Summer Leaves

 

Let us contemplate the LEAF in design

 

 

What is the meaning of this?

 

Did you know that a single leaf was a sign of happiness in ancient times

 

 

And modern day Colorado?

 

 

 

My "Summer Leaves"  wall is inspired by the many dresses from the spring/summer runway shows that featured leaf motifs.

 

Temperley London

 

Bluemarine

 

 

 

 

                                                             Alexander McQueen

 

 



 

Marchesa

 

 

 

House of Rebecca

 

 

The base of my finish is Faux Effects Silver Palette Deco that is troweled in a high/low coat.

 

 

This is a beautiful acrylic metallic plaster.

 

Palette Deco usually dries well within 2 hours. I have noticed with humidity and air conditioning it make take longer. The surface should not feel tacky before you proceed to the next layer which is Lusterstone Tint Base.

I am applying the Lusterstone Tint Base by putting it on with the blade almost flat to the surface and then pulling the Lusterstone tight with the trowel edge.

And yes, I use Faux Effects products in my demos. It is what I teach, sell, and know. So if you want your project to look like mine that is what you have to use.  I can't tell you what using other product lines will look like or how to get this look some other way.

 

 

The Lusterstone over the Palette Deco is a very pretty finish.

 

 

Next I apply my leaves. I buy skeleton leaves from Save On Crafts. They are also available at Easy craft. These are delicate leaf fossils that come in a variety of colors, metallic, sizes, and styles.

 

 

There are several ways to apply leaves to plaster. One is to trowel the plaster, stick the leaf in, and trowel some more product over it.  I didn't want to loose the metallic sheen of my leaves, which are gold, silver, and a few natural. You can also use the leaves the make impressions in wet plaster.

 

I rolled a thick coat of C500 Satin in areas and stuck the leaves in.  You can gently roll over the leaves with a separate dry roller head-a wet roller head picks up the leaf.

 

Arranging the leaves is most of the challenge. Once the leaves are wet they become fragile. I would layout an idea on a styrene board and photograph before sticking in leaves willy nilly.  Each pack of leaves comes with 15-20 pieces.

I like to group more at the ceiling line and have them trail down the wall.  When the leaves are dry-overnight is best-mix more C500 Satin with our Bright Gold Laser Cut Fine Glitter.

 

I select a pattern that is gentle and will fade in and out around the leaves. This is Swirl City Reverse Stencil from Wallovers Stencils.

 

I think we have loved this pattern to death! Time to re-order.  I roll my glitter C500 over the pattern not worrying if I have 100% of the pattern filled. The glitter won't offload solid in this application.

 

The C500 Glitter should dry over-night. The next day I glaze with 1 pint Aquacreme (Faux Crème Clear if you are a gold label user) mixed with 1/4 cup Dark Brown Faux Crème Color. Your glaze will bead up slightly but pad it with a cloth to soften.  The colored glaze will highlight and darken the leaves slightly and bring out the glitter pattern. You do not need to seal the finish again.

 

Palette Deco covers about 250 square feet per gallon and the Lustersuede for the tight trowel covers 300 square feet. C500 rolls out almost 400 square feet.

And that "leaves" my post for the day!

 



 

Hopefully this finish grows on you!

 

(Don't worry, I won't quite my day job)

 

 

 

 





Random Acts of Glitter

 

I spy with my sparkly eye more Glitter....

 

 

 

Even Betty's got Bling!

 

 

Oh...pretty!

 

 

Well there you have it. From babies to the Queen, Glitter reigns supreme. Hey, that would make a good t-shirt saying-in rhinestones of course!

 

For my finish today, I am adding glitter to fine mica and Aquawax. Another option for putting some sparkle cleanly in a finish.

 

I started with a Silver background-The new Metallic Setcoat in Gunmetal is a good choice. Another option is a quick troweled layer of Palette Deco Silver. Then I buttered my blade first with Weathered Bronze Lusterstone which I popped on with a flat trowel.  While this is wet, I repeated the process with Charred Gold Lusterstone.

 

 

On a wall, I pop in my colors in 2ft x 2ft sections before using my blade to gently flatten the peaks and blend.  You want to hold the blade at a 45 degree angle and pull it up and down and sideways.

 

 

 

 

 



I mixed our Bright Gold Glitter with Faux Effects Silver Mica Powder and Easy Leaf Nu Antique Gold Mica Powder.  The Powders are mixed together in equal parts, 1 cup each.  The amount of glitter depends on how much bling you want in the end.  To my powder mix (which is one pint) I add a quart of Aquacreme.  Stir well and tight trowel over the dried Lusterstone.

 

Spritz the surface with water as you work. This will move the powder better and actually creates interesting effects as the water reacts with the powders.

 

 

You will see more of the glitter as this layer dries down. I just captured some of the glints of the gold sparkle. Someone needs to invent an app for that-I mean I have an app that captures ghosts on my I-phone so why not glitter?

 

 

This makes a pretty and quick finish. It is also a great base to bump-up the bling for a feature wall or adjoining room.  I mixed some of the Antique Gold Leaf (1/2 cup) with 1 pint Aquawax. Then I added more glitter being heavier handed with the glitter this time.

 

 

I rolled this mix over Wallovers' Textile Stencil.

 

 

 

In the finish below, I started with Charred Gold and Rhino Lusterstone applied in the same technique as above.  I added Turquoise glitter to Sea Spray Metal Glow and rolled this over Royal Design Studios Donatella Damask Stencil.

 

 

 

The applications with glitter are almost endless. I will post some more DIY bling ideas in the future! Because once you start working with it, it is hard to wash walk away from glitter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





All that Glitters...with Lusterstone

 

I have a confession to make...I was not a Glitter Girl until my 40's. It wasn't until I found a way to incorporate my more tomboy tendencies with some sparkle....

 

 

that I went full-on bling!

 Look how cheerful I am to be running 6.2 miles in 90 degree heat.

That is the power of glitter!

 

Now whenever I run a big race, I always wear a sparkly skirt.

 

 

Even my tiara is glitter...is there any other kind?

 

My finish today uses glitter in Lusterstone. This is the easiest way to apply subtle glitter in a non-messy form.  I started by troweling the New Nu'Villa Plaster from FE. I will be glad when this is not new because New Nu'Villa doesn't roll off the tongue.  As I trowel a section, I roll through with our Threads Specialty Roller. This is not wallpaper printing so I roll it up and down several times.

 

 

As the Nu'Villa sets up, I use an almost flat blade to compress the texture slightly.

 

 

Nu'Villa is a relatively inexpensive way to create an interesting background for under $50 a gallon. On top of the Nu'Villa plaster, I skimmed a tight coat of Palette Deco Silver plaster.

 

 

When you tight pull one plaster over a textured base, you will get chatter. See those little cross hatch marks?

 

 

This is chatter. To get rid of it, just chase across your surface with a folded cotton rag or terry towel.  It can be barely damp but not wet.

 

 

 

 

 

I brushed on a glaze mix of  1 pint FX Thinner + 2 TBSP Van dyke Brown Stain & Seal + 2 TBSP American Walnut Stain & Seal.  Use a damp cloth to soften and remove some of the glaze.

 

 

 

You could stop right here with the finish and have a great look. In fact this makes on easy 3 step treatment for a ceiling to compliment the next few steps.

 

 

For a wall finish, mix fine silver or hologram silver glitter into Silver Taupe Lustersuede.  One 5.5oz glitter bottle is plenty for a gallon. Use a Japan blade to pull this tightly over the dried glaze. Use your rag or terry towel to soften the chatter lines.

 

 

For smaller rooms or an accent wall, I am using Silver Taupe Lustersuede mixed with Hologram Silver and some Black Glitter.

 

 

I am rolling my glitter Lustersuede over Cutting Edge's Acanthus Leaves.  If I wanted more glitter to show, I could mix twice the amount of glitter with Lusterstone Tint Base.

 

 

Now you have 3 ways to coordinate spaces. The Base with no Lustersuede. Glitter Lustersuede over the texture (or without added glitter), and a Glitter Lustersuede Pattern over the base. I guess you could add a 4th finish and pull the Glitter Lustersuede over the base and then apply a glitter pattern too. Now we are getting crazy!

 

 

This is Silver and fine Turquoise glitter added to Lusterstone Tint base and pulled over foiled Venetian Plaster.  The Royal Design Stencil is Highlighted with Rich Gold Sharkskin.  I love Acanthus Designs-they always sell well!

 

 

Here is a close-up. The base is Tiger Eye's Venetian Plaster with Teal and Bronze Foil.

 

 

Glitter for base. Glitter for topcoat. Glitter for patterns.

 

 

Glitter...it's what's for winners!