How We Decoupage Fabric to Furniture onto Painted Furniture

Sometimes we start out with a piece that’s lacking character. This lil’ gal has all sorts of different sized drawers but her personality was buried under a lot of homely, dated drawer pulls. I had already removed them when I shot this picture, but the fade marks show you the basic style. They were those flat goofy ones, know what I mean?

We decided to funk-it-up a notch by bringing out her inner beauty.

I like to do this on drawer fronts that are already framed so I can simply inset the fabric. That’s what I did on the buffet below. Can you see how the bottom drawer is inset? That gives the fabric a nice finished edge. Looks like I added some trim around the top drawer to balance it out.

The drawer fronts on our dresser needed some pizzazz so we decided to add some fabric.

The inspiration for this piece actually started with this fabric.

Cath had just mixed up a custom color for a customer and in the trial and error of trying to get the right color, ended up with a whole bucket of it. I was eager to paint something with it and this plain dresser was the perfect choice.

Decoupaging ot of drying time involved to get the job done right. We don’t cut corners on cost because we want our pieces to withstand the test of time. Measuring and cutting can can be quite fussy.

When I decoupage drawer fronts, I apply a special fabric mod podge all over the back of the fabric and let dry over night. The next day, I start cutting.

Measuring is critical but I’m lousy at accuracy. My brain is usually thinking about six different projects all at once and by the time I go to mark the measurements I forget the number. Nothing is ever an even number, you know what I mean? So then I start counting the little dashes on the tape measure… (cuz that’s how I roll). If you’re the tiniest bit off, it shows, BIG TIME.

I just painted this piece and Cathy has been working on the fabric. She’s the one in the family who has the patience to fuss with tedious details and has a lot of experience quilting so it’s right up her alley.

That being said, she had a heck of a time with one of the fabrics we planned to use and after several failed attempts, that one fabric was ripped off and replaced with another one.

The fabric is adhered to the drawer fronts with more decoupage and when completely dry (we usually wait overnight), we sandwich it in with yet another coat of mod podge over the top. As another layer of protection, we also topcoat over that.

Help! What finishing touches should we add?

We still need to add some finishing touches to this piece. We’re not sure which drawer pulls we’re going to put on all the drawers. The four little drawers need to stay as is but we’ve got options for the six other ones. I’m thinking the floral drawers need something else. They seem frame-less to me.

Please comment below with your suggestions; we’ll post the finished piece in a couple weeks!

Update: 9.16.14

Here’s the finished piece!

Ready to get your Shizzle on?

Join Cathy and I for our next workshop in Jenison, MI. Click here for schedule.

Hot New Products ~ Vintiquities Paint & Wax Brushes!

Stop into today and grab one at Shizzle Design 2018 Chicago Dr., Jenison, MI 49428. They can also be ordered online here.

If you’d like the opportunity to retail these brushes in your own shop, contact me here with your name, type of business and location.

A hui hou ~ Shelly

Did you know…

Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
Cathy and I empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
Did you know we are not paid employees of American Paint Company? It typically takes me 10 hours to publish one of my blog posts. Everything from shooting the photographs, writing the content, editing, cropping… is given freely. The only way we make money is if someone purchases paint, workshops or painted furniture from us. If you enjoy the information you get in our website, please share and let us know.
We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.

For more Chalk & Clay Painted Furniture ideas, tips, tutorials & inspiration, click:

Shizzle Style Painted Furniture Makeovers

Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

August 31, 2014May 12, 2017

Fine Quality Brushes from Vintiquities

Everybody has a “THING” for something ~ purses, shoes, jewelry… I have a thing for funky eclectic necklaces (if anyone knows some cool places to shop, let me know), old barns, creative re-purposed treasures and brushes ~ I have a thing for brushes!

I’m as laid back, easy going and casual as can be but when it comes to brushes, I’m downright picky. I’ve tried so many different brushes that are supposed to be “all that”, but didn’t meet my standards either because of the handle, bristles, size, design or quality. Brushes are one of the things I’m fussy about. That being said, I thought I would share the latest brushes added to our collection.

We are absolutely thrilled to be the first Distributor in the U.S. to offer Vintiquities Finest Quality Paint Brushes and Round Wax Brushes. Wholesale opportunities are also available for retailers; contact me here with your name and location for more information. Painting and waxing just got a whole lot easier!

Finest Quality Full Oval Paint Brushes & Wax Brushes from Vintiquities

Cathy and I are very blessed because we have opportunities to try and review all sorts of products. We’ve tried and not cared for numerous paints, paint supplies and brushes, but when we tried the brushes from Vintiquities, we fell in head over heals in love.

Vintiquities Paint Brushes are Amazing!!!

As an instructor, one of the most common things I notice over and over again in our workshops is students not loading their brush with enough paint.

Shizzle Tip: Many people just put a tiny little bit of paint on their bristles and then wipe part of it back off on the side of the can. What difference does that make? A BIG difference. It quadruples the amount of time it should take to cover your project and there ends up being a bunch of stop and start points.

By doing this, you’re not able to spread the paint in nice long strokes and the paint ends up being overworked in an effort to smooth it out which might actually pull the paint back off or you end up with a super thin layer that really doesn’t serve much of a purpose.

Moreover, applying a thin first coat usually sets someone up for failure when they go back to distress because they distress all the way through both colors which pretty much defeats the purpose of layering two colors in the first place. You don’t have to layer more than one color but if you do, I’m guessing you’re doing it so you can see both colors.

That’s where these new Finest Quality Paint & Wax Brushes from Vintiquities come into play

Our new domed oval paint brushes from Vintiquities offer full, lush bristles which distribute chalk & clay paint better than any other brushes we’ve used. They feather the paint out evenly whether creating smooth finishes or building rich texture.

Domed Oval Paint Brushes from Vintiquities

If you’re a person who struggles with getting smooth brush strokes, these brushes are for you! I can’t get over the difference in my own finishes!

Our Finest Quality Oval Paint Brushes are available in Three Sizes

I also LOVE Glazing with these brushes!!

Just look how subtle of a finish you can create!!

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Vintiquities Wax Brushes

We also fell in LOVE with Vintiquities Round Wax Brushes!

They’re offered in two great sizes ~ 1-1/2″ and 1-3/4″

The bristles on these brushes are VERY nice and more dense than other wax brushes. Their dense firm bristles allows me to distribute my wax more evenly and with less effort.

I absolutely love the design of these handles!!!

How a brush fits in my hand is a huge thing for me personally because it affects the pain in my joints. These brushes fit the bill. They are so comfortable! I am soft handed when I paint but when I wax, I really scrub hard the perfect fit of these brushes along with the dense bristles are awesome!

Want to Retail The BEST brushes for Chalk & Clay Paints, Glazes & Milk Paints?

We’re Now Accepting Retailers across the U.S.!!

For the opportunity to retail these amazing paint and wax brushes, send your business, location and contact information here.

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Other Favorites ~ Angled Paint Brushes will still always be a staple around here. They’re a great all around brush and are still my favorite for cutting in.

2″ Angled Paint Brushes will always be a staple around here

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I also couldn’t survive without my Buffing Brush

This wax buffing brush has been our favorite tool for years. It takes a lot of the elbow grease out of buffing. I still need to hold onto the drill with both hands but the drill does all the hard work for me. It buffs the wax out to an amazing sheen and I’m able to get a much harder finish than I do when I just buff with a rag.

Do you have to have a buffing brush to buff your projects? No, but it sure is a nice tool to have. I don’t know what I’d do without mine.

That being said, I just received a great question on our drill brush that I’d like to share with everyone.

“I’ve heard rumors that the drill brush can spin off the drill when you stop. I’d like to purchase one but I wanted to double check with you before I order one.”

Shizzle Tip: So glad you asked this Joyce! It’s a GREAT question and I’m going to share it!!

My sister had that problem when she first used our drill brush with her drill (we were sharing one because we couldn’t keep them in stock). She asked me how to keep it from coming off. I’m like “huh? What are you talking about? It works fine.” She grabbed her drill to show me. She ran it for a while then released the trigger and the brush spun off. “You see!”

I gave her THE look like she had flown over the cuckoo’s nest thinking she had her drill in reverse. I put the brush in my drill and buffed away with no problems. Now I was really cracking up and she was getting mad but we did eventually figure it out.

The drill brush and the drill bit are two separate pieces that thread together. It’s actually a brilliant design. We’ve been using ours for three years now and it’s as nice as it was the day we bought it. What figured out that her drill was set on THE very fastest combinations of settings possible. The sudden release of the trigger stopped the bit in its tracks. If you’re drill has its top switch on the normal setting (#1), your drill brush should work perfectly. Does that make sense? So when you’re buffing, the threads are as tight against each other as they can be (righty/tighty). Pull the trigger all the way, just make sure you don’t have your drill set on its super turbo setting and it will be your new best friend. 🙂

You can usually adjust your drill in two locations, the torque on the chuck as well as a switch on the top which really amps up the power. On mine, there is a simple switch on the top of the drill that you slide up or down to choose #1 or #2.

All we had to do was switch her top switch from #2 to #1 and it worked fine

The threads will occasionally loosen a bit when I stop using it but it’s no biggy; I just twirl it to tighten the threads and adjust my drill down a little bit. When you start buffing, it automatically tightens up anyway. If you want to buff the quick and easy way and get the nicest finish ever or if you’d like to try it out for yourself, stop into our Shizzle Shop at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 or order one online at: www.shizzle-design.com/store.

Here’s a quirky video from a couple of years ago showing you how I use it

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We were so blown away with Vintiquities Brushes that we joined the team and are now the official distributor for the U.S.

If you’re just need some brushes for yourself, we have them in stock online here as well as all our West Michigan Locations: Here. Email us at shizzledesign@gmail.com if you would like the opportunity to retail Vintiquities Brushes in your shop.

Begin Your Adventure Flipping Furniture Today! Join us for a Super Fun Furniture Painting Workshop!

September 20 11:00 a.m. – 5 hour Workshop (almost full)

Friday, October 17 11:00 a.m. – 5 hour Workshop

Saturday, October 18 11:00 a.m. – 5 hour Workshop

Wednesday, October 22 11:00 a.m. – 5 hour Workshop

A hui hou ~ Shelly

a hui hou ~ Shelly

August 21, 2014May 11, 2017

Awesome Layering of Color by First Time User of American Paint Company Paints

I’m so excited to share an awesome furniture makeover created during a recent workshop. The table was refinished in one of my favorite colors combinations Beach Glass and Nana’s Cupboard from American Paint Company.

August chalk paint furniture Shizzle Design workshops best class Michigan American Paint Company Beach Glass teal Dark Wax — www.shizzle-design.com

Laurie was a bit nervous about how her table would turn out because this was her first time doing something like this, so she grabbed an old table from the basement to experiment with for her first project. She brought in a pillow to match up with our colors and Beach Glass and Nana’s Cupboard were spot on. Nana’s Cupboard was applied first. The first color applied is referred to as your base coat.

Shizzle Tip: If you want your base color to show through when you distress, be sure to apply a thick enough coat. This is especially true on areas you plan to distress. If the base color is applied too thin, you could end up distressing all the way through to the existing finish without seeing any of your base color. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE seeing part of the existing finish too, but if you’re not seeing any of your base color, you’re either rubbing too hard when you distress or the base color was too thin.

Once the Nana’s Cupboard dried, it was completely covered in APC’s Beach Glass

Shizzle Tip: If your first coat hasn’t dried and you start applying the 2nd, you might pull off the first coat of paint. Let it dry completely in between coats. You’ll also want your first coat to dry so it doesn’t mix in with the first coat, especially if applying two contrasting colors. The paint dries quickly and it’s pretty easy to tell when it’s dry because the paint lighten as it dries.

Before I could blink, she was well on her way wet distressing to perfection!

Last step was spreading on a mixture of Clear and Dark Wax.

How cool is THIS finish?

Way to ROCK American Paint Company’s Paint on your very first time!!

Ready to get your Shizzle on?

Join Cathy and I for our next workshop !

A hui hou ~ Shelly

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

August 14, 2014

Ornate Round Antique Side Table Painted in Sackcloth & Custom Mixed Cameo Glaze by American Paint Company

Hi guys! We’re working on switching things around at the shop this week to better utilize our space so I’m sharing a cute little table I refinished recently.

When I got it, it looked like it had been stained a dark brown but the color had faded quite a bit. It had such great bones though and I knew it would be fabulous with a little TLC. To get things started, I painted the base in American Paint Company’s Sackcloth and the top with Crushed Tea.

Ellis Collection - Sackcloth — available at www.shizzle-design/store

Ellis Island — available at www.shizzle-design.com

I gave the base a quick coat of American Paint Company’s Topcoat to create a barrier for the tinted glaze I made up. This goes on quick and creates a barrier so you can easily manipulate your glaze. You can use the black or brown glaze as is or you can create your own custom color by mixing in a little bit of any of our paint colors into the clear glaze. To create the pale pink glaze, I mixed a little bit of APC’s Clear Glaze with a little bit of Cameo from APC’s Ellis Collection.

American Paint Company’s Black, Brown & Clear Glazes

Cameo is from American Paint Company’s Ellis Collection and tends to be quite thick.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

Shizzle Tip: The thicker the paint, the more I water it down. It helps it to level out better so you don’t end up with brush strokes and stretches your paint so you end up with more bang for your buck. It also helps the paint seep into all the deep crevices that may otherwise be hard to get paint into. ———————————————————————————————————————————————–

It only took a little bit of paint mixed with the clear glaze to create the color I was looking for. I did a simple wipe-on / wipe-off using a rag to highlight all the beautiful details.

See how the glaze settles into all the crevices?

I sealed the base with American Paint Company’s Clear Wax then mixed it up a bit using both Clear and Dark Waxes to create subtle variations on the top.

Crushed Tea sealed with Clear & Dark Waxes

… and there you have it 🙂

We just dropper her off to Not So Shabby at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan 49424 where she’s anxiously awaiting her owner.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week!!

A hui hou ~ Shelly

Did you know…

Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
Cathy and I empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
Did you know we are not paid employees of American Paint Company? It typically takes me 10 hours to publish one of my blog posts. Everything from shooting the photographs, writing the content, editing, cropping… is given freely. The only way we make money is if someone purchases paint, workshops or painted furniture from us. If you enjoy the information you get in our website, please share and let us know.
We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.

For more Chalk & Clay Painted Furniture ideas, tips, tutorials & inspiration, click:

Shizzle Style Painted Furniture Makeovers

Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

August 7, 2014May 11, 2017

Vintage Library Table + Reclaimed Barn Wood = Cool Farm Table

I purchased this vintage library table sight unseen because I loved the character these tables. I’ve had this table for a long time and have no idea where I stored the “before” pictures, sorry! This table has been in various places within my own home serving as everything from an extra Thanksgiving table to a workbench during workshops.

When I got it, it needed a lot of TLC. It was filthy, beat up, worn down and unloved so it got a thorough cleaning with American Paint Company’s Surface Prep. / Brush Cleaner to remove all the year’s of grease and oil.

American Paint Company’s Surface Prep / Brush Cleaner www.shizzle-design.com

The top was inlaid with leather tiles that were torn beyond repair. As I ripped them off, there was an uneven coating of whatever glue they adhered it with years ago. Basically, I had created more of a mess for myself and I wasn’t sure how to remedy it. I couldn’t figure out a good solution for filling the void with my limited capabilities so I would have to find some kind of wood planks to cover it.

As luck would have it, Cathy stumbled upon a collapsed barn and we dug through that pile on a hot humid day until we found the perfect pieces of barn wood planks for our table. You can read all about that picking adventure here.

I sweet-talked our uncle into attaching it to the top of the table and it was on its way to a beautiful transformation.

There was a hole on the back side of the table where there must have been another drawer. My uncle replaced that entire piece of wood with a new piece then stained the entire table in a deep espresso brown.

I then gave everything a base coat of American Paint Company’s Freedom Road (dark gray) and then I pondered what color to finish it with. I wanted it to primarily be white, but I wanted to switch it up somehow to create something unique. You know me, gotta have something different yeah? I layered over most of the gray with Home Plate, a creamy white.

I love the extra charm that the reclaimed barn wood adds

The carved wooden drawer pulls were covered refinished with American Paint Company’s Dark Wax and Pewter Mica Powder.

I loved adding a Little bit O’ Bling to this rustic farm table!

I love the contrast of the metallic against the rustic dry-brushing!

What’cha think?

Ready to get your Shizzle on?

Ready to get in on the fun?

Our very last Shizzle workshop of the summer is

August 9, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Reserve your space now online HERE

If you can’t register online, feel free to stop by our Jenison studio or call us at 616.669.1414.

Please join us in praying for everyone in Hawaii as Hurricane Iselle and Hurricane Julio approach the islands.

Many of our family members and friends live on the islands and they’ve never experienced landfall from storms like these.

Mahalo Nui Loa!!

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

August 7, 2014

More Great Ideas from Shizzle Design’s Furniture Workshops featuring American Paint Company’s Chalk & Clay Paints

Sharing some great furniture makeovers from our last workshop…

Nana’s Cupboard & Spacious Skies

Metal Bench painted in Beach Glass over Coral Reef (prior to topcoating)

Coat Tree painted in Wild Horses (brown) and Firework’s Red (prior to waxing)

Nightstand painted in Limoges over Wild Horses

Drum Table being painted in Freedom Road

Beach Glass

Lightly sanding surface to smooth out tiny paint bubbles

Shizzle Troubleshooting Tip: My best guess as to why this particular piece developed little bubbles is because multiple layers of paint were applied over an initial coat that hadn’t completely dried on this super hot, humid day. The humidity was off the charts. In those conditions, it takes paint longer to dry. It’s best to make sure each layer is completely dry prior to applying additional coats because the moisture can get trapped between the paint and the existing surface, especially if the surface is a non-porous surface such as this piece which was a faux wood type veneer. To remedy the tiny bubbles, we use a blow dryer on a low setting to speed up the drying process. As the paint dried, the bubbles pretty much went away. There were still some tiny bumps which bugged me so we simply sanded them out by gently using fine grit sand paper.

Wet Distressing

Chair painted in Beach Glass over Nana’s Cupboard

Freedom Road and Navajo White Table Base

Firework’s Red over Wild Horses

Pewter Metallic Mica Powder and Dark Wax over Wild Horses on Coat Tree Hooks

Nana’s Cupboard

This was the first shot I was able to take of the “almost before’s”

Navajo White

Ready to get your Shizzle on?

Ready to get in on the fun?

Our very last Shizzle workshop of the summer is

August 9, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Reserve your space now online HERE

If you can’t register online, feel free to stop by our Jenison studio or call us at 616.669.1414.

Did you know…

Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
Cathy and I empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
Did you know we are not paid employees of American Paint Company? It typically takes me 10 hours to publish one of my blog posts. Everything from shooting the photographs, writing the content, editing, cropping… is given freely. The only way we make money is if someone purchases paint, workshops or painted furniture from us. If you enjoy the information you get in our website, please share and let us know.
We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.

For more Chalk & Clay Painted Furniture ideas, tips, tutorials & inspiration, click:

Shizzle Style Painted Furniture Makeovers

Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

August 2, 2014May 25, 2017

Where it all Began ~ Shizzle Design launch at Holland’s Art in the Park, 2011

Three years ago today, my sister Cathy and I launched our painted furniture business at Holland’s Art in the Park.

It was August, 2011. I keep thinking it’s been four years (the brain doesn’t function quite like it used to!).

We are so very thankful for where God has led us since and can’t believe the changes that have occurred over these past three years. I woke up this morning welcoming the new day. I was excited to go to work because we’re doing some really cool pieces right now (stay tuned).

but even more than that, I’m really excited to go shopping at this year’s Art in the Park. I can’t WAIT!! It will always have a special place in my heart! LOVE this show!! I wanted to share with any of you new followers with how we started and possibly inspire you to push yourselves beyond your comfort zones. You never know what will happen!

August 2, 2011 I vividly remember the lady telling me they had never been rained out…

Shizzle Design Debut at Art in the Park, Holland, MI 2011

but… just as my sister got in the van, it started to sprinkle. I didn’t say anything but my jaw dropped when we pulled out the driveway and headed toward the lake shore. Our raindrops weren’t part of a passing shower. The entire sky was full of rain!

Miraculously, the rain stopped just as we reached Holland’s Centennial Park and held off while we off loaded our vehicles. Then, just as the 42nd Annual Art in the Park opened,

IT POURED!

CATS & DOGS!

for HOURS!

Shizzle Design Booth at Holland’s Art in the Park, 2011

If you look behind our tents, you can see the other “experienced” vendors tarping their tents because it was POURING!

I kept trying to shoot photos of our booth, but the rain messed up most of my shots 🙁

We finished this vintage desk and chair the night before the show!

The pigeon hole cubbies were perfect for organizing clutter. It also featured a cool shelf underneath for storing books… I decoupaged the top with vintage looking paper. And… of course, I solicited my sister Cathy to custom line the drawer with fabric for that unexpected surprise.

My sister Cathy and I had worked for months preparing for Art in the Park

We had absolutely no idea how we would do.

Neither one of us has the highest self esteem

but that day proved to be a a true blessing

Despite us being brand new and the lousy weather, we sold…

this French Provincial Coffee Table – it was first to go

Shizzle Design’s Furniture Debut at Holland’s Art in the Park, 2011

Shoppers started gathering

under our tent

as the rain continued to

flood the park.

My Venetian Bronze faux finished Candelier was 2nd to go and we were off and running!!

It looked so pretty hanging under our gazebo. I need to do another one for my back yard!

The pink gooney bird mosaic chair planter went home with a lovely lady who made time to dress up as a princess with her beautiful granddaughter. How awesome is that! This was one hip grandmother!!

We also sold oodles of cup and saucer bird feeders, candle holders & yard stakes!

We also sold EVERYTHING in the picture BELOW ~ Wahoo!! less packing!!

This is the only shot I have of the adorable skirted oak chair & little French nightstand

Cathy does such a great job of adding skirts to chairs. She’s as meticulous as our dad was with his upholstery. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Another lady drove back from Chicago to get this cedar chest the following week.

There was also a cute little red chair from the 1800’s that never was captured on the camera because it was gone in the blink of an eye. There’s a little story behind THAT one. When I was half through painting it, I noticed a burnt-in logo on the bottom of the chair. I joked to my sister that it’s probably worth “something”.

As I’m slathering paint all over it, I heard Cathy gasp. Two had just sold exactly like it on Ebay for $400 EACH! OOPS!! We try to do a little research on pieces we refinish, but I never imagined in all my wildest dreams that little ‘ole chair would be worth that kind of money. Live and learn!

All those sales, all that interest, incredible feedback and awesome contacts happened on a miserably rainy day; our very FIRST day unveiling our new business. We were blessed beyond our wildest dreams and are so very grateful of how God continues to stretch us and bless us with our gift of craftsmanship.

Many thanx to each and every one of you who did brave the elements and stopped by to check us out Saturday! We truly do appreciate your business!

Thanx again, Shelly

Since this post, we’ve grown and learned so much. I worked countless hours almost a year using these products but continued to have difficulties achieving a quality finish with their wax. I tried other several other waxes by different companies, some were hard, other’s were a little easier to blend in and work with but also had those terrible fumes. I experienced months of recurring respiratory problems and even with my exhaust system, I was advised to remove as many chemical hazards from my environment as possible or find another line of working order to get well.I replaced toxic, hand burning, chemical strippers with citrus based strippers (which work better anyway), pulled chemically laden paints, waxes, glues… and started searching for better products. That search eventually led me to the products we still use today. We now over a vast array of all natural, eco-friendly chalk and clay based mineral paint supplies. I for one, will never go go back to those toxins.

I know that sounds so dramatic, but after everything I went through, It was a God send. The paint we use now is so much easier to work with. It spreads easier, covers better, adheres well and the wax and finishes have been life changing! I can get so much more work done now because everything is so much easier to work with. I can achieve a much more superior finish and can create it much faster eliminating the stress of working so hard to achieve something that’s easy with a chalk and clay mixture.

I love these paints so well that I decided to share what I do with our followers. We proudly offer American Paint Company Paints, Frenchic Furniture Paint, Old Town Chalky Style Paints & Vintiquities Fine Paint and Wax Brushes in the Greater Grand Rapids area. We also sell worldwide via our Online Shizzle Shop.

Did you know…
- Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
- Instead of hoarding our knowledge, we empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
- We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
- Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
- Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
- We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
- Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
- We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
- Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.
Click here to see Shizzle Design Painted Furniture Makeovers

Click here to see our Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Click here to see Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

July 31, 2014May 11, 2017

Antique Bed with Beautifully Carved Headboard and Footboard in American Paint Company’s Navajo White and Rushmore

Our Aunt Katie and Uncle Jim have helped Cathy and I out countless times throughout our lives. This time, we want to give back to them by painting a beautiful antique bed they have. The money we make off the sale of this piece will go back to them as a small token of our appreciation for all their love and support.

We started painting this bed as a paint demonstration at the West Michigan’s Women’s Expo at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, MI earlier this spring. The bed is solid walnut and mahogany and I loved the dark stained finish on it. We started with American Paint Company’s Rushmore. I wanted this color to peek through after I applied the 2nd color of Navajo White.

Paint Demonstration on the bed at West Michigan’s Women’s Expo

Then the bed sat for months while we took care of the daily tasks that kept creeping into our days and weeks and months. Finally, I was able to get to it. I was SO excited that day to bust out a paint brush; you have no idea!!

Navajo White being applied over Rushmore

This bed has the most amazing hand carved wood appliques!

I had so much fun watching the colors come through as I continued to wet distress all the beautiful hand carved features!

Hand Carved Details on the Headboard

I think it’s cool that so much intricate work went into the design of this so many years ago. I can even imagine how they carved all this without all the tools we have now.

I dropped it off to Not So Shabby where it’s awaiting its new owner

What’cha Think?

If you want to create this finish, you’ll need:

Surface Prep / Brush Cleaner
Navajo White (quart)
Rushmore (quart)
Clear Wax or Topcoat

Want to learn more?

Join us for an upcoming Shizzle Style Workshop HERE.

A hui hou ~ Shelly

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

July 23, 2014

Last Furniture Paint Workshop of Summer ~ August 9

Just wanted to give a little heads up on a couple of new classes we just added to our schedule. I’m playing catch-up after all the mission trips and vacation time we’ve juggled the past few weeks.

I love this picture. It’s a group shot of all the kids the last night at the beach. Such a great time!!

Ok now… back to work ~ We still have some spots open for this Saturday’s Transform Your Find Chalk & Clay Furniture Painting Workshop

on

July 26, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

We also added a Transform Your Find, Chalk & Clay Furniture Painting Workshop

on

August 9, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Reserve your space now online HERE

(preferred method, keeps everything streamlined and organized for us)

If you can’t register online, feel free to stop by our Jenison studio or call us at 616.669.1414.

Did you know…

Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
Cathy and I empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
Did you know we are not paid employees of American Paint Company? It typically takes me 10 hours to publish one of my blog posts. Everything from shooting the photographs, writing the content, editing, cropping… is given freely. The only way we make money is if someone purchases paint, workshops or painted furniture from us. If you enjoy the information you get in our website, please share and let us know.
We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.

For more Chalk & Clay Painted Furniture ideas, tips, tutorials & inspiration, click:

Shizzle Style Painted Furniture Makeovers

Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

July 22, 2014May 11, 2017

French Provincial Buffet Refinished with American Paint Company’s Chalk & Clay Paints & Black Mica Powder

I know, I know, I know… It’s been forever since I’ve posted any furniture renovations. For everyone who’s been asking, I didn’t fall off the edge of the earth, though I did fall a hundred times last month while portaging canoes through steep, rocky portages in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. I’ll share much more on that trip soon.

Ever since school’s let out, it’s been a whirl wind of activities at the Andrade ohana, everything from VBS to Mission Trips to a much needed family vacation in northern Michigan. I’ve got a ton of projects to share with you, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get them all posted. Having sacrificed so much valuable time with my family over the past four years, I’ve vowed to straighten out my priorities and put my family first this summer. I’ve also been dealing with excruciating pain which is limiting how much I can get done each day. Sorry if I’ve disappointing anyone but these posts take me hours to put together and I need to focus my free time on my kids before they’re grown up and out of the house.

Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN

I’m back to work now trying to re-adjust to reality after being completely unplugged for a week. It’s tough, but I’m slowly re-adjusting. I seriously could be a permanent vacationer. It’s what I do best! If I could figure out a way to roll vacation into my job I would so if any of you have ideas for me, please let me know!!

So back to furniture… It dawned on me when I watched this buffet walk out the door last week that I had never written a blog post on how I painted it. It’s been a while now, so I’ll do the best I can to remember the details of how I did it.

It was a beautiful Basset piece in excellent condition when I picked it up. I paid a little more money to get it but I knew it would be a winner with such great lines.

Before

___________________________________________________________________

Make sure your piece is thoroughly cleaned and de-greased

PRIOR TO PAINTING

It is a crucial step for a quality finish on any type of paint job

___________________________________________________________________

For as long as I remember, I’ve used TSP to clean things prior to painting. It works great but Tri-Sodium phosphate is a strong chemical. It can cause problems if you accidentally swallow, breathe in, or spill large amounts of it on your skin. While I’ve cleared out other toxins from my work environment, I still continued to use TSP in our cabinet until recently when I discovered how awesome American Paint Company’s all natural cleaner worked.

Cathy tried APC’s Surface Prep Cleaner before I did and she was blown away with how great works. She also has Lupus and must be very careful of what she exposes her hands to. American Paint Company’s Surface Prep / Brush Cleaner is sold in concentrate so you only need a tiny bit of it to make a whole pail of cleaner. It’s a fantastic de-greaser, will remove years of oils, residue and furniture polish and is all natural! It also works miracles on cleaning brushes, cups and any other paint supplies. I can’t get over how such a small amount of cleaner in a pail of water can clean so many brushes after a workshop. It’s a pretty cool product and I’m ashamed it’s taken me so long to try it.

American Paint Company’s Surface Prep / Brush Cleaner

Ok, enough about cleaning ~ lets get to the fun part. For the base, I mixed American Paint Company’s Freedom Road with Wild Horses to create my own color; no guys ~ I didn’t measure. I don’t think I ever have. I paint like I cook, ‘cuz that’s how I roll. It’s easy like that. Doesn’t have to be perfection, just go with what you like. Sometimes I used Lincoln’s Hat, Sometimes Freedom Road, Sometimes a little bit of both.

Freedom Road + Wild Horses

The top had some marks and dark spots so I decided to some texture on the top.

Since I love the contrast of a darker, more textured top with a silky smooth base, I used a 4″ wide short bristled brush and stippled a custom mix of Lincoln’s Hat and Wild Horses in random directions. I love that American Paint Company Paints can be manipulated in so many different ways. The clay in their chalk and clay paint allows for so many different possibilities. I sealed the top with American Paint Company’s Dark Wax, the best dark wax EVA!!! I can’t find the picture that I shot of it and this buffet has already sold, but it was pretty much the same as the top I did on a recent set of French provincial dressers here.

I created the same type of textured finish on the top of this Set of French Provincial Dressers

I honestly can’t remember which colors I painted the insides of the cabinet and side panels, but I think it was a random mix of Home Plate, Rushmore and Smoke Signal. Knowing me, I most likely did a wash of Desert Cactus over it and I do remember pouncing American Grit into the clear wax while it was still wet on those lighter areas. For the rest of the base, I pounced black mica into the clear wax while it was wet. To be honest, it was a bit tricky to see how much black I was applying. You know how the wax makes the paint appear darker when it’s wet? Well, when my gray paint was darker, the black mica was really hard to detect. I had to wait until it dried overnight to see exactly how it turned out.

Applying Black Mica Powder to the Clear Wax

I could tell where I had started and where I had ended because it gradually got darker and darker. All I had to do to blend it in was take some clear wax with a clean brush and work some of it away. This method re-activates the wax so that you can manipulate it, in my case, I wanted to remove some of the black. You can also do this if you ever end up with too much dark wax in an area. After evening it all out, I painted the inside with Home Plate, sealing the inside of the cabinet with Topcoat. In the midst of everything else going on, I lost all my edited pictures on my computer so I’m using what I could find.

Finished Buffet

Hope you enjoyed this transformation. If you’d like to do a similar finish, here’s what you’ll want to pick up. You won’t use the whole quart for a piece this size, but I listed a quart if I felt you would need more than a sample size pot. Use your judgement based on the size of piece you’re going to paint.