Winter Wonderland Wooden Sign

Occasionally, I like to get a little artsy and crafty.  This week, I  completed a new project especially for Day 7 (Christmas Crafts!) of the "25 Days of Christmas", hosted by Jmo and Star: 

**the Winter Wonderland wooden sign**

You will need: 1 wooden board, a few different shades of acrylic craft paint, craft paint brushes, word stencils and a relaxing workspace with good lighting. For this project, I used a 26'w x 7"h pine craft board and Ceramcoat brand acrylic paint in Metallic Silver, Pearl Finish, White, and Ultra Blue.  

Board Prep: Paint with brown base coat - I use cheap interior/exterior paint, because one coat is all that's needed, and it dries quickly.  Any type of paint or varnish can be used.

Paint Prep:  I blended Ceramcoat White with Ultra Blue to create a creamy blue hue that is used for some of lettering on the sign.

Begin by painting the background design. I free handed snowflakes using Silver and Pearl Finish paints, and alternated shapes and sizes until the entire board was covered:

You can't really mess up a snowflake design; I always start with a circle in the center, and work my way outward with a variety of lines, circles, and curls -use your imagination! You can always google "snowflake clipart" for inspiration.

You don't need to spend money on pre-cut stencils; create your very own custom designs on any word processing program, print them out, and "trace"them onto the board. Simply lay the design on top of the board and trace around the edges with a thick ball point pen or dull pencil, applying pressure as you trace.  When you remove the paper, you will see the design etched into the board. Simple and cheap? I think so! 

I filled in the first row of "etched" letters with the creamy blue paint I mixed when prepping for the project. The blue stands out nicely against the silver and pearl snowflakes.  (Can you guess what the bottom row of words will be?)

I free-handed the phrase "Winter Wonderland" with white paint; I opted to use my own handwriting and paint directly onto the board rather than trace a design in, as I wanted to add a personal touch (you will find out why at the end of this tutorial!)

To hang the sign, I decided to use two "loops" of sturdy craft wire (one on each side of the board) rather than a bracket.  The board I used for this project was thin (1/4") and light enough to be supported securely by the wire. A bracket can also be used.  I carefully measured a few inches inward from each side of  the board and drilled small holes toward the top. 

I cut two 7" pieces of craft wire, which i then folded in half and threaded through each drilled hole.  I left a "loop" in the front, and twisted the wire tightly on the backside of the sign so that the wire hangers would be secure.  

The sign can easily be hung by two nails - gorgeous!

Isn't she lovely?  You may recognize the typewriter font - I use it frequently when blogging! As for the free-handed "Winter Wonderland" lettering, I felt it was necessary to add a completely personal touch - I want to make sure that whoever wins this beauty receives a one-of-a-kind, uniquely "Stephanie" piece of work!  

Oh yes - I said "win".  WIN, as in, I'm giving the "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland" hand- painted wooden sign away to one of my awesome readers!

Enter to win:

1. Let me know that you'd like to win the sign by leaving a comment (1 entry)

2. Follow the blog! And if you already do, AWESOME.  Leave a comment either way. (1 entry)

3. "Like" A Grad Student's Wife on Facebook (see Right column) and leave a comment letting me know. (2 entries)

3. Blog it! And leave a comment with the link to your post. (3 entries)

4. Tweet it! Make sure to mention @herdfan in your tweet. (3 entries)

5. BONUS ENTRY:  What's your favorite thing about Wintertime?  Comment and let me know!

The winner will get to enjoy the sign for months to come!

**Giveaway ends Sunday, December 12th at 12:01am**

Walk Like a Penguin

"Hold my hand and I'll help you across the parking lot", my friend said to me as she gently grabbed hold of my forearm and tried to remain patient.

{via}

I was a teen.  My teammates and I were leaving the junior high gymnasium, where I had just finished playing in a crappy basketball game.  It was a damp, cold night, and the sky was full of freezing drizzle. 

and I was STUCK!

Stuck, in the middle of the parking lot, which was covered with a half inch thick glistening layer of smooth, solid ice. My parents were waiting for me in the car, which was warming up on the other side of the lot.  To get there, I had to walk across the ice, approximately 75 feet. My fingers were dug deep into a half rotten fence post I'd managed to cling to, and I wasn't planning to let go anytime soon. I felt sick to my stomach.

After 10 minutes of encouragement from my friend, I eventually made my way to my parents' car, half in tears, half crab-walking, pathetically scooting across the ice with  my friend's help. 

Flash forward 13 years later:  I still whimper and feel like throwing up when I have to walk on a slick surface. I've considered keeping a bag of salt in my car for those wintry days when I pull into an icy parking lot at work or the grocery store - you know, so i could toss a few handfuls out in front of me, make a path.  I invested in a pair of Ugg-like knockoff boots (which are black and totally ugg-ly!) to wear all winter long, which I change out of when I reach the safety of my office.  There, I take my boots off, set them aside to dry, and apply high heels. (Why do I not mind walking in heels when I'm afraid of falling while walking on ice? I'm not sure; it's just another one of those great woman mysteries.)

Nothing ever happened to me to create this fear; I'm just terrified of walking on ice!

I cry, I squeal, I sob.  Sometimes, I crawl on all fours to get across a patch of ice, which completely embarrasses the living daylights out of my husband when we're out in public. 

One time (at the age of 21), I crab walked across 5th Avenue in Huntington, the highly traveled four lane that intersects with Hal Greer Boulevard and surrounds the Marshall University main campus. My husband (then fiance) probably second guessed our future wedding when that whole situation occurred.

With or without treaded boots, I will never feel safe walking on ice. 

It's a little early for winter stories, but I can't resist a fun writing prompt! I'm linking up @Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop - head over and give one of her prompts a whirl!