Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Oh Say Can You CeCe?

***Though I did receive products from this company, all opinions, thoughts, and ideas are mine.***

   So a couple of months ago I was chosen to be a brand rep for CeCe Caldwell's Paints. If you know me, I will paint anything and everything that sits still long enough. In the Deep South we have a saying that goes something like this: "If you can't fry it, spray paint it gold."  I'll wield a spray can, a sponge, a paintbrush- whatever. Just give me something to paint and I'm happy.  So, this new "job" as brand rep was right up my alley. 

    All through May I excitedly watched as the other reps got their packages.   I knew my time was coming up soon and I could not wait!  When June got here and more packages were arriving and getting posted online by the other reps, I could hardly contain myself. What colors would I get? What new products would I get to try? I would rush home from work everyday to check my mailbox!   Then, it finally showed up!  I opened the package and was quite relieved to find two of my favorite colors - an off white and a grey as well as a satin finish. 
I thought and thought about mixing the colors, layering the colors, using one as a glaze over the other.... But I'm pretty simple in my techniques so I decided to stay true to myself.   

     I looked at the cans and I thought to myself:  "How far will this paint go?"  It retails for $34.95 a quart which might scare some people.  So, I decided to do a little experiment and see how much I could paint with only one quart of paint! I'm a thrifty person so I thought this might be a helpful experiment for people who have not quite committed to spending $34.95 for a quart of paint.  At this point, I have only opened ONE can of my paint and you will not believe the how many projects I have completed!

   Let me tell you a little about the paint before I show you the projects-

     This paint is Natural Chalk + Clay Paint.  This was also my very first time using this brand of paint so I had no idea what to expect.  First of all, I loved the container. I know that sounds weird but it's true.  It's made of a recycled plastic and it's super easy to open and close. I hate nothing more than tapping those metal lids back in place...they just never seem to fit back together right. 

    Second of all, I like that the container's mouth was nice and wide. The side of the package clearly says to "remove enough paint for your project into a clean container...." But, again, if you know me- I'm not the best at following directions. Let's get real, I just want to dip my brush right into the can and start painting!  

      The paint is also very thick. I would compare it to pudding. In this case, vanilla pudding!  I liked that it was thick. The reason: I paint in my dining room and I have been known to knock a can or two of paint over in my time!  I figured the thickness would give me a few extra seconds to get that can upright in case I knocked it over.  Am I the only one with this issue? Of course, if you follow the rules and put your paint in a container first, this might not concern you.

     Like I said, I paint in my dining room so I was pleasantly surprised that this paint had absolutely NO odor! It was fabulous.  Something else I really liked- it was super easy to clean up! I have been known to go to work with paint up my elbow, clunked in my hair, and always, always, under my fingernails. No problem with the Ce Ce Caldwell's paint: it washed right off with soap and water!  Also my trusty painting sidekick, Todd, always gets paint on his tail so it was easy to wipe off with a pet wipe. I know I just showed you Todd in my last post but the boy just gets cuter every day.... So, here he is again:
     Okay! So on to the projects...

First, I painted this sad little nightstand that I picked up at an estate sale for $15-
Add a little CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White Natural Chalk + Clay Paint and voila!
I added some updated knobs and a handle. I lightly distressed it by hand with sand paper and sealed it with a satin finish. Then, I did something I never do: I decided to keep it for myself!  This piece had a wooden body but more of a Formica-ish top and the paint covered both perfectly with no prep.

    Next, I decided to paint this cute little chest that I picked up at an auction for $60:
This piece is antique and solid wood. Again, I didn't prep it at all. I just started painting. Here it is after I painted it in the Vintage White:
     Again, I added new knobs and finished with a satin finish. I did use Java Gel Stain by General Finishes on the top just because that's what I had in my stash.  I actually decided to keep this piece for myself as well.

     Next, I wanted to see how CeCe Caldwell's Natural Chalk + Clay Paint worked on something besides wood and Formica. So, I rolled out this ugly little crate my husband picked up at an estate sale a few years back for a measly five bucks!

Because the top was black and white and the sides were brown, I decided to just give it a first coat with some paint scraps I had in my stash. I wish I could remember what I used but I really just emptied out some blues and greens for my bottom layer. Then, I added the Vintage White and heavily distressed it. I actually broke out the orbital sander for this one. I wanted it to look very worn, rugged, and industrial.  I also hand stenciled letters and numbers on the side to give it more of an industrial look. The 2XAH stands for Two Times AH. My husband and I are Aubrey and Angela....
     Isn't it cute? A little roll away side table that will double as storage!  I didn't seal this with anything because I want it to look flat and rustic. The CeCe Caldwell's paint worked great on metal! For the third time in a week, I decided to keep this piece for myself! I have been watching a little too much Chip and JoJo on HGTV so I have a little redecorating energy buzzing around in my mind. 

     Next, I have this piece of furniture my husband and I built several years ago. It was long before I started painting furniture.  We had the idea that we would start building things out of pallets. Well, that idea lasted through this project and this project only.  But, it's cute and I've enjoyed it. I painted it with left over living room paint because that's all I knew at the time...
     This was an old stereo we found on the side of the road. We gutted it, added a pallet back, a new top, and a shelf. So yeah basically we kept a box with no back or top and a decorative bottom. See that smudgy part right on the front? That's from Todd. Against this shelf happens to be one of his favorite napping spots. So, we will just have to see how this Vintage White works out.  Again, I didn't prep this piece, I just started painting. Here is the after photo:
    Reading all of the posts from the other brand reps, I kept noticing them saying they "wet distressed" pieces. I had NO IDEA what that meant! So I Googled a few things and got an understanding of it. Many of them like to wet distress with baby wipes. I didn't have baby wipes so I just wet a bath cloth. I gave the paint a little scrub, and what do you know- the paint wiped right off! I kinda loved this! It was easy ans mess free. I have a little cold this week and this kept me from having to breath in anymore dust. 

     Here are a few close ups of the wet distressing:
     So, that's it! If you have been keeping up, that's FOUR not-so-small projects I completed with only one quart of CeCe Caldwell's Natural Chalk +Clay Paint. So, that equals out to only $8.74 per project! That's a pretty good deal if you ask me!!  

     I still have a quart of Seattle Mist that I can't wait to pop open! I will post those projects soon! 
      
     I am still waiting on my fabric medium to arrive so I will also be finishing up the painted upholstery project from the last blog post soon as well! 

     I'll leave you with a before and after montage:












     
 
     














     

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