This Chalk Paint™ Makeover Shifts into High Gear

We hope all of our Canadian friends enjoyed Thanksgiving weekend!   

Apple Box Boutique had yesterday off to give thanks, which meant there wasn't a blog post and so no "Reimagined Monday" feature -- but since this is a favourite article for staff and followers alike, we have decided to roar into Tuesday with a reimagination that has to be seen to be believed. 

 Buckle up, everyone! This Chalk Paint™ makeover shifts into high gear! 

THIS:

... is a truck clearly made mostly of testosterone.

A scary camo-engulfed monstrosity owned by Jennifer of Metamorphose Upholstery and Furniture.  Even the bumper cover had abandoned the poor thing.

Not too many girls would venture out in such a beast.  In fact, that is exactly what Jennifer had named it.  But she is a brave gal, and a few days ago with the help of Rose of The Shabby Chicas, a wild and wonderful reimagination took place.

First, a little background -- Jennifer along with Melanie of The Hoity Toity Peacock came up with a scheme to make over "The Beast" with Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan.

I'm always talking about how it sticks to virtually everything, no prep required -- and I have bottles and plastics and metals and outdoor signs to show folks it's true!  But I have to say ... even the examples are bigger in Texas!  

It was decided the transformation would take place during The Original Round Top Antiques Fair last weekend.   What a great way to showcase Chalk Paint™!

For colour, Jennifer decided on 1 part Florence to 4 parts Old White.
 

On Saturday, without any real pomp or ceremony, she mixed two cans of Old White + half can of Florence with 1 can of water -- then, with the spirit of fun and determination driving them forward, Jennifer painted one side while Rose painted the other.

One and a half hours later and two coats painted completely with brushes (and a quart of paint to spare), the difference is stunning.

"The Beast"...

became "The Beauty"...

She needs a sturdy clear-coat and Jennifer's sister Michelle is going to bling up the bumper (I believe it was referred to as "Bedazzling"), but WOW... talk about Metamorphose!  It's no wonder that's the name of Jennifer's Houston shop.

For more on this fabulous makeover and to enter the contest to rename the new and improved 'beast', visit Metamorphose on Facebook.

Yes ma'am... that is definitely a Chalk Paint™ makeover that shifted into high gear!

♥,  
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:

Happy Thanksgiving from Apple Box Boutique Inc.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.  

~Melody Beattie

All of us at Apple Box Boutique wish you and yours a happy and healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

♥,  
Apple Box Boutique

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Project Personality: Chalk Paint™ Colour Recipes

Project Personality

with Apple Box Boutique founder Leanne Playter Korsos

When customers come in to the Boutique enquiring about Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan, one of the (many) things I enthusiastically relay is the 'mixability' of it.  Because these paints (except for Graphite, of course) have very little to no black pigment in them, they can be mixed to create new hues while maintaining vibrancy. I am a fan of custom everything, so for me it is wonderful to know I can preserve my personal taste and individuality when I paint! 

There are currently 30 colours in Annie Sloan's designer line, but when I talk about "paint recipes" some folks wonder if it is beyond their capability. It's not! I am writing today to put minds at ease and open the door to "fearless creative expression".  And all it takes is Chalk Paint™, a glass cup and a tongue depressor.  

Go figure!

Customizing Chalk Paint™ 101

What's so special about paint with 'mixability'?
Using latex and oils in the past meant that it was always a big guess about whether I would get a new colour or a big murky, greyed-down mess.  That doesn't happen with this paint.  It mixes with purity and clarity of colour, and I adore that about it.

How do I measure it?
Generally in ounces and stir it up in a cup using a tongue depressor.  Then I brush it on a paint stick and when that's dry, I write the 'recipe' on it to hang in my cupboard.  That way I always have it to refer to plus I can match other pieces to it in the future without worrying about how to recreate it. I am a huge fan of keeping things fun and stress-free!

Does it keep?
Yes.  Mixed Chalk Paint™ has the same life span as the paint in its original state -- it keeps indefinitely.

How much should I make?
A can = a 32 oz quart, which covers approximately 150 square feet.  I generally figure it out from there depending on the size of the piece or project I am working on.

What if I get it wrong?
The really fabulous thing about all of this is that there is no wrong or right.  You may not get exactly what you envisioned every time, but at some point that unexpected hue is going to come in handy.  Sometimes it leads you down a new creative path that you hadn't initially intended to travel, and discoveries like that are the spice of life!

Where do I start?
My answer to that is "anywhere you please... just start!"  And it never hurts to check out what others have already created as well.  Following are a few colour recipes shared by the talented Deborah Cooper of the design company 'Round the Coop'.  Thanks to curious folks like Debbie, we don't have to reinvent the wheel (unless we want to, which can be lots of fun too).

Here are just a few of the recipes that I L-O-V-E:

Avocado
2 oz Antibes Green
2 oz Arles
1/2 oz Pure White

 

Hot Pink

2 oz Pure White
1.5 oz Emperor's Silk








 
Brown (shown)
2 oz Olive
2 oz Primer Red
Soft Clear Wax
Soft Dark Wax

Dark Brown
2 oz Graphite
2 oz Barcelona Orange

Deep Purple
2 oz Napoleonic Blue
2 oz Emperor's Silk

Berry
2 oz Emile
2 oz Emperor's Silk

Steel
2 oz Graphite
1 oz Pure White

Burlap
4 oz Arles
2 oz Olive
1 oz Primer Red

Dark Burlap
3 oz Arles
2 oz Olive
1 oz Primer Red

Both: Soft Clear Wax
           Soft Dark Wax

Butter
2 oz Arles
2 oz Old White
Soft Clear Wax
Soft Dark Wax

Cornflower
2 oz Greek Blue
2 oz Emile











When I get down to the bottom of a Chalk Paint™ can I know I can use what's left as a wash, an impasto, for dry brushing, for arts and crafts, to tint my wax, for detailing
... or to blend with other paints to make what I've imagined come to life.

The possibilities are endless -- and beyond cool is that you will never waste paint (or your $) again.

After seeing that Cornflower mix, I am even more excited to get started on my next project!

How about you?  What's your favourite hue?

~♥~  Leanne

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Save $ on our Chalk Paint™ Colour of the Month (plus WIN Big at Tonight's Late Night on the Ave. Event)

October is our first foray into offering BIG savings on a Colour of the Month, and what could be better than Barcelona Orange Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan to help inspire and enhance your projects with the shades of Autumn and Halloween.

Here are a few examples on what you can do with this dynamic Chalk Paint™:

A fabulous sideboard makes an impact

Chalk Painted letters dress up a mantle

Decorative Leaves: Sponge on Chalk Paint™ in Barcelona Orange, Arles and Emperor's Silk

Paint fabric!  It is fun, easy and washable.

Reimagine a little table to hold your Halloween goodies

Create a perfect banner using stencils, card stock and some ribbon

Vibrant artpiece using shades of Barcelona Orange mixed with Arles and Old White

Terracotta pots make an adorable pumpkin patch

Subway art! Use a Barcelona Orange wash over Graphite lettering

Chalk Paint™ thrift store candlesticks for a quick and easy Autumn decor

Add personality to your entryway. Talk about curb appeal!

There are limited quantities available, so hurry in to Apple Box Boutique and save, save, SAVE!

Purchase Barcelona Orange Chalk Paint™ at just $45.00 (regularly $51.95) while supplies last!

Want the whole package?

Tonight is Late Night on the Ave... 

Visit Apple Box Boutique, and for every purchase of $25 or more on home decor, one-of-a-kind furniture or Chalk Paint™ and supplies, you will be entered to win one of Annie Sloan's European  Chalk Paint™ brushes and her Creating the French Look book!

That's a value of $64!

Then stop by for more great deals and events at these fabulous Highlands shops:

See you tonight!

♥,  
Apple Box Boutique

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Now In: European Paint & Wax Brushes by Annie Sloan

Our latest shipment of Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan has arrived and with it came something we have excitedly been awaiting!

Chalk Paint & Wax brushes are here from Europe!  These are the brushes Annie Sloan developed and uses every painting day.

We'd hesitated on bringing them in because their pricing means they are a bit of an investment, but wow, what a difference they make.

They use less paint, minimize brush strokes and have a whole different feel to them than our North American 'straight' brushes. They have an oval ferrule and are being given an overwhelming 'thumbs up' by professional and part-time painters on both continents.

And they clean up like a dream, which means they'll be your go-to brush for a very long time.

Annie wrote on her website, "Made of pure bristle, this is a great brush for painting, particularly to achieve texture. It is oval, with a metal ferule and wooden handle.

These type of brushes have always been my favourite as they allow you to paint expressively as the bristle is strong and firm but pliable. They can also be used for applying wax."

We like that they cross over and can be used for paint or wax and we love that they are exceptional with both.

Starting today they will be available at the Boutique and online, but there are limited quantities, so you'll want to act fast!

♥,  
Apple Box Boutique

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Reimagined Monday: Giving Adoption Hope to Sad & Lonely Kitsch

Happy Reimagined Monday, everyone!

It's Leanne here, and I am very happy to be hosting Reimagined Monday today.

Why?  Because anyone who has talked to me about Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan knows that I am super-enthusiastic about it.  I have been since the day I first tried it, long before it landed in our little Boutique.  I love it for SO many reasons... its stress-freeness (hmmm... new entry in the lea-speak dictionary), its prep-free attributes, its look, its ability to stick to -- well, pretty much everything --

In fact, I haven't found anything yet that it doesn't adhere to and improve.  Which is one of my favourite things about Chalk Paint™ and the topic of today's blog entry... Giving adoption hope to those super-shiny, startlingly unappealing and outdated ornaments that are left sad and lonely on dollar store and thrift shop shelves across the nation.

Case in point... the great bunny makeover.  The lovely and always upbeat Janet of The Empty Nest has taken a pair of rather frightening, kitschy, over-lacquered rabbit types and transformed them into stunning little antiqued cottontails that anyone would be proud to display in a coveted spot on their mantlepiece.

Without further ado... Here are excerpts from Janet's blog post about her reimagined bunnies!

"Hello my friends!

Today I want to share a little painting project I worked on over the weekend.

Last week I bought two full size porcelain rabbits at a local thrift shop." 

"I mean really...look at this little guy.....way too shiny and a little scary looking.

Who's idea was it to dress this guy up with a funky blue ribbon???"

"He is just screaming out for some magical Chalk Paint™ decorative paint from Annie Sloan."

"Did you know Chalk Paint™ would adhere to glassy porcelain?

It absolutely does!"

"Here are my bunnies..yup, there were two ugly black mottled bunnies, after two coats of Old White."

"Ok...now I have found that the secret to painting on super slick surfaces like glassy porcelain is to not try too hard.

By that I mean don't try to get full coverage all in one coat. I painted one coat of Old White, not worrying about complete coverage. Don't overwork your brushstrokes. You need to apply a light coat quickly and leave it alone!!! Like overnight leave it alone."

"THEN apply a second coat and the same technique applies.

Lay on the second coat and leave it alone to dry..don't mess with it!

The above rabbits have two full coats of Old White, over the span of two days.

DON'T RUSH THE PROCESS!!!!"

"Here are two lovely rabbits  with two coats of Old White and a coat of Step 1 of

 Annie Sloan's wonderful 

Craqueleur  Varnish Crackle.

Have I told you how much I LOVE this product??

Yeah..I pretty much LOVE IT!!!"

"Step two is now applied and depending how thickly I apply it, will determine how bigs the cracks are.

Liberally apply dark wax all over the piece and rub it into the cracks.

Voila!"

"Pick up some clear wax and wipe all over your piece 

to clean off all the residue dark wax on your piece"

This is what the final effect will be.

Beautiful crackly, crazed and antiqued gorgeousness.

Can you say 

YUM!!

"The lovely thing about Annie's crackle medium is that it doen't touch the paint, but crackles the varnish."

"So cool!

You are able to achieve an antiqued old world varnish crackle."

"Hands down my favorite product!

You can get lovely looks with this product and try to attend a local workshop for some real fun."

"Until next time....be kind and stay creative."

                                                               

Thanks Janet!

I can say that I have successfully painted fabric, plastic, metal, enamel, laminate, and more... even those weird and unknown finishes that are slicker than a greased weasel!

But for many people it has to be seen to be believed, and Janet's bunny project is a wonderful example of how loveliness can be found in all things.  Sometimes it just takes a little reimagination!

♥,  
Leanne & 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!

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog: