Painting slick surfaces

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023 SassyfitnesschickLeave a comment

Nothing like having small cold weather inside projects to fall back on 😅

I’ve had this old Lincolnware bread box in the shop and it’s obvious ( this) green isn’t the current trendy retro color.

Bold oranges, reds, and yellows are popular ( yes those 70s)

And pretty soft colors of 50-60s definitely are ( think pinks, soft blue, mint green, pale yellow or even crisp red and white)

So on that note, this is getting a fresh retro color added to it. 😁

If you are ever wanting to paint metal, glass, plastic, shiny surfaces or shiny factory finish on furniture you need Slick Stick!

This is basically a gripping product for your paint to adhere well to.

I was chatting with a customer yesterday while I worked. She asked me about paint classes as her first piece she had done didn’t go well, that the paint had just “peeled off”

Now when someone tells me that my first question is did you clean it well? If you do nothing else, the few minutes it takes to clean with our White lighting to get grease, dirt, etc off and have a clean slate is invaluable.

It’s also a good deglosser, among other things.

I then asked her if it had a shiny factory finish…her faced answered the question.

A shiny factory finish has nothing for the paint to “latch on to” therefore, it will be very susceptible to that peeling problem.

I discussed slick stick with her and hopefully that helps her in the future.

You can get slick stick ( and other problem solvers) in my Shades of Yesterday shop inside the Corner Cartel 265 S Main St Boerne, look for my Dixie Belle banner hanging up when you come in!

Now….the old bread box. It has one coat. I let it dry well and applied a second coat.

And the finished product. Isn’t it cute? ❤️

Products used for this are: Slick Stick, Mint Julep paint, Fresh Fifties transfer, Flat clear coat, and Big Mama’s Butta for wood handle and inside door.

All Dixie Belle products are available in my Shades of Yesterday shop inside the Corner Cartel 265 S Main St Boerne

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Vintage furniture · Vintage store

Antique furniture and Dovetailed drawers

October 27, 2021 SassyfitnesschickLeave a comment

When I started getting more involved in my old furniture flipping business a few years ago, I made it a point to be a quick study on some of the obvious things I needed to know about it.

Therefore, I did some reading, but more importantly, I just started studying pieces I got. I took drawers out. I looked at how it was built. I studied the woods used. I tried to store in my head periods of furniture ( yikes there’s so much!)

An old man I had talked to said the more I knew what the authentic old stuff looked like, the better I would be at recognizing it.

This included one key factor in trying to assess the age of a piece. Studying the drawers, the side where pieces join together often called dovetail. It is so called because of how it looks like a tail or peg fitted in. This makes for tight drawer corners.

Dovetailed drawers have been around a long time. The dovetail machine made its debut in 1865 to help the rapidly growing furniture industry.

Dovetailed machines offered precise, exact cuts and spacing and made the drawer process move faster.

Prior to that, the dovetailing was hand done, with the pencil and carpentry marks still visible ( it’s so exciting to find pieces like that!) Mostly though, the majority of drawers you find dovetailed will be neat and precise from a machine.

Of course hand detailing was still done as well and even today skilled carpenters do it.

Don’t let someone sell you on a piece as old by this alone. Even more modern day furniture can have drawers that are dovetailed.

I recently bought a cute old wash cabinet. The size and style made me want it, but also the fact it was a nice old piece definitely sold me.

I had planned to clean it up, refresh it with a little gel stain, and leave it in its old natural state.

I was so happy when a customer claimed it and was ok with what I had planned for it.

But here’s what I want you to see. This piece is old enough to have the hand carved dovetailed drawers! I oiled the wood admiring the old craftsmanship of them.

See the wide pegs and cut marks? Beautiful, glorious hand cut dovetail ❤

Drawers were a basic box, the back piece just cut and inset with a piece of wood.

And they weren’t to concerned about the precession of cuts in the back

Looking at drawer structure is just one way to help determine an age of a piece. Again there are many factors….style, wood, design, casters etc

I hope this quick tip on dovetailed drawers gives you a little insight when shopping for antique or vintage pieces. 😊

Chalk paint · Furniture Painting · Uncategorized · Vintage furniture · Vintage store

Let’s Talk Paint!

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 SassyfitnesschickLeave a comment

As an Elite retailer with Dixie Belle Paint, I carry both of their paint lines. I get a lot of questions about both so I thought I’d discuss them with you in this post.

Chalk and Silk paint. Two different Dixie Belle paints I carry in my shop

Our chalk mineral paint

“Chalk paint” as it’s referred to, is super easy to work with and definitely beginner friendly. We carry 69 colors from a soft neutrals, to fun bold colors like amethyst and peony and so many more. There is a color for everyone and all projects.

Chalk paint is very water friendly and I always recommend having a good mister bottle ( I carry those) to lightly spray your brush and paint while you work. This not only gives you a smooth finish but it makes your paint go farther. If the paint gets to thick, add a bit of water to a more workable consistency. Remember to use a little at a time to not thin to much.

Two coats is usually adequate for most things. The paint dries fairly quick, especially in warm weather! After the first coat you can lightly sand with our gray sanding pad ( available in my shop) or 220 grit sand paper. This will give the paint that nice smooth feel. Apply your second coat and after dry, lightly sand again and buff for a silky finish.

You can now leave your piece as is, the paint will fully cure in 30 days, or you can use one of our top coats or waxes to seal. This is recommended if you plan to use other colored glazes or waxes or you have a piece that will get lots of use.

Silk all in one mineral paint

Our Silk line was just released in January and it has been flying off the shelves. Silk has a built in primer and top coat offering a low reflective finish. It is water resistant, mildew and UV resistant, durable and scrubable.

This line comes in 20 soft coastal colors. This is a great product for those who just want to get a piece painted without having to do other steps to finish.

Silk requires a good cleaning before painting ( use our white lightning cleaner) and scuff sanding to make sure it has a good surface to attach to. It is recommended to use a good quality synthetic brush for application. You do not use water with Silk as this can affect its properties of primer and top coat.

Load your brush and use long even strokes, not over working paint. Silk does have a longer dry time than chalk paint. It is recommended to have several hours between coats. Once you are satisfied with your coats, you are done! If you wish to distress do so after paint is throughly dry. The paint will continue to dry and be fully cured in 30 days.

If you would prefer a different sheen, you can apply any of our top coats over Silk. All of our auxiliary products ( wax, glazes, top coats) work great with Silk! If you use one of our furniture transfers you will need to seal with a top coat.

Silk is easy to work with and is also great for cabinets too! I applied it in my son’s bathroom after we first launched it. He isn’t easy on his cabinets and the dog lays against them so I’m always scrubbing them and the paint has held up great.

A few other differences

You cannot mix or combine the two paints. Chalk is easy to blend colors with where Silk isn’t as easy to do so.

Chalk paint is water friendly but you do not use water to thin or apply Silk. Using a good quality synthetic brush will give you best results with Silk application.

I hope this brief comparison of these two paints will help you when choosing for a project. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!

Remember you can find all things Dixie Belle in my Shades of Yesterday shop located inside the Corner Cartel 265 S Main St Boerne

A basic table refreshed in Silk “Quiet Cove “, Damask stencil using Sawmill Gravy