Chalk Paint & Crackle Glaze For Christmas!

December 1, 2014 by Mike

Chalk Paint & Crackle Glaze For Christmas!

When I began upcycling a few years ago the only brand of chalk paint available was produced by artist Annie Sloan. Low in VOCs and incredibly versatile, I was impressed by its coverage and quality and have used it ever since. Chalk paint is almost the wonder product of the upcycling age - no prepping, no undercoating, very quick to dry and can be used on wood, fabric, china and leather as well as many other surfaces.

Although there are now several other companies producing different varieties of chalk paint, the Annie Sloan brand continues to go from strength to strength and other products, including fragrances, decoupage medium, varnish and laquer have been added to the range. I use many different kinds of paint when upcycling but always like to keep a supply of Annie Sloan paint to hand and as I had recently depleted my stock, rather than ordering online I thought it would be a great idea to visit Leigh-on-sea’s nearest Annie Sloan stockist, Interior Superior at 616 London Road, Westcliff.

All Annie Sloan stockists teach workshops and the owner of Interior Superior, Jane Osgood, kindly invited me to join a tutorial session she was hosting for a couple of local upcyclers to see the different decorating techniques she taught. I arrived at the shop to meet two very enthusiastic ladies from Wickford - Zoe and Vicki - who were there to upcycle a couple of old bedside units. Jane’s undoubted expertise in decoupage, distressing and the use of Craqueleur (producing a crackle glaze effect) helped the girls to achieve the look they wanted and it was a great atmosphere of creativity accompanied by a little cheeky banter! Jane has been upcycling for many years and is a dedicated user of all Annie Sloan products as well as a big fan of the lady herself. She was keen to let me know that being a stockist was not just about selling products, it was about ensuring that anyone who purchased from the Annie Sloan range was confident in using those products too. Interior Superior also sells home accessories, upcycled furniture, books and cards so it’s a great place to do a little Christmas shopping and buy someone a present that may bring out the inner upcycler in them!

GDUKStyle.com 
December 2014