Mark My Words - Customised Blackboard

 

Close up of Face on Blackboard

I needed a notice board in my craft area so I could write reminders and lists for myself, but in a place I could see easily when I sit at my craft table. Unfortunately, the view from my table is of the two doors of my large craft cupboard (see below... BORING!) So I thought, how can I make this work for me? I taped off two large squares with masking tape and prepped inside them by lightly sanding and then applying three layers of blackboard paint. I then drew in my design on the edges of one square with a white charcoal pencil. I love painting and drawing faces (that doesn't mean I do it well every time, trust me!) so I wanted this in the design somewhere. 

                     

Then came the fun part, applying the iCraft Chalk and iCraft Metallic paint in layers and letting them dry. I did not Gesso anything first, I let the blackboard paint act as the gesso. Once I finished the painting, I used some large alphabet stamps I had and stamped "Mark My Words.." across the top of the square in white pigment ink. I went over the outline of the words in iCraft chalk paint (Cream Pie) using a fine detail brush to make them stand out. I have varnished the painted surfaces only with matte medium, to stop it from scratching or getting rubbed off when I clean my chalk board.

Now... what shall I do to the other square/note board? Any ideas?

Close up of flower in Lady's hair - Metallic and Chalk Paint

Note board 1- (left side door) - Completed

I hope this project brightens your day, as I hope it will mine, every time I look up when I am working at my table. 
Until next time, take care!

Below are the iCraft Chalk Paints that were used in this project:
Billow
Campfire
Cream Pie
Dessert Warmth
Flamboyant
Iris Impact
Irish Acres
Lights Out
Midnight Coffee
Old Glory
Supernova

iCraft Metallic Paints used:
Ancient Copper
Charcoal Black
Gold Rush
Golden Moss
Moon White
Romantic Pink

Altered Trinket Box - iCraft Australia design team project for June 2021

Using lots of lovely iCraft products like their dreamy metallic paints, wooden embellishments and stencils to create this altered Trinket box. Head over to the iCraftAustralia Blog to see how this project  developed. 

 

Art Journal Page - The New Me

Using Dylusions stencils, masks, stamps and paints to create this art journal page in my Art by Marlene journal. 

 

And so the adventure begins - Art Journal Page for iCraft Australia

 "And so the adventure begins" is a very fitting title to use on my very first project on this new design team adventure for iCraft Australia. This art journal page was a lot of fun to make as I had been given  a whole bunch of new products to play with, who wouldn't like that? 

This page was created with lots of iCraft chalk paint and a Layering stencil (iCraft supplies used are listed and linked at the bottom of this blog post) and a few background stamps, a collage butterfly element and a sentiment sticker from my stash to finish it off. 

I started by taping my paper to my worksurface with a low tack tape and then put down a layer of chalk paint in random areas with a paintbrush until I couldn't see white  on the page anymore. I then sponged some of the same paint colours with the Layering Stencil number 8562. I would start in an area with the purple paint for example, then extend it out with the stencil to cover areas that had contrasting chalk paint underneath like yellow. I then stamped a range of small background patterned stamps in Archival ink as I knew I was going to apply more paint and water later and I didn't want the ink to smear.

I then drew in some lines and circles with a light pencil. I used a wash of cream pie chalk paint with water  and painted with rough up and down brush strokes around these elements so it pushed the vibrancy into the background more and made the circles and plank elements I had created pop more. I always dried between layers. I used a light wash of chalk paint colours to apply darker colour to the bottom of the circles to create some depth and shadow. I also used a variety of texture and script stamps with archival ink in many colours to stamp inside and in between the circles. I also used a Stabillo All pencil to scribble roughly around the circles and to define the vertical lines. I went over this with a fine tipped brush and water to activate the pencil as it's water soluble. I also shaded a little between the circles with the pencil to create more shadow and activated with water and brush again.  

To finish off,  I fussy cut a butterfly collage element and glued it on with a sentiment sticker. I also used a white gel pen to add highlights to the circles and outline the sentiment to make it stand out more. 

I hope this Art Journal page inspires you to get out your paints and stencils and start journaling or just to have a play! Much thanks for looking at my project.

Deb Stephens

All the products from iCraft that were used in this project are listed below. 

Heavy Gesso White   

Campfire Chalk Paint    

Billow Chalk Paint    

Flamboyant Chalk Paint  

Iris Impact Chalk Paint 

Supernova Chalk Paint  

Cream Pie Chalk Paint   

 Layering Stencil 8562 

Tina Marie

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