Glass Painting Patterns

As many of you know I have been working with the Deco Art Glass Painting Markers for some time now and really feel that I have worked out all the kinks and are really doing fun things with the media. I've been asked repeatedly to develop patterns using the markers and have finally gotten that accomplished.  The glass painting patterns have numerous step by step photos showing the process of developing the project, tips and techniques for the media, as well as photos showing how to use the ornament pattern on different bottles other than those shown in the pattern photo.  We won't all have access to the same bottles and I want to give you lots of options.

You can find these two patterns on my website under the Main Menu Category Patterns Sub-Category  Glass Painting.  I think that the ornaments that I've developed with the markers are really unique and unusual and would make amazing gifts for the holidays.  Come on over and check them out and change how you glass paint.  

Christmas Elegance

I had the opportunity to participate in a group project, 12 artists completed 12 different projects which was compiled into one pattern for $9.99.  As you can see the talent was amazing and the projects are equally amazing.  You can purchase this pattern from www.decorativepaintingstore.com 

Deco Art Glass Paint Markers New Bottles

Here it is the middle of July already and I have hardly blogged this spring.  I guess I have been really busy being productive.  I've been working on new patterns, free-lance art work, teaching a watercolor class, and of course working on my bottles.  I have quite a collection of finished pieces now.   Unfortunately my productive time will come to a close once school starts again.  "Heavy Sigh"

Here are three new bottles just finished by myself using my signature "doodled" designs.  I'm still working on these and am planning/hoping to do a juried show during the Christmas season and am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be chosen to participate.  I jokingly remarked to my husband the other day that every bottle that I finish becomes my newest favorite and these certainly fit that description.  I LOVE working on the Patron bottles, there is just such a wealth of ideas which pop into my head when working on these.  The red and black bottle seen in the first photo is from a local distillery and I adore this bottle, so Missoula, Montana!  All of my friends and family members save bottles for me, thankfully because I couldn't possibly drink all of this!  LOL!

Have you been working with the Glass Markers?  I'd love to hear how you are doing with them.  Leave me a comment.

Whimsical Watercolor on Canvas

For those of you who follow my blog and website, you know that I enjoy using different materials and combining media.  I recently purchased a sketch book at Michaels which had canvas board as the pages.  I was intrigued by the idea of using watercolor on the canvas and gave it a try, you can see the resulting image above.  I wanted to illustrate kids playing outside and these three girls seemed to be destined for the page.  The watercolor reaction on the canvas was a fun and unpredictable experience, I really needed to get the paint onto the canvas, add some shading, lift off some paint for the tints, and basically not overwork it.  I then decided that I wanted to incorporate my acrylic markers into the piece and used a combination of Molotow, Montana, and Posca pens.  If I were going to frame this under glass it would be fine however if I wanted to leave it exposed to the air I would need to seal the piece with a spray fixative.  I don't think I will ever do anything to it other than leave it in the book.

What do you think?

I have been publishing with the Pixelated Palette e-zine now since the September issue and have enjoyed working with Laura Haughey at Cupboard Distributing tremendously.  I'm in the process of developing a series of whimsical houses which will debut over the next few months.  This whimsical party can be found in the May issue.  Stay posted for monthly updates and join us at http://pixelatedpalette.net/ Hope to see you there!

Celebration Santa Online Class at Purely Acrylics 12 Days of Christmas

I have such exciting news for all of you…. I have finally taken the plunge and joined an online teaching group.  This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time and was asked by the Purely Acrylic Group and am so excited to share the news with you. 

Join me and 11 talented artists for Purely Acrylic’s 12 Days of Christmas beginning July 13, 2015.  See the details at Click here for more details

Celebration Santa
Mixed Media Canvas

Celebration Santa Ornament
Mixed Media Ornament

Join me and 4 talented artists for Purely Acrylic’s 5 Days of Christmas Sampler Class beginning July 13, 2015.  See the details at Click here for more details

Registration begins May 1^st for the class. 

 Learn techniques in acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media, My Celebration Santa uses mono printing on a Gelli Arts gel plate to develop Santa’s coat, stencils in the background to develop interest and depth, and a little glitter for some added bling.  If you don’t have a gel plate, no worries, I will show you how to use your craft mat for mono printing.  Take a look at a preview of my project at …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uja38DAPTFs   Instructions for both Santa projects are included in the class. 

I have decided to offer a free e-pattern to anyone who signs up for either the 12 Days of Christmas or 5 Days of Christmas through my link found here, on my website, or on my Facebook page.  I'm offering my new e-pattern Winter's Child.  Hope to see your name on my link so I can send you this free pattern.

Here is a sneak peek of all of the incredible projects which will be part of the class. 

Come join us and share in the Christmas in July fun!!!

I can't wait to hear what you have to say!!!  I have been working like crazy to get this ready for you and have more planned for this Fall.  

Planner Inside Pages and Illustrated Calendar

On one of my shopping expeditions I found these adorable die cuts by Jillybean Soup and decided to doodle on them and they turned out so cute that I chose to add them to my planner dividers.  I think they were a great addition.  I colored them with Gel Pens, Acrylic Markers, and Tombow Markers, cut each die cut in half and glued them onto the pages.  So fun and such a great project to work on in the evenings when I am watching TV.  You can see the one above and the one below.  The light reflects a bit on the surface but I think you can get the idea. 

This divider is a Mary Engelbreit Card which my daughter and her husband gave me for Valentines Day.  I loved it and thought that it would be great added to my planner so I cut it down, added Washi Tape and inserted it front and center.  I also did the card which my husband gave me but haven't inserted it into the planner yet.  What a great way to re-purpose expensive cards. 

Originally I wasn't planning to add a calendar, I have a calendar which I keep in my purse and of course always have my phone on me.  In the past I have done calendars which I have illustrated and used in my planner, I did that last year in a Moleskine planner which I did with the Documented Life Project.  I thought about ordering a calendar to use in the planner but being a DIY kind of person decided to make my own again this year.  This is the August version.  It has changed slightly as I opted to paint around the edges using my Tombow Markers.  I'm currently working on October, which I love and will share that one when I get it finished. 

I think this is going to be a great planner which I can use as I see fit and add new pages as I use it more and more.  If you like the idea of doing a Life Planner but can't seem to keep up with the daily habit think about something which will suit your purpose more and this seems to work for me. 

How about some comments????  Do you use a planner????

Journal/Planner Re-design Inside pages Part 1

I am fascinated with the work that folks are doing with their planners, so fun and such a great descriptive visual opportunity to record your life on a daily basis.  I on the other hand have a hard time keeping up with anything which requires me to "keep" up with something.  I'm a huge fan of the gals over at the Documented Life journaling program and have participated during the past few years and start out with a bang and then just get overwhelmed with everything else that I want to do and end up only doing portions of the project.  I'm fine with this, it doesn't bother me at all because I believe that you need to do the sections which speak to you.  But..... I considered this when I started looking at the planner pages that folks were doing and decided to do something which was realistic for me only. 

I really wanted to do something which was "realistic" for me given my time and interest so decided to turn this planner into a journaling/sketching book which can be carried with me at all times.  This gives me the chance to sketch when I have time and the opportunity.  Because this planner is so small, approximately 5"X7.5", I can carry it in my purse and it packs really well when I am gone for the day or even longer periods of time. 

I cut down to size 90# watercolor paper, Bristol paper, and sketch paper, punched the holes in them and added them to the planner.  For my dividers I decided to use some of my Gelli Prints, Washi tape and laminated them.  In the photos above you can see that I used a variety of materials for the borders and included some scrap pieces of  projects completed by some of my students.  I decided that if the student didn't want the scrap material they would look great around my dividers and remind me of my students as long as I use these dividers.  What a great way to re-purpose something which was going to be thrown away. 

So far I am loving this planner.  What do you think? 

Journal/Planner Redesign

In my last post you saw the planner I was working on to re-design as I disliked the color of the Day Planner and opted to paint it using Deco Art So-Soft Paints and really felt that it was toooo busy!   I will admit that I tend to go overboard when I am stenciling, then thought why not paint around a design to tone down most of the front. leaving the areas of the stenciled layer that I loved.   I had a new stencil from Stencil Girl Products that I was  looking forward to using of a daisy mask and thought it would be perfect for this planner.  HMMMM!!!!  I used Black So-Soft paints to paint around the design leaving the previous stenciled image and loved it although it took days for it to dry because I had added sooooo much paint over neoprene.  I was actually a little nervous that it was never going to dry completely but it did.  HURRAY!!! 

Now I love it and have something which is completely of my own design and idea.  I would suggest doing this if you have a paintable planner, I don't know how well you can paint over leather but the neoprene seemed to take the paint well but you do have to be patient and allow the paint to cure.  It is still a little sticky but over time I'm sure it will dry perfectly.  If you look carefully you can see the glitter paint starting to show through the black and little snippets of paint colors which I love. 

In my next few posts I am going to share with you some of the inside sections of this planner which were also completed entirely by myself.  Having a blast with this project. 

BTW the stencil I used for the flower is one by Stencil Girl and is called Doodle It Daisy Stencil by Maria McGuire.  Love it.  Go to their site and view all of the fantastic stencils by the amazing artists at Stencil Girl!

Day Planner Re-Design with Deco Art So-Soft Paints

I went a little overboard on adding paint to this.  LOL.  I was starting to make a mess but wanted to try calming it all down and added the pink and turquoise dots to try to bring the entire design together.  Not sure if I accomplished what I had in mind, I may decide to paint around some of the elements that I like but will decide what my next step is after I let it dry.  It is a little busy, maybe fresh eyes will give me a needed perspective.  

What do you think?  Is it a hot mess or interesting?  

Journal Re-design using Deco Art So-Soft Paints

Here is the second step in my re-design of my Day Planner.  You can see that I've begun layering additional paint colors onto the planner but you can still see quite a bit of the red, which I do not care for.  I will have to take care of that.  My problem with this planner has always been its color, not the size or inside design, which I really like.  So what to do now?  Suggestions?  

I hope the So-Soft Paints start to dry because this is still a sticky mess.  I will keep you posted.  This might become a hot mess and will go to Good Will.  LOL.  

Have you ever tried this?  

Designing a Planner

I've had this Day Planner for 15 years or so and used it, until I got my I-Phone, as an address book and a general planner.  It was great and kept me organized between home, work, and my business.  Once I got my phone I decided to train myself to use my phone instead of a physical calendar and love my phone but had this planner taking up dust.  Being a teacher/artist I hate to throw things out, you never know when you will need something. LOL.  My husband on the other hand would really like me to get rid of a few things, I decided that I should  use this planner again or get rid of it, but really hated the color.  It is a red neoprene, which I've never really liked but when I purchased it the colors which were available were limited.  So being a can do kind of person decided to paint it and got out my Deco Art So Soft paints. 

I made the decision that if I didn't like it once it was painted I would get rid of it for good.  HMMM????  Is that a challenge to myself.  

I wasn't really sure that I wanted to paint the entire planner and chose to stencil and sponge reds, orange, turquoise blue, and white onto the planner.  Still wasn't overly sure I was crazy about it but was beginning to like it better.   Check back after I let this dry to see the next incarnation of re-purposing this planner.  It is a great size 6"X 7", I'm planning to use it as a travel sketchbook so it doesn't really have to be gorgeous but I would like to enjoy the color of it.  

Do any of you use planners?  For what purpose?  I'm kind of missing having a planner and have been reading about the planners that individuals are developing.  It sounds like fun.  Maybe this should be a full fledged planner instead of just a travel sketchbook.  Time will tell.  

More Hand Painted Bottles using the Deco Art Glass Paint Markers.

I just completed these two bottles.  No, I'm not a heavy drinker, my niece's husband works at a local restaurant which has a bar and he is nice enough to rescue the bottles for me.  I've had an amazing assortment of bottle for inspiration.  Certainly good for the environment as well as my liver!  These re-purposed bottles now have a new life.  I am developing a pretty decent inventory and am thinking about selling off some of my stock.

I think these would be great for vinegar, oils, and decanters for home-made liquors.  Any other ideas?

  Every time I complete a bottle it becomes my newest favorite and these are two of my faves.

Guiness Bottle

I am happy to post the final photo of my Guiness bottle, I actually did a second bottle as well and am posting both bottles. I stayed with the gold and silver color scheme.  Lighter colors did not show up on the dark glass.  The second bottle actually reminded me of a combination of a mosaic and a sweater material.   Lol.

What do you think?  Would you want to try these.  

Guiness Bottle

I am back online now, thankfully I have my computer back up and running.  I had to re-install software and reconfigure my contacts in my email, still working on those, but at least I am back in the techno world.

As I promised a few weeks ago here is the second photo showing the Guiness bottle that I started working on.  This photo shows where I have added the vertical lines and don't be concerned about the bleed from the white lines, that will disappear once I add the remainder of the gold paint.  I am using White and Gold on this bottle and it is turning out really lovely.

I will post the finished bottle in my next post.  I just received a number of new bottles that are calling for me to begin the design process and I have 4 finished bottles that need to be heat set in the oven.

I'm seriously considering adding these bottles to my website for sale.  What are your thoughts?

Phew, what a couple of weeks I've had!  The hard drive on my computer crashed shortly after posting my last blog post.  I ended up replacing the hard drive and luckily had backed up all of my pattern files but had not backed up any of my email contacts.  I was able to replace all of my pattern files, which was a blessing, but I've had to reconfigure all of my email contacts and newsletter addresses.  The moral of the story is back up your email contacts.  LOL.  Easy to say now, I wish I would have taken my own advise.  Needless to say I'm still working on putting all of my addresses back into my computer, consequently I have not had time, or a computer, to be able to blog, not to mention am still trying to reload software which was on my computer prior to meltdown.  I'm hoping to have my computer back up and running by next weekend and can post the next bottle which is finished and ready to be posted as soon as I can access my photos.

Hope you have a great week.

Turn an Ordinary Bottle into Something Extraordinary with Deco Art Glass Paint Markers

My last post was all about tips and techniques that I have learned in my glass painting journey using the Glass Paint Markers.  In this post I thought that I would show you a bottle starting at the beginning, or close to the beginning of the design process and give you some insight into the creativity process.  Are you with me as we take this from a boring dark colored bottle to a stunning piece of art?

• This is your basic dark colored beer bottle, Guinness to be exact, it has a plastic label which made it enticing since the prep work was very minimal. I removed the label with a sharp knife, washed it in the dishwasher and looked at it for a few days.  In my mind I am envisioning what design I think will enhance the features of the bottle.  This bottle seemed to call for an overlapping line pattern to form diamonds. The marker colors used was predetermined by the color of the bottle.  I have now completed enough dark colored bottles that I am beginning to get a feel for which colors work and which do not and how to add brighter colors if I decide I want them.  
• It was actually fairly easy to accomplish, I used 1/4" green masking tape to mask the lines after I sketched the general design in with my white Stabillo pencil and used the tape to help me draw in fairly straight lines with my white marker.  
• Next I drew the diamond shapes to fit in each area with my white or gold paint marker and colored them in.  I gave these two coats of paint, let each coat dry completely otherwise your paint will scratch off, and added dots to enhance the design. 
• It is difficult to describe what goes into the process of developing a design on a bottle except that I look at  the bottle for a period of time to see what calls to me.  This bottle seemed perfect for this design but am now at the stage where it needs to sit again for a while so I can determine what to add to the top and bottom portion of the bottle.  
• Often I will sketch a random idea on a bottle to see how I think it will work out and then rework the design until I find something that I am satisfied with although I have been known to just sit down and begin doodling randomly and just go with the process.  
• However you look at it it is a fun process and you are re-purposing the bottles.  
• I will keep you posted on the next stages of the bottle.  

Leave me feedback!  I'd love to hear your comments.  

Patron Bottles and Glass Markers, A Match made in Heaven!

 I am a fan of Margaritas, especially those made with Patron.  That is one of my go to cocktails when we go out to dinner.  Before Christmas my husband and I were finishing up our Christmas shopping and decided to stop at our local state liquor store and saw these absolutely adorable mini Patron bottles.  Of course I couldn't resist, Patron and an adorable bottle to go along with, it was a match made in heaven.  Sooooo I got two, one is good two is even better.  Naturally because they were so small I poured the alcohol into my larger Patron bottle, removed the labels, put them through the dishwasher and started doodling on them.  So cute!!!!!  Kind of like a puppy, cute and adorable but won't mess on your carpet!  Woo Hoo!!!

I have been experimenting with a variety of bottles and have had some great successes and some not so great.  I will keep you posted on some of my faves!

Now that I have been using these markers for quite some time I feel very comfortable giving you tips and techniques which seem to work well for me.

• First of all let each color dry before trying to change colors.  LOL.  Seriously this seems like a no-brainer, I  must be a slow learner because I had a few messes before I realized that you cannot rush this process.  When you first add the paint to the glass piece the color will be sticky, let the paint dry to the point where you can begin to layer paint colors, if you rush the process you will lift your paint.  Experiment with this because it will depend on your weather and humidity level. 
• If you make a mistake and need to make a correction you can easily remove your mistake for a short period of time with your finger or a wet tissue.  If you wait too long your paint will adhere to the glass and you will need to scratch the paint off.  Trust me on this one, remove the paint early on.  
• The white and black paint markers are opaque and can be used to mask out areas which you may not be completely happy with.  The colored markers are transparent.
• If you are using a colored bottle many of the colored markers will  not show up except on a clear bottle, use the white marker to mask out an area, let it dry completely and then color over the white area with a colored marker.  Make sure that this area is completely dry otherwise the white paint will lift.  I would recommend that you allow this to dry overnight before applying your colored layer.  
• You can easily shade and highlight with the markers just make sure that each paint layer is dry before working over another color.  
• The paint will blend somewhat when placed in the oven to heat set and the paint colors will become slightly more intense.  
• I do not worry if you see my strokes as I color on the bottle, that is part of the charm of each bottle.  The whimsy that occurs as you develop your design is part of the charm of each piece.  
• Don't sweat the small stuff, have fun.  

I will post more tips and techniques as I discover the ins and outs of glass painting.  

Aren't these mini Patron bottles adorable?  

Everyday with the Artist's Club

I was so thrilled to be selected to be a part of the Artist's Club first compilation artist book.  The group of artists is so talented and I am honored to have been asked to be a part of it.  This is a first for me, as many of you know I published my own e-book this year and now to be a part of a compilation project is a dream come true.  LOL, check and check off of my bucket list.  This is my project which is called Life Is....... and is the first in a series of banner projects that Artist's Club has asked me to complete.  The second will be out as a pattern later on this spring or summer.  The banner is painted on Roc Lon and the  Life banner holder is a wood piece.  All can be purchased at www.artistsclub.com.