Curio Cabinet...The Finished Product!

It's finished...sore arms, legs, back...oh, forget it!  If you've ever done a major project you know it makes you sore.  So no more complaining.  I love it!!!  But here's how it got there.

 

You saw the painted curio cabinet in my last post Curio Cabinet Redo, now here's how I finished it off.  I bought some Cece Caldwell's clear and aging wax and a wax brush. 

 

 

Then I spent an hour applying the clear wax.  It didn't go on quite like I expected.  It would go on really dark when I started and very quickly dry out.  I was getting nervous that it was going to look really splotchy.  Plus, I think I was brushing way too much.  I was beginning to take off paint in spots, but they were the edges where aging looks cool so I didn't worry about that.  Still I was nervous!!!  But...many more people have done this and it worked, so I kept going.  Then I started buffing...and buffing...and buffing...and...and...and...

 

 

Ok it was a LOT of buffing.  That was one of two rags that ended up looking like that...holy!!!  My fingers were sore and my nails horrid, but I said I was done complaining.  Sheesh!!!  So that was last night.  It was like 29 degrees and I was sitting on the cold garage floor.  I needed to warm up.  Ipso facto this is where I stopped.

 

This morning we went to pick up the item for my next project...a dresser to turn to an entertainment center...but that's for another day.  While out my husband told me about another paint he'd seen on a recent facebook post.  It's Maison Blanche.

 

 

 

I'd never heard of it, but apparently there was a store that carried it near where we were going.  He thought we should check it out after picking up the furniture.  The lady was so nice and really educated me about her product vs. the Cece's.  See she used to sell the Cece Caldwell's, but switched to Maison Blanche mostly because of the wax.  She demonstrated the clear wax on a piece and it went on SOOO smooth it shocked me.  It was exactly the opposite of what I'd experienced the night before.  Then she was telling me her experiences with the dark wax.  With the Cece's it didn't seem to dry very fast and she had difficulties with it.  So after all of that we decided to try the Maison Blanche dark wax out.  On top of that, my husband wanted to pick up another wax brush for dark brush...which she had...and she just happened to have a buffing brush that you attach to a drill bit. (yes, my arms, legs, fingers, nails are all cheering right now!!!)  We'd been looking for this particular tool, and could only find it in the next big town...2 hours away.  So you can bet that we picked that baby up!!!

 

 

When we got home I set to work and man, that wax was awesome...like butter is what I often say.  It went on so smooth and easy.  I love it!!!  Then I started buffing with my new tool and for large sections and areas with lots of details it was great, but for tight fitting areas not so much.  I guess there's just nothing that can totally replace the best tool around...our own hands!  But I sure did enjoy the time saved with the buffer.

 

Here's the piece buffed on the near side and unbuffed on the far side.  And with it's dark wax which brings out all this beauty...Ahhh...lovely!!!

Look at that, it's a thing of beauty.  I think I'll buy some more of the Maison Blanche wax...maybe in clear and see if it helps me out next time (you know I have that future project coming up), but until then I'll just enjoy my finished product.

One more treasure checked off the list...till next time!!!

  Jennifer

 

Curio Cabinet Redo

Oh my word...

 

I've gone and done it...

 

I bought my first bottle/container/whatchamacallit of chalk paint!!!

 

And I'm in LOVE!!!

 

I found a retailer of Cece Caldwell's Chalk Paint and I picked up two sample jars: one in Simply White and the other in Traverse City Cherry.  From what I saw in the store the Traverse City Cherry is the perfect color to match my inspiration piece for accents in my living room.

 

My sister gave me this lantern for Christmas this last year and I love the deep red.  It's a great cardinal color which is my favorite bird (No, not the Arizona football kind, but the actual bird)...and I have cardinals in several forms in my living room.  So I set out to find a paint color to match.

 

My first project to try out my new Cece Caldwell Chalk Paint is the hall curio cabinet.  I started out by striping the whole cabinet of any and all hardware and glass that could be removed.  Basically all that was left was the wood and the mirror on the back...which couldn't be removed without tearing the thing up, and that just wasn't going to happen.  After cleaning up all the dust that was missed (or just ignored for the last couple of months), I had my husband carry it out to the garage for it's makeover.

 

Then I got started with my new paints...

 

Yep...drool...sigh...ahhh...I'm finally caught up with the crafting world with my paints!  Who knew how much joy it would bring...Ok, that's a bit of a stretch, but I was quite excited!!!

 

I watched a ton of tutorials on the best way to apply chalk paint and from what I can tell it's basically a preferrence thing.  So I applied it in a cross hatch pattern to give it more texture once I wax it (once the wax is purchased...still waiting on that).  I had just enough paint in this little bottle to do one full coat.

 

I only have about a quarter of the jar left...guess I'll have to go get more!

 

Sigh...smile...more joy!!!!

 

I think I'll pick up a small jar of Kentucky Mint too.  It should match the rest of the theme in my living room.  Things are beginning to come together.

 

In the words of Phil Robertson: it makes me Happy, Happy, Happy!!!

 

Till the next update...

 

Jennifer