Our Saltwash Display - Using Crackle and Saltwash

This potting bench display is perfect for our Saltwash, but it needed to show just how great Saltwash looks.  So why not add my favorite "fun" products on it - Crackle and Saltwash! 

Supplies needed: 

   3 colors of paint - used here:  Terra Bella Paint & Finishes in Waterfall, 
         Cathedral, and Fresh Cream
   Saltwash
   Terra Bella Crackle
   2 brushes - a good and a cheap brush (chip brush is perfect).  We carry
        ClingOn Brushes.  One of the best brushes around for furniture painting.
   Orbital Sander - I find this the best thing to use for heavy distressing
   Container to mix your Saltwash with paint
   Stir Sticks
   Supplies to clean piece
  
  

1.  First step is to clean your piece.  I use 50/50 vinegar and water.  Followed by a quick wipe with a towel with plain water.  On this piece, I didn't worry too much if stuff chipped off, it would just give it more character - this is not typical, as for most pieces, I make sure it is really clean. 

2.  I mixed Terra Bella Cathedral Acrylic Chalk Paint with Saltwash.  Some of our paints can be a little thick so I add about 20% water first.  Then I add a scoop at a time of Saltwash to the paint, stir, add, stir until I get a cake batter like consistency.  Now for the easy fun part, just start dabbing the mixture on your piece where you want the Saltwash with a cheap brush.  On some pieces, I cover the entire piece, however, on this piece, I wanted it more random (for more information on using and applying  Saltwash, please watch this video).

3.  After applying the random Saltwash and allowing it to dry, I used Terra Bella Waterfall and randomly placed it mainly in areas I didn't add the Saltwash mixture.  Let dry.

3.  Also in a random method, I added Terra Bella Crackle over the potting bench. Let Dry.

4.  Fresh Cream was used as the top layer.  When painting over crackle, be sure to apply paint using one way strokes instead of back and forth.  Again, I randomly added the Fresh Cream making sure I hit the crackle (it dries shiny so easy to see). 

5.  Now for the my favorite part, sanding! I prefer using an electrical orbital hand sander.  I sanded to hit the peaks of the Saltwash and avoided the areas with the crackle.  The potting bench was painted with a dark red a few years ago so I left that but really distressed it with the sander.

Since this was a rough and really distressed piece, I decided not to add any topcoat to it.

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