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 Friday, August 19, 2011
Freelance Friday: Back to School Teacher's Gift
 So it's back to school time, and many kids want to start the school year off on the right track. What better way to impress your teacher, then by giving her a small token of appreciation. Check out this very cute teacher's gift craft we found on Giggles Galore. This type of teacher's gift can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used to welcome a new teacher at the beginning of the school year, or it could be given to a teacher as a thank you gift at the end of the year.
To learn how to make this great project click here. I would suggest using some of Plaid's Chalkboard paint in Black #2517, and some Apple Barrel paint in Bright Yellow #20513.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Teaching Thursdays: Dorm Decor
By: Candie Cooper (See more by Candie on her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal)
This morning I was listening to a story about the movie, "American Grafitti" on NPR. American Graffiti is about kids living in a small town one more summer before shipping out to college. My story is pretty much the same, except I didn't race cars at the end. It seemed like it took forever for orientation day to come. I also remember picking out things like a twin size comforter, crates, a futon and shower caddy for my dorm at Purdue. If you have someone heading to college this year, this is a great send-off gifty for the recent grad. They are stackable nesting boxes that can be tucked anywhere and hold everything from chewing gum and shots of espresso to flashcards (at least that's what mine would've held).
These are the boxes---see how they fit together so cute?
Pick out the die cuts and lay them out in the boxes. It helps to take a picture before painting so you can see how you arranged them when it comes time to Mod Podge.
Base coat the boxes in whatever colors you like---school colors would be fun too! If you look at the brushes above, you'll see a flat, angled and then another flat paint brush. The angled brush is key for getting into corners. I used Apple Barrel paints for this project because they are a little thinner than Folk Art. The boxes soaked up the paints and dried really fast.
Dry brushing is my favorite surface painting technique. It's easy and looks cool when done. Try some Silver Anniversary Folk Art paint for this step. My mom actually painted while I took pictures. Insert me saying, "now, hold still"....."ok, hold still"...."i REALLY need you to hold still." We have fun. She's the queen painter in the family.
The key to dry brushing is using a really coarse haired brush, dipping it in paint and removing most of the paint off to the side. Soft bristle brushes don't work. Run the brush along your wood surface in whichever direction you like. You can always practice on a scrap surface first.
Use Mod Podge gloss to adhere all the die cuts---this is where the photo that you took earlier comes in handy to figure out placement. Photos or school mascot bumper stickers would also be great embellishments.
Now you'll need the small and large flat brushes (see photo above) to make some stripes around the top of the boxes. The inner and very outer boxes get tiny stripes and the middle large stripes. This looks really cool when they're all together.
A tip for making stripes is to have your brush fully loaded with paint to create really solid stripes. Less paint makes for brushier stripes.
Seal all of the boxes with Folk Art Gloss acrylic varnish. This makes everything look nice and finished. Let's take a look at all the boxes....
 
As usual, I want a set of these for holding instant coffee and teas, tubes of seed beads and lip gloss. Looking at that list, I still feel a bit young at heart.
Wishing you a great back to school season, I am...Candie
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Web Wednesday: The Pumpkin Stud
Halloween believe it or not is right around the corner. Here is a great new fun project from Cathie and Steve. Pumpkins are probably one of the most popular items to decorate during the Halloween season. They are so versatile, can be decorates with several things. Cathie and Steve created this studded pumpkin that is sure to be a hit with kids and adults. By simply using some FolkArt paint and Mod Podge you too can recreate this fun studded pumpkin. To learn how to make this pumpkin stud, click here.
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