I LOVE the Beach!

I LOVE the beach.  Checkout this fun painting tutorial to I am showing off. It was inspired from a painting I saw a few days ago in my latest Ballard Designs catalog.

Materials:

• Blank canvas,
• acrylic paint (I used Ultra Blue Deep and Bleached sand from Americana),
• paint brushes,
• sponge brush,
• a "beach" stencil (I made my own).

Prepare the work station.

Liberally, apply your sand color paint. Spread the paint on the canvas in a left to right (horizontal motion).

Paint about half way up the board,

Apply your ocean blue color and spread,

more blue,

Blend it in so that the color appears to go from dark blue to light blue (overlapping the white a bit),

Add more color and blend, again,

I wanted more blue to show on the canvas for my beach stencil, so I added more paint at the halfway point. This made it so that the blue took 2/3 thirds of the board.

Blend, add more white, blend, add more blue, BLEND, blend and blend until it's just right, and maybe blend a little more without overworking it. I wasn't sure how this was turning out until my 5 year old pointed out that I was painting the beach (I figured if she could get what it was then it wasn't as bad as I thought).

Make your beach stencil. I typed the word "beach" on word and printed it out. I used an xacto knife to cut the letters out.

LIGHTLY dab paint over the stencil - trying to not let the paint seep under your stencil. Printing your stencil on cardstock might make for an easy application if you are unsure about stenciling over you painting.

and TA DA!

I am not a professional artist but I LOVED doing this and it turned out so nicely!
This TOTALLY brings the beach closer to my home and I love the fresh look it adds to my living room.

Thanks for visiting!

The Chevron Rug

So, I am total a herringbone fan and that's why I am loving these Chervon rugs out there. But, I also love the idea of being a able to create a rug design of my own. My inspiration came from the very talented, Dana, over at MADE. So here's what I did...

Supplies:

• Tulip Fabric paint (must be PERMANANT)
  
• Sponge/foam brush
• Reynolds Freezer Paper (found at grocery store NOT WAX)
  
• Scissors/Paper Trimmer
  
• Iron
• Cheap, low Pile Rug
  

1. So I measured out little rectangles to my desired length and cut out over 200 pieces for this 3' x 4.5' rug. Then very carefully, I ironed all the little pieces to the rug with took HOURS (shiny side down). NOTE: for a 100% Olefin Rug or any other synthetic, keep the heat semi LOW when you begin so you don't melt the fibers of your rug.

2. Then paint your rug. I wasn't rug how successful this would be so I used fabric paint that I already had at home. You don't want the paint too watery. I used the brand Tulip (they make a different version that is softer that I will use next time):When you paint, try not to push the paint under the freezer paper. Let it dry.3. When it's dry, pull the freezer paper off.

4. And there it is. I made this for my son's room.

And when you buy the rug for $8.99 at Ross,
it makes the rug look super fabulous! :)

So, now I am in the search for a large enough blank canvas.
I am feeling so inspired by the following rugs...