an embarrassment of riches.

Published on by Quandie

Recently Dixie Belle sent me a few of the new brushes they have come out with. In fact, they sent me three sets of two of them. The first set were prototypes of a sort and they just wanted some feedback on the quality. Then they sent a 2nd set of them … honestly, I’m not quite sure why … maybe they just mistakenly sent them? The third set was the final version of the product, and they have the name of the brush engraved on the side of the handle which is a nice touch.

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I’ve worked with both of these brushes now and I found that the Best Dang Brush works beautifully for stenciling.

It’s nice and big, so you can make quick work of it.

I also think the Best Dang Brush would work well for waxing, although I haven’t tried it.  I did try the La Petite brush for waxing, and it worked quite well.

That pointy end is perfect for working the wax into corners.

Both of these new brushes are now available on the Dixie Belle website in case you are in need of a fantastic stenciling or waxing brush.

Receiving these new brushes made me realize that my brush storage system was already at full capacity and I needed a new solution. So I headed off to Hobby Lobby and I came home with these galvanized containers.

They are divided into three sections each (although you can’t see that in the ‘before’ photo) which will help keep my brushes standing upright.

They aren’t terribly exciting to look at, but I liked the size of them and the price was right. They were originally $12.99, but 50% off the day I found them, so I got them for around $6.50 each.

Of course I had to dress them up a bit first, so I added some sections of the IOD Label Ephemera transfer to the front of each one.

Someone recently mentioned in a comment that this transfer has been retired.  Such a bummer!  It was so perfect for using on small projects like this.  I guess you should stock up while they last (but leave some for me please)!

I decided to put all of my paint brushes into one container, and my wax brushes in another.

I know some of you must be looking at all of those brushes and thinking ‘jeesh, that’s an embarrassing quantity of brushes!’ and I don’t disagree.

When it comes to paint brushes, I really can use lots of them though.  In the summer when I’m able to paint out in my carriage house workshop I often have multiple projects in different colors going at one time.  I’ll often have half a dozen or more brushes in use simultaneously.  I also like having different brushes for different things.  Sometimes I want an angled brush (to get a clean edge), sometimes a brush with a short handle (to paint the insides of cupboard), sometimes a smaller brush, sometimes an inexpensive chip brush because I know I’m going to wreck it (using it for applying mod podge, I can never get that brush perfectly clean again) and so on.

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So yes, I really can use this many paint brushes.

On the other hand, I definitely have too many wax brushes.

Don’t get me wrong, I always apply my wax with a brush and it’s very convenient to have enough wax brushes that I can use each one exclusively for a particular color of wax.  At a minimum it’s good to have one brush for dark wax, one for white wax, and one for clear.

But as you can see, I have far more than that.

Quite honestly, having this many extra wax brushes has led to total laziness on my part.  Rather than wash my wax brushes, I just pull out a new one when I’m ready to wax.  How wasteful is that?  So as soon as I’m done writing this post, I’m going to wash all of my wax brushes so that they are ready to go for my next painting project.  I find the Fusion Brush Soap is perfect for cleaning wax brushes (check out this post for more on keeping your brushes clean).

I always end up feeling a bit guilty when I have ‘too much’ of something.  Excess makes me uncomfortable.

So I’ve decided to give away the extra set of these brushes that I received from Dixie Belle.  I suspect that some of you don’t have a bunch of wax brushes, or possibly don’t have any at all.  For the first couple of years that I was painting furniture I applied my wax with an old t-shirt because I didn’t want to splurge on a good quality wax brush (and FYI, it’s much easier to apply wax with a brush).  I’m hoping this pair of brushes can go to someone who will put them to good use.

The rules:  Simply leave a comment on today’s blog post to have your name thrown in the hat to win.

Your comment must be left on this blog post, not on Facebook or Instagram.  You are not required to follow my blog, although it would be awesome if you did!

I will randomly draw the name of a winner for today’s prize from all of the comments left on this post by Friday, March 26, 2021 at the stroke of midnight (U.S. Central time).

The fine print: no purchase necessary, you must be 18 years of age or older to win, void where prohibited by law, the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning, approximate retail value of prize is $50, if the prize is not claimed by Friday, April 2, 2021 another name will be drawn at random to win, blah, blah, blah.

As always, thanks to Dixie Belle for providing the items I am giving away.  Good luck!

106 thoughts on “an embarrassment of riches.”

  3. I love your brush containers! I still don’t have brushes dedicated solely to waxing – I use wax rarely and just haven’t made the investment yet. The new brushes seem nice and I think They would be perfect for stenciling or waxing. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  5. Well, I believe you can never have enough brushes! Love how well you take care of them. I only have brushes for painting so would love to try a wax brush. Paula

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  8. Ooh, I just use a t-shirt too 🙂 I’d love to chat more on the “excess makes me uncomfortable”. Has it always been that way or is that something that has developed? Excess used to make me feel more comfortable and prepared, but now I just want to purge everything and lighten up. Feels good letting go! Also, kind of tricky for non-collectors ha 😉

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    1. Maybe the ‘excess makes me uncomfortable’ thing only applies to things that have a useful purpose, like these brushes. I hate to have them just gathering dust in my cupboard knowing that someone else could really use them. And as I’m finding with the comments today, there are plenty of you out there who don’t even have one wax brush … let alone a dozen! It definitely does not apply to my non-collections 😉

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  9. Yes, that’s me, applying wax with an old t-shirt and each time I think… I’ve got to up my game and use the right “tools” for these projects.I’m also a bit of a lazy brush cleaner and I must improve on that.
    As always I enjoy your tips and tricks.
    Jill

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  10. I’ve been wondering how to best clean brushes so thanks for that extra post. I’m trying to organize and just keep what I love and need. It’s hard!!!!!!😩

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  11. Love the transfers on galvanized containers. Would love to try the brush that is good for stenciling. My stenciling brush I have used for years needs to be retired. I use wax and love these types of brushes for that.

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  15. You can never have enough brushes!! I, too, just started using brushes for waxing instead of old t-shirts or towels!!

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  17. Let me first say that the containers that you picked to hold your brushes are perfect! I have a very similar one that I bought a couple of years ago and it has worked quite well for me. I really love the transfers that you put on yours. I use a lot of brushes when I paint too. I have always taken care of my brushes so i have accumulated a lot of them. I only have a few wax brushes so a big thank you for a chance to win some new ones! The “La Petite” brush looks like a great brush for all of those nooks and crannies! 😊

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  18. I love your posts, they always make me smile! I have used flat bristled brushes for wax, but never a pointy-ended one. I’ll have to try it! I love your new storage containers and the transfer you used to put your mark on it with!👌

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    1. I had never used a pointy ended one with wax before either, but I gave it a shot with this La Petite brush and it worked like a charm for getting in those grooves!

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  19. Thanks for the chance at these great brushes! I don’t have any for just waxing, in fact I only have one small container of clear wax. I was afraid of using the wax at first. Just didn’t understand what it was all about, but I’ve used it a couple of times on small projects and I’m ok with it now. So these would come in so handy. Thanks again! Keep up the great work.

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    1. I have to say Allison, these brushes will leave chip brushes in the dust. Although they are pricey (the La Petite is $24.95 and the Best Dang Brush is $25.95) I think they are worth every penny for the amount of elbow grease they will save you when applying wax to larger items.

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  28. I’d love to win these brushes! I don’t have any wax brushes yet – just make do with t-shirts and other brushes that don’t really work that well. Love your blog and the inspiration from all your many creative projects! I look forward to it.

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  29. While I don’t paint/redo furniture like I used to, some brushes that are really meant for waxing would be nice to have. As usual, your container designs make my galvanized bins look neglected!

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  30. Thanks for sharing and for all of your Q-Tips! I’d love to have brushes dedicated to different color waxes. I currently have one for clear and use old t-shirts for dark.

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  31. I’ve painted with one brush for 3 years and have one wax brush (mostly use liquid wax so use a cloth). I can’t imagine having options. LOL

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  34. I like the container idea! I’ll have to head to Hobby Lobby but, I might need three containers just for paintbrushes! 🙂

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  35. I love what you did with the containers you bought. I know I will be doing a lot of painting once I move so I know I am going to need some brushes.

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  36. Linda you have such beautiful talent and love all those brushes
    P. S. I DON’T HAVE ANY WAX BRUSHES WILL LOOK INTO PURCHASING IF I DON’T WIN 🙂

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  37. The extra post on how to clean your brushes was welcomed information. I’d never seen a brush comb before! Your ‘problem’ of too many brushes – I’d be happy to help you out! 😗

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    1. I don’t use the brush comb terribly often, but I use the steel wire brush thingie almost every time I wash a paint brush. I noted in the post that I paid $3 for it, and it was the best $3 investment I’ve ever made 😉

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  38. I’m running to get a galvanized container. I love what you did to yours. I have only splurged on two brushes thus far. I’d love to try the ones you recommend. Please enter me in the draw. Maybe I’ll get lucky. 🙂

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  40. Thank you for sharing how you store your brushes- practical- no stress on the brushes themselves and you can see at a glance exactly which one you need. My paint brushes are in a drawer after they dry and I have to shuffle them around to find the one I need. I’d sure love to win those wax brushes, as I’m still at the old t shirt stage of wax application.

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  42. I too have multiple brushes going at once. Yours look so clean, mine definitely don’t look like that. And I must be too hard on them when I do clean, mine seem to get all frizzy or smashed out on the sides.
    A girl can never have too many brushes though. Lol

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  43. I have never used wax brushes. I have used the citrus and beeswax oily product and I never wash the brush after using it. I keep the brush in a container so it doesn’t dry out or spead out or get dirty. So my question is, if you don’t wash the brushes do they get hard and stiff so you can’t use them as paint does? I used “paste wax” decades ago but applied it with a rag that I reused and had no trouble…thanks for the education.

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    1. The wax brushes do stiffen up to some degree after a couple of weeks if you don’t wash them, but you can work them a bit by rubbing them with a terrycloth towel and they loosen back up again. It’s not really a good practice though because they can then leave behind flaky bits of old wax. But if you’re using your wax brush on a daily, or even a weekly basis, it seems to be fine. It definitely doesn’t dry out as fast (or become as hard) as an unwashed paint brush would.

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  48. ❤❤Please don’t be embarrassed. You work hard for what you have. I find its the clutter that is embarrasing. HAHAA. Ever since the pandemic, I have had to homeschool our three kids, and we have had highs and lows, but we have been so blessed by having the ability for me to stay home and painting has been an outlet for me to earn a little and teach my girls how to use tools!! Ok rambling…. BUT really how do you get your brushes clean??!

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  49. Oh my goodness ! I have these same boxes. And they do need a little something added. Thanks for the inspiration Miss Q! And it is very lovely of you to give away your extras!

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