Friday, April 20, 2012

I 'SLOANED' MY DRIVEWAY!!!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint goes over ANYTHING
A year ago, actually 14 months ago, I needed to prove to ALL that this really is the case.

As you may remember, I LOVE McKenzie Childs.  So I decided to make my entrance to 
UNIQUE
just like my little store nestled in Carrollwood.
ASCP Old Ochre and Graphite done in a checkerboard pattern
This has not been sealed.  Raw paint on raw concrete!!
This is the entrance from our parking lot
My Parking Lot!
This has been rained on, 
sprinkled on, 
driven on, 
walked on, 
merchandise has been dragged across, 
it is in FULL Florida sunshine
Gets beaten on by the notoriously strong thunderstorms
and it
STILL LOOKS AMAZING!

While I'm at it, I'll share just a few more pics of my cute little store from the outside
These are silks!  You'd never know!
Can you see the puppy peaking from the little house?
Stop by and sit for a spell.  It's beautiful in my gardens!
Don't forget to come see us at the FANCY FLEA in Lakeland.  We're sure going to transform two tents into a Mini Robyn Story Designs& boutique

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Robyn Story Designs, Fancy Flea & FREE SHIPPING

IT'S OFFICIAL,
WILL BE AT THE 
FANCY FLEA IN APRIL

WOOOOHOOOOO
Look for us at booth numbers 115 & 116 
at intersection of Lemon Street and Kentucky Avenue

We had such a GREAT time when we were there in November but we didn't have enough room to 
spread out!!  

Seriously, when I shop, I like options so I want to make sure that you have 
OPTIONS!!!

I have no idea exactly what we're bringing but I've got a hunch that it'll be 
GREAT!!

So get your Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ™ list together because we're showing up
stocked to the gills with 
ALL THINGS ANNIE!!!

That's right...PAINT - (EVERY COLOR), WAXES, BRUSHES, all of 
Annie's BOOKS

and her new 
CRAQUELUER PRODUCT

If you get your list together early, 
here's a GREAT deal for you

Call your order in - the SKIES the limit because
I'M GOING TO DELIVER IT TO YOU AT THE FANCY FLEA!

That's right, you order it, I deliver it - FREE SHIPPING
because we'll be hand delivering it to you!
AND
I'm going to throw in - FREE - two of our 
NEW MINI WAX BRUSHES**
AND
If that's not enough....AN EMBELLISHMENT PACKAGE!!
(a lovely little package with ribbons, fabrics, brick-a-brack, florals, buttons, pins - creative bits and pieces!)



Check out our website for all the goodies that you can pre-order.
Check out our new GILDING WAX while you're at it!

This comes in FOUR different colors, goes on like a dream and is just a beautiful product to work with.  I've thrown away all other "wannabe's".  This is the REAL stuff, straight from France.

Since you're not paying shipping, 
why not add this to your order!!

What are you waiting for, call your order in NOW 
(Store hours 10-5 Tues. - Fri  10-4 Saturday) .
For this promotion all orders must be called into the store so that it is processed for the Lakeland Fancy Flea
we will not be offering this special on the day of Fancy Flea and  

All orders must be received by Thursday, April 26!   
NO EXCEPTIONS 



HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE DAY OF FANCY FLEA!!
 

**minimum purchase of one quart of paint required for FREE BRUSHES & Embellisment package

Friday, April 6, 2012

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!!??



Monday, March 19, 2012

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 

Monday, March 12, 2012

ANNIE SLOAN MEETS MCKENZIE CHILDS

I have a few things that totally inspire my creative mind


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!



Saturday, March 10, 2012

BRUSH WITH GREATNESS

Have I mentioned that 

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



Sunday, March 4, 2012

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

ROBYN STORY DESIGNS
 SOURCED A 
NEW
FANTASTIC 
PRODUCT
JUST FOR YOU!!!!
 and to spread the word we're offering
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......???