I have THE coolest new product to share with you!
I made this amazing French sign with an old flea market cast-off, some paint and wax that I had on hand, and the amazing new Décor Transfers from
Iron Orchid Designs {IOD}
Do you want to make a sign too?
Here is how I did it.
First, lets gather our supplies. You will need the following:
an old frame or plywood (anything that you'd like to use as a base for your sign)
white chalk type paint
black acrylic paint
brushes
water
paper towels
sanding block
IOD Décor Transfers {Item #814489 "Catalogue"}
spoon or other burnishing tool
This is how my project started. This is a piece of decorative wall art that I found in a thrift store. I wasn't crazy about the Tuscan look of it, but I loved the shape and decorative scroll work on the frame. I bought it knowing that I could make something amazing with it.
The first thing I did was paint the entire thing white. I used Waverly Inspirations Chalk type paint in white.
I painted two coats and when it was dry, I went over it with a black paint wash. I mixed some black acrylic paint with water and brushed that over the entire piece. Work in small sections and wipe away the paint with paper towels as you go.
This will leave you with a beautiful chalky gray color.
Once that dries, get out your white paint again and lightly dry brush over the chalky gray. You'll notice that I did this paint treatment all over the entire surface, including the area where the transfer is going to go, I changed my mind though and decided that I wanted that area to remain white. I went back and repainted just that area in white. You can see what I mean in the photo below.
Now I have a wonderful aged finish on the frame and the center is all white.
Lightly sand the entire piece with your sanding block and wipe away the dust completely.
Okay, now for the really fun part!!
The transfers!
Iron Orchid Designs has come up with these amazing Decor Transfers. There is no transfer medium or drying time involved. You simply peel away the protective paper backing and position the transfer right where you want it. The transfer is on a clear sheet of acetate-like material, so positioning is very easy. You can see exactly where your design is going to go.
Once you have your transfer right where you want it,
start burnishing. I used the back of a metal spoon and that worked perfectly for me. You can use a spoon or any similar item to burnish. As the image starts to transfer, you will see it appear a shade lighter through the acetate-like material. You can see what I mean in the above photo. See how the letters I'm rubbing are dark, but the ones that I've finished to the left are lighter? When you're all done, slowly lift away the plastic to reveal your masterpiece! If you notice that an area didn't transfer all the way, no biggie, just put the plastic sheet back down and burnish again.
These transfers sand and distress beautifully if you want that look. If you don't, that's okay too. Just leave it as it is. I wanted an old and worn look to mine so I did distress it a lot. It's entirely up to you. Have fun with it!
As a final step, you will want to seal your piece. I used Annie Sloan clear wax, but any wax or sealer will do.
What do you think? I really enjoyed these transfers and the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can create with these. You can even cut them into sections that you want to use, allowing you to mix and match different ones. They can be applied to furniture, signs, walls - be creative and enjoy the process!
Until next time...
xo and God Bless!!
Kathleen
