Iron Orchid Designs and Habitat Restore...perfect match in creating a painted floorcloth

Hello friends....Happy Saturday!

My very first shipment of Iron Orchid Designs products arrived at my home Friday and I couldn't be more excited.

I got right to work with some creative ideas for the new shop space at the Fox Den Antiques Mall, right next to our Merci Belle Mère shop.

My goal is to have displays in the shop using these products, so my customers can get an idea of how to use them. 

I was at my local Habitat Restore and spotted some large rubber floor mats for $5 each.

They had some nice weight to them, which would make them lay flat on my floor.

I immediately thought 

PAINTED FLOORCLOTH!! 

 Here She is!!

 Close up

 IOD Cubano Stamp

 The stamps are large, so it didn't take very long to cover the mat.

I really love how she turned out. I used a variety of IOD stamps...Cubano Tile and assorted florals and wreaths. So easy anyone can do it!.

 I also created a pretty Spring drawstring laundry bag using more Iron Orchid Designs stamps and Annie Sloan paint.

This is such a fun and creative way to customize your seasonal home decor and it is so economical. These stamps can be used over and over again in many different ways.

I hope enjoyed seeing what I have been creating with my new shop products.

As soon as I get everything unboxed and priced, everything will be headed to my new shop.

Stay tuned!!

Until next time....be kind and stay creative.

Hugs,

My Iron Orchid Designs Painted Transfer, Winter's Song Floorcloth Tutorial...art for your floors!

Hello, lovelies!

Today I want to show you how easy it is to create a beautiful custom vinyl floorcloth for your home.

Finished floorcloth

This is the pretty vinyl floorcloth that I created for my English cottage floral home.

What I love about this process, is that I get to pick the colors that suit my decor style. I am not forced to settle on a premade design that I HOPE will fit my home.

Here is my process...

Annie Sloan Old White

2 coats applied

I painted two coats of Annie Sloan Old White paint as my base coat.

I let that dry and start to cure overnight.

rubbing on the transfer

 Be sure your vinyl is on a hard, flat surface.

The marked grid lines make it easy to center the design on your surface.

This is the Iron Orchid Designs

Winter Song Paintable Wreath transfer.

image all transferred 

adding color

Once the image was transferred, I began the painting process.

building up the color

I started the painting process by first adding a soft wash of color, using artist grade acrylics.

I used brands like Amsterdam, Liquitex, and Golden acrylics.

The artist-grade acrylics have much more pigment than the typical craft paints.

Build up the color and begin to add dimension to the design.

Take your time

Lint roller before cleaning my floorcloth.

Remove all dust and lint before you varnish your floorcloth, by rolling a lint roller over the surface.

Don't just assume it is clean because it looks clean.

Here is my lint roller after cleaning what looked like a clean surface!

All this debris would be forever embedded in your clear varnish.

 I like to use a soft foam roller to quickly apply a thin, even application of varnish.

I apply the varnish in one direction on the first coat and the opposite on the next. 

That way I know I have not skipped any areas.

This is the product I use on my floorcloths. This is an indoor/outdoor, waterbased clear varnish. It is available in a matte or gloss finish. I prefer it because it does not yellow, is weather resistant and dries quickly. Also, no odor to deal with.

Soap and water cleanup is a plus. I applied 3 coats, waiting 24 hours in-between applications.

For fun, I added some colorful stripes at the edges.

I hope you give this a try and create something beautiful for your home!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.

Be kind and stay creative!

Hugs,