Sunday, April 15, 2012

Painting Glass With Morse Code!

I had never painted on glass, but I had an idea for a tablescape and I wanted painted wine glasses for it. I went online and found several great sites describing the process. Why is this one different? Because this one is for the non-artists in the world. Or, those with unsteady hands. All you need to know is Morse Code!


Okay, Morse Code is nothing more than dots and dashes. And, that's all this paint treatment is! First step is buying the paint. This paint from Delta got the best reviews, and is the easiest because it doesn't require baking the glass. I bought it at Michael's!



You will need two brushes, and a paint tray is nice to have.



Start out with clean glasses.



The paint set comes with glass conditioner. Use a large brush and only cover the area you will be painting.



As it dries, the glass will appear cloudy.



You will need a general idea of how you want the glasses to look. This container will be the inspiration for my glasses.



You will need a way of painting in a straight line, and the best way is to put rubber bands around the glasses. Rubber bands disappear in my house (Eddie likes to play with them) so I used tape instead. You will see where this guide comes in handy.



I will be using a small paintbrush.



I will use three colors of paint.



Here is where the dashes come in.



I didn't do anything fancy. The place you first put your brush down will be thicker than when you lift it up. Just make dashes. And reload the brush for each dash.



Now, it's time for the dots. This is done with the other end of your paintbrush.



Just place the dot in the middle of your dashes. Reload for each dot. The dots will flatten out as they dry.



After making the center of each flower, I went back and filled in the rest of the petals (more dashes)!



Last, but not least, I made a stem and two leaves. These are dashes also. I just added a slight curve.



That's it! Now, I have custom wine glasses!



These wine glasses will be for decoration only, though they can be used, if hand washed.


Now, if all those dashes were intimidating, you can also create petals using dots. These are the first glasses I painted.



Here they are in a tablescape.








I hope you will be inspired to try this. It helps to have a glass you can practice on. You can start using glasses from a dollar store or thrift shop. Not counting the glasses, the supplies were under $10!

I will be joining:

 Metamorphosis Monday and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch.

Overflowing with Creativity at It's Overflowing.

Mad Skills at Mad In Crafts.

CraftOManiac Monday at Craftomaniac.

Make It Monday at Brassy Apple.


You're Gonna Love It Tuesday at Kathe with an E

What I Whipped Up Wednesday at Sugar and Dots

Before & After at Thrifty Decor Chick

Be sure to visit my sister's blog at Robin Flies South...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Where Are The Birds?

I've been using a lot of birds in my tablescapes lately. They are my new obsession! It seems like I can't leave a store without buying at least one. Well, I don't like to be predictable, so this week it's butterflies!



I hope you enjoy!














This tablescape started with the placemats,
which I bought at HomeGoods months ago.



I found this tray, which was made in Italy, at a thrift store. I just fell in love with it, which means you may see it quite often!






I decided to go non-traditional by using square plates and bowls. Just mixing it up to keep it interesting!



I just love the detail on these blue plates!



The butterflies came from Michael's wedding department. I wanted them to stand out against the topiary. I'm such a sucker for sparkle!






























Thanks for visiting! I hope you have a great week!

I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch

Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters

Let's Dish Wednesday at Cuisine Kathleen

What's It Wednesday at Ivy & Elephants

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper


Please visit my sister's blog at Robin Flies South...