Mug doodling...

Mother Nature has been such a tease this weekend.  She's given us such a lovely taste of fall.  Temps here have been in the mid 70s this weekend, warm sun shining, cool breeze blowing ever so gently across the tree leaves.  There's a change in the quality of the morning and evening light.  Fall is around the corner, and I realize that the dates on the calendar are so much closer than they appear.  I've made my Christmas list, and need to get to the handmade things on the list... now...

So... have y'all seen the pins over on Pinterest that show coffee cups decorated with Sharpie markers, then baked?  You haven't?  Goodness... check this one... or this one... or even this one... I love the idea of making these for some of the important people in my world.

Now, I've used the enamel paint you can put on ceramics and bake, and I've used the pens made specifically to use for the task... but Sharpie?  Permanently on mugs?  Come on... I'm not really sure I believe it will work.  I can't give these as gifts if I don't know that they are really and truly permanent.  Obviously, this is going to take some looking into.

I spent a day doing a bit of research, and this is what I discovered... folks out there are using Sharpie markers to permanently decorate lots of sorts of ceramic.  I found recommendations that you use the Sharpie paint markers if you want them to be dishwasher safe, or that you use the regular Sharpies that we all probably have around the house... they should hold up to hand washing.  I also found suggested baking times from 30 minutes to an hour... and temps from 150 degrees to 375 degrees.

I'm skeptical, I don't know that I believe this will work.  But, seeing as I have a few hundred Sharpies around here, and even a few white mugs... might as well give it a shot.  Maybe try something that I don't invest a great deal of expectations in.  The only question is, what in the world could I put on a white mug with a black Sharpie? 

Doodles of course.

Extra fine point Sharpie marker... check.  White mug... check... doodle... check.  Bake... at 350 degrees, for an hour (the longer, the better, right?)... check.  Now, what did I learn?  (Because you know I like to share my mistakes with you so you can make your very own unique mistakes... that hopefully you will share with the rest of us!)

Well... first off, I learned that you have to be very, very, very, careful about drawing on a mug with a Sharpie.  You need to be very aware of where your fingers are in regard to where the design is.  In other words, it's awfully easy to wipe off if you aren't careful.

I also learned that my style of doodling is not necessarily the best for mugs.  I tend to build the elements of my doodles off of previously added elements.  That might take some work for me.

Next, I found that if you rub the design while it's still hot out of the oven... it will come off.  You make a sad face when that happens.

When this mug was completely, and I do mean completely, cooled, I did wash it with soap and water with a dish cloth.  I washed very lightly, didn't scrub very much, just in case.  I'm going to let it sit and "cure" for 24 hours or so then give it a go.  I'll report back on that.

Overall, I am pleased.  Not to mention a bit surprised.  Especially considering I've spent so much money on the enamel pens for ceramics... and they have a terrible tip that I can't get a really good line with.

What will I change on the next one?  I'll probably not just wash the mug, but also clean it with vinegar, just to REALLY get any oils off of there that might get in the way of the marker sticking... and I'll work on making the design a bit more cohesive.

I will be getting a couple of the paint pens from Sharpie to try, just to see if they are any different.  When I give the washing another shot, after my self imposed cure time, if the design doesn't come off, I'll definitely be adding these to the gift list for the holidays.

Have any of you tried this?  What did you find worked, didn't work... what would you change?

Next up this week... stars....