April News

A Free pattern for a Jack-in-the-Box. He looks lovely on a Memory box or photo album.If you are unable to print out the details, I am quite happy to send the full instructions, photo & pattern if you send your email address.

Jack-in-the-Box © 2008 Lyn Yeadon
It is a simple design suitable for beginners or for Memory boxes


The Jack-in-the-Box was always a toy that always intrigued me, although I never had one as a child I always admired them, such a small box could hold such a surprise.
The ladies of the Red Cross used to make fabric rings threaded onto elastic to make the arms & legs for the clowns they sold at the Red Cross stalls to raise money.
My clown is a memory of these clowns.

My Jack-in-the-Box is painted with these fabric rings in mind, painted on a book drawer, although it can be adapted for any surface.
It would look good enlarged on a canvas, book box and memory boxes.



Jo Sonja colours are used throughout; Warm white, Uunbleached titanium, Carbon black, Sap green, Raw umber, Burgundy, Rich gold, Poppy & Harbour blue (clear colour collection), Mustard seed (potting shed collection). Jo Sonja Gold dust and Opal dust.


Background paint; Marigold (potting shed collection). Tiger Lilly (clear colour collection).
Brushes; No 00 liner brush, 3/8 angle brush, No 4 round brush, no 2 round stipple brush and a no 6 flat stipple brush.

The Background colour used is Marigold, Dry then sand.
Paint another coat of marigold, then using Tiger lily blend into the left side of the background. Dry, trace on the pattern, do not trace on the details of the face yet.

Block in the face & hands with warm white, this may take a few coats to give a nice cover, let each coat dry well before painting again.(note; I use an angle brush to do this, it leaves less lines than a round brush).
The neck ruffle & mouth are blocked in with Poppy (clear colour collection).
The first fabric ring under the ruffle is painted with unbleached titanium, then miss the next ring & paint the 3rd, 5th & 7th ring with this colour.
The rest of the rings on the body are painted with Mustard seed (potting shed collection)
Paint the arms in the same way, starting with Mustard seed on the ring under the ruffle.
The hat is painted with Harbour blue.(clear collection)
The hands are left white.
Outline all these areas with a liner brush & Carbon Black.


Hat; highlight the hat by dry brushing some white onto the rim and top of the hat. Outline the hat with carbon black using a liner brush.
Use a deer foot brush. Paint in the flower using comers with a no 4 round brush loaded with poppy and tipped into mustard seed. Paint 6 comers for the petals. Stipple the centre with mustard then a tiny bit of poppy for the shade. The stem is painted in sap green using a liner brush.

Face; shade the face using carbon black loaded onto an angle brush and float this colour on the face just under the hat.
With black, using a liner brush and watery paint, paint in the outline of the eyes and eyebrows. Paint the eye circles with harbour blue, the iris is black with two small dots of white for high light.
The triangle above the eye is left white, then paint in the outer edge of this in mustard.
The nose is painted with Mustard seed, high light with a little dry brushing of white. Outline the nose with carbon black.
The mouth is painted with Poppy, dry brush with white for some high light, outline the mouth with black, the inside of the lips are also painted with black.
The hair; using a no 2 round brush loaded with poppy flick out some hair, start at the centre of the circle working outwards. Using the same dirty brush pick up some orange (mix some mustard seed with the poppy) and flick out some more strokes on top of the previous colour. Now use a small amount of mustard seed for a few highlights.
Ruffle; using an angle brush shade just under the chin using burgundy, still with this brush and colour shade the dips in the ruffle. High light the rises of the ruffle with a dry brushing of white. Outline the ruffle with carbon black.
Fabric rings; the rings painted unbleached titanium are shaded just under the top edge using raw umber. Then add some Harbour blue dots, using either a stylus or the tip of a liner brush. Dry before proceeding.
The rings painted mustard are softly shaded using poppy.

The box; block in the box with Harbour blue. Outline with carbon black. Shade the inside of the box by loading black on an angle brush, blend on pallet and float around edges of the lid and inside box. Also float white around the top edge of the lid and the top edge of the two front panels.
With rich gold use your liner brush to paint a question mark on the front panel of the box. Still with the gold and liner brush paint a thin line around the edges of the front and side panel. Dot rich gold on the side panel using the end of your paint brush.
The edges of the book (pages) are painted with rich gold, use a no 6 flat stipple brush to paint the panel long ways. Using such a stiff brush will leave lines in the paint, this will resemble the pages.
Now with rich gold and a liner brush paint in the stars random on the box. A cross, then diagonal cross over the top. Place a dot in the middle of each star using your stylus.
Opal dust & Gold dust.
Trace on the name Jack-in-the-box on the side drawer, paint this with carbon black and a liner brush. Add your name and year. Dry. (trace the title name to transfer to the box).
I have used opal dust over the hat, frill, fluffy ears and box. The drawer and page areas are painted over with gold dust, (you may use Opal dust for all these areas if you wish).


You may use this for personal use, gifts. Not for any other use. Please do not copy for any other purpose, this pattern was designed and painted by Lyn Yeadon © 2008.