Happy Independence Day!

What is a holiday unless you can craft for it?!?! The good folks at Plaid Crafts couldn't agree with me more. When I received a HUGE box of stencils as part of their Plaid Ambassador program, I couldn't resist taking them out to play.

This weeks project a stenciled canvas hanging.

Supplies Used: Plaid Folk Art Stencils "Farm" collection; stars and stripe, Apple Barrel Colors Paint, Masking tape, paint brush, stencil brush, crop-a-dial/eyelets, hemp twine, branch from the yard 4-5"x7" flat panel canvases.

Directions:

1) Paint surface of all canvas, 3 white, and 1 blue allow to dry
2) Position canvases together to determine placement of the stencils. Tape stencils in place.
3) Using a stencil brush, fill in the stencils and allow to dry.
4) Determine where you want your holes to go, and using crop-a-dial punch holes in canvas, add eyelets if desired. Using small lengths of hemp twine, tie canvases together.
6) Prepare twig, cut off jagged edges, using a bit of white paint mixed with water "white wash" the twig, and then wipe off with paper towel, leaving behind just a hint of color.
7) Tie canvases to twig using twine
8) Braid 3 lengths of twine together tie onto twig as hanger.

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy 4th of July celebration, and thanks especially to those that have helped keep us free!!!

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Key Cabinet

I am so blessed to be a part of a wonderful group of bloggers associated with Prime Publishing. This past January we were invited to a fabulous blogger event during the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show. At this event we mixed and mingled with some amazing manufacturers all wanting to send us product to create with! 

Once again there was a contest involved, and with my mind awhirl I set out to create. 

I always am loosing my keys, which is really kind of funny because I LOVE collecting vintage keys so I thought how cool would it be to create something fun and functional. Taking a wood tray and frame from the thrift store, I set out to upcycle them into an adorable key cabinet!

Instructions:

Remove glass from frame and hardware if necessary. Lightly sand all wood surfaces.

Apply base coat of paint (the color bamboo shown) and allow to dry.

Base Coat

Apply crackle medium on all wood surfaces. Use smooth strokes. The thicker the coat the deeper the cracks when finished. Allow to dry.

I opened my paint to find it smiling on me

Apply top coat of paint (Ceramcoat Chalk in Raven shown.) Use long smooth strokes for best results, allow to dry. 

Just like that the magic happens!

Brush on Ceramcoat wax to entire painted surface allow to dry and then buff with a soft cloth. 

Cut 4 pieces of metal ribbon slightly longer than inside opening of of frame. Lightly sand and then rub on Stazon ink and wipe immediately off. Ink will settle into recesses of the ribbon and grooves made by sanding to give an "aged look" Heat set in being careful because the metal gets hot. Staple metal ribbon in place on back side.

**Pausing for a moment to say this metal ribbon is AWESOME!!! It comes in several widths, has fabulous detail both embossed, and die cut. It's heavier than foil, but not as rigid as tin. I've only seen it at Hobby Lobby in the spool ribbon aisle by the wedding stuff. $4.99-5.99 a 9ft roll. 

Cut wire mesh to cover the backside of frame. Using staple gun, staple into place.

Cut burlap to fit inside wood tray, using a brush, apply Fabric Fuse to inside of tray, glue burlap to inside of tray, smoothing out fabric. Slightly fray edges of burlap if desired. 

Trying to get the keys to hang straight

Line up frame with wood tray, Making sure to center frame over wood tray. Using drill, install hinges so the frame becomes the door of the cabinet. 

I found out after the fact
do the burlap before the hinges!
(Messing up first so you don't have to!)

Install knob to front of cabinet, install latch to close, on side of cabinet.

Install cup hooks inside cabinet to hang keys, install hangers on back of cabinet to hang on wall. 

Volia' an adorable key cabinet! Hopefully it will become not only a place to store the vintage key collection, but a place to remember to put my keys (where I can see them!) 

Notes:
When working with the crackle medium, a smooth thin coat will produce tiny cracks, a thicker coat will produce cracks that are wider exposing more of the undercoat. Remember to wear protective eyewear when cutting the wire mesh, the tiny pieces fly everywhere. Use a drill to predrill holes for hinges especially on softer wood (or particle board.) This will help keep the wood from splitting.

Supplies used:

Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Chalk Paint-Raven, Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Select Multi Surface Satin-Bamboo, Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Crackle Medium,
Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Wax-Clear, Wood Tray (from thrift store), Wood Frame large enough to cover edges of tray, Piece of burlap fabric to cover inside of tray, Therm-o-web Fabric Fuse, Hinges from hardware store, Wire mesh from hardware store, Staple Gun and Staples, Wire Cutters, Metal Ribbon enough to line inside of frame-Hobby Lobby, Knob-hardware store, Latch-hardware store, Paint brushes in assorted sizes, Cup hooks, Protective eyeware, Needle nose pliers, Drill and bits, Screwdriver, Heat Gun, Sandpaper, Black Stazon Ink

This project is in the "Best Blogger Craft contest" over at Fave Crafts! I would LOVE your vote!  You can vote once per day!

 http://www.favecrafts.com/voting/Blogger-Contest/

Painting party!

I have always wanted to do one of those "Painting parties" because I have always wanted to learn how to paint. While I enjoy designing and project work, creating something that looks like something or basically something  from nothing has always alluded me. So mustering up my courage, I convinced my friend Ashani to come along.

We arrived to about 30 women all anxious to get started. It seemed like many of them already knew what they were doing and had started. I was asked to pick out a photo of the painting I wanted to do and then choose an easel. I did

 I loved the colorers of the background in this painting and the little girl swinging. So I went for broke and selected that. Then I sat and waited for instruction...that didn't really come. If it wasn't for my friend and the gals across the table from me encouraging me to take another sip of wine and "just paint,"  I think I would have been in tears by the time it was over. (It was a rough night.)

The lighting in the restaurant it was being held at was awful, the instruction was minimal to none. Sadly our instructor was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the class and spent time tallying up how much money she was going to be making from the event, vs. helping the budding artists. She showed us one technique and then said...'well I really didn't do that right but you get the idea."

Negatives aside,  I enjoyed the concept and event. I  liked being able to "paint" and spending time being creative with my friend!  I did finish (well almost...never did add the girl on the swing) and it wasn't half bad. I would love to try this again but maybe with a different instructor.

As I said the lighting in the restaurant was bad so this is the only picture of Ashani and I with our creations.

My kids decided my painting looked "spooky" kind of a windy, dusk is falling lonely night. Not the look I was going for...but all things considering it wasn't half bad.

2nd Place!

Remember my shelf turned pie safe??

 The talent in this contest was amazing! It was an honor to be a part of it and even more so to see my name and project up on the Winner's List! Thank you to everyone that voted for me! Plus a special thanks to Fave Crafts, for sponsoring the contest and to  Plaid Crafts and MD Hobby and Craft for having amazing products to work with.

For the full announcement http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/Blogger-Contest

and for instructions on my project: http://www.favecrafts.com/Painting-on-Wood/Restyled-Red-Shelf-Home-Decor-Craft

Be sure to look for the blogger ebook featuring projects from the contest coming April 1st!

The Gift of Art!

As I was growing up mom was always drawing, always creating. This bode well for my sister and I who followed in her footsteps, and loved to get messy with a craft project or two, not to mention her students at school that benefitted from awesome bulletin boards in their classroom, and fabulous art projects during class!

When Mom retired she took up painting again, she had learned to paint with her grandmother whom everyone called "Nana." She told us how Nana would have her paint and repaint pictures over and over practicing brush strokes and techniques. She mostly worked in acrylics but dabbled some in oils. 

Cleaning out mom's easel and paints was the one of the most difficult parts about closing up mom's estate.  (Second only to her music collection.) Mom loved creating, painting, that form of creative expression of taking an idea in your mind's eye and transferring it to a visible media. How do you just put them away to be silenced forever? 

Her easel sat for quite some time, I had a difficult time touching it. Mom never expected to be in the hospital more than a few days, her painting was there waiting for her to finish. Just like my sister and I kept feeling like we were waiting for her to come home. But she never came home, and so there her easel sat on the sun porch. Patiently waiting for someone to come use it. There her painting sat waiting for mom to finish it...but she never will. 

I saved some of her paints and brushes for my personal use, but I never mastered painting let alone drawing with any major skill.  I  didn't have the space for the easel and knew mom would want them to be used. So with my sisters blessing, I was able to share mom's easel and some supplies with my BFF's husband. Sherri and I have known each other since birth and she is part of the family, her husband Jason, fit right in with the rest of us and connected with mom because of his love of art and ability to paint. Use them well Jason! 

Playing with paint and canvas

So when your house is torn up with a never ending rehab project meaning your craft supplies are for the most part "boxed up" what's a gal to do? Play with what's in front of her that's what! As you know my mom passed away and I have had the rather difficult task of cleaning out her house. One of the treasures I took with me was some of her painting supplies. That being the case I have been dabbling with canvas and ink lately.

A friend of mine asked me to make her something for her kitchen so I had this idea of a watering can "showering love" now I am NOT a painter....in fact the kids usually come up to me and say "my mom what a nice picture." so I didn't want to do a whole watering can just give the illusion....

So I just did the top of the can. I added a saying and some hearts and called it done. 

I found out after the fact, that her entire living room is decorated in watering cans, so loved the idea of  carrying the theme into the kitchen  :) I'll let you know what she thinks of it.