Archive for the ‘Business Tips’ Category
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 |
We’re happy to now offer Venetian Plaster with Stucco Italiano - Open Studio days at NO CHARGE to our alumni students.
Stucco Italiano Open Studio will be an ongoing networking event for our alumni students who want to exchange ideas and build their portfolios.
Any student who enrolls in one of our new classes, or has attended Aaron’s classes at either Vandelae Studios or Seattle Architectural Finishing Studio, is welcome to attend these fun networking events.
Upcoming 2009 Stucco Italiano Open Studios will be held on the following Saturdays:
- February 28th
- April 11th
- May 30th
Read more about Stucco Italiano Open Studio, then call us at 206.838.5888 or e-mail info@stuccoitaliano.us to secure your spot in the Open Studio of your choice.
Posted in Business Tips, Classes, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 |
Aaron is now posting on twitter:
http://twitter.com/stuccoitaliano
Read the thoughts of our resident Venetian plaster expert as they come to him, in real time.
Haven’t fallen under the spell of twitter yet? There’s a great little intro to the micro-blogging site here.
Posted in Business Tips, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009 |
OK I’m a little behind on this one, but I promise to try and get this done every week.
Dutch manufacturer of natural lime and clay plaster Tierrafino has very nice gallery of Tadelakt finishes here…Gallery
(FYI - if you’re interested in using Stucco Italiano’s natural lime Tadelakt you can find more info here)
Environmental Building Strategies Blog mentions Venetian plaster as alternative LEED compliant wall finish: A rarely ever discussed subject is the alternative wall coverings that exist out there…Blog posting
Review of Michelangelo and the Pope’s ceiling on VP artisan’s blog: It reads more like a story…Blog post
Mud for Everyone is a blog that talks a lot about, not lime, but natural earthen plasters: The form of the building is almost complete and now for the artistic part! It’s time to plaster the mud brick walls to help protect them and add strength and beauty to the building…Blog post
Master Vancouver BC area plaster guy Steve Manby has lots of good photos of some recent exterior installations…here
That’s the roundup for this week. If you have anything you’d like to share let us know and we’ll take a look.
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Tadelakt, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 |
OK starting today, Dear Reader, every week we’ll try and anthologize some of the more interesting things we’ve seen regarding Venetian and other decorative lime plasters from around the internets including articles, blog posts, photos, whatever.
If you have a project or photo or an article or a post you’d like to have considered for inclusion please submit to info@stuccoitaliano.us
Here’s this weeks’ roundup:
Friend and talented colleague iLia Anossov releases new DVD: Fresco School is proud to announce the official release of the DVD Tutorial - “FRESCO PLASTER” from their “BUON FRESCO FOUNDATIONS” video set…full news release
Short article from French News source on Tadelakt: One of the most dramatic expressions of the multifaceted qualities of lime must be Tadelakt…Full story
Accent walls in kitchen from Sunset magazine: The kitchen and dining area are defined by Venetian plaster sealed with wax, which brings depth and sheen…Article
French artist’s blog: I just finished a course in Tadelakt which took place in the hills around Maubec, south of France…Blog post
Informative article on Venetian Plaster’s natural mold resistance: Not only is real Venetian Plaster a great addition and upgrade–and a green building product–it is absolutely beautiful. What many people are unaware of, however, is that it is also quite environmentally-friendly…Full article
Intonachino Project BC: I recently started a 1700ft lime based plaster project in Langley, B.C…Blog post
That’s it for this week. Seattle remains snowed in. Hope you’re all staying warm and not stuck in an airport this frigid holiday season!
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Tadelakt, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 |
We have a presentation piece for designers and architects available for download. This includes several photos of various finishes from distressed to smooth, interior to exterior, plus general information about specifying our earth-friendly Italian lime plasters.
If you need a small sample presentation kit with actual 5×5 samples just email us here: info@stuccoitaliano.us
Click to download our full Architectural / Designer presentation flyer.
Posted in Business Tips, Venetian Plaster | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 |
Holiday Schedule for Stucco Italiano studio
Our Seattle studio will be closed for the holidays,
Dec. 24, 2008 - Jan. 2, 2009.
If you need a color match, place your order by TODAY (Wednesday the 10th) by 4:30 PM to ensure you get it before the holiday.
For all other orders, we recommend ordering by next Wednesday the 17th if you need to receive your material before the break. Call us at 206.838.5888.
The same deadlines apply for online orders.
Hope your holidays are nice– whether you spend them plastering or not!
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Projects, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Thursday, December 4th, 2008 |
We’re all looking for ways to ride out this economic downturn…
For those looking to earn some extra income:
- Environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional building materials, like installing Venetian plaster using our natural, lime based materials, is still a growing segment of the building industry. Smaller projects can be done on your own time (well, your client might have some input on that as well), so it can work for you as a supplemental income.
For those who are already professional contractors:
- If you’re already a plaster artisan, the material you’re using can have a big impact on your productivity. Experienced independent contractor Mozelle Spencer describes how using Stucco Italiano plasters helps her maximize her time and profits:
“I am so impressed with this product line. We love using Stucco Italiano on our job sites. The ease of use when burnishing the Marmorino has enabled us to create numerous gorgeous finishes. Finishes that once we avoided due to how labor intensive the high polish plasters were. The Carrara and Classic are our favorites. The clean up on job sites is easier and the use of time is more productive and profitable.“
For the plaster-curious, as well as the master plasterers who haven’t tried our superior lime-based plasters, we’ve provided a link to download our print-ready Stucco Italiano catalog.
Simply click on the picture below (be patient… it’s a large file).
And you can always visit our site, www.stuccoitaliano.us, for more plaster perusal.
What are your suggestions for riding this weak economy?
Posted in Business Tips, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Tadelakt, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 |
We just got back from our Venetian plastering course in Vicenza, Italy, where we studied with Stucco Italiano manufacturer Giovanni Polistena.
We learned dozens of sophisticated and highly marketable techniques from a genuine master artisan. Gianni was a great host and remarkable teacher. We had a great time exploring the cities of Vicenza and Venice, as well as the Palladian villas of the Veneto. The villas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are renowned across the Western world for inspiring architecture.
A student on the trip, Candie Trujillo, says:
“Thank you so much for an awesome experience!! Of course the main reason for going to Italy was to take the Stucco Italiano class and I achieved more than I thought possible. Gianni was awesome, and his knowledge was incredible. I feel very honored to have learned some of his skills, now mastering them will be quite a challenge. But just knowing I’ve learned from one of the best in his field, I feel I already have a jump start. Kay Lynn did a great job in organizing the class and keeping us informed, and her fun attitude made the trip plans go that much easier. I also was able to meet some fun and interesting people in the class and become friends with many of them and their families. We shared business ideas and trade secrets that has already helped me improve in my own business. Thank you so much Aaron for the opportunity to be taught and enlightened in the great and true art of plastering, I will gladly recommend it to anyone who is up for the challenge.”
Take a look at more photos from the Italy trip here. Hopefully we’ll make it there again next year.
Posted in Business Tips, Classes, Event, Italy, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 |
You are invited to preview this new luxury home on Gig Harbor!
When: Friday, Dec. 5; 12-5 PM
Where: 1314 115th Street Court NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98332
Join us for a look at a beautiful new home, filled with the finest Stucco Italiano finishes created by Vlad & Sons. Click here to see more photos of the house.
About the space:
- Old world finishes - classic architecture and finishing.
- Featuring Stucco Italiano Italiano plasters.
Join us for wine and snacks, and be inspired by one of the finest homes in the area.
Let us know if you think you can make it (info@stuccoitaliano.us or 206.838.5888).
Hope to see you there!
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Green, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 |
Last week we had a round of our Venetian Plastering classes with new students from all over the country. One of the great benefits of our Stucco Italiano Certification (VP2) and Advanced (VP3) courses is the opportunity to not only perfect your techniques by working on the sample boards, but to also get the feel of working on larger surfaces, and even real walls. Scroll down to see photos of Gary helping remodel our new conference room, building his real-world Venetian plastering expertise.
Here are some photos from Venetian Plastering 2:
. . . and Venetian Plastering 3 . . .
If you’re a former student of ours and are looking to update your skills, consider taking advantage of our Portfolio Builder and Product Update Workshop next month: November 14-15. You pay for supplies only, have the chance to work on large surfaces, and learn the hottest new finishes. And of course, network with your fellow artisans as we go out to dinner Friday night!
Posted in Business Tips, Classes, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Stucco, Tadelakt, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | 1 Comment »
