A Couple of Little Dishes

Today is an experiment , I have been meaning to get around to for a while.     (I should have been icing Christmas cakes, but wasn't feeling well enough to I played instead).

These were two little glass dishes I bought from DaliArt a while ago.   I wanted to try a crackle finish along with rice paper images.     They didn't "crackle" as much as I wanted - I obviously need to apply the crackle medium a bit thicker, but practise makes perfect.  You can see the crackle slightly better on the pink one.

I have a bigger dish - which I will get to sometime, and try to get a better finish to it.

Violin

I treated myself to one of the Bizarre-ology violin kits.   Here it is made up.  and here it is painted ....

The paining didn't quite go to plan - I originally wanted a crackle finish on it - but my crackle didn't really want to work - actually it was so fine yo could hardly see it.    However undaunted I kept going!

I started by applying white gesso, the Pebeo Dyna blue/green paint.   I then applied buff titanium mixed with  crackle paint.  It was then dry brushed with gold and silver paint and some was applied by scraping across the surface with a palette knife.

I then applied some rice paper images that had a bit of music on them, and added a little more titanium buff and gold to blend them in around the edges.

I add flat back pearls to the keys, and a smidgen of gold paint to the strings (which were supplied with the kit and had a little sparkle in them).  I also applied a little buff titanium and gold pain to the ribbon on the bow.

It needs a coat of varnish and I am waiting for my matt varnish to arrive, though I may change my mind and paint it with a glass varnish if I don't like the matt finish.

Decoupage Glass Dish

I have been meaning to try this technique for a while.  I bought a selection of glass dishes from DaliART when they had  sale on before Christmas.

I used an Imagination Crafts stencil and used Black Starlight paint through it onto patterned rice paper.  I attached this to the back of the plate with IndigoBlu Slap It On.   When dry I sponged over the whole thing with cream and blue Imagination Crafts Starlight paints, with a final layer of the blue.

Upcycling a stool.

Before

I have been meaning to do something to this tall stool for sometime, albeit I rarely use it.  I have had it for more years than I care to remember, and in fact I think it might even have been my mum's at one time.  (It was the stool I used to sit on when decorating cakes many moons ago).  It has seen better days!

Seat - before

As you can see it also had a material top, which was always getting "grubby".  Anyway I had a vision of how I wanted to revamp it.  First it was cleaned and rubbed down a tad (Don't you hate preparation?  I did cheat slightly and instead of creating a mess with sandpaper, as I was working indoors, I used my hand steamer, a scourer and a microfibre cloth).

Painted with Dove Grey Glitter

I then painted it with Crystal Glitter - Chalk & Glitter - Furniture Paint in Dove Grey.  ( could have used the antique white glitter paint, but opted for the grey.  I gave it a couple of coats and then waxed it with Rustoleum wax.  I love this gliter paint it just has a subtle glitter in it.

Close up of Glitter paint

Then it was time to tackle the top.   I discovered that the seat removed, but didn't want to go remove and remake the pad.

The finished seat  (Better picture below)

I gave the original fabric a coat of gesso mixed with some metallic fabric paints and IndigoBlu Slapiton.  I then applied the plain rice paper, and then a tore images from a flowery sheet of rice paper in my stash, Painted on more Slapiton and sponged on more IndigoBlu fabric paints in pink, purple, blue and green, mixed with more Slapiton.  A final coat of Slapiton was then applied all over.
(For any non-crafter wondering about Rice Paper - this is like tissue paper - and you could actually use a single ply of a napkin.  Rather than cut out the images, you apply water to the paper around the image you want, and gently tear it away from the rest of the paper).

The bonus is that the seat is now easily cleanable with a damp cloth!  (win, win!)

Make-over complete

As I took the early photos indoors, I decided to try and take a better one outside - erm yes we had a little snow today!

The finished seat

The outside pictures are a more realistic colour than the one taken inside at night!   I wanted a vintage feel, and think I have achieved what I aimed for.

If I get fed up with it, I can always apply some more fabric paint, and either stamp on it or do some paint fusion (folk painting) on it.

Glass Coasters

Hi there followers.  I have been very bad and not done any blogging for a while.   I have been crafting, but have just forgotten to take photos. 

However, I did remember to take some photos of these coasters that I made the other week.   I bought the coasters back in the summer and have at last got around to doing something with them.  Originally it was going to be something with etching and painting, but I changed my mind and made these.

I used an Imagination Crafts stencil for the words using Stazon.  I then applied some pattern rice paper, which I had torn into random shapes.   Finally I used Imagination Crafts Starlight paints in a gold and turquoise colour and sponged it all over.   When it was dry I applied acrylic glaze and the little feet that came with the coasters.    Everything was done working on the back of the coasters.

I think I need some more "word" stencils - as it if I attempted to do this again with stamps - it wouldn't work and I would have to stamp the word on the "front" side.

I didn't know who would get these - but my son rather liked them - so he got them!