Old Wedgwood china, with its characteristic blue color and crisp white raised design, inspired me to create this frame. Though the design may look complicated, it is really quite easy when you break it down into steps, beginning with slender curved lines and gradually adding flourishes and dots. Practice first on a flat surface — it’s like decorating a cake! You don’t have to hurry, as the paint dries slowly.

Materials

  • Wood craft frame
  • Sanding sponge and tack cloth, optional
  • Soft-bristle wash paintbrush, 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide
  • Craft acrylic paint, dusty periwinkle blue
  • Small-circle decorative applicator tip
  • Two tubes of white dimensional paint

 

Directions

1. Sand the frame smooth, if necessary, using a sanding sponge. Wipe the frame with a tack cloth to remove any dust particles.

2. Using the wash brush, apply two coats of the blue paint to the frame, allowing the paint to dry between coats.

3. Attach the small-circle decorative applicator tip to the dimensional paint tube. Apply the paint to the frame front in a series of curved lines that will form the framework of the scroll design. Hold the tip above the frame while squeezing the tube gently and moving it along the desired path.

4. Add extensions and connecting lines to the framework of curved lines.

5. Add pull-dots to the base lines, following the directions at right. You can overlap pull-dots to create a fan at the end of a line or, for additional embellishment, where the lines come together. Add small dots alongside the lines or in open spaces. Allow the dimensional paint to dry completely.

6. Insert your photograph into the frame opening.

Designer’s Tips Here’s the secret of making the perfect pull-dot. Touch the applicator tip to the surface, a short distance from the end or side of the base line. Squeeze and release as if to form a dot. Pull the tip back toward the base line, connecting the dot tail to the base line.

If you make a mistake when working with dimensional paint, resist the urge to scrape it away while the paint is wet. It makes a mess! Rather, wait until the paint is almost or completely dry and you will easily be able to remove the mistake.

Excerpted from “Craft the Perfect Frame” by Carin Heiden Atkins. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission of Creative Publishing International.