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Black Friday Sale

24 Nov

Free Shipping at BrittanyBowerDesigns.com when you use code “BLACKFRIDAY” at checkout, now through Cyber Monday!

New Wreath at BrittanyBowerDesigns.com

22 Nov

It’s been a busy few weeks for me and it’d be fair to say that the holiday hustle and bustle has begun. But in the midst of it, I was finally able to get this lovely addition to my collection completed. Layers of yellow deco mesh create a sunflower wreath with green petals and contrast beautifully against the brown satin ribbon bow center. Check it out at BrittanyBowerDesigns.com.

Crafting Away, Part 2

19 Sep

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So I’ve been learning about how to paint wood signs for the wreaths, and it’s been quite the learning curve. I’d like to be able to hang my wreaths outside and needed a good, safe paint for it. Doing some reading at the craft store, it looked like acrylic satisfied these needs while providing a good variety of colors to choose from.

As you can see from the picture from Part 1, there are also different consistencies for the paint. The green I chose for Merry Christmas was thinner which allows the wood grain to show even after multiple coats. Blessed and Family were done in a paint with a thicker consistency and should provide a smoother looking finish. I like both, but it depends on the project.

The one challenge I didn’t anticipate, however, is trying to get to the space in all of the nooks and crannies. Merry Christmas is laser cut, which provides the darker edges and a more finished look, and I seemed to be able to control the paint enough to avoid any overlap on the sides with it, and Family isn’t too bad in this area. But when I tried to do the inside of Blessed, I felt it starting to look messy, even with the new paint brushes I bought for it. So an alternative method was needed.

Merry Christmas in thin consistency acrylic paint
Blessed and Family in thick consistency acrylic paint

While spending way too much time in the craft store and loving every minute of it, I found pour over paint and spray paint. Chris had mentioned spray paint before, but I didn’t know what I thought of it. It always seemed kinda messy and smells when it’s sprayed. The pour over paint looked interesting, but messy and possibly wasteful. Knowing an alternative was needed regardless, I went with my fiance’s idea of spray paint.

It ended up being easier than I thought and the acrylic doesn’t have any noticeable smell – I also leave it outside for about an hour after to dry, so maybe that has something to do with it. Trying it out, I sprayed the wood letters outside on wrapping paper – like this from Amazon. We used it to protect the tile floors when we painted other rooms in the house and had some left over. Choosing a flat surface protected from the wind, I sprayed it from various angles to ensure all of those pesky nooks and crannies were gotten as well as across the top.

Thankful in Punk Lak Gloss Acrylic Spray Paint’s Dark Wine

Although the Dark Wine color didn’t work out so well for what I intended it for, I do like the end result and even with the dry time, it only took an hour at most. I spent at least that just fighting with the insides of Blessed alone, and only got halfway. I think Chris was onto something 😉.

Crafting Away, Part 1

28 Aug

Making wreaths has become a form of solace for me. My fiance and I have had our share of struggles as a direct result of the virus sweeping the world and its impacts on all industries.

Prior to it being discovered in the States, my job had me on a constant mental overload, and I loved every minute of it. I had never been so challenged in all my life and I was thriving in so many ways as a result. I am no longer in it now, and while I am still a standout in my current position, I was lacking the intellectual stimulation I so crave.

Instead of putting all of my time and energy into my professional work, I can now make time for myself and the projects I want to do…which has become my wreaths projects. I finished the Let It Snow wreath and now I have started 3 more.

I love the wood grain still visible under the green paint in the Merry Christmas sign 😊.

Let me know what y’all think and what projects you have picked up since the pandemic started.