Have you taken a dish to a potluck only to come home empty handed....literally....like without your serving dish? Well, I have and instead of resorting to disposable servingware I have decided to go a different route and personalize my potluck platters! Last week I went with a bunch of gal pals to a pottery painting studio to try my hand at making one. Read on for the scoop...
I have wanted to make a personalized platter for awhile now, so I was excited to finally have a good opportunity to try making one. This may be surprising to some of you, but I have never painted pottery before. I love pottery and love painting but have never paired the two. A couple of my friends love to paint pottery so I let them take me through it. We had so much fun that my abs were sore and my voice was hoarse the next day from so much laughing. It felt so good to laugh so hard and have such nice girl time.
I wanted the platter to have a really clean, neutral, and professional look so I decided to make a template for the lettering with my Silhouette. First, I arranged my lettering and picked my fonts using my Sihouette Studio software...
Then I loaded the Silhouette with a fresh roll of vinyl and let this awesome machine work its magic! Once I had my template we headed to the studio.
We went to the franchise, Color Me Mine. They have studios nationwide as well as internationally! Click here to find a location near you. Once you get to the studio you can pick from a large array of ready-to-paint pottery. They have a wall filled with shelves of everything from mugs and teapots, to mixing bowls and cookie jars, and much, much, more. Once you have picked out your piece, you pick out your colors and brushes. Then you can paint to your hearts content! When you are done, you pay for your piece and then a small studio fee. There are certain days of the week where they waive the studio fee or offer a discount too. They inventory your piece and then call you in about a week after its been fired and glazed.
Once I got to the studio, I selected a large platter to work on. I peeled the vinyl template off its backing (leaving the actual lettering on the backing) and applied it directly to the center of the platter. Next, I began to paint over the template with black paint. I went with the black and white theme because of its ability to go with any decor and how well it will showcase the yummy food.
After I finished about 3 coats on the lettering I freehanded and used a guide to paint some flowers and dots along the edge of the platter. Once I was done (and this part is KEY), I used a dry, clean paint brush to brush off the dried paint residue. I learned how very important this is when I picked up my platter this week and saw that the black paint had streaked when the employees dipped it. They told me this has a 1% chance of happening, and occurs when they don't adequately brush the paint residue off before dipping it. Unfortunately, even though I hand brushed it myself with out being told, it wasnt enough to save my piece. :( I am currently in talks with the management of that location trying to work something out. Surprisingly, the smears don't show up really well in my photos. I think the flash drowns them out, but trust me, they are very noticable in person. While I love the platter, I am so disappointed and I hope they offer to let me redo it. Luckily for everyone else, my piece was the only one with a blemish.
I hope to display this in my new dining room when it isnt being used. Wouldn't this make a great wedding or anniversary present?
Have any of you ever painted pottery before? Have any of you ever had the same smearing problem?
On another note, we move into our new house in just 3 more days!!! I am itchy with excitement! Hotel living is really beginning to wear on me and I cant wait for us to sleep in our own beds, cook in our own kitchen,
and enjoy all the other creature comforts of home!
While you are here, be sure to enter my current giveaway for a $30 gift card to CSN Stores!
I am linking to these awesome link parties and sites.
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