DIY: Distressed shadow box frame painted with four Annie Sloan ChalkTM Paint colours

BushcraftZ 2015

Due to the chalky nature of the Annie Sloan Chalk^TM Paints they are ideal to use in distressing techniques. For this project I wanted to try to layer four colours of Annie Sloan Chalk^TM Paints and distress specific areas so that all four colours blend into each other.  I chose a shadow box frame for the project since I had a collection of shells and sea-side finds that I wanted to display. The colour combination I selected reminds me of small fishing boats found in the fishing villages on the West Coast of South Africa. The patina in the multiple colour layers speak to the history of these boats.

Materials:

• Shadow box frame (I bought mine at a local craft shop)
• Annie Sloan Chalk^TM Paints (Duck Egg Blue, Emperor’s Silk, Aubusson Blue and Napoleonic Blue)
• Annie Sloan^TM clear soft wax
• Annie Sloan^TM dark soft wax (optional)
• Paint brushes
• Sand paper

Method:

1. Paint the shadow box with Duck Egg blue as a base colour.
2. Use Emperor’s silk to paint specific areas where you would like red to show through. Allow to dry.

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

3. Paint areas with Aubusson Blue. I painted over the areas that were already painted with Emperor’s Silk  and Duck Egg Blue, creating three and two paint layers in specific areas.

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

   
   

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

4. While the Aubusson blue layer was drying I started to paint the entire shadow box with Napoleonic Blue. In areas where the Aubusson blue was still wet the colours blended slightly and in the regions where the previous colours had already dried the layers were more distinct. Allow to dry. I left the paint to dry for a few days before I had time to continue with the project. 

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

   
   

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

5. I decided not to wax the paint first before distressing. With a 80grit sandpaper (this is relatively rough) I carefully distressed the frame. I worked so that the colours in the different layers were exposed. The roughness of the sandpaper created distinct marks in the paint layers sometimes penetrating unto the first layer but also showing the other layers beneath the Napoleonic Blue.

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

6. Carefully wipe away the chalk paint dust with a dry cloth and a clean brush.
7. Cover the surface with Annie Sloan^TM clear soft wax. If you rub hard in some areas one can use the wax to blend the colours. One must however be careful not to blend too much and create an indistinct colour pallet that appears dirty. Allow the wax to dry.

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

8. I wanted to create alight contrast between the ‘box’ section and the frame and used a little bit of dark wax over the light areas in the ‘box’ section to deepen the colours slightly.

   

   BushcraftZ 2015

9. Place a special collection of shells in the box frame and close the frame up.

BushcraftZ 2015

TIP: I wanted to place the box frame as a display on a coffee table. I therefore glued a felt layer underneath the box frame to protect the table from scratches.