Beary Christmas

Hi, All!  It is a lovely and warm October afternoon here in the Willamette Valley ~ it's 74°F out there and sunny.  Emma (my sweet Puggie) is finishing her nap in the family room, so I figured I'd hang out in the craft room and work on some Chalk Couture projects!

Today, I'm using the Beary Christmas Transfer.  It is 8½" x 11" and is the perfect size for the Aiden 9" x 12" frame I will be using.  This chalkboard frame came with my starter kit and is really lovely with it's wide frame and antique whitewash.  

Let's Chalk!

I took a marker to the back of the transfer and I will show you why in a bit.

Not perfect, but you get the idea!

This is the Aiden 9"x12" frame that I got in my starter kit and one of my very first chalking experiences was with the Farm Sweet Farm transfer.  I loved how it turned out!

I spritzed water over the dried chalk paste to loosen it up for easy removal.  Design.  Love.  Repeat.  I have enjoyed this pretty artwork and I am ready to make something new!

I let it sit for about 5 minutes to really soak in.

In the meantime, I peeled the Beary Christmas Transfer from it's backing and stuck it to a towel to "fuzz" it.  Fuzzing just adds a bit of fuzz to the back of the transfer to take down the tackiness of the adhesive so that the transfer can be removed from the surface you are working on without being too stuck on, also minimizing stretching and warping the transfer.

Okay, the reason I drew on the transfer backing was to make sure that I stuck the transfer back onto the glossy side of the backing.  Otherwise, it would just stick to the paper and would be a pain to remove.  I cut the backing in half also to help me guide the transfer onto the chalkboard surface.

I placed half of the backing back onto the transfer.  This way, I can line it up better without the risk of sticking where it doesn't belong on the surface or to itself.

 A few extra spritzes and a wet sponge and we are off to cleaning the chalkboard. 

A few extra spritzes and a wipe with some paper towel cleaned it up nicely!  Super easy!

See how much easier it is to place the transfer in the frame?

Once I was happy with the placement, I gently peeled off the other backing and stuck the transfer to the chalkboard.

Now comes the paste!  I am using the Bright White chalk paste for the whole project.  Nice, simple and clean.  I glopped it down in assorted areas and went to work, smoothing the chalk paste over the silkscreen part of the transfer, making sure all the areas were covered.

Don't be stingy on the paste.  Get lots on there and then scrape off the rest back into the jar.

Voila!  The chalk paste is on and the excess has been scraped off.  I then gently pulled the transfer off (side to side to minimize stretching) and stuck it back to the towel to get cleaned later.

Super cute or what!  I was glad I did it in all white.  Looks sweet and rustic!

I decided to do one more project with this transfer, so I cleaned it up with my wet sponge, disinfecting wipes (works awesome at getting the paste off the transfer) and some paper towel.

I picked this wooden piece at Walmart a while back.  I had already lightly sanded and waxed the surface, so it was all ready to go!

Same process - stick the transfer to the surface and smooth out the bubbles, sticking it as close to the surface as possible (the wood grain is a bit uneven, especially with the slats).

Squeegee on the chalk paste and scrape off the excess back into the jar.

I gently removed the transfer and Beary Christmas it is!

I cleaned up the transfer in some water and cleaning wipes and left it to dry on the towel.  I'll get about another 8 uses out of this transfer, so after it's dry, I will put the backings back on and into the binder it goes for another project!

Both projects turned out awesome and will be perfect when it comes time to put them out for Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by!  If you have any questions about Chalk Couture or it's products, or need more information about joining and becoming a Chalk Couture consultant, drop me a note and I will be happy to answer them for you!