Traci Niese

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, beading, Elmer's Glue, pearls, rustic, shabby chic, Valentine's Day craft, wax, wooden hearts

Crafting Beaded Hearts for Valentine’s Day

Our neighborhood craft club got together last night at my home for our February meeting. We worked on beautiful pearl and beaded wooden hearts.

I found this project on Pinterest, and it was originally done by a stylist named Heather Bullard.

Finding small wooden hearts at craft stores proved to be more challenging than any of us expected, especially with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. We were searching for a cut-out with a little lip along the edge. But, we came up empty-handed. So, I reached out to a friend, who edits a woodworking magazine, and she hooked me up with a lady who does crafts with a scroll saw. She made 20 of these babies for us! Thank you Linda Helgerson!!

The STEPS for MAKING A BEADED HEART:
We got started by painting the wood hearts. We used craft latex paint or Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Then we dark waxed them for some rustic patina. When they dried, we drilled a little hole in the top to thread twine through to hang them later. The next step was to apply white craft paint (I used Elmer’s Quick Dry, which dries clear) to the inside of the heart. Then take a handful of pearls or beads, and pat them down onto the glue. You’ll want to use a variety of sized beads, so you can insert tiny beads in the spaces between the bigger beads. Let it dry for a good half hour, before you pick it up, or the beads could roll off. If any do fall off, just apply more glue and put it back in. When its dry, thread twine or ribbon through the hole, and if your “heart” desires, add a charm. You’ll see I used an antique style key, a bird wing, and a little bird cage (you know I love me some birds). Use any trinkets you have at home that may have come from old jewelry, or you can just buy little charms like these in the jewelry aisle of your local craft store.

Here’s the hearts all of us made. You can see some ladies got really creative, by using yarn, ribbon, multi-colored beads, and even wooden hearts that were picture frames!

Don’t they look romantic?

It was a really easy craft, and we had fun eating, drinking and crafting!

Laura’s hearts were very intricate and beautifully unique!

Here you can see Meredith applying the white glue to the inside of her heart and spreading it around. You want a pretty thick layer of glue in there, so the beads have something to adhere to. Otherwise you might find they don’t stick so well if the glue is spread too thinly.

Gail used this cool picture frame and applied the beads to the center where the photo would go. Now she has a nice Valentine’s Day decoration for a table top! (love that big brass key!)

Even my son got in on the crafting action!

Natalie used a large flat wooden heart, and to create the lip around the edge, she wrapped the backside and the edges in a pretty script piece of scrapbook paper! Way to find creative solutions!

Heather’s string was glam! (and wait until next month – she’s hosting our next craft club and you’ll be super excited to see what she has in store – it will be pretty and functional for the home!)

Jackie’s hearts featured beautiful glass beads!

It was a great evening of friendship and crafting! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

February 3, 2013/0 Comments/by Traci

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, bench, box, distressed, dresser, for sale, French Linen, Old White, paint, transformation, wax

Items for Sale

Scroll down for a running list of items currently for sale. If you are interested, please email me: niese.traci@yahoo.com or call 717-424-8788. Currently I do not ship. It’s pick-up only, please.

Thanks for giving my beloved work a new home!

French Country Coffee Table – $125

Bombay table newly painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre and Graphite, with clear and dark wax. Lovely legs! 45.25″ wide x 23.5″ deep x 17″ high (from floor to top)

French Country End Table – $100

Bombay table newly painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre and Graphite, with clear and dark wax. Lovely legs! 23.5″ high x 25.25″ wide x 16.75″ deep

The Hayden – Vintage Desk/Vanity Table – $175.00

Vintage desk or vanity table painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White with a base coat of French Linen. Drawer fronts also painted in French Linen. Distressed and aged with dark wax, and sealed with a top coat of clear wax. 40″ wide x 29″ high x 17.5″ deep

The Surprise – Storage Cabinet/Chest – $150.00 -SOLD

Heavy duty storage piece with 2 doors, an interior shelf and drawer. Painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paloma and Old White. Aged with dark wax and sealed with clear wax. The doors open up to reveal aged, decoupaged decorative paper. 25″ wide x 30″ high x 15″ deep

The Ida – Tall Vintage Accent Table – $75.00

Beautiful table gets a paint job with ASCP in Versailles with light distressing and clear wax. The round top is 13.75 ” in diameter, and it stands 31″ tall.

Pinky – Accent Table – $60.00

Little accent table painted with ASCP in Scandinavian Pink, distressed and aged with dark wax. Sealed with clear wax. 23″ high x 13″ wide x 13″ deep.

Vintage Shutters turned Memo Board – $20.00 – SOLD

Painted with Old White and dry-brushed with French Linen.

Pedestal Table with 4 Chairs and 2 Leaves – $450.00 – SOLD!

Painted with ASCP in Duck Egg Blue. Distressed and sealed with clear wax. The top has been stripped, sanded and stained a light walnut color allowing the grain to show through. Sealed with polyurethane.

Shaker Style Peg Rack – $15.00

Painted with ASCP in Versailles. Distressed and sealed with clear wax.

Shadow Boxes – $25 for the pair

Small and large shadow boxes, ready to hang, are painted with ASCP in Old White, distressed and aged with dark wax. Sealed with clear wax.

Bird Prints in Distressed Frames – $30 for the pair – SOLD

Lovely bird prints framed in newly painted wood frames. Old White, distressed and aged with dark wax, and sealed with clear wax.

Decorative Glass Dome with Newly Painted Base – $25.00 -SOLD!

Previously an old cheese serving tray, this gorgeous glass dome gets new life as a decorative table ornament with a painted wood base in ASCP Old White. Distressed and aged with dark wax. Sealed with clear wax. (Not to be used for serving food)

“The Ericka” – Vintage Mirror in Arles – $75.00 SOLD!

Vintage mirror, ready to hang, painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Arles with Old White dry-brushing, distressing and clear wax. Dimensions when hung in Landscape: 33″wide x 21″ high

“The Chloe” – 6-Drawer Dresser in French Linen – $300.00 – SOLD!
This beautiful 6-drawer dresser was transformed with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen, with 2 coats of clear wax and light distressing. The drawers are dovetailed, and the dresser was constructed completely from wood. The drawers are made with wood-cut tracks – no metal. I am not an antiques expert, but my guess is that it’s pretty old. The brass drawer pulls are exceptional, and are original to the piece. Dimensions: 45″ high x 36.5″ wide x 19″ deep

“Little Ben” – Child-Sized Bench – $60.00
This small Amish-style bench, perfectly suited in size for kids, was painted in Old White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, with clear and dark wax. It’s got an aged patina, and heavy distressing. Dimensions: 33.5″ wide x 25″ high x 13″ deep

“Sad Sally” – Accent Table – $25.00 SOLD!!
This poor little table has a crooked leg, and a slightly bowed top, but with a beautiful new coat of paint in Annie Sloan’s Duck Egg Blue, those imperfections only add character to an old piece. Shabby chic for sure! Dimensions: 15″ wide x 29″ high x 15″ deep

“The Buster” – Display Box – $20.00
Buster is a small 2-door display box, perfect for highlighting your collection of miniatures. The outside is painted with a base coat of Annie Sloan’s Old White, and topped with French Linen. It’s been distressed and coated with clear and dark wax, for an aged appearance. The inside is painted in Duck Egg Blue.

“The Diana” – Stenciled Lamp – $100.00 SOLD!
This fun, working lamp is painted in ASCP French Linen. The lamp shade was stenciled in the same color paint. A lovely companion to The Chloe dresser!

“The Annie” – Frenchy coffee table -$125.00 SOLD!!

This beautiful, curvy coffee table was painted with a base coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paloma (warm grey/taupe color with a hint of lavender). Old White was dry brushed over the legs and base, and then aged with dark wax. The top was accented with french damask and vines, distressed and clear waxed. Lovely carved shell and finial designs.

“Miss Lovely” – Bench and Pillow – $450.00
This bench project included a paint and upholstery transformation. I gave it a new tufted seat, and painted the frame in Old White, with clear and dark wax, for an aged patina. I also made a coordinating little pillow.

If you have a piece of furniture you would like to discuss, please contact me. I am happy to come out and take a look and provide a quote.

April 26, 2012/0 Comments/by Traci

Annie Sloan, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, book-signing, Budget Redesign, distressed, gilded, Hueology, Miss Mustard Seed, paint techniques, wax

Some of the secrets I discovered at the “Workshop”

First I have to let my groupie-side shine – I posed with Annie herself during the book-signing!

Even her signature is a work of art!

I tried desperately to find one of my favorite bloggers, who was there as a special guest for being one of the first to spread the gospel about ASCP in America, Marion, aka Miss Mustard Seed. Alas, the place was so mobbed, I never got so much as a glance in her direction. Bummed!

We broke into small groups with expert ASCP painters, including the ladies in the photo below (left to right): Forgive me beautiful-lady-on-the-left who’s name I never caught, MJ from Hue-ol-ogy, Trish from Hue-ol-ogy, me, and Terry from Budget Redesign.

These are the sample pieces I created using their techniques for creating a Soft Gilded piece (in pink, this color is called Antoinette), a 2-Color Distressed piece (Old White), a Modern finish (Duck Egg Blue), and a Rustic Finish (Barcelona Orange with dark wax).

One of the first questions I needed answered was the order in which a piece is worked on…do I paint then wax, or distress then wax? Ahh – it was so confusing! But, I learned the correct order, according to Annie Sloan: PAINT, WAX, DISTRESS, AND WAX AGAIN.

The wax helps seal in the paint and protect it. There’s clear wax, which you can’t see. But, it gives the paint a more lustrous, deep color. Annie Sloan also makes a dark wax, which also protects, but gives a more rustic, aged appearance in my opinion. I am on the fence about dark wax. Do I like it? Not sure yet.

Other things I learned at the workshop:

1) I can paint on nearly every surface known to man with this paint – concrete, glass, clay, wicker, walls, floors, etc

2) You don’t have to prep a piece of furniture before starting to paint. No primer, no sanding needed.

3) Annie says don’t worry about imperfections. Be fast when you paint, and don’t paint in straight, orderly lines. You can almost slop it on. Seriously. Watch her video. No back and forth for her. Streaks will disappear when the paint dries.

4) This paint dries fast! You can get a piece done in a day.

5) For a shiny appearance, buff your piece the next day after the wax has dried, by wiping vigorously with a clean cloth. For a matte appearance, don’t buff at all.

6) Use 3 coats of this paint and you’ve made yourself a chalkboard! Wow, how fun would it be to have a chalkboard in all these colors!

So there ya have it folks. It was a great learning experience for me. I’ve already painted my first little piece at home and will share that in my next post. But the fun will really start when I show you the progression of a bench I plan to do. I’ve already started “tearing it apart.” More on that later!

April 5, 2012/0 Comments/by Traci