Painting on Styrofoam

Welcome to another installment of ASK PLAIDIE LADDIE!

Plaidie Laddie, loyal Plaid pooch and one of our blog contributors, wants to answer your most burning painting questions. Every week he’ll pick a question out of his virtual mailbag and answer it (with a little help from me, since he only has paws).

“Dear Plaidie Laddie, I love all of the cute styrofoam projects that turn up on Paint Me Plaid. I’ve tried a few of them, but I can’t get the seem to get the same great color saturation that Julie and the other designers get on their projects. What’s the secret?” Tammy from Georgia

There are really two secrets to painting on foam:

1. Use Apple Barrel paint. The bold colors and the shiny finish look great on styrofoam, plus the paint is inexpensive so even if you wind up using several coats of paint to get the look you’re looking for, you aren’t breaking the bank to complete your project.
2. Use a spouncer!

Spouncers are able to really grab that styrofoam and deposit paint in all the nooks and crannies. If you’re more comfortable using a paint brush, we recommend that you use a bouncer to basecoat your surface and then use a regular paint brush to add detail, much the way Julie did in her “You Mean the World to Me, Dad” project.

How to Have Your Own Crafty Book Club

by Candie Cooper

Almost two years ago I started a “Crafty Book Club” at our local library.  If Oprah can do it, so can we, right?!  It’s a great way for fellow crafters to meet and unwind from the daily grind.  You can start your own Crafty Book Club too!  Here are a few tips and ideas to get the pages turning…

Tuesday Huesday: 4th of July Fun

The Forth of July conjures all kinds of images for people — picnics, fireworks and flags, to name a few. And while most will decorate with the traditional red, white and blue color scheme, there may be a few who march to the beat of their own drummer. Instead of completely tossing out tradition, how about tweeking it?

That’s where the fantastic blog Flights of Fancy inspired us. While they focus on color schemes for weddings, when we saw this motif our thought was “creative 4th of July!” You still have a nice, bold red, but the blue is softened and rather than white, we have gold and silver. Mix in a lighter, pinky red and you have a color palette that can take you from a bridesmaid luncheon to a 4th of July picnic without missing a beat.

We created this color palette using FolkArt Acrylic Colors Belle Blush, Aluminum, Christmas Red, Metallic Pure Gold and Light Periwinkle.

Make It Monday: Rockets Red Glare

According to the calendar, Summer officially begins on Memorial Day week-end. But the biggest parties of the season usually fall on the fourth of July. Don’t let this fourth pass you by without all of the pomp and circumstance that any birthday day, especially the birth of our nation, should have. Serve up your red, white and blue cocktails on this festive, One Stroke tray. Light up your patio with cute candle holders, fill the windows with patriotic clings, and include the birds on the festivities with these adorable bird houses.

If you want even more inspiration, visit PlaidOnline for great ideas in a variety of styles and crafts.

TGIF: Say Cheers to the 4th!

by Holli Long

After reading Chris Williams’ article on Painting Glassware 101, I was inspired to do these fun wine glasses for the Fourth of July.  These are super-easy and fun to do.  I used Folk Art Enamels paint, a Peel & Stick painting stencil from Plaid, a few spouncers, a medium round brush, a medium filbert, and  a toothpick to do it all!

How to Use a Liner Brush

Welcome to another installment of ASK PLAIDIE LADDIE.

Plaidie Laddie, loyal Plaid pooch and one of our blog contributors, wants to answer your most burning painting questions. Every week he’ll pick a question out of his virtual mailbag and answer it (with a little help from me, since he only has paws).

“Dear Plaidie Laddie, I’m seeing some great projects with details that have been added with a script liner. I’m used to flat and round brushes, how should I use the script liner?”  Kate from Kansas

That’s a great question! Script liners are easy to use, but they aren’t used the same way bigger paint brushes are.

First, hold the brush the way you would a pencil.When you put your brush on your surface, don’t use a lot of pressure. Then pull the brush, the paint will follow. Be sure to keep it on the tip, barely exerting any pressure.

If you need help keeping your hand steady, use your little finger for balance.

It is best to use this brush with thin, “inky” paint so that it really flows as you pull the brush. The best way to achieve an inky consistency is to add FolkArt Floating Medium to your paint. This will thin the paint without compromising the quality, durability or appearance of the paint.

Have fun!

Long Beach Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair

by Holli Long

When I moved back to California a few months ago, I was excited to find some new craft fairs in the area to browse through for new crafters and ideas.  With all the moving in and setting up our new place, I hadn’t found the time, or the venue to do that until now.  Friday, I found myself at the Long Beach Farmers Market and Craft Fair, held every week, just down the road from my house!

Tuesday Huesday: New Take on Traditional Chinese

Usually when we think of Chinese decor we think of the reds, blacks and golds found in most Chinese restaurants. But Chinese decor also includes blues, greens and sometimes even yellows. In May of 2011 Traditional Home magazine inspired us to use some of the earthier colors to mix and match modern and traditional looks. You can see from this room that the colors came from the print hanging on the wall. The wall color comes from the bottom of the man’s robes, while the pattern on the ottoman is a nod to the pattern of the carpet on the floor in the picture. The rest of the furnishings in the room either highlight a color from the artwork, or are functional, and subtle, letting the art take center stage. With a little creativity, even the most traditional pieces can be used in a modern room.

We created this color palette using FolkArt Acrylic colors Titanium White, Lime Yellow, French Blue, Green Meadow and Green Scape.

Make It Monday: Monogrammed Bowl

Personalization is one of those timeless trends and when it’s combined with an oversized bowl and Plaid FolkArt’s new Metallic Ice Blue… Well now that is quite a statement! Plaid Designer Julie Lewis pulls together all those elements to make this stunning piece for your home. Personalize it! Make it yours! Or, with wedding season in full swing, this is a classic gift  for the happy couple. Here’s how to make it.

TGIF: You Mean the World to Me, Dad

Showing Dad that you care doesn’t have to be reserved for just one day. Remind Dad just how much he means you everyday with this whimsical sculpture designed by Julie Lewis. When the Dad smiles… the whole world smiles back. All good! Now let’s get started…