Urban Comfort

DIY Photo Background with Chalk Paint and Wax

I recently had the luxury of participating in another hands-on demonstration with Lisa Rickert of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I learned a lot the first time we sat down, but this time I was more focused on waxing techniques which I'd felt intimated by on my first furniture project. (In fact, after painting, I started applying dark wax, freaked out, and frantically wiped it all off.) I feel a whole lot more confident with it now - and really excited about the effects I can create. 

Lisa uses pieces of lauan to practice on, inexpensive, lightweight wood that you can get at places like Home Depot and Lowe's. They're sold in oversized sheets that can be cut down to size or in some pre-cut sizes. I thought they'd be perfect for photo surfaces and backgrounds, as well as a place to try out different painting techniques. 

I'll post them as I make them because the techniques aren't limited to backgrounds, you can certainly use them on furniture projects. However, if you're nervous, it's a great way to practice before you commit to a larger project!

Here's are the directions for the background pictured above:

Materials:

Sheet of luaun cut to desired size
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color of your choice
A bowl or dish for your paint
Paintbrush (I use the brushes made by Annie Sloan)
Annie Sloan Soft Wax in Clear and Dark Brown
Clean, lint free rags

 

Directions: 

1. Pour the paint you'll be using into a bowl and let it sit for at least a couple of hours until it gets thicker (you can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process as well). This way, when you apply the paint, the brushstrokes will be visible, creating texture. 

2. When the paint has thickened to your satisfaction, start brushing it on the lauan in short strokes, haphazardly, brushing in random directions.  When the board is fully covered, let it dry. 

3. When the paint is dry, apply a thin coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax using a brush or lint free cloth (for this, I used a cloth).

 

This is what my board looks like after painting it with a single coat of thickened Chalk Paint in the color Florence, topped with a thin coat of clear wax.

 

In the photo above, you can see the difference in color as the dark wax is applied over the clear.

 

4. While the Clear Wax is still wet, immediately apply a thin layer of Dark Wax over the Clear Wax, working it into the grain of the wood and in the texture created by the brushstrokes. When you're finished, the wax should feel almost dry to the touch, not thick or overly tacky.

5. At this point, you can make a decision - If you like the color and the effect of the dark wax, you can leave it as is. However, if you want to bring up the base color more, with the dark wax simply emphasizing the texture, you can wipe the dark wax back with more clear wax.  Personally, I liked the dark wax and left it alone. 

 

My finished background 

6. Let the wax dry for about 24 hours then buff it with a clean, lint free cloth. 

That's it! I love how my background turned out and I'm already excited to create more. Not only will this give me options when shooting photos to put in my posts, I know it will make me a better painter as well!

Tip: A sample size jar should be enough for most backgrounds.

Country Cake with Fresh Strawberries

 

Between teacher appreciation, the end of school, and hostess gifts for upcoming gatherings and getaways, I can think of lots of reasons to make this cake. It's not quite a pound cake and not a traditional yellow cake either, but it's the perfect vehicle for fresh berries and cream. It's rustic and homey, with a crisp outer shell and a moist, finely textured interior. To me, it heralds the beginning of summer!

 

Country Cake
Makes 2 loaves (approximately 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inches) 

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for the pan
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you're baking in a dark, nonstick baking pan). Using shortening, grease pans well and dust with flour. Set aside.

In a standing mixer, cream the butter and shortening together. Add sugar gradually (I add 1 cup at a time, pouring it in a steady stream). Cream until very light and fluffy (3 - 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. 

Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to the mixer alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix in the orange and vanilla extracts.

Divide the batter between the two greased and floured pans (pans shouldn't be filled more than about 2/3 full) and bake for 50-60 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely.

You can eat the cake right away, but it's even better the second day. Serve with fresh, macerated strawberries and freshly whipped cream.  (I toss my strawberries with a little sugar and a few tablespoons of orange juice and let them sit, covered, for an hour or two before serving.)

 

Presentation:

 

Sure, you can just give a box of berries, but I enjoy the details as much as I enjoy the baking. I stamped the garden maker with  "Special Delivery" in white ink, made a few strawberry blossoms out of crepe paper, and mixed in strawberry leaves from the garden. Then everything got packaged in a wooden berry basket.

Resources:

Similar garden markers can be found at Factory Direct Craft
Special Delivery stamp from Besotted Brand 
Crepe paper from Carte Fini
Vintage pips from Chocolate Letters on Etsy
A variety of berry boxes can be found at Garnish.  Etsy tends to carry a large selection as well.

 

I wrapped my cake in baking parchment and tied it up with solid red Divine Twine from Whisker Graphics, embellishing it with more crepe paper blossoms and strawberry leaves. (Note: For freshness sake, you can wrap the cake in plastic wrap first, then cover with the parchment wrap.)

Making the crepe paper blossoms was similar to making the poppies I showed last week, just with smaller, rounded petals (you can refer to that tutorial for basic assistance if you want to try to make these).  The center of my blossom is a crepe paper covered safety swab surrounded by vintage pips that I found on Etsy. The petals were shaped and cupped (again, see previous tutorial), then overlapped and taped in place. Behind the flower, I added a round of crepe paper cut into spiky points to resemble strawberry tops. 

Alternative: Embellish with a few sprigs of mint or another complementary herb.

Flower Kit Giveaway Winners

Time to announce the winners for the flower kit giveaway.  The random number selection goes to Adrienne M.  The comment winner I selected is Mrs. Charlemagne.

Mrs. Charlemagne said:

Forget-me-nots. They're small and delicate and dreadfully old fashioned. They speak to me of a simpler time when small flowers were just as meaningful as a dozen roses. 

Lately I've been immersing myself in a decidedly low-tech environment which has stirred up a lot of questions for me - what do I need, what do I want, what's meaningful...you know, all of those light things, so Mrs. Charlemagne's comment resonated with me. Thank you.

If both of these ladies will email me with their information, I'll get their kits right out!  Thank you to everyone else who participated. I wish I had kits for everyone!

Flower Kit Giveaway and A Tutorial for Decoupaged Lace

As I mentioned yesterday, my lace decoupage project is probably the most popular craft I've ever done here. Readers occasionally ask for a tutorial and honestly, I hate posting step-by-step photos because mine are always boring (and not pretty!).  But of course I do recognize that photo tutorials help in crafting and after having the opportunity to try this craft out with a real live audience, I now know what potential (small) pitfalls you might run into. So hopefully this will help with any questions readers might have.

In addition, I have complete flower kits available for two readers. You'll receive Mod Podge, brushes, a ceramic container, 3 lace options, scissors, glue, floral wire and tape, and crepe paper.  To enter, you just need to leave a comment telling me what your favorite flower is and why it's your favorite. For one kit, I'll pick a number using the random number generator, and for the second, I'll choose the comment that I like the best. This giveaway will run through Monday, May 20th, 11:59 p.m. CST.  I'll announce the winners on Tuesday, May 21st.

Also, you can find the tutorial for the crepe paper poppies here.

Now, on to decoupage:

 

Materials:

Square or cylindrical container (easiest shapes for beginners)
Mod Podge in Matte Finish
Lace strips cut slightly larger than your container
Small foam brush
Sharp fabric scissors 

Brush an even coat of Mod Podge over the ceramic container (I found mine at Jamali Garden) and roll the lace around it.  (You shouldn't have so much Mod Podge that it's drippy or gloppy.)  

Using your fingers, push out any air bubbles, especially on the indentations, such as the fabric within these embroidered circles.  You want the fabric to mold to the ceramic as much as possible. This will make the difference between your fabric and ceramic appearing to be one or looking like fabric that's obviously been decoupaged.  If you're using lace with an openwork design, blot up any excess Mod Podge with a damp paper towel. You don't want to see any pooling of liquid. 

Tip: Check your lace carefully. If you look closely, you can usually tell which side is the back side - the thread work is generally a little less precise looking. 

 

 

Allow for a slight overlap on the lace. Brush Mod Podge on the back side of that overlap and press down with your fingers.

 

 

Set it, seam side down, on a piece of plastic to dry for 15-20 minutes before further handling. (I dry it on plastic instead of paper so that I don't have to worry about the Mod Podge sticking to it.)

 

 

Once the base coat of Mod Podge has dried, go back and cut the excess lace, cutting it as close to the edge of the container as possible. 

Tip: I found that some crafters weren't able to cut the lace as close to the edge as I was. But no worries - If your borders aren't as clean as mine, just use Mod Podge and your fingers to wrap those edges and threads around the top and bottom edge of the ceramic. 

 

 

Apply 1 coat of Mod Podge (again, Matte finish - glossy doesn't look the same!). But instead of brushing it onto the surface of the fabric, apply the Mod Podge using a pouncing motion. This gives a little bit of texture to the Mod Podge, preventing it from drying in a smooth, rubbery fashion. Ultimately, this makes the lace feel more like textured pottery. Use that same foam brush to work out any excess Mod Podge that may have pooled within the indentations on the lace. 

Bottom line - you want a thin, consistent coat of Mod Podge on the surface of the fabric without any obvious pooling or excess. 

Use your fingers to smooth out and adhere any loose threads along the top and bottom edges.

 

 

After the Mod Podge has been applied, this is what your container should look like. It looks wet and saturated, but there's no obvious liquid anywhere. 

Set it aside to fully dry.  The resulting container will be water resistant, so it can be wiped down with a damp cloth or rinsed out, but it shouldn't be submerged in water for any length of time.

 

 

 Dried version

 

The lace I used for the title photo is a breeze to decoupage. I found it on Etsy at Stefanie Style.  More available, the last time I checked.

 

**DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

May Flowers: Crepe Paper Poppies 1.0

I was a little nervous leading up to the flower workshop that I co-hosted with Anthropologie. So much of my crafting takes place indoors, alone, in my pajamas. The idea of an audience was a little daunting. But I need not have worried. The staff at my local Anthropologie were amazing and couldn't have made it easier, and the ladies who attended were quick learners who dove right in. After the first minute or so, I completely forgot to be nervous. It was a lot of fun and I love that Anthropologie has been hosting these events all over the country - it's such a great way to bring people together and celebrate the handmade. 

We made two projects. First, we decoupaged lace onto ceramic cylinders, probably the most pinned project I have on this blog. Then we made poppies using the beautiful crepe paper from Carte Fini. I chose the poppy because it can take on multiple personalities, soft and pretty, bright and happy, or strong and modern. It really just depends on the color combinations you choose.  With four petals, it's also fairly easy to create, even for absolute beginners.

Here are the directions for making them. Also, check the Resource section at the end of the how-tos. I hand selected specific products that I like to use.

 

CREPE PAPER POPPIES 

Materials

• Poppy template (See attached pdf)
• Black or yellow crepe streamers (one square & two 6-inch strips)
• Colored crepe paper (cut into a strip 4 x 20 inches)
• 1 safety swab (found with baby supplies)
• Floral wire (18 – 20 gauge)
• Self-adhesive floral tape
• Scissors 
• Quick-setting gel glue

 

Stamen

1. Cut off the end of a safety swab and slide it over a length of floral wire; adhere the swab to the wire with floral tape.

 

2. Place a square of yellow or black crepe paper streamer over the swab and gather at the bottom; adhere with floral tape.

 

3. Layer two 6-inch strips of crepe paper streamer and cut slits along the length of it, about ¾ deep.  Put a little glue at the edge of the strip, roll it around the stem, just under the crepe paper wrapped swab. Secure the ends with more glue.  Wrap with floral tape.

 

Petals

1. Take a strip of crepe paper (4 x 20 inches) and accordion fold it along the length, so that there are 4 layers. Holding the poppy petal template over the crepe paper layers with your thumb, cut around it to make 4 petals.  (Make sure that the tiny crinkles in the paper (the grain) run from top to bottom of your petal, as pictured above.)

2. Separate the petals and flute the top edge by stretching the crepe paper along that edge. Stretch the crepe paper in the middle of the petal so that it forms a slight cup.

3. Loosely accordion fold the petal and squeeze it to create a wrinkled petal (which is more like a natural petal looks as it springs from the pod). 

 

 

4. Put glue along the bottom edge of the first petal and adhere it under the stamen, wrapping it around so that it covers half of the stamen. Glue the second petal to the opposite side, wrapping it around so that both petals meet.

5. Glue the third and fourth petals on the opposite sides, over the seams where the first two petals meet.  Wrap the bottom of the flower and the entire length of the floral wire with floral tape.

 

Tips:

Fluting Crepe Paper:  One of the details that make these poppies work is the ruffled edge of the petals. It's easy to achieve this with crepe paper, but you do have to be careful to use a light touch - stretch the crepe too hard and it won't bounce back into a ruffle, it will just be stretched out. To do this, hold the edge of the petal between your thumb and forefinger of both hands, with your hands close together, and gently stretch the paper in opposite directions. Move to the next spot and repeat. Do this all along the edge. 

Using Floral Tape: Floral tape can be a little tricky, even for experienced users. The key is stretching the tape (which activates the adhesive) and pulling downward while twirling the stem. If you're wrapping your tape and it's staying at the same level, try moving your hand (the one holding the tape) downward. This will help you wrap your tape at a diagonal, down the length of the stem. 

Using Glue: Technically, you can get away with just using floral tape on your flowers. But I like to use a combo of glue and tape. I use a lot less tape that way and I also like the added stability it gives to my flower, especially if I want to go back and shape the petals more after assembling my flower. I like to use Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive, my go to glue for most crafts, because it won't bleed through the crepe paper and will set fairly quickly, much faster than standard white craft glue. 

 

Extra Credit:  Making green pods for your arrangement is very simple. Crumple a small piece of tissue and form an oval around a piece of floral wire. Using a square of green crepe paper or tissue, wrap it over the oval shaped tissue and secure with floral tape (just as you did when making the center of the flower).

 

Resources:

Crepe paper - Beautiful flowers start with beautiful paper! I love the crepe paper from Carte Fini. It comes in a gorgeous array of colors and it's easy to flute and shape, yet sturdy enough that your flowers won't wilt. You can buy it from their online shop.

Colors I used:  #548, #569, #574, #576, #581, #582, #603

Glue - Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue from Beacon Adhesives.  If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I use this glue for most of my crafting. In fact, I love the entire line of Beacon adhesives - I find them to be more reliable than anything else I've tried! Available at most craft stores.

Scissors - Easy Action Micro Tip Scissors from Fiskars. This is another product that I use for just about all of my crafting, but they're perfect for paper flowers. They're handleless, which means less fatigue when doing a lot of cutting, and they're great for precise, detailed cuts. Available at most craft stores, as well as through their online shop.

 

Download Printable Crepe Paper Poppy Tutorial and Template 

 

**I thought this post was lengthy enough for one day. I'll be back with a quick tutorial and tips for the lace decoupaged container, as well as a giveaway  - 2 flower kits with all the supplies and tools needed for both the flowers and the containers. I'll try to get that up tomorrow if possible.  If not, look for it on Wednesday! 

A Peek into My Week

It's rainy in New Orleans today, a peaceful respite after a glorious week of Technicolor.  It started with a great event at Anthropologie (for which I will soon have a craft tutorial and a giveaway) and continued with days spent in inspired surroundings with inspired individuals. I have been saturated in color and creativity, a gift to my spirit.  

Next week I'll get back to business. Have a great weekend and a happy Mother's Day!