Painting up a storm!

This weekend brought the West Coast a very wet, and dreary Saturday. It was the perfect day to be creative! Elisa and I took over the workshop at Spruce and taught our very first Ce Ce Caldwell Paint class. I was really surprised at how well it went, and even more surprised by how excited the girls were when they left. We started the day with 4 ladies who had never had their hands in chalk paint before, but all had a list of projects they wanted to tackle, with no idea where to start. I was thrilled to see ALL four leave with Ce Ce in their hands, anxious to go home and start painting. There is nothing better than inspiration!
The girls each were given 6 sample boards to work with, and paint how they wanted. This gave them each an opportunity to see how their favorite colors looked on a solid piece instead of just the paint chart.
        *One White
        *One Black
        *One Layered (light color over dark color)
        *One Layered (dark color over light color)
        *One Layered (any two colors)
        *Once Crackled (any two colors)

Then all the girls had the opportunity to create their own paint swatch card. This is actually a lot more fun then you would think. It's really neat to see all the paint cans lines up with the lids off. You never get to see EVERY can opened! The colors are so great, that it really allows your creativity to start matching colors that you would never think, simply because you never see them all out at the same time.

I was able to create an entire piece from start to finish, which I think really allowed to girls the chance to see how simple it was. It turned out to be a fun demonstration. I paired up two colors that I typically wouldn't use, but when I saw all the colors out, I was really drawn to Destin Gulf Green. Paired up with Vermont Slate (black), the finished product was better than I had in my head. I originally was going to pair the black with a dark grey, but the punch of color was a much better choice. Sometimes it's better to NOT play it safe. That's part of the fun.

I love how the color deepens when you add the final coat of wax to it. I did a clear wax on the table top and a dark wax on the legs to enhance the depth of the Vermont Slate. 

Elisa's drawer that we demonstrated crackle finish on, turned out fantastic. The best part is that it cost $1.25 to achieve this look, instead of the costly "crackle" medium that stores sell. Of course I'm not willing to share that little secret quite yet. For that, you'll have to stay tuned.

All in all, it was a really informative day. I can't wait to hear about the projects that the girls tackled at home. Even better, I can't wait to see what colors they mixed and matched. Sometimes the colors that other people choose can keep you from getting stuck in a rut. My best advice is to take a risk! Step outside of your safety box, and try something new. It's not permanent, and sometimes you'd be surprised at what you actually like. It's not a black and white world! Add some spice, change things up and don't take things so seriously! After all, it's just paint!