Tutorial Tuesday - How to Glass Paint

Finally!  As you requested, I have created a short video tutorial showing you how to paint on glass.

With the holidays coming up, knowing how to paint on glass comes in handy.  You can make your own ornaments and create unique, personalized gifts for your loved ones.

I use a specific brand of glass paint called PEBEO 160.  There is also Pebeo 150, but that is used mainly for porcelain.  You can get them at Michaels craft stores, but I buy mine at dickblick.com.  Sometimes the product is old at the craft stores and difficult to use.

I use their glass paints, paint markers AND cloissone tubes.  The cloissone gives a raised, 3-D effect to whatever you are painting and it helps to add definition where you need it.



Quick Tips-

• Paint glass in LAYERS.  Do not try to make it the color you want with the first layer.  It will look gloppy (is that a word?) and will take forever to dry.  Be patient and layer your colors, waiting 2-5 minutes per layer.

• If you are painting a bold, solid color on clear glass, do one to two layers of WHITE first.  This will make the colors really pop.  If you are going for a very transparent look, then this step is not needed.  Layering with white first helps with painting on dark glass as well, like wine bottles, so that the colors stand out from the color of the glass.  Glass paint is transparent, so it is a little bit different to work with.
• Consider using blue iridescent paint to add shimmer to your projects.
• Use synthetic soft bristle brushes.  Do not use cheap, hard bristle brushes as the bristle marks will show up in your paint.  Get a variety of brushes-  flat round-ended for flower petals, angled brushes, large flat brushes for large surface painting and small rounded detail brushes.  
• Get a bottle of the clear glaze that Pebeo makes.  The clear glaze creates a brilliant finish and deepens colors that appear matte.  It also works as a medium to hold glitter if you are adding glitter to ornaments or whatever...
• Pebeo 160 paints need to dry for 24 hours and then you bake the items at 325 for 40 minutes.  If you want to add to your design or start over, you can, as long as you have not baked it yet.  Just scrub hard with water and the design will come right off and you can being again.

Please watch the video for more details.

Here are the finished champagne flutes that I started on the video:

Also, here are a pair of flutes where I used the stencils you saw on the video:

Happy Crafting!!

Adorable Decorative Tiles

I am so excited about how these turned out.  I created these decorative tiles for my mom as it is her birthday today.  She loves birds and owls, so I chose vintage images from Graphics Fairy and transferred them onto tiles with my inkjet Lazertran paper.  The tiles were left overs given to me for various craft projects. 
Visit home improvement stores to see if they have discontinued tiles they could give away or hop on craigslist to see if anyone is giving away free tiles left over from remodeling projects.
After I decorated the tiles with glass paint and the images, I attached grosgrain ribbon with hot glue to the backs of the tiles so they can hang on the wall.  You can also place tiles on plate display holders and set them on counters or shelves.  I am a huge fan of iridescent blue glass paint, so I painted each tile with a layer of this paint for a more finished effect. 
You can download vintage images perfect for a bathroom (vintage images of mermaids?) or a kids room (ballerinas and fairies?) and do a mini art installation for a few dollars in paint, ribbon and tile.




Happy Crafting!

 

A new place to find creative inspiration

I am so excited to finally start this blog.
It has been in the back of my mind for quite some time and when I taught a glass painting class a few weeks ago (we had a blast!), I realized that I am happiest when crafting and teaching others how to do something new.

Glass Painting Class at House Wine

I just KNEW that I needed to expand how I teach and inspire others to create and have fun doing it.
The name for this blog came to me as I was trying to sum up what it would encompass.  When you learn a new craft or technique, you usually borrow the teacher's brushstroke or method and use it until you develop your own way of doing things.  You get a feel for the crafting medium and your hands 'learn' how to work it and mold it with practice.
When you fall head-over-heels in love with a particular craft, you eventually find new and exciting ways of doing things.
That is my hope for this blog.  That you would come here to find inspiration and the tutorials you need to get started, borrowing my 'brushstroke' until you find your own!

This blog will include my thoughts, crafting adventures and fantastic links.  It will also provide a wide variety of tutorials and how-to videos- (given a little time) for everything from molding chocolate and decorating cakes to painting glass and making polymer clay jewelry.   Whenever I find something creative or inspiring, it will be posted here here for everyone to enjoy.

Happy Crafting!