Artisan Enhancements makes some the most versatile artist and decorative paint mediums on the the market! Too learn more about Artisan Enhancements visit any of our locations. Want to see more of Rhonda J Designs' faux finishing projects? Visit www.rhondajdesigns.com.
Follow 5 simple rules when distressing your furniture.
Rule #1: Don't wait too long to distress!
Paint, especially Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan, begins to
"set-up" fairly quickly once the paint is dry to the touch. Don't
wait days to distress your painted finishes, try to complete the distressing
the same day you paint or at least within 24 hours of painting.
Rule #2: Pick your Dressing Tool!
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to tools for distressing. Use what
works best for you and the look you are trying to achieve.
For an overall or heavy distressed finish, distress your
piece all over. Don't pick and choose certain spots on the surface to distress.
Using your preferred distressing tool begin distressing the ENTIRE surface of
your piece. Applying more elbow grease
and pressure to areas that would authentically "wear" or
"age" of time, such as edge sand seats. If you want to add just a
little distressing where pieces would naturally wear, only do areas like edges,
corners, and raised details - spots that would get touched and bumped the most.
That's it!
Rule #4: If you're sweating and aching, then you're
working too hard!
Don't over work your piece. Stand back and look at a
section before continuing to further distress. Let the paint naturally remove
where it wants to come off...you and your tools are just helping it along.
Rule# 5: ALWAYS HAVE FUN!
Distressing should be easy and fun.
For more techniques on Distressing watch Part 2 of this Video of
Annie Sloan's distressing method with sand paper.
To see additional inspiration and visit our
Pinterest Page!
If you've ever
visited any of Rhonda J's Shoppes, you're probably familiar with LuBella Candle
Company, responsible for the very popular "The Market" scent. As of
June 1st, Rhonda J became the owner and operator of LuBella Candle Company in
Boerne, Texas! Stop by the Shoppe at the Alley to stock up on all of your favorite
scents.
Our passion is to offer customers a lasting and high
quality fragrance experience when lighting a LuBella Candle. Our
fragrances envelop the senses, providing warm and aromatic atmospheres. Located in Boerne, Texas, our candles are
carefully hand-poured at our Shoppe in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.
Although, Annie
Sloan developed her famousChalk Paint®for "old world" finishes,
you don't have to love the "old world" finish to use Chalk Paint®!
If you want a
"modern" smooth painted finish, like those found on Mid-Century
Modern furniture or contemporary French furniture, it is easy to achieve with a
few easy steps.
Our preferred
method of achieving a smooth finish begins with selecting the correct paint
brush.
Made of pure, natural, fiber bristles and specifically designed to be used with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, but firm enough to use for Annie Sloan Soft Wax applications. This brush holds a lot of paint eliminating the number of "passes"
needed to achieve a solid coat a paint. The less passes needed to cover your piece
the less texture created. Beautifully crafted and made to last a lifetime!
Annie Sloan Flat Brush Annie specifically designed this synthetic fiber brush to
be used with Chalk Paint® to create a smooth, "silky", modern finish.
This brush is considered a "flat brush" but is dense enough to hold a
lot of paint and distribute the paint evenly.
This brush is sometimes called a "varnish brush",
and was designed to be used with Clear Topcoat Sealerby Artisan Enhancements.
The combination of both natural and
synthetic bristles help the brush glide along, reducing brush strokes , creating
an even application of sealer. The same properties make this brush a good brush
to use when creating a smooth paint finish. Just be sure to clean thoroughly when switching from paint to sealer. Or have two brushes!
The Method
Paint the first coat in even, clean, and linear strokes. Limit the number of passes and strokes used to apply Chalk Paint® to the piece of furniture. Allow the first coat
to completely dry.
TIP: For an extra smooth finish, once the first coat is dry, very lightly sand the first
coat of the newly painted surface with 400 - 1000 Grit sandpaper. Brush off any sandpaper or paint particles.
Using a spray water bottle, very lightly mist the
surface of the first coat, then begin painting the 2nd coat of paint. If you
feel the paint is drying too quickly. Lightly mist the surface again.
Allow 2nd coat of Chalk Paint® to completely dry.
Distress your piece on edges with 220 grit sandpaper if
desired. For a sleek modern look skip the distressing!
TIP: For an extra smooth finish, VERY LIGHTLY sand the second
coat of the painted surface with 800 - 1000 Grit sandpaper. Brush off any sandpaper and paint particles before waxing.
Seal your piece with just clear wax for a fresh Mid-Century
Modern look or with a combo of Annie Sloan Soft Clear & Dark wax
for an antiqued Mid-Century aesthetic.
TIP: For an ultra modern contemporary, glossy
finish, use Artisan Enhancements Clear Finish only instead of wax.
Pictured: Smooth Finish using Custom Mix of Antibes Green and Florence. Graphite dry brush and finished with Clear Wax.
All these products are available through Rhonda J's Shoppes! To see Annie's Smooth Technique visit her YouTube page to see her 3-Part tutorial on creating a smooth finish.
We announced a few weeks ago that we received our Consuela shipment at our Shoppe at the Alley in San Antonio. The bags and accessories have been so popular since their arrival...we have to talk about them some more!
Consuela is a bold, fun, artfully, and skillfully made lifestyle brand! They have built the brand behind their "Four Pillars: Look Good. Laugh Easy. Lift the World. Live in Color".
We love the funky but luxuriously chic look of all of their products! Perfect for couture or boho fashions. Currently, our two most popular collections are the "Candy Crush" and "Valentina". Come and get it!
One of our favorite things to paint withChalk Paint®by Annie Sloan is kitchen cabinets! It is just so easy to completely transform your home with Chalk Paint®. Here is a recent cabinet
job Rhonda completed usingParis Grey Chalk Paint® and Annie Sloan Clear Wax
tinted withPure WhiteChalk Paint®.
We've got gifts for Grads & Teachers! Give the gift
of inspiration, positivity, and pampering!
For Teachers!
Teacher Gifts Shown:
Be Happy/Enjoy The Ride Neoprene Key Fob - FarmHouse Fresh Coconut Beach Body Scrub - Be
Happy Pink Floral Wood - Coaster Set of 4 - Lavender
Melamine Giving Platter - The
Market Candle (our #1 selling scent) - FarmHouse
Fresh Body Milk Moisturizers - Ivory/Gold Spot
Bead Linked Wrap Around Bracelet
For Grads!
Grad Gifts Shown:
Hexagon
Convertible Cooler Bag - Don't Look Back Tee - Follow Your Dreams Inspiration Flags (more styles
available) - Kneel Prayer Box - Not All Who Wander Mini-Canvas Art - FarmHouse
Sweet Cream Body Milk - Don't follow Your Dreams Chase Them Tassel Car Air-Fresher - FarmHouse
Fresh One Fine Day Shea Sugar
Scrub
We have so many great new things arriving every day at Rhonda J's Shoppes. One of our "hottest" sellers right now are the graphic text tanks. We also have brand new pieces from Pink Lemonade. We are in love with the Pink Lemonade Rosette Statement necklace - Handmade up-cycled from vintage fabric and lace, and embellished with vintage jewelry elements. Perfect accessory for a day of shopping or night on the town! It ties in the back, is lightweight, good for Mother’s Day!
We are counting down the day until summer starts! We are also getting our closets and wardrobe ready for warmer temps! Here is a sneak peak at this seasons hottest summer looks available from Rhonda J's Shoppes!
1. Charlie Southern Good Girl Tank 2. Charlie Southern Heavens to Betsy Tank 3. Blue Planet Indio Polarized Sunglasses
The "Traveler Dress" from Natural Life is the
perfect everyday dress for this summer! The flattering A-Line cut of this dress
looks good on any body type. Pair with boots or sandals or canvas shoes or
loafers for the perfect fun casual summer look!!!!
If you've taken a Workshoppe with Rhonda J or you've
been to one of her Shoppe locations...you know how serious she is about her
tools! For Rhonda's tip this week we are showcasing a couple of Rhonda's
favorite tools - her Annie Sloan Brushes.
The Pure Bristle Brush - Annie Sloan created her Pure
Bristle brushes to be used specifically with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan and Annie Sloan Soft Waxes. The brush is dense,
but pliable, so you use more paint with each application which allows you to
get through your coats of paint quicker. The shape of the oval wooden handle
fits firmly into your hand during painting or waxing. These brushes are
available in 3 different sizes and will last forever with proper clean-up!
Annie Sloan Short Wax Brush - This brush is new to Rhonda
J's Shoppe for 2015 and we love it! The handle was ergonomically designed to
fit comfortably in the hand to make the application of waxes even smoother. The
tapered tip helps get wax into the "nooks and crannies" of detailed
hard to reach places.
Heather in our Buda Shoppe recently painted her Master Bath
cabinets using a custom Chalk Paint® color. By mixing equal
parts Barcelona Orange and Graphite she created a color she named "Fava Brown".
We just love the Boho Bandeau from Natural Life! The perfect accessory for a
vintage, bohemian, or just plain fun look! The original bandeau can be worn 11
different ways! New for 2015, the HALF Boho Bandeau.
Do you love
the look of distressed finishes? Shelley from our Shoppe at the Railroad in
Buda, TX shares one of her favorite methods to achieve a distressed rustic
finish. Use this method to create a weathered and aged look for your cabinets and
furniture!
Shopping List:
Arles Chalk Paint®
by Annie Sloan
Old White Chalk
Paint® by Annie Sloan
English Yellow Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan
Annie Sloan Clear
Soft Wax
Annie
Sloan Dark Soft Wax
Tools:
Paint and Wax
Brushes
Distressing Tools
Buffing Cloths
The Method
1. Apply Old White Chalk Paint® to the drawers and
hardware.
2. Mix 1 part Arles Chalk Paint®, 1 part English
Yellow Chalk Paint®, and 2 parts Old White Chalk Paint®. This
creates a soft pale yellow.
3. Paint dresser with new custom mixed yellow color.
4. When the paint is dry to the touch, begin distressing with
your preferred distressing tools. The distressing process will reveal the wood
color of the original piece.
4. After you have finished distressing, seal your piece
with Annie Sloan's Clear Soft Wax using your wax brush and buffing cloths.
5. Add touches of Annie Sloan Dark Soft Wax to areas like
doors and drawers for a more authentically aged finish.
For more hands on, step-by-step, distressing and waxing techniques attend a Chalk Paint® workshop at one of Rhonda J's Locations!
"In today's Daily Mail, one of the UK's most popular national newspapers is a piece mentioning our wonderful paint.As we say, we can neither confirm or deny!"
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