokes, so I quickly slapped the paint on."

"After the first coat was dry, I dry brushed some old white in some corners. I wanted the curves of the piece to really stand out, so I made sure that I gave the curves some extra attention..."

"After I dry brushed the white, I added the clear wax. I waxed the entire piece with the clear wax. I wiped the clear wax on and the buffed it off with the same rag. 

I then added some dark wax in some corners and on the edges of her fabulous curves.

Don’t worry if you get to much of the dark wax in one spot. Just put some clear wax over the spot and wipe it off. It acts like an eraser..sort of.

Then she was finished.  Sort of.

Yep, I didn’t paint the back of the bench. My arm was ready to fall off and I figured that nobody would see the back anyway. So, yes, I totally left it unpainted and I am totally ok with it.

Did I mention that I am little on the lazy painter side? When one paints for 3 days solid and has pins and needles in her wrist, she becomes a lazy painter.

And to keep it really real, what my entryway usually looks like...

Well, almost. I did throw some papers away and some of my 12 yr. olds shoes earrings down the stairs. ( I choose to not go in her room, it just makes me swear).

I love my little bench & her fabulous curves!

PS-If you noticed that picture has a different pillow, you will also learn that I am a bit of changing pillows for the season freak.  Just keeping it real."

That's exactly why we love Tausha's blog.  She is REAL and more than happy to share project successes and challenges (we all have them!) as she makes her way to her lovely creations.

Happy Monday... Happy Painting!

♥,

Apple Box Boutique

Here is how to share your reimagined paint project at On the Apple Box:

Send us a description of how you used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to get from your vision to the reimagined piece, before and after pictures, pictures of your project in progress or a couple of it in its finished state, and you may be highlighted on our blog!

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We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog: