Christmas Items!

Throwback: Old School Razorback Cooler

I may not remember the days when the Razorback used to look like this, but I can appreciate this classic and retro Razorback. My friend Katie wanted to do a cooler for her brother-in-law's 30th birthday. He had a lovely kegger and BBQ party for the event, so we decided he needed his own fashionable beer tote. 

You can see the progression of this cooler's creation. I'm a tad upset I didn't have a real camera to document, so it's pixelated..darn iPhone 3G (ghetto). 

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Enjoy pals!

P.S. Here is the top of the cooler! 

Red Stripe is his obvious fav...

Step-By-Step - How I Paint a Cooler

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Hello friends! I thought I'd spice things up and show y'all some steps I go through when I paint. I freehand everything. I never use stencils, tape, etc. I've read a lot of blogs where people use stencils and tape to help guide them, and if you want to try out something like this for yourself, I think that would be a great start! But after many years of practice and hand-eye training, I just wing it! I do often look at photos of things I paint, but when it comes to Razorback stuff, I have it down and committed to memory! 

I start by sketching out rough outlines. I don't use a pencil, but it might help some people. I then fill in the outlines with the most dominant color I need for the design. I finish by adding detail like highlights, shading, decorative frills, etc. I like to jump around from side to side on coolers so I don't get burnt out on one thing. I usually do all the outlining first, then fill in as I go. This cooler is not a really fancy one, but it is a popular design, so it's a great example to show you! Enjoy!

Coming soon: video tutorial clips where you can watch me paint! 

Cutest Hog-ccessories out there!

In honor of the Sugar Bowl starting later tonight, here is a selection of some of my FAVORITE Razorback coolers I've ever done! WOO PIG! Check them out! 

Contest Deadline Extended!

So I'm having a little contest to give away a free mini cooler, painted to the winner's liking...

I extended the deadline to this Friday, January 7th to enter! What I'm looking for is to let the world see how and where you use, hang, carry or tote your custom painted Creative Design! Just post a photo to my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/creative.designs.allyson of your cooler, canvas, ornament, etc. in-use! Be creative! I have an album of contest entries created and I'll keep updating it as photos come in! If you have more than one painted item from me, feel free to submit them all!

Remember to be clever, and feel free to "LIKE" or comment on entries you favor! That will help me decide who wins the big giveaway!  I am loving seeing what you do with your stuff!

Here is an example of what you might submit...but no bias, just a good example!

Kerri and Jordan are tailgating with Kerri's new Razorback cooler at a bowl game! WPS!

Good luck!

Just getting started!

So I've toyed with the idea of blogging about my work for a while. And I always come up with some excuse to put it off. I'm going to start posting pictures of interesting projects I'm working on and what they are for, etc.

Starting with this awesom

e cooler, which was painted for my friend's sister in law to give as a Christmas gift. This is the top of the cooler

painted to look like the Texas A&M graduate ring.

I used my typical paints for this one, but I have been trying out a new, more protective sealant on s

ome of my coolers. It's called Envirotex Lite, I believe, and it is a bit pricey and laborious to get on, but the finish is FANTASTIC and looks like nothing I've ever seen before! I'm going to have to charge more for this option but for the extremely detailed coolers, it really might be worth it.