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Vintage Style Easter Eggs

It's spring!  And nothing says spring and Easter more than eggs.  Why not use up those old plastic eggs you've been storing and turn them into something updated but with a vintage style?  Follow the easy instructions below and make up a dozen or so for decorations or even Easter table favors. 

Gather up those old plastic eggs you've been storing or head to the dollar store to pick some up. 

To keep the two halves together, use up some of that washi tape you've been hoarding.  

Or if you don't have any, masking tape will also work. 

You'll also need regular Mod Podge (matte or glossy) and an old book or hymnal that you can tear pages out of.  I ripped them into strips first but ended up using half or third strips to be able to lay them with the least amount of wrinkles. 

Cover the plastic egg and backs of the paper strips with Mod Podge.  Apply strips all over the egg.  You'll probably need to go over spot or two as they dry.  Make sure no hint of the plastic egg underneath shows.  Once the entire egg was covered, I added a final coat of MP all around.  I found using my fingers was the easiest way to apply the MP. Pizza stands work perfectly for drying racks. 

Once the eggs were good and dry, I painted two and added various trims to them all. 

I thinned white chalk paint and covered the entire egg except the heading strip.

Use hot glue to hold your lace and ribbon to the egg. 

For this egg, I painted it with watered down burnt umber acrylic paint, again, avoiding the heading strip.  I added lace and tied several lengths of fuzzy yarn over it. 

I left this egg unpainted.  The lace has black and white bakers twine wrapped around it (again, use hot glue to hold it in place) and is finished off with a silver cross charm.

Three different versions of vintage style eggs.

Which is your favorite?

Back to Posting!

Sorry that I haven't kept up the blog over the past year.  Some family issues contributed to this as well as just being extremely busy designing, creating, selling, teaching and living life.

I plan on getting back on here soon with some new projects for you.

Until then (and even after), I hope that you will follow me on Facebook.  I post almost daily there.

The Creative Pointe

  Or check out my newest endeavor.... 

If you live in northern Michigan and are interested in a fun time with friends painting, please check out the Facebook page for Creative Paint Party.  I have classes scheduled in Gaylord, Michigan (check out the EVENTS page for days/times).   I am also completely mobile so I can bring the party to you!  Check out the PHOTOS page.  There you'll find albums with info on booking, designs to choose from and party pics!

Vintage Style Jacks on a Stick

Here's a quick and easy project just in time for Halloween decorating! 

I found these cute little paper mache Jack 'O Lanterns at JoAnn Fabric.  I had 12-inch thin dowels on hand so I decided to create vintage style "Jacks on a Stick".  Follow these instructions and make some of your own. 

First paint your Jacks with orange acrylic paint.  Use brown paint on the stem.  Paint the dowel black and let everything dry well.  I added an antiquing stain on my Jacks but you could leave them plain orange if you wish.   I used yellow paint to add stripes to the dowel.  Varnish or leave unfinished, depending on the look you want.

Use a drill to add a hole to the bottom center.  Make sure it fits the dowel snuggly.  

Using hot glue, insert the dowel into the Jack and glue in place.

Add embellishments!  I added rusty wire to the stem,  tied burlap and ribbon to the dowel and added a distressed kraft tag.  Make a bunch and add to a floral arrangement, stick into a wreath or display a grouping in a container.  So fun!!

Nautical Desk Set & Free Compass SVG!

After my last post showing you how I easily paint furniture hardware, I thought that you might be interested in seeing what those handles and knobs belonged to.   Here they are...on a nautical style desk!

The desk and chair were painted using Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Legacy and then lightly distressed.  I felt it needed a nautical theme so I created the rope and compass stencils using the SCAL software program.  I cut the stencils from vinyl and painted them on using Everlasting .  I actually had some issues with the rope detail on top of the desk and ended up sanding it off and painting it back on by hand.  I think it turned out okay! After drying overnight, I lightly sanded the roping to give it a worn look.  Next the pieces got a coat of clear wax.  Finally, I lightly white washed both pieces with white wax.

The cool compass design went on the chair seat.

Want the design?  Get it free HERE

 I'll be taking this set with me to my upcoming show in Bay City, Michigan.  

If you're in the area, stop by and say "Hi"!

Details HERE

Painting Furniture Hardware

I paint a lot of furniture.  Most times I change out the hardware.  But sometimes I like to paint them to match the piece.  I've come up with a way to get those knobs and pulls painted up quick and easy.  And today I'm going to share my technique with all of you! 

The only supply (other than paint) needed is a styrofoam meat tray.  I use these mainly for disposable paint palettes but they work perfectly for painting hardware too.  (Styrofoam plates would also work, but I like to recycle)  Simply press your hardware through the tray.  An impression in the styrofoam shows you exactly were to press the screws through. 

On the underside, I tape the screw heads so that the hardware doesn't move while painting. 

I take the tray outside and hold the tray to easily spray on a primer coat.  I will do the top of the hardware first, then tip the tray over to get both sides of any handles, which are hanging straight down.

I add bulldog clips to the sides of the tray, run a dowel through the handles and prop up on stacked paint tubs.  This allows the handles of the pulls to continue to hang straight down, drying both sides at the same time.  Once the primer is dry, I continue to use the tray to hold the hardware while I paint and wax or varnish, continuing to hang upside down until the final coat is dry. 

I keep them attached to the tray until I'm ready to put them back on the furniture.   This keeps all my screws/pieces in one place!  To see what piece of furniture these knobs/pulls ended up on, follow me on Facebook!

Father's Day Card

Last week  I featured belated Mother's Day cards so it's only fitting that this week I showcase a belated Father's Day card! 

This one could also be easily adapted to a Birthday card by replacing the large "D" with a "B".

I used several scrap pieces of Tim Holtz paper, for a nice grungy look on the kraft card stock base. Deckle scissors created an uneven bottom to my main piece.  Texture was added with a scrap of burlap, brown & white twine and three metal brads.  The large letter "D" also came from Tim Holtz (sticker pack).  I matted it using several coordinating shades of plain cardstock.  The small "A" and "D" letters were kraft stickers that I matted and added.