Brushes Matter

Let’s Talk Brushes Over the years I have collected so many different kinds and I thought I would share some of my favorites with you. I don’t think I could do anything the way I do it without them.  I bet you have heard it said that it’s not the paint brush, it’s the painter. While there is some credence in that, you know, I could probably take any paintbrush and get any job done, but how much frustration would I go through because I don’t have the right brush? Years ago when we bought our house, I had a friend come over to help me paint my mom’s apartment, which is now my workshop. When we were painting it, a friend came over and she was quite an experienced painter. She said, “Get yourself a nice paintbrush. You know, you could paint this with the brush you have, but trust me, go put out 20 bucks, get a good … Read more

Do You Ever Fight Trolls Online?

Bullies Beware, We Honestly and Truly Don’t Care Really. I’m not kidding. We don’t. Not caring is the only way we can keep the trolls under their bridge where they belong. Normally I’d write a long explanation of what I’m talking about in regard to that title, but the best thing to do for this is to just post the video where I lay it all out for you. I originally posted it in my Facebook group, FFF. If you’re not there, don’t be square – go join! It might take me a minute to get you approved, but be patient, I’ll get to you. The group is for those who want to learn to flip furniture. But this one is about online trolls, not how to paint furniture. You know, the trolls, the ones who hide behind a keyboard and rag on people. They spew their acid around like it’s candy and don’t care if it hurts people. They … Read more

Does Your Paint Get Goobers?

This week we’re talking about your paint, how to keep it from drying out, having flakes of rust in it, and having those annoying little things we call paint goobers. Do you know what I’m talking about with paint goobers – the globs that can form in there when the paint starts to dry out? I have cans of paint that are three, four, five years old, and they’re just as good as when I first got them. So let’s talk about the paint we use for our projects. You’ve probably heard several things about how people care for their paint, so let’s run over those real quick. We have some people that store their paint upside down to keep the air out of the can. I don’t do that because I don’t like paint on my lid. And to me, it’s just kind of messy. We also have had some people take nails and hammer holes into the edge … Read more

Which Sander is the Best? – Product Review by James Thomas

Choosing the Right Sander NOTE from Val: We’ve had more than a couple of dozen inquiries as to which sander is the best, so James Thomas from TheToolSquare.com offered to give us a run-down. I’ve included photos and my Amazon affiliate links of each type of sander before each description. They are not my recommendations, only for reference. For James’ recommendations with links, you’ll find them at the end of this article. Here’s James… Craft markers and artists use a variety of power tools to create their artworks, and one of the most common power tools is the sander. The sander uses sandpaper, attaching it on the base of the power tool to smoothen the edges of a material that the artist is working on. 

There are multiple types of the sander, and one should be familiar with these devices to use them more efficiently. When someone masters the use of a sander, any material that they are working on … Read more

Pouring White Primer

The Right Products for the Right Reason

PRIMERS Using the Right Product for the Right Reason Oh my goodness, this really shouldn’t be this complicated! I’ll never forget the first time we went to Lowes to grab some primer. There had to be 50 different types with 6 different brands at so many price ranges we had no idea which one to buy. Basically we just guessed and bought one. There was no way we could have bought one based on what we saw on the labels because we were totally new to the game of furniture flipping. Even the person working in the department had no idea, couldn’t answer our questions and basically walked away as confused as we were. Now, years later, I’ve got a handle on it, but oh my, I’ll never forget that day. I can see it in my mind as if it were yesterday. We left the store feeling like a termite in a yoyo. I don’t like being confused. I … Read more

“Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.” ~ Winston Churchill

What’s in YOUR Toolbox? Have you ever been frustrated while getting your furniture ready to paint? Do you ever feel like chucking your project piece out the window? Is it you or the piece? There are three reasons why we get so frustrated when prepping our pieces. Which ones fit you? You don’t know how to clean or fix it. You don’t have the needed products (filler, cleaner, glues, etc.) You don’t have the tools to make the process easy. There are so many tools out there to make our job easier, but how do you find out the best ones to use? So often I see furniture flippers skip steps because they don’t know the right way to do something or they are just plain lazy. There, I’ve said it. I’ve thought it. You’ve thought it. Even the lazy ones have thought it. Sorry. That does sound harsh. But would you agree that there are lazy people out there … Read more

Redesigning Ruby Challenge Featured Project

Everyone who took my Redesigning Ruby Facebook challenge in May did an outstanding job on their pieces – we saw such great transformations. One out of all won the final giveaway which included a feature on LMDH along with a couple of other prizes! Not only did Jane Poates do a great job on her piece, she managed to capture the essence of Ruby herself. Her “BEFORE” is on the left and first and second steps on the right: The challenge was to find a piece, prep, layer and distress two or more paint colors. Then antique, layer stencil and accent with gold wax. The option of Retique It was suggested where needed for a stained top. Here is Jane’s description of her project: “After – My version of “Ruby”is finished! Painted in Maui Sand and Gulf Coast with dry sand distressing. Added two tone stenciling in black and metallic tin. Stained with classic gray and silver spark wax detail … Read more

3 FREE Workshops for the Furniture Artist

Do you want to learn to paint amazing furniture? Come watch the videos in my 3 workshops on prep, glazing and blending. Then join us on Furniture Flipping Blueprint to learn more and find your passion.   Come take a look >>> 3 Workshops for Furniture Flippers (This is now closed – look for it again in the fall.)    

A Navy Blue Trio – Two Dressers & a Nightstand

General Finishes Chalk Style Paint Revitalizes Ethan Allen Dressers In honor of our forum sponsors, General Finishes (May 2019) and D. Lawless Hardware (June 2019), I redesigned this trio using the GF beautiful chalk style paint in Midnight Blue along with some glitzy hardware, the Concentric Bright Brass Plated Swan Neck Bail Pulls and the knobs were the Amerock Brass Radiance Oval Knobs. The two dressers are matching Ethan Allens and the nightstand is a piece I grabbed from my inventory to create a three piece matched set. You can take several non-matching pieces that are not the same brand/manufacturer and paint and decorate them alike to bring them all together to look like a matched set.   The Befores My DH cleaned, sanded, and spray primed all three pieces using an oil based primer. The two dressers were obviously matching pieces, but the nightstand wasn’t, so we did a little bit of improvising to make them all a set. … Read more

Retique It & UNiCORN SPiT

I like to experiment and try out different products and brands for my members on my Facebook groups. Today I did a short video showing you how I used (afflinks) UNiCORN SPiT over Retique It Liquid Wood. The possibilities are endless! Have you ever used UNiCORN SPiT? It’s a water based translucent non-toxic paint that can be used as a glaze, stain or paint – super easy to use, and fun! Retique It Liquid Wood is a paint on liquid wood (just like it sounds). You can do all sorts of fancy things with it! You’ll see: Metallic SPiT over Retique It Liquid Wood Background and layered stenciling Stencil distressing It’s just a fun little video to give you some ideas. Let me know if you have any ideas on other ways to use these products! XOXO