Saturday 27 October 2012

Painting up a storm!

This weekend brought the West Coast a very wet, and dreary Saturday. It was the perfect day to be creative! Elisa and I took over the workshop at Spruce and taught our very first Ce Ce Caldwell Paint class. I was really surprised at how well it went, and even more surprised by how excited the girls were when they left. We started the day with 4 ladies who had never had their hands in chalk paint before, but all had a list of projects they wanted to tackle, with no idea where to start. I was thrilled to see ALL four leave with Ce Ce in their hands, anxious to go home and start painting. There is nothing better than inspiration!
The girls each were given 6 sample boards to work with, and paint how they wanted. This gave them each an opportunity to see how their favorite colors looked on a solid piece instead of just the paint chart.
        *One White
        *One Black
        *One Layered (light color over dark color)
        *One Layered (dark color over light color)
        *One Layered (any two colors)
        *Once Crackled (any two colors)

Then all the girls had the opportunity to create their own paint swatch card. This is actually a lot more fun then you would think. It's really neat to see all the paint cans lines up with the lids off. You never get to see EVERY can opened! The colors are so great, that it really allows your creativity to start matching colors that you would never think, simply because you never see them all out at the same time.


I was able to create an entire piece from start to finish, which I think really allowed to girls the chance to see how simple it was. It turned out to be a fun demonstration. I paired up two colors that I typically wouldn't use, but when I saw all the colors out, I was really drawn to Destin Gulf Green. Paired up with Vermont Slate (black), the finished product was better than I had in my head. I originally was going to pair the black with a dark grey, but the punch of color was a much better choice. Sometimes it's better to NOT play it safe. That's part of the fun.

I love how the color deepens when you add the final coat of wax to it. I did a clear wax on the table top and a dark wax on the legs to enhance the depth of the Vermont Slate. 


Elisa's drawer that we demonstrated crackle finish on, turned out fantastic. The best part is that it cost $1.25 to achieve this look, instead of the costly "crackle" medium that stores sell. Of course I'm not willing to share that little secret quite yet. For that, you'll have to stay tuned.



All in all, it was a really informative day. I can't wait to hear about the projects that the girls tackled at home. Even better, I can't wait to see what colors they mixed and matched. Sometimes the colors that other people choose can keep you from getting stuck in a rut. My best advice is to take a risk! Step outside of your safety box, and try something new. It's not permanent, and sometimes you'd be surprised at what you actually like. It's not a black and white world! Add some spice, change things up and don't take things so seriously! After all, it's just paint!

Friday 19 October 2012

Sprucing things up!

Firstly, let me apologize about my absence.  Some of you may already know that we are expecting our third baby in the spring, and due to what some refer to as "morning sickness", or in my case, all day sickness, it has prevented me from living my normal life. Therefore painting and blogging had to take a backseat for a while until I could pull it together and be a functional human being!

But the good news is, that slowly but surely, I am coming back to the land of the living. During the course of my own personal mayhem, I have been able to watch my good friend Elisa and some VERY talented ladies open up an AMAZING vintage store in downtown, called Spruce. If you haven't already checked it out, you don't know what you're missing! In case you aren't privileged enough to live locally, you can check out the website www.sprucecollective.com. It's worth it!

The benefit of having such great friends in this business, is having new doors open. You'll notice that the girls are stocking the chalk paint line, CeCe Caldwell. They have been gracious enough to invite me to become an educator for Spruce! I could not be anymore excited about this, as I have wanted to be a part of this endeavor from the day they started planning. But having two kiddlets and another on it's way, alas, it was just not the time for me. But having the opportunity to be involved in this avenue is something that makes my heart sing! I am so passionate about this venture, and I can't wait to get my hands in the paint and start sharing some tips.

There are so many great benefits of this line of paint, but most importantly for me, it is completely green. Having NO VOC's in either the paint or the wax is something close to my heart. With little ones at home and a baby on the way, this means that I can continue to do what I love and not have to worry about any toxic chemicals leaching into my home. This is so important to me.
I love the fact that there are so many color choices. Since you also have the opportunity to mix and create, the color options are endless! I find this so exciting. So stay tuned for tips, tricks and lots of other info as I play with the paint and learn some new techniques. I can't wait to share what I learn!

Our first paint class is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, at Spruce Collective in downtown Abbotsford. It's going to be a really fun class, with lunch provided! Check up on Spruce's website for upcoming events and classes. We hope to see you there!