Friday, March 22, 2024

Oyster Shell Cross DIY

 On a recent beach trip, I saw a lot of art created using oyster shells. So, with Easter coming, I used the inspiration to create some crosses.

I could have asked some restaurants at the beach for their discarded oyster shells, but didn't want to drive home with the stinky shells. So, I ordered some from Amazon that were already scrubbed & sanitized.

The first thing I did was to give the inside of the shells a coat of white paint. This will keep the dark spot where the oyster was attached to the shell from showing through the design.

If you know me, you know I'm a hoarder of patterned napkins. I love using them in decoupage projects. So, I picked a pretty patterned napkin & separated the layers until I was left with a single layer. If you don't separate the layers, the napkin won't adhere properly.

I cut the napkin a little larger than the size of the shells. If you cut it the exact size, it will end up too small once pressed down into the curved shell. I cut the napkin about a half inch larger than the shells all the way around.

I added a coat of Dixie Belle Paint Company's Clear Coat to use as my decoupage medium. You could also use ModPodge. I covered the inside of the shells with the clear coat, & while wet, I added the napkin. I started pressing the napkin down from the center of the shells working my way out to the edges. I did not rub back & forth! This could tear the napkin. So, I gently pressed the napkin down with my finger.

Once the clear coat was dry, I wet my finger & rubbed along the edges of the shells to remove the excess paper.

I added more Clear Coat over the napkin to seal it. Once the clear coat was dry, I used my finger to add Dixie Belle's Gold Gilding Wax to the edges of the shells.


I also added the gilding wax to the edges of a wooden canvas that I had painted with Dixie Belle's paint color, Farmhouse Green.

Once everything was dry, I glued the shells onto the canvas using E6000. E6000 will hold things in place forever, but it takes awhile to set up. So, I let the canvas lay flat overnight.


I intended this project to be for Easter, but with the napkin I chose, it can stay out all year.

I never seem to be able to stop with just one project. And, since I had more shells, I made a couple more.

For one, I used a napkin that reminds me more of Easter since it features bunnies.


I added the bunny shells to a canvas that I painted with the color, Daisy.



I also created one where I reversed the paint & paper. I covered the wooden canvas with a black & white check napkin. I painted the shells with the color Peony, added gold to the edges, then added the shells to the decoupaged canvas.


I have plenty more shells. Just waiting for more inspiration to hit to see what I do with them!

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Saturday, January 20, 2024

Vintage Napkin Holder Turned Valentine Art

I bought this old, handmade napkin holder at my local thrift store for $1. I knew it would get some type of makeover, I just wasn't sure what kind of makeover. Like so many "project pieces", it got stuck away until the time hit me to do something with it. And, when I finally pulled it out to do something with, the plan was to just keep it a napkin holder. But with Valentine's Day coming I went in another direction.

When I peeled off the paper that lined the bottom of the box, it revealed what the last person that bought it paid for it.
I was worried that once I painted it, the ink & the knots in the wood would bleed through the paint. So I gave it 3 coats of Dixie Belle Paint Company's BOSS. BOSS blocks odors & bleed through. 
To add texture to the outside of the box, I did a raised stencil. To do this, I placed a Stick N Style stencil from Re*design with Prima on the side of the box. These stencils have an adhesive back so they stay in place nicely.
I used a hotel key card to spread Dixie Belle's Mud over the stencil. I made sure to get a good layer covering all of the stencil, then scraped most of it off.
Even though the stencil is very thin, the mud is higher than the base & leaves a nice texture.
The Mud is porous & can take paint differently than the rest of the surface being painted. So, I covered the box with Dixie Belle's Spray Wax to make it an even playing field.
I painted the entire box with 2 coats of the color, Cotton. 

I wanted a wash of a bright, pretty color, & turned to the VooDoo Gel Stain color, Temptress. This is a water based stain which makes it easy to use & easy to clean up... no need for gloves with this stain.

I poured a little of the stain into a container then added a tiny bit of water to thin it out. I used a brush to cover the surface with the stain.
Then I used a damp rag to wipe most of the stain away & just have a wash of the color. It rested nicely in the recessed areas of the raised stencil to reveal the pattern.
I also washed the stain on the inside of the box.
There was a hole in the middle of the box that I covered with a pink paper doily. But, the hole showed through the paper.
To hide the hole, I painted a wooden heart with the color, Soft Pink.
So it wasn't so plain, I placed the same stencil on the heart once the paint was dry. I used a makeup sponge to dab on Stick With Me, a glue used to add Dixie Shine. Dixie Shine is like using gold leaf, but without the mess or waste.
Since I was doing a Valentine project, I chose to use the color, red. Dixie Shine also comes in gold, silver, & copper.
You need to wait at least 15 minutes after adding the glue before applying the shine. Dixie Shine comes in a roll & I just cut off a small piece to use. I placed the Shine on the heart facing up & rubbed over it with my finger.
I peeled up the Shine & used the areas left on the paper to cover any missed or sticky areas.
I love the texture that it made using the makeup sponge to apply the glue.
I glued the wooden heart to the center of the doily.
I wrapped a pink bottle brush tree, that I bought at Christmas, with a tiny Valentine banner.
I glued the tree into the box, then glued in a cute little vintage style Valentine.
Although it looks like the Valentine is an old card, it's actually a reproduction from Hobby Lobby of a card & is metal & has a stand.

This box has come a long way from holding napkins.




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Saturday, January 13, 2024

Faux Tin Valentine Art

 The Christmas decorations are down & the winter decorations are up. But it's almost time to switch over to the Valentine decorations.

I love decorating for every season & holiday.  And, I like to create something new to add to the mix every year. This year, I'm adding this faux tin art.

To make it, I first painted an 8" x 8" wooden canvas panel with the color, Cotton, from the Dixie Belle Paint Company. Once the paint was dry, I used a brayer to add the color, Caviar, to a decor stamp from Re*design with Prima, & added the design to the canvas.


I also added a leaf & rose design to the canvas.




For the faux tin, I used peel & stick tiles from the Dollar Tree. These are so easy to work with & the possibilities are endless. You can't browse Pinterest without seeing a multitude of projects using them.

The tiles are 12" x 12" & since my canvas was only 8", I cut out a quarter of the tile. They easily cut with scissors.

I drew half of a heart on one side of the tile, folded it in half, then cut along the lines I drew.


I painted the heart with the color, Honky Tonk Red.

I let the paint dry completely, then used a damp rag to wipe away the paint from the high spots to give the heart a worn look.



This highlights the detail on the "tin".

I glued the heart to the canvas using tacky glue.

I used tacky glue to adhere twine around the heart to hide the uneven edges.

I'm excited to decorate for Valentine's Day & have something new to add to my decor.






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