Sharpie Art

Welcome back and happy Wednesday!  Can you believe the week is half over already?  These summer days seem to just fly by.  Anyways, during my warp-speed-like week I played around with a craft idea that I have been seeing a lot lately on places like A Beautiful Mess and Kyoko.  I can't express enough how much I LOVE these mugs!

Only problem is, I really don't need any more mugs.  Besides my close-to-obsession with them, I have started to collect a mug in each state that I visit.  It's my version of the postcard/ magnet/ tiny ringing bell sort of collection.

See that "Historic Route 66" mug?  That takes the place of the 8 states that Route 66 runs through.  I figured that would be better than carting all those mugs home (Okay, I bought the Grand Canyon one behind it on that trip too- still pretty good I think)

The point is, I didn't need to make a mug, so instead I made a decorative piece using black and yellow sharpies.

After around a dozen designs, I finally settled on this one.  So simple.  So beautiful.  Plain yellow flowers and a few choice words that I think everyone should be reminded of.

My intent was to hang it on the towel rack in the upstairs bathroom.  The walls are a vibrant yellow and since it is the guest bathroom, I thought it would be a good way to let our loved ones know how special they are.

 

I baked it for 20 minutes (which was around the time suggested by other blogs) and when I pulled it out... the flowers were ORANGE! Oops.  The wording had also lightened up a bit.  

Since it didn't fit the yellow upstairs bathroom anymore, I decided to place my decor on our china cabinet.  The brown color in the wood looks nice against the new orange color. 

 

 

Funny how crafting goes isn't it?  Things did not quite turn out like I planned, but they still worked out just fine.

A few things I learned that will hopefully help you:

1. The sharpie design WILL come off (at least on a glazed porcelain) with warm water and gentle scrubbing with a soft brush.  That's how I managed to go through a dozen designs and only one hanging piece.

2. Be aware that colored sharpies may change color after baking.  Start & stop marks may also show up on the image that did not in the original color (see the "dots" on the petals of the flowers?!)

3. I used an extra fine point sharpie for my wording and it faded slightly during baking.  However, the regular sized black sharpie I used for the center of the flowers stayed crisp and dark.  Keep that in mind if you desire a deep color.

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That all being said, I really enjoyed this project.  It allowed me to try something new and it didn't turn out too bad; in spite of my total lack of artistic ability!

I hope you will try this project for yourself- on a mug, a plate or a hanging decorative piece!  I would love to see your creations and hear your thoughts on this project and others.

With Love,

Kelsie Ann

{Linked up to: Jaihart- Sundays Are Lovely #11 }

Start the Day Off Right With a Personalized Mug

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening).  I love how we are all connected through the world wide web!  I can picture it now: I am sitting here on this side of the computer, drinking my morning coffee.  At the same time, you may be sitting halfway across the world, reading this blog, and enjoying a nice cup of coffee with your dessert.  It’s funny how we can be so connected, isn’t it?  In my opinion, nothing bonds two people like a cup of coffee.  So today I am going to show you how to spruce up a boring old coffee mug to make it personally YOU!

You Will Need:
- Blank coffee mug (The Dollar Tree has ceramic mugs for $1 each)
-Vinyl
-Transfer paper/tape
-Silhouette

STEP ONE:
Choose a design from the Silhouette Store or create your own.  Cut it out.

My fiancé always jokes about how much I love trees/leaves.  Anytime we are out, I stop to admire a pillow, wall hanging or anything else that has greenery on it!  So what better design to put on my coffee mug than a tree?  I may have an addiction…

I used “trista tree” from the Silhouette Store.

STEP TWO:
When I did this project, I thought I could do it without using transfer tape.  Do NOT follow my lead, even if it looks like a simple enough pattern.

To use the transfer paper, line up your vinyl the way you want it to appear, put the transfer tape over it so it sticks.  Then place the whole thing over your coffee mug, press down on the vinyl, and remove the paper.
HINT: My mom likes to use GLAD Press & Seal in lieu of the tape but I’ve heard from others that it does not work for them.  If you already have some around, you may want to give it a try for a cheaper alternative.

I attempted to attach the vinyl by hand and because of that, I felt the outline was not as crisp as it could have been. The more you move the vinyl, the more likely it is to come off of the mug.


STEP THREE:
Finish the design, making sure all spots are firmly attached to the mug.

I put 2 designs on mine- one on each side.


Finished Product:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are excited to make your own personalized mug! 

See you next time!  I’ll be here crafting, blogging and drinking a nice hot cup of coffee.