Decorating With Class

Eliminate the need for picture frames with Gallery Canvases

2009-07-07T08:05:35-07:00

Visit the VictoriaLarsen.com website for Ornamental Plaster Molds, Raised Plaster and Painting Stencils and scads of ideas, techniques and inspiration.

Eliminate the need for picture frames with gallery canvases

I love to paint and it's something I've been doing since I was 12 years old. Recently, the itch to paint has totally overcome me and I dug out my brushes and started a new painting of aspen trees.

Finding and investing in frames to hang my paintings in has always been a real headache and displaying the simple painted canvas on the wall didn't give a "finished" look.

The answer is "gallery wrapped" canvases.

These are art canvases where the canvas itself is stapled on the back of the frame instead of on the sides as was the norm in years past.

With this painting, I was able to take the background and even branches right over the side of the canvas. Who needs a frame when the art is continued to every edge?

Now, when you paint a painting, you can bring your background all the way around the sides of the canvas. What a novel idea and why didn't someone think of this decades ago!

Now, you can do your artwork and display it with pride without a frame.

This type of display works fabulously in today's popular contemporary decorating scheme as well because it keeps the look very simple and modern.

For those of you who are not artists, but would love to do something fun with a canvas like this, take your child's artwork and use modge podge (a craft product used for adhering and sealing designs to a surface) to glue it to the center of a canvas you have painted a coordinating color to your wall color.

Or try painting the entire canvas jet black then stand back the throw brilliant colors of acrylic paints with a paint brush for some dramatic and colorful art on your walls. Who needs to be an artist? Not you!

Find gallery wrapped canvases on sale right now at dickblick.com

Add a 3rd Dimension to Your Faux Finish Business

2009-06-23T08:14:32-07:00

Visit the VictoriaLarsen.com website for Ornamental Plaster Molds, Raised Plaster and Painting Stencils and scads of ideas, techniques and inspiration.

Add a 3^rd Dimension to your Faux Finish Business

We introduced you to raised plaster stencils a few years ago and have watched the faux finish industry come alive with adding the technique of raised designs to their portfolio of services.

But now, you can take the concept of raised designs a step further by incorporating molded ornamental plaster in to your line up of specialty finish services. Combined with raised plaster stenciling, a new dimension in wall design can be easily achieved and serve to set you apart from the competition.

From highly ornate ceilings and walls in mansions and commercial buildings, to more simplistic ornamental plaster moldings and ceiling medallions in more modest homes, ornamental plaster has survived decades of décor style changes and is still a beloved trend that never truly goes out of fashion.

Typically considered a “Traditional” decorating style, ornamental plaster can easily be adapted to even the most contemporary decorating styles. That’s where you and your creativity come in to play.

The truly great thing about ornamental plaster is that it is a highly profitable service, yet because there are few in the faux industry who provide this service, you can command top dollar for it’s inclusion in wall or ceiling designs.

Molds are inexpensive and re-usable over and over. Since plaster of paris is a “pennies per piece” medium, costs are minimal, leaving you with the bulk of the project charge in your pocket.

So what about installation difficulty? It’s so easy you won’t believe it.

Common joint compound mixed with a little white glue (such as Elmer’s) is used as the adhesive today, where actual plaster of paris was used at the turn of the century.

How durable is the adhesion? My first cast plaster ceiling medallion was installed 4 years ago and to this day shows no signs of stress cracks, separation or disintegration of any of the plaster pieces or joints.

Simply butter the back of the molded plaster piece with a 1/8^th inch layer of the joint compound mixture, hold to the surface for 60 seconds and its there for good.

Ornamental plaster alone is very beautiful. Now combine it with raised plaster stenciling as the backdrop and you have an unusual design element to offer your clients.

Designing with ornamental plaster pieces is no different than designing with stencils. In many cases, one simple design element can be repeated to create unique elements such as detailed ceiling medallions, ornate wall frames, central motifs or molded borders and trim.

Wherever you would do raised stenciling, you can also do cast plaster. Ceilings, walls, fireplaces, back splashes, tiles, moldings, doorways, even exterior applications.

Ceiling designs and medallions are a big seller for faux professionals. Now, offer your clients one that was hand crafted out of raw plaster, with unbelievable dimension and watch what happens to your bottom line, your profit margin and your customer satisfaction.

See the picture tutorials on our website:

How to Cast and Apply Molded Plaster

How to Combine Cast Plaster Ornamentation to Raised Plaster Stenciling

My motto has always been; “When faced with the competition on your heels, simply out design them”. This is your opportunity to do just that and to do it with style.

New Raised Plaster Life-sized Willow Tree Stencil

2009-06-17T10:56:12-07:00

Visit the VictoriaLarsen.com website for more great ideas to improve the looks of your home along with the latest and greatest in Raised Plaster Stencils, Mural Stencils and Decorative Plaster Molds for Decor Applications.

New Raised Plaster Life-sized Willow Tree Stencil

I've had it in my mind for quite some time but each time I would try to focus on creating it, something of course would come up to put the project off.

Well, I finally finished the stencil design and I love the look!

To save time, I did the "skip" method with the trunk stencil. That is where you plaster the base stencil, skip the first repeat of the trunk stencil, do every other repeat then once they are dry, come back and do the missing trunk sections.

It goes a lot quicker and while the missing repeats are drying, I can then begin adding the side branch stencil to what is already dry.

The draping leaves are all on one stencil so they go up quickly as well.

I did a color wash of pale brown over the entire tree then added sage green to just the right side of the leaves to give the tree just a hint of color.

This particular tree is 8 feet tall and 5 1/2 feet wide and it fills nearly the entire small wall.

Now my vision of having a
Raised Plaster Willow Tree on my walls has been realized...finally!

Exciting Home Decor Uses for a Cake Decorating Set

2009-05-28T11:05:25-07:00

Exciting Home Decor Uses for a Cake Decorating Set

You know me by now. I LOVE plaster. I LOVE decorating with plaster and I love finding new, exciting ways to apply it.

I have found that my kitchen junk drawer held one of the most exciting plaster tools imaginable! My cake decorating set!

Instead of using the set with frosting, simply fill the decorating bag or press container with common joint compound and have a blast!

*Create scroll work on your walls then attach plaster leaves from one of our plaster leaf molds!

*Add further detail to Raised Plaster Stencil designs

*Add more dimension to Raised Plaster Stones or bricks.

I just developed a new Raised Plaster Stone Tile design (available soon) and started playing with the decorating tip and tinted joint compound. What a kick in the pants!

I first applied tinted compound to the stencil and let it dry.

I then mixed two colors of craft paint with joint compound and filled my cake decorating press container with the mixture.

I then started adding further raise and dimension to the plaster stone work. This is certainly the fun part and you can get just as crazy as you want to!

By tinting the joint compound, you never have to worry if an accidental chip takes place because the color runs through out the stone.

The result was cool! Now I'll let it dry most of the way then do just a bit of a "knock down" with my plastic scraper.

The great thing is that with this technique, an original back splash or wall design with stone tiles becomes an easy project!

Be sure to seal with clear, non-yellowing polyurethane to protect.

Remember that this easy technique can be done to any of our stone or brick designs, to add veining on leaf designs or to create raises around the edges of many designs. Let your imagination take you to a whole new level of Raised Plaster Stenciling!

The Tuscan Decorating You have Always Wanted

2009-05-23T08:25:09-07:00

Visit the VictoriaLarsen.com website for lots of Tuscan styled stencils than range from Raised Plaster Column Stencils to beautiful design for walls, back splashes, bathrooms and more.

The Tuscan Decorating You Have Always Wanted

Every now and then I will read a post where some designer says Tuscan decorating is going out of style. I say; "Hogwash!". If that were so, why am I still seeing prominent features of the beautiful style in today's top decorating magazines, in "Street of Dreams Homes", and why is it still being used by many of today's top interior decorators?

One of my favorite websites for Tuscan decorating is TuscanHome101.

What's so great about TuscanHome101? The entire website is not only filled with great Tuscan ideas, but explains in detail the elements used in common Tuscan decorating so that you can re-create those beautiful look in your own home yourself.

Sure, they "sell" on their site, but the focus seems to be more about teaching you about Tuscan Decorating and what sets it apart from other styles of decorating. They also feature Tuscan "life" which is cool.

The site features Tuscan Architecture, Tuscan Getaways, Tuscan Wines and so on.

It's an adventure all in itself with everything "Under the Tuscan Sun".

So visit today and enjoy a trip to Italy via this wonderful site, all while learning a great deal you might have never known!

And remember that we can help you with some of the elements you might want or need to give your Tuscan theme true beauty! Visit VictoriaLarsen.com today