My Faux Sistah

 Last spring I wrote blog post about one of my "half-sisters".  Today I want to tell you about my "faux sistah".  Her name is Ande Crenshaw and she ROCKS!  I don't think I could luuuuuv her more if we were blood related...  You see when I first started my faux business a couple of years ago, I started scouring the internet and bookstores for good technique instructions.  I knew that there was more to faux than just ragging and sponging but I couldn't really find a whole lot on "high end" techniques.  One day I stumbled upon a little website based in Nashville called MojoFaux and knew as soon as I read the bio of the "primarily self taught" owner I had to contact them.  So I sent an email asking if they could recommend any faux finishing classes close to Memphis.  You see, up to this point the only classes I had found lasted a week, cost $2000 + hotel and meals and were 5 or more hours away by car.  Being a newborn in "the faux biz" and having two young children, that just wasn't an option for me.

I had already been blown off by a couple of different faux professionals (not in my area BTW) so I kind of expected the same reaction.  Boy, was I excited when Jared (Ande's adorable hubs who handles the business end of things) phoned me to let me know that they were planning on putting together some one day mini classes in Nashville!  Long story short...  Ande and I hit it off instantly and thanks to her encouragement, inspiration and friendship I am growing what looks to be a very promising career!

There is most definitely an art to faux and there are many decorative artisans out there who can be very territorial when it comes to their art.  For someone who is self-taught it can be very intimidating.  However, With her infectious personality and "It's Just Paint" attitude, Ande Crenshaw cuts though all of the pretense and continues to inspire me every day!

By now I am sure you are wondering about my reasons for the Ande love-fest....Well, Ande has a new line of faux finishing products and online tutorials geared towards the Do-It-Yourselfer and I have signed on as an affiliate of her products.  We also have some other exiting things planned to help those of you who would rather learn to do it yourself than pay one of us to do it for you, but that is for another day.

For now I am going to share the links to her videos and products and give you a first look at a desk I am working on refinishing by using some of the products you can find in her store.  Later this week I will share complete instructions as well as a product list for how you can do it too.

Be careful, this may burn your eyes it is so ugly...

 

Pretty GROSS, huh? 

Here is a FREE video from Ande

Now follow the links to www.FauxAGoodTime.com so they know I sent ya and tell them I said "Hey Y'all!"

 

BTW... In the past couple of years I have met (in person and online) a lot of amazing faux artists that are very kind and welcoming to newcomers like me.