Martha Stewart Glaze... and Craigslist bartering?

Happy Wednesday Y'all! I'd say "Happy Hump Day" since that darn camel is so popular these days, but to tell you the truth that phrase just kinda sorta grosses me out. Annnywho, this weekend I had every intention of getting to work on this great, curvy, French Provincial, tallboy dresser I got (read: stole) from my mom a couple of weeks ago buuuut then the weekend turned into backyard grilling, late morning pancakes, drives out to The Oasis and LOTS of football. Tallboy loses.

However, I did do something a little crazy on Saturday morning.... I bartered on Craigslist for the first time. Yes- bartered. A few weeks ago, I put this little turquoise end-table on Craigslist. I got lots of bites (I wasn't asking much), but the one that stood out to me most was a woman who offered to give me a free full color and cut for the table. SOLD. This ginger can't afford to be a blonde these days, so the rebel in me agreed. Let me tell you this- I'm hooked! We decided that I'd send her pictures of my finds periodically in exchange for free hair. She admitted that she barters for just about everything- furniture, babysitters, etc.  I've never felt more cheap- but I'm ok with that.

Here's the piece I traded for a new do: 

This cute little guy had been sitting in my grandma's shed in San Antonio for a few months and she practically begged me to take it. It looked like the perfect size for a "practice piece", so I loaded it up (with some other junk she gave me to fix up) and headed back to Austin. I had never used Martha Stewart glaze before (only Valspar tintable glaze, which I love) so I thought I'd try it out. 

This is the shade I used. It has a subtle glitter in it... Need I say more?

The piece was in pretty bad condition- I had to use a lot of wood filler to conceal dents and scratches. But after I got everything filled in and sanded down, I was able to follow this handy little tutorial pretty much step-by-step. I used the same Behr "Mermaid's Dream" color (you have to ask for it because there isn't a swatch for it anymore), swapped out the Valspar glaze for some Martha and distressed mine more heavily, but Ana White does a great job of walking you through the process!

A few things I learned with this glaze:

1. When she says let it sit.... actually let it sit :) I'm impatient, and 

therefore I ended up completely wiping it off a few times. 

2. Dry cloths and wet cloths make two very different effects- dry cloths do 

a better job of spreading the tint over the whole piece, while wet

 cloths tend to leave more color on the distressed/sanded areas 

and less on the flat painted areas. 

3. Use more glaze on those distressed areas- more color

will soak into the raw wood and you will get a better aged look. 

4. Don't get a manicure right before you use it- you'll just waste your money. 

Well, overall I really enjoyed my bartering experience. If you have a talent or hobby you think people 

would potentially want to barter for, I'd say give it a shot! Just make sure to be smart about it. I am entirely too trusting of people, but I made sure that we met in a public location and I brought a dude along with me (bodyguard much?). We've all heard of people who have ended up in unfortunate situations while buying/selling on Craigslist- so please be sure to follow these safety tips when dealing with any kind of online selling. 

I hope everyone has a great day, and rest of the week! Happy DIYing and God Bless!

-Ravanne