Chateau de Chantilly

A couple of weeks ago I saw a dresser that was posted by A Bit O' Whimsy.com.  If I remember correctly, she called it verdigris.  At the time of her first post, she didn't give a tutorial, but I loved her finish and tried to duplicate the look.  Then I realized she later did a tutorial on May 25 if you care to take a look.  This is my version and although it is not perfect, I absolutely love it.  You can bet I am going to try to do this again until I do get it right.  Now, of course, I have some tips from her tutorial to guide me along better.

 I started out with a very weathered cabinet door that had flaking varnish.  I love my projects to look aged so I didn't even sand it.  I painted it with my Valspar "So Cool" paint.  I purchased my paint at Do-It Center, but I am sure Lowe's probably has it too because they carry Valspar.  If you cannot get that color, just use a pretty aqua colored paint.  I purchased my appliques from The Bella Cottage click here for their website.  FYI, during the month of May, all of their appliques are 25% off.  Notice I'm using a different set of appliques than I usually do and I absolutely love them.

 After applying the appliques with epoxy glue and painting the cabinet door, I went in and dry brushed the appliques with Folk Art Warm White.  Then I used gesso over the whole project.  At this point I realized A Bit O' Whimsy did a tutorial on her method (which I'm so grateful for)  and I had a little guidance on how to proceed.  I went back with a watery brush and dabbed on Folk Art Hauser Green Light.  This is a fabulous green that mimics the color of moss.  After that was done, I used a copper leafing pen and ran it along the molding of the cabinet door to give the project a little definition.  I also went over the applique in spots to make it look like copper.  Notice I didn't get the aqua paint in all the nooks and crannies of the applique.  I left a little brown in there.

Next I took my French script stencils (3 inch) that I purchased on EBay from Stencils by Joanie and stenciled in my text with the warm white paint.  I filled in the gaps with my liner brush to make it look like real handwriting.  Then I did a little shading on the right side of each letter with Delta Cremacoat Stonewedge Green.  I still haven't sanded the project yet because it is naturally flaking and is really getting a patina'd look.  My last step was taking some glazing medium (I used Americana which can be found at your local craft store with the craft acrylic paints) that I mixed with Folk Art Metallic Solid Bronze.  I didn't use copper because I didn't have any on hand.  I mixed it up and went over the whole piece.  There is one spot that it didn't stick and I'm not sure why, but I am still happy with the outcome.  At this point I could have gone over it with some dark stain, but I think I'll leave well enough alone on this project and experiment again with a new board (and maybe a new applique too).

 Now be sure to put a clear coat of some sort to seal in all your hard work if you decide to try this.

 Thanks for visiting and I hope I have inspired you to try this technique.  I LOVE the look.  Thank you, A Bit O' Whimsy for your inspiration!!

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs        The Graphics Fairy     Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants        Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity      Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           It's Overflowing