Ever since my Week of the Crow-it seems I see crows every where I go. Even my October issue of Country Living-had Crows in it. The magazine showed how easy it was to make your own arrangement of Crow (black bird) plates for Halloween. You can go here for photos and details.
Once I realized you could download the templates for free from the Country Living website-I decided to give painting crow plates a try. I stopped by one of my favorite thrift stores and picked up some 25 cent salad plates that were the perfect color for black crows-white with a silver edging.
I printed out a couple of the templates I downloaded from Country Living; I doubled the paper over and glued it together to make the template thicker (card stock would be much easier and quicker but I didn’t have any on hand); cut out the crows; traced the image on a plate with a pencil; and painted it in with black acrylic paint. After the paint had dried-I used a small pointed metal tool to remove the paint in order to ‘make’ the eyes and other details. Since you’re painting acrylic paint on a sealed slick surface-if you mess up you can just wash the paint right off. It was so easy and fun that I kept painting crows till I ran out of plates. Now they’re all over my kitchen.
My neice was hanging out with Chatter and Chitter over the weekend, I asked her if she thought my crow adorned kitchen was creepy. She said “You like crows a lot don’t you Aunt Tipper?” I said “Yes I do.” She said “Then why would having them all over your kitchen be creepy?” Teenagers can have their wise moments too.
Tipper
Crows will be the death of us here in Kentucky (Madison County). They chewed the gaskets off of our tracker NOT ONCE but twice! Then they went after the gaskets around the patio doors. In addition they even built a nest in the engine of the tractor.. We finally built a barn for the tractor :-). They sure are smart though. I do love your plates though. Think I will try this with BLUEBIRDS.. :-).
I see and hear crows everyday here on the farm, Tipper. And I always think of you!
Hi Tipper, the plates are great. I like crows and talk to them often. I also feed them. It is such fun to watch their team work as they eat and protect each other at the same time.
I can hear the Indian Princess say “Then why would having them all over your kitchen be creepy?” Her very matter of fact voice and tone would utter that in the most sincere way! LOL
I would agree with Jim you have some of the characteristics of the crows. You are smart, sassy and gregarious but never garrulous.
I wish a joyous day of Thanks for all the Blind Pig Family and extended family of blog followers.
I think crows are very intelligent birds. In the summer they like to sit in my big maple tree and scream at any cat they see in the yard. I can come out and shake a dish towel at them and they just fly a bit higher into the top of the tree and continue screeching. They know I can’t reach them and wouldn’t hurt them if I could. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
you did a great job! I love your crow plates.
I have chickens around my kitchen – plates, knickknacks, etc.
God bless.
RB
<><
We didn’t have crow plates in our kitchen, but we did have hand painted Mom and Pop plates that my Mother and her sisters made. They thought they were self portraits. I didn’t!
I do love the crows and you did a great job painting them. Thanks for sharing with us and I wish for you and your wonderful family a wonderful Thanksgiving day with lots of good food, laughter, music and Love.
Dorothy-you are right-you would need to use the correct type of paint-and fire the plates if you wanted the crows to stay forever-or to be able to eat off of them. The ones I made are only for decorative purposes : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
I would love to win a “crow” plate. I use to do ceramics and wonder how you set the paint so it won’t wash off.
We always fired after painting. Just curious!
Dorothy
Very cool crow plates! I’d love to win one… what a great idea. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
Great job on the crow plates. I would love to have one or two or…. I wouldnt mind trying this myself. Happy Thanksgiving. Nana
Tipper: great plates. my great great granfather,was william crow proctor. in cherokee his name is coo-kah ah-daw-see-nee.i had to throw that in just for you,and good ole hazel creek. blessed thanksgiving to you and your fine family. k.o.h
I LOVE your crow plates. They are original and interesting, not creepy at all. My grandmother painted roses on plates when she was young and now that it’s been 10 years since her passing, the plates are even more special to us.
Tipper, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family!!
What fabulous plates! You are not only talented Tipper, you also are clearly following the age-old tradition of making do; with thrift-store plates and double thickness of paper rather than card stock. You really do embody the spirit of our people! Thanks for all you do, and I hope the Blind Pig family have an awesome Thanksgiving!
Neighbors put two black crow statues up on their new arbor/fence this fall. Yesterday live crows were buzzing around them! Maybe they were trying to figure out why the statues weren’t moving?
I’d love one of your white plates with the painted crow.
Hi Tipper and all your blog friends—wishing you all a glorious and blessed Thanksgivin’ and I just love those crow plates as was mentioned in Crow Week I really have a fondness for those smart birds so place my name in basket of entries. Linda
I read to comment made by EBet about having a baby crow and it got me to thinking. I don’t think I have ever seen a baby crow. I’ve seen millions of adults. I’ve seen bigguns and littluns but never a baby. I’ve heard them in their nest but never actually seen one. Does anyone have a picture of a baby crow?
Tipper—As you know, crows are smart, sassy, garrulous, and gregarious. Since you identify so closely with them, I guess it’s time for a bit of introspection. Ask yourself how many of those descriptors fit you. I’d say three of the four, but I’ll leave it to you and other readers to figure which three (and for those of you who haven’t been fortunate enough to meet her, the fact that I know Tipper personally is a factor).
Jim Casada
SO SO SO (giggles) YES! who wouldnt want one of your incredible crow creations! but worse its now on our to do list! plates, acrylic black paint – (like the Witchmas hats wornt enough work! giggles)
Oh Tipper……..how wonderful to have your own murder of crows living (so to speak) in your kitchen. You did a great art job and I’m heading to the site to download the template too! You know I’d love L-U-V love to have a crow from your talented hands, caws I’m…Mama Crow.
how cute! I don’t think they are creepy. Maybe people think of the RAven or the Birds when they see crows. I like to watch the crows, listen to them talk to each other. They are a smart bird.
I love the crow plates!!
I absolutely LOVE your crow plates and I do not find them creepy, at all!
I love crows, not many people do….almost everyone I know hates them! I had a baby crow for a while but it died, it was sad, but I kinda knew that would happen it didn’t look so good when I found it! Great job on the plates they look beautiful!!!
Tipper, Not only do we enjoy your talents as a blogger in your wonderful Appalachian Life “Blind Pig & the Acorn,” your writing abilities, your insight into our ways of life in the mountains, good cookin’ and sharing of recipes, and insights, but your artistic abilities as a great photographer and now an artistic rendering of crows on plates! I liked every one you showed! This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for you, four your “music makers” and their talent, and for who you are! I am so thankful you are my friend. You and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This is Keith on Ethelene’s computer, trying an experimental post…
Tipper,
B. Ruth is right the crow profile (to me) is best! It has your style. Hope the whole Blind Pig Gang has a happy Thanksgiving!
Your crow plates are awesome! Thanks for sharing the idea with us. These would be fun for our crafty kids to try. Wishing the Blind Pig Family a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
Love the plates. My granny collected plates, did not have any crows tho. Please enter me, and thanks Tipper.
Love the plates Tipper! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
You are extremely creative and talented. I love your crow plates and don’t think they are at all creepy. Hope you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving.
I like your crows! Would love to have that plate! Please enter me in the give-away!
Wow! What great work you did! I especially like the last picture. It is so country! We have lots of crows here in the Foothills. Happy Thanksgiving! May the crows bless your kitchen during the cooking of your festive meal.
I love your crow plates. I just love crows. I am always taking pics of them. I saw this in the magazine and thought it was a neat idea but haven’t gotten a chance to try it yet. Maybe next year.
Uncle Al-you couldn’t eat off the plates-unless you wanted to eat some paint : ) the plates are strictly decoratvie-But I’m glad you think they are cool looking!
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Excellent job on the plates Tipper. Creative and cool decorations and I suppose to eat off of too. Although I’m not sure I’d want that crow looking back at me when I took a bite. 🙂
What a wonderful project Tipper; they look so pretty! Yes, please I’d love to have one of your crow plates so enter me in on this!
I love these Tipper, your crows are pretty. I’m a big fan of plates anyway. I have them all over the kitchen, either sitting or hanging up..Where do you find your holders at ? I can’t find any… I’m gonna try this with some ducks..I love ducks..Happy Thanks giving to you and yours..Susie
Tipper: With all the noisey crows in my world, I find it had to like them. You know they are the smartest birds – sure nuff! But between them and the Blue Jays we sometimes have great conflict in the tree tops!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
p.s. My grandson would love one of your beautiful CROW PLATES!
Eva Nell
Great plates, Tipper! No, not creepy at all.
i tried to copy the “crow”but it wouldnt allow it .so i wonder whats going on with it
tipper i love your crow plates , you are so creative so just keep on “crowing”
they look amazing and you did a great job painting those crows. good idea and something others could do with other birds or anything they like. love the wisdom from your young friend. no on the giveaway. i don’t sit or hang things that have to be dusted.
I’ve had to “eat crow” many times in my life. I sure would like a crow plate to eat it off next time.
Tipper, we have some plates like the one with the crows head on it, we picked them up at Goodwill.
Tipper,
Caw, caw, caw…you sure have a “trouble of crows” now…for sure!
I just love the look..The one with the head profile is so like your folk art style…I think I like it the best…
You better hide your cornbread for the stuffing your’re making today, with all those hungry crows around!..
Happy Thanksgiving Every One..
Thanks for a great post,
I agree with your neice. It doesn’t matter what others think of how u decorate your house. If u like it,do it. Good to know about Country Living letting u download for free.
so-that’s it. LOL Love your blog!!
That is really cool Tipper, they came out so nice and seems a fairly easy project.