Rainbows - a symbol of hope during lockdown

From a scientific perspective, the rainbow is the product of light hitting water droplets at just the right angle, of refraction and reflection.  Their full beauty, their entire form (a full circle) can only be admired by flyers as the horizon obstructs our view on the ground.  These facts do not detract from their beauty and each time we see a rainbow, whether young or old, we are reminded of the beauty of nature as we often stop and announce to anyone who will listen that we can see a rainbow in the sky.  

Despite our knowledge of rainbow formation, regardless of the logic, since the beginning of time, there has been magic in rainbows.  They are seen as a symbol of hope, of better times after a storm and encouragement to endure through the dark times we may face.

There have been many myths and stories written about the rainbow and told through the generations. For some Aboriginal communities, the rainbow is often thought of and depicted as a serpent arriving to halt the rain sent by their enemies.  In Norse mythology, the rainbow (Bïfrost - rainbow bridge) appeared to connect Earth with the Gods and allows them to travel to Earth.   For Native American cultures, the rainbow is a sign that we are all one big family and that one day, Warriors of the Rainbow will show the way to heal the Earth and bring people together once again.

Whatever myth, story or idea is attached to it, for many cultures, it symbolises new beginnings, of transition and unity.  In these uncertain times of lockdown, the rainbow has lifted the spirits of so many.  From showing our support for the NHS and other key workers to bringing a smile to the faces of children (and adults) as they search for rainbows in windows during their daily exercise, it has become a daily sign of better things to come.

So...to lift our spirits throughout May, as we look forward to a time after lockdown, our #funwithfolkit painting challenge is revisiting the rainbow theme.  After April's Monochrome challenge, we certainly welcome a splash of colour.  The more shades of the rainbow we use, the better! We'd love for you to join us, just use the hashtag #funwithfolkit in your rainbow creations.

Stay home, stay safe, stay creative xx

Have #funwithfolkit and go tropical!

This July it is all about those tropical vibes.  As the sun is a little sporadic up here in Yorkshire, we are creating our own sunshine this month.  We are ready to bring a few tropical vibes to our painting this month!

Every month, as well as challenging our Folkers, we also challenge ourselves to get involved with our themes at Folky HQ - often creating a cheeky tutorial and inspirational project along the way. 

That does not mean that it is always easy and to be honest, some themes including this one is probably as much of a challenge for us as it is for the new folkers out there, if not more. Read on to find out more about how Carol got on with this challenge...

When I first saw this theme, my mind freaked out a little.  My background is in decorative painting, traditional designs and colours - all the things that don't scream 'tropical'.  My first step was to sit down and think about what tropical colours were for me.  In my personal life alone I'm not drawn to bright colours so my first stop was good old Google.  Looking for colour palettes that appealed to me, I began to feel inspired and choose some DecoArt colours that matched.

DecoArt Banana Cream, Bright Blue, Desert Turquiose, Orange Flame, Bright Green, Razzle Berry and Indian Turquoise. I used these to mix a brown for the finer details.  

I knew I wanted to try to create something with brushstrokes, they are my favourite go to when I want to relax and switch off.  All I had to do now was try and work out how to create a suitable design using a few brush strokes! 

I soon realised that the hardest part of this challenge was sitting down and committing to painting.  Once I started painting, ideas started popping into my head.  My first idea was bananas and tropical plants and leaves.  This was a great project to use the different sized round brushes in our brand new luxe label brush collection.  Creating a mix of brushstroke leaves and layered ones created a wild jungle feel and a few (lazy) comma strokes were perfect for the bananas! The bonus of this design and traditional Folk Art painting is that it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, this art form became so popular in the past because it is imperfect and achievable.  When I had finished it, I had really surprised myself as I really loved the final effect this created. What do you think? 

Isn't it funny how our minds discourage us from starting something worthwhile before we have even begun?  Here I was, convincing myself that it was a waste of time and yet I really enjoyed painting and fell in love with the colours as I painted with them.  

Next, I wanted to add more colour so I adapted the techniques from our Oriental Blossom kit to paint a very loose version that to me resembled a more tropical flower.  Just knowing that I was painting on a greetings card and nothing more important took away the worry of failure as I wasn't going to ruin anything 'important'.   Here, I experimented with my liner brush too, adding a few loose outlines to help the delicate yellow flowers stand out.  I can say with complete confidence that this is something I would never have created on my own without the nudge of our #funwithfolkit theme.   So, with that in mind, I'm going to continue to challenge myself to create projects using some bright tropical colours and see what I can come up with that appeals to me, because I'd have never, ever chosen such bright colours without the challenge.

Whether you share just one project or many (or none at all) I do hope you will be inspired to create something new and have fun with Folk It.  Our painting kits are just the beginning of your creative journey and whether you just paint a familiar design in new colours or create something completely unique with the techniques you've learnt from the lessons, you may just surprise yourself. 

If you do have a go and create something tropical you would love to show off, please tag us on social media and include the hashtag #funwithfolkit

How to paint wreaths - part 3

We may have welcomed another month of the painting challenge this August but our head is still buzzing with ideas from last months wreath theme. The answer? To combine them both of course! This August, we took out our bright paints and set to work creating this beautiful heart wreath. Painted wreaths can come in all shapes and sizes as you demonstrated last month and we love this heart shaped one.

Here's the colours we opted for - styling our roses with a lighted background and more vibrant petals to really make them pop but have a play with colour and see which colours you prefer and find a look that suits your style.  

When we began to paint this idea, we did wonder what we had let ourselves in for. After all, when you have a new idea buzzing away in your head that you are excited about, it can be a little scary to try and translate that onto the page for fear that it won’t measure up to your imagination. We were so pleased when the risk paid off and so we have put together a little tutorial to help you create your own heart wreath. We have drawn the template using circles where the roses should be painted, however there is nothing stopping you from replacing those circles with daisies, oriental blossom flowers, or even butterflies if you’re really thinking outside the box. Try something new today.

Step 1: Using your template and transfer paper (this can be found in the starter kits or in our online shop) to transfer the po using your template and transfer paper (this can be found in the starter kits or in our online shop) to transfer the pattern to whatever surface you’re working on. Depending on surface you may need to resize the pattern to fit.

Step two: Begin by painting the circles that will make up your Vintage Roses. Using the role of three/five from the first instalment of this wreath series, we filled in 5 circles using the pink and three circles of each other colour. If you are painting on black paper as we did,  you may find you need two coats of paint for each circle.  When these are dry, add the centres and the petals.  As you can see we have alternated the direction of the flowers around the heart and this has been marked on the pattern for you.

Step three: Once your Vintage Roses are dry, begin filling in your leaves. Here we used the round brush leaves as taught in our vintage rose kit.

Step 4: Once your leaves are dry, add the fillers to your heart. Here we used plain dots as well as dot roses in a variety of colours but you could add Dottie daisies or any other small design you wish.  As we mentioned earlier in the series,  keep taking a step back to look at your design as a whole and see if there is anywhere that needs filling.

Step five: finally using the liner brush from either  of our starter kits, add stalks to the leaves using comma strokes.

This would look great painted on to a A4 board and framed or onto a canvas.  If you have a go at painting this gorgeous wreath, do tag us on social media or use #funwithfolkit 

Happy Folking x 

10 painting projects to inspire you

Well another month has flown by and so has another monthly theme for our #funwithfolkit challenge.  When we posted our first Flora and Fauna themed project, we never expected it would be as popular as it was, getting thousands of views within the first week of being posted.  If you haven't seen it yet, why not pop over to the blog post here for a look. 

It seems that there are two camps for these challenges, those that love incorporating the themes in to their Folk It designs and those that run with it to create their own unique ideas.  However you interpret them, we love them all.  Here we have rounded up our favourites for the month of June.  

Jacky from Chloe and Kato recently rediscovered her painting mojo and created this beautiful spray of daisies and roses - inspired by her favourite mug! We have to say though, it is definitely cuter with a few ladybugs. 

Painting on fabric takes practice, painting on silk is a labour of love but Jackie from Jacbnimble Crafts has done brilliantly creating this scarf for her friend.  

Jaxs from Vintage Crafts by Jax has created these gorgeous purple plant pots using our Butterfly and Vintage Rose kits.   By using a limited colour palette she has created a beautiful set of gifts that really stand out.  

The lovely Folker from At the Painting Table has got creative to add the cutest bees to these delightful yellow roses - the perfect painting project for summer

Vanessa has found this lovely dragonfly shape to decorate for the Flora and Fauna theme.  Dot daisies, dot roses and other dot patterns, it's got it all!

Stepping away from shapes and projects, Helen has used the Flora and Fauna theme to inspire her colour choices in her practice pages...what a great idea.  

Sandra felt inspired after creating our Bee tutorial to create a different project.  Featuring a unique Dragonfly design on the lid, she added a few dot daisies and vintage lace to the box to complete it. 

These ducks are so popular at the minute with crafters.  Using a French blue base coat and our Vintage Rose kit, Nazlie from Cositas Bonitas has turned this into a real centrepiece. 

Who would have thought a Folked up owl would look so pretty! Helen from Mindful Crafts used our popular Round Brush Starter kit to decorate this owl beautifully.

Vikki discovered our stand and our kits at the Handmade Fair and she's been hooked ever since - we love the original and unique designs she has been creating with her dotting tool and this Dragonfly design worked perfectly for June's theme! 

So as we head in to July, this month in our #funwithfolkit painting challenge, we are concentrating on wreaths.  Whether they are dotty or festive, floral or not, we can't wait to see them all! 

Happy Folking! 

5 steps to beautiful bees

June is all about "Flora and Fauna" for our #funwithfolkit painting challenge.  Saying good bye to our Rainbow theme was difficult yet we have already been experimenting with a few new ideas including this sweet project.  

To complete this project you will need: 

Your chosen project - we chose this stone heart we originally bought from Matalan 

No 3 round brush 

Medium Liner Brush 

Flat Brush Starter kit 

Oriental Blossom Add on kit 

DecoArt Metallic in Bright Brass 

DecoArt Americana in Lamp Black and Warm white or Snow White 

Metallic Lustre in Champagne Ice 

Gold Glamour dust 

Stencil brush

Step 1. Using the Tracing and transfer paper from the Starter kit, transfer the bee design (below) on to your project. 

Step 2. Using the round brush and Bright Brass, fill the shapes (labelled Brass below). While the paint is still wet, sprinkle a little DecoArt Gold Glamour Dust over these areas to add a little sparkle*

 Step 3. Next, fill in the shapes labelled white with either Snow or Warm White.  Finally, fill the remaining shapes of the body with Lamp Black.  Using the Medium liner brush, paint the legs and antennas with Lamp black.  

Step 4. Using DecoArt Metallic in Bright Brass and Americana in White and Lamp Black (for the branches and flower centres), add our Oriental Blossom design around the edge of your project (we have added it round the side but this will depend on what you have chosen to paint e.g. for a plant pot, why not paint the Blossom around the lip? For a card, why not add a spray in the corner? 

Step 5. Using a small stencil brush, load a little Metallic Lustre on to the bristles.  Before you apply it to the project, rub the bristles in a circular motion on a piece of kitchen towel to remove the excess.  Dry brush the Champagne Ice over any raised areas on your project and over the bees wings.  

*Being a decorative item, we have left our project as it is. However, if you wish to use this design on outdoor plant pots, do not use Glamour Dust and finish your item with a couple of coats of Multi Purpose Sealer (which acts as a varnish) or weather proof varnish. If you wish to add this design on to furniture, again, forget the Glamour Dust and seal your finished piece with a coat of Chalky Finish Wax.

10 fantastic ways to paint with rainbows

 

Last month, we announced our fun new painting challenge.  Choosing a range of broad themes for our painters to have fun with each month we hoped they would inspire your journal pages and projects.  Our first month, a month filled with beautiful rainbows has not disappointed as we have been fascinated by your projects.  We were so inspired, we couldn't resist getting involved ourselves.  Here are a few gorgeous projects we have created and admired over the last month.  

Helen from Mindful Crafts has recently discovered these fantastic freestanding Lego decorations and given him a rainbow makeover.  

Our Flat Brush Cupcakes and Babushka kits teach you how to 'float' colour to create depth and dimension in your painting. Here, Carol used this technique to create a beautiful rainbow. 

One of our customers (@at_the_painting_table) transformed our Dot rose design using all the colours of the rainbow.

Jackie @jacbnimble_crafts indulged in a little dotting and we love rainbow daisies! 

We got out our liner brush and did a little practice using a muted rainbow, not as bold as the bright palette but still as pretty

Sometimes it's fun to break the rules and experiment and Rose creates beautiful projects when she does just that! You can create the most interesting and eye catching paintings when you play with colour. 

We revisited our childhood with this splatter painting and had great fun making a mess! 

Vikki @take_time_out discovered our kits at the Handmade Fair and there's been no stopping her creativity ever since.  Here she mixed rainbow dots with brush lettering while she took time out to create.

We adapted our Bluebird flowers to create something unique and the rainbow colours certainly helped us do that! 

Using floating (from our Cupcake and Babushka kits) and our Oriental Blossom kit, @at_the_painting_table used the theme literally and created this beautiful flower rainbow.  

One thing is for sure, the first monthly theme of our Painting challenge has inspired some new and exciting ideas.  Painting with rainbow colours is so fun, we doubt we have seen the last of this theme.  As we move forward to our next theme, flora and fauna, we look forward to seeing more gorgeous projects and journal pages from all you Folkers :) 

Happy Folking x  

Join our #funwithfolkit monthly challenges

You may remember my admission once upon a time that I am not very good at painting without a purpose.  It's true, I would love to be one of those people overflowing with creative inspiration and the imagination of a child but sadly, it isn't the case.  That's part of the reason I fell in love with Folk Art because I finally found an art form I could master, designs I could follow step by step.

When I sit down to paint these days, I still like to have prompts, ideas of what to create or which colour palette to choose.  That is why we have decided to begin our Monthly challenges to inspire you to have #funwithfolkit Each month we will be providing a simple prompt to inspire your practice or your project, from pattern ideas to colour inspiration they can be interpreted in whichever way your creative mind takes you.

There are no rules when it comes to our monthly challenges.  Each theme can be used to inspire just one practice page or it can influence a few.  You can use it to help create a project, gift or a greetings card.  However you choose to use our theme, please tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #funwithfolkit

Each month, we will share your images across our social media and the most liked posts will be shared on our blog and in our newsletter.

So, starting tomorrow and throughout May, our first theme will be beautiful Rainbows.  I picked this one following my recent colour mixing adventures as it is a great opportunity to play with colour if you wanted to take the theme less literally.  We hope this theme makes you smile as much as we do and that you will have some great #funwithfolkit

Here's to a month filled with fun, Folk It, colour and creativity

Happy Folking x