Adventures with Milk Paint

Back in December, I had the opportunity to hang out with Marian Parsons, aka Miss Mustard Seed. I highly recommend this, as she is a total delight. (Did I tell you guys that she came to see my booth at Luckett's? I was delirious with excitement!)

In between book signings, I got her talking about milk paint and how it was different than chalk paint.

 Thanks Janet, for letting me "borrow" your photo from here.

After our conversation, I was super curious to see what it did in person, so I bought some. One sample packet of Flow Blue (Prussian Blue), a packet of Kitchen Scale (Blue green), a packet of Ironstone (creamy white), and a bottle of the bonding agent, just for good measure.

Fast forward to March 2013. I was digging around the studio, looking for a solution to some finish based problem and remembered that I had never even tried my MMS milk paint. I found it and decided to go with the Flow Blue. I was super glad I had seen a demo on what to expect the texture to be at the book signing, because milk paint, when mixed, looks like you did something wrong.

This was what the demo looked like. 

from The Empty Nest

This is what mine looked like:

 

That is a combination of Flow Blue, Kitchen Scale, and I think I added just the smallest hint of Ironstone for good measure. It made a grainy, runny mix. But I knew what to expect, so I just went with it. I had already started chalk painting a wooden box with Pure White ASCP, so I decided that would be an excellent thing to start with. I slapped a coat of the milk paint on, and then blow dried it, simply because I was feeling impatient. 

 

Well joy of joys when the crackling and bucking and flaking started!

 

Well, that's the finished product at any rate. 

Here's a better picture of the kind of flaking I'm talking about:

 

There, you can see it better. The paint literally peels off by itself.

And the more "finished' an item is, the more the paint will flake and chip. And there is no way to know where your flaking and chipping will occur. You can hedge your bet by sanding a bit, but even then, things might still chip or buckle, ... or not.

 I purposely painted another wooden box I knew had been sealed, just so I could see how much peeling I got. Almost all of the paint peeled of in big flakes. It take about 1/2 hour to fully peel and buckle if you just leave it in the air. I used a paintbrush and gently rubbed off the flakes, then took stock of what I wanted to do. It was way too much peeling for the look I was going for, so I sanded with a 320 grit sand paper in a few spots where I wanted more adhesion and then added more paint. it peeled some more, but I was pretty happy with what adhered, so I stopped there.

The blue shadows are where the milk paint bonded. The green and red are ASCP chalk paint glazes I did in Antibes Green and Emperor's Silk after milk painting. Here's another angle:

You can see how much of the blue peeled off. I completely covered everything twice. What's left is what stuck. I was going for a very worn look, so that was fine with me.

The great thing about milk paint is that you can just keep layering it on until you get the look you want. The grit is part of the look. It gives a very primitive look, so if you love Shaker and American Primitive, you will adore what this product can do. And I was very pleased with the results I got from blow drying stuff. It seemed to encourage cracking and lumping. Which is what I wanted.
 

If you are looking for a super smooth finish, just know that you can get that, but you will need to use the bonding agent and be ready to sand and re-coat a few times. Wax also helps.

When I had each of these projects painted the way I wanted, I used a paste wax to seal them. I am pretty sure I used Annie Sloan wax, but I may have used a little of another brand I have. I think I also waxed the blue milk paint coat of the red box before I put on the chalk paint glazes. Then, after glazing, I clear waxed and dark waxed the whole thing again. The blue box and white frame were both clear waxed and dark waxed after milk painting.

I highly recommend dark waxing if you want the cracks and flaws of the paint to show through. it completely brings the piece to life.

So here's a summary of my experience dabbling in milk paint vs chalk paint:

1. Chalk paint sticks to almost anything. Milk paint needs quite a bit of tooth to stick. That is the point of both of them. They are total opposites in this regard. So if you are going for a really opaque look, or a painting on a slick surface and want good adhesion, go with chalk paint. If you want chipping and peeling and aging, go with milk paint. It gives a great rustic, aged finish.

2. Chalk paint and milk paint can be used to excellent effect as layers on each other. It doesn't matter which is first, it just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. I used chalk paint as a base layer under milk paint on the blue box and got no peeling, but plenty of cracking and buckling. I used chalk paint as a glaze over the milk paint and loved the way the lumps and peels showed through. If you wanted to do some decorative painting, but wanted a rustic base, you'd use milk paint for the base, the chalk paint for the design. It would be lovely. Miss Mustard seed does this often.

  Here's the piece she used to announce Kitchen Scale

3. Don't stress that your milk paint looks lumpy. MMS uses a hand blender to mix hers a little smoother. But just apply it. If it's too runny, add more powder until you are more comfortable with it, but think "water color" not "latex" in your thickness expectations. Here's her tutorial for mixing paint.

4. Wax is your friend with both milk paint and chalk paint. Just like it does with chalk paint, wax brightens the color and transforms milk paint. In that sense, milk paint and chalk paint are alike.

5. Both chalk paint and milk paint are very forgiving, so just relax. Find something you won't cry about not turning out to practice on. It's just a matter of experimenting until you get the feel for it. Start with a frame or a piece of wood or a small wooden box, or that 80's country plaque your mother snuck into your collage stuff because she was desperate to be rid of it. If you hate how it turns out, keep in mind, you can ALWAYS chalk paint over anything.

 
 Just for fun, here's a look at my all time favorite milk painted piece ever. It's the piece Miss Mustard Seed used to introduce the black color of her milk paint line, Typewriter. I saw it in person at her space in Lucketts  and didn't buy it. I am still amazed at the self control that took.

So there you go. My thoughts about milk paint. I was actually impressed with it once I started fiddling with it. And I didn't think I would be. So go give it a try and tell me what you think.

A Happy Little Update

Most of you don't know this, because I come across so jolly, but December found me sad and totally burned out. The barn sale sucked the life out of me this year. I was feeling worn and worthless. I guess the universe got tired of my sad ploddings about and sighing, becuase all kinds of amusing things started to happen.

 This is from the flower contest I helped Lynn Vale Farms do. Here's the link.

And I haven't told you about most of them. So that's what this post is. A little hit of all the happy things that happened to me, the fun things I have been able to accomplish because of the happy things, and a few things I threw in just for good measure.

So back to December for a second. 

I don't know if you all know this, due to my lack of a "favorite blogs" bar on this page (I am planning on remedying that soon-ish), but I LOVE the blog Young House Love. Have you guys discovered them yet? John and Sherry Petersik are this cute, early thrity-something couple in Richmond who started a blog to show their friends and family the changes they were making to the house they had just bought. Here's the "About us" page. It totally shows you what they're like and you'll see why I love them so.

This is on their instagram page here

Anyway, I have been an avid reader for about 2 years now, and this fall they published their first book. It's chock full o' good, simple, cheap decorating ideas. So of course I had to get it as soon as it was announced. So I preordered it on Amazon, in June or July, and then waited....and waited....and waited until it was released in November.

And it was totally worth the wait. I used an idea on the first page to add some color to the back of my display cases that DK(explanation of who this is here) forbid me from painting.

Yes, yes, I did actually shoot photos for a tutorial, but that will come later.

And along with a book, comes a book tour! So I ponied up the $29 for a copy of the book (a gift for someone else), a glass of Diet Coke (everyone else got champagne, but I don't drink), and a warm cozy place to meet the Petersiks in downtown Washington DC. It was totally worth every penny.

They are just as nice in person as they seem on their blog. They even got happy for me and my line mate that  we had become "line friends".

The same week I got my copy of Young House Love, I also got my equally long awaited copy of Miss Mustard Seed's new book Inspired You.

I could write a whole post about how much this book brought me back to life, but Jami at Freckled Laundry already wrote the perfect tribute. If you are even thinking about buying this book, read her comments here.

Instead of gilding the lily, I'll just take you with me to The Empty Nest in Warrenten, VA, where I got to help at the book signing! Janet's got a great write up and way better pics here.

L to R: Me, Marian Parsons (Miss Mustard Seed), and Janet Metzger, owner of the Empty Nest

Terrible picture of me, but oh well. Can't pass up a claim to fame.

I had to steal Janet's pic of me getting my book signed. Thanks Janet!

 There is nothing quite as humbling and exciting as hanging out with your heroes. Marian was fun and gracious and happy to talk about paint finishes and running a booth at Lucketts.

 

It was fun to see her meet old friends

 

and find treasures hiding in Janet's lovely store. 

It amazes me as I meet more and more people I "know" from reading their blogs, just how many of them are "my people". It makes me braver every time I realize they started just like me. So thanks for the excellent example and encouragement Marian, John and Sherry! I am totally inspired by you all.

OK, that's enough of my "Claims to Fame." 

Since all of this happened, I have been a busy girl. 

Miss Mustard Seed inspired me to make a chalkboard to bang out ideas for this blog.

I even used magnetic primer so I could hold stuff on with magnets. But that's another post.

Reading Inspired You also got me off my butt and I re-organized and moved my office. I still have a bit left to do, but I am totally in love with it. 

Can't you just see me in my super comfy, pretty, old wooden chair, typing this right now?

This is substantially better than where I started in this post, wouldn't you say? Remember this?

And here's a peek at what I have been doing in the studio.

Remember when I told you I was getting itchy to play with my exacto knife? Well there you go. 

More on that piece later. Or hopefully, sooner.

And one last happy bit of news. 

My friend Karianne, of Thistlewood farms got PUBLISHED this week!!!! She wrote the funnest post about what it's like to find your writing and photos in a major magazine in this post here. Hillarious and happy. I'm sure I would do the exact same thing. I am still wishing I was there to jump up and down with her. As it was, I was reading the post on my elliptical trainer, and I almost fell of because I did do a little jump for her. 

You. Go. Girl.

Field Trip Friday

I think field trips are about the best idea ever. Didn't you love leaving the school and doing something random, like visiting a museum or battle field when you were a kid? It just takes you outside the routine and gives you a chance to think about something new.

This picture was taken by my daughter, then age 9, at the American Museum of

Natural History of a lovely desert diorama.

Somehow I have managed to carry the concept of field trips into my adulthood. That's kinda what this blog is about. "Gathering Branches" is my quest to go out into the world and find new ideas and new talent for the barn sale I host twice a year, as well as inspiration for my own work. I am frequently chucking around the region, visiting places I have heard rumors are cool or unusual or loaded with good deals or amazing people. One bonus of this is I usually find some awesome stuff to bring home somewhere along the way. I know there is joy in the journey. But there may be more joy in the travel booty.

Friday's field trip was no different. I know I have been writing a ton about Janet Metzger lately, but I just got it in my mind that I needed to go meet her. And her new store, The Empty Nest, had it's grand opening in Warrenton on Friday. (Info and directions here.) Not that Warrenton is really close or anything. In fact, it's about an hour drive from here. But we're a hearty lot, not to be put off by a little drive. Besides, my 12 year old offered to babysit, so I got to go by myself! If you are a full time stay at home mom, you totally understand why this is exciting. So off to Warrenton I went.

Isn't it the most charming shop? Janet is a master teacher of Annie Sloan chalk paint techniques. She has taught all over the country at Annie Sloan conventions and recently participated in Haven, a DIY blogger conference in Atlanta. She also sews, felts, and paints. Pretty much, if it's painted and in the shop, Janet made it.

She is also a stockist for both Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed's new line of milk paint. It comes out in August, but Janet had a few bags behind glass just to tease us.

Don't you love that classy reflection of me there in the glass? I must say, this is not one of my better photo shoots technically. I should have used my flash more, but I kind of have a love/hate thing going on with it right now. So it's not your eyes, my pictures are just blurry this time.

Here are a few more lovelies from Janet's shop:

The candles are hand made by one of Janet's friends. Check out the wonderful flavors they come in.

And of course, I needed the traditional "Ha! I met a celebrity" photo (I'm up to two now. Oh wait, three. Me and Miss Mustard Seed here. And me and artist Lou Gagnon here). Here is Janet. It was nice to meet her on such a happy day. Such a fun lady.

Now you would think that the fun ended here. Hooray for me, it did not. If you recall in a recent post (here), I visited Janet's previous digs at the Fox Den Antiques Mall. Well, I had unfinished business there. As I was walking out the door, a pair of white ceramic unicorn bookends that I had desperately wanted as a child caught my eye. Alas, the children were "done", the paint was paid for, and it was time to pony up the promised ice cream. So I left. Without even looking at the price.

So I headed back to see if they were still there. And since I love reading posts about what people almost bought on their shopping trips, like this one from Young House Love where Sherry and her best friend hit up a Goodwill in Atlanta, I figured I'd take you guys on an almost shopping trip of my own.  There were lots of things I thought about bringing home.

These first two pieces of furniture completely blew me away. Especially the china cabinet. They were just begging for some chalk paint. And they were priced at a stunningly cheap $199 and $195. If I had room in my car and more cash in my pocket, they would be making an appearance at the next barn sale with a new look. Sadly, they had to stay put. So if you want them, go for it!

I seriously considered these. For a second. I have a thing for jackalopes.

This is the bench I talked about last time. Obviously, since it is in this section of the blog, Janet did not paint it, like I originally thought. But don't you love the bent log design, the lion feet, and the super weathered paint? I think $500 is a bit on the pricey side, but if the seller can get it, great!

Cute pair of ironstone looking candlesticks, I probably should have bought.

I love me a nice Victorian table. I want to buy these every single time I see them. (Not that I have a place for it anywhere.) They are pretty in the original stained wood, but I just keep thinking how cool they could be painted in a spicy orange tone, or a bright aqua. Or a lightly distressed white or grey finish would be lovely as well. So many options.

This piece made the part of me that likes mid-century happy. It was solid as a rock and a steal at $95.

This was another nice mid-century looking piece. Nice as it was, but could be pretty in some kind of solid color. I wonder what navy blue would look like? Yours for $85.

There were also a few pieces of bling that caught my eye.

Loved them both, especially that wall sconce.

I have had a thing for blue lately.

And I always love large silver plate candlesticks.

Here's a few more pics, just so you get a feel for the place:

handmade pickle forks

Loved the industrial stool, but at $199, it wasn't in the budget

Who wouldn't want an Elvis lamp on their sofa table?

Cute little collection of lanterns.

And just in case you actually were paying attention, our story has a happy ending. The unicorn bookends were still there, waiting patiently for me in a little cabinet near where I had seen them.

It makes me giddy to look at them. Every. Single. Time.

And they all lived happily ever after.