A while back … actually, wait a minute, I have to insert here that it was THREE years ago, even though it feels like just last year or something.  How does time fly by so quickly?  I could have sworn this was more recent than that, but of course it was B.C.  Before Covid.  So it had to be 2019 or earlier.

Anyway, quite a while back, I found a pair of quail at the Mac-Grove neighborhood sales.

I thought they were sweet, but I didn’t love their dull, antiqued sort of finish.  So I gave the pair a paint job using RustOleum Mirror Effect spray paint in Gold.

I think that gave them an updated, more modern look.  You know I don’t love a lot of shine, but in this case I think adding some shine made a great improvement.

This pair sold fairly quickly at the shop, so it must have been a good thing.

So recently when I saw another quail at the thrift store I decided to pick it up and do the same.

Since it was still below freezing outside however, I couldn’t spray paint it.  I don’t have a properly ventilated warm space for spray painting indoors.  So I decided to try using the Dixie Belle Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem on it instead.

I’ve only used this product to stencil so far …

so I wasn’t quite sure how it would work to paint an entire, albeit small, piece.  I really like how bright and shiny the mousse is though, so I decided to try it on the quail.  In the event of a fail, I could always hang onto the quail until the weather warms up and then give it a coat of spray paint.

The Gemstone Mousse is a water based formula with zero VOC’s, making it perfectly safe to use indoors in winter.  And since it’s water based, I figured I could easily spray paint over it if necessary (unlike with a gilding wax or other oil based products).

In addition to the Golden Gem, it comes in three other colors; Garnet, Amber and Diamond.

I did find that my mousse had separated a bit in the jar since the last time I used it, so I added just a couple of drops of water and gave it a good stir before using it.

You might be thinking that it comes in a teeny, tiny jar … and you wouldn’t be wrong.  I actually can’t even find the size (weight) of the jar anywhere, but it’s small.  However, a little goes a LONG way with this stuff.  I used hardly any to paint my quail.  I have a feeling this product will be similar to the metallic waxes, where it takes multitudes of projects to get through an entire container.

I used an artist brush to apply the mousse on my quail, but you can also just use your finger to apply this stuff.

And here he (she?) is.

I have to admit, I haven’t quite figured this product out yet.  It’s thicker than a metallic paint, but not as thick as a metallic wax.  You can rub it on with your finger, or apply it with a brush.  It’s water based, so you can reactivate the mousse with water.  It doesn’t require a top coat, although if it’s going to get wet I think I’d be tempted to add one.  That being said, a water based topcoat that is brushed on may reactivate the mousse causing it to lift off your surface.  Also, my quail felt tacky to the touch for a couple of days after being coated with the mousse.  I’m not sure if that’s because my application was too thick or what.  According to the instructions, the mousse should cure in 24 hours.  For that reason, you may want to use a spray sealer of some kind, even the Dixie Belle Easy Peasy spray wax would work.  But after a few days of dry time, my quail feels just fine.

I’d definitely use the Gemstone Mousse as an alternative to metallic spray paint again, at least in the winter.

How about you?  Have you used this product?  If so, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment.

Thank you to Dixie Belle for providing the Gemstone Mousse used for today’s project.