Decal Canvas Art How To

Vinyl decals are great if you are renting and can't paint the walls or you just want a bold graphic on the wall with little commitment. I love the clean perfect look of decals, but I hate that some of them can't be reused after you place them on the wall. I wanted a more options if I am going to spend money on something, I want to keep it as long as I want it. I have gotten cheap or the last few years as I get older. Putting it on canvas seems like best idea.

So I purchased a Tattoo Style Swallow decal from Beepart at www.beepart.etsy.com. The decal measures approx. 25" wide by 22" high so I purchased a 24 x 30" canvas from Micheal's (with a 40% off coupon of course!)

I purchase Apple Barrell acrylic paint in Pool Blue for about $3 at Michael's.

I painted the entire canvas with about four coats to make sure the coverage was even.

I let the canvas piece dry overnight to ensure it was completely dry. Beepart provided wonderful illustrated instructions on how to apply the decal that took a bit more time, but well worth it to go step by step. First place your decal on a hard flat surface and run a credit card or squeegee over the decal to ensure it bonds to the transfer paper and helps the application go smoother.

Position your decal in place you want with painters tape. I moved mine around a few times to get it in just the right spot. Using painters tape prevents the blue acrylic paint from lifting.

Take a long strip of painters tape and run it down the middle of your graphic.
It helps keep your large graphic in place as you remove the transfer paper.

Peel back one side of the transfer paper from the white backing. Use scissors to cut away the white backing paper. I suggest you use something to hold down your white backing paper to keep it from flipping over while you apply your decal. I simply used my roll of painters tape.

Working from the middle of the decal outwards smooth out the decal on to the canvas. You can use your squeegee to gently smooth out any bubble or wrinkles. Try not to press too hard since you are not on a hard surface. You can use a couple magazines under the canvas piece to help support of the fabric.

You can then remove the large strip of painters and repeat on the other side. If you don't feel comfortable removing such a large piece of the transfer paper, just do a section at a time. It takes longer, but this way you won't screw up the placement of your decal.

Smooth out the rest of your decal with your hand. Then use your squeegee to gently rub across the entire decal to help it transfer from the paper to your canvas piece. Take your time and go over every inch of the decal. You will see the decal change color slightly as you use your squeegee to help transfer the image.

My image had a lot of little pieces so I went over each and every section as carefully as possible. Then start to peel back the transfer paper. If you see some of the vinyl not adhere to the canvas then put the transfer paper back down firmly on the canvas and use your squeegee to rub the image onto the canvas. Remember to take your time.


If you see any bubbles or wrinkles you can use the heat of your finger pads to gently smooth out the imperfections.
And then your done! The shiny vinyl and matte finish of the acrylic paint really pops. I can't wait to find a spot in the house for it.

Peace, love & Painting!

Featured Etsy Seller: Beepart

I recently purchased my first vinyl from Etsy Seller Beepart and I couldn't be more impressed. I had been wanting to try a vinyl piece for a few years now, but most sites I found to be too expensive. I tend to change my style every few months so I didn't want something to break the bank.

Beepart has a wide variety sure to please everyone. I settled on a 25" wide by 22" high Tattoo Style Swallow Banner decal that could be customized with wording of my choosing. Since I recently purchased my first home I really liked the example style Beepart had to offer with "Home Sweet Home." Plus I had heard swallows represents love and affection towards family, friends, lovers, as well as loyalty of the person by always returning to them. A fitting design for a new home.

After making my purchase Beepart immediately emailed me to confirm the exact font I wanted. A touch I really appreciated. A few days later I received my decal. Beepart included very detailed illustrated instructions that really helped me a lot. I wouldn't have had a clue how to apply such a large decal.

Since I really liked the decal, I didn't want apply to a wall only to be unusable if I decided I wanted it in a different place. So I put it on a large canvas piece instead! I am quite happy with how it turned out.I will post instructions on how to do a similar piece. It was much quicker than painting something with this much detail on a large scale.

Be sure to check out Beepart's cool decals he has to offer. They are priced just right and he is a great seller on Etsy. Here are a few of my favorites:

I would love this above my bed....


This is soooo 80's......
This reminds me of one of my favorite Hispanic holidays, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

To see more go to www.beepart.etsy.com and support local artists!

Laker Surprise

My guy sure has been the solid rock in the relationship during this whole home buying, fixing up, moving in process. When I found out he was going on a weekend deep sea fishing trip with his dad and brother, I knew this was my chance to give back to him in a way I knew he would enjoy. He is a huge Los Angeles Laker fan. Huge. So during my million of Home Depot trips I saw they have licenses team colors by Glidden (www.mostcolorfulfan.com). He has his own 'man cave' in the house that he plans on making his Laker Room. Perfect!

So I purchased a gallon of the Laker Gold and Purple, a few new rollers, brushes, tape, drop cloth and started my project. Now I pondered for a good 20 minutes on what to do with the actual paint. They are such strong colors I didn't want to do every wall. I picked the wall furthest from the door to do an accent wall.

I then broke out my laser level and painters tape to create stripes similar to the stripes on a home jersey. I had purchased one of those edger tools to help eliminate the taping/cutting in. But honestly, they created more of a mess that needed to be taped and corrected. Save the money and take the time to tape.

I used Scotch Blue painters tape with the edge lock protection. That didn't really work out too well on textured walls as I discovered after I painted and started to pull off the tape. I explain below.

So the bottom wall gets a healthy coverage of yellow. Then the top half. By now it's starting to look a lot like Kraft Mac & Cheese. I am praying it gets better. LOL

The middle gets a coat of the purple. (The blue tape in the middle will be white stripes).


When painting with a dark/light paint combo, I have always heard to start with the lighter color first. In MY case, not so much. I discovered what happened with that and I will explain below. The reason why I say in MY case to paint the dark color first, is because when I applied the purple, it dripped onto the yellow.

Since the purple was such a dark color, I then had to break out a white primer, paint over the spots and let dry. Once it was dry, I had to repaint several coats of the yellow to get it to match. It wasted my time. I think if you are going to do something similar where you are NOT painting right on top of another color, to paint the dark first. It would have been easier to cover up any drips.

The next day I apply a few more coats to get that clean coverage on both colors. Then I started to remove the tape. Looking good so far....until I got up close.


That is when I discovered painters tape works better on a smooth surface. No matter how well I applied the tape and smoothed it out, I still got some spotty areas. So I broke out one of my paint brushes to clean up the edges. Time consuming? Yes. Worth it? YES!

Well after about 10 total hours working on the accent wall making it perfect, I was pretty darn proud of myself. I couldn't wait for my guy to return home the next day. I was dying to post pictures on Facebook, but I didn't want him to see them before he could see it in person.



Finally my guy comes home! He was super excited to see his surprise. He immediately put on his Lakers Jersey and I snapped a photo. I am so glad he enjoyed his surprise!

Featured Etsy Seller: WallabyBagCo

I have had my Iphone 4G since June and I have hated the fact I can't find a cell phone case for it! Right now the Iphone 4G has a minor bug that if you use a traditional cell phone case, such as silicone it kills your signal. Apple said the problem won’t be fixed for a few more weeks – but I need to protect my beautiful new phone. Up until now I have been carrying it around in an old Victoria Secret makeup bag that was way too big for it. My poor ear buds would get tangled and messed up every time I tried to pull them out.

After searching Etsy I found WallabyBagCo. Carrie is a mother of two and hands down makes the CUTEST cases EVER. I mean EVER. While searching I kept going back to her site to check out her designs. Her fabrics are bold and priced just right.

I finally settled on the Pop Garden Padded IPhone case below:

Each piece is made to order and mine arrived about 9 business days after I ordered it. I could NOT be happier. The case is a slim design with soft fuzzy lining inside that I know will protect the glass face of my Iphone. It has a front pocket (for my ear buds – yay!) with a Velcro flap closure that keeps the phone from sliding out. I am finally proud to have my Iphone in such a pretty case.

She has cases for smart phones, laptops, Ipads, kindles, etc in the most adorable fabric. Trust me, you are going to have a hard time picking out which one you want.

(Padded iPhone / iPod Pouch - Carnival Bloosom & Chocolate)

(Padded iPad Case / Kindle DX with foam inner-core in Pistachio Paisley)

(13" Laptop Sleeve padded with foam inner-core in Zinnia)

Check out more awesome designs at www.WallabyBagCo.etsy.com

And Time Passes By....

Sorry I haven't had a chance to doing anything to my blog in months! I have been a busy bee with the new house and moving and simply trying to find anything packed in boxes.

I have finally settled into my home and slowly trying to find time to unpack everything. There never seems to be enough time to do anything. Every time you look around you see something that needs to be done or in my case purchased!

We spent about 3-4 weeks tearing out all the flooring, putting in 20" tile and carpet made from recycled bottles. We have fresh paint over every surface and we just ordered new wood blinds. I can't wait to have everything done and post before and after pictures. The change is pretty awesome.

My biggest thorn in my side right now is my craft room. Before I basically used all of my kitchen and living room of my one bedroom apartment to run my business. Finally I have my own room. But the big question is - where do I begin!? Most of my pottery and paints are still in boxes - no wait - take that back! ALL of my pottery and paints are still in boxes. I did manage however to make it down to the only Ikea in the Phoenix area and purchase a large storage unit with cubby holes to store my pottery. I am on the hunt to find boxes to slide into them. Why are these boxes so darn costly? Serious, Ikea wanted $16 for one straw basket. Sadly my brain is so fried from the moving, packing, unpacking and of course 120 degree heat in Phoenix it simply won't work.

I have been checking out a few craft blogs to hope spur my inspiration. I came across one yesterday that is just too darn cute is www.houseofsmiths.blogspot.com. You should check it out if you get a chance. Their style is not quite like mine - but it sure has a lot of ideas that I can jump off of to help get my house out of the white box look it currently is in.

I another one I came across is www.remodelaholic.com. There is a lot of guest posts of remodels and home projects by average people that is getting me inspired. Hopefully I can get out of my non-crafting state and get back into gear. A crafter has to start thinking about the holidays months before they arrive.

Peace, Love & Painting!

One Item to check Off My New Years List!

It is only four months into the New Year and I am able to cross off one of the items on my New Years…buying a house. This week I will be opening escrow on my very first home! Hooray!

My boyfriend and I looked at 100 or more homes and they all were overpriced, too old, or snatched up so quickly by other buyers we didn’t get a fighting chance. We finally agreed on a home in pretty Glendale Arizona. (p.s the car in the driveway is the former tenant.)

It is a foreclosure so there will be a lot to fix up in the next month. Floors, paint, doors, fixtures, landscaping, cleaning - you name it, it has to be scrubbed to death or replaced. I will be sure to photograph and blog our progress and how things come along. I am super scared but super excited.

If anyone has any tips for painting, flooring, cleaning etc - please share! I love to hear creative new ideas.

Featured Seller: PhenomeGNOME

Now that I have been the whole home buying process for the last couple months I am starting to notice little things I want for my home. I came across Etsy Seller PhenomeGNOME and the stuff listed in there shop is too darn cute to pass up!

I love love love these two baby mermaid statues.


This castle is too sweet for words! I would love to have a little garden to tuck this among the green and flowers.
Not only are they too darn cute for words, but the way PhenomeGNOME takes photos with each piece set in a garden helps you imagine what your piece would be like in your front yard. It gives a magical feel to each piece.

PhenomeGNOME has a wide variety of fairies, funny gnomes and pet memorials. You won’t resist anyone of PhenomeGNOME’s piece for your spring time garden. I can’t wait to purchase the two baby mermaid statues as soon as my home closes escrow. I just wish I could have the same garden as featured in the pictures. So beautiful! Green doesn’t grow very well here in Phoenix and mermaids don't belong among cactus.

Check out PhenomeGNOME Etsy shop at PhenomeGNOME.etsy.com

Featured Seller: LOVER DOVERS CLOTHING

I came across this ADORABLE Esty shop this morning that I had to share! Lover Dovers Clothings has to be the cutest and most afforable aprons I have ever seen. Plus she is from my home town of Los Angeles California!

These aprons would be perfect for any cooking diva or even for a housewarming gift.

Check out a few of my favorite designs from Lover Dovers!

I LOVE LOVE this I Love Lucy inspired design!

This Snow White Inspired child's apron has to be hands down the CUTEST thing I have ever seen. It makes me want to have a little girl just so I could dress her up in it!

This reminds me of a candy striper or an old fashioned candy maker. It's so FRESH!

Here is another retro number with sweet cherries on the front. So cute!

I am not sure how many more times I can say adorable or cute about Lover Dovers Clothing. You have to check out her Etsy shop! http://www.loverdoversclothing.etsy.com/

Featured Seller: PeaceCraneGreetings

Ancient Japanese legend says that if you fold a 1,000 paper cranes will be granted a wish by crane. A crane is Japans most mystical or holy creatures that can live a 1,000 years that can grant long life or happiness. They can also be a symbol for honor and loyalty

Etsy seller PeaceCraneGreetings makes adorable little cranes made of rice paper that comes in a sweet little box. Each box has a greeting perfect for sisters, husbands, partners, mothers - anyone! This is that perfect little something that can make a person smile on a random day. No need to wait for a special occasion. For the price of a burger and fries you can make someone in your life smile.

Here are a few of my favorites.

To purchase visit: peacecranegreetings.etsy.com

Valentine's Day Mugs & Coasters Still Available

There is only 10 days left until Valentine's Day so their is plenty of time to purchase a handpainted mug or coasters for your favorite person!

Easy PayPal options and super fast shipping via USPS. Buy now at www.thepaintinglibra.etsy.com

Congrats J. Welge!

Congrats to Ms J. Welge! She was the coaster give-a-way today! All she had to do was become a fan of The Painting Libra on facebook and badda bing! She won a free set of coasters!

She picked out the Kissing the War Goodbye coasters - perfect for Valentines Day!

Thank you to everyone who became a fan on Facebook. Don't worry if you didn't win, there is a ton of coasters for $10 on www.thepaintinglibra.etsy.com!

FREE Coaster Give-away!

FREE FREE FREE FREE!

The Painting Libra is giving away a free set of ceramic coasters of your choice. Simply become a fan of The Painting Libra on Facebook and you are automatically entered to win!

Drawing on February 1st, 2010

Become a fan today!

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/The-Painting-Libra/90708284403?ref=nf

* Winner will be contacted via email. No purchase necessary. Must be a fan of The Painting Libra on Facebook by Midnight January 31, 2010

Happy New Year!

Every year people have New Year's resolutions and break them by the time they get to March. Rather than set one resolution this year that could be broken. I created goals I would like to achieve and would enjoy reaching throughout the year.

My 2010 New Year Goals

1. Buy a house

2. Save more money

3. Help my mom more

4. Promote my ceramic business more

5. Lose weight

6. Learn how to crochet

7. Learn how to cook

8. Take a vacation

9. Try not to get offended at what people say

10. Take more pictures of friends and family