Doting On Damask

 

Right before my accident, I started working on a housewarming gift for my BFF. She and her husband had just purchased a lovely new-to-them house that I affectionately refer to as “The McMansion”. It’s a very large, very beautiful home and I’m excited for “C”. She and her husband work hard, long hours and have earned their little slice of heaven in Maryland. Recently, I’ve been having a torrid love affair with damask. Sadly, I have no damask anywhere in my own home and nowhere (yet) that would suit the style therefore I’m living my damask fantasies out vicariously through poor lucky “C” as she redecorates her new home! After going through curtain hell, “C” finally ended up purchasing gorgeous curtains with a light damask pattern as I insisted suggested.  I very nearly had her talked into a damask drum shade for the dining room as well!  When I saw some designer Marie Osmond damask plates on clearance for $3 each at my local Tuesday Morning, I snapped up the last 2 {unbroken} ones. 

I chose a nice thick solid font (Cooper Black), typed up the text I wanted on each plate in Microsoft Word and then printed them on regular printer paper. I used a neat trick I’ve seen online in several places to easily transfer the text to the plate. On the back side of my printed paper, I used a pencil and just colored (sketched?) over where my letters were on the front side.

I flipped my papers over, trimmed the excess paper and taped the text to the plates with the printed side up. I then traced around each letter with the lead in my mechanical pencil retracted so it was just a plastic nub on my pencil. Viola! You can see after I pulled up the paper that the pencil lead was transferred to the plates!

 

Using my new black Porcelaine 150 paint pen, I outlined the text. I was tempted to leave it the inside of the text blank but I felt like it wasn’t bold enough for the pattern, the words looked a little lost on the plate. I decided I would just fill in all the letters solid black. After a brief bake in the oven, I had one plate ready. My accident occurred before I baked the second plate so my BFF had to bake it after I gave it to her on Thanksgiving day. Here is a cellphone photo the BFF sent me, after she placed them on her mantel. In deference to her privacy, I’ve masked her last name on the left plate and her address on the right but you can still see how nice they look on her fireplace mantle. 

I doubt I will do such a thick font the next time, or if I will fill the font in solid. This craft was my first time using a Porcelaine pen so I’m not sure if there is a learning curve or if experience would have helped but I struggled to get even coverage without the paint getting little lumps or pulling on itself as it dried. I think a thin, scripty font would work well though and I’ve already been scouring the clearance shelves and thrift stores for my next paint pen victim project!