Workshops and a Show

It is almost time for the Plucky Maidens. I will be out there to greet you next weekend, Friday night and during the day on Saturday with lots of Annie Sloan Chalk Painted furniture, china, textiles, and other fun collectibles to purchase. I will have my dear friend, Gina there to help me. Don't miss this show. It will be a great one and lots of fun. Look for The Purple Pear!

Just a reminder....I have a lot of fun workshops listed on my website here so take a look and sign up for something that will energize your spirit as we wind down from the rainy season. More will be added too, so keep stopping by to see what is up. The samples above were from a recent workshop. I love this technique "clouded stipple" because every single person does something different that is amazing and beautiful and so easy!

A Lighter Heart

Last weekend on my two days off, Sunday and Monday, I piled all my furniture in the middle of my store and started to paint every wall a new and cleaner color for spring and summer.

It is funny, but ever since I became a Stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I have wanted to go home every night and change every room in my house. I am starting with my shop.

I think one of the most difficult things is deciding on what color to paint a piece of furniture. I have to live with it for a few days and feel the whole gestalt of it before I decide. I am not always right, but most of the time I am feeling a certain mood for the color as you can see in this cabinet. I am going to store lots of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and wax in there as well as brushes and Crackleur and gilding wax.

What seemed to be missing all winter in my shop was a little extra sparkle. I had lights in the window, but on the other wall opposite, it seemed a little dull and boring.

I have tried for the longest time to not bring anything too feminine or romantic into the space, and then one day I just woke up and asked myself why I was not defining this huge part of myself, a hopeless romantic and feminine person. I am giving into the feeling and I love it!

Sometimes you simply have to indulge your senses.

I have lots of new products coming into the shop including furniture hardware and other embellishments.

I am going to use this beautiful wooden violin case for display. I fell in love with the weathered patina and could not resist taking it back to my shop.

Honestly, she needed a good home.

Tomorrow I will be bringing in a whole pile of vintage and antique linens, Victorian Whites and trims, and an assortment of things I bought in France awhile back. I even have a few Fortuny pieces I am finally willing to let go of. Why? I am not sure, but sometimes you cannot covet something forever! I can hardly wait until Annie Sloan comes out with her beautiful line of textiles.

And of course I am continuing to paint lots of things for the shop in my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors. Could you ask for a more perfect existence in a world of color and dreams and exploration? I think not.

Spring into The Purple Pear

The rain the last few days has been unrelenting in Portland. I have to say I don't mind it and I am not sure why this is, but a lot of people are seriously affected by it. Last Friday, I stopped to buy some spring flowers to put in the window of my shop, and it seemed to lift a few spirits.

Annie Sloan is nearing the end of her US Tour in a few days and I am ending my last scheduling of workshops on Saturday. I am doing the Basic Six from 1-5 or 5:30 pm. I am completely revising my workshops and labeling them according to level. I have also decided to offer fewer techniques per class, so there is time to assimilate things, ask more questions. I also want to do a color class where we play with Annie's Chalk Paint and take certain colors and make gradations of tones. All these and more will be available in early April, so stay tuned for a more eclectic mix and lots of fun! And before we know it the sun will be bright, and we will be wearing summer dresses and shorts.

Annie Sloan is here!

Annie Sloan just arrived in the US! She is in NYC for the next three days meeting magazine editors. Over the next few months Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes will be mentioned in all of your favorite magazines.

Starting on Monday, I will be joining other stockists and local retail supports to join Annie in New Orleans for advanced workshop training.

Don't miss out on Annie's tour when she comes to a city near you, and sign up quickly for this great event to meet her and watch her paint and help you paint.

Please go to anniesloanunfolded.com to sign up.

Don't Miss the Tour!

Annie is just days away from coming to San Francisco for one of her tour stops. There are still a few tickets left. Don't miss out on the fabulous, one-time event. To register go to anniesloanunfolded.com. Read about the event and register now!! She will be in San Francisco for one day only on Monday, March 19th. Hope to see you there!

Zetty's Brocante

Zetty's Brocante is a delightful shop that just recently opened in Bend, Oregon. It is owned by Gina Brown who loves all things French and named the shop for her beloved Great Grandmother Zetty. Gina is a whirlwind of delight, energy, and enthusiasm all rolled into one. I met her a few weeks back when she traveled to Portland to take one of my workshops. She loves Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and intends to create her new-found decor shop with lots of painted furniture, beautiful French toiles, and her custom candles and beautiful pillows. She painted these two lovely chairs above with Paris Grey and embellished the floral detail with the newest color, Antoinette. She even added a small line of it on the front seat rail of the chairs. She finished it with a mixture of clear and dark wax blended together.

Old White on a beautiful French-designed chair....
Gina's candles are so incredible. She collects a lot of old silver and pours the beautifully scented soy mixture in each one to create the most gracious and lovely candles. The fragrance is divine!
She loves beautiful china, silver, and of course anything painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. This table is painted in French Linen with clear and dark waxes.
And who does not love Duck Egg Blue? Gina also added clear and dark wax after she painted the color.
Her toile pillows are so unique and beautiful because she gets all of her fabrics from a friend who sends her things from France.
I love this piece that she did in Versailles with clear and dark wax.
This is an actual grocery cart from the 1920's that she inherited. What a charmer of a piece. I had never seen one until she sent me this photo. The little chair next to the cart is painted in Versailles.


So the next time you are in Bend to ski or play golf or climb one of the beautiful mountains or take a hike, please visit Zetty's Brocante and meet the delightful and lovely Gina Brown. I guarantee your visit will be an adventure and loads of fun!

Kathy Sandler's Furniture Painting Workhop

Last Thursday, Kathy Sandler who has been a featured artist in my shop since I opened hosted a workshop at Thea's Interiors in the Pearl District of downtown Portland. I went over to take a few photos while everyone was playing and experimenting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes.
Kathy is such a great teacher. She has a remarkable sense of the history of paint as well as an artist's perspective on color, texture, and shading. Her background in Mixed Media as well as her love of color and collage brings insight and passion to her love of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and her various ways of interpretation.
We had a variety of paint colors available and everyone created unique inspiring pieces.











Kathy will continue to teach at Thea's and she has so many wonderful ideas to share so stay tuned and I will feature some photos of Kathy's next amazing workshop. I want to take her next class if I can manage to break away from my store for a few hours!

An Oval Mirror

Before....thank heavens I remembered to take a photo of the piece, something I often forget to do. I just realized later that it is unnecessary to put tape between the wood and the mirror because you can always use a razor blade later to gently remove the paint.
After......this piece went through many paint color transformations. The first coat was Henrietta, then Coco with clear and dark wax. It wasn't the look I was striving to achieve, so I then re-painted it with 3 parts Old White to 1 part Louis Blue. This made the most exquisite color called "Pompadour" which I then covered with clear and a little dark wax. Again, I was not satisfied. Finally I took some Duck Egg Blue from a can that was nearly empty, added some water to thin it, mixed in some Chateau Grey from a small plastic container that I had leftover from a workshop and poured in some Pure White from a nearly empty can to lighten it and came up with the color I wanted.
I love pieces that have this kind of detail because it allows you to layer colors, distress, and define details. Adding the clear and dark wax takes this one step further and adds to the patina and character.
The mirror itself has some worn character as well. I am always looking for imperfect mirrors that show a little age in the reflection.
I like the way the paint looks like it is chipping away from years of use.
I really am loving the dark wax these days. I love the way it sinks into the pock-marked wood.
The mirror found a perfect spot to reside and actually looks like it might have been there forever. Now I am on to the next project, a small table for my bathroom to match a well-loved wallpaper.