Thyme to show you my "Ladies Home Companion" Pincushion Box.

I have gotten a little behind on my blogging lately

 but that doesn't mean I haven't been painting!

Lets step inside the STUDIO to see what I have been working on!

Today

 I wanted to show you a sweet project called 

Ladies Home Companion

It is a wonderful small pin cushion box .

Design by 

Cynthia Erekson

My Palette

DecoArt Americana Acrylics

Lamp Black, Traditional Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, True Ochre, Delane's Dark Flesh, Honey Brown, Burnt Umber, Khaki Tan, Brandywine

Lets Paint!

I began by first sanding and sealing my piece.

I often mix a (1) to (1) ratio of my base coat color and All Purpose Sealer.

I painted the base of the box with Lamp Black. 

After that dried I taped the base off so I could paint the remaining sides of the box.

I painted the sides of the box using the broad flat side of a 2" sponge brush with Burnt Umber.

I used a "press and lift" method to cover all sides of the box with Burnt Umber. 

This method creates a nice textured eggshell surface to paint on.

Next I measured 3/4" from the base. 

I drew a light pencil line around. 

I applied masking tape leaving the 3/4" border exposed.

I used a small stencil brush to pounce Khaki Tan onto this 3/4" border. 

When dry I removed the tape.

I traced the horizon line on each side of the box.

I used a Stain-It brush to paint the ground area.

I loaded the brush with Honey Brown then stroked it on my palette.

I use the chisel edge of the brush to establish the hilltops.

I then layed the brush on its side and pulled color down from the hilltops into the ground area. 

There should not be much paint on your brush!

You want the textured surface you created with your base coat to show!

Stain-It and Moon brushes are great  for dry brushing details.

I repeated painting the ground area on all 4 sides of the box.

I transferred the main details of the design and began by painting the buildings.

I then painted the girl and added the clothing details.

I then added the cart on the next side.

I like to use Silver Micron Mini Brushes on a piece such as this with tiny details

Close up of sides.

Adding foliage to the trees.

All line work is done with thinned paint.

I add all my dots with a stylus after I'm finished painting everything else.

Let dry completely!

Deco Art has many choices of varnishes to use to complete your project.

I like to use the

  Dura Clear Matte Varnish.

Before I varnished 

I distressed some of the edges and corners 

of my piece by gently

filing with a rasp.

I sanded the "aged" areas and wiped off the dust.

You can tint any bare wood areas with a wash of Burnt Umber. 

I applied 2 coats of varnish to my piece.

Let dry thoroughly between coats!

Next I gathered my supplies to complete my project.

I cut a 18" piece of cloth measuring tape. 

I applied Arlene's Super Tacky Glue 

to the center 

of

 the Khaki Tan border 

at the bottom of the box.

I carefully pressed the cloth tape around the sides of the box, 

centering it as I went along.

I packed the inside of the box with stuffing. 

The stuffing should come to about a 1/2" from top of box.

I cut a 8" square piece of fabric. 

The fabric I used was old curtains that I had in "my stash". 

The curtains had "faded" but the fabric was still good for crafting!

It adds to the vintage look of the piece!

I placed a handful of stuffing on the 8" square of fabric. 

I tightly folded over the the opposite side overlapping the edges. 

I then folded in the remaining sides of fabric until I had a tight puffy bundle.

I applied glue to the inner edges of the box and pressed the "bundle" into the box.

You can continue to rearrange it neatly until you are satisfied with the look before your glue dries.

I added some embellishments to the top of the pin cushion.

I took rusty pins and added some old buttons.

I had little wood spools that I wrapped thread around then I attached them to the pin cushion.

Rosemary Reynolds

and

  DecoArt

 provided 

me with the paints to complete this project as part of their

Helping Artist 

and 

Blogger Outreach Programs

Thank you DecoArt!

I hope you have enjoyed watching me paint my

Ladies Home Companion project!

Happy Painting !

Lynn

Thyme to show you a Dressmakers Notion Box

Summer is winding down here on Cape Cod

which makes me sad because it went by so fast!

BUT

Fall Thyme is just as beautiful here!

Lets step inside the STUDIO to see what I have been working on.

I must say I am very behind on blogging about all my latest projects.

I have lots to show you!

Now that I will be spending more thyme inside hopefully I will get caught up soon.

Today I wanted to show you a project 

called

Dressmakers Notion Box

Design by Cynthia Erekson

My Palette

DecoArtAmericana Acrylics

Traditional Raw Sienna, Marigold, Traditional Burnt Umber, Antique Gold Deep, Blue Mist, Antique Green, Plantation Pine, Desert Sand, Sand , Oxblood, Lamp Black

Dazzling Metallics

Emperor's Gold

Lets Paint!

I began by sealing the outside of the lid and box using

Multi Purpose Sealer 

and

 a

 Americana Decor Brush

I let the sealed surfaces dry then I base coated them with one coat of

 Traditional Raw Sienna.

For the second coat I heavily loaded a 2" sponge brush 

with 

Traditional Raw Sienna

I "pressed and lifted" the heavily loaded brush repeatedly over the first coat, 

creating a bumpy textured surface on the outer box and lid.

Next I measured a 2"margin around the lid for the wood grain borders.

I used a sponge brush loaded with Marigold to add a textured border

 within the 2" outer margins on the cover of the box.

I avoided the corner squares.

I painted the sides of the box in the same manner

I let the box dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

Now to add some graining!

I mixed a graining glaze with my palette knife.

To do this I mixed 2 quarter size puddles of 

Traditional Burnt Umber 

onto the center of my palette.

I then squirted 8 quarter size puddles of

Clear Glazing Medium

around these 2 puddles

Last I added 2 small squirts of 

Easy Float

I used a 2" sponge brush to "press and lift" a coat of glaze onto the 2" borders. 

I worked on one section at a time.

After I applied my glaze mixture I quickly squiggled through the glaze with my over grainer.

I held the tool at a 45 degree angle and pulled the brush through the glaze in a zig zag manner.

I repeated this on all 4 borders.

I let the box cover dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

I used my moon brush

and 

Blue Mist 

to lightly build up layers of color 

for the sky .

After loading the brush scrub it on a paper towel to remove most of the paint. 

You want to be working with a dry brush!

You can cover your grained borders with some stencil paper so as not to get any paint on them while painting the center of the lid.

Next I transferred the horizon line.

I base coated the horizon with Antique Green using my moon brush.

Make sure after loading brush you scrub it on a paper towel first to remove most of the paint before applying to your surface.

You should not see wet paint on your surface!

I then used the same dirty brush and added Plantation Pine to define the hill areas.

I used the chisel edge of the moon brush to highlight the hilltops with Antique Gold Deep.

Next I transferred the main areas of the design to my surface.

I am now working on the main elements of the design.

People often ask what I use for brushes.

I usually use Loew- Cornell Ultra Rounds for base coating and shading details.

They hold a lot of water and you can easily build the depth of your color.

Close up of buildings as I paint them.

Here you can see a close up of the wood grain detail on the borders.

When wood graining you don't have to worry too much about getting it all to "match"!

That is what makes it more realistic.

I am now adding the trees to the design.

I've added windows and doors to the buildings.

I have added the bottom border with Lamp Black for the lettering detail.

I have added the paths and shaded the ground using the chisel edge of the moon brush.

I have also added the weeds and crow.

Close up of box.

I have now added the lettering with Emperor's Gold.

I shaded it with Oxblood.

I painted the corners Lamp Black.

I like to use Silver Micron Mini detail brushes for fine detail work.

I am adding the "beaded border" around the design using Lamp Black.

I have added the "beaded detail" around the design.

When doing the border I dipped once in the paint then dotted 3-4 times so the dots are not all completely uniform and also so they didn't get too big!

I am now working on the inside of the cover.

I painted a 4 1/2" square using Lamp Black.

I taped it off and used a small stencil brush.

I used thinned Traditional Burnt Umber to paint the remaining area of the inside cover.

I spattered the scene using Traditional Burnt Umber.

To do this....load a large stencil brush with thinned paint, 

hold brush over your surface and flick the bristles with your palette knife, 

pulling the bristles towards you.

I then added thinned Lamp Black paint to my dirty stencil brush.

I spattered the borders, sides of box and inside the box.

I "tea stained" a small square of batting using thinned Burnt Umber.

I pinned some rusty pins to the batting square.

I glued the batting square to the painted black square.

I also glued some buttons to the corners.

I used Gel Stain for the inside cubbies of the box.

I dampened my sponge brush lightly before dipping in the stain.

The Lamp Black spatters you previously did will show through the stain.

I stained the dividers for the "cubbies" in the same manner.

Close up of textured, spattered sides of box.

I brushed on some thinned Gel Stain to further age the box.

I wiped off excess with a soft cloth.

Thyme to varnish!

I applied several coats of Dura Clear Ultra Matte Varnish.

It comes in several finishes to achieve the look you want.

I painted the top edges of the cubbies and rim of box Lamp Black.

Be sure to let each coat of varnish dry completely before proceeding to the next coat.

If you don't let your varnish dry completely

 between coats your  surface may end up with a cloudy finish.

After all that work you don't want to see that happen!

Next I panted the wood squares Lamp Black.

I glued the wood squares to the corners of my box cover.

Close up of corners.

Inside of my finished box.

Rosemary Reynolds 

and

 DecoArt 

provided me with the paints to complete this project as part of their 

Helping Artist Program

and

Blogger Outreach Programs

Thank you DecoArt!!

I hope you have enjoyed watching me paint 

my

Dressmakers Notion Box

Happy Painting!

Lynn