A Rainy Day Outing with Craftreat Stencils

Hello Everyone,

Am sure the rains are building up a beautiful atmosphere for either a quick weekend getaway to nature or to stay at home with tea/coffee and some yummy hot junk snacks. For me its a complete getaway mood to the nearest camping site !!! And what better when you have revamped some of your rainy day best friends with the beautiful Craftreat stencils. So without much delay lets have a look at the projects. 

Best Friend 1: Flip Flops

Yes, during this season flip flops is my most comfortable footwear so I decided which design I liked from the stock of stencils Priya had sent me along with the shade of chalk paints from the Home Decor collection that would best go with the flip flop straps. Then, with the help of washi tape I fixed the stencils where I wanted the design and dabbed in with a foam applicator. After the paint was dry I sealed it with a varnish to make it waterproof and there it was ....a completely new looking flip flops in minutes!!!!

Best Friend 2: Umbrella

Again, a quick revamp in an hour with chalk paints and stencils from Craftreat. The design was intricate and dabbing in on a curved surface needed some tact and maneuvering. A final coat of varnish was a must for the longevity and water proofing.

I love the way it turned out...

Look at those pretty prints .....

Best Friend 3: Scarf/Stoles

Every girl has her own style statement and for me scarves or stoles are a style statement on their own and they are never outdated. So with the help of black fabric colour and Craftreat stencil I was able to bring some life to my otherwise simple and very plain scarf. 

Hope you like the projects and get inspired to try the new released stencils for not only revamping accessories like I did but also trying them on your home decor items like trays/coasters or flowering pots etc...the range of options is limitless with these designs.

 Happy Crafting and a Beautiful Weekend to all of you. Am off to my camping site to not only enjoy but also to show off my revamped accessories.....

Saumya

Products Used: 

Take The Guesswork Out Of Choosing Colours!!!

Hi lovely ladies!!

          It is time for another super informative post from our very talented Saumya!! When it comes to writing blogposts , she always chooses some non treaded path and hits the destination skillfully!!

It is always difficult to choose colors for a project!! Sometimes the colors are too bright or dull, they dont coordinate, or too busy for eyes..etc. We all work with the inner instinct , when it comes to choosing colors! All of us have faced this problem while crafting. Saumya has come up with a fail proof method of choosing colors for your project!!   Believe me,  I was reading this post with awe for the first time!! Such an enlightening post with very simple ways to choose the colors. Brilliant how she brought her instincts out to a method!! Over to Saumya

I love colours. It imparts richness, texture and beauty to everything I see. Without colour, the world would lose much of its subtlety, intimacy and power. Colour enriches my life and enhances my understanding of the world. (Ask me about the politics of colours and other elements that the course of Mass Communication teaches you). But there are times when colours grate on my nerves, jar me from complacency and make me want to hide my eyes. How can it be that I love every colour yet I may be disappointed, disturbed or disillusioned when I see certain colours?

It's because sometimes:

1. I see a colour outside my zone of cultural understanding

2. I see colours combined in a way that makes me queasy.

3. I see colours that seem to vibrate in front of my eyes.

That's when I want to say, " I hate that colour", but I tell myself, "Don't blame the colour. Blame the way it was used."

Let's first understand a few things about colours and their family!!! Yes, they do have families if you didn't know that yet.

Categories of Colours:

1. Primary colours- are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary colours because they cannot be obtained by mixing other colours. When primary colours are mixed together, a wide range of colours may be created. There are many different natural and manufactured sources for the basic red-yellow-blue colorants. Consequently, there is an almost endless array of colour possibilities in fabrics, yarn, ink, paint and other materials.

2. Secondary colours- are when two primary colours are mixed together.  Blue and Red make violet, yellow and blue make green, and red and yellow make orange.

3. Tertiary colours- are when the first six colours are mixed further (one primary colour with each adjacent secondary colour), the result is the six tertiary colours: blue/violet, red/violet, yellow/green, blue/green, yellow/orange and red/orange.

Classic colours, Shades, Tints and Tones:

1. Classic colours are fully saturated hues that have no black or white added.

2. When black is added to a classic colour, it's value is deepened. Colours with black added are called SHADES.

3. When White is added to a classic colour, the colours value is lightened. These colours are called TINTS.

4. Finally, to add further distinction, all classic colours can also be mixed with gray. Colours with gray added are called TONES.

There is more to the category and definition of colours for which you can get yourself a colour wheel but I shall save that for sometime later and come to how to understand the proportion is which we need to use a colour.

Proportion: Projects are usually most pleasing when colour and space are not divided equally. Changes in proportion help the viewer focus on the most important elements.

Space and colour are most pleasing when they are divided into proportions of one-thirds and two-thirds. Therefore, if you are working with a three colour combination, mentally divide your project into three parts. The smallest part, representing only about 5% of the total, is for your accent colour. The remainder is then divided into one-third (supporting colour) and two- thirds (main colour).

For a four colour combination, reserve about 5% of the total for an accent colour and divide the remaining space into one-third and two-thirds. The two-thirds portions is for your main colour. Finally, divide the one-third portion again into one-third and two-thirds to create two supporting colours.

The mental calculation may not be possible all the time so I made templates keeping the above in mind. I have done the template for colours: Black, White, Golden, Silver/Grey. The same template can be done for any colour you want/prefer as the Cardstock.

Let me show you how I use the templates.

If I have a Black carstock and plan to use two colours, I have small cut out pieces of the colour shade that I plan to use and place it under the template as below.

For a three colour usage:

For a four color usage:

This Template helps one decide which colour in which proportion will look and bring out the best in a project without any hassle.

Ultimately remember, there are no hard and fast rules and depends purely on your own discretion to analyse colours.

By

Saumya Mohanty

Tray with Craftreat Stencils

Hi Everyone,

We love welcoming guests and usually put a signage on our door to say that at times along with our nameplates. I decided that why should the guests be only given the heartfelt signage at the doorstep and have brought the same to the serving trays, so that when you serve them they know that they are really welcomed into your home. So here's, a simple and quick project for the same.

I have first painted the tray with Folkart Spanish Moss Chalk Paint and over that painted it with Folkart Glacier Chalk Paint and with the use of wet distressing technique created the distressed look. To understand the steps in wet distressing technique pls click on the link below.

https://craftreat.blogspot.com/2019/05/vinatge-photo-frame-with-craftreat.html

After I was happy with the distressing, I have applied clear wax and allowed it a couple of days to dry and heal completely. Post which I have used Folkart Nautical Chalk Paint along with the Craftreat Stencils and traced the design. After the paint with dry, I have given another coat of clear wax to complete the project.

Hope you like the project.

Happy Crafting
Saumya

Products Used:

Family Birthday Calendar with Craftreat Stencils

Hi Everyone,

With technology overruling our lives, we use our phones and other devices to not only keep track of time but birthdays, events, travel plans etc. Every wondered about those gold old days of huge wall clocks and wall calendars? Well, I feel they are useful in a lot of ways, specially if it involves the entire family to participate. 

Hence, today I have a very quick and easy project to showcase which can be done with kids (with some supervision) and will help kids to be a part of a family activity like 'birthdays'. Yes, I love the idea that the kids should not only be aware of the immediate family birthdays but the extended family of uncles, aunts and cousins should also be included in this circle of happiness. So, I have a Family Birthday Calendar for your walls/kids room or any place that you think it to be fit.

I have used a 6*12 (inches)wooden plank and painted two coats of Folkart Chalk Paint- Glacier all over it. Then taking Craftreat Stencil, I have traced out the design of the butterflies with Folkart Chalk Paint- White Adirondack. Then I have taken another Craftreat Stencil, and traced the word Family with Folkart Chalk Paint- Spanish Moss. The Birthday sentiment is die cut in white cardstock and stuck at a befitting place. I have then applied two generous coats of varnish all over and allowed it to dry. 

Once dry, I have then pierced two holes on the wooden plank with the help of a drilling machine and attached two door/drawer knobs to it. 

I then cut 24 pieces of white cardstock of size 4*2 (inches). Out of the 24 cards, I used 12 to stamp the respective months of the year and punched a hole on the top centre and attached a ribbon to hold them together. The rest 12 cards were used to remember the birthdays of all my family members according to months and jot them down (these cards also got a hole punched on the top centre and attached with a ribbon to hold them together). Then the two sets of cards with hung on the knobs.

One can add more blank cards in case the number of birthdays dont fit in just 12 cards. And the best part is, this can be used over and over every year as there is no specific year mentioned on it.

Hope you enjoyed the project and do share with us your projects with Craftreat products.

Happy Crafting

Saumya

Products Used

Vinatge Photo Frame with Craftreat Stencils

Hi Everyone,

Today I have a Vintage Photo Frame to share. The MDF Photo Frame base is from Craftreat along with the other supplies used for this project. This project only uses Chalk paints,waxes and stencils- less supplies but a great outcome and super quick to make. 

First, I have chosen my two shades of colours from the Folkart Chalk Paints which I wanted to use -Vintage Mustard and Spanish Moss. The choice was made keeping in mind that one colour was going to show 'through' the other. The first and second layer of colour choice, as to which one should be first and which should be second was made accordingly. 

I first painted the MDF base with Vintage Mustard and allowed just an hour of drying. Once dry, a smooth coat of Spanish Moss was applied over the first colour. I gave it an hour of drying. I have then used the 'Wet Distressing Technique'.

Wet Distressing Technique- After my two layers of different colour chalk paints dried out. I have used a sea sponge, dipped it in water and squeezed it to remove all excess water and then started to gently rub on the top colour chalk paint. As you rub, you will be revealing the first layer of chalk paint you applied in some areas. Depending on your choice as to how much distressed look you want, continue dipping the sponge in water and removing excess water off it and then rubbing the top layer of chalk paint.  

See the above and below pictures to understand how the vintage mustard (my first colour painted on the MDF base) is revealed 'through' the spanish moss layer (my second or top layer colour  painted)

Once happy with my distressing, I have then taken Folkart Imperial Chalk Paint and used a Craftreat Stencil to trace the design on one side of the frame. I also did some dry brush technique with the Imperial Chalk paint all over the frame.

Once dry, I have applied a single layer of Folkart clear wax with a cheese cloth and allowed 30-45 mins of drying time. Post that I buffed it with a clean cheese cloth. I allowed another hour of drying, after which I applied Folkart Antique wax. 

TIP: Remember, with antique wax less is more. Start with a small portion and see how much antiqued look you want. You can always add more but removing the excess could be a problem. 

DO NOT skip the clear wax step. That is the only thing that will give you the flexibility of controlling the antique wax. If you apply antique wax directly over your painted and stencilled area and if by mistake you take excess antique wax or while rubbing it you get delayed by a few seconds, you will leave a blotch of antique wax. The layer of clear wax allows smooth spreading/blending of antique wax and protects your projects from creating dark ugly blotches. 

Hope you like the project. Do share with us your creations with Craftreat Products. 

Happy Crafting 

Saumya

Products Used:

Side Table with Craftreat Stencils

Hello Everyone,

Hope the summer heat is treating you guys with love.

Today, I have a very summery colour feel project with the Craftreat Dot stencil collection.

I recently bought a plain wood side table and for today's post am revamping it with chalk paints and stencil.

For Furnitures, I usually do not prime them with gesso if they are raw wood. However, if you are planning to revamp an existing furniture with a heavy varnish or polish as top coat, I would suggest sanding off the top layer and then applying the chalk paints. I have used 2 coats of Folkart Sea Villa Chalk paint as the base coat.

Once the base colour was dry, using the dry brush technique I have added Folkart Vinatge Mustard Chalk Paint on the top base and all over the legs of the table. I wanted the mustard colour very muted so I gave a white wash (mixed water with the chalk paint to make it very watery consistency and just dipped brush and with a very light hand painted over the existed colours) to the entire table with Folkart White Adirondack Chalk Paint.

Once dry, I used Folkart Imperial Chalk Paint and on only the top base did some dry brushing. Post this I sanded the entire table. This just helps in giving a very smooth finish to the entire table and if while painting some parts had thicker paints than the others, it helps smoothening those. Also, this helps reveal the coloured layers.

I have then used Folkart Imperial Chalk Paint to trace the Craftreat Dot stencil design on the top of the table. Once dry, the entire table has been given a generous 2 coats of varnish allowing a good 3-4 hours of drying time between each layer.

I hope you liked the project, and try your hands at renovating your home furnitures to your personal styles.

Happy Crafting
Saumya

Products Used