The Clay Trowel

When I think of a little baby sleeping in a room for countless hours (hopefully) I can't think of a better wall covering than a 0 VOC application of breathable, all natural American Clay.  All the fumes from paint can't be good!  This room is done in their Marittimo clay product.  I covered their Porcelina product in this post of a 5000 sq foot home we did, and the Loma in this post, so what better to cover the Marittimo in this one!  Photo credit by Nick Novelli Marittimo™ is a name created with the "mar" (or "sea") at its core.  Maritimo™ uses recycled, crushed shells from the U.S. Gulf Coast.  This plaster top coat brings the greatest textural surprise of them all. Its faceted luminescence is produced by burnishing and light sponging brings back the spirit of the shells used in this formulation. (taken from American Clay website) Always expect delight.:-) This nursery (by Keren Navarro) was a mix of the pigment Kentucky Moon and Wild Horse Smoke.

With this project my client wanted to add an accent wall in clay behind her bed.  She asked for something fun with lots of character to add elegance but also liven up the place.  This was not a typical application of the clay but we had a lot of fun doing it. Since my last clay post was about the American Clay product Porcelina , today I'm showcasing a room done in Loma . "Loma™ The Original Earth Plaster.  Loma™, meaning "earth" in Spanish, conveys the essence of suede through its sensuous matte surfaces resembling the textural delights of a Tuscan farmhouse.  Made with reclaimed marble, sand, and multiple clays, our patented formula offers a remarkable breadth of surface possibilities."  (American Clay website) Plain Old Boring Bedroom Wall........ (-: Unique and Vibrant Bedroom Wall...... We achieved this look by putting on a base coat of Acacia in the American Clay product Loma.  Next we put on very random trowel markings in Amber Grain. As you

A few of you have asked to have more details about the clay lamp and up close pictures of the winning American Clay wall.  I am happy to oblige.  With the lamp, it came to me with the center being a white PVC plastic tube.  I have no idea why it was like that or what was on there before.  The rest of the lamp is a very nice, heavy duty structure with a stone base and top.  I painted the plastic with a coat of the sanded primer then I troweled on the American Clay.  In general American Clay colors are not very deep or dark.  The best way to deepen the color is to apply an oil, stucco soap, or sealer over the top.  I decided to actually add paint over the top of the clay.  By doing this it does take away all the breathablity of the clay and turns it from a very natural product back into just another painted product.  But I decided it was just a small lamp and I was willing to change the clay property this one time.  I also wanted to add some more depth to this lamp and applied a fe

Hello Friends!! As my love for American Clay continues I try to explore different uses for the product.  I've even gone so far as to coat a lamp out if it. (the center on that lamp used to be a white PVC pipe which is probably why I got it for 10 bucks at a thrift store!) Today I would like to showcase an art piece I created with the clay and in good 'ol blog fashion try to explain how to........ Do It Yourself.  :-) First buy yourself a blank art canvas. I bought four canvases 24"x30" which would make the final piece a whoppin 4'x5'!  Michaels craft store carries a lot of sizes. (I've even done this technique on a tiny 8"x11" canvas) Since American Clay needs something to stick onto I applied a sanded primer to the canvas and allowed it to dry. Next I covered the entire four canvases with a layer of clay. I would highly recommend doing 2 layers of clay but as you read through my blog you will see I am qu

My love of American Clay came as I was flipping through a design magazine and ran across this picture of American Clay.  I was sold instantly.   I wanted my whole life to look like that picture!   OK well at least some rooms in my home.   I showed a friend and she said, “Well let's go to   Albuquerque and learn how to do it!”   Easy enough – right?   So off we went and I’ve never looked back.  If your walls were bread, American Clay is the butter, maybe even the butter and the jam.   What I’m saying is American Clay is a MUST!   I just entered my first Professional American Clay makeover contest and am happy to announce my room won the grand prize. Follow this link to read the full article. Here is a summary: I entered three of the homes I did this past year. Below are the BEFORE and AFTER pictures. Ledeboer's had me do their  kitchen and dining room .                                                                                    Loma 2 coat skip troweled