Drawing & Painting

Winter Tissue Paper Trees

The other day on Facebook I shared a link to a posting for handmade Christmas cards on Back to the Drawing Board. The designer made a landscape using tissue paper trees, had them reduced and photo coped, then used them to make some awesome Christmas cards. Do check out her project. I thought the inside of her trees was especially clever!

We loved the bright and cheerful trees so much that we used the idea to make pictures of our own to display throughout the winter. We began by taping our water color paper to the table. This stops the paper from moving around and creates a border around your picture when the tape is removed. We used this same technique when we made our Winter Birch Trees last year.

After the paper was taped down, we used water colors to paint the sky blue, fading it into white.

Next, we chose our tissue paper colors and cut them into squares.

We then smeared glue stick on cardstock paper, and added the squares in random patterns.

When the pages were dried, we turned them over and drew very geometrical triangles on the back, and cut out our trees. This was a joint project. We only made 2 pictures, one for Michelle's and one for my house. Usually the wee ones make their own projects, but it was fun working cooperatively on this project :) Together we decided on the placement of the trees and glued them down.

Funny, as it turns out, their favorite part of this whole project was using the hole punch to "make snow". Even though their hands got tired, they were delighted they could make these perfect little circles. Pixie, btw, preferred to make crescent moon shapes by punching overlapping holes :) (BTW... As soon as we were done, Fairy went to a 5 hour final dress rehearsal for the production The Nutcracker that she will be dancing in, as a cute mouse, this weekend. She needed her hair braided and pinned close to her head so all of her hair would fit under her costumes hood! Doesn't she look like she fell out of the pages of Heidi :)

Finally, we added dots of glue to our trees, and glued down the snow. All done! (Note: the artist at Back to the Drawing Board added detail using a thin tipped marker. We opted not to add this detail.

Then, wah lah! Our Winter Tissue Paper Trees were done! They will add a cheerful addition to our homes throughout the winter months. They remind me of Eric Carle illustrations. Fun!

PS... Thank you, Pam, for the inspiration your project gave us!

Photo 12-6-12

Submitted by Kimara on Fri, 12/07/2012 - 08:51

Faux Etched Candle Holders

A few days ago we shared the Black Bird Applique Block that Kimara designed. I wanted a bird, and this little guy was perfect.

My plan was to make some Faux Etched Glass Candle Holders. I thought a bird was a perfect choice to use. I simply have to change out the color of the votive candle, and the holder can go from a spooky Halloween black bird, to a chirpy, spring yellow birdie. The technique is simple, and once you've made one, you'll find many other ways to use this technique!

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FAUX ETCHED CANDLE HOLDERS

Materials:
Frosted Glass Spray Paint (we used Rustoleum brand)
Contact Paper (preferably white or another solid color)
Pattern sized to fit (we reduced the Black Bird Applique Block 42% for our votives)
Fine Point Marker
Newsprint or Butcher paper to cover work surface
Scissors
Clear Glass Candle Holder

Clean your glass candle holders. Be sure to get off all oil and sticker residue. Hot water and dish soap works well. You can use glass cleaner or vinegar as well. Allow your glass to dry completely.

Print out your pattern to size. Our votives were 2 inches tall so I printed my pattern to be 1.5 inches tall (42%). If you plan to make several candle holders you may want to print your pattern on card stock for durability. Cut out your pattern.

With the fine point marker, trace your pattern onto the paper side of the contact paper. This is the back of the contact paper so keep in mind that your image will be reversed. I choose to have a few birds pointing in each direction for variety.

Cut out the contact paper with a pair of sharp scissors. Be sure to cut out a thin line to define the wing shape.

Peel the backing off of the contact paper and carefully place it on your votive. Smooth out any bubbles paying close attention to the edges. They need to be smooth. Any bubbles near the edge could allow paint to seep under.

Cover an outdoor work surface with the newsprint or butcher paper. Place the votives upside down on the work surface (so no paint drips on the inside) several inches apart so you can spray around each without hitting the others. Or alternatively only paint one at a time.

Following the directions on your bottle of paint, shake up your can of paint and hold the can approximately 10-12 inches away from the candle holder. Spray a light coat of paint all around the candle holder. You do not need to cover the bottom.

Let the first coat dry for 5 minutes (or more depending on the directions that came with your paint) then complete a second coat. When the candle holder has dried completely, about 5-10 minutes, carefully remove the contact paper pattern.

You now have fun, personalized, candle holders. These are great for holiday decorations, wedding favors or gifts. The paint we used is not intended for food items. There are paints on the market that can be heat set in your oven and are then dish washer and microwave safe.

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Submitted by Michelle on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 07:17

Chalkboard Village

When it comes to decorating our house for the seasons, Pixie is my "go-to" helper. Out of Michelle's 3 wee ones, she has the strongest interest in artistic pursuits, and arranging and showcasing our finished projects is almost as important to her as the project itself. She is forever collecting "props" to "stage" her work. We are certainly kindred spirits :)

I mentioned a few days ago that I had seen some City Chalkboard Blocks that were shared on Hello Bee. I loved the idea, and with the help of Tim, created a whole village. Here are the simple instructions for creating your own Autumn Village.

Materials:
Pine lumber boards in 2" x 4", 2" x 6" and 2" x 8" widths. This can be construction grade, just check each piece and find those with minimal knots and imperfections. You want the surface as smooth as possible.
Saw for cutting
Sandpaper
Chalkboard Paint - I used chalkboard paint from Hudson Paint
Colored chalk

Directions:
Using your saw, cut the boards into random sized houses. When you are done, sand well. The chalkboard paint works the best on smooth surfaces. Check out all the photos below to see the shapes we had.

Apply 3 coats of chalkboard paint to all surfaces of the houses. I used colorful paint on the 4 sides of the house and the bottom, then used a dark brown paint on the tops for roofs. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly between each coat.

Allow the paint to dry for 48 hours before drawing on the houses with chalk. This was the hardest part of this whole project... waiting to draw on with chalk :)

Use a damp cloth to clean off the surface of the houses. Allow the surface to dry before drawing on again with chalk.

Now, arrange your houses. When the mood hits you, just clean off a surface and redo. Pixie had a blast arranging the houses on our seasonal hutch. I'm sure they will be redone and rearrange each and every time she's over :)

When Fairy saw the village the next day she was disappointed she didn't get to help draw on the houses. "No problem", I told her. Just get a damp cloth and erase a house and redo it!

Usually, when I am done crafting a project, it is "finished" and ready to be displayed or played with by the wee ones. The beauty of our chalkboard village is it is NEVER finished. With just a damp cloth you can redesign your village to suit your fancy whenever you are so inclined :)

HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO THE OTHER "PROPS" PIXIE USED TO STAGE OUR CHALKBOARD VILLAGE. IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE A STASH OF PAST PROJECTS TO PULL FROM :)

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Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2012. All rights reserved.

Submitted by Kimara on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 05:36

GIVE THANKS Wooden Blocks

Autumn... traditionally a time to harvest the bounty from our gardens and a time of gratitude. The simple words "GIVE THANKS" reminds us to count our blessings and to Give Thanks. With just some inexpensive pine 2" x 4"s and a little paint, you can share this message with family and friends.

If you can cut a piece of 2" x 4", you can make this project. BTW... even if YOU can't cut a 2" x 4", many lumber yards are willing to do it for you for a nominal fee. Use your imagination to share greetings and messages by simply stenciling or hand painting letters to the blocks.

Materials:
2" x 4" pine board. You need 1 block per letter (Figure approximately 3 blocks per linear foot)
Saw for cutting wood
Sandpaper for sanding wood
Paint - I used our Non-Toxic Soy Paints available in our shop
2" alphabet stencils or you can pick a 2" font from your word processor (more about this later)
Paint Brushes
Wood Finish (optional) - I used our Original Beeswax finish available in our shop or you can use our recipe for Olive Oil and Beeswax Finish available HERE

Directions:
Cut a pine 2" x 4" to create squares. (Each block will be approximately 3 3/8" x 3 3/8".)

Lightly sand the edges to remove sharp edges.

Paint all 6 sides of the blocks. Allow to dry completely. You should only need 1 coat of paint.

When choosing my paints, I wanted colors that reflected the season, had a bit of whimsy, and coordinated with the painting that they were going to stack under. Although teal/aqua isn't usually considered a "fall" color, I wanted to pull the color into my letters. (BTW... I bought a series of 3 owl pictures at Pier 1 a couple of years ago. They were only $30.00 a piece. I LOVE them. I just checked. They still have some available online... on sale... for $19.00 a piece! You can find them HERE. I'm sure their supplies are limited.)

Before adding letters, arrange the blocks in the manner you plan to display them. Decide if you want a random look or a pattern.

You can either use a set of purchased 2" letter stencils or make your own letters using your word processor. (Mine is Microsoft's Word) I used the font Arial Rounded MT Bold, set the size at 200, and after typing the letters, highlight them, and made them Bold. It gave me letters that were 2" tall.

If using a stencil, center the letters on your blocks. If using a printed font, cut out each letter, and trace them unto the blocks. Because the pine is soft, if you press hard, you will leave an impression on the wood.

You can now stencil or hand paint the letters on the blocks.

If you want, you can leave the blocks with simply the letters. Check out some Christmas blocks I made several years ago. They can be found HERE. I wanted a more whimsical look, so I painted designs on each block. To make the flowers I simply dipped the back of my paintbrush in paint and dabbed the paint on the blocks. You can get a better idea of this process by checking out the flowers on our City Gnome Beds found HERE. To make the round circles, I dipped the back of a pencil (without an eraser) in paint and dabbed it on the block. All the designs are random... just have fun :)

When the paint was thoroughly dry, I went over all the blocks with our wood finisher.

Although this stage is optional, it does give the letters a lovely sheen, will stop the wood from drying out and will help them last for years :)

Now, display your blocks. I plan to make a couple more sets for other places in the house. You can get as creative as you'd like in your wording. This is a lovely and inexpensive way to herald in any season :)

Submitted by Kimara on Wed, 09/26/2012 - 06:16

Shield Pendant Fit For A Knight

Bug has the heart of a knight... bound by honor and tradition... well, most of the time :) He is a history buff, fascinated by the Middle Ages. He participates in sports, archery and fencing, that would have prepared him for knightly duties. This year he has also begun "dramatic sword play". His coach has mentored actors requiring sword skills for movie roles. In several years I could easily see Bug getting involved in our local Renaissance Festivals. (Which, BTW, they will be attending soon :)

A couple of weeks ago I shared some BBF Birdie Pendants that I made for Fairy/Pixie and for Little Lady/Sweet Pea. Since everyone was getting one, I wanted to make something for Bug that I thought he'd like to wear. I made him a shield, with a brown cord, and he loved it. Just follow the directions for the BBF Birdie Pendants. The pattern includes a shield. The directions and pattern can be found HERE.

Of course, knights had mottos... a code they lived by... often a family motto passed down through the generations. I included a motto often used by knights of yore. After all, a knight is as a knight does :)

Submitted by Kimara on Tue, 09/11/2012 - 20:03

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