Holiday Placemats

Good morning, class, who can tell me what this is? No takers? Okay, it's a placemat in the making....
As some of you may have read in the past my tutorial on making hand-painted floorcloths, you know the basics of priming heavy-weight canvas on both sides, in order to prepare it for painting, ending up with a floorcloth..(if you are lucky).
Last Christmas, I did a holiday show, that turned out to be more like a Fellini film than a Holiday Market (the manager was insane, grabbed my beautiful, glass ball wreath and hurled it across the lobby of the Austin Club, shattering it into a million pieces)..someday, I'll be able to talk about it...(I ended up making him pay for it...)..but, I digress...I did make these holiday placemats for that show, but put them away, and am now bringing them out for our Market Day on the Square show..hopefully, noone will accost me this time.

So, in order to make the placemats, one makes a template (use the dimensions of a regular placemat). I like to use angled corners, so you can take up a bit less space on the table...then, paint both sides with good old latex wall paint..

I decided I wanted to gold-and-silver leaf my placemats, and for those of you who read my tutorial on gold-and-silver leafing, you know that one needs to paint a color (called a bole) under whatever you are gold-or-silver leafing...You have seen picture frames, where there is a bit of red or green (that's the tradional bole) showing through...I chose to paint the bole dark blue...

Then, I had to mask off the areas that I didn't want to be gold where I was silver leafing and visa versa...put on my adhesive sizing...waited until it was tacky (about forty minutes, sometimes, sooner)..I check it by touching it with my knuckle, and if it is sticky, it's time to add the leaf.

You can refer back into the archives for the whole process.

Then, because I am totally insane, I decided to do the center in a combination of gold and silver - actually, if you save your little scraps of both in a plastic bag, you can do this, and it's a good way to use it all up...I am one of those "use everything up" people.

I painted all the "ornaments" and added more gold leaf, and after applying my non-yellowing, water-based varnish (three coats), I pressed teeny-tiny gold stars into the ornaments...Being obsessive-compulsive makes for great detailing...

The placemat above is actually midnight bule, but photographs nearly black...oh yes, I also turned them over, and after spraying them with adhesive, added white felt backing, so as not to mar the tabletop.

These photos don't really do them justice, but I just threw them down on top of a black piece of foamcore in my back yard and shot them...I'm in a bit of a rush today!

These are actually a deep, deep russet..and my favorite.

It took me about six hours to do each one of these, by the time I cut them, primed them, gold-and-silver leafed them, painted the ornaments, and varnished them..oh, and then put the felt on the backing...Will I ever get enough money to justify that...of course not, but I can't do anything half way..so, I will not charge what I think they are worth..heck, maybe I'll just keep them!

Stop Me Before I Follow Myself Again!!!

I didn't mean to do it...honest...I've done it twice now, and totally by accident! SHeesh...I was clicking on "followers" photos, to connect me to their blogs, to make sure I was following them, as well...I clicked on my friend, Vida's photo - who is a beautiful redhead, who lives in Australia..and I thought I should see if she had a blog...and then it happened...I followed myself again (she doesn't have a blog, but she should, as she's very interesting, smart lady).... On my honor, I will try to do my duty (no that's the Girlscout oath)...to not follow myself again.

I know just enough about computers to get myself in real trouble.

Spent the day, handpainting glass..with the heating pad on my backside...my wonderful husband has done all the shopping and cooking this weekend, as I am walking around bent over like a crone...no trick or treaters, darn it ...I really could have passed for a witch...

Can You Say "Shoe Sachets"?

When I had my gallery in Wisconsin, about a million years ago, I would whip up "shoe sachets" as stocking stuffers...or just a nice hostess gift, or a gift for the teacher...I charge $12.99 for the pair..which, considering the fabric, ribbon, lavender, and the time making them, that's reasonable...I don't completely fill them with lavender, but use at least 4/5 tablespoons in the toe, and then, fill the rest with fiberfill...
I am going to be at our "Market Days on the Square" next Saturday, so I whipped up about fifteen pairs.

I did try saying "she sews shoe sachets by the seashore"...didn't work out well..you try it..HA!

I wish I had a more diminutive shoe in which to display them, rather than my size 10 gunboats, but at least they are lovely, size 10 gunboats!

I can't decide which color I like best...made them "non-gender specific"...my husband stuffs them in his dress shoes, as well....which do ya'll like better?

I am painting glass today...blew my back out, lifting a big bag of kitty litter, so I have strapped on the heating pad, and am painting all day....

As to the holiday trim for the market, I have to make a bid..they liked my ideas..now, let's see if I get it...Don't want to say too much until the fat lady sings (that would be me)!