Painting Classes!

Today was a really good day at the shop. Started off by saying good bye to a lovely hutch. Off to its new home! We were able to deliver it this evening. Hope its new family enjoys it for many years.  Next we started planing , moving and staging a new primitive cupboard. It has a wonderful chippy and crackled patina.

But the best part was getting our email lists merged. We needed help getting an Apple notebook talking to my Sony laptop.  So we understand that this maybe short notice for many of you, but we will be offering classes again in the near future, and will send out another email with more information.

Starting with an Annie Sloan Chalk Painting Class:

Chalk Paint® 101 Workshop
Monday, November 3, 2014 at 5 PM located at the Broken Broom, 323 East Superior Street, Duluth

Class fee $95 per person

This is the class to learn the proper ways to use Chalk Paint® and the clear and dark soft waxes. You will learn various techniques such as smooth, rustic, two-color and crackle. The finishes will be created by you on sample boards to take home. Proper application of wax~how and when to use both dark and clear waxes will also be taught. You will even get to experiment with French gilding wax.

 Leave the workshop with the confidence you need to start painting your furniture with great results. A chance “play” before starting your piece of furniture at home with the opportunity to answer your Chalk paint® questions.

The class is filled with lots of fun info for two plus hours. You will learn tips on how to handle condition issues.

All supplies are provided.
Refreshments will be provided.

Please wear paint friendly attire.

Pre-payment is required. There are no refunds. If you may have to cancel a credit will be applied to another scheduled class.
Call Heidi at 218.780.6054

Can't believe all the changes this year unfolded, (so far). Just when you think you have it all figured out, life brings you something new, and I admit, I'll jump! Now operating as de'lea designs I am in an entirely new place, in all ways!

So back up...to last fall, As I was readjusting to my old space, Heidi moved in next door with Broken Broom. She brought with her Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.   What a plus having the area stocklist right next door ! But in addition to the paint, our styles blended perfectly! Before we knew it our inventory was being staged together, so after a few months, deciding to share space, I moved in with her next door. So our styles meshed, inventory meshed, space meshed........ but not enough space.  As our ideas grew so did our needs regarding our store. We started searching for a larger location.
Oh my, my!  At first it seemed like we had so many options. but when it came down to it, not so much.  One day we just decided to park the car at one end of Superior Street and walk up one side and down the other hoping to find a "Little Hidden Gem". As we got out of the car we stopped and looked at what was right in front of us, a tiny little "for lease" sign in the window! We called left a message, then continued down the street. After a few more left messages, and unsuccessful contacts we made it back to the car.  But we spent a few minutes staring into the vacant store front, dreaming, planning and "what if-ing".  A week later, we had a space!

Since then we made an all in one move! Trucks full, everything jammed in. Then started the work of getting things ready for opening; painting walls, cleaning, a new cash-wrap, there was so much to do! And we did it! Opened the middle of June, in time for Grandma Marathon! We still had somethings to do, signage, organizational things, but we kept working through the "to do" list.

With this move we also changed our business model. Once we were part of the occasional markets, open just one, 4 day, weekend a month, now we are open 4 days every week. We went from a quaint, off the beaten path location, to the main street (Superior Street) in downtown Duluth, MN.  We have really kicked it up a notch!

Not to let any thing grow under our feet we are still tweaking our space, adding to our product lines, including stencils and...........
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!
de'lea designs is now the area Certified Retailer for
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint!!!!!! Yes, we now have another great tool to offer our creative DYI customers. Retail training is coming up in the first part of November and I can't wait to learn all I can so we can share with you!