The Dish on As You Wish

Lemon – Aid!

Posted on: December 30th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

It is that time of year when we start to reflect on the year behind us and we make those dreaded resolutions for the year ahead.  We usually start out full of energy and persistence and in many cases will power!  We are committed to making changes in the new year and this year we are going to stick to it by golly!  Hmmm….sound familiar?  So around about February, how many of you are starting to,oh, maybe exercise two times a week instead of three,  or maybe you could have just one chocolate brownie, or maybe it’s ok if we don’t file that paperwork right this minute and just file the pile of paper at the end of the week – I bet this sounds familiar!  All too often we start out with good intentions and excitement only to see them fizzle out in just a few months time.  Well our Deer Valley Manager, Nicole has come up with some great inspiration.  We’ve all heard of the saying – “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”  Well, our manager’s took part in a teambuild towards the end of the year based on just that – everyone has some lemons in their life that could be turned into lemonade – so they took ordinary lemons, decorated them for each other and turned them into lemonade (so to speak). 

Nicole kept her new dressed up lemon on the counter at the studio for inspiriation – it become her lemon-aid so to speak. “Scott gave me the one he made and I put it up at the register. It cracks me up everytime I look at it and a couple customers have inquired as to why there is a very special lemon sitting on the counter and they are pleasantly surprised to hear that our fearless leader made it for us.”  Nicole’s new saying is “When life hands you lemons, decorate them with feathers and glitter!”

Nicole decided to take it one step further and use her “lemon-aid” for a more permanent lemon-aid solution.  She used her dressed up lemon to make this:

It is a reflection of Nicole’s New Year’s Resolution “ It says The Attitude of Gratitude and it’s for my New Year’s Resolution to be thankful for simple pleasures and small treasures.  Instead of numbers, it has words that represent the small things in life to be grateful for (and a nice yellow lemon in the center-my original inspiration). So, when you check the time, you can take a moment to reflect on how grateful you might be for….sunshine, good food, friendship….and the like”

Now that is what we call Making Lemonade outing of Lemons!

I Love My Mummy!

Posted on: October 29th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

Halloween is literally right around the corner! This year try a different take on the classic handprint with this whimsical MUMMY! 

1)      Begin by randomly putting masking tape down the center of the plate making horizontal stripes about an inch apart.

2)      Paint the child’s hand except for the thumb with Black Lab paint. You will place two vertical handprints over the horizontal stripes of masking tape so that the heal of the first hand print is at the top of the plate, and the fingers of the second handprint are at the bottom of the plate. 

3)      Gently pull the tape off the plate. If there are white spaces where the tape was, paint the child’s fingers and make finger prints in the white spaces. Making sure to leave the space at the top white for the eyes.

4) Using a large round brush paint two round circles for the eyes using Hi Ho Silver.

5)      Using a number two pencil sketch the outline of the mummy around the handprints. Using a large square brush paint one coat of Hi Ho Silver as the background around the mummy.      

6) Cut the basic shape of the mummy out of a piece of butcher paper. Lay the cut out shape on top of your handprints – this will protect it when you splatter. Use a toothbrush dipped in Coffee and Cream paint and splatter all over the plate. Repeat with Hi Ho Silver and Black Lab Paint. 

7)      Using Black Puffy Paint outline the shape of the mummy, the eyes – adding black puff dots in the center of the eyes. Then write I LOVE MY MUMMY at the top! The child’s name can go at the bottom of the Mummy or anywhere else on the plate you choose.

8)      Now use Black Funwriter and go around the rim for a barbed wire edge. Just make sort of jagged, imperfect lines and add some x’s and some dashes wherever you see fit.

Who doesn’t LOVE their MUMMY?

Hello Jack!

Posted on: October 19th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

Now here’s a skeleton I wouldn’t mind hanging around in my kitchen. He’s so fun and easy you may want to paint it on mugs, salad plates or anything else that strikes your funny bone!

 

Here’s how to do it in ten easy steps: 

1)      There’s no need to paint the background of your pottery it will automatically be a creamy off white color.  If you do want it to be a bright white then paint the entire background of your pottery with 3 coats of Polar Bear White paint.

2)      With a large round brush, make two big circles with Hi Ho Silver for the eyes.

3)      When the grey is dry, use the same round brush and make two circles inside the grey with Black Lab to finish the eyes. Do two to three coats to make it really solid. 

5)      Next, get out a Black Lab funwriter.

6)      With the funwriter, make the two nostrils between the eyes. Remember that with a funwriter, only one application is necessary, not three coats! Just outline the nostrils and then fill in with the funwriter. Remember to hold the funwriter at an angle, don’t scratch into the paint. The more you squeeze on the funwriter the more paint will come out.

7)      Now it’s time to make the mouth. Take the Black Lab funwriter, and beginning on the left side and moving to the right, draw a crooked smile with medium pressure. You want to have a thicker line for this.  The more pressure you apply to the funwriter the thicker your line will be.

8)      Now add the vertical/crooked “stitches” along the smile line with the funwriter.

9)      The final step is to add the funwriter detailing with the Back Lab. When adding the detailing, not too much squeezing. You want the lines to break up a little as you go. Draw around the grey eye areas, as well as making a lot of stopping and starting action as you detail the mouth!

10)  Isn’t he cute?  He looks darling on a cappacino mug as well!

You Are My Sunshine!

Posted on: September 3rd, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

I just completed this piece for a loyal customer  and thought it would be perfect to share with you as summer comes to a close.  Sunflowers are beautiful as we head into Fall but this design will never go out of season.  This design is adorable yet very personal with sweet little handprints as the center of big, beautiful sunflowers.  Depending on the age of the child (if they are tiny babies and it is hard to get a handprint)  footprints will work well too.

Begin with sketching out where you would like the flowers to be so you have an idea of your handprint or footprint placement.  Single blooms look nice or group them together for fuller look.

Paint the hand or foot with Bright Briarwood and press on to the pottery.  Continue until you are done with the centers of all of your flowers.  When the prints are dry, take a medium round brush dipped in Bright Saffron and use big, bold brushstrokes to create the sunflower petals all around the print.  I added a touch of Dark Butternut to the petals to add dimension.   You may also add a stem – with a simple stroke of the brush and some leaves with Bright Kiwi.

When the flowers are completely dry, accent with Dark Briarwood and Black funwriters.  Use the Dark Briarwood to do a heavy loose outline the flowers and the black to do a lighter, “skippy” outline on the inside of the bold outline.  Don’t forget to add the seeds to the cenr of the flowers. 

For this custom piece, I also included big brother by turning his thumbprints into a few bees buzzing around!  You can do the same if you want to include siblings, or make your mark on the piece by including your own thumbprints and make it a Mommy and Me creation!

No matter what piece of pottery this is painted on, your masterpiece is sure to create a buzz!

Get Your Game On!

Posted on: August 25th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

Football season is just a few weeks away, with pre-season games already underway.  As You Wish has quite a few samples featuring our very own Arizona Cardinals and ASU Sun Devils and we’ve always thought it was a great idea to paint game day serving accessories to add to your festivities whether you are enjoying the game at home on tv or tailgating at the stadium.  We have one Arizona family who dare we say are Steelers fans!  The Simons family has stopped in to our Deer Valley studio every year for the last five years right around the start of football season.  They paint dishes, mugs, frames etc to reflect their allegiance to the Steelers .  Whenever they get together for the game they bring out their As You Wish dishes full of good food and good cheer!  They were excited to paint the tall beer steins this year.  Now, they do have one family member who is a die hard Arizona Cardinals fan “we accept him anyway”  they say.  They also added one new member to the clan this year who made a 49ers mug “He’s the NEW guy!” 

Our Arizona Cardinals will have their first home game on Sept. 11th , so whether you are cheering them on our rooting for the other team, plan a painting party at As You Wish to paint up your team spirit and you’ll have the best grid iron grub serving dishes around! 

Who’s your favorite team?  Let us know how you get your game on!

Roses Made Easy

Posted on: August 16th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

One of the quickest and easiest ways to add life to any piece of pottery is with flowers. Today, we will share a couple of tricks that will make the art of roses super simple for anyone to master. You’ll be able to create this magnificent piece in no time!

Take the graphic rose first. Begin with a dab of color – it’s just a blob of paint. Red is always nice, but pink, yellow or even purple will also work well. When it is dry, use black puffy paint and in a squiggly, circular pattern, create your rose. Voila! And you thought it looked so hard.

Now how about a two dimensional rose that is anything but flat. Begin with a small “horseshoe” shape for the center. You can use a brush or a funwriter, both work well. Next, we will begin to build the flower by creating interlocking shapes that also form a circular perimeter. See the example. As the rose grow, the shapes get larger, and more free form. Add a green leaf or a stem, and before you know it, you will have a beautiful rose.

You can take the same two dimensional rose described above, and by adding a lighter color to the edges of the shapes, you can take it that one step further to create a three dimensional beauty.

Now that you know a few of the secrets, give it a try!

My Special Day

Posted on: August 6th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

            

School is about to begin and there are so many special days coming up – “first day of kindergarten” or in my case “first day of senior year” (how time flies!), “You got an A!”, “You made the team!” so why not celebrate the moment and your special student with  a Special Day Plate.  The two of you can have fun painting this together, then use it for after school treats, before practice snacks, or any other time when you want to show your child just how much they deserve a “gold star!”

Here are the simple steps to create Sample #1:

1)      Sketch out the big star with a #2 pencil.

2)      You can use a few pieces of masking tape to block off the bottom points on the rim.  Once you paint the rim you can remove the tape.

3)      With a round yellow sponge, paint the rim with two coats of your child’s favorite color. I used Light Kiwi.

4)      Remove the masking tape.

5)      Paint the big star with two coats of Bright Saffron.

6)      As the star dries, make the polka dots around the rim by using the eraser end of a #2 pencil dipped in a complementary color. I used Bright Caribbean.

7)      You can dip the eraser each time for a perfect dot each time, or make two dots before dipping in paint again for a more whimsical look of uneven dots.

8)      Use Dark Butternut funwriter or any other color you like for details on the inside of the star.

9)      Add starburst designs to the background with a Light Blue Spruce funwriter.

10)  The finishing touch to this cute piece is when it is personalized with your child’s name and of course, the “It’s my special day” message across the top.

The same basic steps can be changed up to accommodate any piece of pottery. The coupe plate (shown in sample #2) eliminates the rim, but makes the star much larger. Instead of painting the star a solid color, use the funwriter to “scribble” the paint inside the star. Have fun experimenting and letting your child be the leader.

Let Back To School Spirit Inspire You

Posted on: July 26th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

As the summer is winding down, and all those Back To School displays are starting to show up at the mall, this is the perfect time to think of school year gifts.  Or for me,  just a really great excuse to “get inspired!”

Are you sending your young adult off to college, like I’m getting ready to do?  Yikes! It’s hectic and exciting!  What a fun and personalized way to celebrate their accomplishments, and what they have yet to do with a pottery piece emblazoned with their new school logo.  Paint them a set of dishes for their dorm room, a picture frame ready for a photo of their first college mixer, a set of mugs for all the coffee they are going to drink while they study – there is no end to what you can do or even do together!  We do know they will love it though  – it’s a little piece of home wapped up in their new adventure in life!

You can get in the game for your high schooler too! Celebrate their favorite sport, show off their number, commemorate an entire season, or just show their school spirit!  And remember school spirit isn’t just for the kids!  I created the picture frame below this past spring to say “thank you” to our hard working Notre Dame Prep Soccer Team moms. Our theme for the season was “We Believe” which I incorporated into the design along with the names of every team member.

So paint up some school spirit.  If you don’t want to do it yourself, I can certainly paint it for you, just give me a shout at  thea@asyouwishpottery.com

Just Keep Swimmin’

Posted on: July 11th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

All of our hot, sticky, dusty weather lately is sending us dreaming of the sea and cooler places.  If you can’t go to the sea we figured you might as well paint it!  This darling fish plate is so easy to paint, even your child can do it!  

1)      Sketch out the big fish. Use a number 2 pencil -  the pencil marks will disapear once it’s fired.  Start with a big circle.

2)      Bring one side of the circle in towards the center so the lip sticks out, and add the top fin, and the tail.

3)      Now that you have your fish shape, it’s time to paint.

4)      Start with whatever light green you like. I used Light Kiwi. With a large round brush, paint one or two coats in all directions. You want to see the brush strokes, it adds to the fun.

5)      With a darker green, I used Dark Wintergreen, and a smaller brush, paint both fins and the swirls for the gills.

6)      The background is painted with Light Aqua and lots of water on your brush. Dip the brush in water first, then the paint, and then just swish your brush onto the plate around your fish.

7)      Add bubbles with Light Aqua.

8)      Make two circles for the eyes with Really White.  Make sure to do 2-3 coats so they show up.

9)      Add some pattern to your fish with dots in a medium green. I used Bright Kiwi.  You can just use the wrong end of your paint brush or a pencil eraser and dip it in paint and then on your piece and you will get perfect polka dots.

10)  When your fish and all the parts are dry, add the final details by outlining with a Black funwriter.

When you are done, your fish will be so cute that you’ll want to paint a whole school of them. Salad plates make a perfect accompaniment as do the coupe chargers! Have fun and Happy Swimming!

San Diego Beach Baby

Posted on: July 7th, 2011 by As You Wish No Comments

Just spent the weekend in San Diego and saw all those Arizona Babies running around on the beach in San Diego and was reminded of our San Diego Beach Baby Plate.  How cute is this reminder of your fun in the sun this summer?  It really is an easy plate to paint, but take this idea, and feel free to change it up by painting this design on an iced tea pitch, a family style bowl, or even a larger platter if you’d like to include more than one pair of sandals!

  1.  Begin with painting your child’s foot with Light Pink or any skin tone color you choose. I like to use a sponge for feet just because a brush tends to tickle quite a bit, but a fan brush, or any other paintbrush will do just fine. Just wipe the paint on their foot and stamp it on the plate. Repeat for the second foot. 
  2. While the prints are drying, take your favorite Yellow paint and make the sun. Just do simple one coat brush strokes.  Don’t forget to include the rays. If you are unsure of free handing it remember you can draw the sun on first in number 2 pencil if you like and then fill in with paint like a coloring book.
  3. Next, it’s time for the water. I used one coat of Neon Blue in a swishy brush stroke technique. You may use any blue that you like. We have many to choose from.
  4. The prints should be dry by now, so take a medium round brush and dip in Bright Pink, or any other color you prefer. Paint around the footprint in the simple shape of the flip flop. It is ok to have a little bit of white between the flip flop and the footprint.  Again if you are unsure you can use a number 2 pencil and draw a line around the footprints and outline your flip flop and then just fill in with paint.
  5.  Add the straps in Bright Caribbean and make the little flower bling with funwriters.
  6. Finish the piece off with Black funwriter outlining and detailing and of course the name and place you are commemorating.  It doesn’t get much cuter than this!