Just Perfect The Way It Is

At TLC Vintage Collection in Des Moines, Iowa, we are often asked when we know to paint a newly acquired piece or leave it well enough alone. Our rule is to never decrease the value of something that is perfect the way it is. We only paint pieces that do not have some intrinsic value on its own. Many older pieces are decrepit or just not that valuable as they stand. TLC Vintage searches for pieces doomed for the landfill or that are so beat up that paint is the best answer. But we cannot always resist a wonderful piece that is beautiful in its own right and is wonderfully priced and just needs a simple repair to be placed in a home where it will be reloved.

Oh, yes -- she has scars and stains. She was wobbly because the little sliders had been broken off her front legs, and the wood worn down up to an inch on the right side (see the little white stuff at the bottom right foot that we haven't repainted yet?) But with a product we carry exclusively here in Central Iowa -- Wood Icing -- we were able to gradually rebuild that right foot to stabilize her -- and to have the same contours and shape of the original leg! Thin layer after thin layer of textura paste, lightly sanded to even it up. Painted to match the original, it will be hard to see the patch!

What do we love? Better to ask what not to love? This little green vanity has beautiful flowers and a stool -- not the same style -- that has been married to her lovingly with a needlepoint flowered seat. A match? No, but a charm of its own that says, I'm with her!

And yes, those brighter green stains? A sign that someone left some oily cosmetic container sitting too long, and possibly a coffee or tea cup off to the lower right side, when the mistress of the house was getting ready for her day or primping to go out for an evening on the town! Every piece has a story for you to imagine.

And the original little wood dividers, carefully crafted with their scalloped edges -- ready for little pots of rouge, a lipstick, and whatever ladies liked to tidy away a century ago. That center area probably held a wonderful matching hand mirror, brush and comb.

And that mirror! Beveled and cut to perfection -- dimmed a little with time. But perfectly curved to add interest. For there is truly not any other reason than esthetics not to have just placed a square mirror there.

And when once ready for the day or evening, everything could be tidied away into their compartments -- the beautiful lid closed. A perfect place to write a thank you note or a love letter or to record in a journal the happenings of the day or night.

Sometimes we just have to love a piece for its history, the story it shows us, the posterity we have to preserve by leaving well enough alone!

August 2016 TLC Vintage Collection Newsletter

What’s New at TLC Vintage?

Hot this week! Giverny! Annie Sloan’s latest addition to her Chalk Paint® color palette is Giverny – a brilliant, crisp, rich blue. It is scheduled to arrive today, Monday August 8. We are uncertain what time – it depends on the UPS van. Our initial supply is limited on quarts – a total of 8 available on first-come, first-served basis. This is due to a backorder at our distributor who did not anticipate the level of demand from retailers. But who can blame us for being excited! However, we will have an additional 14 mini pots available for those with a smaller project. We do not know when more will be made available, but at least a few weeks from now. As soon as more is available, we will bring it in, rest assured.

Meanwhile, here is the scoop on Giverny – pronounced jee- vair-nee. Named after Monet's home in northern France, this brilliant blue was especially popular in early twentieth-century interiors.  Giverny is a bright, cheery, clean, cool blue that is near the greener range of blues, without any red in it. It is a perfect colour for a modern contemporary palette, and looks great with bright, warm colours (such as Barcelona Orange and Scandinavian Pink) and cool neutrals (such as Paloma) as well as greens from the Annie Sloan range. Giverny is named after the village in Northern France where Claude Monet lived and this brilliant blue was especially popular in early Twentieth Century interiors. This color was formerly available at one time in Europe under the name Monet Blue. Giverny will be featured on the cover of the next Annie Sloan book which will be released later this fall and called “Annie Sloan Paints Everything”

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Snuff Candles have arrived.  Great gifts any time of the year. Reasonably priced, amazing natural scents. Choose a sample gift box of 9 fragrances in a black cigar box tied with a red ribbon for $27.50, large candle in glass and presented in a black box for $18.50 or medium sized self-contained tins for $12.50. Enjoy!

Vertical Poster Kits are back in stock. A wide range of Cavallini papers on different topics, plus new holiday posters – traditional Santa with bag of toys, Merry Christmas, holiday cats, holiday dogs and vintage Christmas tags. Great for holiday wrapping or decorating. The Santa is specially great mounted behind a paned window.

Mini Wax Brushes and Buffing Mitts are a new addition to our products the DIYer will love to own and use. The brushes come either flat or pointed and perfect for getting into tight areas and especially nice for small projects like frames and mirrors. Natural boar bristles and a varnished handle. $19.50 each. And a beautiful soft white buffing mitt that is irresistible for those who want a soft pliable product for buffing. $15 each.

Where We Will Be

Clay County Fair, Spencer, IA September 17 & 18 -- TLC Vintage will team up with JH Design Studio of Laurens, Ia to do four presentations at the Greatest County Fair in the World – Clay County, IA. If you are at Okoboji or in NW Iowa that weekend, we will be demonstrating the versatility of Chalk Paint® to transform your kitchen cabinets, furniture, upholstery or even your cowgirl boots. Stop by to see us and pick up your hand-held paper fan and materials. We will sell limited quantities of select colors and waxes as well as Annie Sloan books.

Junk Jubilee Jingles, Iowa State Fairgrounds Varied Industries Building, November 11 - 13 – Yes, we will be there for the fifth consecutive  year! Teaming up like last year with Oak Hill Emporium (formerly William Holcomb Antiques), we will present Holiday Vintology. Painted furniture, vintage décor, holiday décor and more! This is where you buy your Chalk Paint®, gilding wax, German Glitter Glass and more for your holiday décor and crafts. A wide range of vintage inspired papers along with rust and crust and some stately pieces too!

Such a Hit!

Wednesday Open Workshop – People have been lining up for our newest concept to help you get started with a project or teach you a specific new technique. Anytime from 10 am to 3 pm, you can prebook as much time as you think you may need to work in our workshop with our supervision. Projects must be small – something you can lift with one hand and fit onto the backseat of your car. You pay just $20 per hour to use our tools and have on-the-project direction.  Paint and paint products you used will just be charged retail for the amount you use. So you don’t need to purchase a whole container of paint or decoupage or whatever – just pay for what you use and not have leftovers you won’t use! Call to book and discuss time it will take and to be sure your project works for us as well as you! 515-276-1577. If you have a date in mind, call soon so you don’t miss out!

Heads Up!

New Project Oriented Workshops – TLC Vintage feels there is a trend or demand for learning workshops where you actually end up with a piece of décor that you can gift or use in your own home. So we are in the process of redesigning our workshops to incorporate various techniques you may want to learn into different décor pieces. Watch here and on line for the rollout in September!

Workshop Schedule

We have canceled our September 17 workshop as TLC Vintage and JH Design Studio will be doing Annie Sloan Paint demos at the Clay County Fair, Spencer, IA. See you there!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® 101 Plus!

Seven popular paint techniques plus clear and dark wax methods! $85 in advance.  Saturdays Noon to 3 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments.

 Sep 10     Oct 1       Nov 5        Dec 3

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® 102 Extra!

Stencil, crackle and decoupage projects! Leave with three items you can use or gift! $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments.

 Oct 15

Chalk Paint® Kitchen Cabinets & Built-Ins! How to renew dated cabinets at a fraction of the cost without replacing them! We help you create your own prototype and style. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3-4 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments

 Oct 8

Wood Icing

Ice wood like you would ice a cake. Texture paste to add dimension to any surface! No one else is offering this product or class in Iowa. Two projects to take home. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3-4 pm.

 Aug 20            Oct 22

Artisan Enhancements  Special Effects!

Make magic happen with special products that will razzle/dazzle. Two to 3 projects to take home. $85 in advance, Satudays Noon to 3-4 pm

 Sep 24

Rust & Patina
Choose a five letter word in advance for us to order the supplies. FAITH is popular. Or initial of family members. Learn five different techniques for iron, bronze and copper finishes. If you want letters other than FAITH,  you must book 2 weeks in advance so we can acquire materials. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3 pm
Oct 29

Introduction to Milk Paint
A variety of applications for the use of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. Wax distress, layering, staining and more! $85 in advance Saturdays Noon to 3 pm.
Aug 27

Girls Night Out! Wine, Cheese, Paint Therapy!

Put together a group and spend 3 hours in the studio painting! Organize your group. Book it for $360 minimum for your group up to 8 people. Upcharges depending on materials. You bring the wine, we provide the cheese and paint!

Cancellation and No-show Policy: We maintain the right to refund your money or arrange for a different date if we do not have the 3-4 people  to make a class viable. If you are ill or weather prevents travel, you may reschedule to another date within six months. If your plans change, we need a two-week notice before the class date if you want to be rescheduled. Under two week,s there is no refund but if your spot is filled we will allow you to reschedule, otherwise your fee is forfeited.  Check website for schedule changes. www.tlcvintagecollection.com

July Newsletter -- New Workshops Coming Soon!

July  2016

What’s New at TLC Vintage?

Weekly Wednesday’s Open Workshop – This is our newest concept to help you get started with a project or teach you a specific new technique. Anytime from 10 am to 3 pm, you can prebook as much time as you think you may need to work in our workshop with our supervision. Projects must be small – something you can lift with one hand and fit onto the backseat of your car. You pay just $20 per hour to use our tools and have on-the-project direction.  Paint and paint products you used will just be charged retail for the amount you use. So you don’t need to purchase a whole container of paint or decoupage or whatever – just pay for what you use and not have leftovers you won’t use! Call to book and discuss time it will take and to be sure your project works for us as well as you! 515-276-1577

Laser Cut Metal Décor – We have just brought in several examples of the type of wall art you see on Fixer Upper and other decorating/DIY shows. These are either single words or an expression on 24”X24” aluminum signs. We have a few on display and for sale on our workshop wall and are putting together a 3 pocket folder with signs you can choose from and then we order for you! Prices range from $25 to $80. There is about a 10-14 day turnaround when we order them for you.

Each 24X24 inches    $75 

One word signs -- $25 up to $35

Continuing Education – Did you know that as an Annie Sloan stockist and also because of the other  brands we carry, we often go to “continuing education” workshops ourselves? This is so we stay up to date on the latest techniques and tricks to using all of our products! We want to be able to demonstrate and teach these to you and be able to answer all your questions. So Loretta and I are off to KC for a couple days next week to learn even more!

Heads Up!

New Project Oriented Workshops – TLC Vintage feels there is a trend or demand for learning workshops where you actually end up with a piece of décor that you can gift or use in your own home. So we are in the process of redesigning our workshops to incorporate various techniques you may want to learn into different décor pieces. Watch here and on line for the rollout in September!

Using Efex appliques will be part of one of the new workshops!

Tip of the Month

Use & Cleaning the New Sanding Pads – Annie Sloan’s new Sanding Pads are for paint distressing only.  You should continue to use sanding sponges or sandpaper when smoothing off raw wood. To clean the pads, soak in a 50-50 solution of Awesome which you can purchase at our store, then rub gently under water or a stream of water with a vegetable brush. The pads can be used for paint distressing either wet or dry. Since they are flexible, these are especially great for distressing rungs and spindles!

 Just $10 for a set of three different grits! Reusable wet or dry!

Snuff Candle Line – I’ve been looking for small items that are economical for the home or gifts. Another Annie Sloan retailer has developed her own candle line and we are bringing it in within the next ten days in three sizes to see how you like them. 8 oz travel tin ($12.50) or 12 oz glass candle ($18.50). Also the Snuff Cigar Box which is 2 oz each of 9 different scents ($22.50).

Shipfaced  -- Plum, amber, vanilla blend

No Strings Attached –Amber, sage, lavendin and orange

Punch Drunk Love – Vanilla cream, amber, jasmine and sandalwood

Workshop Schedule

We have canceled our September 17 workshop as TLC Vintage and JH Design Studio will be doing Annie Sloan Paint demos at the Clay County Fair, Spencer, IA. See you there!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® 101 Plus!

Seven popular paint techniques plus clear and dark wax methods! $85 in advance.  Saturdays Noon to 3 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments.

 Aug 6     Sep 10     Oct 1       Nov 5        Dec 3

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® 102 Extra!

Stencil, crackle and decoupage projects! Leave with three items you can use or gift! $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments.

 Jul 23             Oct 15

Chalk Paint® Kitchen Cabinets & Built-Ins! How to renew dated cabinets at a fraction of the cost without replacing them! We help you create your own prototype and style. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3-4 pm. Everything provided plus refreshments

 Jul 16        Oct 8

Wood Icing

Ice wood like you would ice a cake. Texture paste to add dimension to any surface! No one else is offering this product or class in Iowa. Two projects to take home. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3-4 pm.

 Aug 20            Oct 22

Artisan Enhancements  Special Effects!

Make magic happen with special products that will razzle/dazzle. Two to 3 projects to take home. $85 in advance, Satudays Noon to 3-4 pm

 Sep 24

Rust & Patina
Choose a five letter word in advance for us to order the supplies. FAITH is popular. Or initial of family members. Learn five different techniques for iron, bronze and copper finishes. If you want letters other than FAITH,  you must book 2 weeks in advance so we can acquire materials. $85 in advance. Saturdays Noon to 3 pm
Oct 29

Introduction to Milk Paint
A variety of applications for the use of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. Wax distress, layering, staining and more! $85 in advance Saturdays Noon to 3 pm.
Aug 27

Girls Night Out! Wine, Cheese, Paint Therapy!

Put together a group and spend 3 hours in the studio painting! Organize your group. Book it for $360 minimum for your group up to 8 people. Upcharges depending on materials. You bring the wine, we provide the cheese and paint!

Cancellation and No-show Policy: We maintain the right to refund your money or arrange for a different date if we do not have the 3-4 people  to make a class viable. If you are ill or weather prevents travel, you may reschedule to another date within six months. If your plans change, we need a two-week notice before the class date if you want to be rescheduled. Under two week,s there is no refund but if your spot is filled we will allow you to reschedule, otherwise your fee is forfeited.  Check website for schedule changes. www.tlcvintagecollection.com

Fake What You Can't Find! Aging Corbels

At TLC Vintage Collection in Des Moines, we love old, flaking painted things. There's that expression "fake it til you make it," so we did just that -- made a fake! Real aged chippy corbels are harder and harder to find -- especially in volume like our fortunate purchase below a couple years ago. And, certainly you rarely find them at a cost you like!  But as stock of those had run out, I leapt at the chance to buy some new ones made of composite material at the Habitat Re-Store.

                                                           Authentic Old Corbels

                                      New Composite Corbel Aged With Various Products

TLC Vintage Collection has everything needed to age a piece of decor or furniture at its location at 7519 Hickman Rd in Des Moines. So I took one of these corbels back into our open workshop where you can see us transform pieces six days a week, and set to work (ahem, I mean fun! Because it is!)

After knocking the dust and grime off the corbel, I pulled out a Fissure product made by Wood Icing, a company based in St Louis MO, owned by my good friend Rose Wilde. This product dries clear and will crackle water based paint applied over it. I put the fissure on with an old chip brush, but the brush does clean up with soap and water. To make cracks that don't run up and down, I pounced my brush on it while the fissure is still wet to give a more mosaic pattern of crackle, rather than running in lengths.

Next I pulled out one of my favorite stencils by Wood Icing, aspen leaves. I wanted a raised trailing vine look on the highest points of the corbel. So I laid out the stencil, taped it in place and used Wood Icing's Textura Paste applied thinly through the stencil. I moved the stencil around to get that trailing vine look. You lift off the stencil as soon as you have the paste on smooth and thin.

This is how the vines looked after drying, with rough raised edges. Normally on a piece of furniture or decor, I would then sand  off these rough bits with about 150 grit sandpaper. But I want this corbel to look rough -- like it had stood the test of time, so I let it remain rough til later.

Now I am ready to paint and enjoy the cracks that will develop. I chose Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® -- my go-to choice for most paint projects! Old White has the aged color that this piece cried for. I put the paint on thickly with one of Annie's great brushes. I made to cover the entire area as I went so I wouldn't need to touch up because the fissure will start activating almost immediately and I didn't want to disturb it.

Whoa! Now that is what I am looking for. Cracks that  look like a piece has been in the hot and cold of Iowa summers and winters for years!

Next I used Annie Sloans subtle Versailles, a light green and used an artist brush to paint the leaves and stems. I didn't need to be overly careful about where the paint went because our next step after it dried would be to sand it off so the leaves looked worn.

I took some 100 grit sand paper to take off the ridges of the Wood Icing raised relief and to distress the paint.

Next I used another brand we carry -- Artisan Enhancement's Scumble. Scumble is another name for glaze. Because my paint is porous, a colored glaze will sink in and not give me time to manipulate its look, so I put on what is called a "slip coat" of clear glaze first. I just use any old brush for this but once again, it washes up with hot soapy water. After the slip coat is dry, I added a little Annie Sloan Coco to a small amount of glaze and applied it with a sea sponge, which let me pull off some of the color here and there and leave it darker in some areas. It helps show of the crackle too! (Sorry, but I forgot to take a picture of this!)

Once the scumble is dry, I was done and we have a piece that looks like it has weathered on an old rural farmhouse porch!

I am hoping to find more of these corbels because I only found six together and think it would make an awesome workshop for my customers! Of course, these will be tagged that we "aged" them right at TLC Vintage Collection!