Luciano,

It's great to know that SOIP is a business run by people with integrity and class!!
NO worry about DIY's using Safra.

Be blessed,
David

A-MEN! Doyle, please don't ever sell us out!

I would not be selling just you out. If I would put this in HD I would be selling out Safra and a Italian tradition. Could you imagine what the walls would look like if home owners attempted these applications with no training...
Doyle

Good point Doyle , I had to reply to this post considering
what I ran into today.

I had just finished a job in my neighborhood, my client
wanted me to see her neighbors house. She told me that
her neighbor had just taken the Behr Venetian plaster course
at Home Depot. 30 minute course teaching everything you
should not do to apply plaster.
I was eager to see what was, going on
HD had told her to apply plaster using a plastic 50 cent
yellow 4 inch putty knife to apply thick randon spots
over 50 percent of the wall then apply in between the spots
then to burnish with there exclusive 4 inch mud knive and
to be sure to scrape the cornors of the knive on your
sidewalk to make them round, because that is what you
will use to burnish with. This really gives the Venetian
Plasters a bad name, and makes our Veneziano look even
better. I just know SW will soon be coming out with there
own VP. This will be another nightmare.


I about had a heart attack.


Vallie Duncan
www.plastersofitaly.com

Vallie
Did a sample Sunday of Aquarello over Velnova. Looks very nice. First time. So feel free to bid. A bit more expensive but because it is not lime colors very easy.
Doyle

That cracks me up. Round the corners on the sidewalk. Ha Ha Ha. If they really knew what they were doing they would advise people to round their corner with a hack saw, as that would REALLY screw up an already bad situation. Nothin' like the authenticity of a plastic putty. You would probably get a better effect smearing play doh on the wall. Sorry, venting a little bit. Take it easy.

Grrrrr!

(that's a growling behr

Ya know, here's the way I see it,
As applicators, we are working with what I believe to be the absolute best products available. There is truly a skill and an art with what we are doing. You can give anyone a trowel, spatula, and a bucket of Veneziano and there is only a select few who are going to be able to make it look the way it was meant to. I look at it pragmatically. How many people have been through the training and how many are actively working? There is too big of a risk involved in turning Safra into the open market. Plaster can go terribly wrong terribly quickly if you don't know what you are doing. We are lucky to have skilled instructors, to teach us the correct MOA's and techniques. Happy Trowels.

I hope to have it ready soon. I had intended on going to the advanced class at the end of this month. But that plan has changed due to circumstances beyond my control. I would have liked to take notes on the new techniques for an advanced section and worked on the final editing process for the standard handbook. I am working with Doyle via the phone. I should have an approved version by the end of July. That is my target. Editing the first draft has been very time consuming as the information had to be edited by Safra, which meant my draft had to be translated. I guess what I am saying is that it is still working, still underway.
By the way, I haven't heard from you in a while, where ya been hidin' out brother? I hope your absence is due to more work than you can handle.

Elle
We will go to Italy at least twice a year, so don't worry.
Like with most faux products they are meant to be easy to apply with little or no training. The Italian Plasters are easy to apply after you get the understanding. I train many people who have years of exp. with Venetian Plasters. But when they come to class they try to apply the Italian Plasters like the faux plasters. Most are not happy with the results. Unmodified lime plasters are more finicky and "must be done a certain way", but with results no faux plaster can match. Your clients will appreaciate your passion for perfection. We really do use the plasters Italians ask for by name. Artenova by Safra.
Doyle