Bee-utiful Summer Glasses

'Bee'-utiful Summer Glasses

By Natalie Wyatt 

 

Made with "Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Ceramic Paint and Markers"

 

Dean's Summer Dance.

 

So Summer is well under-way! And living here in Melbourne, we will probably be experiencing it on and off all year with our lovely non-committal weather tendencies...

So! I made some really easy and fun Bee glasses! I've had a few functions since I made them and they're quite fun for all ages getting them out and watching people gravitate toward them. Plus you could very easily change the concept and make butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs or anything else you wanted.

 What you will need:

• 1 x Wales Old Fashion Glass (Or any other preference)*
• Sun Yellow Vitrea 160 Paint (Glossy)
• White Vitrea 160 Paint (Glossy)
• Black Vitrea 160 Marker (Glossy)
• 1 x Small Paintbrush (I used Princeton Art & Brush Co. Golden Taklon Synthetic Hair #4 Round)
• A cup/glass filled with water (To rise your brush)
• Scrap paper to cover work-bench.
• Tissues to blot the wet paint-brushes.

 

Firstly, make sure your glass has been cleaned thoroughly in hot water and your hands are clean as-well.

You start by drawing a foot-ball shaped oval with the marker and adding a flick to one side.

The marker needs to be shaken before use and if your paint runs out as you are drawing, just press the tip a few times on scrap paper so the marker tip floods with paint.

Then, you can add a small line at the front which will be the head area.

 Now, using your marker again, create two stripes in the body of the bee. I've made my line thicker at the top to create that perspective of the stripes.

You can now add the two little wings on-top. 

I made one wing larger than the other for aesthetic purposes. 

Before you start the next step allow time for the marker to dry, otherwise you will find the black marker paint running with the yellow paint.

Even waiting 10-15 minutes so the paint can develop a thick skin is enough time.

Now you can use your Princeton brush and Vitrea 160 Sun Yellow paint and fill in the stripes on the Bee's body.

Oh isn't he cute.

(They look brilliant in sunlight!)

Now you can clean your brush and using the White Vitrea 160 Paint start to fill in the wings.

You'll want a fairly decent amount of paint on the wings to get that brilliant white colour.

This next step you can use the same paint from before, but this time only very lightly paint the head of the bee with a thin white layer of paint.

Allow the white layer to dry and then repeat with the yellow paint.

This creates a soft yellow colour.

Make sure you allow that time to dry in between to achieve this effect.

This next step is incredibly difficult but I have no fear that you can persevere and rise to the challenge.

*deep breath*

For this step I want you to use your black marker again and place one black dot on the head for the eye...

Oh thank goodness you did it!

Good job, there will be dancing in the streets today in your honour!

For the last step, take your marker again and draw a trail of lines around the glass as the path for the bee. You can do it in any direction or fashion!

And you're done!

Well... nearly, now all you have to do is wait 24 hours for the paint to dry and then bake it at 160 degrees for 40 minutes.

I generally put the glasses on a tray when baking them.

To avoid accidently cracking your glass, leave your glasses in the oven to cool down gradually so they aren't shocked by the sudden temperature change when they are done.

These glasses were bought from Kmart, however Spotlight stocks Princeton Brushes and the Vitrea Paints/Markers and have a great range of glasses as-well. 

 

 

Please send us photos of your designs!

Thanks for bearing with my humour.

Or lack of it.

Not sure which.

Blame my Dad.

Natalie Wyatt

Natalie's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nataliebethart?pnref=lhc