Birchwood-look Handpainted Christmas Sign

While doing some Christmas shopping at JK Vinyl Designs, after buying 2 items, I got 3rd for free (you can too, it's a promo)! 

So I chose this as my freebie.

I love vinyl, but I also get sad when you have to remove it (for whatever reason) and you lose the chance to re-use it. 

So with the idea from Clarendon Lane to use vinyl as a stencil, I got to work to make this:

First I found an old piece of plywood in the garage (YAY free!) and painted it all over in a cherry red acrylic paint. 

Then when dry, applied the vinyl carefully on top.

Then I painted over the letting first in a warm white acrylic paint.

After the whole sign was painted and dry, I removed the vinyl.

Then as a finishing touch, I used Distress Ink (found at Michaels in the Scrapbooking section) on the corners, then in random lines all over to create a Birchwood/Birch Tree/Birch Bark (take your pick) effect.

Pretty much MADLY in love with this sign, and hope to make more....if I can conquer my fear of hardware lumber departments...because I've run out of scraps in the garage :(

This is part 1 of a three parter on my Christmas mantle/mantel.

That's right,

THREE PARTER.

Not because it's all that exciting, but because I have the bad habit of spilling out too many projects in one post. So I'm exercising patience :)