Annie Sloan chalk paint

Have you discovered Annie Sloan chalk paint yet? If not, you’re in for a treat.

I was very kindly invited to an Annie Sloan paint workshop, run by Rigby and Mac, to learn how to use the paint and create some of the effects it is capable of. Lucy, who ran the workshop, was totally wonderful, warm and knowledgable and there was a lovely group of other people there too, including the 2 Lovely Gays – love them. Located in Dulwich, South East London, in a beautiful light filled industrial building (with a wondrous cafe called Volcano for lunch) the workshop was a very happy way to spend a Saturday morning.

The key things I learnt and love about the paint:

– No need to prime or sand your surface (AMAZING!)

– Can be applied to a variety of surfaces including: glass, metal, varnished wood, laminate (oh yes!)

– It does not smell and dries very quickly so no need to paint outside

– It can be watered down or mixed with other colours easily.

My mind is still reeling from the fact that I now have the potential to paint dark, varnished wood with no preparation whatsoever. I also feel a bit aggrieved that I spent two days of my life painting internal doors with five coats of primer and gloss paint when I could have used a couple of coats of this and some wax. Gutted.

Rigby and Mac Annie Sloan chalk paint workshop www.apartmentapothecary.com

The Annie Sloan paints come in a really beautiful range of colours that are stocked at Rigby and Mac and sold online.

Rigby and Mac Annie Sloan chalk paint workshop www.apartmentapothecary.com

One of my favourite colours that we worked with: Aubusson.

Rigby and Mac Annie Sloan chalk paint workshop www.apartmentapothecary.com

We were able to try lots of the paints, waxes and get inspiration from the Annie Sloan books.

Rigby and Mac Annie Sloan chalk paint workshop www.apartmentapothecary.com

We worked on strips of wood to learn the different effects. I think everyone enjoyed learning how to use the gold leaf the most – here it has been applied over English Yellow.

 Using the paint at home…

So, when I got home I was very excited to give it a go. I haven’t currently got any furniture that I want to paint so I decided to give a little set of Ikea Moppe drawers a makeover. I bought Antoinette pink, brass leaf (that actually looks gold in most lights), gold size and soft wax from Rigby and Mac. You will also need a paint brush, scissors and a j-cloth.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

1. Paint the surface – if you find the paint too thick you can water it down. You may need two coats, depending on what you are painting.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

2. Cut circles of the brass leaf (that looks gold) with scissors – a little tricky so you need to be careful.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

3. Paint some gold size on to where you want to stick your brass leaf. Allow it to dry a little until it is tacky.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

4. Very carefully, place your brass leaf dot onto the gold size once it is tacky and with a dry brush ensure it has adhered to the surface.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

5. Use a j-cloth to apply a coat of the soft wax. The more you buff the wax, the more glossy it will become. The wax also protects the paints and brass leaf from scuffing and stains.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

The transformation is complete! It was hard to catch the reflective dots from this angle but in real life it’s so pretty!

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

These little drawers are perfect for lots of crafty bits and bobs.

Annie Sloan chalk paint Ikea hack www.apartmentapothecary.com

The perfect addition to my craft room.

I can not wait to try the paint out on something more substantial. Thank you again to Rigby and Mac for the great workshop; is it too much to say this paint is life changing?!

Katy x

 

Blogtacular giveaway!

I’m very excited to be going to my first bloggers’ conference this weekend. Blogtacular promises to be such a great experience to learn from others and meet all of the ridiculously talented bloggers that I have followed for the past year or so.

Can. Not. wait.

I’ve got my business cards ready – I got stupidly excited making them! I decided to get one side printed with my logo by Moo and left the other side blank so I can either stamp my contact details or write personalised notes, if needs be. The big problem with business cards, especially when you’re at a big event and there are loads of them flying aorund, is that they get thrown away or never looked at again. So, I also ordered some glassine envelopes and vintage tickets to accompany each card to make them a bit more exciting…

Stamped business cards www.apartmentapothecary.com

If you’re going to Blogtacular and take one of my cards, the ticket will automatically enter you into a giveaway draw to win this bolster cushion cover (for storing your winter duvet – my favourite thing to make at the moment!). Make sure you keep the ticket and check my blog on Monday 12th May as I will announce the winner here!

Liberty print and ticking stripe bolster cushion www.apartmentapothecary.com

The bolster cushion cover is made from John Lewis ticking stripe and Liberty’s Mitsi print. It is large enough to stuff a kingsize or double duvet in to it; perfect now that the weather has got warmer and we can switch to summer duvets. Alternatively, it fits two two feather pillows. If it doesn’t suit your style, it would also make a great present.

Liberty print and ticking stripe bolster cushion www.apartmentapothecary.com

Liberty print and ticking stripe bolster cushion www.apartmentapothecary.com

Looking forward to meeting all the Blogtacular attendees this weekend and don’t forget to grab a card. Check back here on Monday 12th to see if you’ve got the winning ticket!

And the winning ticket is…

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If you have the lucky ticket with the corresponding number either email or tweet me (contact info in the sidebar). Look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you so much to everyone for saying hi and taking time to have a chat; it was really lovely to meet you all. I’ve now got a list of a million ‘to-do’s’ after being inspired by what everyone had to say! A big, big thank you to Kat Molesworth and Kat Goldin for all of their hard work and brilliant vision to bring Blogtacular together. Here’s to next year!

Katy x

 

Urban jungle bloggers

A happy coincidence happened a few weeks ago: I discovered Urban Jungle Bloggers, a monthly series aimed at bringing green into our homes, and then I was lucky enough to be sent a lovely LSA cheese dome by Pavilion Broadway. Maybe not an obvious connection, but I decided to use my new cheese dome as a mini green-house to help me grow herbs for my windowsill and balcony (this was the Urban Jungle Bloggers’ April  theme – late, I know!).

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

I dream of having my own garden and especially the potting shed that will be so pretty! In the meantime, however, I am lucky enough to have a two bedroom flat with a balcony and a communal roof terrace so if I want to grow plants, flowers or food I can. Herbs are the thing I put most effort into growing; they are easy to grow and so useful in everyday cooking. The only problematic bit is growing from seed, which is the cheapest way of planting. Trays of seedlings in your home can be unsightly and require space and I don’t have much of that and I know lots of other people have the same problem.

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

The solution is to choose the herbs you use the most, plant these and use containers for planting that can form a centrepiece in your kitchen, on your coffee table or windowsill instead of ugly plastic planting trays. My LSA cheese dome from Pavilion Broadway was perfect for this as seedlings need to be covered in their early stages. The dome looks great and is big enough to house my key plants: Parsley, Mint, Tarragon, Tomatoes, Coriander.

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

The dome can take pride of place on the kitchen table, worktop or coffee table as it looks so pretty. It’s also a bit of a conversation point.

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

A peek out onto my balcony beyond the windows in my sitting room. I’m growing: Sweet peas, Hydrangea, a terrarium of ferns, Camelia, Wisteria and Rosemary.

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

Once your seedlings are ready to be planted out, if you don’t have outdoor space, you can use old tins and put these on your windowsill. Have a look at my recycled planters tutorial for ideas.

Growing herbs if you don't have outdoor space www.apartmentapothecary.com

Thank you so much to Igor and Judith for the Urban Jungle Bloggers inspiration. Thank you, also, to Pavilion Broadway for the lovely cheese dome – there is 20% off LSA gifts perfect for your dad in the lead up to Fathers’ Day, so pop over!

Katy x

May Day posie

I’m a teeny bit late but I love the May Day posie idea that I saw over on Little Green Shed blog so I’m taking part, even if it’s not technically May Day today! The Pagan tradition is to leave an anonymous posie of hand-picked flowers on someone’s front door to celebrate the beginning of May. Pop over to Lou’s blog to see so many lovely examples or search for the hastag #NITHmayday on Instagram (NITH = nature in the home).

So, this morning I got up extra early and picked some flowers and herbs from my balcony and roof terrace – Rosemary, Mint, Lavendar, Cornflowers, Forget-me-nots and Hydrangeas.

May Day posie of hand-picked flowers www.apartmentapothecary.com

I wound twine around a Mason jar and wrote an anonymous note and left it on the office door of a special friend at work. I hope it makes her smile at what is a very difficult time.

May Day posie of hand-picked flowers www.apartmentapothecary.com

I hope you enjoy the coming few weeks and all the colour, warmth and promise May brings.

Katy x

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team

What do you say when two of your favourite bloggers invite you to tea at Liberty? YES – there is no other answer!

Last month I went along to celebrate the Hannah and Rosie’s first blogging birthday by meeting the team behind Liberty fabrics at a special bloggers’ event in Liberty’s beautiful Heritage Suite, just off the dreamy haberdashery. We were greeted by the lovely Sian, Deputy Editor of Liberty.co.uk, as well as tea and cakes. It was also really exciting to meet some other fellow bloggers in real life – Chloe from Stone Cold Comfort, Leanne from Knit Me A Cake and it was great to see Charlotte from Lotts and Lots again.

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

The ridiculously talented fabric designers, Emma Mawston and Keighley Shepherdly, showed us their orginal art work that led to this season’s beautiful designs, as well as hearing from the Head Archivist, Anna Buruma.  It was a wonderful experience to hear first hand from the designers how they go about finding inspiration for each season’s designs, as well as seeing their artwork, which ranged from glass painting to incredible paper cutting. We all sat and listened in awe. You can find out more about Emma, Keighley and Anna on the Liberty blog at the moment.

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

The designers explained how each fabric this season was inspired by a different department within the store. We were given a map that showed the different inspiration points and then went on a guided tour to see for ourselves where each print originated from.

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

Meeting the Liberty fabrics team www.apartmentapothecary.com

We left with gorgeous goody bags organised by Hannah and Rosie and a special Liberty bag full of pretty prints (I made this bolster cushion with mine, as well as a special project that will be coming up in the September issue of 91 magazine). I think, if anything, I am even more obsessed with Liberty print than before, having seen and heard for myself all of the talent and interesting stories that go into each print.

Thank you Hannah, Rosie and Sian for organising such a wonderful evening.

Katy x

P.S. Thank you to Liberty for the photographs, too!