My favorite crackle paint medium: Deco Art One Step Crackle

Because I love texture, and the look of antiqued pieces, I am a crackle paint fanatic. In fact, the last time I went shopping for it, I bought all the bottles they had on the shelf! I use it a lot. The only thing I dislike, is the small bottles. I would love to be able to purchase larger containers and use this on small home decor or furniture pieces.
Deco Art One Step Crackle is easy to use, too. After painting a first layer of acrylic paint, I take a smooth, flat brush and apply it on top of the first layer in single strokes. Try to not go back over a first stroke, or it may not crackle in that spot. If you missed a spot, you can simply wait for it to dry and go back to do that spot later. After the surface has completely dried, you should be able to see the cracks. At this point, I pic a color I want the cracks to show (I usually choose brown, cream, or black) and mix it (acrylic paint...by the way) with a bit of Golden or Liquitex acrylic varnish, I wipe the mix onto the surface with a small sponge, making sure to push the color into the cracks. I keep another sponge that is damp, and some paper towel, around to wipe off any paint that may sit on the top of the piece (not in the cracks). I will post a pic later...I am being called to dinner by hubby...lol Happy crafting!

Sale on Artist Gallery Wrapped Canvas at Michael's

No coupon needed on this one! The sale ends at close on Sat., Aug. 20th. Buy one, get a second one for 1 cent! So, basically, it's like a 50% off sale. This would be a great time to stock up! Click HERE to see this and other promos that end on Saturday. Happy creating! ~ Lori Ramotar

My product review & mixed media paintings made with 7Gypsies tissue collage paper

As soon as I got an email from Stampington/The Shoppes at Somerset, I drooled over this tissue paper. I love using tissue paper for texture in my mixed media paintings and I immediately had two project ideas pop up in my head. I completed the first one, which is this set of four 12" X 12"mixed media paintings. I used the tissue paper as a background. One tip: when working with tissue paper, cut the size you will need ahead of time, and apply the matte medium (or whatever you used as a collage 'glue') to the base ahead of time. Do not try putting the matte medium onto your tissue paper. I suggest not using a lot of the medium or the paper gets soggy and easily tares and you are smoothing it onto your canvas/surface. I used a rubber brayer and gently smoothed areas with my fingers, allowing crinkles and light layering to occur. I waited until it had dried well before I put a topcoat of medium on it to seal it. After that, I was free to paint, draw, stamp, and collage on top of it.
Final conclusion: Try it! You'll love it! I have plenty left over for another project and am looking forward to playing with it again. However, since it is a bit pricey, practice with regular tissue paper first, if you have never used tissue paper in your collage pieces before. You will learn what mistakes to avoid, so you can move on to the fancy stuff without fear. The paper is available Here or you can look for it on Ebay, or other places where you buy your craft goodies.

Wooden House Plaque Tutorial

Our new home is a Key West "orange" kind of home, yet this 2 story house is done in a someone modern Victorian style. We have a wrap around porch, with white columns, and may of the houses in our neighborhood have lovely medallions on the front. We didn't, so I ordered one on Ebay. We had boring black house numbers stuck on with some kind of putty, and I wanted a more regal house number plaque. They were expensive at the local hardware stores, so I decided to custom make our own. Our front door is a darker terracotta orange, so I made it to match that. I got my plaque at JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon. It was about $8. I got the wood applique (that came in a set of 2) at Lowes. They were $11, so the single one was $6.50. The numbers are painted aluminum, which I then spray painted with an exterior cream colored paint. I painted the plaque with exterior house paint from Home Depot. I chose one that was a primer and a paint in one. I used a permanent, waterproof glue (there are many choices out there) to adhere the wood applique, and hammered the nails into the numbers to secure them. I actually took a bit of paint and painted the tops of the nails the same color as the numbers, so they would blend in. I am posting the pics in order of the steps. It's pretty simple, and shows what order I did things in.

Mixed Media backgrounds with household items

Here's a quick tip for the day..... If you have excess bubble wrap, you can use it to add the dotted texture you see in a lot of mixed media paintings. If you don't, you can make your own stencil with paper and a hole punch. You can also use the lid of a spice jar. Just make sure it is cleaned well first! I have found that yellow mailers (a used one if you are conserving paper/resources) work well because the paper is thick and stiff. You can use the lid of the spice jar to make large circular stamps on the background.

Paint Palette Tips

Let's face it....paint can be expensive. I want to avoid wasting paint, and make it last as long as possible when working on a piece of art. I prefer to use Acrylic Paint, so today I will share some tips on what kind of palette to use with it. The first picture shows the usual paint palette you can buy at any art or craft store. Sure, they are pretty cheap, but if you want one that comes with a lid, you'll have to fork over more money. Why would you want a lid? Most people I know, don't always finish their painting the same day they start. Maybe you mixed up a rockin' color of green and you don't think you'll be able to get the exact same color tomorrow.

The best way to preserve Acrylic Paint that I have found, is to add a few drops of water to the mixture, put a lid on the palette, and pop it in the fridge. Yup, I said THE FRIDGE. The cooler temp prevents the acrylic paint from setting up. You could always put plastic wrap over your lid-less palette, but that is a big mess and air still gets in.

My solution? Chinese takeout!!!

We have found that many Chinese restaurants around us put their food in these handy re-usable plastic containers....WITH LIDS!!! So, you get tasty food and a free paint palette. They seal tightly. Make sure to clean them well to remove any residue before use. When you are done with your project, simply rinse them out with warm water. If you have allowed your paint to set up, wait for it to dry, and peel it away. Any remains can be soaked in warm water and wiped off with a paper towel.

Have any palette tips to share? I love comments!