ONE MORE SIGN...

I've been painting AGAIN!  I think I will have to call 2013 the year of painting posts here on highpointcircle. This is my 143rd post and I've shown you projects I've painted such as lamps, furniture, doors, etc. but I've shown very few painted signage or pictures.  Funny thing is, I'm not really a painter either, that's the strangest thing!   BUT, this IS another post about a "Saying Sign" I just did for my sister (hereinafter referred to as Sis).

The Background

Sis had been out shopping with her girlfriends and one of them bought a "Saying Sign" that Sis admired.  She graciously let her friend have first dibs and knew I would paint one for her in custom colors and sized to meet her space.  So, being the wonderful sister I am, I did.  Here's how I did this one ('cause you know I try a different method each time I do one.  If you don't remember look here for the other baby signs I've done this year.)

Here's the one her friend purchased (nice manicure)...

And here's the one I painted for my Sis...

Now, for those of you who like to know the process I used to get to that final sign, I'll be happy to show you.

First I designed it with my Silhouette program...

Sis' sign is a bit smaller than the original and I was having trouble fitting it on an 8X10 canvas when the idea hit to overlap the cursive on the printing.  That is why the blue color is on the design at this stage--I needed to see the contrast.  Next I printed a mirror image of the design and changed all of the blue words back to black for transferring onto the canvas.

Here's how I transferred the design to the primed canvas...

I positioned the design on the canvas and taped it at the top.  I then dipped my fingers in a water bowl and moistened the printed image just enough to wet it through.  I checked to see if any transfer was happening and it wasn't.  I then took a crochet hook that I had with my paint brushes (why it was there, I have no idea) and used it as a stylus to go over the letters and it worked!  I was a little surprised!  

Here is the transferred design...

I let the canvas dry at this point and then began to paint the letters...

I show you this picture to point out the difference between a cheap brush and a good brush.  I had picked up a package of brushes at Micheal's for a different project and thought I'd use one of them here.  I painted the first line and switched to my good "old" brush.  Wow, I could not believe the difference in how the paint flowed off of a good brush.  My brushes are 28 years old!

Here is a close-up of the difference

From this point on the process is obvious...here are all of the printed words done.

And then, I dropped my paint brush...

I just used the same brush with some background paint and cleaned-up my errors and painted the cursive words and it's done!

Here it is in Sis' bathroom...

THANKS for stopping by and THANKS for all the kind comments from last week.  I LOVE reading them.

 

Robin

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5 SIGNS/5 METHODS

I wanted to show you what has been occupying my time for a last little bit.  I've been in the mood to make signs, mostly for babies, but also for "love".  I did each one a little differently and thought I'd show the pros and cons of each mistake method.

#1  Let's start with my "love" sign...

This was a simple concept, but a difficult execution...I bled all over this one!  I first painted the canvas and wiped a glaze on it.  Next, I  cut a piece of form-core board to fit inside the back of the frame (sorry for the lack of pictures) thinking this would be thick enough to stop the tacks before they entered my fingers!  Wrong!    The next step was to simply trace the letters on the canvas.  I  printed them off and used graphite paper between the print and the canvas and traced them.   I then began pushing upohstery tacks into the canvas and formcore and my fingers.  It was a little tricky to get even placement of the tacks.

#2  This is my God sign...

This one is a bit more complicated to execute, but I've done several of these as gifts, and, unlike the previous sign, this one was bloodless!  The first step was selecting all of the fonts I wanted to use and the placement of them.  The next step was painting the canvas background color.  When the canvas was dry, I used the tracing method to transfer the "background" words and paint them.  (I've tried paint pens with limited success but prefer my favorite 28 year-old paint brush because I know how it responds and I feel it gives a better final result.)  I then add the "top" words.  At this point, it is sometimes hard to quit because I could always add "just one more".

Here is a picture of the process I used on this sign...

This next sign was a first for me and was harder yet because all of the information had to "square up" on the final version.  I used a Silhouette program to get the spacing and made a cardstock stencil to trace the information on the primed canvas, but it could be done with the print/tracing method too.  This was just fun to paint and the mother of this baby was thrilled I would do this for her.  I was more than happy to do this one and it lead to two more baby signs...

Here is the stencil I cut...

Because I have an old Silhouette, it does not cut 12x12 paper, so I had to do this in two cuts.  If you are lost at this point because you do not understand what a Silhouette machine does, don't worry.  This is still an option from a standard computer with a word program and tracing paper.

Here's the canvas with the penciled outlines, ready for painting.  Just paint the blanks...

I have to say that sometimes I think this is the best version of the project because it is so perfect.  It might be cool sometime to just pencil it in and fill it in with graphite and spray a sealer over it!  Another idea.

#3  Here's the final version...

#4  Here is the second baby sign I did...

I shadowed the baby's name on this one a little bit because it wasn't popping out the way it should when it was viewed at a distance.  This little one's nursery was in camouflage so I mottled  the paints a little to reflect that.  I did try to just stencil the baby's name on this one using the cardstock stencil and I don't recommend that method--lots of bleeding that I had to correct.


#5  Second Addison sign

Yes, two Addison signs, but different babies.  Might be the next popular name for girls.  This one was blah until I added the pink, then POP!  It brought it to life.


Wow, this is one long post and if you've stayed with it till now, THANKS A BUNCH!  I hope the methods were clear enough, but if not, please comment or email me and I will expand my explanation for you.  Thanks for reading.

Robin

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A Tour of Absolute Vintage Boutique

The writer's block is gone, yeah!  I just needed to do the last post and everything cleared.  Wahoo! 

Today I went to a new place that just opened and the shop owner was one of the nicest women--she was happy to have me snap pictures of her store instead of ripping me about it like some people have done and she is a blogger too.  Click here to see the blog.  She and her sisters run the store and the blog.  Love that sister connection.  When I walked in with my sister, my sister knew the Grandmother to all these women--small world--they had the best time catching up on each other's lives while I was busy as a hornet snapping pictures.  Beware, there are a lot of pictures in this post--maybe the most of any post I've ever done.  You have just got to visit this store in person if you live in Wichita--it was wonderful--it is right across from the Target store on Maple in West Wichita.

This is their cute little tag that is on everything--yes, I bought something I'll show you later--shocking, isn't it.  The shop also has a website.

This was the cutest little red lantern wired as a lamp!

This was a religious section of vintage artifacts.

A view of one of the many displays.

They do some signage too!  Isn't this bench pretty, love the font!

I think this is another original sign from one of the sisters. 

I am in LOVE with signs right now--so nostalgic!

This shot shows a whole room setting. 

The store is large, but intimate, and well laid-out. 

Wonderful to wonder through and still not see everything the first time.

I LOVED this picture-still trying to figure out a place for it. 

I may just have to buy it and figure it out later so that I'm not sad to have missed it! 

It was a textile piece and done extremely well.

LOVED that ball of twine! 

And that little picture frame in the upper right is too cute--my Mom had a large one with a picture of yours truely in it at age 7 or 8!

The next series of pictures shows some of their seasonal items.  Very well done and original ideas too.

This is the little guy that came home with me. 

Do you see the price--so reasonable!  

I think I've started an involuntary turkey collection this Fall--of course I'll show you in another post, but we've got to have Halloween first--it's a rule, I think!

Thanks for reading, and sorry to all my readers who can't come to Wichita to visit this lovely place, but I do hope you enjoyed the tour and do visit their website--you can buy some things there too!  Robin

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