Workshops are awesome!!!!!

I had such a wonderful experience in Scottsdale. Our workshop rocked!
There is nothing like the gathering of creative people all in one room, the energy was
electrifying! Scott and Anna Sadler, amazing artisans and hosts. Debi Weber one of the most talented Designers in the United States, she got right into the painting and techniques with everyone else and was a gracious host also.
To let the paint "fly" is one thing but to unveil beautiful samples is the test.
I encourage anyone out there to participate in a workshop nearest you, and if you don't have one near by....just say the word and paint will come to you!

I am going to post some photo's of the workshop and say goodnight at the same time. I am off to Santa Barbara, Ojai and Malibu in the morning so I'm going to sneak off to dreamland.

This weekend I will post the birth of our 2nd Paint 'n' Wine Country event....I can hardly wait to spread the word and watch the paint fly some more.

April, Scott, Anna and Debi......thank you for this workshop and your participation

Cloud away.......

Lots of notes and applications of techniques

Crackle, crackle with just a little "cackling"

A class full of "pro's"......thank you for being a part of Scottsdale's first workshop

Creative cookies

The weekend is almost here and Southern California is HOT

It's not easy to get back into a routine when you've been away, at least for me anyway.

Last week I was conducting training for new Stockists that have recently joined our team and also taught an All Day Annie Sloan Workshop in South Carolina. It was a great time and is always wonderful meeting people from different locations in the U.S.A. I must say, Southern hospitality is over the top and I will be looking forward
to reciprocating when they come visit Southern California for some advanced classes.
Us "southern" ladies know how to make the paint fly and laughter ring.

Jennifer, Sandy, Lynette, Donna and Eric - South Carolina Stockists - WELCOME to our team.

While I was conducting the workshop, Lynette and Donna demonstrated how to begin and finish a project in a day. Take a look at a cabinet Lynette picked up at a garage sale the morning of the workshop. We placed it in the workshop the "repurpose" of this tired piece took place. They used Old Violet as the base, Henrietta inside the cabinet and Paris Grey over the Old Violet. Old Ochre was used as accent. A little distressing, crackling and "waa-laa" a beautiful finish was created.

BEFORE....a very tired piece of furniture

AFTER....from tired to "alive and vibrant"

a little old ochre to accent the details

just a little crackle to show enhance it's era

After the cabinet was completed, the workshop was over, we decided to keep on painting, after all, with so much happening in the world of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, there isn't much time for painting furniture ourselves, we are too busy teaching and promoting our beautiful products. A little wine, lots of laughter and
a huge OOOOOOOPS took place. You got it, a painters worst nightmere, I knocked over a can of Aubusson Blue and it FLEW all over the drop cloth, my foot and even managed to make it's way to the carpet. One thing we re confirmed.....it sticks to anything, even feet, and we were able to get it out of the carpet by soaking it with water and blotting it up. I'd show you pictures but I think everyone has
seen spilt paint and it really isn't very exciting if you know what I mean.

Today I leave for Scottsdale, AZ where I will be conducting an All Day Annie Sloan Workshop hosted by talented Anna Sadler and her husband Scott of Surface Refinements. This workshop is also hosted by Designer Debi Weber at her studio.
We will have a great time and paint will FLY once again all over the desert.
It will be fun to be there for a couple days as that was my home and where my painting/design company was located for over 12 years. I know you can't "go home again" but it's always fun to see what changes have taken place and reconnect with old friends.

Sunday I fly to Portland where I will meet up with the other West Coast Annie Sloan Stockists for two days of getting to know each other an planning events up and down the coast that we will all participate in together. Very exciting and much needed to share our business's and what is working as well as what needs improving. I am
crossing my fingers that it RAINS.....it's been a hot hot Summer in So. California and I want coooooooool. One of the neat things about this 'gathering', I get to see and spend a little time with my daughter Kellyanne who is a Stockist in Washington State and her sister Kim (the daughter I never had) from The Bella Bungalow in Arlington, Wa. I always love to share time and spoil Kellyanne just a little...proud mothers can do that you know.

For some reason I am not able to load anymore photo's or I would post a photo of the two newest Mini-Stockist in Southern California. I will introduce them anyway and put a face to their names in a later post.

Cindi Rowley will be spreading the word from Valencia to Santa Barbara, Ojai and Santa Maria.....what a talented artist Cindi is and a huge asset to our team.

Yolanda Burrows will be spreading the word from her Crestline shop, My Favorite Things, to Big Bear and Arrowhead. Welcome ladies to our awesome Southern Calfornia Team....I look forward to supporting all your efforts and watching the "paint fly" from your areas.

Have a great week and weekend......and next week I will post all the happenings for the Rancho Damacitas Benefit at South Coast Winery for our 2nd California Paint 'n' Wine Country Workshop

I promise tomorrow

I promise tomorrow I will post....sorry, I've had workshops and responsibilities to support since returning from South Carolina and leaving again for a wonderful workshop in Scottsdale, AZ. with Anna Sadler, a gifted artisan. What a privilege I get to be a part of and share with you.

So....all I'm going to post right now is...."paint did fly" in South Carolina......
right on my foot, and guess what, it stuck. Tomorrow I will share wonderful "before and afters of projects" worked on in South Carolina and address wonderful charity benefits right around the corner in Southern California, given with Vicki Shoemaker, Northern California Stockist. Wahooooooooooooooooo

Might as well sign the canvas that paint did fly to.  Aubusson Blue......my favorite color! I so love Chalk Paint!

Don't forget the benefit for Susan G. Komen, cure for Cancer....just paint PINK and let me know you are
participating in the House of Anne benefit.

Stay tuned for information on the next PAINT 'n' WINE COUNTRY Workshop/EVENT

What I can tell you now is that a beautiful winery, South Coast Winery, in Temecula will be hosting this event and it will be open for 30 participants. This wonderful workshop will include a benefit for Thessalonika Family Services and all the beautiful children that are cared for at this home. When, Wednesday, November 9th, 2011.  My website will be updated and ready to receive registrations by August 15th.

We will be teaching 4-5 Annie Sloan Techniques and also playing with product on a small project of your own. Continental Breakfast, Lunch and beverage will be included in the price as well as a "Ruby Cuvee'" toast at the end. All materials will be included and all you need to bring is a smile and your enthusiasm.

I will have flyers, posters etc. completed soon and posted throughout California and the U.S.A. and Vicki, the Northern California Stockist from 3 Oaks Studio will be sharing in this event with me. Paint Sisters together along with "hands joined together" will help make a difference to beautiful children.

Who can't identify with this!  We all can make a difference.

Come join us on November 9th, 2011 at South Coast Winery

Have a great day everyone!

Clarification on the "Pink Contest"

I have been trying to contact Kathy......note the "comment".....Kathy would you please
contact me via my email address.....go to houseofanne@msn.com and I will answer your question. By the way, I LOVED your chair......I think you deserve a prize....so if you email me, I will give you ONE POT OF PAINT and answer your question.

Sorry everyone else.....for some reason this is the only way I can communicate at the moment....oh how I love "electronics" and "computers"....if only my brain could wrap around it all.

A pleasant evening everyone.

A NEW CONTEST....are you ready? NEW RULES.

It was brought to my attention that I CANNOT make the below KIT a part of the Passionately Pink for the Cure Cause.  So I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries .   I am not allowed to contribute a portion of  your order for "the CURE", you must make a contribution on your own through Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.  You can be assured I will make a contribution through House of Anne only and not as a Stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

So NEW GROUND RULES for the House of Anne "Pink" Contest in order to win 28 pots of paint over the next 12 months. Contact myself or a Southern California Mini-Stockist to enter and the person that is most creative with PINK will WIN.  Your item has to be PINK.         YOU MUST USE Annie Sloan Chalk Paint however....but it will be fun for you  to mix some of our beautiful colors available to create the right PINK for your entry.  The contest will end at Midnight on September 15th.

A new Kit is being offered in Southern California.....the CALIFORNIA TWO STEP.  The Kit will have all you need to  practice and begin just one of the many techniques and applications our products will achieve.

You can purchase the above  KIT from a Southern California Mini-Stockist. ( See my web site www. houseofanne.net for contact information)

The kit includes:
2 brushes
2 tins of wax
2 pots of paint
2 syringes
2 stir sticks
sand paper
8" decorative molding to practice on
RECIPE CARD FOR 2 STEP TECHNIQUE
and a 28 color chart
All for $150.00

and the Winnnnnnner is..........for the Chair Affair Contest

The Winner for the Chair Affair Contest is, drum roll please....

Deborah March from Nova Scotia, Canada. Congratulations Deborah, and I look forward to a wonderful new friendship.

I will post the winning photos my next post, but if you scroll down, it is the photo of the three stools and the three little boys.
I want to thank you Linda from "Gussied Up" for helping with the judging, I couldn't have picked one out myself, they were all wonderful!

Stay tuned tomorrow for another contest, same prize just different subject. 12 pots of paint, one each month for one year and a free Annie Sloan workshop, closest to your home....get your paint brushes ready because tomorrow you'll know what you are
going to paint.

and a one, two, three......happy painting!

OHHHHHHH MY......one last chair.....how come there are always "late comers".

Since all the photo's are being judged and I haven't heard back yet, I am going to include ONE MORE.....but ABSOLUTELY NO MORE.  What a "softie" I am....how do you say "too late" when her shipment was
delivered to the neighbor and the neighbor was out of town?????

Thank you again Miss Mustard Seed

These are comparisons Miss Mustard Seed had on her blog about Milk Paint vs Chalk Paint.....I feel she
gave  good answers for the knowledge she holds.  Thank you Miss Mustard Seed.  And Let me remind
everyone out there.....our paint and products are the BEST.....I've been around many many years and worked
with a multitude of paints.....this the the IPAD of all Decorative Paints.  Try it.....order some....and be sure to TAKE A WORK SHOP with your local Stockist.

What does the paint look like?

OFMP: Comes in a brown paper bag in a powdered form and has to be mixed with water.
ASCP: Comes in quarts, premixed.

Do you have to use primer?

OFMP: No, but you do have to add a bonding agent if you want the paint to grip to non-porous surfaces. I do not use the bonding agent, since I like an antique look.
ASCP: No. ASCP has great gripping power and primer isn't necessary.

Do you have to sand before painting?

No for both paints.

Do you have to use wax or a topcoat?

OFMP: No, but I would suggest it. You can use either a wax or poly topcoat to protect the paint from moisture and wear.
ASCP: No, but again, I would suggest it. The only time I don't use wax is on a piece that won't get a lot of wear and I don't mind if the paint gets distressed naturally.

Can the colors be mixed to make custom colors?

OFMP: Yes and the colors mix beautifully. The available colors are definitely more "primitive country" with mustard yellows and barn reds, but they have some beautiful blues, greens and grays and all colors can be mixed to suit your taste.
ASCP: Yes and the colors mix beautifully as well. The available colors are inspired by European cities and antique furniture, so they are right up my alley.

How can you apply the paint?

Both paints can be applied with a brush, roller or sprayer.

Do the paints distress well?

OFMP: Milk paint is unpredictable in how it will distress. Sometimes it grips really well and just comes off in a fine powder. Other times the paint cracks and flakes away, creating this wonderful chippy look. You just have to go with it!
ASCP: Comes off in a fine powder when sanded before waxing. It's easy to control the amount of wear and results in a soft, distressed finish.

Do I have to distress these paints?

No

Why should I use ASCP or OFMP instead of latex?

Latex has its place and won't ever be removed from my paint shelf, but I love ASCP and OFMP for furniture. Both of them are fun to work with and give pieces an authentic, old feel and they distress much better than latex.

Which paint do you like better?

Both. That's not a wishy-washy answer, it's the truth. I really love both of these paints and decide which I use depending on the piece of furniture, the look I'm going for and my mood.

Where do I buy ASCP and OFMP?

You can buy OFMP online through John Millen Hardware or check out this list of retailers to see if someone sells locally in your area.

ASCP can be bought online through stockists or locally if one is in your area. Check out their Where to Purchase in North America page to find one near you. There are now stockists in Canada as well and a brand new stockist in Malibu, CA!  There are 7 Mini Stockists throughout Southern California  with one more coming on board in Santa Barbara......look them up.....check my web site, they will make your hunt for the paint easy as they are placed from San Diego, to Palm Springs, to Riverside, to San Clemente, to Anheim Hills to San Clemente to Escinitas  as well as myself, Southern California Stockist located right in the heart of things. Be sure to get in on the paint frenzy that is stirring the U.S.A.

Just waiting for the "chair results"

ONE MORE CHAIR THAT TRICKLED IN........

I am going to include one more entry for the Chair Affair....it's too "renewed" to
be left out.

See what happens with a little bit of TLC and magical Chalk Paint???

Good Luck and I'll be back...

Let the Chair Affair Contest Begin.......

I am going to post the top selections in the "chair affair". It's been fun receiving all the "before and afters" of these chairs and interacting with my new "paint sistas". Before the week is over, one lucky entry will win 1 pot of paint a month for one year, I can't think of a better prize, or maybe the next contests prize will be just as enticing and rewarding. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I am thinking of something special and I think Lucky 7 Design and House of Anne will be collaborating on this one. Thank you all for participating, it's been fun watching and receiving the magic of
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on tired old chairs and chairs that had no destination.

Before I post the chairs I am going to post a smilebox from the FIRST California Paint 'n' Wine Country Workshop hosted by Sonoma Country Antiques and presented by House of Anne and 3 Oaks Studio, Northern and Southern California Annie Sloan U.S.A. Stockists. Vicki and I had so much fun and loved watching the paint fly while meeting and working with so many lovely ladies and a man! I apologize for my crooked face in the photo's, I was given the pleasure of experiencing an impacted abscessed tooth the day before the workshop....OUCH....I hope I was nice and not the
witch I felt on the inside. It's taken a week, a trip to the Dentist, a laid back weekend and lots of pain pills and antibiotics but I think I'm finally going to make it through this challenge.

This digital slideshow created with Smilebox

A toast to all our other 'sistas' out there........a California law and now, tradition!

Put November 12th on your calendar for the 2nd California Paint 'n' Wine Country Event......I'll post everything this week and you can begin to sign up now. You will love this one, not only will some of the proceeds be given to Thessalonika Family Service for abused children, we will actually be including a table just for these children to create and we a will also be offering Hot Air Balloon rides over Temeculas Wine Country as a pairing of some wine. FUN FUN FUN.....!

Ok....here begins the chairs.......

These are the top 11 entries.........so let's see who the lucky person will be.  I will post it by week end.
There could be one or two at the most stragglers but the good news is they only have two days to turn them in due to paint back orders.

I wish you all a wonderful week, it's a hot one here in Southern California, oh well, the beauty of where I live is that I am one hour from the beach to cool off.

I will be posting the next contest on Wednesday so get your paint brushes ready.  What will you win, a big surprise!