Thanksgiving and Autumn Glass Painting Project

The theme for this month at the Designer Crafts Blog Connection is Thanksgiving/Fall.  As usual, I'm sharing a quick and easy project with you.  I like to inspire you with an "I can do that!" attitude.  Hope you like this one as well as the other creative ideas on the 365 Days of Crafts Blog Hop.

I used the new DecoArt Glass Paint Markers, in Brown, to draw the leaves on a white ceramic plate. The charger was originally clear.  I painted the border with a sponge brush to create a blend of orange and yellow with Americana Gloss Enamels.  The swirls were stamped on using Brown Americana Gloss Enamels.

There's a matching glass and a folded napkin technique to come soon, I promise!  Mom's in the hospital and I've been there almost 24/7.  She's doing well and we hope to get her home soon.  Then it's back to posting the rest of my Thanksgiving tablescape ideas.

You might enjoy a few posts from last fall to keep you busy until I get back.
Autumn Napkin Folds - Chocolate Brown
Autumn Napkin Folds - Crown Fold
Autumn Napkins Folds - Cone Fold
Autumn Rose and French Fold Napkins
Thanksgiving Tablescape and Dessert Buffet
Blessed Family Gathering
Pause and Give Thanks

Don't forget to Hop through the rest of the blogs and see what the other Designers have been up to!

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TABLESCAPE THURSDAY - Between Naps on the Porch

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Easter Tablescape in Pink & Green

Our elegant Easter Tablescape this year was created on a budget with easy DIY projects. I thought it would be fun to share it, along with the other creative tablescapers, at Between Naps on the Porch for my first Tablescape Thursday.

Sarah originally wanted pink tulips in silver mint julep cups but they were hard to find and out of our price range.  We went with a pink and green theme and used what we had on hand (with a few changes of course!) and got lucky with a last minute clearance sale for the napkins. 

We were able to squeeze 14 at the table using folding chairs along the sides to save space.  I made the runner using $4.00 clearance fabric.  The edges were hemmed with iron on fusible web.  I had planned on making matching napkins but 1/2 price was too hard to resist so I bought them instead!  I'll make the napkins later with the extra fabric.

A $10.00 bunch of pink tulips from the grocery store tucked into Mom's soup tureen.

 

Here's a close up of the painted plates.  The napkins are folded in thirds and draped across the plate to carry the green over the edge of the table.  Sarah made the bird's nest cookies which were perfect to tuck into the salad bowls as a party favor.

                          

The butter dish and salt and pepper shakers gave us our touch of silver.  My white ceramic bowls and garden birds pulled the look together.  I like how the embossed pattern on the bird looks with the paisley print.

Yummy homemade dessert buffet.  The folding three tier server, extra napkins and more of the white ceramic accents.  Sarah made carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, lemon pound cake and chocolate ganache frosted cupcakes.

Painting plates for Easter

I have a set of glass plates that I decorate according to whatever party theme I'm working on.  It's cheaper than buying multiple sets of dinnerware and pretty easy to do!  I mix DecoArt Americana Acrylic paints with Sta-Flo liquid starch and sponge the mixture on the back. I prop each plate on a bowl after painting.

I did two coats on this set.  Of course, I thought I'd be really creative and paint white tulips on the front first.  Didn't work......they blended away when I started sponging.  I'll try something else next time.

I let them dry overnight before using.  I like to wipe the front of the plate off with a mild solution of vinegar and water to clean them since we'll be eating from them!  There's usually finger smudges and sometimes a little paint.  After the party is over I use a paper towel to wipe the paint off after soaking the plates in warm water for a few minutes.

Playing with Paints

I recently received a sample of Pentel Arts Wet Erase Chalk Markers.  Oh boy!  I plan to design some "Front Door Decor" with it.  But first I decided to see if I could use it on the back of my clear glass dinner plates.  If it works it would be great to personalize a tablescape.  So I took a few minutes to play with them and here are my thoughts.

This is the back of the plate. 
TULIP: I used the corner of the chisel point marker to outline the the petals and leaves.  I tried to fill in the green with the marker but it caused the first layer to smear a little.  (It might not have been dry enough but I figured it was because I rewet the linework with pressure)  Then I created a puddle of paint by pressing the marker against my palette paper and used a brush to spread the liquid paint over the line work.  Much better!  I was even able to blend edges of the the orange and red markers to create a little shading on the petal.
LARGE ORANGE FLOWER:  I used the Jumbo markers to block in the color of the large flower and then did a loose outline with a chisel point marker.  Quick and Easy!
BALLOONS:  I used the same technique to outline the balloons and then used the brush to fill in the colors with paint from the puddle that I created by pressing the marker onto my palette.

This is the front of the plate.
Creating the linework first is a very basic method of reverse glass painting.  The end result is neater since you don't have to be so perfect when filling in the colors. If you look closely at the balloons you'll see what I mean.  The back is messy but you don't see that on the front.

I could have been a little neater with the linework but I was "playing".

Can you see where I blended the orange and red on the petals?  You can also see where I smeared the black on the leaf before switching to a brush for this layered technique.

After it was dry I used it to eat lunch on and just like the packaging says - it washed right off with a wet paper towel.  It was durable enough to carry around like you would do for buffet service and kids would probably have a blast decorating a plate to eat off of at a party.  If you want to add a name or any other specific design you can just tape your reversed pattern to the front of your plate while you work. Fun!

Removing Paint from my plates

I've been using my "temporary paint" mix on the back of the same glass plates for a few years now and I don't think I ever showed you how to remove it.
1. Hand wash the plates after your event.  As you wash them place a paper towel or napkin between each plate and set aside until the next day (or in one case for me - after a few weeks).
2. Soak the entire stack of plates in warm soapy water for about 10 minutes.

Note: The paint will stick to the paper napkin and sometimes almost falls right off of the plate.

3. Sometimes you'll have to use your fingers to rub it all little but it's not hard to do.  There is a soap in liquid starch so when it gets wet it helps the paint to slide right off.  It's very interesting to me that it also acts as a glue and holds the fabric to my kitchen walls and paper to other temporary projects around my house.

4. Use the paper towel to gather up the loose paint and throw it in the trash can.  You don't want to wash it down the drain.  Dried acrylic paint is rubbery and large amounts could clog your plumbing.

5. Rinse the plates clean and redecorate another time!

St Pats Day project

I decided to get creative for St Pat's Day this year.  I used a permanent pen to sketch a few shamrocks onto scrapbook paper (BOBUNNY Alissa Adorable is the pattern).  Next, I cut out a circle to fit my clear glass plates.

I then used liquid starch to temporarily decoupage it to the back of the plate.  The next day I used my favorite "temporary paint" mix; DecoArt Americana Acrylics and Liquid Starch, to sponge green on the back of the plate and finish it off.  (I've used this technique many times to decorate the plates for different events instead of buying paper plates) Unfortunately, Lee wasn't home for dinner that night so I just used one of the plates to eat leftover pizza all by myself.

An Irish Blessing
May these walls be filled with laughter,
may it reach from floor to rafter.
May the roof keep out the rain,
may sunshine warm each windowpane.
And may the door be open wide
to let the Good Lord's love inside.

Recycled Tablescape

I like to recycle or reuse things but I admit I never thought of this one!  Another clever tablescape from the Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

Fast food cup holders were stacked, glued and filled with flowers.

Sometimes I see glasses at the resale shop that have scratches on the surface.  They could be recycled by covering the scratches with decorative paints for glass.  The frosted paint on the background would cover the scratches with a cute design on top of that.

Birds and Branches for the Table

I did a little internet Trend research this week for Tabletop products.  The Atlanta Gift Market (for the trade only) was last week and there were several manufacturers showing dinnerware with twigs and birds.  The birds are a trend that I've been following for several years and they are adorable for tablescape themes. The twigs are rustic and fit in with that trend perfectly!

This is part of a Baby Shower tablescape that I did with friends for the CHA show.  I simply stenciled the twigs and vines on a plain white dinner plate using pebeo Porcelaine 150 paints.  I placed the embossed green plate on top of a saucer (to give it lift) and tucked the branch underneath.  For guest favors; the mini bird nests are filled with pastel Jordan Almonds, wrapped in cellophane and decorated with ribbon and flower.  Do you see the little stuffed bird tied onto the napkin on the left?  Kelly Hoernig made those.  (I wish I had a better picture!)

Elena Pecora created fabulous arrangements for the back of each chair using twigs and flowers.  We tied them with ribbon and pinned them to the chair covers.  A really special look that is a DIY project.  I loved them!

Have you seen the new Pottery Barn Birds and Twigs dinnerware and accessories?  Make sure you scroll all the way down the page to see the napkins and table linens.  So pretty!