Spin Cycle: Drawn without a Trace

I am so loving my title. In fact, the rest of this post could stink up the blogopshere, but my clever header will feed my ego for weeks.

Ahem. Moving on.

I am not the best the greatest an average a so-so? an artist. I never have been. My sister? She can pull the nicest shapes out of nothing and mold it into a piece worth showcasing. I would love to show you some of the pieces she's given me, but the wall above my TV is still glaringly blank, waiting for the promised painting. (Lee? Am I EVER going to get that?)

Now, I can be creative. In the planning stages, I'm your girl. I think it up, make it look really good in my head, and even arrange clever ties to bring it all together. It's the execution where I often fail miserably.

Well, one day back in 2001, my sister was mentioning how my two year old nephew (at the time) needed a step stool. I bought one at our local crafts store and intended to paint it baby blue. Once I started painting it, I noticed how it would become indented by my fingernail if I pressed too hard on the wood. I had the idea that I could trace a shape or cartoon character (Bryan was a big fan of Winnie The Pooh back then) on a piece of paper positioned over the wood and the art would be transferred to the wood surface. Then I just painted it in and voila! A pretty respectable looking step stool personalized for the little vertically challenged monster.

It worked. And drew some rave reviews from my sister. (Until I saw it many years later, buried in my parents' garage. It's okay, Lee. I know once height didn't matter, neither would the stool.) Since then, I have painted dozens of step stools designed to reflect the colors and theme of a nursery or Elmo or Barbie. Seeing as it is time intensive, I've waned off the entire kick and only brought out my paints for one last hurrah on Sprite's toy chest. Until now.

We've been making changes to Sprite's room little by little, exchanging nursery designs for something more pre-school friendly. I had some wooden plaques lying around and got the artistic itch (I should invest in Benedryl before I ever act on these "itches" again) to paint some Princesses to adorn Sprite's palace walls. None of them are painted right now, but I will show you how to transfer almost any picture onto a wood surface.

 First, go to your crafts store and pick out what you want to paint on. Here we have a wood plaque which runs for about $1.50.

 Then paint it any color you like for the background. (I use non-toxic Acrylic paints)

 Then print out a coloring page or black and white rendering of whatever you would like to transfer onto the wood. (You can use color, but that requires much more concentration and damn good vision.) Basically, you want an image you can trace into easily. You'll see why in a minute. (Or seconds if you're a speed reader.)

 Now, carefully, using a good pen, (I have my trusty Homer from the Simpsons line) trace the drawing entirely, pressing firmly, but not hard. You don't want to tear the paper. (Or you can tear the paper afterwards. I hear it's cathartic.)

 And there you go! Jasmine, ready to be painted! What? How did the ink get through the paper and onto the wood? Man, you ask questions.. Okay, read on.

 This is what the wood will look like after you've traced your image on the paper. Now, watch what happens when we add light to the surface.

 You should be able to see some faint lines on the wood. Do you see them?

Now "draw" in those lines with the same pen, just make sure you use a black pen since blue can make it look, well, blue. Who is that Princess I see taking shape?

Hello, Aurora! See? It's not hard at all, just mind-numbingly time consuming.

 

Soon, you'll be hunched over a toy chest painting little guys like this. (Should I remind you once more how redundant it is to curl your spine over and strain your eyes while you trace and then draw in and then paint an image just to save yourself the fifteen bucks it would be to buy the pre-printed art that may have cost money but only cost you money, not precious hours upon days upon "Will this stupid thing ever be done?!" which I believe is worth a fortnight? But really! It's a lot of fun!)

 

Happy painting!

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All these crafty people running around the blogosphere! Check out the cool projects!

Michele over at It's A Dog's Life

Mary Anne over at The Stiletto Mom 

Maureen over at IslandRoar 

Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar 

Michelle over at Michelle's Blog 

Mary Anne over at Miss Mary Anne Sunshine 

Stacy over at Stacy's Random Thoughts 

The South Dakota Cowgirl over at Whoa My Horses! 

Laufa over at Morgan Madness -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Rachel over at The Ramblings of Rachel -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Wicked Step Mom over at Life and Times of a Wicked Step Mom -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Ginny Marie over at Lemon Drop Pie -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Maureen over at A Chronicle of My World Travels -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Arwen over at Spors in the Desert -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Mrs. Bear over at Outnumbered Two To One -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Ginger over at When Ginger Snaps... -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

 

Admit it. You're inspired..

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Next week's topic: Photo Essays.

 

Back when I was posting 365 days a year, (I know. All that effort for 365 posts, 364 of them which are questionable in quality.) my weekends belongs to photo essays. I cannot tell how much fun (maniacal laughter may have been involved) it was to take innocent pictures and turn it into something funny or endearing or even stupid.

 

It really is a lot of fun, but requires your imagination. Your assignment is to go digging in your photo archives and post some pictures, telling a story. You can use words or let the photos speak for themselves.

 

You know those fifty-six shots you have of Junior trying peach puree? Now is the time to use all of them! (And to think your spouse sneered at you for keeping them all... Ha!)

Here's a few links to my personal favorites to get you motivated:

 

"Spaghetti"  "Winners and Losers"  "Stroller Derby"  "Busting out of Busch Gardens"  "The Duck Won"  "The Ugly Pumpkin"  "High Fructose Corn Syrup"

Oh... I said a few links, huh? Sorry, I don't know what came over me..

Comments

[Rachel]

Hah! This was great. You know I have an urge to run out and buy plaques and a bunch of paint now, right? I have no idea what I would paint, but boy do I want to do one now. Elizabeth has the perfect coloring book.

[Jan]

That is such a MARVELOUS idea.

You know Beloved is going to hunt you down and kill you when I have several, half finished plaques laying around the house six months from now, don't you?

[Laufa]

I crafted up a Spin - yeah that was cheesey:
http://morganrnl.blogspot.com/2009/10/jen-at-sprites-keeper-gives-topic-that.html
You are a great artist - you made those sketch paintings and they are cute!

[Laufa]

Nice wipey box as a picture stand - LOL! I noticed it, making sure I was reading your instructions correctly.

[WickedStepMom]

http://lifeandtimesofawickedstepmom.com/2009/10/09/craft-buckets

Photo essays?! You are killing me!

[Ginny Marie]

Emmy's bedroom walls are completely empty (compared to her older sister's walls) because I haven't taken the time to look for pictures for her. What a great idea!

http://lemondroppie.blogspot.com/2009/10/cheapahem-what-i-meant-to-say-is-frugal.html

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Wow, very impressive. What a great idea for a kid's room.
Photo essay?? Really? Yours were inspirational and so cute (yes, checked them all out, cuz I am so LOST on this one). I'll see how creative the w/e goes...

[Michele]

You are very clever my dear. Now, go out and buy a pair of reading glasses. They'll help with the curled spine.

Photo essays? I think I could do that.

[Sprite's Keeper]

Laufa, I was hoping that wipe box would go unnoticed. That is Sprite's crayon box. Sometimes, she likes to test the color first before she applies it to paper. I think she takes after her aunt..

[Naomi]

You're soooo creative!
I want you to do something for my (future) babies!

[andrea]

LOVE the new one! I am actually going to find time for it, somewhere in between working 50 hours and being in class for 12 hours and being in my car for 3 hours a day and working on homework 40 hours a week and volunteering a couple hours of time each week and my honors frat meeting a couple hours each week and sleeping 5 hours a night....aiiii.
At least that just gave me an idea...

[Maureen]

Sounds like we have a similar artistic relationship with our sisters!

Here's mine!

http://maureenlynn.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/crafty-mccrafterson/

[Arwen]

Here's my last minute submission:

http://desertspor.blogspot.com/2009/10/spin-cycle-yummy.html

[Keely]

I need to pay more attention, because I keep meaning to join the Spin Cycle and I keep forgetting to check what the topic is until Friday.

Photo essays. Got it.

[Captain Dumbass]

Photo essays? That speaks to my laziness. And as far as the wood working goes, I think I'll stick to Lego.

[Belle]

This is so domestic of you! If I ever decide to do anything other than pull out a coloring book or turn on the TV while babysitting, I'll give this some SERIOUS thought.

[mrsbear]

That you can even muster the motivation to do woodwork after a long day of paid work, amazes me. Very cute and an easy, affordable decorating idea...minus the implied hourly wages. ;)

Plus

http://outnumberedtwotoone.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/slapping-something-together-spin-cycle/

[Robin]

Wow! I am really impressed!!! You could have told us that was hand sketched and I would've believed you!
I don't have steady hands, so I could never pull off something so detailed. Stamping and using colored pens is about the best I can manage! :)
PS- Ugh. Can't believe I missed out on this week's spin!

[Pseudo]

I used stencils when I hand painted fairies on my daughter's garden fairy-garden themed bedroom furniture.

What fun.

[Lisa @ Boondockramblings.com]

OK. This idea. Love it. Why the periods? I don't. know.

But I lurve this idea! Luuuuuurve it! (Why the weird spelling of love? I. don't.know.)

I could have totally done this week's spin. What the heck was I doing?!

Oh, right...starting to get sick and dealing with a toddler who wouldn't sleep. I'm working on my spin tonight to make sure I don't miss out this time around!

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

You. Are. GENIUS! I am so going to steal your idea and run with it. Princess Nagger will thank you later. ;)

[Michelle]

Great idea.
See, that's my problem. I just can't commit that kind of time to a tedious task. Plus, I'd get frustrated at every imperfection (yeah, I am not a very good tracer... seems simple but...).
Yours are beautifully done!

[Ginger@When Ginger snaps...]

Just in the nick of time, I finished my spin! Cooking counts,, right?

http://gingereebs.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/the-art-of-southern-cooking/

[Mama Badger]

Hmm, even I might finish this one. I'm here:

http://outoftheboondocks.blogspot.com/2009/10/crafty-spin.html

It's a good thing you don't take attendence. I'd always be the kid sneaking in the back of the class...

[anymommy]

That is awesome!!! And I now know how I'm going to do wood plaques with my kids' names on them. You rock.