happy weekend!

free coloring page for you!

I've got another free coloring page for you guys this week! 

download your copy HERE

HAPPY COLORING!

Looking for more coloring inspiration or free downloads:

1. my favorite ways to color and a download  2. succulent coloring page download  3. coloring outside the lines  4. fall leaves download  5. spring coloring page  6. using kids markers to color  7. mandala coloring download  8. tips for coloring with colored pencils  9. ways to use a coloring page and a free download  10. tips for using crayons 11. flower download  12. candy coloring download  13. flower coloring download  14. garden coloring download   15. summer fruit download  16. zen coloring download

in the studio: watercolor blooms

I've been hard at work filming all kinds of new online classes and currently my studio covered in watercolor floral paintings. I'm having so much creating my next class Watercolor Blooms simply because I love anything that involves flowers! Here is a little peek at what I've been up to.

tie dye chair

I've had my eye on tie dye and Shibori furniture for a while. Our living room is a relaxed mix of boho and beach inspired decor and I thought a tie dye chair would go great! But there is no way I was going to spend the money. So the next best thing in my world is to figure out a way to make my own!

My inspiration

source: 1 2 3 4

I grabbed a white cotton sheet, a few packages of Tulip One-Step Dye Kits in blue and got busy creating some yardage of dyed fabric.

I used two different techniques. I can't go as far to say that these techniques are 100% Shibori but I did my best with limits on my time and materials. For one piece of fabric, I used an accordion fold that I bound with rubber bands. The other piece of fabric I made ring patterns by gathering up a handful of fabric and binding it with rubber bands- I filled the entire surface with these rings.

I followed the directions for the one step dye and let my fabric sit for about 6 hours then washed and dried it!

The result are some really fun pieces of blue fabric that have that tie dye/Shibori vibe I was going for!

I have an old chair that belonged to my grandparents that I keep at my studio. I have plans to some day have this chair professionally upholstered but not any time soon! So I brought the chair home and used No-Sew Fabric Glue to make a couple of temporary and simple covers for the cushions and ruffle. 

While the chair is nowhere near perfect, I LOVE the beachy and relaxed vibe it adds to our living room!

NEW online class: rope bowls goes live today!

Hey Friends! My summer lineup of online classes begins today and we are kicking things off with the first class Rope Bowls. And these aren't your typical rope bowls! I am sharing all kinds of ways to use mixed media techniques to turn them into little pieces of art. Here is a little peek.

rope bowls online class: a peek from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

ROPE BOWLS ONLINE CLASS

$15.00

Handmade rope baskets are so much fun to make but I am taking the process a step further and using mixed media techniques to create one of a kind bowls. In this class I will be sharing how to create rope vessels (with and without a sewing machine). Then we will use all kinds of simple supplies, to transform them into colorful, embellished and unique bowls.

happy weekend!

free coloring page for you!

I've got another free coloring page for you guys this week! And for the rest of the week I have a little flash sale happening on my coloring bundles (30 pages of coloring downloads $25 now $15). You can head on over the shop HERE for all the details.

Download your own copy HERE

Happy coloring!

Looking for more coloring inspiration and free downloads:

1. my favorite ways to color and a download  2. succulent coloring page download  3. coloring outside the lines  4. fall leaves download  5. spring coloring page  6. using kids markers to color  7. mandala coloring download  8. tips for coloring with colored pencils  9. ways to use a coloring page and a free download  10. tips for using crayons 11. flower download  12. candy coloring download  13. flower coloring download  14. garden coloring download   15. summer fruit download

painted deck project

Ok friends! I've been hard at work on a big painting project again! Our deck was in need of some serious attention. It wraps around half of our house and while the sides and front are in great shape, the back was really worn. We probably have about one, maybe two more winters (if we are lucky) before we have to do some major work repairing and rebuilding the back portion. We decided that this spring we would get it cleaned up and repainted. In typical Alisa Burke fashion, I suggested painting a big colorful pattern on the surface. Andy loved the idea and after checking the weather and seeing that we would be having a big streak of sun, we decided to dive into repainting.

I feel like before I begin sharing the process I just have to provide a disclaimer or at least share my philosophy on home projects:

I am not into the latest and greatest home decor trends and I NEVER want to feel like my home is "too precious" to take risks and try something unique, creative or even weird. While I love home decor shows, magazine and blogs- I also think it is easy to fall into trendy, safe and practical thinking when it comes to your house. I am not safe nor am I practical and I tackle most DIY projects like an artist. I love color, pattern and I believe that paint is one of the most affordable and easy ways to transform just about anything in your home into art. My husband Andy is super supportive of my approach but he always asks that we try to find a long term, well thought out way of making my ideas happen. 

Ok here we go! So the back portion of our deck was really worn. There was lots of moss on the surface, lots of warped and weathered spots that are at the beginning stage of rot. This is all pretty typical in Oregon. We get so much rain in the winter that the outside of our homes can suffer. Since we have another year, maybe two (if we are lucky) to live with our deck before replacing most of it, we knew we would be painting (not staining) it.

I think that staining (and sealing) a deck is typically the way that most people go because a stain allows you to hold on to that natural look and feel of wood. You also don't have to deal with weathering and peeling. Paint will cover up the wood BUT you have a lot options when it comes to color. When it comes to paint, I think "the normal" and practical thing to do is to not use crazy colors on your deck but as I mentioned above I am not normal and I love color!

Here are the reasons we selected paint instead of stain:

• Paint will fill gaps and cracks.
• Paint will resist mold, rot and sun damage.
• We own our home and I know that we will be living here for a long time so a crazy project like this doesn't affect us like it would if we were renting or planning on selling soon.
• Our deck will eventually need to be replaced and painting it this year is simply taking the necessary steps to buy some time, save for a deck renovation and get a little more time out of it. 
• We liked the idea and look of colorful paint weathering and even peeling.

For our deck we used both Valespar deck paint and exterior paint. There are all kinds of really great heavy duty deck paint and exterior paint out there that is made to seal wood and stand up to the elements. The best part is that you can get just about any color mixed with that paint.

The first step was getting things cleaned up. Andy cleaned and scrubbed the entire surface. Moss is a big problem around these parts so this process took a while. Once it was cleaned up, we let it dry out then he sanded down things down. Since we would be using paint we didn't need to sand it all down- just the trouble spots. 

Now it was time to paint! So here is the crazy thing about me...I don't like to plan or sketch out my designs. I know this is insane but a big part of my painting process is all about the moment and letting things evolve and change. I knew the color scheme I would be using, I also knew I wanted a suzani inspired design on a LARGE scale. I started by using a large brush and began outlining my design. Again, this is all off the top of my head. Something I know (and something that makes me commit to the process) is that if I mess up or if I am not happy with the design, I can paint over it and start again. This is the BEAUTY of paint!

Once my outline was dry, then I began filling in areas of color. Once again, this is off the top of my head. 

The process of adding color, is all about using my gut so I spent a lot of time standing and looking at my design from different angles. My biggest goal is to achieve balance and harmony with my colors. 

As those big areas of color began to dry, I added more color to the top and then started laying down details. We really wanted to make sure that the deck had about 2-3 layers of paint on the entire surface so each of my designs all have layers of colors to ensure that the wood is nice and saturated with paint.

I worked back and forth with painting different areas with layers of color and details. Thankfully we had nice weather so the paint was drying as I worked and I could move around easily.

Lucy even joined in on the painting!

This process took me about 3 days working in chunks of about 3 hours at a time. So a total of around 9 hours. Working on a floor is much different than working on a wall and it can take a fast toll on your back and knees. My body can take about three hours straight of painting then I step away and come back the next day.

The last step was to touch up the remaining side of the deck with a solid dark brown.

NOTE: We did not seal the paint only because the paint we used was made to withstand weather and the elements. But keep in mind no matter how heavy duty the paint or even if it's made for a deck, eventually it will age, weather and peel...there is just no way around it. 

The end result is CRAZY COOL! What I love so much about working large is that you don't need lots of tiny details for something to feel dynamic. My design is pretty simple and FAR FROM perfect. But the scale, the color and the contrast all comes together to feel really dynamic! 

Then came the really fun part and that was doing a little bit of decorating! Up until now, we really haven't used our deck. We have a huge backyard that we love to hang out in. But we do a lot of grilling so we really wanted a fresh, colorful updated space to use while Andy cooks outside on the BBQ. 

We moved some of our outdoor furniture to the deck, purchased some plants to add even more color and the next thing I knew, we had completely and TOTALLY transformed this space! Now we've been enjoying our meals out here, using it as a place to hang out and draw or read. It has been so much fun to have a new space to use now that the weather is nice.

Looking for a little more inspiration when it comes to using paint and creativity in those home decor projects?

painted floor runner   painted countertops    statement wall   kids statement wall  flower mural   guest room mural   doodled dishwasher