Paint this striking espresso cup and saucer and enjoy a drink in style!

What you need...

• Espresso cup, saucer, white
  
• Paints, ceramic, malachite green, ivory, citrine yellow, sapphire blue, ruby red
  
• Labels, self-adhesive, 10cm x 1.6cm
  
• Sponge
  
• Tape, masking
  
• Craft knife
  
• Paint brush, fine
  
• Cotton wool buds

instructions

1. Cup and Saucer - Mask off a 0.5cm rim around the top of the cup and a wider border at the base. Also tape either side of the handle, leaving a rectangular panel around the outer surface. On the saucer, cover a 0.3cm rim around the edge. Stick the self-adhesive labels in a stepped, up-and-down row around the masked area on the cups, as shown.
   
   For the green paint, mix together malachite and ivory with a touch of citrine yellow and sapphire blue. For the purple, combine ruby red and ivory plus a tiny amount of sapphire blue. When you are happy with the shades, sponge the paint onto the masked areas, then dab the area immediately with a dry piece to reduce the bubbles, leaving flat colour.
   
   When the paint is touch-dry, carefully remove the tape and stickers. To achieve a clean line, run a craft knife along the edges first. Use a damp cotton bud to remove any colour which may have bled under the tape and labels. You may need to clean up some of the edges with a fine brush and a little more paint.
   
   Using the brush, form small purple spots inside the white areas left by the self-adhesive labels on the cups. Finally, leave the china to dry for 24 hours before following the manufacturer’s instructions to bake the paint onto the surface.

http://www.debenhams.com - Espresso cup and saucer
http://www.therange.co.uk - Pebeo Porcelaine paint, sticky labels/spots and all other materials