Jennifer

So… Valentine’s Day is coming up and that means we need to start decorating. This Valentine’s Day Wooden Sign is so stinking cute & was such a blast to create.

I went shopping at one of my favorite, but dangerous places… Hobby Lobby!! Sometimes I get into trouble at this place, but it’s the fun kind of trouble! I was actually there to purchase my new Silhouette Cameo 4 but got a little distracted when I saw some fun items down a few aisles.

The words Blessed, Family and Love inspired me… I knew that I could create some fun signs with these words, so I found a couple of wood plaques for the 3-D words.

So… I loaded up my shopping cart with all this stuff and headed back to the studio to create!

I started with the LOVE sign knowing that this would be great for Valentine’s Day, but also a great everyday reminder to spread some love around.

Then I decided that this project needed some foils and I am just a little obsessed with animal prints, so I had to start with one. I picked the Cheetah Silver for my plaque and had to go with Red Foil for the LOVE.

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that I like to use darker colors under foils and when in doubt always use black.

Let’s get started…

I got started on this Valentine’s Day Wooden Sign project by base coating everything black. First, I used the Bondago in black, which is a paint and primer all in one. Allow this to dry and then you can head to the fun stuff.

To apply the foils, you will need a layer of my Foil Adhesive. Brush this on all surface areas you want to transfer your foils. I brushed on a layer to the top of the plaque and the top of the word Love. You will need to allow this to dry for at least an hour. It will dry clear and shiny and be a firm tack.

Now we get to finally transfer our foils. I started with the plaque first and laid the Cheetah Foil over the entire surface. I smoothed everything out with a cloth first and then used a scrub brush to get the best transfer.

Then I grabbed the Red Foil and transferred it over the LOVE cut-out. This transferred like butter!

Once you transfer your foils, you will need to protect them. Pull out your favorite top coat and apply a layer or two. You will want to do a test first and check the sheens of your topcoats to see which you prefer for your project. Allow everything to dry and then assemble with a little glue.

I added a bow with Red Hearts for fun!

Watch me create in action below:

Have fun and spread the LOVE, this world needs it!!

Now, this was a fun (and super useful) project 🙂 These DIY Lazy Susan’s can be customized to fit any kitchen or dining room table! You can even make a Custom Lazy Susan for holidays or events.

First I started with a 1″ Pine Round Board I found at home depot. You can grab one HERE (affiliate link) on my Amazon Shop. I took the time to sand down the rough areas and then primed/painted the round with Bondago Black paint/primer. I put on two coats for complete coverage.

Then I grabbed my Foil Adhesive and applied full coverage to the top and sides of the round and allowed it to dry for an hour or better. Foil Adhesive needs to dry to a firm tack before you apply your foil, so letting it dry longer is better.

Next, it was time to make the difficult decision on which foil to choose.  With so many choices, it made it difficult for me to choose. But… this project was going in my home, so I kept in the black/white theme and chose the Dominic Flowers Umber Foil.

I cut several pieces of the foil to make it easier to apply to the round. Then I started to lay the foil over the tacky surface and used a soft cloth to smooth it out.  If you are wanting full coverage, you will want to grab a scrub brush and scrub the foil surface to get the best transfer. I continued to piece together several pieces of foil until I had the top and sides completely foiled.

Lastly, it was time to protect this beautiful piece. I used Final Coat and applied about four coats to give it great protection. The Final Coat dries in about 10 minutes, so you can apply layer after layer fairly quickly.

To turn this beautiful project into a true lazy susan, I found this great base that you don’t even have to attach. With the heavy large round, you just set it on top and you have your Lazy Susan!! You can find it HERE (affiliate link).

Wasn’t that a fun project?? If you try this Custom Lazy Susan project, let me know! I would love to see what you created 🙂 Email me pictures at jennifer@artisticpaintingstudio.com.

Today I am sharing with you how I created these super cute DIY Coasters. This is such a fun and easy project that anyone can do 🙂 They also make the perfect gift!

Make your way to Home Depot (Lowe’s does not carry them) or you can find them on my Amazon Shop HERE! I picked the Travertine Tiles because of its uniqueness. I love the pits and chipped looking edges.

Let’s get started on these DIY Coasters…

First I wiped them down to make sure they were not dusty, and then I got started on my DIY Coasters. Next, you will need to grab some of my Foil Adhesive and brush. To create the smoothest application, use a foam brush but make sure to level out any bubbles from the foam brush. Then allow the Foil Adhesive to dry for at least one hour, the longer the better.

Once the Foil Adhesive has dried to a firm tack, you will want to get your foil collection out and decide which foils you want to use.  I had to use the Weathered Copper. I absolutely love this foil!

When using the 4”x4” tiles,  you can just cut a piece of foil 5” wide and if you are very careful with placement you can get three tiles per strip of foil (I was being frugal LOL).  Once you have placed your foil over the tile you can use a soft cloth to rub the foil and if you don’t get enough transfer, grab that scrub brush.

When you have finished transferring your foil on all the tiles, it’s time to protect the foil.  You can use any topcoat product, just test the sheen first. Anything lower than gloss will bring the sheen of the foils down.  It doesn’t matter what sheen you use, just make sure you like the look of how it changes the foil.  Make sure to apply several coats.

I also purchased the felt dots and clear plastic bumper dots. Use these to put on the bottom to protect the surface you use them on. You can find both of these items on my Amazon Shop HERE.

I don’t always have extra time to create canvas art, but when I do happen to find that “extra” time I truly enjoy creating one-of-a-kind mixed media canvases. It is something different from my day-to-day of walls, furniture and creating new finishes to teach. I love getting to incorporate many of my different products into a piece to create something unique and beautiful.

Have you ever created a work of art on canvas? It’s the perfect outlet for every creative, especially if you are looking for that perfect accent piece for a room. Or… if you rent your home, it gives you the opportunity to make your home your own without painting the walls.

I want to share with you how I created this one-of-a-kind Jennifer Original 😉

This is a fun mixed media canvas project that you can customize for any room. I started with a gallery wrapped canvas that was 4’ x 2’. You can purchase these anywhere… Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and even on Amazon HERE.

I started out by troweling on my favorite product to use with the Rollers, Texture Medium. If you’re not comfortable with a trowel, you can always brush the Texture Medium onto the surface as well. I try to keep the Texture Medium around 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch thick and cover the entire surface of the canvas. Then I grabbed the Tiger Roller and rolled randomly through the wet Texture Medium, curving here and there. Once I was done rolling across the entire canvas, I cleaned off the edge of my trowel and with a VERY light hand, I knocked down the high points to soften the pattern. Make sure to not push too hard or you will make the pattern disappear. Allow the Texture Medium to dry, then sand if needed.

Next, I painted the surface with Black Bondago. You might need to paint on two coats for complete coverage and then allow to dry.

Then I grabbed some of my favorite stencils: Donatella Damask, Hampton Medallion and DeVille Scroll. I also picked out some of the Modern Masters Metallics that would complement the black background. I used Silver, Pewter, and Rose Gold Metallic Paints to layer the stencils on top of each other.

Lastly, I used Gel Medium to add Silver and White Glitter to my canvas. I embossed the Hampton Medallion stencil, which gave my canvas some dimension. Make sure to try out our Color Shaper Tool for embossing, it makes it so much easier to accomplish this technique.

More of a visual learner? Make sure to check out the entire process below.

Ready to learn even more? Head to my YouTube Channel HERE!

This Custom DIY Cornhole Board project was inspired by my friend Rhonda Dracoulis of RK3 Designs. She has been making these amazing cornhole boards for a while now and donating them to different local charities.

This gave me the great idea to create a pair or two for my nephew, Eric, and his Fight for Hope Fundraiser to #axeALS!! The fundraiser also had a Cornhole Tournament, so it was the perfect donation.

Well… These were the first pair of custom DIY cornhole boards I had ever created and thank goodness for my friend Rhonda! She was patient with me because I know she was tired of my phone calls and questions about all the details on creating these things! I was also lucky enough to have some local friends, Anne & Gary Cline, that helped with the woodworking and making the bean bags.

So… Here we go!

First, we started with 3/4” MDF board.  These boards were cut into 2’x4’ pieces, which are the dimensions from the official guidelines for Cornhole Board.  You can find all the regulation information HERE.  Then Gary cut the “hole” and routered the edges both top and bottom of all four boards.

Now it’s time for the fun to begin.  The first set was painted with two coats of black Behr Paint & Primer and then I allowed them to dry overnight. I created an epoxy finish using a black base and Mica Powders in Teal and Gold to create an artist finish.

Custom Expoxy Cornhole Boards

The second set of custom DIY cornhole boards were created with my Crocodile Decorative Art Roller and Texture Medium.  Once this process was dry I sanded the texture down pretty smooth without losing any of the pattern.  Then I painted the surfaces black and allowed them to dry.  Next, I applied a layer of Foil Adhesive and allowed this to dry to a firm tack.  Once the Foil Adhesive was dried to a firm tack I applied the Silver Foil.

Custom Crocodile Cornhole Boards

Some other details you will need to know:

• You will need to sand off any of the drips on the backside of the boards.
• Next, you will need to seal the back of the MDF with RedGaurd which will make them water-resistant.
• Someone to build the frames, legs and put it all together! Gary did this for me 🙂

Super thankful for a team that helped me create these amazing projects! It was such a fun a meaningful project to create. If you would like to learn more about Eric’s story or how you can support Team Stevens Nation #axeALS, please go HERE and see how you can help!

Sometimes we don’t know where to start for our next project…  So I wanted to gather a few different projects together to help provide you with a little inspiration for your next project. These Decorative Roller projects have not only been created by me, Jennifer, but my customers, retailers, and friends!

With over 50 different patterns to choose from, the technique you decide to use, the texture you choose, the paint you choose, the foil combinations and more, your creative possibilities are truly endless 🙂

We tried to gather a number of different projects using decorative rollers for this blog to highlight all the creative possibilities. If you would like to share your projects with us we’d love that! Please post them to our Facebook page for the possibility of being showcased in an upcoming blog!

Decorative rollers can create many different looks and finishes. Here is a sampling of projects that myself, clients and retailers have created over the years 🙂

This Hammered Metal Finish is fabulous for furniture and cabinetry.  It pretty much looks amazing on everything including walls! I recently did a Facebook Video for Hometalk teaching this wonderful finish. You can learn how to make it yourself below.

Hammered Metal Finish Tutorial

The Little White Cabinet

This was created with Texture Medium, The Lotus Decorative Roller, DIY White Swan paint, some Gold Foil and Glitter & Glass Beads on a raised stencil.  Read all about how I created this stunning piece HERE.

Tiger Wall

This wonderful wall was created by Danielle Denton.  She used the Tiger Roller Decorative Roller, Texture Medium, and Metallic paint to create this fabulous look.

Dresser for Mom

This is a dresser I created for my mom using my Crocodile Fauxy Roller, Texture Medium, Foil Adhesive, and Abigail Flowers Foil.

The top was created with Texture Medium, Crocodile Decorative Roller and Metallic Paints! I absolutely love how this project turned out 🙂 You can read how I created this entire project HERE.

Gray Gardens Designs Mermaid Dresser

This beautiful dresser was created by Gray Gardens Designs. This look was created using paint and my Crocodile Fauxy Roller. It turned out absolutely stunning!!

More Inspiration…

Crocodile Roller & Paint

Artsy Leaf Decorative Roller

Anastasia Stamping Roller

Python Fauxy Roller

Texture Medium, DIY Paint & Mermaid Fauxy Roller

I hope this sparked your creativity and inspired you to get working on your next project 🙂