I am still chuckling over the Small Business Saturday video featuring Miss Piggy (it’s posted on chesterstreettalk.com.)
Very Cute! Thanks for sharing Jess!
And yes, the Christmas Season is almost here…
Thanksgiving is next week! Wow! I can’t wait to enjoy the food and the family gathering!
At The Whistling Elk I am ready! The tree is up and full of Mark Roberts Fairies and beautiful ornaments…
Beautiful Ornaments at The Whistling ElkThe Whistling Elk in Chester NJMark Roberts Fairies at The Whistling ElkMark Roberts Fairies are just too cute.
and, of course, we are well stocked with our favorite jewelry line, La Vie Parisienne…
Beautiful jewelry from La Vie Parisienne at The Whistling Elk
A new shipment of Sloane Fine Tea Merchants Teas came last week so we have some favorites in stock like Heavenly Cream and some new ones like Vanilla Bean Rooibos….I tried this one last night and it is delicious and healthy to boot…full of antioxidants and anti-inflammories…yummm!
Sloane Fine TeasTea Anyone? Pretty Cups and Saucers…fill them with Sloane Fine Teas
Sadly you cannot eat these beautiful cupcake ornaments!
Cupcake ornaments!
Our famous Throw Blankets always make a great gift…Soft and warm they are also a beautiful addition to your home décor!
Throw Blankets make a design statement and keep you cozy!
Lots of pretty decorations around the shop to help you get into the holiday spirit!
Bling and Glitter…Decorations at the Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
Oh my, our Lampe Berger shelves are packed with amazing fragrances, lots of beautiful Lampes to choose from or Gift Sets at special prices so you can give the gift of scent to friends and family!
Lampe Berger at The Whistling ElkMore Lampes…Delicious Fragrance from Lampe Berger
You will find the shop is full of beautiful artwork, mirrors, lamps and small accent tables for the home…we are still a wonderful source of home furnishings and accessories! So come and find out what shopping Small Business is all about…great service, friendly faces and, of course, CHESTER is in itself is a beautiful location for shopping…so full of old world charm!
I love not only the taste of a delicious tea but the whole ritual!
In this crazy world there is nothing better than to brew some tea, wait while it steeps, and then pour it from a pretty teapot into a pretty cup! and of course you should do this while relaxing in your beautiful home!
I know you think you don’t have the time. Well, I say make the time – you will be the better for it. Sip it slowly and enjoy the whole ritual. I admit it took me a while to get the hang of it but now I look forward every morning and evening to my private little ritual that relaxes me and helps me to remember what life is really all about.
Sloane Fine Tea Merchants at The Whistling Elk
I did a lot of research on Tea as I was looking for a new line to sell in my shop…and what I found is outstanding! Sloane Fine Tea Merchants. It wasn’t easy as they are in Toronto and I am now actually their first customer in New Jersey. It’s a little tougher to import product…I haven’t done a lot of that in my shop – but if you give it a try you will agree – it is worth it!
Here’s what they say about their Tea :
“The tea in your cup is a result of a delicious journey. At Sloane Tea Company we traverse the world in search of only the finest teas that would delight even the most discerning of palates.
The Sloane story is about beauty. Beauty as told through the senses of taste, smell and sight. Beauty as experienced through the remarkable taste of our teas, as well as the beauty of the colour in your cup and the enticing fragrance of our perfumed teas. Sloane’s signature line of teas and tisanes (herbal teas) combine the finest loose leaf teas, exotic ingredients and artisanal techniques.
Tea sourced & blended by Certified Tea Sommeliers
Each Sloane Tea is individually sourced. Chosen from hundreds of tea gardens, Sloane Teas are carefully processed using centuries old artisanal techniques. Our scented and blended teas are custom created by our own team of Certified Tea Sommeliers and culinary experts. As part of the development of our products, we have consulted with the Maître Nez (Head Nose) of one of France’s foremost perfumeries and trained at the Studio Des Fragrance in Grasse, France.”
The tea is absolutely delicious! My favorite right out of the gate was the Heavenly Crème – I am already addicted to it. It really is heavenly. And then I enjoyed it so much I already ran out!!!! So I decided to try the Jasmine Pink Lemonade and I have to say I love it also and for me that is saying a lot. As a general rule before sipping this tea I would have said “No Thanks…I just don’t like green teas” but I was wrong – this one is delicious! It’s blended white and green tea and one of Sloane’s “Signature” blends. It has the sweetness of fresh jasmine and an unforgettable pink grapefruit finish…and it is superb as an iced tea also! I have been drinking it both hot and cold and look forward to it almost as much as the Heavenly Cream….you simply must try these teas!
Heavenly Cream Tea
So now that I have found these delicious teas from Sloane, I am stocking them and found that I wanted to sell a delicious honey to use with them. So again I have done exhaustive research and found some sources of Raw honey which I will also be stocking. For the teas I love the Star Thistle Raw Honey the best because it has a very subtle flavor and doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the tea…but I have many varieties of raw honey available now:
Star Thistle, Orange Blossom, Wildflower, Bamboo, Buckwheat, and Clover….all Raw and delicious! And there will be more….
some raw honey
Ohh, and of course you must drink your tea from a beautiful cup…
Tea cups at The Whistling Elk
At The Whistling Elk you will find not only home furnishings and accessories but also lots of other products to enhance the way you live your life! We believe your home should be your sanctuary…that is one reason why I love our Tea products! They will be in good company with our other home products like our Lampe Berger! Come in an see what is new! It’s our 25th anniversary this year! and we are celebrating!
It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago just about this time I was collecting merchandise in my garage in preparation to taking possession of my first shop location in Chester on May 1st, 1990. It has been a wonderful 25 years and I have hundreds of photos taken of the shop over the years. So take a walk with me down M.E.M.O.R.Y. L.A.N.E…
The first home of The Whistling Elk was at 9 Main Street, Chester. I hung a lace ceiling in this shop…it had a really ugly ceiling and the lace really improved it but I still had to cut holes in the lace for the air conditioning vent… It was a small shop just three rooms in 800 square feet. In those early days I remember that we sold a huge amount of silk flowers and vines.
A Customer and I standing in the front room of the shop at 9 Main Street, Chester NJ in the early 90s.
Sadly, I don’t have a lot of pictures of the 9 Main Street Shop – this was before cell phone cameras…gosh I didn’t even have a computer then!! This location had two entire walls of windows…no where to hang anything…hmmm that must have been tough for me!
Here’s a few more shots of The Whistling Elk at 9 Main Street.
Looking out toward Main Street in the first Whistling Elk location at 9 Main StreetThe Whistling Elk 25 years ago
Below is a shot taken at a Showhouse that we were invited to participate in – early 90’s. We painted Adirondack chairs for the pool area which was surrounded by a beautiful garden of rhododedrons…the chairs were painted a light blue to reflect the blue of the pool and had beautiful purple rhododendrons painted across the backs. It was a pretty effect!
Showhouse in Clinton – Pair of Adirondack Chairs Painted for the Pool Area
Two years after I opened The Whistling Elk 44 Main Street became available and I was able to secure that wonderful location. 44 Main Street was about double the size of the 9 Main Street shop. This move entailed moving about 60 feet from the end of Main Street closer to the center of town.
I remember selling an iron canopy bed because someone drove by as we were walking the headboard down the street to the new shop. We were selling a tremendous number of beautiful hand wrought iron beds at the time. The iron beds were probably among the first larger pieces of furniture sold at The Whistling Elk.
Here’s a shot of the front of the 44 Main Street shop. On this particular evening in 2009 we were hosting our Charity Evening.
We rolled out the red carpet for the 2009 Charity Eventour mantel at 44 main street decorated for Christmas 2009
I remained at 44 Main Street for 21 years – it changed sizes a couple of times over that period going from 1800 to 3000 square feet. During that time we sold oh-so-many furniture lines along with accessories, artwork and mirrors and lighting. Many lines we still sell today. Sadly, some important vendors were lost due to the recession over the last 6 years. We are always adding new lines though so things are never dull at The Whistling Elk!
We have participated in many showhouses over the years…here’s a Showhouse photo taken sometime in the 90’s at a showhouse in Chester. The room was a garden room..I think it was called “Holiday in Paradise”…as I recall the event was in December.
I used a mop and a bucket of watered down green paint to swab the walls of this room…I was going for a watered silk look. The walls had cracks all over and I didn’t want to repair them so I used a feather to enhance and make them look like cracked marble. This was my second showhouse but it was the first time I did a whole room.
I regret that I have no pictures of the beautiful showhouse that I did with Patty Fastook a few years later called Brookwood…in Montclair. It was a spectacular room but somehow I lost the disk that housed the photos…*sigh*
A Showhouse on Main Street in Chester….I remember this was a garden room with a lovely fireplace…it was cozy and very pretty.
Here are some shots of some of the beautiful merchandise that flowed through the shop over the last 25 years….
JM Paquet Sofa and Ottoman 2005 – Sadly this company went out of business in 2008…I carried them for many years and they made the most beautiful sofas!This was another JMPaquet sofa….used in a styling photo for advertising the Elk…We still carry many of the merchandise lines shown in this photo from the year 2000.This was one of several Showhouses that we have participated in over the last 25 years! This room was titled “My Sister’s Bedroom and the showhouse was in Lafayette, NJ.Vanity in “My Sister’s Bedroom” at the Lafayette Showhouse….one of several showhouses we participated in over the years.This is the bedroom at 44 Main Street…the walls were the most beautiful shade of purple called “Bonne Nuit” or Good Night….we always had gorgeous bedding at the shop and still do!
and by contrast here is the bedroom at 50 Main Street Today!
Below…our custom cabinetry model….a beautiful bookcase over cabinets with slider to hide the TV…we moved this piece from 44 Main Street and had it re-built into the 50 Main Street shop.
Hancock & Moore Sofa and in the background our custom built in bookcase over cabinets. We have built many custom pieces for customers over the years.
We had a lot of room at the 44 Main Street location so we had up to 9 sofas on the shop floor all the time…this is a beautiful Hancock and Moore sofa…and it looks beautiful in front the model of our custom cabinetry. We still carry Hancock and Moore and Caracole sofas today although it is definitely harder to display them! We are still creating beautiful custom bookcases and furniture for our customers today also.
Another gorgeous, made in America, sofa by hancock & moore…and a gorgeous Textillery throw…still carried today.A beautiful Habersham buffet and the carpet is Loloi….gorgeous.
Ah! and PARIS…who could forget our fabulous shopping trip to Paris and Les Puces de St. Ouen….we brought back so many beautiful pieces for the shop!
I still dream about all the beautiful items we had to leave behind at the Paris Flea Markets because there just wasn’t a container large enough (or a wallet for that matter) to bring them all back to the shop…
Early 19th Century Bronze Sconce – I brought back a pair of these from the Paris Flea Market
Then a little more than 2 years ago we moved again! This time the move was about 20 feet into the building right next to our old location at 44 Main Street.
I feel very blessed that I still see customers today at the 50 Main Street location who started shopping The Whistling Elk at the 9 Main Street store 25 years ago!!
Wow, that amazes me and I am so appreciative for the support of the community and also the whole state…and beyond! Customers come from all over New Jersey as well as from New York, Pennsylvania and as far as California & Europe! It even seems when people move they don’t forget you – they stop by and shop when they are back visiting…even when they have left the country!
Here are some shots of the 50 Main Street Location of The Whistling Elk…and I am not moving again!
The Whistliing Elk Chester NJ
You will still find lots and lots of amazing home accessories at the 50 Main Street shop!
A shot of 50 Main Street around Jan. 2013…
We still carry sofas….the Caracole line is one of our favorites with great quality and fair prices – although we don’t always have room on the shop floor for one. This was one that we did squeeze in!
Home Accessories at The Whistling ElkJan 2013 – Just moved into 50 Main Street…Lady in RedSpring flowers, Jewelry, Lovely ArtArtwork, Mirrors & Clocks
Over the years many merchandise lines have come and gone. There are some some products that we have carried for a very long time. Like Kennebunk Weavers (our famous throw blankets) – 25 years! and Mark Roberts Fairies – 20 years and Lampe Berger – 17 years! We still love them today!
The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings stocks beautiful throwsLampe Berger at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJMark Roberts Peace on Earth Fairy – I think he is my all time favorite!
Our Paint Couture!™ line of furniture and cabinet paints and glazes is new for us…and have been a wonderful addition to The Whistling Elk along with our Paint Workshops. Painted furniture though is something that has always graced the shop floor at The Whistling Elk…we were painting back in the 90’s when we opened!
Paint Couture Products at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
I am also humbled by the 2007 Award the shop received – “one of 50 Stellar Stores – Nationwide from Home Accents Today Magazine. That was an honor I never saw coming but it was sweet. Here’s the link 50 Stellar Stores Nationwide in 2007 – Here’s a little bit about that from the press release at the time…
“CHESTER SHOP NAMED ONE OF TOP 50 RETAIL STORES
Chester, New Jersey – The Whistling Elk has been named one of Home Accents Today’s “50 Retail Stars” by editors of the premier trade magazine for the home accents industry. The Retail Stars List recognizes enterprising home accents retailers who are experiencing success in their respective markets with innovative strategies and creative merchandising while maintaining a strong presence in their communities.”
Very cool for The Whistling Elk!! One of my prouder moments!!
One thing is for sure…you will always find casual elegance at The Whistling Elk – It is interesting to me that in all this time I have never really changed my focus which was to provide “…distinctively different home furnishings and accessories…with an elegant European flair.”
I’m getting to be such a sissy. I think I used to enjoy the winter….now I only like it if I am skiing…
Well, at least it is good for getting those indoor projects accomplished.
Chest painted with Baltic Black Paint Couture!™ and glazed with Black Walnut
I just finished putting the hardware back on this pretty chest. It was a medium brown stain when I started and of course I forgot to take a “before” picture. My client brought it in for refinishing…
We decided it needed to be black so I used my Paint Couture! Baltic Black then glazed it with Black Walnut. It really looks very elegant and the hardware which was a rich brassy gold looks perfect – I didn’t even embellish it!
Sometimes refinishing a piece doesn’t call for a lot of fuss…there really is nothing like Simple Elegance!
Simply elegant chest
Chase Away the Winter Blues…
Make plans to take a paint class at The Whistling Elk!
Just painted some pretty little tables…they are great accents for any room where you require a little table to put a glass or book on but don’t have a lot of space.
These two will go anywhere!
Pretty painted tables make great accent pieces. These are painted and crackled with Paint Couture!
I have always loved little accent tables like this – adding them to a room design is like putting on gorgeous earrings – with your pretty dress…a finishing touch!
You know how you always have a lot of little tiny pieces of gold leaf that are left over from a project…I can just never bear to throw them away…
Well I was painting up a finish sample that had gold accents and I thought I would try to use the gold leaf to highlight the pale gold areas. Wow I love it!
Paint Couture French Putty, Pale Gold, Italian Ivory and Van Dyke Brown with gold leaf
The finish sample is Paint Couture!™ French Putty all over, then accented in three areas with Pale Gold. After drying I applied a skant coat of Italian Ivory all over and then rubbed some of that off. To further increase the patina of the finish I brushed on a coat of Van Dyke Brown and rubbed that off. I love the way Van Dyke Brown looks in the cracks. It darkens the crevices like black but in a much warmer way.
I wanted the gold areas to pop so I took some of my tiny gold leaf pieces and applied them strategically to enhance the finish…then reglazed them with the Van Dyke Brown.
Voila…loving this finish! Hmmm I am looking around the shop right now to see what needs to have this finish on it…!
Join in the fun! Sign up for one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ and learn how to create beautiful finishes for your furniture projects. We use Paint Couture! products and you will be amazed at the myriad of possibilities these wonderful products will make available to you!
I have decided to create “finishes” instead of “paint samples”. Hmmm, what does that mean you might ask…
Well I have a lot of paint samples that I created using paint stirrers…I have posted these at the time that I paint them. However, now when I “finish” something and I love the outcome – I paint a sample board too (for future reference).
This way when I talk to someone about painting a piece I can show them boards of more complex “finishes” rather than a sample of a color with a glaze. This may sound intimidating because the sample boards are usually combinations of more than two processes. But if you are going to paint a piece of furniture or an accessory dont’ you want that piece to be out of this world beautiful? Maybe its just me but I want something spectacular if I am going to spend the time – something truly unique – a signature piece!
so with that in mind….here is a white compote that I decided use as my first victim for this new philosophy…:
White distressed compote that I decided to give an elegant new life to!
For my Signature Finish on this piece I decided to use Paint Couture!™ Pale Gold, Vintage Flair and Brilliant White paint and Amber Honey Glaze.
This was a 4 step process – Below is the compote after the first two steps. First I painted the whole compote with Pale Gold. When dry I painted portions of it with Vintage Flair. The Vintage Flair coat of paint was what I call “skant”…a very light coat of paint that did not cover the gold entirely. I chose accents to leave completely gold (arms and the decorative band on the base).
Compote painted Pale Gold and then paint with a skant coat of vintage flair
Then I put a dry brush coat of Brilliant White over everything.
Brilliant White Dry Brushed over Vintage Flair
When dry I glazed the compote with Amber Honey Paint Couture Glaze as shown in the picture below I glazed heavily over the gold and then only wiped some off strategically here and there to give a gold highlight effect.
Amber Honey Glaze – The Compote is complete!
On the portions of the compote that were painted with the Vintage Flair I wiped off a lot of the glaze. On the inside of the compote I used a swirling motion to apply the glaze. The inside reminds me of the Universe…! Only there are no planets…hahaha.
I used a swirling motion when painting and glazing the inside of the compote to mimic the shape of the piece
Here is a side view of the finished product!
Compote is now finished with a complex “signature” finish!
Voila! A beautiful, rich complex Finish!
Attend one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk and learn techniques to help you create your own Masterpieces!
I have a door in the shop that leads to a little foyer and the back door.
Before I got my hands on this door…it looked like this!
The door is in my little “Paris Boudoir” so you can see that it just wasn’t making it in its “silly brown” color…
Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk
I like to show my customers what they can do with Paint Couture!™ but I keep selling the pieces that I paint so I decided to paint the door…my landlord would not like it if I sold his door so I figured it was safe to paint it with Paint Couture!™ in order to have a ready sample at all times!!! P.E.R.F.E.C.T.
So the door got a very light uneven coat of Italian Ivory with Dream in the area around the raised panels of the door and Pale Gold on the moldings around the raised panels.
Remember the movie Romancing the Stone when the smuggler says he’s going to get his “li’l mule” and smiles…well I feel that way about my li’l hand sander. So yup I got it out and beat up that door! I did get a little carried away on the “back side” of the door.
Paint Couture on the Paris Boudoir Door at The Whistling Elk, Chester, NJ
Yesterday I stenciled the front side of the door with Pale Gold…but I couldn’t decide if I was really done…that happens a lot when I paint.
Sometimes when I am not sure about how I feel about something – I go home and sleep on it – it never fails that when I wake up I have the answer…actually it came to me before I even got to sleep…A Door Has Two Sides…who said they have to be the same?
This morning when I came in I glazed the back side of the door with Light Brown Sugar on the raised panels…lightly rubbed in. Then I glazed everything but the raised panels in Champagne. Ha! I used some different stencil designs so it looks completely different than the front side.
Paris Boudoir Door FrontBack of Door with light brown sugar on the raised panels and champagne glaze on the frame.
So now I am having one of those moments where I am thinking, Yah, you can have your cake and eat it too!!!!
You may remember that I wrote a post on November 12, 2013 called “Mantel Madness with Paint Couture”. I had a lot of fun painting that mantel and it was beautiful…but I always knew that it would take on a new personality yet again some day…well that day has arrived! Here it is after I finished it the first time…
Mantel Painted with Abundance Paint Couture!™, Brilliant White and Verde Glaze Couture!™
I watered down some Paint Couture!™ Italian Ivory and brushed a thin coat all over the mantel…effectively whitewashing it. After it dried I got out my hand sander and beat the whole thing up! Gotta love that little hand sander.
Mantel after whitewashing with Paint Couture!™ Italian Ivory and distressing with my hand sander.
So now I have a “new” mantel…again! The Paris Boudoir is looking verrrrry nice!
Mantel refinished again with Paint Couture Products!
I have been posting a lot about painting lately! I guess I am pretty fascinated with Paint Couture™ products so I am really enjoying using them and teaching about them….but don’t be deceived there are always other things going on at The Whistling Elk. It’s the usual juggling act!
Freight coming in, new merchandise being unpacked and lots of garbage….grrr not my favorite activity. Lots of beautiful art though!
Art at The Whistling Elk
While I was painting the vanity … pictures to follow … I was also working on hanging new art that showed up…and my first hit of Christmas items…yes! Christmas…So anyway I’ve been working on this little vanity in between unpacking new goodies for the shop.
Of course the Christmas is “blingey” as usual!Ch
OK… Here is the little vanity…it is actually laying on its back on the floor….when I first looked at this picture I was thinking why can I see my feet….haha ! as usual I almost forgot to take the before picture and was starting work on it….
Paint Couture!™ at The Whistling Elk
I wanted the vanity to say “pink’ and I wanted to use Paint Couture “LOVELY” but I was afraid it would be to faint….so I decided to undercoat it with French Polynesian Pink…hmmm that really did the trick.
Paint Couture French Polynesian Pink with some embossing started
I did a lot of embossing on this piece and in addition added just some plain stenciling later to fill in some of the designs. I wanted a lot of embellishment on this piece.
Vanity with the Lovely over the French Poly then embossed and gilded with pale gold
I did distress this piece somewhat to show just a faint hint of the French poly pink. I also lined the piece wherever I could with Angelic Paint Couture to make the pink stand out even more.
Close up of the side detailVanity Finished in Light Brown Sugar Glaze Couture and Matte Lacquer
Inspiration is a wonderful thing…Good design is always based on inspiration… Sometimes you are on a design path and you take a right or left turn…in that case I know that something along the way changed my inspiration…
Painting is like design in that you start with an inspiration and then work in that direction…adjusting as the piece you are working on speaks to you…
The trio of pictures following was my inspiration for a dresser that I am just finishing up painting with products from the PaintCouture – The Collection™.
Ok, here is the dresser….BEFORE…it was a nice old dresser painted blue and the drawers were whitewashed. It was dirty from sitting around so I cleaned it with TSP really well.
Paint Couture™ is sold at the Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
Before I started painting the dresser I painted up a sample using the paints and glazes that I decided were going to achieve the look I wanted based on my inspiration…I chose the below Paint Couture™ products: Vintage Moss, Brilliant White, Lite Brown Sugar Glaze, and Pale Gold Metallic Paint and here is how they looked on the sample I painted.
painted frame using Paint Couture products based on my inspiration
So loving the way this frame turned out! I love finishes that have depth and look “vintage” – with a little of the dirt of age on them…ha! I couldn’t wait to start work on the dresser. It’s funny but this is one case where I never deviated from my inspiration…it was soooo clear where it was going!
First I painted everything with the Vintage Moss. After 24 hours I dry brushed the piece with Brilliant White. I then used the Paint Couture Embossing Medium and stenciled on some designs. This always takes some time because you have to plan your stencil layout. I used parts of two different stencils. After drying the PC Embossing Medium I laid my stencil back over it and applied PALE GOLD – Paint Couture’s beautiful metallic paint! (one of their many metallics)
Paint Couture Embossing Medium is Amazing.Dresser embossed and embellished with PALE GOLD Metallic. Paint Couture has great metallics!
The combination of the BRILLIANT WHITE and the PALE GOLD gives this dresser a metallic gleam…it sparkles!
Next I glazed everything with Paint Couture’s Lite Brown Sugar. It’s such a pleasure to work with – very creamy. I happen to be a light glazer…I would rather put it on and take it off and then glaze it again. I feel very much in control when I work this way. You can always go darker!
Paint Couture Lite Brown Sugar Glaze over Vintage Moss, Brilliant White and Pale Gold
You can see the French Polynesian Pink PC peaking out on the sides of the drawers…I love the pink with the Vintage Moss…I decided not to the glaze the pink – it is less subtle and I love the contrast it creates of the Bright against the Aged!
French Polynesian Pinks Drawers…I painted the outsides of the drawers because I thought this would show more than the insides…
After thoroughly letting my piece dry I applied a 2nd coat of Lite Brown Sugar Glaze. This really deepened the finish on the dresser. It’s very rich!
After the 2nd coat of Paint Couture Lite Brown SugarPale Gold Embellished EmbossingEmbossed Stenciling embellished with Pale Gold Metallic Paint
The Brilliant White reminds me of fairy dust and the Embossing Medium painted with Pale Gold makes this very ordinary dresser a piece of art.
Painted Dresser with the Hardware back onHardware reapplied over the embossed design
Because I am impatient…I didn’t want to wait for new hardware. I didn’t really love the hardware that was on the piece originally but I decided to play with it to see it I could get to like it. So I planned my embossed stencil to enhance the hardware. I painted the hardware with Brilliant White, then Pale Gold, then glazed it and applied little crystals. I then hung it upside down to change the look of the design. I love it! It’s so not typical!
Paint Couture will enable you to create a masterpiece.At The Whistling Elk we will teach you to paint your own masterpiece.
When I have paint on my brush I often look around for something else to paint since I have a paint can open and a dirty brush. The PALE GOLD was open and I had a little pedestal. It almost became my problem child. I knew the pedestal had wax on it so I had cleaned it earlier with mineral spirits and then TSP’d it. Woe is me. It wasn’t enough!
After I painted it with the Pale Gold it just didn’t feel right – I knew it was going to peel. So I sanded it down and of course there was still wax on it…sigh…curse…
I had some Mylands Sanding Sealer so on Mike’s advice (The Father of Paint Couture) I brushed on the Mylands. WOW. It.Worked.Great. I put it on over the remnants of the Pale Gold and after it dried you could just feel that the paint was going to be o.k.
I actually liked the way the pedestal looked all chippy and messy and now that it felt right too…it almost had me making one of those left design turns…humph…should I leave it that way???? But in my heart I knew that the really messed up look would not appeal to most customers. Here it is in all its chippy glory…
My Problem Child – This pedestal almost made me make a left design turn
I ended up having to clean that brush and put away the paint while the Mylands dried and I considered what to do. This must be my week for not deviating from plan…I ended up brushing on more Pale Gold, Embossed a stencil on top, Brilliant White went on the stencil only….then finished with BLACK WALNUT GLAZE all over…(my favorite Paint Couture™ glaze). Pale Gold with Black Walnut gives a very beautiful, deep and rich metallic finish.
Painted Pedestal – Paint Couture Pale Gold Metallic
I made the right decision. Its very beautiful and elegant and all it needs is a glass of wine sitting on it next to a comfy chair.
Come learn to create your own masterpieces at one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk. You will learn all the techniques described in this post and you will have fun!
Heres a nice frame with a shabby worn finish…it’s O.K.
But that is just it – for me its just o.k.
Frame before Paint Couture Black Walnut Glaze and Pale Gold Accent
I know I can change it and make it better than just o.k.
What has happened to my humility????
Pale Gold / Black Walnut Glaze – Paint Couture!™ products used on this frame
I really love this about the Paint Couture Collection. Not only can you paint something that needs to be refinished but you can also transform ordinary objects into something more lovely, something that works better in your current décor environment.
Paint Couture!™ is like having a Toolbox Stuffed with Tools to Create Lovely!
I have always advised my clients: “If you run into the right object but its the wrong color and you can paint it….buy it – you could spend 10 years looking for the right object in the right color and never find it.”
Come and participate in one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ and learn how to Paint, Glaze, finish, stencil, gild and more. It’s fun and I guarantee you will put the knowledge to good use!
This adorable little pedestal/table got a make-over
this week at The Whistling Elk.
Paint Couture!™ Painted Table at The Whistling Elk
In our Paint Workshops you will learn how easy it is to create beauty where there was none (or little) before! Not kidding here!
This little pedestal table was painted white and in a very chipped condition…it was cute…I mean looking at it I knew that it had POSSIBILITIES…and that is the key!
So with really very little effort on my part and my Paint Couture!™ products it’s lovely! It looks rich and expensive! (I want to take it home ;))
You don’t have to be a Do-It-Yourselfer to use this paint or to create a great piece.
Come to one of our Paint Workshops and see for yourself how easy it is!
Call and register for one of our next scheduled workshops:
Thursday, April 10th – 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Sunday, April 19th – 9 am – 12 pm
You will learn to paint, glaze, gild, stencil and emboss…also to distress so that you can create masterpieces with an aged European style finish!
Learn to paint furniture at The Whistling Elk Workshops
At The Whistling Elk you will find everything to make your house a home. From furniture to home accents to personal items…everything with design and quality in mind.
I had a fabulous day today…I really love what I do and now I can even say I am a bit of a contortionist!
My client had an armoire that was a nonedescript green and she wanted to jazz it up but she did not want to (couldn’t) move it. So I gilded and glazed it in place…talk about getting into tough positions in tight spaces…hahaha…I am smiling just thinking about those back legs… Glad no one was there with a video camera…
Here’s the before picture…although as usual I started gilding before I took it!
Armoire Before Glazing with Glaze Couture!™ Amber Honey
and here is the finished product!
Amber Honey Glaze Couture!™ was perfect for the job.
New merchandise arrivals always make me happy! La Vie est Belle! At The Whistling Elk it seems that all the new shipments include a lot of bling. I confess I am always into beautiful, sparkly bling! Just a little bit in a room adds a little something…We just received a lot of pretty crystal…there are candlesticks, vases, pitchers, salt & pepper shakers and salt cellars with little tiny (very cute) spoons! Even the new artwork has bling! There are tiny crystals embedded in the prints which add just the right element of ooh la la!
Crystal Cream & Sugar and Salt Cellars
There are four of these chic lamp prints all with embedded crystals. Love the carved gold frames…and the bath print below is the most gorgeous shade of green…there are three prints in this collection.
Great Gifts at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
The “red” vase I just finished painting this morning even expresses some bling. It has a certain richness – it was a nondescript cement color before I gave it a coat of red paint and followed up with some gold stenciling and a bit of Black Walnut Glaze Couture!™. Now it is quite elegant! Ahh, La Vie est belle at The Whistling Elk!!!
Paint Couture!™ French Polynesian Pink with Various Glazes
This beautiful, vibrant color was the perfect choice to be painting on Valentine’s Day…its just perfect!
For these Paint Stick Samples I used Glaze Couture!™ Verde, Black Walnut, Lite Brown Sugar, Champagne, Zinc, Copperhead and Red Mahogany. I glazed 2 sticks with Brilliant White Paint and then put Red Mahogany glaze over the Brilliant White on one of them to show a layered glaze effect.
The last paint stick I coated with Micki’s Magic (an accessory paint). I love the Micki’s Magic over the French Polynesian Pink – it adds so much dimension and variation – like a shimmering rainbow of color!
I think that a very sheer coat of Brilliant White under any of the glazes would create a beautiful specialty finish.
Angelic
Paint Couture!™ Angelic with various glazes
For these Paint Stick Samples I used Glaze Couture!™ Lite Brown Sugar, Red Mahogany, Verde, Black Walnut and Copperhead. On these paint sticks I glazed and wiped off. I used the Champagne Glaze but with this one I glazed the piece twice and as is often the case with Champagne I did not wipe it off. I also painted two coats of Micki’s Magic on the paint stick sample.
Paint Couture Brilliant White and Zinc combinations
I did one paint stick with zinc glaze and 2 sticks with Brilliant White. On one of these Brilliant White paint sticks I applied Zinc over it. You probably cant really see it in the photo but this sample with the triple treatment is my favorite – it’s very rich and has a lot of depth to it. (its the one in the middle)
Paint Couture is such a great product for all those paint projects you have around your home! And, its a lot of fun on these snowy winter days when you are stuck inside!
Don’t forget we offer great workshops at The Whistling Elk and will teach you how to create a beautiful piece of furniture using Paint Couture!™ products.
Need a special gift for your Valentine Sweetheart? Of course you do!
We have lots of ideas…
Lampe Berger, LoLLia, Shelley Kyle, Paint Couture!™ and of course La Vie Parisienne Jewelry..for your Valentine
We have a great selection of new Lampe Berger lampes, a full stock of Shelley Kyle and LoLLia…and for you do-it-yourselfers…Paint Couture!™ products plus the new Gilding Waxes will be arriving soon!
Just checking in lots of new arrivals from La Vie Parisienne – necklaces, earrings and bracelets! LOVE!
Need a special gift for your Valentine Sweetheart? Of course you do!
We have lots of ideas…
Lampe Berger, LoLLia, Shelley Kyle, Paint Couture!™ and of course La Vie Parisienne Jewelry..for your Valentine
We have a great selection of new Lampe Berger lampes, a full stock of Shelley Kyle and LoLLia…and for you do-it-yourselfers…Paint Couture!™ products plus the new Gilding Waxes will be arriving soon!
Just checking in lots of new arrivals from La Vie Parisienne – necklaces, earrings and bracelets! LOVE!
The Whistling Elk 
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