Here are your Q&A’s! I also just want to thank you for your beautiful responses to my post yesterday. They brought tears to my eyes. You are all very special to me. xo
I am delighted to be having my first grandchild in October and last week I, found a lovely old cane bassinet, which I want to” Annie Sloan”. My Question : is the chalk paint and wax safe for babies ? and if so , the actual weave on the bassinet is very fine…any suggestions on how to apply the wax and then remove the wax ?
Many, many cribs are painted these days and the ones that are not are stained. ASCP is non-toxic so you don’t need to worry. I am working on a crib right now. Is it cane or wicker? If cane, just do a light wax with a soft cloth. Make sure there is no excess wax. Congrats on your grand-baby!
When you are distressing a piece in the sanding process, do you usually wax with clear wax before or after this process?
I sand and then I wax. This is the best way. You won’t deal with dust in your wax if you use this way.
My house has a lot of eclectic wood furniture….. I’ve been starting to use ASCP on some of them. However, I have a large pine open top hutch in the kitchen dining area that I want to paint. My house style, I think, is rustic, coastal, modern and cottage…. But not country. I was thinking of using pure white chalk paint on the hutch, everywhere but the inside back and horizontal flat surfaces…. But I’m concerned with it not looking country. Any advice?
I am just not a fan of Pure White for starters. If you are going to go through a process to paint and distress I would suggest using a color that adds to this aged look. If you are looking for a white try Old White. I am also not a fan of leaving pieces half stained wood and half painted. Just not my look. I would recommed painting the whole piece. If you want it to look more country then just be sure you do enough sanding to create this.
You said in your last Q&A that this dining room set was done in Paris Grey with dark wax. Did you dark wax the entire pieces or only in areas?
This was one of my earlier pieces and I was still getting used to dark wax. I ended up using it on the entire surface of the table & chairs. You will notice that it as bit darker in places. This is more of an aged look.
I got some bad advice, and was told I had to sand everything. But after watching your you tube videos, I see that isn’t true. Do I need to do anything to these chairs before I attempt to paint with a lighter colored chalk paint?
Nope! Just paint over what you did. No need to sand or prep your piece!
How many coats of shellac do you do before painting to avoid bleed through. I only did one and still am getting bleed through. I also bought clear shellac rather than a color… do you use white and why?
Yes. I hear you. This happens sometimes and so I go back and put another layer of shellac on. Make sure your shellac is stirred completely before applying so that it will work properly. I use white because I have a gallon of it. I’m sure the clear works in the same way. I hate bleed through!
Is it me or do you find graphite really hard to work with in terms of removing the clear wax. even though I use a lint free cloth I can never seem to get the wax completely off and a nice sheen to the finish …any suggestions?
You will always have more issues with lint when using a darker color. Graphite is definitely more finicky. I think at the end of the day if you are going to use this color then you have to get used to seeing it as a coal-ish color. Even a lint free cloth will seem to leave a white residue. You can help diminish this by letting the clear wax dry and going back the next day and really buffing.
I was wondering if you knew where the 4 bar stools came from in the “beautiful” picture you posted?
Those were pretty! No, I don’t. I’ll keep a look out though 🙂
I have just been playing with small items like bird houses, a mailbox and a small mirror to work on the technique etc before I start the furniture. I do have a couple of questions and just want to clarify – can these things be left outside in the elements? Does the wax seal and preserve the paint & wood? And can you use the same technique for metal, plastic and fabric and use the wax as well?
ASCP can be use for outdoor pieces. Typically you do not need clear wax for outdoor items. Like any piece of outdoor furniture it will wear. Annie Sloan has her paint on the exterior of her shop so that gives you an idea of the durability.
For some strange reason, I am no longer receiving your blog and I am really missing it. I wonder if it is something that I have done or could it be a problem with my computer? The last posts that I received were in the third week of April..or even before that.
Hmmmm. I’m not sure. Check your Spam folder and make sure it’s not landing in there by mistake. Make sure I am in your address folder. If this still does not work then go back to my site and subscribe again.
I painted a sofa table in chateau grey (2 coats) over old white (2 coats) and did not wax the piece as I wasn’t sure I was really loving what I was achieving, I have lived with it this way for about 5 months and am now positive I don’t like the result. I have tried googling, looking at Annie Sloan’s website, and contacting my stockist but I cannot find a straight answer as to how to remove the current paint. I don’t want to keep painting over it as I really would love to have the weathered look much like you did on the pedestal table in a video of yours. Can I just wash it off with a lot of water, effort, and time? Or do I need to use mineral spirits or something of the like?
First off, is your table oak? You will not be able to get the weathered look if it is not a textured oak. If it is then you will have a bit of a hard time as you will need to get back to its original state. This would take stripping and sanding to get the paint completely off and doing this will take off the texture that you need to weather it. You may just need to start over and try painting it in a color that you love.
I’ve chalk painted quite a few pieces of furniture and I love chalk paint but I’m struggling with painting wallboard in my bathroom. I did a test and the paint easily scratched off with a fingernail. Any suggestions/thoughts?
Love this idea. Is wallboard the same as wallpaper? I have never used ASCP over wallpaper so I really don’t know what to tell you. You could try painting some shellac on it to see if that would work, but it may just be the surface of the wallpaper. Have you cleaned the paper well before applying the paint? If you still can’t get it to work you may want to try a latex paint.
Did you use old white and did a wash to create this look. I am doing an armoire like this now and I love this one! (Shannon Amoire)
Nope. This is just Country Grey with it distressed heavily.
What is your opinion about using wax buffing brush as the final step in achieving a higher sheen in particular on tops on furniture and furniture painted in darker colors, i.e. graphite? I’m having a difficult time getting rid of that tacky feeling and blotchy appearance. I’ve learned that I am probably using too much wax. I’ve started to lightly wipe my pieces down with 0000 steel wool as the last step but it still is not provide the sheen that some customer desire. I’ve been told to follow the steel wool step with a wax buffing brush. Put the brush inside a nylon to achieve the highest sheen possible…your thoughts?
Well, to be honest, I personally don’t believe that Chalk Paint should have any kind of sheen. When a client inquires about this to me I tell them that this is just not the look. If they want this then they are welcome to poly it after my services. That being said, you can get a bit of a sheen if you continue to go back and buff, buff, buff with your lint free rag. Yes, steel wool will help too. I’ve never heard of the nylon thing, but this sounds like another way to buff. Let dry and buff again until you get the look you want. But, in the future I just wouldn’t promise this to anyone! My opinion.
Also, the brush I bought has nylon bristles, not natural bristles so I have some concerns about scratching the finish in the wax/paint.
Your paint brush? Wax brush? Both? I prefer the natural bristle, but I do have a nylon one that I love. For large surfaces it is worth a natural brush.
What are you using to remove wax off of either mirror and or glass? I’m using a razor blade and Windex and it’s not really doing the job.
Goo Gone.
Beautiful vanity. Will you tell us the color used? Looks more beige in first picture and more blue in last picture. And when can we rush out and buy our personal copy of Fresh Style magazine?
The vanity is done in French Linen. You will find Blue Egg Brown Nest in July’s issue of freshstyle!!!
Is your process for painting and waxing wicker furniture the same as it is for cane furniture… I have a vanity mirror and stool that I’m doing for a little girls room… it’s currently white and I’m going to do a wash finish over the top with the color Antoinette.
How sweet! Yes. Go slowly and use little paint and lots of layers.
My main question; I have painted furniture that I now look at and think I did a horrible job with paint that I had laying around (spray paint/latex). I want to re-do them with ASCP. What do I need to do to the pieces that have already been painted on to get them ready for me to use with ASCP?
Nothing! Just paint!
I love the weathered wood look on your video and want to try this. Do you think I’d be able to create this look on an old cherry table?
No. It will not have this affect. To do a weathered-wood look you need a textured oak. Sorry!
I learned chalk paint from you and your you tube video’s, now for the first time someone has asked me about commissioning me to paint a piece for them. How do you price that? Its a round table with 4 chairs. Any advice or direction you can give me would be great.
Check out some of my previous posts about pricing. Where are you located? What are others charging? How much time will you spend? A set like this with chairs is alot of work so be fair to yourself.
I am working on a furniture piece that i just used left over paint flat wall n trim paint. Can you use the annie sloan wax over any type of painted furniture to preserve the finish?
Good question. Yes, you can use her wax on other painted surfaces and it will give you some coverage. It’s not like a poly, however.
Got questions? Email me at cbensten@blueeggbrownnest.com
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your blog, especially your Q&A posts. You share so much information with your readers which a lot of artists don’t always do. I so appreciate your honesty. It’s very refreshing. I look forward to reading your new posts.
Whenever I get an email from blue egg brown nest, I simply must put whatever i’m doing down and devour the beautiful photos and take in your inspiring thoughts, tutorials and useful advice. Your love for what you do puts a smile on my face and shows me that a mama of two little ones can ultimately juggle successfully. Allbeit with ups and downs im sure. Wishing you continued success, many more followers and to those haters……as we say in England up yours my darlings. Love from London UK xx
Hi….I am one of those who wrote that they were having problems receiving your blog…I tried many things and then someone suggested that I try “bloglovin”. It worked! One happy lady here!