Lovely Ribbons, Scarlett Ribbon ...

On Sunday morning, we woke with good intentions of spending a day in the garden, painting the cupboards which I showed you earlier.  The skies looked a little grey and threatening so that idea had to be put on hold ... however, I had a bee in my bonnet about some miraculous paint which I'd heard about, so it seemed the ideal time to try it for ourselves.  Me, Steve and Millie set out for the Lake District, about an hours drive away. This was our destination ...

Scarlett Ribbon, a delightful little shop, nestled in the lovely town of Windermere.

It is a delightful treasure trove of all things lovely ... and the sale was in full swing!

The shop is set out very cleverly, making full use of the space available, but with a feeling of space and calm. It sells clothes, accessories, greetings cards, toiletries, jewellery and lots of very lovely things for the home.

Millie, having a bit of a browse ...

 

But this is what our journey was about ... Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I had heard great things about this product, so quizzed the lovely lady in the shop, and she assured me no preparation was required! No sanding, no priming, just load your brush and paint! Definitely my kind of product!

Lots of lovely, unique colours to choose from, so I was like a child in a sweet shop ... I finally selected four colours; Old Ochre, a rich, creamy colour; Provence, a deep turqouise; Paloma which is a grey/lilac and Antoinette, pretty in pale pink.  I also bought some soft wax which seals the paint and protects it.  I didn't buy any of the dark wax used for deepening the colour and ageing/distressing, as I use Briwax for this. I also bought the book which tells you all about the paint and how to use it, with loads of lovely pictures and ideas for projects.

The paint charts are very clever too, they are actually hand painted so you know what  the actual colour will be when you paint - some charts are very misleading and the finished product looks nothing like the colour  on the chart, so choice can be a bit hit or miss.
  

 The paint can be used inside or out, on plastic, stone, brick, concrete and metal  ... my head is bursting with ideas, and believe me, if it stands still for long enough, it's going to get a coat of Annie Sloan!

Loaded up, we said our goodbyes to Scarlett Ribbon and had a little potter around Windermere, This little sign was above a wine shop, I thought it was perfect ...

 But I was itching to get started with my new find, so we travelled home, had a Full English (late) Breakfast, then set to! Steve took Ruby for a walk (it takes exactly an hour) and instead of lugging all the cupboards downstairs I took this little beauty outside. 

It's one of the chairs which makes up my Ercol 3-piece cottage suite. In my front room, which I showed you the makeover of last time, I always thought there was too much wood and it needed softening a bit.  I know some people will think it sacrilege to paint over classic furniture, but I like to give things a modern twist while retaining their old charm.  I bought the suite last year for £45 from a charity warehouse, but probably lots of them just go the tip ... that is sacrilege!

By the time Steve got back from his walk I'd painted the chair.  The paint glides on and dries almost immediately so you can touch up straight away, without having to wait hours for it to dry before you can give it another coat.  It took one coat and then just a few dabs to cover any obvious gaps.  I waxed it with the soft wax, then took a cloth and rubbed the briwax on.  It took less than 2 hours from start to finish ... miraculous stuff indeed!

I don't normally paint as it takes so long ... sanding down, wiping, priming, then about 3 coats of paint ... it takes days and I'm far too impatient for that.  Not any more though! Hopefully today the sofa and other chair will get done, then I've got a bookcase lined up (pale pink I think), kitchen cupboards, metal garden furniture, Millie's bedroom furniture ... the list is endless!

Tomorrow I'm off to Leeds to see my boy, and hopefully Cath Kidston too!

Hope the sun shines on you this week,

Love, Claire xxx