Linda Nelson, Author at Linda Nelson - The Createaerie

CHALK PAINT-ISH: A QUICKIE TUTORIAL

March 3, 2016

Hey chalk paint lovers, how many DIY recipes of this kind have you tried? Well, you can chalk this one up to super simple and successful. This recipe is suitable for small scale work batches and requires only two ingredients – gesso and powdered pigment. Not only that, the final step of buffing your object for a smooth, touchable finish is achieved with your hands! Yep, no paste wax – just a vigorous rubdown using the natural oils from your hands.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Doesn’t this clay pot’s surface look gorgeous? It’s ready to join my symphony of spring decor.

To achieve this look simply mix a plop of white gesso with a sprinkling of powdered tempera paint. I have the basic primary colors on hand (red, blue, yellow) and custom mix my own hues. I made a lemony hue for the first layer, and a limey one for the second layer. Apply paint with a brush and let dry before applying your next coat. Sand the surface smooth with fine grit sandpaper or sanding block, then give it the rubdown. That’s it!

©Linda Nelson 2016

In my next post I will share with you how to make chippy eggs using a variation of this recipe. Stay tuned……….

©Linda Nelson 2016

And, get creative!

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MAKE SCENTED MOSSY EGGS

February 19, 2016

It’s that time of year again when all of us crafters will be laying and displaying our handcrafted eggs. Dipping, dying, batiking, painting, decoupaging, stenciling and glittering are some of the many techniques that will be used in the creative process. Let’s add “mossing” to the list. The pictured examples are not just any mossy eggs; they’re Linda’s mossy eggs, and I think you will enjoy making some. I certainly did.

Grab your supplies –

Styrofoam egg(s)
skewer(s)
brown and green acrylic paint
paint/sponge brushes
Elmer’s glue
dyed/preserved spanish moss
soil-less seed starter mix/potting mix (or a handful of peat moss)
dried lavender buds
small container
spoon

You will also need an electric coffee grinder or some sort of food processor, and a sieve.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Poke the skewer into the rounded end of the egg. This step is just for practical egg handling purposes. Next, mix some green and brown paint together to create a drab and muddy or mossy hue. Add to it a few drops of glue, mix well, then apply one coat of paint to your egg. Let the painted egg dry.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Grab a tiny handful of the Spanish moss(torn into little pieces) and a few pinches of lavender buds, and place them in your coffee grinder. Grind/pulse until the mixture is somewhat fine yet still maintains a little bit of texture. Continue making up batches of the lavender moss until you have about one half to one cup’s worth; that will be enough to cover a handful of eggs. A small Chinese takeout soup container is ideal for storing the ground moss.

Apply a generous/even coat of glue onto the egg’s surface with a paintbrush. Hold the egg over the container of moss, and using a spoon, scoop up some moss and drop it over the egg. Continue doing this while simultaneously turning the egg until it is completely coated. DO NOT dip the egg into the moss; it smudges the glue coating. Gently tap the skewer on the edge of your container to help the loose particles fall away, then place it somewhere to dry. I like to set the skewer down into the neck of a small bottle. Use a clean, dry brush to remove the rest of the loose particles; they can go right back into your moss container.

©Linda Nelson 2016

To make the brown egg, simply strain the soil-less/peat based potting mix thru a sieve until you have collected enough of a fine textured amount to work with. I didn’t add the lavender to this one, but you’re more than welcome to do so.

©Linda Nelson 2016

I’m not a big fan of providing exacting instructions for creative embellishing; you own that part. I figure that if you don’t have it in you to do it yourself, chances are that you’re not reading this post.

Do you like my Thumbelina-sized envelope? See how I made it?

©Linda Nelson 2016

Hmmmm…… what else have I been up to? Oh, I made a “chippy” egg. Just mention in a comment if you’d like me to share my technique for that one.

©Linda Nelson 2016

There you have it.

Now, make some scented mossy eggs, and get creative!

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A CLUTCH OF INSPIRATION

February 16, 2016

It’s certainly still heavy coat season in the northeast, but before we know it, crocus flowers will be poking up through the ground, forsythia flower buds will be plumping up, springtime props will accent our abodes……..and eggs will be laid. Yes, they will be laid atop mantles, in hutches, under cloches, within tabletop centerpieces, and will magically find their way into the most curious of places in our homes.

Today I thought I’d lay a little visual clutch of inspiration for you in the hopes that it may hatch a few ideas in your head.

Who says that you can’t clutch eggs in a chum pot? Oh, yes you can…..

©Linda Nelson 2016

….and, in mop wringers……..

©Linda Nelson 2016

……..and scale trays.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Clutch them in deep fryer baskets…….

©Linda Nelson 2016

and in coffee pots…….

©Linda Nelson 2016

Stash them inside tomato mashers and cigar boxes……….

©Linda Nelson 2016

and nestle them within your favorite fashion accessory, too.

Trust me, no one will cackle at you.

Besides, mama always said to never put all of your eggs in one basket. She was right.

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WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE STATEMENT PIECE?

February 12, 2016

I don’t really “decorate” my home for Valentine’s Day. I generally don’t decorate myself with jewelry either, though I own quite a collection, many of which are lovely costume pieces. I just prefer to hoard and possess them rather than wear them. When I do adorn myself with baubles, however, I’m usually inclined to choose one piece as a signature statement, and the showiness of that piece is dictated by my mood at that time.
When I’m feeling fabulously bold, I might choose this chunky attention getter…….. I’m totally serious. My sister used it as a Halloween costume prop years ago, then passed it on to me with the suggestion that I may want to disassemble it for crafting purposes. Little did she know that I thought it was fantastic just the way it was and that I’d enjoy it crafted around my neck.

When I want to feel like a princess, I might fetch this piece.

My signature winter holiday statement piece is almost always a snowflake brooch.

My absolute favorite go-to ring is this one, a Christmas gift I received from my aunt and uncle about FORTY years ago. I wear it when I am feeling “moody”.

linda nelson at the createaerie

And, when I simply want to step into a bygone era, I might pair a classic vintage pin atop one of my vintage hats, along with one of my vintage handbags.

So, I thought it befitting that I would make one (or two) signature statements in my home for Valentine’s Day.

This 1969(unsigned) screen print on mylar by Jim Dine, titled ‘Four Hearts’, is one of two thousand produced. I wonder what the other one thousand-nine hundred-ninety-nine are doing for Valentine’s Day?

My other statement piece is this 2016 original, one-of a-kind, signed collage on acetate by yours truly, titled ‘Sweet Tender Heart’. Priceless.

Thanks for stopping by, my blog reading sweethearts!

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