Stenciling

All Funked Out!!

August 3, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

Every once in a while you get to do something for yourself and don’t care what anybody thinks!!! Well, here is one of those pieces, my funky little end table 🙂

I picked up a pair of these super cute end tables on the side of the road… Don’t you love it when you find something and it’s FREE?? Yeah?? Me too!!

As usual, they sat around my studio (for many months I might add) until I found a moment to get started. You know, that dreaded prep time… I hate sanding, have I said that enough? LOL!! I need to find a studio assistant (ASAP!!) to do all this prep work for me!! But, this piece went out the back door and received a good sanding and cleanup. Yup, the spider webs and all had to go!! Oh the things you get to deal with during prep.

Now, the fun started and yes I think the primer is fun! Or at least the assurance it gives me to know that my paint will adhere and may prevent any bleed through. Then… the real FUN began and it was time to break out the DIY Paints!!! WooHoo… and of course the fun colors 🙂

Talk about a fun palette to use: Old 57, Mermaid Tail, Kissing Booth and Cowgirl Coral … I love getting to play with all these colors.

I started the base with Old 57 and Mermaid Tail – haphazardly applying both at the same time, using a little water to blend the colors. You can add water to your brush or use a spray bottle and mist. Once the base was dry, I decided to get a little crazy with my colors and basically dry brush on both the Kissing Booth and Cowgirl Coral. I really didn’t try to blend these two colors, just more of a random application.

Then on to some pattern and design! Breaking out my stencils and rollers here 🙂 Don’t you just love adding pattern with stencils? It is such a fun and easy technique to add so much character to a project!

I stencilled the Hampton Medallion pattern randomly and in a distressed look. Not trying to define all the detail and letting it be faded in the background design. I stencilled with Americana Acrylics – Sea Breeze and Desert Turquoise (these colors were a close match to the Old 57 and Mermaid Tail).

Once all the stenciling was accomplished, I decided to randomly roll on the Chrysanthemum pattern. I brushed the paint onto the roller using the Kissing Booth and Cowgirl Coral (at the same time) and just rolled where ever I felt I wanted a little more interest.

This beautiful piece was protected with the Final Coat wipe on varnish. This stuff is amazing and so easy, just wipe it on with a staining pad. It dries really fast because you are wiping it on super thin and I just layer about 3 to 4 coats depending on the surface and use!! Super cool stuff 🙂

Painting is one of my passions and it’s so fun to just let the artist in you out and have fun with a project. Nothing to match, no one’s opinion, just letting your creativity explode!!

Project Materials:

DIY Paints: Old 57, Mermaid Tail, Kissing Booth, Cowgirl Coral

Chrysanthemum Roller

Hampton Medallion Stencil

Primer ** affiliate link, no extra cost to you, I will just make a couple dollars **

Americana Acrylic Paints: Sea Breeze, Desert Turquoise ** affiliate links, no extra cost to you, I will just make a couple dollars **

Final Coat

All Things Rust & Patina – Exploring the Possibilities

July 20, 2018 By Jennifer 2 Comments

I have been using the Modern Masters Patina finishes for many many years! Some of you may remember a few others they used to have like “Baroque”. YES, I’m as sad as you, I wish they still had that one too!! But, from what I understand, it had an issue with exploding… LOL!! Yeah, that is the reason Baroque is gone!!

But my personal LOVE of all things Patina and Rust has been going strong for some time now; maybe close to 20 years 🙂 I have been obsessed with the incredible amount of variations one can achieve using these materials and I always feel like the “mad scientist” when creating with them!!

So, I’m taking a day (well approximately 5 to 6 hours) on August 8th (don’t worry if you can’t be there for the Live taping, you can watch any time it’s convenient for you) and going to share all I know about these materials and how they react, how to get different reactions and even introduce other materials they react with. Not only will you learn all about the products (so that you become an expert “reactor”) but you will also be learning 3 of my most popular finishes. YES, 3 of my favorite and amazing finishes will be added to your portfolio and wow all your customers.

Now, this is a fabulous deal! Stay at home and watch all this good stuff going on, ask questions during the process and have a private room that you will have access to for continued support!!

These finishes are totally “drool” worthy and I’m sure with all your new Rust & Patina knowledge, you will create many new “drool” worthy finishes on your own!

Make sure to sign up soon for this workshop by July 20th to save $30!! Early Bird Special is $107 after July 20th class fee will be $137……

This workshop will provide all the knowledge you need to become your own “mad scientist” and understand how the products react, the different variations of the reactions and how to control them as much as possible (some of it just happens)!!

Looking forward to sharing my knowledge with all of you so that you can have as much fun as I do with all of these materials by Modern Masters – Metal Effects.

Also, one lucky student will receive a Rust Kit (16oz bottles) that includes Iron Paint, Rust Activator, Primer and PermaCoat, valued at over $80!! WooHoo, baby, that’s good stuff!!

Multi-Medium Canvas Art

July 13, 2018 By Jennifer 2 Comments

I personally have a ton of stretched canvas (new ones still in the plastic). You just never know when you might need one. And who can pass up a fabulous sale on them, you know what I mean, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or Aaron Brothers – they just have to tempt us!!!

So, I’m sure like many others I have a pile of unused canvas just laying around and occasionally I find some time to play. This particular one had been started once before and never finished. But, I had an inspiration that I thought would look awesome.

The first layer on this canvas was my Texture Medium troweled on thin and then I used the Tiger Roller. I rolled through the wet material creating three passes. I allowed the Texture Medium to dry and then sanded down the high points. At this point, I’m really not sure what the “inspo” was, but it was painted in a Coral color… Hmmm, not sure why and couldn’t remember that particular inspo, so I went with the new inspiration that was rolling through my head!!!

I grabbed some paint and stencils, then decided to share my idea with all my Facebook Peeps and turned on FB Live! Why not?? I think it’s always more fun painting with friends than by yourself. With the camera rolling, I shared what I had done and was starting to work on. The canvas was repainted with General Finishes Milk Paint Coastal Blue (I love this Navy color) and then I used the stunning new stencil La Provence and stenciled it with Modern Masters Metallic Paint Warm Silver and Champagne and created a layered look. Once the two repeats were completed with the La Provence stencil, it was a hard decision to either stop or add one more element… I couldn’t help myself, so I added another layer.

I had to add the Hampton Medallion stencil embossed with Glass Bead Gel mixed with Glitter. So yummy!!

This beautiful painting has it all, texture, metallic, stencils, glitter and Glass Beads!!! One beautiful piece of ART!

A canvas can be a place to create fabulous art or even a place to experiment with techniques, products, and styles.

Grab a canvas and get exploring!! Let the Artist in YOU come alive!!

Blessings,

Jenn

Ins & Outs of Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint

June 29, 2018 By Jennifer 4 Comments

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE DIY Paint!!

Let me tell you why I love this paint so much and how to use it.

First off, it is all natural and that makes me a happy person considering I’m in it a lot and sometimes, it’s all over me! LOL! Also, this product only has 9 ingredients and has absolutely NO VOCs!!

Second, it’s a little thicker than most paints on the market and holds its form. This is called tooling, meaning it will hold your brush stroke or for me, it holds the roller pattern. I love that I can brush on one generous coat and roll my patterned rollers through the paint and the pattern stays without self-leveling. It’s also thicker than most paints so that I gain a little texture and depth from the roller patterns. This is great for your wax or glazes to set down in and add even more depth to your project!

Third, the colors! I can’t say enough about the color selection!! I’m in love with this palette and they mix so well together to make new colors I want! Yes, I know that I have been a little stuck on the Teal palette, but how can you go wrong with Mermaid Tail, Seaglass and Old 57? They are just fabulous 🙂

So, let’s move on to some techniques you can do with these paints 🙂

Creating a “smooth” finish can be achieved with the following methods:

Option #1 – Wet your brush first with water, but not dripping. This will allow your paint to be a little diluted and thinned out. After several brush strokes, dip you brush into water again and brush back over that area you just painted.

Option #2 – Pour some paint into a separate container and add a small amount of water and mix thoroughly until you have created a thinner consistency. Make sure it is not too watery. The DIY Paint is highly pigmented and this will not affect the color with the little amount of water added.

Use either technique for applying your paint and apply 2 to 3 coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry completely between layers. Also, you will need to sand with a fine sandpaper or a paper bag between coats to smooth out any unwanted texture or brush strokes. You will need to finish with either DIY Wax or Big Top to protect the paint.

Creating a “textured” finish can be achieved with the following methods:

I love how thick DIY Paint is straight out of the can and how easily it can build texture on any surface. Just apply paint directly to the surface from the can, using less if any water at all. Apply your strokes in one direction or in an “X” pattern.

When the first coat of paint has dried completely, you can apply a second coat using the same color or a different color. Paint on the second coat using the same brush strokes, creating even more texture.

For some extreme texture, get out your putty knife and dig into the paint in places before the last coat has dried completely. This will expose the colors underneath and create a very weathered worn look. You can also use the putty knife to apply colors randomly by pouring some paint into another container and allowing it to sit out for a while and thicken up!

Again, you will want to finish off with either DIY Wax or Big Top.

The possibilities are endless!! Let your creative spirit fly and make a masterpiece with these amazing paints! You can check out the complete line on my website, in my studio or my second location in San Clemente, California, La Casa Verde de Granada!

Be Blessed and Paint!!

The Old Oak Table

June 8, 2018 By Jennifer 1 Comment

Here is the story behind my “new” dining room table. This table has been in my family for about 60 years!!! My parents bought this table shortly after they were married and I grew up at this table, enjoying some fabulous meals, as well as some tough meals that I didn’t think were so fabulous (sorry Mom!). I was a picky eater and just didn’t like a lot of food growing up, so some of those meals were not my favorite. HAHA!

But there are some great memories with this table for me and I’m so glad that my Mom finally let me have it. It took her a couple years to part ways with it and give it to me, but she finally did!

It is a solid oak table and really heavy, so the boys have done all the moving. I started my process with the help of Hunter, getting this heavy thing moved out to the alley for a good sanding and clean-up! I will have to admit, as I started sanding the top of the table I decided to leave some of the marks/memories. Most of these were created by my sister and me, and with my sister already gone, I decided that our marks/scratches/memories were going to remain. This way when someone makes a new one, it will just fit in with all the history of the table.

While growing up, the table was usually in the 54″ round. I sure don’t remember using the leafs too many times, but with my large family, I decided to max the area the table would be and add as many leaves as possible. This table is rather large, but it is nice to have room for everyone and then some!!

As always, this baby was primed with my favorite primer, XIM Bonding Primer. One full coat on all sections of the table, leaves, and base.

At first, I thought I was going to use two different colors and blend as I was painting, but I have to admit I didn’t like the way it was coming out. So I just mixed the two colors together and created a custom color. The colors I used are from the DIY Paint collection: Weathered Wood and Black Velvet (approximately 70/30). This custom color was painted on all sections with two complete coats.

Once the base painting was complete, it was time to have some fun with one of my newest stencils: Passionate Paisley. I wanted the stenciling to be somewhat faded and uneven, a little more old and worn look. This was accomplished with the DIY Paint Black Velvet and one of my 1″ Stencil brushes. I also used some Extender to keep the paint moving smoothly. I tried to keep an uneven hand, which is harder than it sounds when using the DIY Paint because it dries lighter, so it was hard to determine if I had enough color or not until it was dry.

I also ordered a couple of custom stencil Bible Verses for the “skirt” of the table. I had enough room to have two different verses created, one on each end. “Say What Stencils” created these for me, so that I could choose the font style and size I was needing for this specific project. This makes lettering way easier than writing something out letter by letter. I used American DecoArt Acrylic Paints Ion Laguna for the Bible Verses.

These stencils are a little different to work with because they are a one-time-use stencil. They are cut out of masking material and the vinyl stencil is sandwiched between a backing and a clear vinyl material. It’s best to watch my video for complete detailed instructions on how to install these. But you basically tape it into position, remove the backing material, smooth down onto your surface area and then very carefully remove the top clear vinyl leaving the stencil in position to paint. Just watch the video below for a complete walk-through on this!

The base of the table was painted in Black Velvet for a slight contrast to the table top, then I applied several layers of top coat to protect all of the stenciling and color. I used the Final Coat Low-Gloss and did about 8 to 10 layers, I lost count!! This is an easy-to-use wipe-on varnish that is hard and durable. The more layers the more durable it becomes and this is a dining room table that is used every day for several meals, so I wanted to make sure it would hold up.

This table was such a fun project for me and I am so glad I get to sit at a piece of history with so many memories each day! Can’t wait for the next family piece I get to do next!

List of Materials:

Painted Chairs – An Addiction

June 1, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

So I wrote a book!! YES, I have written a couple of books actually!! Painted Chairs was my first book and I have a total obsession with painting them!!

I had been painting chairs for a while and actually did a segment on the Carol Duvall Show with one of my chairs (this is how the book idea started). Everyone is assigned to a producer when you are a guest on the show and my producer suggested that I write a book on my chairs. Honestly, I had never thought to write a book at this point and I’m not sure I would have thought to write a book on painted chairs ever! LOL!

But the idea had been planted and the lead to a publisher had been provided! Now, to somehow land the “book deal” meant really getting their attention and what better way than to send them a chair!! I’m sure no one had ever sent them a painted chair before and how could they ignore me if I did that. Well, it worked!! I got their attention and landed my first book deal!

You talk about exciting!! WOW!! I landed a book deal!!

But, now it was time to start painting and writing and painting and writing. I really do love the painting more than the writing, but once you get in the grove, the words seem to flow better.

Painting the chairs was so much fun and they really started to take on a personality of their own. I loved figuring out the design and color palette and putting them all together. This book really shows a variety of style, colors and patterns!!!