The Beginning of Designing

I was just with a group of fellow decorative painters.  We were talking about painting and creating and how they like to change colors and different elements in a project moving things around from the original pattern or even combine two different patterns.  They then said they could never design….but isn’t that the beginning of designing?

That is how it started for me.  And I am still doing that when I take a class with someone else.  It isn’t that I want to one up them.  It is just that I have my own colors that I like and also as I am doing things I get ideas of things that I would like and sometimes change different elements in a project.

This happened recently with me when I took a project with Wendy Young at Olde Moon Lane Primitives.   I loved this project and enjoyed creating it with Wendy.  Here is a link to her Esty store and the pattern if you would like to make it, Flying School  BTW. Wendy’s patterns are fabulous with lots of pictures and easy to follow.

When it came time to paint it I wanted to use lighter colors just because that is my style.  The painting went great and I was really happy with my colors.

I also wanted to have my crossing sign and tree sit out from my house, so Wendy showed me how to do that with a little QuikWood.

Because I used lighter colors in my project I thought that I would use a lighter antiquing so I mixed DecoArt’s Raw Sienna with their antiquing medium.  I antiqued the piece, wiping off the excess and then varnished with DecoArts Matte spray varnish.   I also sprayed it with Kraylon’s spray-on Shimmer glitter.

My original plan was to add glass glitter to the roof and base…..but here is where my new design plan was not working for me.   The glitter spray sorta greyed or made the project look dull and the antiquing gave the snow a nice yellow glow…and we know yellow snow is not good.  So I let it set for a couple of weeks and thought about it.

I then decided to add a button roof.  I used DecoArt Glistening SnowTex on the roof and around the base.  On the roof I worked a section at a time adding the buttons.  To see more on adding a button roof  go to my music house blog post- Music Glitter House.

I also gave the project a coat of gloss varnish.  I would have done this before adding the buttons, but it was an afterthought.  I now am happy with the project.

To finish it I added glass glitter over the roof, snow and moon and randomly on the signs, tree and Santa.

Of course glass glitter is always the icing on the cake and I am happy with the project.  Can’t wait to use it in my holiday décor.

I think the one thing I learned doing this project is to be brave, try what you like, and when things don’t seem to be working out just set it aside and think about it.  Brainstorm with a creative friend.

Those little things help us to stretch and grow our creative selves. I hope this post will show you that it is ok to get out of your comfort zone and who knows what will happen.  I love the button roof and it wasn’t in my original plans….but it was an answer to yellow snow.  🙂

Happy Creating,

Jane