Showing posts with label White Glue Crackle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White Glue Crackle. Show all posts

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Fall Decor: Striped and Quilled Dollar Tree Pumpkin Sign


Happy Saturday friends! This weeks BFF Open House link party continues here I'm continuing to work on some additions to my Fall decor for when I take Halloween down and excited to share this fun and I hope, elegant, sign with you today!

Supplies: 
  • Wood Pumpkin Sign ( Dollar Tree)
  • Acrylic Paints (White Craftsmart and Light Gold Metallic Martha Stewart)
  • Cream Cardstock
  • Quilling Papers (White and White With Gold Edge)
  • Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue and White Glue (Elmer's)
  • White Satin Ribbon
  • Hot Glue Gun and Glue

When I was at Dollar Tree last month getting some goodies for Halloween, I picked up this plain wood sign. They have different ones seasonally ( I may or may not have picked up some Christmas ones since). As I talked about in a previous post, I started Quilling this year and decided to incorporate that into this project. 



I covered the sign with a couple coats of the white paint. Then, using the crackle technique I showed in my Witch Switch Girlfriend Gifts, covered with a layer of Elmer's glue and the light gold paint. 

Apply glue, then contrast color, crackles as it dries


After my crackle layer was dry, I taped off the stripes with painter's tape then used more of the white paint to make the stripes. 



While the stripes were drying, I made my leaves by first cutting them using my Cricut Explore Air 2 with cream lightweight cardstock and chose my Quilling papers: plain white and white with a gold edge. 


I went around the outline of the leaves with the white paper (you can see this process in my Quilled Sugar Skulls post  using the Aleene's Turbo Tacky glue and then used the gold edged Quilling strips (Quilling.com) to create swirls and coils. When complete, used hot glue to adhere them to the sign. 


To finish, I made a  bow from white satin ribbon. Et, voila!


 

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Ermagerd! Special Gift for a Special Friend


A few years ago, fate introduced me to someone who has become a great friend. A change in work assignments brought us together though in our company, "together" is virtual since she is on one side of the country and I'm on the other.  

Our paths had never crossed before and we quickly discovered we had many things in common. Our passionate love of our kids, our "wicked smaht" sense of humor, our shared love of the same TV series and movies and more. I don't remember exactly how the expression "ERMAGERD" (for OMG) became part of our daily discussions but it was probably from something that had happened on "Game of Thrones" or "Bates Motel". 

We'd always have the same take on something and that morphed into us saying we were like Forrest and Jenny from "Forrest Gump" ...."peas and carrots" which became "peas in a pod". She became Erma and I became Gerd and that's been our thing!  I wanted to commemorate our relationship which is what this gift represents. Still with me? 


I knew I wanted to letter something, and I knew I wanted to frame it so I started with these supplies: 
  • Unpainted Frame
  • Acrylic Paints 
  • Lettering Pens
  • Embellishments for frame
  • Heavy Paper ( I used watercolor paper)
  • Lightbox
  • Fun Font


I painted the frame black , then crackled it using my tried and true white glue crackle technique with metallic gold as the top coat.  Once dry I added the rolled paper flowers I picked up on one of my Michaels trips. 


For the lettering and pea pods, I chose a fun font, found a piece of clipart I liked, created the sentiment on my computer, printed off and then using my lightbox, layered watercolor paper on top. Traced with a pencil, then outlined with a high quality non-bleed pen ( I bought a pack of pens by Recollections @ Michaels, comparable to Micron Pens). 

Some might ask why I didn't just use the computer generated print but I wanted this to have a hand lettered feel (and the watercolor paper wouldn't fit my printer anyway). Since I wanted it to coordinate w/ the frame, I used a metallic gold gel pen to accent the peas in the pod. 



We also share a love of black and white clothing. Since I love making jewelry and had recently picked up some new supplies to play with, I made her a pair of earrings, and made a complementary pair for me! I wear big earrings, so I made hers a little less bold but using the same beads. 


I  can't have pierced ears so mine are clips and hers are pierced. I'd picked up a package of  connector links ( the silver ovals) and layered different sizes together for each pair, and then strung the beads on headpins as shown, connecting them to the links with jump rings. 

I've waited to post this until I knew she received ( and liked!) her gift which she did and does. As I told her, the BEST feeling in the world for us makers is the excitement we feel when someone loves something we made for them. My gift in return ( not that one was expected) was her excitement over receiving this. Best feeling in the world! 



Love ya Erma!



Saturday, April 1, 2017

From Cigar Box to Calligraphy Supply Box


This week's BFF Open House Link Party continues here

I've always aspired to learn calligraphy so it's no surprise that with my current obsession with lettering, that desire is renewed. Real calligraphy with real nibbed pens!

As I've started collecting supplies, I needed someplace to store them and keep them together.  My camera battery was charging while I worked on this so I don't have step by step pictures but steps are pretty basic.

Mr. Chocolate is responsible for my stash of cigar boxes. I actually had to tell him to stop bringing them home because I have so many.

Supplies and Steps:

  • Wooden cigar box
  • Acrylic paints
  • White glue
  • Scrapbook paper 
  • Embellishments


  1. Paint cigar box with base color ( I used black and needed two coats to get decent coverage). 
  2. Once dry, cover with a coat of white glue ( cheap white glue...my go to for a crackle finish). Pinterst Tutorials here
  3. When glue is tacky but not dry, cover with contrast coat ( I used turquoise)
  4. Let dry or if you're impatient like  me you can speed things up with a hair dryer. Note don't use hot setting or use a heat gun. Things will bubble! 
  5. Embellish away! I used scrapbook paper and misc. things from my stash. 



Leftover metal corners, a circle frame and metal button


A floral button glued to the center of a line drawn flower.


Scrapbook paper trimmed with glitter tape on the inside lid and lined the inside of the box with black faux suede paper.


Now I just need to go practice my calligraphy!





Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Painted, Washi'd and Stamped Beachy Dollar Frame

Paint Washi Stamped Frame

Mr. Chocolate’s dad was recently in a production of “South Pacific” so I made him a frame he could use for a cast photo or other memorabilia from the show. He also lives at the ocean so even if he doesn’t use it for that , it works.


I keep a supply of those wood frames you can get at Michaels for $1 because they come in so handy.
For this project you will need:
  • $1 Wood Frame
  • Paint
  • White Glue
  • Stamps
  • Pigment Ink
  • Paint Pen
  • Washi Tape

Paint and Washi Frame

Paint your frame with base color. I used an aqua. Once that’s dry, go over it with a good coat of white school glue. I have sworn by this crackle technique and have not bought crackle medium since I started using it. I also use the cheapest white glue I can find…back to school sales are great!

When your glue is almost dry, cover with your top coat ( I used white). You can speed things up with a blow dryer or heat gun which will also enhance your crackle.

White Glue Crackle

Beachy looking right? Not quite. First I added some strips of antique printed and gold polka dot washi tape. 

I am the born sucker JoAnn’s and Michaels had in mind with their impulse buys by the register. I love digging through the little bins for $1 stamps and had picked up a package of sea shell stamps on one trip.

Sea Shell Stamps

3 pieces so that’s only .33 per stamp ( justification). I put all three on an acrylic block and stamped randomly over the frame using a good black pigment ink.  Set that with my heat gun and then colored in parts of the shells using a gold paint pen.

Painted Dollar Frame

To finish, I coated the whole thing with an antique Mod Podge that aged it up just a bit.

Antique Matte Mod Podge

These frames come with a cardboard inset and I like to cover them with paper so they look nice when presented as a gift. You can also trim a photo and use the covered insert as a background.
Quick, cheap, easy!

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Sunday, December 2, 2012

Easy Christmas Signs "Joyeux Noel"

Joyeux Noel Signs Border

I made these signs for a treat exchange as a little something to go with the chocolate butter cookies I brought.

For this project you will need:
  • Wood Scraps ( these are from a package of scraps found at Michaels)
  • Craft paint, your choice of colors. I used Martha Stewart Metallic Gold and Wedding Cake
  • White glue ( Elmers or generic)
  • Vinyl for lettering ( or you could stencil)
  • Die Cuts
  • Embellishments ( I used paper roses, washi tape and adhesive rhinestones)
Joyeux Noel Crackle

Paint your wood pieces with desired base color ( mine was gold). Let dry, apply white glue and when almost dry, go over with top color ( white). If you’re impatient, use your embossing gun ( lightly) or hair dryer to speed up drying. This also helps the crackling.

Joyeux Noel Vinyl

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out vinyl letters from green vinyl.  I like to use transfer tape to apply lettering to get it somewhat straight.

After my letters were on, I cut a branch and holly leaves using my Cuttlebug and Tim Holtz Holly Branch die:
*Tim Holtz Sizzix HOLLY BRANCH Die Bigz 657468
Getting a lot of use from this die. It’s the same one I used in my wreath makeover here. Mod Podged a branch and one leaf onto my signs and outlined the branch with iridescent glitter glue, and used red rhinestones for the berries.

Joyeux Noel Signs Border


Joyeux Noel Signs Border

I’ve gone crazy for washi tape so grabbed a roll of peppermint striped tape and put a piece on just because. 

Finished by hot gluing a silver tinsel pipe cleaner to each.

Sharing At: 




Friday, September 3, 2010

Stashbusting September Project #1

It's three days in and I haven't set foot in a craft store! Yeah me! That may also be because I haven't left the house but.....pesky details. I went to the closet of magical mystery and pulled out some stuff that I picked up to be used "someday".
ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
I decided on a project using a cabinet door I picked up at a salvage place. Everyone keeps cabinet doors on hand for no reason right?
I had some vinyl left over from my "Wish Upon A Tray" project and the lightbulb went on. So I painted it black. The cabinet door. Not the lightbulb.
FIRST COAT
added a second coat and then tried the white glue crackle technique. "Make The Best of Things"  has a great tutorial on this. I will NEVER buy crackle medium again! Love this. Best part was that during school supply shopping, I bought a half dozen or so bottles of white glue at Staples for maybe $2 total. Less than the cost of a small thing of crackle medium.
SMEARED IT ON W/FINGERS
After it gets tacky but not dry, add another color of acrylic paint and wait for it to dry. Or not...I was not patient so used my craft dryer ( aka an old blow dryer) to speed things up and I can't be sure, but I think the heat made it crackle more:
I just did the edges so it would look like a frame if that makes sense. I added a couple of strips of scrapbook paper on the raised panel in the middle; used my "dream" vinyl leftover from my earlier project; added an embossed metal strip from the magical mystery closet (which means it was something I picked up on sale somewhere that I knew I'd use someday) along with some dimensional flowers (Jolee's Boutique I think) from another project which I dry brused w/ gold paint and silver Rub n Buff; and a butterfly from a bag of ephemera I'd bought at a stamp show. And: 
STASH BUSTED! OK, TINY DENT MADE!

You can check out the other projects in the T Shirt Diaries "Stashbusting September" challenge here

Linking Up At:
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