Contest!
In thanks, I’m giving away an Opalite Rainbow Moonstone Full Moon Tree of Life pendant in your choice of wire color! This is one of my most popular pieces. It retails for $50 but one lucky winner will get it free!

Want a chance to win? Simply LIKE PhoenixFire Designs FB Page, comment and SHARE the contest image for a chance to win! I will pick a random winner on Friday, May 3rd. One entry per person please.

Discount Coupon Code!
Can’t wait? Want to buy something now? Save 10% this week only on ANY purchase in the shop with code 1000SALES.

Thank you for your continued support!

Buy it HERE.

'moon love' by DawnEstelleDesigns

All things moon!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Check out all the items or buy the pendant here!

PhoenixFire Designs will be there as a vendor along with a bunch of other awesome handmade crafters and artists! Please share and tell your friends!! Hope to see you there!

Friday, December 7th 7pm-10pm
Saturday, December 8th 11am-3pm

Tampa Upcycle
@ The Roosevelt 2.0
1812 N. 15th St.
Tampa, FL 33605

http://www.tampaupcycle.com/events/
https://www.facebook.com/events/540428599317532/

Here’s a screenshot from the film:

This thing reads like stereo instructions!

And here’s my version:

So how did I make it? Step-by-step behind the cut!

First, you start off with a pre-made book form you can get at any craft store. They’re made from a thin cardboard-type material and cost a few bucks.

Start with something like this.

Then you’re going to need an assortment of paints. I used a variety of colors, like a deep red, a purple, a couple shades of brown, etc. I also got a cream and a yellow for the sides which I’ll show you later. I had all of these on hand already. An assortment of brushes helps too. I did the bulk of the color applying with a foam brush.

Cover the entire book – inside and out – in a base color, and then add variation with other colors as well. You want something that looks old, and worn. If you only do one color, it will look flat and fake. By adding a couple other colors into the mix, you get more texture and believability to it. Since the base is cardboard, be sure not to use a very wet brush! You can warp the book form if you use too much water.

Be sure to get the entire inside and all corners and edges. Don’t want to see the original cardboard at all!

Variations in color are good for a more realistic old, leather book look.

To make the edges look like paper, I first did a mix of a cream and a pale yellow base. Then I took a fan brush and DRY brushed brown in single passes.

Fan brush used for painting in pages.

You want to get some on the book, but not so much it just paints over the entire cream background. You also want to try to drag your strokes out so it’s not wavy in any way. The idea is to get an impression of aged page edges; we’re not going for true detailed realism.

Next, you’re going to need a print out of the cover image. I found mine through a Google search. I printed it up on my laser printer which gave a very crisp look that didn’t look like it was printed. A high-quality inkjet print would work as well, though you need to be sure to let an inkjet print dry and be careful of smudging. Inkjet prints can (and do!) smear and smudge when exposed to any kind of water so take care!

You also need a foam brush and Mod Podge. I put a layer of Mod Podge down on the book front and on the paper. Then I glued the paper to the book. Several thin coats of Mod Podge followed to help seal it in. You’re going to need to be patient and take your time in this step, letting it dry between layers so it doesn’t damage the paper by making it too wet.

Print out (sized for your book), Mod Podge and a foam brush.

I also put a few light coats on the rest of the book with Mod Podge to finish it and protect it. Take care not to glue your book shut during this process!

And Voila! You have your very own Handbook for the Recently Deceased!

Hope you enjoyed my how-to tutorial for making your very own Book of the Recently Deceased!

See them all here.

Don’t forget to “Like” PhoenixFire Designs on Facebook for more updates!

Click any image for more details and purchase info. Also check out the rest of the items in the shop and don’t forget you can Like PhoenixFire Designs on facebook too.

And of course custom orders are always welcome!!

Thank you for your support!

Here’s a collection of some of the recent custom full moon trees I’ve made lately by customer request. All of these are from the past couple weeks and it just goes to show how many more options and variations are possible!

The traditional silver one (left) gets a new spin by request when set in brown wire instead (right.) Both versions available to order.

Brown wire with a dark aqua dyed shell coin moon gives a great take on the popular brown and blue color combo! Available to order.

My rainbow moonstone full moon tree of life gets a different feel in this gunmetal wire. Available as custom order!

Using my fire crackle agate in green, this customer was able to give her mom a full moon pendant featuring her favorite color. Available as custom order.

As you can see, there are so many unique ways to personalize a pendant to your style and likes! Feel free to check out the options in the shop, order your own custom full moon tree or feel free to contact me about getting your own custom piece!

Thank you as always for your support.

Featured Shop-Interview with Ms. M. Turner from PhoenixFire Designs

Original Self Taught Artists (or OSTAT) is a great team on Etsy centered around those of us who are, well, self-taught artists! It’s a very friendly team focused on helping each other and promoting fellow artists.

I was interviewed a couple weeks ago and my feature is live today on the blog. In it, I talk about my shop, my creative process, how I got started, tips for new shop owners, my hobbies and more. It’s a really great article and I hope everyone will head over and take a read.

Thanks to OSTAT for the chance to share my story and I’m honored to be featured on the blog!

Sixteen different moon options, ranging from various dyed shells to an assortment of natural stones.

Four different wire colors available; black, gunmetal, brown and silver

There are so many options! I haven’t even begun to make all the various options available. I often find my customers come up with great ideas I wouldn’t have thought of, so this is the perfect way to tell me what you want.

Just a small handful of versions I’ve made so far – but many, MANY more combinations are possible. What will you pick?

Available in the shop right now HERE.