October 2012 – Shizzle Design

October 26, 2012

A Portfolio of My First Year ~ Which one is your favorite?

It’s hard to believe that just last year I joined this venture of refurbishing furniture. Since I practically work around the clock, I seldom look back on all the things I’ve painted.

I finally took the time to do that and I can only give thanks to God, because there is no way I could have accomplished any of this on my own.

Shizzle Design’s furniture was first debuted at

Art in the Park in Holland, Michigan in August 2011.

It rained, no it POURED all day long. We didn’t enjoy being ankle deep in water, but you came and you purchased half our furniture and gave us such rave reviews that three weeks later, we moved into a space at

Not So Shabby’s old location in downtown Zeeland

Another gal was interested in my cedar chest but the rain was too much. She planned to stop by when the rain let up but it never did. She ended up tracking me down the following week and drove back up from Chicago to buy it.

see more info on this cedar chest here

I created the an old leather look with this finish

more details on this piece here

I replicated a Venetian bronze finish on this candelier

more info and photos on this piece here

We have been blessed from the start as this dresser sold the day we moved into Not So Shabby

more details here

This was a funky little desk redo

I love to combine paint and stain on a piece

see all the photos and info here

While I was painting the highboy

My Sister painted this Charming Little Dresser

you can see all the details on this piece here

This buffet table was a real labor of or should I say anxiety. The process of learning how to add the legs was taught by a true craftsman but the hours and hours we spent on the phone and emails trying to work through the problems we had with the dark wax was a nightmare.

Transforming this Sideboard Table was a Chore

see the details of this transformation here

We purchased this and the following vanity from an estate sale and received them in pristine condition, the funniest thing was trying to load up a vanity, dresser, bed, mirror and bench in our small truck. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies on this trip home, but it all made it home safe and sound and each found great new homes after we transformed them.

This is one of my favorite dressers to date

See the transformation here

I developed a love of layering paint transforming this
Gentleman’s Chest

I didn’t care for Annie Sloan’s Paris Gray, but instead of dumping the whole quart, I stained it with a glaze to change the color and loved the end results.

Lady’s Dressing Vanity

See the transformation here

I did the same paint treatment on the drawer fronts as I did on the Gentleman’s Chest

See the transformation here

There have been lots of different tables

Unveiled Treasures like this beautiful Walnut

details here

French Provincial Coffee Table

Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table w/ French Label

Click here to see more pictures of this unique piece!

Hand Painted Oak End Tables

Several colors of paint and wax were layered to achieve the unique finish on these

Mesa Sunset Plant Stand

I love to shabby paint treatments on vintage doors

I restored this one for me!

check it out here

Antique skirted Oak Chair, Vintage French Coffee Table & Antique End Table

Cow Parsley Dresser Inspired by Annie Sloan

Ornate Wrought Iron Bird Cage

Primitive Wooden Bench

French Dining Room Set

details on this here

Little Red Chest of Drawers Dresser

See much on this piece by clicking here

Vintage Stereo Cabinet

details on this piece HERE

This Vintage Chic Bed hand painted in Georgia Clay
found a new home on Long Island, New York

Learn How to Create Your Own Masterpiece our Paint Your Own Furniture Workshop ~ Shizzle Style!

If you’ve wanted to paint a piece of your furniture but are afraid to do it without a little guidance then this workshop is for you! Our workshops have sold out so fast we added one more which will be the last one for 2012 on Sunday, November 18th noon – 5:00 p.m. Space is limited to eight students and spaces fill up quickly.

In this five hour workshop, we’ll help you transform your own piece of furniture using chalk & clay Paints. This class focuses on individual instruction and guidance to help you create your masterpiece! It is geared towards someone who understands the basic concepts of painting but would like to learn some cool layering and / or texturing techniques for finishing their pieces. We’ll help you achieve that cool finish you’ve wanted to learn how to do.

This Workshop costs $125 and includes:

5 hours of hands on learning, instruction and assistance
all the paint and wax needed to paint your piece of furniture (choose one or two colors prior to class)
use of paint brushes, wax brushes and other supplies you’ll need to finish your project
a hot lunch, snacks and drinks
and a lot of fun, laughter and boosts in confidence

To register for this workshop, click here.
What am I allowed to bring to your workshop?

You may bring in one small piece of furniture such as an end table, coffee table, chair, nightstand, headboard.
You must be able to carry it in by yourself, meaning no dressers or medium/large pieces of furniture. We give you the supplies you need but you must be able to finish it in the five hour time period.
Email us a picture or a description of what you’re bringing to make sure it meets requirements
We like to jump right into painting, so make sure your piece of furniture is in good repair (we’re not here to glue veneer or fix drawers)
Your piece should also be cleaned well with a good de-greaser

This super fun autumn workshop will be held at my home in Byron Center (15 minutes South of Grand Rapids)
We can teach you how to create a color wash like the one I did here…

or how to layer colors, Shizzle Style

or how to create my signature finish

We’ll also share different methods of distressing, waxing tips, and how to buff your piece so you’ll go home with a beautiful, one of a kind piece of art.

My sister Cathy and I tag team this workshop so each person gets one on one attention while we work through the different steps.

Wear your paint clothes and comfortable shoes!

Learn different ways to distress

Look through the photos on my website and let me know which type of finish you’re most interested in creating. It doesn’t have to be exact, just give me an idea; such as “I’d like to do a color wash, or I’d like to layer two different colors like the way you did the “blank” on this dresser…” so I can be well prepared to assist you in class.

This space, though not fancy, offers plenty of room to transform your furniture and is the easiest to set up for this type of workshop. I need to know what you’re bring so I can set up tables and or work benches for your project. If you have any questions, please ask here.
Two Color Layering Technique

I plan to focus on my paint layering and distressing techniques but we will assist each person with individual preferences.

Let me know which colors you’re interested in so we can have your supplies ready for you ahead of time. We can make last minute changes, but it’s important to have all the little details planned out ahead of time so we can focus our time painting and helping everyone during class.

If you need some color inspiration, check out some of my other painted pieces here.

The paint we carry…

Have Superior Adhesion – which saves hours of time and money because it
Eliminates the need for stripping, sanding and priming on most projects.
Are ALL NATURAL
Chalk and Clay based mineral paints
Eco-friendly
Have NO VO
Our paint free of Acrylic and Latex which makes is much easier to distress
Our products are non-toxic – safer for you
Better for the environment

Shizzle Design carries a large supply of chalk & clay Paints at our Jenison, MI headquarters as well as other West Michigan locations here. We also ship paint nation wide and internationally through our online Shizzle Shop here

Order sample pots of chalk & clay paint here

Keep up with Shizzle Design’s painted furniture:

Subscribe to our Blog for the most detailed info
Browse our available furniture here
Shop Paint here
Like our Facebook Page
Pin away on Pinterest

A hui hou, Shelly

For less than the price of a gallon of paint, you too can be on your way to painting furniture like a pro. Click here to download

October 23, 2012

Rustic Country Farm Table w/ Tips on Waxing

When I purchased this piece, it was covered with numerous layers of chipping paint. I think I took pictures, but it was a good year ago, so I’ll have to dig them up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about an old chippy, look ~ but the multiple layers on this table seemed downright dangerous and my fear is a toddler peeling off a piece of old lead base paint and putting it in their mouth. If I’m going to error, I’d rather error on the side of caution.

I used my favorite green Magic Strip Citrus-Action Gel Stripper and stripped away the layers and layers of paint overnight while I slept by placing waxed paper on top. This stripper works slow and steady, won’t burn holes in your hands if you splatter and continues to work for 24 hours unless it dries out. That’s where the waxed paper comes in handy. By laying a sheet on top of the stripper, it won’t dry out on hot summer days or in a heated workshop. It’s so awesome to wake up in the morning and just slide all that goo away like butta!

My intent was to refinish the top restoring the beautiful warm wood tones but I wanted to leave rustic charm of the nicks and bumps that give it so much character which I did using clear wax and light aging wax.

And… because I like to mix it up, I HAD to add some color to part of it. My heart was set on painting the legs some sort of green.

Being the Type A or Nit-Picky person, as my sister calls me, that I am. I started playing with Carolina Sun Yellow and Maine Harbor Blue as I do on many occasions in a quest for that perfect shade. I kept adding different colors here and there until I discovered the absolute perfect shade of green!

When I painted it on the table, I realized I had pretty much just replicated CeCe Caldwell’s Alaskan Tundra Green.

What a dork!

Sometimes I make things so difficult on myself!

I mean, I’m an authorized retailer for CeCe Caldwell’s Paints ~ it’s not like I don’t know which colors we have. I must just like playing with the paint 😀

Alaskan Tundra Green was Perfect for this Table!

I applied the paint in a sloppy manner to make it look as though it had worn this way over the years, then as I always do, I sealed it with a generous coat of our clear wax. I really slather the clear wax on working it into the paint to create that bond that really seals and finishes the paint.

I can’t express how important this step is!

It will save you so much time and frustration later on down the road if you decide to age it, especially if you’re not familiar with this process. Aging wax will dramatically change the color of your paint if you apply it directly over the paint and due to the oils in the wax, it can remove the paint if it’s applied directly over the paint before it has fully cured.

My advice …Seal with Clear Wax first!

You will be amazed by taking this one step how much easier it is and how little aging wax you’ll need when you do age it. People think they’ll have to purchase twice as much wax then, but that’s not the case. I recommend getting a full size can of clear wax and sample size pots of the aging waxes to start out.

I typically don’t use any more than a teaspoon of aging wax on a medium size dresser and probably used about the same amount of the light aging wax on this table because I wanted it to retain it’s old world look. I’ll be doing a thorough post on waxing in the near future to further explain this process.

I had removed the leaves to strip it and really grew to love it as a console table. I love the rustic contrast of the old hinges against the green and think it adds so much more character than your basic sofa table on the market today.

This is one of those pieces I wanted to keep. I really wanted to swap it out with a table my husband purchased years ago for me, but I didn’t have the heart so off to my Shizzle Design booth it went.

We moved over the weekend from downtown Zeeland to Holland, Michigan.

We’re now located in the old Great Lakes Furniture Building at 2975 West Shore Drive, Holland, MI 49424. The building is now owned by Heggs Furniture Gallery which occupies the West side of the building facing US 31. Shizzle Design is within Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture which you enter off from the East Side of the building right on West Shore Drive.

You’ll find our Shizzle Design booth if you walk straight back past the front counter. We’re directly behind the cash register.

Here’s our New Shizzle Design booth at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, MI

Stop by and visit us, we’ve got several more new pieces coming in over this next week and are fully stocked with paint.

Want to take one of our Classes? Our next
Paint a Piece of Your Furniture Workshop is
November 17th from noon – 5:00 p.m.

All the details for this class can be found HERE

Happy Painting!!

To Keep up with all our newly painted creations:

Subscribe to our Blog for the most detailed info
Browse our available furniture here
Order CeCe Caldwell’s Paints Online here
Like our Facebook Page
Pin away on Pinterest

Wahoo!! This Piece was Featured at:

Thanx Cassie! See feature here

Linking up at these Great Sites:

aka Design – Do it Yourself
Embracing Change: Creative Inspirations

Restore Interiors – Restored it Wednesday

Primitive & Proper – POWW 95
Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Homespun Happenings – Rusty Restorations Weekend

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

2805 – Potpourri Friday
Embracing Change – Creative Inspirations
Tatertots & Jello – Weekend Party Wrap Up
Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special
Too Much Time on My Hands – Get Schooled Saturday

1929 Charmer – Sunday’s Best Party

Boogie Board Cottage – Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch – Metamorphasis Monday

Coastal Charm – Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

Have a great week!! a hui hou ~ Shelly

For less than the price of a gallon of paint, you too can be on your way to painting furniture like a pro. Click here to download

October 22, 2012

Shizzle Design has relocated to Holland, MI

There’s been a whole lot of moving and shaking going on around here this past week.

We rent space from Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture where we sell CeCe Caldwell’s Paints along side our painted furniture, re-purposed treasures and home decor.

This past week the entire Not So Shabby store, including all 30 vendors, relocated from downtown Zeeland, to 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan.

Not So Shabby is now conveniently located near the lake shore just East of US 31 and North of Felch. We’re in the East side of the old Great Lakes Furniture Building, now owned by Hegg’s Furniture Gallery. Enter from the doors facing West Shore Drive. You’ll see our Not So Shabby logo on our doors.

If you’re the type of person who needs landmarks, West Shore Drive is the road that runs between the North end of West Shore Mall (near Younkers & Hobby Lobby) and Meijer/Starbucks. So the next time you’re driving between Hobby Lobby and Starbucks… stop in and check us out!

Our Shizzle Design Booth is just around the corner of the front counter, directly behind the cash register. We’ve already brought in several new pieces and have several more that will be finished soon.

We are fully stocked with CeCe Caldwell’s Paints including all 36 beautiful colors of this chalk and clay based mineral paint that is sweeping our nation like wildfire.

Not from the area but want to try the paint? No problem, we also offer everything on our Online Shizzle Shop for CeCe Caldwell’s Paints HERE.

So here’s a few shots of what we’ve moved in so far with much more to follow in the next few weeks…

Stop into the store and check out our October Paint Special on sample size pots, on sale now through Halloween!

Be sure to subscribe to this blog to keep up with all our specials, paint workshops (Our Next 5 Hour Paint Workshop has been scheduled for Saturday, November 17 from noon – 5:00 p.m.). Bring a piece of furniture and leave with a piece of art ~ details HERE.

Have a fabulous week!

Shelly

Want to take one of our Classes? Our next
Paint a Piece of Your Furniture Workshop is
November 17th from noon – 5:00 p.m.

All the details for this class can be found HERE

Happy Painting!!

For less than the price of a gallon of paint, you too can be on your way to painting furniture like a pro. Click here to download

October 5, 2012

Vintage Highboy in Michigan Pine

Do you have a favorite color scheme when it comes to decorating?

I think we all do. I feel most comfortable surrounded by the earthy warm autumn colors that transform Michigan’s landscape every October.

It apparently isn’t a phase either because I’ve loved the same colors for almost 50 years. Call me boring, predictable or whatever, I don’t care. I’ll be the first to admit I’m predictable ~ my friends and family will be the second.

As much as I love green, I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited about the Michigan Pine that was being added to the new color pallet. I imagined it to be a dark forest green which took me back to dark green and orange tones used in the 70’s – 80’s, I don’t even remember anymore, but they were bad and highly overused.

I stocked the Michigan Pine on the shelve without giving it much thought and then I started seeing pieces painted in it by other artists.

The first piece that totally knocked my socks off was this beautiful dresser painted by Karin of Art is Beauty.

check it out here

She teamed up with her niece to paint this for a fundraiser and I have to tell you, they knocked it out of the park! Karin’s entire family is blessed with extraordinary talents; they sing, they paint ~ they can do anything and this really opened my eyes to the true color of Michigan Pine.

Then one of our newest retailers, Laura Bouni of The Not Just Shabby Shop, shared this dresser painted by her son Josh.

Oh-My-Gosh! Seriously? This is what this color looks like? Wow! That’s all it took. I busted into a can and grabbed the closest dresser in my reach.

I had been farting around with it trying to decide which color it would look best in and for whatever reason, I decided to give it a first coat of Mesa Sunset. Don’t ask me why, I really don’t know. Something in the air I guess, I just did it. I followed with a coat of Michigan Pine and this is what I ended up with.

I had applied a watered down thin coat of the green over the orange but it turned out a little lighter than I thought it would. It looks even lighter in this picture because of the reflection of the sun. It was really pretty, but you know me, I can never leave anything alone…

I wanted a little more depth and dimension so I feathered in some light aging wax over the clear to age it a bit and give it a little more character.

Clear Wax Light Aging Wax Dark Aging Wax

I could have just painted a normal coat of paint on it, but hey… anyone can do that. The Light Aging Wax was just applied prior to this picture so you can see it’s half dry, half wet.

I really like the contrast of the two colors, the orange looks a little “oranger” – lol in this close-up because of the sunset, but it really looks neat in person.

This picture is junka-lunka too because the days are getting so stinkin’ short, the sun had already set, at like 8:00 pm! What’s up with that? Why can’t we have daylight until 10:00 pm all year long – whah