Genuinely Rockin' Techniques

I love the Genuinely Jane Studios mini albums but decided to see what
other uses I could find for these lovely wooden pieces.  I used the
fish mini album which comes with four fish, the first of which has the
design.

 

Because I would be using each of these fish in a different way, I
traced the design from the front panel using a Sharpie and a piece of
vellum.  I found that tracing the design onto a piece of tranparency
worked well also. I overlaid the tracing onto the other panels, went
over them with a sharp pen or paper piercer and then went over the
marks on the wood with a Sharpie.

 

I turned the original first panel into an invitation to a pool party.
This invite could be sent through the regular mail.  I have sent some
fairly odd things to friends up North from here in Florida such as a
single flip flop, a coconut and a touristy plastic plate without
enclosing these items in a box or envelope.  These is additional
postage and you will get some strange looks at the post office but it
can be done.  If I were to send this one, I would make sure I sprayed
it with an acrylic sealer to help prevent wear and tear on the colors.

Using a combination of Pearlescent watercolors, Lumiere paints and
Prange metallic markers, I colored and blended to create a tropical
fish.  I wanted the colors to be bright yet sparkle.

 

 

I used Stayz On ink and stamped the" To" and " From" on the front.

I added the large gem to the eye and went over the "To" and the"From"
with a think point Sharpie for clarity.  I used Gorilla Glue to adhere
the gem so it should survive the postal service.  if you wish, this
could be sent in a clear envelope available at most craft or stamp
stores.  Be sure to put the postage on the outside of the envelope.

 

I painted the back with Pearlescent watercolors.  I used stickers for
the "Pool Party" and a stamp for the Time, date etc.  Again, I sealed
this with an acrylic spray found in most hobby or craft stores.  For
extra durability, I use Liquitex Matte Gel Sealer which is waterproof.

 

Still another use for these darling fish is to turn them into place
cards for a dinner party or bar b que.  I used Glimmer Mist on this
fish panel and painted glitter glue onto the fins.  I used a pearl for
the eye and made the tail out of folded and glued ribbon.  The name is
from Grungeboard that has been Glimmer Misted.  These would make
lovely reminders of a party.

 

As do many people with swimming pools, we keep our gates locked.
While this is not our gate key, I sure wish it was as ours is small
and often misplaced.  I had fun creating a sure fire means of keeping
track of our pool gate key by turning the fish panel into a key chain
we can't overlook.  I painted this one with outdoor paint.  To allow
the lovely grain of the wood to show through, I thinned the paint by
adding a dab of water and dry brushing until the grain showed through.
 I used puff paint to add dimension and overcoated it with Liquitex
Matt Gel after I added the letters.

 

Lastly, I thought what a wonderful arts and crafts project this would
make for a children's swim or birthday party.  Gather supplies such as
washable paints, google eyes, markers, stickers and let the kids go to
town.  Pre draw the faces and designs onto the fish before you give
one out to eadh and tell  each child to decorate one side of the fish
adding his or her name.  Tell each  to paint the other side one color
only.  While the children are painting and creating, take a picture of
each child and print these out.  When the fronts have dried, adhere
the photo to the back and give them to the kids as take home gifts
from the party.

 

The possibilities are endless for the uses of these wooden panels and
the ones given here can be used for any of the darling mini albums
available from Genuinely Jane Studios.  Enjoy!

Tutorial by Jules Eickmeier

Comments

[Chrystal]

So cute, Jules!!! What great ideas...