I've invented a new word this week... 'Britmas'!! where all things British and all thing Christmassy collide :) As the Union Flag and other British symbols have been such a hot fashion and home decor trend this year with the popularity of the Olympics and Jubilee celebrations i'm thinking this is likely to extend to Christmas decorations too....
Union Jack Hand-Painted Porcelain Christmas Bauble
I bought some gorgeous mat white porcelain baubles a while ago and i've been waiting for inspiration to strike... so, when i hit on this new line of festive thinking, a Union Jack design seemed perfect... and i love how it turned out!
Method
I normally do all my painting completely free hand but i found painting on the porous porcelain very different to decorating the glazed finish of the mugs and plates i work with. The paint doesn't 'move around' so fluidly and you wipe it clean either! I discovered that using masking tape to mark out each section allowed me to use sweeping brushstrokes which created a more pleasing finish - this is quite a 'stagey' process though as there is a lot of stopping and starting while each section dries enough not to be damaged by tape being stuck to it to mark out the next section!
How To Buy
The price of one Union Jack Christmas Bauble is £12 (the link takes you to the listing in my Etsy shop but it is also available here on my website along with my other bauble designs). All of my baubles are also available in a set of three for £33 on Etsy in any combination.
Red, White And Blue And Red And Gold Porcelain Baubles
These two designs are actually the same as the Union Jack pattern but it is turned on its head to give a completely different effect... can you see how the cross is now formed at the top and the base of the sphere..? The eye is not naturally drawn to this aspect of the design but they could easily add a subtle nod to the Brit loving trend as part of a festive display if you wanted!
Red, White And Blue Bauble
The red, white and blue bauble certainly coordinates with the 'Britmas' colour scheme, i also happen to love this colour combo - you may have noticed it is featured a lot in my designs!
Red And Gold Bauble
I loooooooooove red and gold! Whether as part of the rainbow of turning Autumn leaves or the rich tones of Christmas time it always makes me feel warm inside :) The gold enamel i've used for this bauble is perfect for the look i wanted - not too shiny (which can easily look cheap i think) but not to dull and brassy either. I hope you like it as much as i do!
In Other News... Handmade Monday And Kaboodle
Thank you so very much to everyone who left a comment on my last Handmade Monday post! I am thrilled that so many of you seem to like my Christmassy decorations and i really appreciate you taking the time to tell me :) I also really value the experiences and tips you often share in the comments section, it is super helpful to hear your thoughts on craft related matters!
On those lines, i'd be very interested to know if any of you have had any experience with a site called Kaboodle... I just signed up today (you can find me here) and it seems like a really nicely set up shopping/sharing site - along the lines of WANELO but as well as themed collections (think Pinterest boards but just for stuff you can buy) it has some nice extra features like 'style boards' and 'polls' that you can share and invite others to comment on. Etsy seems to support it too which i thought was interesting - there is a post on the Etsy blog about it. I'm planning to write a blog post soon comparing some of these shopping/sharing sites (WANELO, Biz Speaking, Kaboodle) looking at the opportunities they offer designer/makers to share their products with a wider audience... still information gathering at the moment though!
Handmade Monday
If you are new to my blog, you may be interested to know that i am linking up with a fabulous weekly gathering of crafty bloggers known as Handmade Monday over at Handmade Harbour - i'm off over there now to check out all the wonderful crafting on display... care to join me?
Wishing you a wonderful week x
They are lovely and I think Britmas is a great name - well done. Hope you have a good week.
ReplyDeletethank you! you too :)
DeleteBritmas what a good word and those baubles sum it up perfectly.
ReplyDeletethank you! x
DeleteBrilliant idea, I'm sure Britmas is going to be a hit!
ReplyDeletethank you! x
Deletethese are amazing! beautifully photographed too!
ReplyDeletethank you Karen!! x
DeleteBeautiful! I really like them, what about a deep green, gold and silver combo? Looking forward to reading your post about the different sharing sites as this is an area I have no knowledge of at all :-)
ReplyDeletethank Bev! Good ideas, i am currently pondering other colour combos to try!
Deletei will let you know when i have done the post.. there are so many different types of social networking sites out there now its hard to keep up!! x
These are labor intensive, but the results are worth it ♥ Britmas suits, clever!
ReplyDeletethank you! :)
DeleteWow they look lovely and I think Britmas is a fantastic tagline. I'm sure you'll have lots of orders.
ReplyDeleteAli x
thank you very much Ali! x
DeleteLoving the Britmas term and products :)
ReplyDeleteBritmas is a fabulous name and the baubles are beautiful, really lovely. How about a rich purple and gold too? The photos are excellent, I'm still practising with my tent!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week.
xxx
oooooh i do like purple! i might just have a go at that one :)
Deletethank you! i've found simplifying has worked for me - these are taken outside, with a white plasterboard as the background... x
Lovely work! Sooo difficult to get straight lines on a sphere
ReplyDeletetrue! thank you :) x
DeleteI love the satin sheen of these- though I think all that waiting for paint to dry would have driven me mad!
ReplyDeleteha! yes it is a little frustrating, although in a funny way it suits me as i tend to have lots of things on the go and am easily distracted anyway!!
Deletei like the finnish too, especially the enamel against the mat white of the porcelain x
I like the clean look of your photographs.
ReplyDeletethank you! x
DeleteLove the red and gold combo! :-)
ReplyDeletethank you! i do too :)
DeleteBritmas is an excellent idea and the baubles look fantastic. Must have taken a bit of patience to wait for each bit to dry before adding the next bits of masking tape.
ReplyDeletethank you Stephen! yes, it is a bit of a long process :)
DeleteThey are great, love the Britmas baubles!! Jessica
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicaSherriff
thanks Jessica! x
DeleteBritmas, you should definitely patent it. These look amazing, absolutely not something I would ever be brave enough to try, I predict smashed baubles galore. In my case it would be more Btitmash that Britmas ;)
ReplyDeletethank you!
Deleteit probably would be quite fun smashing baubles - like plates at a Greek wedding! :)
Britmas - how brilliant!! The baubles look fab, but you must have some patience to do them!
ReplyDeletethanks Wendy! glad to see you're back online :) x
DeleteYou paint so neatly, you must have a really steady hand. I've never heard of this particular site Kaboodle before. Will have to google it.
ReplyDeletethank you! i guess i do... although masking tape was a big help with these :) x
DeleteI saw these on facebook, shared by Tracey at WowThankYou, they look lovely.
ReplyDeleteJan x
thank you Jan!
Deleteand thank you for letting me know about the share and for sharing too! xx
Ooo, love these!
ReplyDeletethanks Heather :) x
Deletewow I can't believe you handpainted these, they are fantastic well done
ReplyDeletethank you very much Clare! x
DeleteThe baubles look wonderful. Love the colours and the "Britmas" name!
ReplyDeleteWendy
thanks Wendy! x
DeleteThese are a really great idea. Big, bold and colourful! I love your new word too. I have not heard of these sites and so shall wait for your related post with eagerness.
ReplyDeletethank you!
Deletei will let you know when the post is published :) x