Annie Sloan's GREAT AMERICAN TOUR and Robyn Story's UPDATE

OH MY GOSH

Can I tell you what an amazing time we had in Atlanta?!

As you walked into the Conference Center Annie's Pictures and Fabrics greeted you!

Words alone can never define who Annie is.  

She's BRILLIANT

Charming

Witty

Incredibly Talented

and just an INSPIRATION for us all.

Not only for her talent as an artist but for what she represents as a woman.

Successful

Driven 

Caring

We started off at 6:30 on Wednesday morning. 

  Lori and I decided at the last minute to load up the car and drive!!
 I know....I need to bring pretty things...
to set a stage....

to tell a story....

Can I tell you what a GREAT decision that was.  We were loaded to the gills with all things ANNIE!  

We brought our "Antoinette", our mannequin inspired by Annie Sloan Colors and she brought

joy 

 a sense of style

and a 

personality to the whole environment!

Welcome to our Workshop/Breakout Room.  This is Antoinette, David - Annie's Husband and Me!

I also loaded up on sample pieces from the store and we even made a special little table just for Annie.

Here are a few pictures of our Workshop/Breakout room

This is our room before we worked out little magic.

After we decorated and set it up.

Our "place settings"

One of our vignettes

I have made it a personal mission to own all of Annie's Books.  She's a wonderful speaker and an amazing writer as well.

 On Thursday, Annie's BIG day, we were all set up and people started rolling in!

I am SOOO proud of my wonderful customers.  SO many familiar faces were coming through our doors.

Thanks to ALL of YOU that shared this wonderful event with us!  Don't forget, you get a FREE workshop in our store for coming to Atlanta and supporting Annie.  Those dates are coming....

Carol (who won the national giveaway of 29 pots of paint & her daughter Danielle were there to learn from Annie

Julie from Venice was glued to all that Annie had to say!

Michele and Ken Hiley of Stiltskin Studios were there to share in ALL of the festivities!

Even Pierre (Ken's parakeet) made the trip and had to room with Lori!

Michele Hiley - Stiltskin Studios and Anne Smith - Gyspyfleur

 Our workshop was just fabulous.  LOTS of familiar faces and some GREAT new friends.  We placed some drop cloths on the floor and had each of our workshop participants dip their hands in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and leave their hand prints as well as their autograph on this cloth.

Even ANNIE GOT IN ON THE FUN!

Annie leaving her mark on our cloth!

Who needs Hollywood Boulevard!!!!

Okay, enough of my pictures.  What did we learn from Annie?!  Too much to blog about but I will tell you she has a BRAND NEW BOOK coming out in about a year.  It's a recipe book.  A How to Book on mixing colors.  Her color theory was amazing to listen to.  Her stories about the history of colors was so fun and educational.  I'll never look at Antoinette again and not remember her story.  Same for so many of her colors.  I loved that she shared those stories with everyone. 

A page out of her book that she uses in her store in Oxford.  Love the color combinations with her fabric. 

 Oh, and NEW PAINT BRUSHES FROM ANNIE are on their way!!  I just got the info that we HOPE to have them by the end of the month.  Fingers and toes crossed.

There will be three different paint brush sizes.  We had an opportunity to use them in Atlanta and they're FABULOUS!

(Speaking of brushes....don't forget our Two For One Mini Wax brushes)

Can you tell that I just LOVE LOVE LOVE all things Annie.  Finally, I got to share all of this with one of my staff members, Lori.  She's as fanatical about this paint as I am.  Loves every minute that she gets to spend working with it.  Seeing her meet Annie was such a treat for me.  It was a magical time.   If you were there, you understand.  If you weren't, I can not stress enough - if you EVER get this opportunity - 

TAKE IT.  It was worth every penny and then some.

Okay, one more picture.  Lori and I drove up my driveway, Steve opened the door and there's my Louie waiting for his momma with a new, prized possession.  Seriously, is he not the cutest!!??

AN UPDATE ON ANNIE'S TOUR AND MY CREATIVE STAFF

My trip to New Orleans was 

OVER THE TOP

Seeing Annie again and being around the stockists from all over the country was truly an inspiring time!!

Anyone that has signed up for ANNIE'S AMERICAN TOUR is going to have a fantastic time.  I wish I could bring everyone with me.   
To learn from her is like no other experience.
To hear her talk about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and her brand and the future of it was just simply amazing. 

In the weeks to come I'll share all kinds of wonderful things with you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While I was gone my staff at ROBYN STORY DESIGNS & BOUTIQUE was busy creating some magic of their own for the store!

Scott was inspired by this piece of furniture (of course we forgot to take a before pic) that I picked up at one of my visits to an Estate Sale.

There was nothing remarkable about the piece, it needed color and something to make it pop.  I think this turned out gorgeous and I LOVE the color combination!

This was simply an old dresser made of dark wood in rough shape

A paint brush, a pot of SCANDINAVIAN PINK and ARLES along with CLEAR and DARK wax resulted in this beauty

Even though it's newly painted, it still looks like time and age have weathered away the finish a little.  Rustically charming!

Lori found this Chifferobe on Craigslist for $20, not in the greatest condition.  She took it home and found inspiration in a gorgeous Toile fabric!

(The name “chifforobe” {sometimes spelled "chifferobe"} owes its history to two words: the French chiffonier, a tall piece of furniture containing drawers, and the Old French "warderobe" or wardrobe,a closed movable closet where clothes can hang as well as have drawers)

This is painted with Primer Red ( a few areas underneath) covered by Old Ochre.  Lightly distressed in those areas for a soft reveal of color.  Clear and Dark wax were worked into this piece.

The fabric was applied with spray adhesive and a VERY sharp knife was used to cut around the detail.  Followed by dark red welting to outline the piece.

I should go away more often!!  It seems the creative juices just flow around here.  

Stop by Robyn Story Designs and Boutique to take a closer look at these lovelies and keep an eye on the BLOG for more GREAT NEWS about 

ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT

ANNIE SLOAN MEETS MCKENZIE CHILDS

I have a few things that totally inspire my creative mind

ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT

and

MCKENZIE-CHILDS

So one of my staff members at Robyn Story Designs had a little free time on her hands

(if you can believe that!!) and took a chandelier from the store and recreated it into something I find inspiring.

a little three armed black chandelier

cute perhaps, but nothing special

a close up of the black paper shade

So what did Lori use.
  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint of course!!!! 
Primer Red
Versailles
Arles
Old White
Graphite
Cream

faux marble on the shade

faux marble on the metal center post

Mckenzie's signature checkerboard

all finished and embellished with pom-pom fringe on the shades

What a great way to take something a little tired and make it fresh and new!!

Come to my little boutique
ROBYN STORY DESIGNS and BOUTIQUE
and check this out
AND
all the INSPIRING designs!

BRUSH WITH GREATNESS

Have I mentioned that 

ANNIE SLOAN IS COMING TO AMERICA??

Actually, she's here in New York and heading to New Orleans

TO KICK OFF HER AMERICAN TOUR !!

Annie with the US Distributor Lisa of Jolie Design

I will be heading to New Orleans tomorrow to spend some time with her and all the other stockists in America.

Can you believe it's only been a year since 

ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT

has been here in the States??

Think of how this amazing product has changed your creative life since last year!

I know it has changed the direction of Robyn Story Designs and Boutique.

I've met the most amazing people as a result and have followed some tremendous blogs from all of these creative people that have embraced Annie's Paint as much as we have!

I will be 'BRUSHING WITH GREATNESS' this weekend and want to share my new brushes with you.

We're continuing our 

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

 

Go to our ONLINE SHOPPING CART and when you've picked out your

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color/product and are ready to check out,  
ADD

ONE MINI WAX BRUSH to your order 

and we'll 

automatically

 Send you ONE.....FREE

(That's a value of $10.95!!)

**$34.95 purchase required to take advantage of BOGO

excluding shipping

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

ROBYN STORY DESIGNS
 SOURCED A 

NEW

FANTASTIC 

PRODUCT

JUST FOR YOU!!!!

 and to spread the word we're offering

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!**

Here are our new MINI WAX BRUSHES

We used these on Saturday at one of our Workshops
and EVERYONE loved them!!
 This offer is for a limited time so GRAB YOURS NOW

Go to our ONLINE SHOPPING CART and when you've picked out your 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color/product and are ready to check out,  
ADD

ONE MINI WAX BRUSH to your order 

and we'll 

automatically

 Send you ONE.....FREE

(That's a value of $10.95!!)

**$34.95 purchase required to take advantage of BOGO

excluding shipping

What are you waiting for......???

ANNIE SLOAN'S TOUR AND ROBYN'S GIVEAWAY

To say that I'm sooooo excited about Annie Sloan's American Tour would be a great understatement.

As a Florida stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I love that I'll get to see and chat with Annie again.  She's an amazing woman

Inspiring

Creative

Intelligent

Funny

and just an all around great gal!

 For all of my follower's, if you have the chance to meet her you should!  She will be teaching her techniques to us ALL.  Who wouldn't want to learn from
Annie Sloan....the MASTER herself!!

So to sweeten the pot and to THANK YOU for your support I want to encourage and inspire you  to sign up for Annie Sloan's American Tour in the Atlanta area!

After you've learned from Annie in Atlanta we invite you back to Tampa, Florida for a
FREE ANNIE SLOAN WORKSHOP DAY to perfect her techniques on YOUR PIECE

What's that mean??  That means you get to bring YOUR piece of furniture
(something you can carry in)
and your creative mind

to my beautiful workshop

and

Robyn Story Designs will be GIVING AWAY two FREE sample pots of paint
 (your choice of colors)
PLUS you'll use our waxes
and you can let the paint fly while creating your piece here!
This day is fun and informal but as your Annie Sloan stockist we will be there
in case you need a
little encouragement
guidance
questions answered or
refresher of the techniques

AS A BONUS
(and this is a BIG one)

We will also be having a FREE mini-workshop on

 stenciling

and
gold gilding!

A little Starbucks coffee and some great cookies and nibbles...
a day  
JUST FOR YOU
(this is a VERY special offer and space is LIMITED!)

In order to take advantage, please make sure that you

Register here for the tour and
 leave a comment on this post that you've registered 
 and you will be cordially invited to a 

FREE ANNIE SLOAN WORKSHOP DAY
( 11:30 - 3:30)

So, this is a win-win. 
You learn from Annie Sloan and come to Robyn Story Designs and we'll make sure you leave with a 

GORGEOUS project - created by YOU, inspired by ANNIE

ROBYN AND ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT ON THE ROAD

I LOVE sharing my PASSION of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. 
So when Carolyn of Somewhere in Time asked me to stop by I thought
"Why not?"
It's such a great opportunity to reach out to even more community members and share my
passion for Annie's wonderful product!

This Thursday, February 16 I'll be doing a deminar in Brandon.  
If you find yourself in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello!!
---------------
Somewhere in Time Antiques
 Is hosting a Deminar of
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 

Thursday February 16, 11 am

Robyn Story Designs & Boutique

Demonstrate how to use this versatile paint to achieve a popular furniture finish seen in decor'
magazines and books.  This paint and wax finish, developed in England can be used on any surface and requires little prep.

Our own dealers are using this product with every impressive results!

When Robyn retired from her successful advertising career she started a floral business to the trade from her home.  Soon this developed to include all sort of home decor, including fantastic chandeliers, lighting, gorgeous custom florals, home accessories and even women's accessories and bling.  They are also a full service design studio and love to be asked to accessorize homes -
"It's what we do best!"
They also have a workroom that creates stellar soft scapes such as bedding and drapery as well as a designer that works with Robyn Story Designs.  And so, they have LOTS to share with us.

If you have some refinishing you would like to do

If you have your eye on that great piece at the shop that you would like to 
purchase and refinish

Or maybe you just want to know how it is done

Join us, you won't be bored and we will have refreshments!

La Viva Plaza, 720 Lumsden Road, Brandon, FL  
813-684-0588

--------------
 So come on by and say hi!!  You know I LOVE Seeing all of you!!