Furniture Painting Courses, pink Laboutin shoe fetish and some yellow Frenchy. All in a days work.

Forgive me reader for I have sinned.  It has been 18 days since my last blog entry.  How can I atone?  Can I really show my sincere regret at this lack of communication on a digital level?

I could tell you the dog ate my laptop or that I had a random accident involving a large bowl of jelly and a ceiling fan, but somehow I don't think you would believe me.  I really do have lots of excellent excuses.  I do.    Honest.

I have been a busy girl with many, many, many projects on the go.  Oh and a Furniture Painting for Beginners Course in the mix.  Here come the pictures...

Raspberry Cabinet £299

I have numbered them.  No reason really, just because.

1. The last time I found my way onto my blog I may have made a teeny, weeny mention of my intention to create a home for all my Laboutins, Jimmy Choos and Prada shoes.  Yes really. My reasoning is simple, if I make a home for such footwear, where they can be displayed, admired and cooed over, that, surely, is the perfect excuse. I was always told that a home should be filled with love.

This blinged up, Annie Sloan Emperors Silk and Old White mix of a former china cabinet with lovely music sheet decoupage back, needs to be filled.  With love[ly shoes].  Oh dear.  Better sell it before the Husband catches on to my evil plan.  If you want it it Can be yours for £299. Email me 

2 Drawer Chest in English Yellow £249

2. This little beauty was my first adventure into English Yellow from Annie Sloan.  Truth be told I was not sure I liked the yellow.  I think it was rather more acid than I had hoped.  I expect it was because the chest of drawers I painted had been painted by its previous owner in blackboard paint.  I need to experiment a little more  (ooo pine welsh dresser come to me...).  I want to love the colour.  This is for sale.


How do you like my Frenchy script from The Graphics Fairy? I really must do a tutorial on this technique one day.  It's simple really.  If you can colour in you can do it!  Want to buy my chest of yellow drawers (there is a joke in there somewhere).  £249 - drop me a line.

Look what we did!

3.  Oh boy.  How fantastic was the Furniture Painting for Beginners Course on 20th April?  Super Fab, that is how fantastic.  A lovely day, 6 great ladies and a pile of sunshine meant some of my pupils even painted outside.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN FUTURE COURSES HERE

At the start of the day

Just look at all that lovely paint

The end of the day

The next course dates will be announced shortly, but for now take a look at these lovelies having a ball with brushes and paint.

 4.  Finally..here is a sneak peek at what I have been doing to some of my collection of mirrors - Can you guess the colour?

Mirror Frame in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

So am I forgiven?

Jusqu'à ce que nous nous revoyions,

Marie x

P.S. I have been asked by a few of you what I look like - so here I am, not in painting attire, but in a sun hat.   Can you spot a couple of my painted items in the background...

Too Cool for School? Let's paint.

It's been a fruitful week her at Chateau Debell.  Fruitful, in that I have been producing.  I have been growing, nurturing and creating massive amounts of..excess body weight.  Yes I have eaten my way through the Easter Holidays, sloshed my way through many, many, many G&T's and now need to take stock, (well lets not be hasty - kids don't go back to school until Monday so I do need to have a last blast weekend).  Seriously though this has to stop.  I'm getting off the 7/0 diet and back on the 5/2 diet.

Anyone got any tips?  I ought to ask my dad who since Christmas has lost an amazing 2 Stone (that's 28lbs) on the 5/2.  Plus kids back to school + better weather = Ms Debell Painiting outside in the sunshine and getting all toned and healthy in time for the countdown to adulthood.

September looms like an anvil over Wyle E Cyote.  I officially enter middle age, (assuming I live to 80), but I have a while to remain young and cool, (was I ever cool?  If I knew I was cool would that make me uncool? If I want to be cool does that mean I can never be cool?).  Forget cool.  I want to be elegant and radiant.  Think of me as a retired ballerina, full of poise and grace.  Who am I kidding?  Just please never call on me when I am shifting furniture, wearing Rigger Boots and my Boiler suit. I would hate to spoil the illusion.

So what have I been doing?  Well I have now officially got plenty of my furniture and pictures installed in London Road Living, Newark the latest items I sent were these georgous Farmhouse Chairs and Table.  The Legs are painted in Autentico Nearly Black and the 'Go Faster Stripe', (I was actually going for French Grain Sack but the colour was so nice I couldn't bear to sand it down), is a custom blend of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Emperors Silk and Original.

Farmhouse Dining Set

I have a load of pieces I want to paint over the next few weeks, including a georgous China Display Cabinet that would make an amazing bathroom Linen Store or Shoe Wardrobe, a lovely bookcase and a massive Welsh Dresser.

I can see the China Cabinet looking like this one I found on Pinterest once its finished (or even started).

Shoe Cabinet Displat

The April Furniture Painting for Beginners Course is now fully booked but I am happy to take reserves and registers of interest for the next one - date to be announced.

Have a great day one and all.  

M x

P.S. Come and see me on Facebook.

When reality bites diversify.

Anyone who tells you they are making a whacking pile, a shed-load of lolly, loadsa money or mucho moolah, from hand painting furniture is perhaps telling a teeny, weeny fib. Yup.  A Porkie Pie if you will.

Now I'm not complaining.  I get to paint furniture - legitimately - every day.  No one can tell me off for doing  it.  It's marvelous - and I get to listen to radio 4 all day long, (guilty pleasure = The Archers).

I really want to make a go of this painting malarkey.  I want it to work on a level that allows me to indulge in the furniture side of things.  So I need to diversify.  Widen my scope.  Broaden my horizons.  Explore the possibilities. Why?  I hear you asking, nay screaming at your screen.  Simple - because it's what I love and I want to keep doing it.  So this is it.  I'm laying my cards on the table - it's now or never.

Are you taking guesses? Who thinks I should start stripping?  Really?  Have you learned nothing? I'm a chalk paint girl through and through - so that one is off the agenda.

So how do I make this painting thing pay the bills? My favorite option out of the box is Option 1.  Paint kitchen cabinets.  Yup.  I'm sure you think I am quite bonkers but it's a great deal for everyone.  The client gets a beautiful new look and I get to paint furniture. What's not to love?

In true Blue Peter Styleeee, (non-UK residents please google), here is one I made earlier.

The first picture is of the kitchen before I started.  It had been painted, in part, with a bad emulsion job.  Not pretty.  After a lovely coating of Paris Grey from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, some Autentico on the knobs and some careful handling of black gloss on the ironwork, a touch of dark wax was added where appropriate and this was the result.  Happy Clients and happy me.  Obviously if you would like me to paint your kitchen all you have to do is ask!

So what else?  Option 2.I have my beautiful pictures.  I'm right in the middle of making some more. Take a look here at my current stock.

Option 3.  Who wants to learn how to paint furniture Debell Style?  You?  Really?  Great, you better get your skates on then because there are only a couple of places left on my next 'Furniture Painting for Beginners' course on Saturday 20th April.  It's a 1 day course, held right here in Nottinghamshire and will be the first in a series.  If you want to find out more and secure your place email me.  First to reserve will get the booking, so be quick.  The course does come with a health warning.  Here it is.  'Furniture painting can lead to serious addiction'.

1 DAY FURNITURE PAINTING COURSE

Saturday 20^th April
Elston, Notts.

Learn how to create French & Scandinavian style furniture.

NO SANDING. NO PRIMING.
NO STRIPPING.

Click here for more info.

Option 4.  I  have only gone and got me a proper, bricks and mortar, see it, feel it, walk around it shop premises to display my work.  The lovely Ian & Maxine at London Road Living, Newark, have been kind enough to invite me to sell my pieces through their beautiful shop.  They sell all sorts of lovely things for the home - from hand made lampshades to Autentico Paint.  Maxine specialises in soft furnishings and stocks the most wonderful array of fabrics and wallpapers as well as superb armchairs and more.  Oh, and did I mention the cafe - with cake.  Yes cake.

So come and see my furniture and pictures on public display - you might even want to buy something.  Where?  I hear you scream.  Why, it is accessed via London Road Car Park in Newark, (that's Nottinghamshire not New York).  You cant miss it.  If you are local call in.  You will get a warm welcome.

So that's me.  That is how I will make this work.

Did I mention I love painting things?

M x

Blah Blah Blah. Whatever. The cause is worth the cure.

It's been a while.  I have again been less than fair with this dear blog.  I have failed to write for a whole two weeks.  I am sorry.

What has been keeping me from this most noble of pursuits   The truth?  Knackerditis.  It is a common medical condition affecting many sections of society.  Brought on by bouts of exhertion and excessive time spent painting things, chasing Tweeps and completing in-house contracts for lovely clients.

Lucky for me the cure for Knackerditis is chocolate.  Copious amounts of chocolate accompanied by lashings of Gin & Tonic.  Who knew the cure was so easy to swallow.  But I have been a busy girl.  I deserve a little treat now and then.

Last weekend I tootled over to Harrogate for a long awaited catch up with a dear friend with whom I share a long and dogged history.  You know who you are.  Suffice to say a lovely time was had and the bacon sandwich presented to my by my magnificent daddy was so very much appreciated the next morning.  The husband was on form too.  He even managed a whole 2 days of the bank holiday without getting his laptop out.  I almost called a doctor.

For now it's school holidays for 2 more weeks and with The Gumps, (Grandparents), to the rescue I can at least get down to some work now and again.  Today I took my first pieces to the lovely shop where they will be available for sale...are you getting curious yet?  I will reveal all tomorrow.   Promise.  For now here is a little picture I took earlier of the first item in place.

Inter War Sideboard with Silver Leaf

There you have it.

I will be back (soonish).  I promise.

M x