Art And Craft Ideas

This 1st Craft is an  introduction to Painting on Silk.

The magic of painting on ‘pure white silk’ is seeing the images that emerge when silk paint is added. Every time I am amazed snd excited – every piece is a ‘one-off’ and no two pieces are ever the same – that’s the beauty.

Once I discovered the sheer joy of painting on silk, I was addicted – and the pleasure of seeing the vibrant colours flow and merge to create the most wonderful designs – it was – and still is a joy to behold. I truly believe that like me anyone can enjoy this beautiful art, with the creative spirit that is within all of us, if we let it out! …ANYONE CAN DO IT .. even if you have never held a paint brush before. ( I taught a young 10 year old girl to paint on silk and she made some lovely little gifts to give to her family, who were amazed as she had no previous experience in any kind of painting) .

WHAT DO I NEED FOR THIS ART YOU MAY BE WONDERING, well it is not one of the less expensive crafts to pursue, and a visit to your local art shop or looking up specialist suppliers of silk and silk painting materials is a must.

The usual silk for this painting is ‘Pongee Thai Silk’ or ‘Habitoi Thai Silk” which comes in plain white on a roll sold by the yard/meter or by ‘pre-designed’ with a product called ‘Gutter’ a blocking agent ( an outline design is drawn onto the silk with gutter from a squeezy tube or bottle, for you to paint within these boundaries) which I suggest as a beginner. You can buy the gutter if you want to design your own work.

A FRAME to stretch the working piece onto – it can be a home made wooden one or a special metal frame that stretches to different sizes – Special silk PINS that do not damage the precious silk when pinning to the frame.

  SOFT BRUSHES that hold paint well, they do not have to be the expensive ones and sponge shapes (bought from an art shop) can also be used for larger areas

SILK PAINTS usually sold in small jars and in a multitude of colours – if doing a lot of work then larger jars are available and more economicle – but the small jars do go a long way.

SALT ordinary table salt or rock salt – salt  gives special marble effects to the silk while it is still wet.

CLEAN WATER, OLD JAR FOR RINSING BRUSHES, CERAMIC PALETTE WITH SMALL DISHES (from and art shop) OR ANY SMALL CONTAINERS TO POUR A LITTLE PAINT INTO   and AN OLD SHIRT OR OVERALL

Silk painting is almost opposite of other types of painting. Usually, the artist paints by the ‘placement’ of the paint onto the work surface – but with Silk Painting, the painter controls the ‘movement’ of the paint within the boundary of the design made by the gutter/resist on the silk, rather than the placement. The type of brushes used therfore become less important because the Silk Dye itself spreads on the silk after being placed there, the painter allowing   the dyes flow so freely on the silk.

You can apply silk painting to make such things as Scarves, Ties, , Glass Cases, Purses, Hats, Pictures, Wall Hangings to name a few….Right, now all that’s out of the way … here the fun starts!

ARRANGE YOUR SMALL CERAMIC CUPS or DISHES with the colours you intend to use, and lay out your brushes, a jar of clean water. Now the silk has to be stretched ‘tight as a drum’ onto your frame with the silk pins, start at the top corner – right – the same side bottom, top left, bottom left, adding more pins at all sides, adjusting as you go to make sure there are no bumps or ridges THE WHOLE PIECE MUST BE PERFECTLY FLAT. 

Assuming you have chosen a ‘pre-gutter’ design and have your colours ready, start with the main item, dipping your brush into a colour JUST TOUCH THE AREA WITH YOUR BRUSH to paint and let the paint flow and ‘do it’s thing’ you can add a second colour if you wish and it will merge into the first colour – DON’T TRY TO PAINT  – let the silk paints do the job and you will get the most amazing effects/finishes, leave the background till last.

SALT – while the silk is still wet sprinkle either the fine salt or rock salt (which gives a stronger effect)  to an area you wish to ‘marble’ try it out on a small area and see the reults -be careful that you only sprinkle the salt on the area/s that you want to change, the salt draws up the moisture that then  gives the marble effect,  it has to left on the silk till all is dry before removing.

AFTER THE SILK IS COMPLETELY DRY – remove from the frame carefully by taking out the pins gently so that you do not harm the silk, brush off gently the  added salt and now these dried colours have TO BE FIXED permanently into the silk to allow it to be washed and to prevent the colours fading in sunlight … if this is not done, then all your work will be ruined as the colours WILL fade and ‘unfixed’ colours WILL ‘watermark’ and stain when in contact with water.

To prevent this happening, all work is IRON FIXED  using a domestic iron on HOT  – yes it can be ironed with the setting on hot no problem – cover your ironing board with a clean cloth and iron on THE REVERSE SIDE for about 3/4 minutes, going over and over the piece covering every inch. Sometimes the gutter, especially metallic ones can leave reprints on the cloth.  After fixing in this way the clours are permaent and the silk can now be washed or dry cleaned. Remeber: Silk is an Organic Fiber and comes from the ‘silk worm’ a species of catapillar or moth which produces fiber i.e silk, it wil dissolve in chlorine so all silks should be washed in ‘pure soap’ , clear dish washing liquid or shampoo is fine, So with care your fine silk will last you for many years – Get Painting and Enjoy… IT’S EASY-PEASY!

I hope you found this information a help to you – and if you do ‘have-a-go’ get the pleasure, enjoyment and thrill of giving your hand made presents to those you love.

A SIMPLE IDEA FOR YOUR SMALL 12X12 INCH SILK PAINTING -      A SLEEP PILLOW

Stitch a same size piece of material all round three of the sides, turn right side out. Make a little pouch and fill it with pot pouri and close it – add some wadding to the inside of the pillow, include the pouch, also close the pillow with a zip or slip stitch the opening.  To make it more decorative a frilly lace edge looks good. Place on your sleep pillow, on you bed pillow  before covering with your duvet and remove it when going to bed, and there you have a lovely scented pillow to rest your weary head.  Barbara

EXTRA – EXTRA … TIPS AND BITS FOR PAINTING ON SILK

1). MIXING THE COLOURS OF THE SILK PAINTS/DYES

Make sure you always mix enough of the colour/s you want to cover a specific area, as it is very hard to get the same colour again. If you want a lighter colour, dilute it with water, and only use black when you are using black …DO NOT darken a colour with black it just goes muddy – instead use a darker shade of the colour i.e. red – burgundy.

2). STARTING TO PAINT YOUR SILK

It is always best to start with a light colour, painting from the centre  of the marked out gutta area and let the paint flow and spread, then using the second colour add lightly and let the two merge together to give a two-tone effect. Be aware that if you use water to correct a mistake it leaves a ring, so its best to leave it as it is

3).  USING GUTTA TO MAKE YOUR OWN DESIGN.

First, make sure that the silk is stretched tight onto the frame with no bumps or ridges , taking hold of the tube or bottle of gutta, hold it upright (try a squeeze on a spare piece or onto paper etc first to get the feel of the ‘flow’) wipe the nozzle before you start on your piece and each time you stop and start to draw again. Press the tip to the silk and gently draw the outline of your design, there can be NO GAPS – each area must be completely closed, like a wall, if not the colour from area will seep through the gap and spoil the next area.

4). FRAMES FOR SILK PAINTING.

Before you go rushing off to buy frames, try using what you have to start, an embroidery frame is ideal for small pieces – or it is possible to use and unwanted picture frame – the back is usually flat, use normal ‘thumb-tacks/drawing pins’ to fix the silk and it is a good idea to cover the edge with masking tape or selotape as sometimes the colours stain the wood and can spoil your next painting. … if you have a ‘handyman’ available a wood interlocking frame is easy to make, then when ready to make larger items there are several frames and pins available from suppliers to make the job easier.

5.) NOT SO HAPPY WITH YOUR FIRST RESULT

All is not lost, don’t discard them, use part or whole piece and make a little something of use, for instance make  little sachets to put pot pouri inside a scented sleep pillow.

Hope these snippets are of use to you – I look forward to any feed-back you may have.

regards Barbara              HOW TO DO  SILK PAINTING             Click Here!

Hi, a new painting idea – How to TRANSFORM YOUR DOORS AND WALLS THE ARTISTIC WAY.

FOLLOWING is my design for a dining room wall – it was to give the room a ‘make-over’ for a Bistro Restaurant style (It was my first attempt, and as it is simple I thought this would be an easy one to show, so anyone could do it) .  I had decided to paint a view of the sea as if sitting on a patio.

I Used the very basic paints like Matt or Vinyl Emulsion paints from a  DIY store ( they usually sell ‘tester pots’ of colours which are useful for the odd colours you may need, although you will need a larger quantity of white or off white for the basic paint, all other colours can be mixed into this as required. you probably already have odds and ends from past decorating jobs, acrylic paints are ideal for smaller areas).

With these paints you can transform your home by painting those boring doors and walls to give them a new lease of life – it’s easier than you think and the equipment is inexpensive.

GETTING STARTED: With the white paint I first painted the entire wall as a base and left it to dry.

Next, the first thing to do was to draw out the basic design on paper, although I usually change things as I go along, then I marked out the areas with pencil and ruler, first the trellis at the top which was then masked off with masking tape, I added a column to the left side which was also masked off.  NOTE; when drawing a column/pillar it should be wider at the bottom than the top, so add an extra inch or so to each side as you go down.

Measuring up from the floor to a suitable height – just above where the table top would be, I marked the wall all the way along for the top of the patio rail and masked it off including the verticle posts at the same time. The height of the stone wall was decided upon and also masked off, the wrought iron scrolls were left till later.

STARTING TO PAINT THE MURAL: Using some of the white emulsion paint I added blue till I got a good sky colour and with a wide brush (you could of course at this point use a paint roller) I painted the entire area down to approx. where the sea line would be, making it lighter as I went down  being careful when painting the areas seen through the gaps of the trellis. I dabbed on some white and shades of grey for the clouds and softened the edges. Next I removed all the masking tape from the trellis and with a small brush painted in the trellis with white and shades of grey for shadows from side to side.

Next was the sea area, as I already had used blue I added more colour to make it a deeper blue and in a sperate container added some green to make a slight turquoise colour, and using both colours I painted in the sea area down to the stone wall, over the masking tape for the patio rail.

When all was dry, I peeled off the tape from the rail, exposing the white wall and repositioned it above and below the rail line, then using the white paint as a base with two shades of grey mixed for highlights and shadows the rail was painted from end to end, and the posts were painted in the same way, All was left to dry and all tape then removed from the rail. For the Wrought Iron of the railing, I drew out a design to fit between the rail and the top of the stone wall, drew over it with a marking pen and with tracing paper I copied it (You could of course cut or buy a stencil to use instead) Placing the tracing paper against each post i drew them onto the wall, alternating the design for each side of the posts, and painted them in by hand.

THE STONE PILLAR:

A stone colour was mixed, and the entire pillar was painted from top to bottom against the masking tape, the colour needed to be a few shades darker at the sides to give a rounded effect so I added these shades and sponged the edges to soften them, then the top design of  it had to be painted in, adding shadows, then the base, finally  I decided it needed a little touch of the Mediterranean and I remembered a lovely villa I had stayed at with lemons growing along the wall , so I painted a few trailing in the trellis at the corner and added a small boat in the sea at the same time, and painted the island hills with a colour of burnt orange.

THE STONE WALL:

I drew and masked off the squares for slabs and using the similar colours as used for the pillar the slabs were painted in with light and dark shades, the tape peeled off and with a cement type colour painted in the lines of the brickwork … finished I thought, but no!

As the wall to the right ended at the recess of the return wall and was in view I then painted in the area with a village of houses on the hillside, great … now standing back and looking at it I could see it now needed the fireeplace wall (which had already been blocked in and painted previously, so it was already smooth) to be painted to match the rest, so off I went again and painted the entire area as stone slabs.

It still need more to complete the Bisto look so I added a wall plaque I had made in Plaster and painted a while back which I thought would act as a menu board.

To complete the look, the table was put back into position against the wall, a red gingham table cloth was added along with napkins, wine glasses and an old Chianti bottle with a candle was placed in the centre … as the lights were dimmed the setting looked just as cosy as can be … Wow, time for a sit down and a glass of the red!!!  … Oh no, at that I decided to go out and buy 4 bistro style chairs to top it all off …. Phew finished.

Below is a  a ‘real Restaurant’, as you can see, I painted the bar area, the top piece was 18 foot long and 4 foot 6inches wide and the matching return piece was 6 foot long and  4 foot 6 inches wide, and painted as a sunset scene.

Hope you enjoyed this one, Barbara/Montana        

TRANSFORMING  DOORS  AND  WALLS

These doors were painted in the same way as the walls  using the same tecniques as painting the walls – mostly emulsion paints were used and areas were masked off, like the gate posts etc and the background painted free-hand as the ideas came,  when all had dried I varnished the doors with 2 coats to give them more durability.

There is good book plus video  available that gives some clear instructions and designs that may be of help to you if you wish to ‘have a go’ yourself. I hope you will find it helpful…. Just CLICK  – below. Barbara

Click Here!

Hi, here’s another craft that can involve the kids  – it’s Easy-Peasy to do, does not cost much and starting with simple shapes no special expertise needed. The children just love the fun of getting all ‘floury’ thumping, pummelling and rolling the dough – the fun of the mess they may make is worth the cleaning up!!! With Christmas fast approaching what about making shapes to hang on the Christmas tree … bet you can think of lots. Later on you can progress to more advanced projects, but with simple shapes to start everyone can join in

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR SALT DOUGH

1. PLAIN FLOUR the cheapest you can find
2. PLAIN KITCHEN SALT again the cheapest you can find
3. TEPID WATER  and a little plain cooking OIL
4. ROLLING PIN
5. BLUNT KNIVES for the kids (sharper ones for you)
6. SHAPERS – anything that that will make shapes – end of a fork, end of a straw, garlic press, cookie cutters, anything around.
7. TRAY FOR BAKING and  WIRE CAKE RACK fo cooling
8. PAINT and BRUSHES – Water based even from the kid’s paint box
9. VARNISH – water based is easier to use – it does not smell is easy to clean with just soap and water.
10. RIBBON or CORD for hanging the items

A POLYTHENE BAG is needed to keep the dough in at all times when made

1.   HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH
2. 3 CUPS of FLOUR
3. 1 x SAME SIZE CUP of WATER with one or two drips of oil
4. 1 x CUP of  SALT same size cup as the flour

Put the flour and salt into your mixing bowl mix them together and make a well in the centre and add approx 2/3 of the the tepid water with the oil in and make it as you would pastry add more water gradually as it needs it (too much and the dough will not hold it’s shape – too dry and the dough will crumble and be hard to handle) tip it out onto a lightly floured table and knead it till it is nice and smooth to feel, keeping it in ball shape put it in the polythen bag and close the bag, leave it to rest for about 20 minutes as this makes it easier to handle and the salt dissolves into the flour This is the hardest part for the kids who want to do it now! – so let them draw some shapes on paper or card (which they can cut round if they wish) and it keeps them busy with ideas.  GETTING STARTED: Cut off a lump dough (keeping the dough not being used in the closed polythene bag) give it another knead to make it smooth, sprinkle lightly the table or board with flour and roll out about biscuit thickness for small items  give a piece to each ‘helper’ to make their own masterpiece Note: if making an item that needs joining parts together, they are stuck together with a finger dipped in a dish of water and smoothed out, also if many joins it is best to either make it on a square of foil with a minimum swipe of oil to prevent sticking, which is easier to lift onto the baking sheet  or else made directly onto the baking sheet itself. … For your first items make flat shapes that are simple so that you get the feel of the dough, using your tools make eyes with the end of a straw or ‘cloves’ work well, toothpicks, garlic press for hair etc – if the item is to be hung up as the Christmas tree ornaments then push the end of a straw through at the hanging point for the ribbon, if making a wall plaque  you can push a paperclip or make a wire hook to push into the back of the piece to hang up instead of making a hole with straw. TO BAKE YOUR PIECES For smaller flat pieces have the oven at 100c – 150c – 300f and it should take about 1 hour – 2 hours at a lower temperature if thick but you have to check from time to time to see that the dough is not getting brown and overdone. I prefer to use the lower setting and cook longer – the dough must be completely dried out in the oven. When done the dough should still look pale and dry. Let them cool on a wire cake rack, they must be completely cool before you can start to paint PAINTING AND VARNISHING Some pieces look best left unpainted , as the pies in the picture but generally most will be painted, the chicldren can use any of their paint boxes or poster paints or acrylics work very well, even emulsion paint (tester pots from a DIY store) all can be used. Once finished they MUST be varnished or the dough will go soft again and will not keep,  so varnish the backs first and let them dry – then the fronts making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies or your work will be ruined, if making larger items I usually apply two coats, but it’s. up to you When all done tie ribbons through the holes ready to hang and when Grandma comes for Christmas how proud the children will be to say  “I made these myself” Bet you are wanting to make bigger and better things now, so get going. Have fun – it’s Easy-Peasy Barbara …Below -  here’s a great idea for your Children, a way to occupy them with some ‘easy to do’  little crafts that will keep them busy.  There are 9 different crafts to inspire them throughout the year, giving you you time to spend with them as a family unit and as they enjoy themselves, with some time for you to relax                                                                  Click Here!

YES, I know this has nothing to do with painting in Art and Craft Ideas, but I am up to my elbows in plums right now, and I think you will love this idea anyway.I have a plum tree in my garden that produces 100′s and 100′s of large black juicy plums each year and I need to make use of them as best I can … apart from giving bag loads away. So apart from the usual which I cook, plum crumble, plum tart, plum chutney, plum jam etc … this is by far our favourite and I thoughtI would share it with you.

Just wait till the cold of December, January, February comes around and Summer seem far away. What a delicious treat for dessert ‘with the taste of Summer’ … to remind you of those lazy hot Summer days.

Well here it is : I cook as many plums as I can get into a large saucepan after washing them well, removing the stones and cutting them in half. I add just enough water to cook them (too much and the end result is too thin), sugar to our taste , I dont’t know how much, if not sweet enough then a little more can always be added as it cools.

The plums are bought to the boil and them simmered till nice and thick and squiggy, taken off the heat and left to cool down, then with my ‘Mouli Blender’ I blend the whole lot till it makes a nice smooth thick sauce consistency (note: just cooking/stewing them is not enough, it must be blended to make this thick, dark, delicious sauce) Once completely cooled down, poured into containers, lidded  dated and packed into my freezer.

When it comes to time to serve, I let a container thaw out at room temperature. and here are a few serving suggestions for this sauce – 1. Served in individual dishes, spooned over yogurt or vanilla ice cream with a wafer for decoration. 2. lovely as a topping for homemade cheesecake. 3. spooned over freshly sliced peaches and served with cream or ice cream 4. As a starter, this sauce spooned over Sesame coated, deep fried Brie,  with some thin wedges of toast.

P.S. Any type of plums could be used I am sure, but I have to admit I have only used my own….Let me know what you think … after you have tried it NEXT YEAR, that’s if you have any left by then ha ha ha lol

SPECIAL NOTE: It is best if children be kept well out of the kitchen whilst this is cooking – preferably out of the kitchen, it reaches a very hot temperature and should be watched over at all times, and handled with care.

Bon Apetite

Barbara

You can most probably think of more

Painted Bugs on Pebbles

Hi, here is a very low cost craft idea that is one for all the family, of all ages.

It is fun to do and always changing, the only thing you need is your imagination
and few inexpensive items to use. The small simple pebbles I painted in the photo here were all painted with odds and end of Emulsion paint in different colours  left over from home decorating jobs and stored in jars for use,
of course they can be mixed together  no problem for a whole range of colours
You can use Poster paint or Acrylic paint from Craft shops, which I use on most of my projects, it can be bought in tubes. which go a long way or in tubs of 500ml, also at the large DIY stores there are small  ‘tester’ pots of  emulsion colours which can be purchased for just a few pence, ideal to start with, but to
start your  first simple pebbles use what you have.
Paint brushes that are at hand for now, with a few small sizes for detail, used Yogurt pots or jam jars for water and kitchen roll for wiping brushes etc.
A pencil for outlines, newspaper to cover your table from splashes, old shirts, tops or aprons for protection and that’s it !!

If you live near the coast and can stroll along the beach, dunes, shoreline, you will find ‘pebbles’ of all sizes and shapes that have been thrown up by the sea.
So, pack a picnic lunch, a few sandcastle buckets and spades, suitable beach wear, sun hats and sunscreen, then off you all go together for a fun day in the fresh air and sunshine.

Just imagine a nice rounded pebble that has been pounded into shape by the never ending swishing and coming and going of the tides for many years. When I hold a pebble in my hand I think “How old are you, what size were you before you ended up here, smooth and round, where did you come from in the first place”

As you look around you will see ones that seem to say “I’m a kitten, or a furry rabbit, or just right for a lady bug, even an odd shape that would make a country cottage etc.
Just let your imagination go free.  The shapes you choose must have flat base to sit flat, if rounded it will wobble and be difficult to paint,
Don’t forget to collect any nice piece of driftwood that would go well with a flower arrangement or some nice sea shells that would be useful for another project.

If  not near to the coast maybe a creek or mountain area would be just as good, or the worst way, large Gardening Centres sell pebbles in heaps.

HAVING COLLECTED YOUR PEBBLES – LETS GET STARTED
First to do is to wash and scrub them with a stiff brush to remove the debis and algae, then make sure that they are dry before starting, they will need a painted base, decide which is best for the top, turn it upside down and paint the base (my samples all have a black base) let it dry before turning over.
Whilst waiting get everything you will need ready to hand on your table.

Start with simple things like bees, bugs, fish, ladybirds as my samples
continue with the black and with a small brush paint the outlines, then fill in the shapes with the colours of your choice, adding details as it dries, children have wonderful imaginations for pictures and colour and here they can invent their own.

Make sure all is dry and then if you so wish (this part NOT for the kids) paint on a layer of varnish, I use a water base one that does not smell is easy to use, dries fast and the brushes can be washed in warm soapy water
I varnish the bottom as well as the top, painting the base first, leaving it to dry and then the top. You can if you so wish stick a piece of felt on the base to protect the furniture if need be.

The kids will now have a ‘masterpiece’ maybe with a funny face to put beside their bed, one they made themselves, a little smiley friend to see when they wake.

NEXT UP: Will be a little more on ideas for painting and making a living by selling your pebbles …
So bookmark this page and come back again. Thank you. Barbara .

Take a Look  at a set of instructional  children’s art learning courses, its a unique, childrens art and craft system that encompasses every area of developemnt children need to develop the right thinking, and problem solving skills, develop  initiative, help their creativity and boost their self confidence, with lots of great content.

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Hi, more on Art and Craft Ideas – No 2                                                                  PAINTING PEBBLES – PAPER WEIGHTS.

Keeping it simple,  for people who have not tried any real attempt at painting, what about PAPERWEIGHTS! a useful item for many things. I use mine to keep my paper work together otherwise my cheeky cats will scuffle them up to make a nice comfy nest to snooze in.

Again you only need basic equipment as before (painting bugs) with any ideas you can get from Gardening Catalogues, Magazines etc … colours to match your home decor.

What about a nice sized pebble to put by your front door ‘Welcome to my Pad’ or Welome or Home Sweet Home – your House Name or Number. These would make nice gifts to give to friends or family members, loved much more becuase the art work was made by you.

Once you have a collection you could show them on a car boot sale, you might be able to beg a corner from a friend’s stall. they don’t cost much to make so you should make a profit to buy more paint and brushes for your next Art and Craft Ideas – more next time. Barbara

Hi, more ideas on art and craft ideas – PAINTING PEBBLES

PAINTING HOUSES AND COTTAGES

Apart from nice plump rounded pebbles for cottages – also look around for ‘odd shaped rocks’ -  square, oblong etc which would make a house a church, a farmhouse barn …

What are the houses like where you live. what are the houses like that you have seen on your travels and have photographed? Look in magazines for property ideas.

I have shown a few examples here, bet YOU can thinks of loads to display on your selling site … and what about old fashioned shops i.e

MR BUN THE BAKER, BERTIE BUTCHER, MILLIE THE MILLENER, JAKE’S HARWARE STORE, CORNER GROCERY STORE … you can make a scene of a typical street to make it interesting and appealing to the visitor.  Make some decorative little cards with the name of item and price (make sure you state ALL HAND PAINTED – NO TWO THE SAME – ORDERS TAKEN) AND YOUR NAME!

Have fun and be proud of your work.

More to come on Painting Pebbles … but now you are getting into it a little more expertise required, so don’t forget to come back soon. Barbara

Now that you have had some fun and experience with Pebbles here are a

few more ideas – these prove to be the most popular and people see one

that looks just like their own cat.

You will need a bit more experience to paint the fur on animals and I suggest you buy a few special paint brushes and some tubes of acrylic paints i.e Black, White, Blue, Red, Yellow.Yellow Ocre and Brown, with these you can mix a variety of colours. Paint brushes, a normal bristle brush approz 1 inch (2.5cm) for the first coverage and a slightly smaller one, then in an Art Shop ask for a good artist brush that will hold the paint well and goes to a fine point, also a special thin, fine one with a long bristle for the fur and details. the assitants I find are most helpful if you explain what you are doing. You will also need one for Varnish and a cleaner if not using water based varnish. Look afer your brushes and they will last well. These will get you started and as your excitement grows with painting these cats you can always extend your range.

Good luck with your painting, I hope you have enjoyed my blogs so far

Barbara

A GREAT CRAFT IDEA

WHAT A LOVELY WAY TO SPRUCE UP THE BATHROOM!

I have found that people are facinated by the idea – you get loads of comments and compliments … and easy sales!

GETTING STARTED: You can buy plastic toilet seats and the good quality wooden ones which of course are more expensive but make a more professional job. To get started you can try out your ideas by cutting round the toilet seat shape on cardboard as a guide for the shape to put you ideas into action.

Once you have found your painting theme using the cardboard ones. try it out first on the cheaper Plastic ones. Toilet seats usually come with ‘Universal’ fittings so there is no problem for purchasers to fit theri own.

The ones I have shown in the photo above, I painted with cans of ‘spray paint’ that you can buy in most hardware stores, then I varnished them with 2 coats of Marine Clear Varnish - but acrylic paints are fine to use making sure you have a nice smooth finish.

There is an option to paint the toilet seat on the underside and the actual seat itself to match the cover, but bear in mind that they are washed often and so need more protection as they tend to wear. If you do decide to do that, make sure you cover them well with 2/3 coats of varnish.

MATERIALS: Paints, good Clear Varnish, Brushes fo the Paints and one for the Varnish. Clean Water, Masking Tape and old Newspaper to cover the areas not to be painted. Spread newspaper on the working surface as well.

Make sure you mask off well all areas not to be painted or odd lines/colours will spoil the finish…. especially if using spray paints – and if you do use spray paints protect yourself with goggles and a mask also thin latex gloves save fingernails getting grimy!

Have fun  Barbara

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