Glass Ornament - Glass with Class

These ornaments are clearly something special.

Glass with Class Christmas Ornament
Glass with Class Ornament

Holly Ornament

Stroke Work Ornament

DecoArt Products Required:

Ultra Gloss Acrylic Enamels
DG01 - Gloss White
DG02 - Gloss Black
DG06 - Cadmium Yellow
DG10 - Christmas Red
DG13 - Avocado
DG21 - Rose Mauve
DG33 - Purple
DG36 - Clear Medium
DG51 - Yellow Green
DG52 - Yellow Light
DG55 - Royal Fuchsia
DG65 - Golden Pearl

Supplies:
Brushes, Brush basin, wet palette (optional), palette paper, paper towels, white vinegar, 1/4" masking tape (grout tape), cotton swabs, stylus, gold cording and ribbon (optional)

Surfaces:
80mm (3-1/4") Glass Ball Ornaments

Instructions:

PREPARATION

  1. Clean surface of ornaments with vinegar-moistened paper towel and dry thoroughly. (Hands must be clean and free of lotion.)
  2. For holly and berry ornament, use the tape to divide glass ball into 6 equal vertical sections. Gently seal both edges of tape to glass with fingertip. For stroke work ornaments, use tape to divide glass ball into 4 equal vertical sections. Add additional strip of tape around circumference to create 8 triangular sections. Seal edges of tape to glass with gentle pressure, especially where it overlaps.

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Striping

  • Load #1 liner with Golden Pearl. Using edge of tape as a straight edge, paint stripes, stroking from corner to corner, both edges of the tape. Let dry; remove tape.

A) Holly Ornament

  • Note: The following mixes are used for all 3 ornaments: 3:1 Avocado and Gloss Black (dark green mix), 2:1 Yellow Green and dark green mix (medium green mix); Yellow Green and a touch of medium green mix (light green mix). Remove all water from brushes before loading with paint.

Holly

  1. Double load #6 flat brush with dark green and medium green mixes. Blend on palette paper.
  2. Stroke on holly leaves using a scalloped motion from base to tips to create pointed leaves. Reload for each leaf half. Let dry.
  3. Highlight some leaf edges with side load float of Yellow Light and Clear Medium.

Evergreens

  1. Double load #6 flat with dark green and medium green mixes. Blend only to re-establish the chisel edge of the brush.
  2. With lighter edge of brush pointing away from center of ornament, gently tap in fan-shaped branches. Reload as needed.
  3. When dry, double load #6 flat in dark and light green mixes; blend as above and tap on highlights.

Berries

  1. Use a cotton swab dipped in Christmas Red to tap on berries.
  2. Load a cotton swab sparingly in Christmas Red; slide one side into Gloss White, tap once on palette paper; highlight berries, using a fresh swab for each group.

Dots

  • Use Christmas Red on stylus to apply dots between gold stripes.

B) Stroke Work Ornament

  • Note: Both ornaments are identical designs; however, the direction of the design and color of the flowers differ. Colors used for pink and purple flowers appear in parentheses.

Leaves and Flower Stems

  • Load liner with dark green mix; use long comma strokes to paint dark leaves; load medium green mix to stroke next set of leaves; load light green mix for final set of leaves and stems.

Flowers Glass with Class Ornament

  • Load #1 round brush with Christmas Red (Purple for purple flowers; Rose Mauve and Royal Fuchsia for pink). Use 8 comma strokes per flower. Use stylus to add dot of Cadmium Yellow and Gloss White at base of each flower. Add pollen dots of the same color.

Embellishments

  • Use the liners and stylus to add strokes and dots of Golden Pearl and the 3 shades of green to the intersections of the stripes.

FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cure paint according to label instructions. If heat setting is desired, remove gold caps from ornaments before baking.
  2. Add gold cording for hanging and decorative bows, if desired.

This free project, 'Glass with Class', was designed by Arlene Swiatek Gillen. Arlene has just produced a new book called "Classy Glass" published by Prudy Vanier.

Classy Glass book by Arlene Swiatek Gillen
Inside Classy Glass book by Arlene Swiatek Gillen
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