hello sunshine!

I am loving the spring weather!!!

In honor of spring, I thought I would share an easy project that you can do quickly so you have time to enjoy the sun.

I have been doing variations of these tiles for a while now. When I first started doing these, I used ink to color the images... that bled. I then moved to chalk... that worked better, but it was hard to get bright colors... I finally found a medium that works well... PAINT!

My favorite way to do these tile is by using mulberry paper. It gives nice texture to the finished project, and since you are not working directly on the tile, there is less frustration if you mess up.

I usually cut my mulberry paper to match the size of my tile. Then, I go around the edge of my paper with a water brush. After the water has soaked in a bit, I gently tear away the edge. This gives a rough edge that blends nicely into the slightly textured tile. (you don't have to do it this way, it is just the way I like the best with the tiles I currently have.)

Let your paper dry (or speed dry with a heat gun). *here I usually wipe my paper with an embossing buddy to take care of any missed moisture and static. although, I have found that even doing this, the embossing powder sticks to random fibers of the mulberry paper... I kinda like the look of a few random dots here and there though, so I'm not to picky about trying to get rid of them all...* Using a VersaMark pad, I stamp the image of my choice (in this case, a stamp from Yvonne Albritton Designs) and cover with embossing powder. Heat emboss as usual...

Then color (or in this case paint). I used Creative Inspirations Paint to get the lovely colors and shimmer all in one quick step. These paints dry fairly quickly *which is good for these who hate to wait... like me...*. You can blend these paints even after they have dried somewhat... just add a bit of water with a water brush and blend away.

After your color medium has dried, lay a thin layer of mod podge on your tile. Place your stamped mulberry paper on top, and lay another layer of mod podge down over it all *including the sides where longer fibers may be hanging over*. Let dry. *this takes a while.... I hate waiting... * If you want, you can put on another layer of mod podge, but I never have the patience...

Add a piece of felt on the back, and you have a great wall hanging (using plate hangers), or fun coasters.

Well, til next time, have a fabulous day!