It’s so good to be able to showcase merchandise on Main Street Chester NJ again!
Not to mention to be able to stand outside and smile in the sunshine!!!!
It’s a perfect shopping day!
Decorating the Street
Tag: The Whistling Elk
I’m Diggin Van Dyke Brown
I used the Van Dyke Brown Glaze today over Imagine and I’m diggin it!
While I was painting the pedestal the other day with IMAGINE I painted up some paint sample sticks too.
Today I glazed/painted them 10 different ways – I used a new philosophy when glazing these sticks…all the other ones I have done were glazed/removed pretty evenly. This time I decided show different degrees of removing the glaze…all my paint students have different ideas of how much/little glaze they would remove…so these samples look uneven but I did it with purpose to show variety!
I also used 3 of the gilding waxes on some of my Paint Couture!™ samples.
So all the samples were painted with 2 coats of Imagine and part of the stick was finished with Matte Lacquer Couture!™. (The glaze does not bite in as much over the lacquer and gives you more flexibility to work with the glaze.)
So from the left here is how I finished each stick:
In the first group photo above –
1. brilliant white & rich gold metallic paint/Blue Organza Gilding Wax
2. Brilliant White Paint/Green Moire and Silver Taffeta Gilding Wax
3. Verde Glaze
4. Black Chiffon Glaze
5. Zinc Glaze
and in the 2nd group photo:
6. Black Walnut Glaze
7. Champagne Glaze
8. Amber Honey Glaze
9. Lite Brown Sugar Glaze
10. Van Dyke Brown Glaze
So after making all the samples I decided to glaze the pedestal with the Black Chiffon. The pedestal was an older piece and had a lot of marks and texture (which I kept because I liked the character) and I love the way the black chiffon kinda highlighted the “age” of the piece….so here is the finished pedestal with Imagine, Brilliant White, Rich Gold and Black Chiffon Glaze Couture!™. (Also in the photo collage is a before the glaze photo).
Still having fun! Call and join one of our Paint Workshops!
My Pedestal Has A New Friend
Now I have two beautiful pedestal tables!
I don’t know who I love more…here’s the new one…
Call me crazy but I have never been a fan of painting with a 14k gold-type color…I always gravitate toward the deeper, more brassy golds….
I deviated…oh-oh.
I painted with Paint Couture!™ Rich Gold Metallic. Yup put it over Imagine and then hit it with some dry brush Brilliant White.
W.O.W.
I am going to glaze this pedestal…but right now I am enjoying what is going on with it as is!
I dunno though I still love this one…
Easy Make Over
This adorable little pedestal/table got a make-over
this week 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!
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.
Mansion in May Tickets At The Whistling Elk
We will be selling tickets for the MANSION in MAY Designer Showhouse…
May 1 – May 31
Peapack-Gladstone, nj
open daily 10am – 3pm
Talk About Tight Spaces…
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!
and here is the finished product!
Amber Honey Glaze Couture!™ was perfect for the job.
The armoire is really pretty…
Li’l Painted Wine Cabinet
Sweet Li’l Wine Cabinet…its so cute…it could only be better if it were filled with an amazing and delicious array of wines…
Love the rich color which is a blue glazed with Glaze Couture!™ VERDE and some distressed gold accents.
A little inside Surprise!
Join one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk and learn how to paint something devine!
Paint Your Own Masterpiece!
Several new mirrors have arrived at The Whistling Elk – The mirror pictured is one of my favorites and I set it up behind a little cabinet I was planning on painting. Sitting at my desk I can look out and appreciate the mirror – the chandelier reflected in it and now the little cabinet that I just finished painting. Love this little vignette!
The cabinet started out just a mousy brown and it is actually a new piece (not old) – I bought the piece with the specific intention to paint it. I painted a faded blue on the inside glazed it with champagne and stenciled some small Fleur de Lis randomly on the back panel. (sorry didn’t photograph that)
I embossed the stencil so it stands out nicely and the zinc and brilliant white that I used on the piece make the stencil design shimmer.
Silver Star is dabbed on the hinges and on the teardrop door handles. I took almost all the glaze off the top as I wanted it to look slightly different than the body of the piece.
It’s a lovely little French cabinet now!
Our next paint workshop will be March 20th…that is also the first day of Spring!
I can hardly wait. Sign up now and learn how to paint your own Masterpiece.
La Vie est Belle!
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!
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.
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!!!
Well, It’s Snowing Yet Again…So I am Painting…Yet Again!
French Polynesian Pink
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
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.
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.
It’s “Sweetheart” Central at The Whistling Elk
Need a special gift for your Valentine Sweetheart? Of course you do!
We have lots of ideas…
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!
It’s “Sweetheart” Central at The Whistling Elk
Need a special gift for your Valentine Sweetheart? Of course you do!
We have lots of ideas…
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!
It Pays To Be Prepared on a Snow Day
and I did get snow/iced in yesterday! Sigh…but I was prepared! I painted almost all day – a little snow wasn’t going to keep me down!
So previously I had painted two coats of Paint Couture on my signs…then I stenciled a background design on some of them and distressed it so it was faint. I used Paint Couture’s Embossing medium over top and stenciled on different Paris configurations.
Later after blowdrying the Embossing Medium with my hairdryer I used Glaze Couture!™ or Brilliant White to glaze over the entire sign. I am not finished with these yet though…I may apply a second glaze to some of them (like verde over the blue sign) and I know I am going to use the Paint Couture Gilding Wax to enhance them…when I do I will post the finished product!
This is Good Painting Weather!
This morning when I left my street looked verrry pretty…but it made me have to stay home yesterday….grrr…
…and tomorrow it looks like more of the same is coming. Tonight I am taking my Paint Couture home with me.
Today I experimented with some sign making…using my Paint Couture!™ Embossing Medium – I think I will bring the rest home with me tonight just in case Mother Nature decides to strand me again!
In early January I had some sign blanks made up just for this kind of occasion! Previously I painted some of them with Peace – today I embossed a stencil and coated the whole thing with Brilliant White.
Madagascar Mocha Pairs Up Nicely with Glaze Couture!™
Here are my Paint Sticks showcasing Paint Couture!™ Madagascar Mocha with various Glaze Couture!™ finishes on top!
The glazes used (left to right): Little Black Dress (Metallic) with the left edge glazed again with Micki’s Magic, Baltic Black over Madagascar with Black Walnut Glaze, Black Walnut Glaze, Micki’s Magic (Accessory Paint), Lite Brown Sugar, Red Mahogany, Verde Glaze, Copperhead Glaze, Champagne Glaze, Zinc, Brilliant White (Metallic Paint).
I used the same design for these sticks as my other posts…that is the end of the stick is the Mocha with just glaze over it, then the next area is mocha-lacquer matte-glaze, the next area is just mocha-lacquer matte and the top of the stick is the mocha alone.
I prepared an extra paint stick this time showing Madagascar Mocha with Baltic Black…wet and dry distressed on top – then the Lacquer Couture Matte and Black Walnut Glaze…I like this combo a lot! I like the aged woody warmth the Black Walnut gives to the sample (its the middle stick above).
On the topmost stick above with the Little Black Dress (metallic black paint) over the Madagascar Mocha I coated the outside edge with Micki’s Magic just to see what it would do over the Madagascar Mocha/Little Black Dress. This was just an experiment that shows how many different directions you can go with this paint by layering glazes.
Below is shown a grouping I am calling my “red/brown tone” collection of glazes over Madagascar Mocha….left to right Micki’s Magic – Red Mahogany – Lite Brown Sugar – Copperhead. They almost give the appearance of wood stains.
These paint sticks are really invaluable when you are looking at a color and wondering what it could look like or when you are trying to relate a paint color to something else that is going to live near it… Sometimes it is even surprising when a glaze color that you don’t think will look good does…these sticks are such a invaluable visual tool!
This last grouping shows Verde, Champagne, Brilliant White (metallic paint) and Zinc. Although the metallic don’t always translate well in the photos the Champagne and Brilliant White are beautiful over the Mocha.
But that is not surprising because I have loved everything I have put the Champagne or Brilliant White over…
At The Whistling Elk we offer Paint Workshops…learn how to use this amazing paint to paint your furniture and accessories and create works of art!
Paint Couture!™ French Putty with Pizaaaz!
Here’s my latest set of paint sticks showcasing Paint Couture!™ French Putty.
I painted these sticks using the same approach as with the “Peace” samples….one section is just the paint, the next section is the paint with Lacquer Couture!™ Matte on top, the 3rd section is Paint with Lacquer Matte then with a glaze on top and the last section (end of stick) is just paint with Glaze Couture!™ over top
….phew…that was a lot of words…but you get it – just a bunch of really beautiful finishes!!!
The 10 “overcoats” I chose to use over the French Putty were: Glaze Couture!™ Lite Brown Sugar, Pale Gold (Metallic Paint), Verde, Champagne, Black Walnut, Brilliant White, Amber Honey, Micki’s Magic (Accessory Paint) Copperhead and Red Mahogany!
(This is the order in which they are shown in the picture above.)
The reason I applied the Lacquer Couture!™ was not only to show you how it looks over the paint but in addition to show how it changes the way a glaze looks…specifically the glaze does not grab as much over the Lacquer Couture!™ as it does over just the paint. So bottom line you have more control when you glaze if you apply the Lacquer Matte first. Savvy?
I cannot wait to get the GILDING WAXES which will be here in the next week or so…then I will have to embellish yet again my lovely little paint sticks! How much fun is this….
Here’s a picture I took from the Paint Couture!™ website…and by the way like them on facebook!
Top 10 Reasons Why Paint Couture!™ is the Best Furniture/Cabinet Paint Available!
Ok, I admit right upfront that I am prejudiced because as a painter this is my paint of choice but for all the reasons I list…you just gotta love this Paint! Here’s why:
Top 10 reasons why Paint Couture!™ is the best Furniture/Cabinet Paint Available
1. Paint Couture!™ is a low VOC, self-priming acrylic paint available in 50 colors (and counting)
Photo by Blue Heron Studio
2. Paint Couture!™ has great adhesion capabilities over existing painted or varnished surfaces (which means usually no sanding or priming is necessary) and paints on smooth and flat with little or no brushmarks.
3. A quart of Paint Couture!™ is $29.50 (wow) and it is available in gallons!
4. Using Glaze Couture!™ over the paint colors gives you the opportunity to increase the color possibilities to around 450 (and counting!) and creates either an antiqued or metallic finish – you get a beautiful protected finish with no waxing!!
- Paint and Glaze Couture are both available in half pints (giving you the opportunity to sample without spending a lot of money)
- Paint Couture Accessory products like the metallics – Pale Gold, Rich Gold, Silver Star, Antique Silver and Brilliant White, Micki’s Magic and Little Black Dress offer even more possibilities for creativity!
- Paint Couture Gilding Waxes give you the opportunity to accent your finishes! Really? Oh yes with 10 colors! – Black Velvet, Pink Cashmere, Gold Lame, Gunmetal Tulle, White Silk, Blue Organza, Green Moire, Copper Charm, Silver Taffeta and Bronze Brocade (oh my!)
Paint Couture Gilding Waxes
- Lacquer Couture!™ is a clear and very durable topcoat which enables you to protect surfaces…with little or no odor – available in 4 sheens! It dries fast too!
- All Paint, Glaze and Lacquer Couture products clean up easily with soap and water.
- Ingenuity…Foresight…Imagination…the company is constantly coming out with new products, colors, limited editions, custom capability and much more!
…what’s not to love?
The Whistling Elk offers Paint Workshops – learn how to use these fabulous products to create beautiful painted furniture and accessories!
10 Ways to Make Peace!
First it snowed, now its really cold…grrr…but it is perfect weather to stay indoors and PAINT!
I used my snow/cold downtime to paint up some samples…with Paint Couture!™ thereby creating 10 Ways to Make Peace!
step one…paint two coats of peace on paint sticks (24 hours between all coats)
step two…taped off and painted a section with Paint Couture Lacquer Matte.
step three…chose 7 Glaze Couture colors: Lite Brown Sugar, Champagne, Red Mahogany, Black Walnut, Copperhead, Zinc, Verde – and three accessory metallic paints: silver star, micki’s magic and brilliant white
step four…applied the glazes over a portion of the lacquered stick and a portion of the “Peace” only section
VOILA Beautiful Paint Sticks showing Peace (alone) – Peace with Lacquer Matte – Peace with a Glaze over the Lacquer Matte and Peace with a Glaze
This way you get to see how the glaze looks over lacquer (not to mention how nicely it slides on) and how it looks over the un-lacquered paint!
I love these!
Aidan Gray at The Whistling Elk
We are adding Aidan Gray Home Furnishings to our mix at The Whistling Elk…look for new shipments in the coming months!!!
We are very excited to share this beautiful line with You!
We’ve got lots of great surprises in store this season…having just returned from the Atlanta Market – shipments will start rolling in soon!
Atlanta Market – Shopping for Spring Merchandise
I AM READY TO GO TO ATLANTA AND SHOP!
I have been working madly to plan for the next four days….so much fun!
I leave tomorrow morning – so the shop will be closed for 4 days while I am gone…
Having just completed a major floor move in the shop — I am ready to fill in with new exciting merchandise.
The shopping words for this season are OPULENT and GLAMOROUS!
Oh so exciting!!!
The shop is set up with a completely different floorplan for 2014. This pretty Schnadig Sofa is taking center stage in the shop….Its so pretty and versatile. You can go in so many color directions with it…in fact you can change the colors for the seasons of the year by using pillows and throws in colors you choose. It’s so reasonable in price also!
Space is at a premium in the shop so every inch of wall space must be used to display the art work … here’s one of the collage walls (with a floor lamp shade showing in the foreground). The artwork at The Whistling Elk is always 20% off so its a good investment and as you know we all have lots of walls!
You may remember my post regarding the painting of this mantel…I used Paint Couture™! paints and glaze to make it so beautiful…but I think I am going to re paint it for the spring. That’s right! Another mantel facelift is on the way…I just have to settle on color. I am thinking of doing something with the Pantone Color of the Year 2014 – Radiant Orchid….that would be something with Brilliant White over top! WOW…just sayin.
Soon we will begin our Paint Workshops again – so keep posted and plan to attend to learn how to paint furniture!
Our Paris Boudoir is still the room in the shop that everyone wants to move right into! The bed is layered with Pine Cone Hill products – why? because it is such a well priced bedding line…love it! Lots of soft soothing color combinations for the bedroom. I’ll be visiting Pine Cone Hill in Atlanta to see what is new for 2014. Meanwhile still loving this soft palette of color including Madeline Café au Lait, Louisa, and Candlewick designs.
Sometimes the things that really make a room are the little things…like a sweet arrangement of glasses on a tray, a cocktail table book strategically placed to accent some colorful flowers! The tray is actually my favorite thing right now…its antique silver with a mirrored base…which has been antiqued to look so old…just love it!
Well my head is swirling with all the things that I am going to be looking for at market…all the plans, colors, objects and vignettes to come. Can’t wait to translate it all to the shop floor so that you can share in the excitement for 2014.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Whistling Elk 
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