DIY lace print plates: Glazing

Glazed lace print plates from nostalgiecat.blogspot.co.uk

 Following up on last weeks tutorial, where I showed you how to make these.... this week I have been glazing the lace print dishes I made last week.

I spent some time researching different finishes, from using mica powders (thank you to Dominique from http://craftingbydominique.wordpress.com for your kind advice on using mica powders) to using homemade glaze (see tutorial:how to make your own homemade gloss glaze).

But in the end I decided to use the original

 gloss glaze from Sculpey mixed with Marabu translucent glass paints.

When mixing media like this, make sure they are compatible with each other : in this case they are both water based ,without any need for baking.

I chose this mix, because I wanted to add colour with a translucent feel to the glaze.

I decided to use a mix of blues and greens. 

Firstly I experimented by working on some samples to ensure that the mix had the right translucency  and color.

Then I simply painted on the mix with a soft bristle brush.....

....leave to dry for approx 30min

On the back of the plates, I simply saturated the surface with the glaze, then worked the it,using a brush, towards the edges, where I left it to pool at the rim. This created a nice band of stronger color.

When doing the surface of the plates, keep working the glaze into the pattern for the first 15 minutes to avoid it all running down and pooling in the plates. (after 15 minutes the glaze starts setting ,and you should avoid touching it at this stage, as that will lead to clumping)

Expect some pooling, as it is very hard to avoid all together.

When dried (30mins) I applied another layer of the glaze, changing the color slightly to add some depth, into the detail.

I used the same technique as above (back of plates) around the rim of the plates surface. I really like the effect it makes....

When I was happy with the look of my glazed plates, I left them to fully cure overnight, before finishing them off with a couple of layers of spray varnish to seal and protect the surface.

I am really pleased with my finished plates, and cant wait to hang them up on my kitchen wall (...when I eventually get around to decorating the kitchen....but thats another story for a future post). I have already had some orders for these from friends an family, and I think they make great presents...either on their own as jewelry trays or as a group like here, hanging up on a wall.....

Please let me know what you think of them by leaving a comment below. And if anyone has a tip about what varnish would be best to use as a sealant, please get in touch....(I used Plasticote clear spray varnish, but find It takes ages to properly set hard)

Thanks for looking, and please pop by tomorrow for some "behind the scenes" pictures..

xxJune

Centimental decorating

THINGS TO DO WITH LACE.......

sentimental decorating.....

.....the small touches

decorating with lace.....from nostalgiecat.blogspot.co.uk

Since when I last week made the lace printed jewelry dishes (See previous post), I've developed a crush on all things lace....

So, whilst I've been waiting for delivery of my glace, to finish them off, I've busied myself making some more easy and beautiful lace-inspired additions to our home....

....as well as box framing some of my family silver...

...you know the kind: beautiful heirlooms passed down through the generations, but regretfully quite useless in modern life...

This is the wedding picture of my great grandparents Bertha and Ingebrigt Bakke, from my family on my mothers side in Norway.

....so I've been trying to think of someway to show off the beautiful silver,given to my great grandparents on their wedding day, for a while now....seems such a shame to hide it all away in a drawer, as it holds such a sentimental value to me.

I think the framed silver looks great in the painted shadow box.

The candles I got from the bargain bin at Dunhelm Mills for 17 pence each...and simply decorated them with lace washi tape.

This cookie jar was another bargain find at Dunhelm Mills at £4.99....I've laced it up with lace trim, stuck on using double sided craft tape.

Simple,yet effective!

I think decorating with lace, has a sentimental and nostalgic feel...... and that's what nostalgiecat is all about!

Thanks for looking! I'd love to hear what you think of this post, so feel free to leave a comment below!

And please pop by at the weekend for another DIY tutorial on glazing my lace print plates (pray the gaze arrives in time) and some "behind the scenes" pictures.....

June

DIY lace print polymer plates

inspired by the TRULY INSPIRATIONAL AND ORIGINAL DIY LACE BOWL TUTORIAL from lovemarkscollection.com

DIY lace jewelry dishes from nostalgiecat.blogspot.co.uk

This week I have been enjoying myself making these beautiful lace printed jewelry dishes.

Part of their beauty is that they are really easy to make.

By pressing lace into oven bake clay you can get some beautiful patterns....

I am  going to show you how....

DIY tutorial

You will need:

Oven hardening white clay (I used Sculpey original)

Lace or doilies 

A rolling pin

A bowl or similar (used as a "cookie cutter")

Baking paper

Ovenproof dishes (to use for shaping the plates) 

A scalpel

Sandpaper or sanding block 

Lets get started........

1. Knead the oven hardening clay until soft and pliable.

Roll out the clay on a smooth surface like a cookie dough.

Keep rolling the clay with outward strokes until approx 5-6 mm thick. 

Tip: Keep turning the clay over on the work surface to prevent the clay from sticking whilst you roll it out.

Make sure you have enough surface space to measure out the size of the plate you want to make.(in my case: a turned over fruit bowl )

Note:  You'll get nicer edges to the plates if you use a bowl ,similar to this, to push the shape out of the clay, rather than cutting around using a scalpel or knife.

2.Before you press the lace into it, carefully transfer the rolled out clay to a sheet of baking paper. This will help you pick up your finished plate without distorting the shape or leaving fingerprints in the clay, ruining the beautiful pattern you are about to press into the clay.

Make a slight imprint with your "cookie cutter" in the clay, to mark out the area you'll want to print the lace on. Then position the lace/doily and pat down onto the clay. Then using a steady pressure with the rolling pin  carefully press the lace into the clay until level...

Then gently peel off the lace to reveal a beautiful pattern!!

3. Place your "cookie cutter" on the clay and press down firmly and evenly until through.

Then peel away the surrounding clay, leaving you with a disc shape. 

Knead the scraps to repeat processes 1-3, maybe with different lace....

Lift this disc into an ovenproof dish (with the right curvature to make your disc bowl shaped - I used my trusty vintage enamel bowls), with the help of the baking paper its laying on.

4.Bake in the oven in accordance with instructions on your packet of clay.

The Sculpey original that I used, needed approx 15 min per 5 mm thickness at 150 degrees/c*

Do not overbake!

Take out of oven, and leave in the ovenproof dish to cool down for no less than 20 minutes.

5. Whilst the clay is still a bit soft (cheesy), use a scalpel to neaten up the edges of the dishes

6.Then leave for at least another 2 hours to fully cure and harden, before sanding back the edges to finish off the dishes.

........and VOILA! Beautiful dishes to keep jewelry in, or to hang up in a group on a kitchen wall...

I really enjoyed making these, and think they turned out beautiful!! 

The set of 4 dishes I made,only cost me £13.95 for the clay, as I had the other bits and bobs from before.

I am going to look into getting them glazed , as I think they need a protective surface!

So watch out for next week's follow up tutorial:

glazing lace print plates

Thanks for looking and feel free to leave a comment or question below, and I will try my best to answer....

xxxJune

Upcycled side table: "Black butterflies"

UPCYCLED SIDE TABLE :"BLACK BUTTERFLIES"

DIY tutorial on how to upcycle an old wooden side-table on a shoestring: Using spray-paint, rub-on decals and varnish.

I have had a love-affair with butterflies since me and my husband got married, when I wore a gorgeous wedding dress by Jenny Packham covered in embroidered butterflies.

My husband gave me these framed taxidermy butterflies as an anniversary present last year.

I loved the sentiment behind the gift as much as their beauty.

And this was my inspiration when it came to upcycling this old wooden side table, that I found for £8 in a local bric-a-brac shop.

It really had seen better days.

I really didn't have a lot of money to spend, so this was going to have to be upcycling on a shoestring.

I found a can of black spray paint for £4.99 in a local auto care shop, and bought some butterfly rub-on decals at hobbycraft for £5. I already had a can of clear "plasti kote" varnish laying around from a previous project.

I gave the table a light sanding over, then a good clean with soapy water. When completely dry I sprayed the table black.

I attempted to rub on the decals at this stage, but found they lifted off too easily, so I decided to give the table a light spray of varnish before rubbing on the butterfly decals whilst the varnish was still a bit tacky.

This seemed "glue" the decals to the table.

I then sealed them in with a heavy layer of varnish on top.

I did find that the table had to stay untouched for about 24 hours to ensure the thick layer of varnish was fully dried.

I love the end result, and think my table looks lovely in its rightful place under my framed taxidermy butterflies....and all for under £20!

Thanks for looking! Feel free to post comments or questions below!

Laters,

June

Please spare a minute to vote for me for best diy blog in the Amara interior blog awards (click on the image below)

Make it a celebration....

EASTER TREE

Whilst I busy myself with some furniture upcycling commissions, I thought I'd re share this post from Easter time last year...This as one of my very first posts here on Nostalgiecat, and I can honestly say it feels like a million years ago (and a "few" photography skills later) ...

 

I will bring you some kind of Easter DIY next week, I promise, but for now, lets get in the mood for the "yellow season"...

 

So here goes...A post from about a year ago:

 

Since having my daughter, little miss Moo, it's become more and more important to me to uphold the holiday traditions I grew up with in Norway. Easter is one of those times a year when I become particularly nostalgic. Having lived here in the UK for more than 15 years now, I thought We'd make our own EASTER TREE , or "fastelavensris" (actually fastelavens comes about a month before easter, but bringing tree branches in to decorate is so fitting throughout this season...),this year to get us in the spirit of Easter!

 

 

In Norway, Easter is a big deal, whether you are religious or not. Traditionally the Norwegian symbols of Easter is chickens and Eggs. Another Norwegian symbol of Easter is the "fastelavensris"!

In pagan times the Norse put up birch trees inside to invite the smell of spring.

Nowadays feathered birch twigs are a decorative feature in the norwegian home during the easter holiday, as well as yellow flowers, such as daffodils.

 

Another Norwegian tradition close to my heart, is Easter crafts, especially painting and decorating eggs.

 

The feathered birch twigs are decorated with painted eggs for Palm Sunday, which marks the start of the Norwegian Easter.

 

We are really pleased with our "Easter tree", and little miss Moo is very proud to see her eggs hanging pride-of-place!

 

We used a variety of techniques to decorate our eggs:

Some we dyed with a mixture of food-dye,white vinegar and water, others we simply sprayed with liquid watercolor in mini spray bottles. (This is particularly fun for smaller children, as it can get quit messy....in a good way!)

 

I decoupaged some of the eggs with old norwegian "glansbilder" and napkins, and some I decorated with decals and rub-ons!

 

 

So although we are missing out on the whole Norwegian Easter experience, with skiing-trips to the Easter mountain and watching the Easter Crimes traditionally shown on telly, We now have our own "Fastelavensris", and look forward to a big, traditional Easter breakfast.......

 

 

....followed by a good ol english Egg hunt!

(It is always allowed to enjoy the best of both worlds)

 

Please feel free to add a comment below, as any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

 

xxx

June