DIY: Calendar Journal Update & Hand-Painted Mugs

Hello, friends!

Sooooo... do you remember the first thing that I ever posted about? I finally stained and finished the calendar journal box! Here it is - two coats of a new color from Minwax (I think it's called Classic Gray) and two coats of poly!

I technically finished this in August and am now just getting around to posting about it. I know, aren't I horrible? Well to be fair to myself, I've had a lot going on since graduation in May. A 40 hour a week internship from May to August, a wedding that invaded all of Labor Day weekend, a new full-time position at 40 hours a week, and studying for the Fundamental of Engineering exam (which I spend 8 hours taking tomorrow... fun stuff). All of that is also why I've been so horrible at posting often - I'm supposed to be posting every week but... You know how it goes. Life. It's crazy. But I'm here for you! Promise, I won't forget about you!

After the design was burned, all it took was a couple coats of stain and couple coats of poly. And voila! I went for a weathered and uneven look, so that's why the color isn't evenly distributed. I think it turned out well. And congratulate me, I have been keeping up on the journal all year. :)

So on to the DIY project that I've got for you!
It's another gift that I like to give fairly often. Though my favorite is to paint ceramic before it is fired, like you can do at some of those shops (we used to have a local one called Artsy Fartsy, loved that place). You can customize any mugs or ceramic that you can find in the stores, like Target, with ease!

I have done two of these gifts in the past three months.
The instructions are a lot like the hand-painted glassware tutorial.
Oh and for any of you who think that you should try the Sharpie method you've seen on Pinterest - Keep in mind that though that method is quick and easy, it isn't dishwasher safe and even with hand washing it will eventually wear away. It's not permanent. This method is much more permanent (but as with even mugs you buy in stores, chips and cracks and wear do happen over time). Even though this method is meant to be more enduring than the Sharpie method, it is still recommended (by me) that any hand-painted mugs be hand washed to ensure longevity. 
:)

1. Buy a ceramic piece. I love mugs. I bought a couple of plain, white, square coffee mugs at Target at very reasonable prices for a wedding gift. I also was able to find a great cappuccino mug at JCPenney for $4. Pretty nice, if I don't say so myself. 
2. Wash your piece and remove all price stickers.
3. Dry completely. 
4. Paint!! I used Folkart's ceramic Enamel (shown below), which I bought at Hobby Lobby. I tried Micheal's first but they were in the middle of phasing out all other ceramic paints and phasing in the Martha Stewart collection paints. So Hobby Lobby got my business. They were $2-3 per paint and I've got plenty left after two projects to paint a lot more!! 
5. Follow the instructions to set the paint. My instructions were to let dry completely, then set in a cool oven. Set oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 min. Allow to cool in oven. 
6. In my experience of painting a few sets of mugs, I have found that the paint still has a tendency to chip pretty early on in its lifetime. To help prevent/mitigate this, I have started putting a clear coat glaze for glass and ceramic over the top of the set ceramic paint. The product I use is the same as the one that I used for the hand-painted high ball glass. (Updated: 12/13/2012). 

It's quick and easy and has a ton of possibilities for personalizing! Here are the two projects that I did: a pair of mugs for a wedding and a mug for a birthday. :)

Have you ever painted unfinished ceramic? Where do you like to go to get it done? 

Happy crafting! Talk to ya on the flip side!

Stay excellent!

- Jenny - 

Calendar Journal Update & Tips for Pyrography

Hello all!
Remember the calendar journal that I started this year and the ideas I had for decorating it? Well, I have finally found the time to decorate it! I have finished the woodburning and now all that is left is to pick a stain, stain it, and layer on the poly! Below are some photos of the calendar journal box, followed by some tips that I have picked up and learned while exploring this neat form of art.

So, I have been exploring the art of woodburning or pyrography for about a year now and here are a few tips that I have picked up along the way:

• Sketch out your designs first. Try out shapes and lines and ideas on paper and once you've decided on a design, pencil it out on the wood. 
• Keep a piece of scrap wood nearby to practice burn strokes, to check the temperature of the tip, and to practice a particular shape.
• Have a piece of sandpaper nearby to run the tip of your pen on periodically. I found that carbon builds up on the tip and makes it more difficult to work with. It often makes it so you must be slower with your strokes to get the darkness you aim for. 
• Be sure the wood surface is smooth and free of roughness. Sand prior to burning. 
• Be aware of the characteristics of your burning surface. Something that still plagues me when I burn is softer grains in the wood. They burn more quickly and cause darker spots in lines, as shown below: 

• As you can see along the darker wood grain, I found a softness that caused these indentations and dark spots. Another way to avoid this is to remember that it's not about the pressure that you apply to the pen, it's the length of time it contacts the wood surface. I have yet to master pen to wood contact and it shows. :P 
• The type of wood used will affect the experience and the result. Lighter-colored woods like sycamore, basswood, beech, and birch are better for pyrography because the markings show are more visible. And some woods have much longer contact times for contrasting burn marks than others. 
• Be creative. Don't be afraid to have long contact times. It gives a really nice contrast between the dark burn marks and the untouched wood surface. Experiment with different tips and woods. And even try a wire-nib burner (more on this below).

Those are just a few things that I have picked up along the way - I am definitely not an expert on the matter. I have yet to use a wire-nib burner which has variable temperature and as for the solid-point burner (constant temperature) that I use, I have only used two tips extensively. I have a lot to learn and a lot of practice to go, but this is something that I have enjoyed so far! 

Hope these tips were helpful to anyone looking to try it out! If you have any other tips or tricks to share, please feel free! 

Until next time, have a good day and stay excellent! 

- Jenny - 

Woodburning Projects (& Calendar Journal Update)

To keep my creative energy flowing and to give me a way to escape schoolwork and responsibilities, I have all sorts of crazy side projects that float in and out of my life. And this past year, I have taken up woodburning as a hobby. It's a lot of fun! And I'm glad I got into it. I have done a series of burning and staining projects for friends and family. This one here is my current project and it's a box for myself. :) This is how it looked when I bought it:

I started this project in July of last year and I'm still not done with it! I blame other projects distracting me and, of course, I also blame school. Sheesh, taking up all of my free time! Anyway, this is how it looks right now: 

The plan is to eventually finish burning the pattern all the way around the box's sides. As you can see, I have the back side half way finished. I also have the other short side to finish. Once I'm done with the woodburning, I'll stain it and it'll be done! So more photos to come!

The woodburning pen that I use is the Walnut Hollow Model: WH-750F (16.5W 120V AC 60Hz). It was sold at Michael's when I purchased it and it was only $10. I also bought the tip variety set which was another ~$8, if I remember right. This particular woodburning pen is advertised as designed for use by women. I have seen the woodburners sold at hardware stores and the one I use is definitely not as power-tool like. All in all, I like the pen and it serves my purposes well. :)

Also! I'd like to update you all on my calendar journal. I haven't gotten to work on the woodburning (Heck, I haven't even sketched a pattern on it yet). But I have been keeping up with the cards for the days and begun thinking of what I'd like to burn on it.

I have been thinking of doing a chevron stripe-type of pattern but I'm deciding on whether or not I want to commit to another filled pattern (it takes much longer to burn it to fill). I have also been thinking of sketching some illustrations of wish flowers and their seeds. I may take some inspiration from images like these:

I'm excited to finish my box and get a move on working on my calendar journal. I'm trying really hard not to start other projects until these are finished. I'm horrible at finished projects sometimes! And looking at Pinterest every day is making it harder not to start new projects - so many great ideas on there! But there'll be more updates to come as these two progress! And I hope you have success in finishing any projects that you may have in your life! Happy creating!
- Jenny -