Chalk Paint has Changed My Life

So I took a two nite course at the local antique mall on chalk painting techniques.  I had read about chalk paint for a couple years now, and had even made my own w/ a DIY recipe I found on the 'net.  But when I saw the opportunity to really learn the detail of it, I jumped.

I will never look back!

So the first nite we just painted the object we brought in.  Most brought in an actual piece of furniture (the largest being a DESK).  I brought in two boards.  One is a cabinet door I got at Restore, and another was some ugly wall hanging that was a nice size to make into a "welcome" sign or something.  I was just mostly taking SOMETHING to practice on.

So Nite #1 was uneventful.  I have painted boards b/4 ... no biggie.  Paint goes on lovely, and while many on the 'net say you don't need two coats ... they are liars. LOL LOL  The 2nd coat gets rid of the brush streaks from the first coat (now i did have darker wood underneath, so maybe if you're doing a light wood it's only one coat).

I got done in like 20 minutes and just looked at everyone for the rest of the class.  <sigh>

But LAST NITE ... that was the finishing nite and I was giddy!  It was the whole reason I took the class ... I can paint a board all day long and twice on Sundays, but I wanted to learn about waxes and glazes, etc.   Pete showed me how to use a dark wax in the crevices just to 'grunge' it up a bit, wipe w/ a rag and then apply the glaze (tinted brown) over the top for a GREAT aged finish.  

(I had a pic off my phone and i have no idea how to load it ... <sigh>)

So good thing I "got paid" from LW yesterday for my flea market sales.  I have a grocery list of products I want to get at Lowes!  800grit Sandpaper, Rustoleum Decorative Glaze, Valspar Cracking Glaze ... and I'm going back to Pete's store to get the dark wax I used last nite.

Now sidebar on the cracking glaze.  I love using plain ol' Elmers Glue for my usual cracking projects, but i needed a clear cracking medium to go over images I have decopauged (then you rub a stain over it and it works into the cracks for that OLD look).  Elmer's only works if you're going over it w/ a paint.  I'm NOT going to spend $$$ on the Tim Holtz Rock Candy stuff (even though I do love him -- he's just too expensive), Annie Sloan, VanGogh, etc  and I hear the Martha Stewart stuff doesn't work.  Pete had a bottle of the Valspar stuff and I thought "score!"

And of course NOW I need more shelving in my studio.  I can see my husband shaking his head already ... but he's a good sport thru it all .... love love love that man!