Most of us have heard the odd, awkward notes of a child learning to play an instrument. The result of blowing too hard or hitting the wrong key isn’t exactly music to our ears. In fact the one thing the instrument is made to do, make music, couldn’t be further from what you eardrums are picking up.
During this learning period, the best way to cope with the high and low pitches coming from the other room is to remind yourself that they are learning a new skill. Eventually the daily practice sessions start paying off when the notes give way to what is almost recognizable as “Happy Birthday.”
There are times when I get discouraged with my crafty side. The side that wants to milk paint home furniture or write a mystery book. In my head, I can see the finished product in all its glory. What is in front of me is anything but glorious. I admit. I get disheartened about the creative process.
That was until I saw myself as learning the scales for my personal symphony.
As I have shared before, my attempts at using transfer gel to add lettering and designs to my milk painting furniture has . . . failed. It would be easy to shelf the gel and perfect the fine art of just painting furniture. But I decided to treat the process like I would learning to play the sax — start with the basics and keep practicing.
My second attempt resulted in a slightly better version. I created signs to accompany a dandelion wall decal in the living room of a vacation rental I am preparing. The lettering stayed on and you can actually read it. However, I felt like I had to leave a great amount of paper pulp on the finished product just so the font would stand out. (See below)
My third attempt, a sign with my last name, was created slightly different. I used the transfer gel to put the lettering on and then I sanded it off. The result was a very faint stencil of the words I wished to add to the sign. Using the milk paint, I painted my last name on the distressed piece of upcycled wood.
While its not Beethoven’s “5th”, I think I have “Happy Birthday” down in my own personal symphony.
