Tolentreasures

You will need: Assorted liner brushes #4 lettering brush or #4 flat brush Assorted Star and Snowflake Stencils Cosmetic Sponge Wedges Decoart Americana Black Khaki Tan Slate Gray Bleached Sand Light Cinnamon Surface of choice, basecoated Black. As always, these are suggestions. Get something close and don't worry if they are not EXACTLY the same colors. I am always perusing the stencil aisle in any craft shop. There are well used stencils hanging all over the bulletin board in my painting room. You can't beat a stencil for adding perfect shaped stars to a project. You can always shade and highlight them to make them look painted, but it sure is a lot easier to stencil them than to try to draw or trace them. There are quite a few snowflake ones hanging there also. Yours don't have to be the same, get creative! I love cosmetic wedges for stenciling. Just a little hint, the ones from Dollar Tree are not quite dense enough. Upgrade to the discount chain ones. Frugal as I am,...

Before we start, here are the warnings. THERE IS NO LINE DRAWING! THE COLORS ARE FLEXIBLE! THE BRUSHES ARE SUGGESTIONS! OK, that being said.... Relax and have fun with this. I used: #2 long liner 1/2 " glaze wash brush #4 round brush. Paints Decoart Americana Khaki Tan or Sable Brown or any other beige. Bleached Sand Light Cinnamon Black Antique Gold Avocado Midnight Blue Russet or Background color of choice Blanket color of choice Any long skinny wood item would work for this. Measure out where you want the checkered border. Paint that area with Bleached White and shade the edges. Allow to dry and then tape the area that you want to remain white, and then paint back over the tape. Below you will see those steps from left to right. Repainting over that seals the tape and does not allow the next color to seep under. It makes for a really clean edge. I painted the top Russet. The bottom can be sponged or crackled or distressed and can be any color. At this point you can cut a pi...

Last  night was my last charcoal class. Although it was only four weeks, I learned so much. Joining the local art association has been great. It has made me aware of so many new avenues. And.. Doesn't that one pencil look crooked?  I just noticed that. Oh well, it's not as if I had a ruler. Gives credit to that statement, "I can't even draw a straight line." Next class, starts Monday. Not exactly a class, it is open studio nights in April. Still lifes. Can't wait! And Paint. I cleaned these shelves the other night. Yes. This. Is. Clean. For me, anyway. Recently, I became a Helping Artist for Decoart. They are very generous with products for you to try. My head is spinning with possibilities for projects. If only I didn't have to go to work... 

Yesterday was my day with Kendall. I picked her up and had to stop at our church for something on the way home. It is in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone service, no close neighbors. I had this thought.  What if I fell on all this ice, with Kendall, and no one around?  I was so careful. Later in the day... I left the shop with Kendall in arms and banking and mail to go the post office and bank. Not. Being. Careful. I fell. Legs out from under me, smack down on the tailbone, Fell. Kendall cried.  Wallowing around on the ice, I checked her. Scared, not hurt. Her, that is. Me, on the other hand. Instant headache, nauseated and dizzy. It was a good hit. JWS, on the phone, in the office, missed it. I went back to the shop to check my wounds. He told me about his fall and showed me his elbow. I might or might not have said something bad to him. In my dizzy, sick, pained state, I could not be held accountable. Thankfully, I think a quick trip to the chiropractor might have...

In just a few (maybe more) easy steps, you too can paint these lovely star and berry vines! Doesn't that just sound like an infomercial? TV, here I come! The basecoating. I use Decoart colors. They rock! Using a lot of paint, don't be afraid, load it up. Lay in Black, Russet and Cocoa. Keep it random and messy and wet...make sure you work fast enough that it stays wet. Then, Using a sponge, Sponge all the colors together. Try to leave light and dark areas. Don't overblend it. Then paint the outside edges Russet and drybrush here and there with Heritage Brick. With Milk Chocolate, thinned on a nice crisp flat brush, paint in those checkers. Everything needs checkers. What you should have so far. See that nice blending on the background colors. Now for the vine. You will need a nice, long, script liner brush. Thin down a brush mix of Black and Milk Chocolate and lay in vines the whole way around..or long if you are not doing a round piece. They do it again with just Mi...