See our TIP OF THE WEEK page for newer tips.

The TIP OF THE WEEK came about through a facebook site my friend and I started, but I wanted to have them all in one spot.  I’m re-posting the ones I’ve written before here on my blog, then will post new weekly ones in separate posts.  I hope some of these help you as you paint with chalk-based paint.  Follow my blog to get notified when I post new Tips of the Week.

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TIP OF THE WEEK:  October 7, 2016 (posted by Michelle)  😊 custom pieces are a unique way to transform traditional pieces into One of A Kind furniture. ❤ you can free hand or simply stencil a piece and completely change the style. I love seeing new ideas in furniture. ❤ These pieces were inspired by my friend, Leigh Ann. Thank you for the inspiration, to recreate a “New Look”

TIP OF THE WEEK:  September 28, 2016 – Stripping furniture – I have recently, with my new-found love of the restoration hardware look, realized that there were some pieces of furniture I want to strip down to the raw wood even though with chalk-based paint that is not necessary. I remember, though, the old gel stripper I used to use. It was messy, nasty smelling, and if you got some on your skin, you could actually feel it burn. I didn’t want to relive those days. However, I did want to get down to the raw wood so the paint could get into the grain even more for that barn wood/driftwood effect. I did some research and found Citristrip. It is non-toxic, has a citris smell, and is water clean-up. It is available at Lowe’s for $11.98. I found it extremely easy to apply because Danny did it, not me. LOL Note: The table I wanted to strip was an old oak table with just a light coat of varnish. I’m sure if you had many layers of paint or heavy, dark varnish, it would take much longer and probably more applications. For this table, Danny brushed on a coat and let it set up for about 30 minutes. You could see it bubbling up. Then he scraped it off with a paint scraper. He cleaned it up with a wet paper towel and let it dry and it was ready for me to do the barn wood/driftwood technique on it. I won’t always be stripping furniture down to the raw wood, but when I do…I’ll have Danny use Citristrip again. : ) 

Update:  A new tip of the week – using Saran Wrap with Citristrip!  Check it out!

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Old barn wood is all the rage right now. You can use this technique with our Missouri Limestone Paint Company chalk-based paint and a water-based stain and sealer to create this look of old barn wood. Here’s the tutorial: http://cececaldwells.com/barnwood/

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Designer Knobs!  I can’t wait to try this! This tip even includes all these designs! And it mentions If you use Martha Stewart modpodge, you could even wash in the dishwasher after 28 days. It’s that durable.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  The Garden Rocker – It’s a seat normally used in the garden but has been “redefined” to use with painting furniture. “This ergonomically designed seat subtly rocks with you as you bend and stretch. The patented curved base reduces strain on knees & lower back while providing a full range of motion.”

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Save space and leave drawers in while painting – I love the space saving while painting idea behind this tip. I never thought about this. I will definitely be trying this on the next drawer project!http://pin.it/uxply5Y

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Restoring Hardware – While searching for something else last night, naturally I found yet another thing. This little jewel will make you jump for joy when it comes to working with the hardware on a piece of furniture. It is a product called “Rub n Buff”. Sometimes you just want to keep the cool hardware but it just doesn’t go with the piece anymore or it is discolored and unsightly. Never fear…..you can restore it, too! You don’t have to buy expensive new hardware. I can’t wait to try Rub n Buff!

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Video Tutorial – dry brush distressing technique over original finish. Enjoy!  Note:  This is a facebook video.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  I came across this site of a report about trending paint colors. It is interesting to note how many colors for 2016 trends are found in Missouri Limestone Paint Company’s Chalk-based paint. They work hard at staying on top of what colors are in fashion.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Adding a graphic image….I’ve tried many different ways of adding an image to a piece of furniture, wood, or fabric – some with success, some were complete failures. When I came across this technique, I thought I might be able to do this. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but it does look doable. I think at the very least it would give you a good enough image to enhance with paint (for the artists out there) or to touch up with a paint pen or Sharpie. I think I might be able to do that. So, if anyone tries it before me, be sure to let me know how it worked, and post your result pics here! Enjoy!

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Great ideas for Upcycled Furniture.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Vaseline  distressing …. I love to try out news ways to distress and dshare what I learn. The last two pieces I’ve done, I wanted to get a chippy, shabby chic look so I thought I’d try vaseline as the distressing agent. I want to say this works perfectly and is very, very easy. I was lucky, too, that the two pieces I wanted to distress were already dark wood, so I only needed one color of chalk-based paint. Normally, you’d want two colors, one a base coat, then the vaseline where you want it to go and then the top coat. I found this tutorial very helpful when distressing with vaseline. I used my finger on my first piece and a cotton swab on the second. I think a small artist paintbrush is what I’d use the next time to help give me control of the vaseline.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Baby wipes for distressing chalk-based paint….who knew? Of course, my chalk-based paint of choice is Missouri Limestone Paint, available at Gift Emporium & Cafe’ in Sullivan. : ) Watch for sales, use coupons, buy in bulk…..Dollar Tree also carries a 90-count package.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Did you know you can paint those cheap white canvas shoes? They turn out great and are very quick to do. My grand daughter Lucy demonstrates how in this video. I also painted a pair for her brother Liam. I painted in the morning and he wore them by afternoon. Tip: Make sure the canvas shoes are plenty big. By the time we sprayed them with water and painted them, I think they might have shrunk a little, so get them plenty big enough.

Lucy demonstrates painting canvas shoes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4jO-IG4PCRmcXd1ZUNJUEhNVm8/view?usp=sharing

Liam’s shoes:

TIP OF THE WEEK: The Ultimate Redefined Tip: Taking Redefined to the next level….redefining a dead plant. I thought I’d share the painted pot/stick idea inspired by the botanical garden ones we saw in Germany. I just happened to have a plastic hen and chick pot (yes, you can paint plastic) left over from last year, complete with dirt and dead plant sticks already in place. How handy is that? I left the dirt to give it some weight. I painted the pot with one coat of Missouri Limestone Paint’s “Bourbon Street” then used the dry brush technique with a little bit of “Coral” on the pot and the sticks.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  (Posted by Michelle)  Bleach is not my friend, but Sharsumpaint is.
Well today started out with loads of laundry on my agenda. Several loads of white with Bleach. All went well until…I did a load of colors. Black, blue and grey. Simply loaded the washer, then.. added Bleach. To late…!! They were all a new style of polka dotted white & dark.
Okay this got me thinking. First: I’am a idiot for doing this. 2nd tye dye clothing would be a little too much 70’s for all my pants. 3rd what can I do to fix this? Then…like a light above the head (I do see the light on this one) I remembered Sharon Strothcamp Sumner paints. I has re- painted a cushion, so maybe I could salvage some of my clothes. ( Not wanting to buy a new wardrobe do to being, Bleach happy) it worked! My tip is, if you splatter bleach or as I, Added it to all your clothes in the wash. Paint them. The result was fantastic. Simply spray the area you are painting then water down paint slightly, let dry completely and it is a set in color.
I won’t share the picture of the clothing catastrophe. I will share the cushion. Before was a Ivory worn cover into a Coal Shovel (black) Sharsumpaint creation.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Canary Street Crafts Blog is one of my favorite reads. This post is spot on explaining when to prep when painting with chalk-based paints. Enjoy and be sure to check out other areas of this site!

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Stenciling with Chalk-based Paint

I love my Silhouette machine for making stencils to use on the furniture I paint with Missouri Limestone Chalk-based paint. I can create just about any kind of stencil you can imagine…well within reason….as long as it is a pretty simple design. I will also sometimes, buy the design on Etsy, usually for a very reasonable price and cut it out on my machine. Another great source for plastic type stencils can be found at Gift Emporium & Cafe’ hanging on the door of the cabinet where our paint is on display. How handy is that!

TIP OF THE WEEK:  SharSum Paint’s Missouri LImestone Company’s chalk-based paint, carried by Gift Emporium in Sullivan, uses plastic lids on their jars of paint. Just sayin’….: )

TIP OF THE WEEK:  (Posted by Michelle)
I want to begin by saying. Do not feel challenged by painting and re creating your own finds. I was totally intimidated by all this chalk paint chatter. The paint looked so beautiful on furniture, it had to be difficult, I thought. This is the wrong mind set. After Sharon literally placed the first sample purchase in my hand and directed me to go home and try it. I loved it. I believe my first thoughts were, this is so easy a monkey could do this. Not to down play monkeys. I do love them.

The one thing I am trying to express is that you simply put one thin coat on let it dry, fifteen to thirty minutes, then re apply a second coat. Mission complete with a brand new style to a older worn out treasure. Anyone who can use a paint brush can easily do this. My tip is go create with this one of a kind limestone Sharsumpaint. Beautiful results with a rewarding feeling of self gratification that all is well in the world of creation. Thank you Sharon for the insisted introduction to your paints. I love them, and the future of furniture looks bright.