Jennifer

My Two Favorite Essential Oils

June 12, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

So for those of you who follow me over on Facebook you know I have recently started using essential oils… My daughter started her oily journey back in September 2017 and has hit the ground running trying to get these amazing products into the lives of everyone she knows. She got me hooked when she had me diffuse lavender and I actually slept for most of the night!!

Not only does Young Living have oils, but they have toxin-free products for basically anything you can think of. Last month I ordered the Thieves hand soap for our home and my studio. Not only does it not have any toxins in it, but it smells amazing! It’s like Christmas in a bottle all year long 🙂 Yes, you will be smelling your hands!!!

Okay, now to my two current favorite oils! Lavender & Peppermint are my favorites and I want to tell you how I use them EVERY SINGLE DAY!

First, let’s talk about lavender… Lavender is my favorite sleep support oil because its aroma is extremely calming and oh so lovely! I also love to use lavender for all skin support because it is a very versatile oil.

Next is peppermint… I use this amazing oil for its cooling abilities during those lovely things called hot flashes! I try to make sure I always have a bottle of peppermint with me because you never know when the next hot flash will strike. HAHA!

These are just two of the incredible oils we use in our lives every day. Our house is always filled with a new aroma and I am always running to my daughter, Ashley when I have a new problem. She always says, “There’s an oil for that!” 🙂

If you have ever wanted to know more about essential oils just shoot me a message in the comments below, or email me at jennifer@artisticpaintingstudio.com. I definitely don’t know everything (not even close), but my daughter is always ready to answer questions for me when I don’t know the answer! If you are ready to start your oily journey, just click HERE and follow the steps below 🙂

1. Check “Wholesale Member” rather than “Retail Customer”. This doesn’t mean you have to sell oils, I promise! It simply gets you your kit & a 24% wholesale discount for the year.

2. Choose the starter kit w/the dewdrop diffuser or desert mist diffuser (unless you want to upgrade to the rainstone or aria)

3. Now, you can choose to set up a monthly “wellness box”, called Essential Rewards. It is hands down the best way to begin a toxin free lifestyle & receive sooooooo many freebies/rewards points in the process!

4. Enter all of your info! Create a username, password, and pin. Write these down so you have easy access to the site again for placing future orders!

5. Check out, confirm you got all the way to the confirmation page, & get super stoked you’re about to start your oily journey!

The Old Oak Table

June 8, 2018 By Jennifer 1 Comment

Here is the story behind my “new” dining room table. This table has been in my family for about 60 years!!! My parents bought this table shortly after they were married and I grew up at this table, enjoying some fabulous meals, as well as some tough meals that I didn’t think were so fabulous (sorry Mom!). I was a picky eater and just didn’t like a lot of food growing up, so some of those meals were not my favorite. HAHA!

But there are some great memories with this table for me and I’m so glad that my Mom finally let me have it. It took her a couple years to part ways with it and give it to me, but she finally did!

It is a solid oak table and really heavy, so the boys have done all the moving. I started my process with the help of Hunter, getting this heavy thing moved out to the alley for a good sanding and clean-up! I will have to admit, as I started sanding the top of the table I decided to leave some of the marks/memories. Most of these were created by my sister and me, and with my sister already gone, I decided that our marks/scratches/memories were going to remain. This way when someone makes a new one, it will just fit in with all the history of the table.

While growing up, the table was usually in the 54″ round. I sure don’t remember using the leafs too many times, but with my large family, I decided to max the area the table would be and add as many leaves as possible. This table is rather large, but it is nice to have room for everyone and then some!!

As always, this baby was primed with my favorite primer, XIM Bonding Primer. One full coat on all sections of the table, leaves, and base.

At first, I thought I was going to use two different colors and blend as I was painting, but I have to admit I didn’t like the way it was coming out. So I just mixed the two colors together and created a custom color. The colors I used are from the DIY Paint collection: Weathered Wood and Black Velvet (approximately 70/30). This custom color was painted on all sections with two complete coats.

Once the base painting was complete, it was time to have some fun with one of my newest stencils: Passionate Paisley. I wanted the stenciling to be somewhat faded and uneven, a little more old and worn look. This was accomplished with the DIY Paint Black Velvet and one of my 1″ Stencil brushes. I also used some Extender to keep the paint moving smoothly. I tried to keep an uneven hand, which is harder than it sounds when using the DIY Paint because it dries lighter, so it was hard to determine if I had enough color or not until it was dry.

I also ordered a couple of custom stencil Bible Verses for the “skirt” of the table. I had enough room to have two different verses created, one on each end. “Say What Stencils” created these for me, so that I could choose the font style and size I was needing for this specific project. This makes lettering way easier than writing something out letter by letter. I used American DecoArt Acrylic Paints Ion Laguna for the Bible Verses.

These stencils are a little different to work with because they are a one-time-use stencil. They are cut out of masking material and the vinyl stencil is sandwiched between a backing and a clear vinyl material. It’s best to watch my video for complete detailed instructions on how to install these. But you basically tape it into position, remove the backing material, smooth down onto your surface area and then very carefully remove the top clear vinyl leaving the stencil in position to paint. Just watch the video below for a complete walk-through on this!

The base of the table was painted in Black Velvet for a slight contrast to the table top, then I applied several layers of top coat to protect all of the stenciling and color. I used the Final Coat Low-Gloss and did about 8 to 10 layers, I lost count!! This is an easy-to-use wipe-on varnish that is hard and durable. The more layers the more durable it becomes and this is a dining room table that is used every day for several meals, so I wanted to make sure it would hold up.

This table was such a fun project for me and I am so glad I get to sit at a piece of history with so many memories each day! Can’t wait for the next family piece I get to do next!

List of Materials:

Transformation of a Great Buy

June 5, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

You know how excited you get when you find the perfect piece for your home? That’s how my customer felt when she found this piece! It was perfect for her bedroom!

The desk (dresser), chair, and round mirror were what Debbie had been hunting for and she finally found the right size that would fit in her master bedroom. Now it was time to decide on the palette for the transformation of this project. Debbie and I brainstormed together and came up with the perfect color combo from her bedding and a painting!

Now it was time to figure out the finish that I would accomplish. Since this was a project on Debbie’s list for some time she had collected pictures of different furniture pieces that she liked. With the palette and inspiration photos, it was time for me to get to work.

I brought all the pieces to my studio which gave me the perfect space to work on everything for Debbie. The fun began with sanding and cleaning. NOT my favorite part of any project, but necessary for correct preparation! Once everything was cleaned up, I created the Custom base coat (this was a green/khaki color) and I applied two coats for a good primer base. Once dry, I then created another custom color, matching the Red from Debbie’s painting. I used Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paints Carnival Red and Summer Crush to achieve this custom color (it was about 60% Summer Crush and 40% Carnival Red).

I painted everything Custom Red and applied two coats for an even opaque coverage. I then went back and made my perfect paint job look old and worn. This was accomplished by using wet cheesecloth to wipe through where I wanted to expose the base color. There are several different techniques for rubbing through depending on the look you want to achieve. I recommend practicing on a sample piece of molding.

The distressing takes a little time when you want it to look authentic. Once I accomplished all the distressing, I glazed with Modern Masters Glaze tinted with an Umber colorant to deepen the colors. Then I applied Clear and Dark wax to enhance the aging process.

I totally LOVE working with the DIY Paints paints! Many different looks can be accomplished with very little effort.

Painted Chairs – An Addiction

June 1, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

So I wrote a book!! YES, I have written a couple of books actually!! Painted Chairs was my first book and I have a total obsession with painting them!!

I had been painting chairs for a while and actually did a segment on the Carol Duvall Show with one of my chairs (this is how the book idea started). Everyone is assigned to a producer when you are a guest on the show and my producer suggested that I write a book on my chairs. Honestly, I had never thought to write a book at this point and I’m not sure I would have thought to write a book on painted chairs ever! LOL!

But the idea had been planted and the lead to a publisher had been provided! Now, to somehow land the “book deal” meant really getting their attention and what better way than to send them a chair!! I’m sure no one had ever sent them a painted chair before and how could they ignore me if I did that. Well, it worked!! I got their attention and landed my first book deal!

You talk about exciting!! WOW!! I landed a book deal!!

But, now it was time to start painting and writing and painting and writing. I really do love the painting more than the writing, but once you get in the grove, the words seem to flow better.

Painting the chairs was so much fun and they really started to take on a personality of their own. I loved figuring out the design and color palette and putting them all together. This book really shows a variety of style, colors and patterns!!!

Painted Chairs is no longer in print, but you can pick up a copy on Amazon! It may be used but still a great book full of inspiration!

I have also inspired many others to paint chairs! I have hosted several classes at my studio for creatives to make & paint their own chairs.

Go find yourself a chair or two and have some fun!!

Art brushes

Acrylic Paints

Painted Chairs book

Stencils

Modern Masters – Glazes

April 5, 2018 By Jennifer 2 Comments

There are many glazes on the market these days, but not all are created equal. Some have way more open-time (which is the time you have to work with the glaze before it dries) than others and creates what I like to call a “happy glazing day”!!!

I’m going to go into some depth about the Modern Masters Glazes and the preparation to make a “happy glazing day” for you!!!

First, it’s not all about the glazes (but they really do make a big difference), your surface prep is also very important. To allow the glazes to work at their maximum capability, you need to have a “sealed” surface to work on. This means that the paint you want to apply the glaze over needs to be at least a eggshell sheen or higher (eggshell is a sheen of paint – not a color). So I like to work over paints that are Eggshell and Satin in sheen. It is also helpful if the paint you are working over has had some time to dry/cure. This means that the longer the paint dries the more time it’s had to cure and get hard, which then will not soften as you apply a wet glaze over the top. The best case scenario is to paint the surface and allow it to totally cure (which could take up to 30 days), not that this isn’t realistic in the painting world……who has time to allow paint to dry for 30 days! LOL! At least give it some time to dry, maybe at least a day or two and your glazing will work much better.

So now you have a painted surface (Eggshell or Satin finish sheen) and you have allowed it to dry for a day or so. We can now go onto the glazes and how they work.

Let’s talk about the Modern Masters Furniture & Cabinetry Glaze first. This glaze is thinner, reminds me of an oil glaze but it’s not oil. It’s a fabulous water-based glaze! You can mix this glaze with Colorants (like Universal Tints – Modern Masters Colorants – etc) or just about any paint. Which provides you with an unlimited amount of colors you can create to glaze with. If I’m mixing up a color with my Modern Masters Colorants – my basic recipe is 1 cup of Glaze to 3 tablespoons of colorant. I love the depth that this value gives, but please feel free to adjust based on your needs. If you need something more sheer, try 2 tablespoons of colorant. If you need it more rich and deeper, then you can add more colorant…..but do remember that the more colorant you add the faster the glaze can dry. Now, most of the time when doing furniture or cabinetry the surface space is smaller so usually, this is not an issue (just food for thought)!

Modern Master Furniture & Cabinetry Glaze

Mixing the Furniture & Cabinetry Glaze with Paint:
Now you can pick just about any paint or color and mix yourself up a batch of glaze (always test a small amount to make sure the paint is blending together well and that it is a water based paint). My basic recipe for this glaze is 1 cup of glaze to 1/4 cup of paint. You can also mix within the range of 5 parts glaze to 1 part paint and as high as 3 parts glaze to 1 part paint. Now remember again, the more paint the faster it will dry.

If you haven’t done much glazing before, I would recommend a test sample board to get used to the mixes you have created and your techniques.

Now, let’s move onto the Modern Masters Wall Glaze!! This product is much thicker and was designed to be applied vertically for use on walls. It won’t sag or drip and holds the tooling that you create well. This glaze can also be mixed the same as listed above for the Furniture & Cabinetry Glaze, but you do want to try and keep your mixtures on the lower side of adding color, which could create an issue on the larger surface area that you will be dealing with.

Modern Masters Wall Glaze

“Open-time” or “Working Time” are words that we use to describe how much time you have to work/manipulate the glazes before they will start to set up and you don’t want to disturb them anymore. This is a big deal as your surface area gets larger and Modern Masters Glazes have some of the best working time there is. If you are on a well-sealed surface, you should have about 20-30 minutes of Open-Time – which is great!

I hope that you will check our these fabulous glazes and give them a try! This will make your glazing projects much easier and give you amazing results!

Hammered Metal Drawers – Hometalk Live Demo!

November 16, 2017 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

So here is the picture of the Hutch that I’m working on – this is the before picture. The drawers were never painted, but someone has a love with “Pledge” and I felt it was best to sand it all off – paint and all!!!

Here are my drawers all nice and sanded – ready for a fabulous Hammered Metal Finish!!!

So let’s get started with my favorite primer XIM Bonding Primer – one layer should do the job and then allow to dry.

Next, I taped off the center raised panel and was ready for the next step. I applied a thin layer of my ArtsSyVille Embellishments Texture Medium – you only need it to be about 1/8″ to 1/16″ thick – just enough to get the print of the roller. I used a trowel to apply the medium, but you can use a hotel room key, styrene applicator, putty knife, or anything that you can get the product onto the surface.

While the Texture Medium is wet – you need to roll through it with the Fauxy Roller Ostrich Pattern. I rolled through twice to get a pitted/hammered metal look – allow the texture to dry (this can take several hours – but make sure it is completely dry).

Once the texture has dried – you will want to sand down the high peaks – I used 150 grit sandpaper. Remove the tape and clean up the edges if necessary. Wipe down to remove all the dust and make sure the surface is clean.

The next step is to paint the surface with Modern Masters Antique Copper Metallic Paint – I applied two layers allowing each layer to dry in between. Metallics can be a little soft – so it’s best to allow the paint to dry overnight before applying the glaze layer.

Next we are going to create a glaze – I used Modern Masters Wall Glaze and Modern Masters Glazing Colors Van Dyke Brown. My favorite recipe is 1 cup of glaze to 3 tbls of Van Dyke Brown – this creates a nice balanced glaze.

Apply the glaze over the painted surface – 100% coverage and then use Cheesecloth to remove the excess glaze leaving behind enough to get into the details of the wood and texture. You can remove as much of the glaze as you would like or leave as much behind – it’s a personal thing.

Allow the glaze to dry overnight (at least) glaze can take a good 24 hours to dry completely. Then make sure to apply at least several layers of Top Coat to protect the finish.

Supplies used for this project:

XIM Bonding Primer (Buy Here)

ArtsSyVille Embellishments – Texture Medium

Fauxy Rollers – Ostrich Skin Roller

Sandpaper 150 to 220 grit

Modern Masters Metallic Paint – Antique Copper

Modern Masters Wall Glaze

Modern Masters Glazing Colors – Van Dyke Brown

Cheesecloth

Application tool – Trowel, room key, putty knife, etc.

Top coat of your choice

Hope that you enjoyed this project!