Monday, September 25, 2017

Pumpkin Paradise- a painter's delight featuring Fusion mineral paints and a sea-inspired finish





It is always exciting to welcome a new season and to greet it with anticipation, highlighting the uniqueness to each time of year.  In the fall, I love to see all the magazines, view Pinterest and see all the pumpkin-laden porches.  However, in Texas it is really too warm to set out the real deal, the parade of pumpkins become a mush in just a few short weeks (sometimes, days depending on the temperatures).  SO, I am so thankful to our big craft/box stores for giving us the faux pumpkins in plastic, papier-mâché and sometimes ceramic…but sometimes, they need a little help to match our décor.  For this pumpkin project, I chose the cream-colored plastic pumpkins at .98 each – I grabbed all they had and of course shared some  with my mom!! These little gems don’t need a pre-paint prep, no primer – they are a great base just as they are.  Using fusion paints, two coats was all they required.  I decided to continue with a dark wax to highlight and give definition.  Deciding what to add to give them a touch of my style was easy- a little string, wire, shells and ICE Resin® paper were the perfect palette!!  Let your style come through- in selecting your paints, choosing those things that speak to you, embellishments that you love – ribbons, buttons, vintage jewelry…the pumpkin possibilities are limitless.
 

Since these are plastic, they are too light weight for outside but they will grace our fall table (once my kitchen remodel is finished) nestled in a wood tray that will be filled with shells and reindeer moss. My perfect blend of fall and the joy of gathering –shells, memories and more as   we gather around the table. To create your pumpkin paradise, let’s gather a few things and get started…
I love these little jars!!!


Gather

Faux pumpkins
Fusion Paints™ mineral paints  in Algonquin, Inglenook, Sterling Gris and champness or acrylic paints of your choice
Sponge Brushes
Painter’s tape
Annie Sloan® Dark wax
Rustic wire
Bamboo skewers
Wire cutters
Jute
ICE Resin®
Disposable cup, sponge
Vintage papers
Adhesive such as Glossy Accents™
Sea shells
Glue Gun, glue sticks

Make

1.      Cover stems with painter’s tape.
2.     With sponge brush, paint 2 coats of fusion paints on each pumpkin.  Set aside to dry between coats. 
Second coat and look great!!

3.     Once dry, remove painter’s tape and wrap stems with jute* and tie in a simple knot.

4.     To create wire curly ques, cut a manageable length of wire and from the middle of the wire, begin to wrap around a bamboo skewer or a pencil.  Repeat on the other side.
wire curly question and the start of the ICE Resin® leaf

5.     Add wire to the stem. Secure by tightening the wire around the stem.
6.     Using a leaf punch, punch leaves from the ICE Resin® Paper**
a little light from the studio gives them a fall glow

7.     Using adhesive such as glossy accents, adhere leaves. 

8.     Using glue gun, glue shells to the pumpkin.

*To curl the jute, wrap the jute around a pencil; spray with water and heat dry.

**To create ICE Resin® paper, mix the resin according to package directions.  Laying vintage paper on a nonstick craft mat, spread the resin with a sponge gently across the paper in one direction.  Coat one side and turn over and coat the back.  Let dry on the craft mat for 8 hours.  Now it is ready to use!!

 
Here are a few more finished.  I actually think
the ones my mother did!!!


Until next time, I hope in addition to painting and decorating with pumpkins that you will enjoy a little pumpkin pie and enjoy not only the décor of the season but the deliciousness too!!

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