Saturday, March 6, 2010

Mixed Media Project

I'm thinkin' Spring!!!
AND I LOVE GERANIUMS!!!
So I just had to make this mixed media project.

I painted an 8x10 canvas and cut 1" paper squares for the background. (I used my Cricut - George and Basic Shapes). Then I cut leaves from the Wild Card Cartridge and a flower pot from the Walk in My Garden cartridge. I punched red paper flowers with the Martha Stewart Geranium punch.

I shaded the leaves with dark green ink and golden yellow chalk. I also shaded the petals of the flowers and edges of the flower pot with a brown ink.

I used a large seed bead for the flower center.

So, I used paint, ink, chalk, paper and beads.
I had fun making this project. I think the next one I'm going to try is going to be hydrangeas if I can find balls to build the flowers around.

My next post will be some cards I made. My friend Gail and I sell greeting cards at her place of work. I LOVE PAPER too - so the card making keeps me busy with my little paper fetish.

Talk soon,
Michelle

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Willow Tree

I know, I know - I haven't posted in awhile but i've been busy making crafts. I have to go with the inspiration when I can get it. :) I have some pretty cool stuff coming up to show you (if I do say so myself)

The craft I have posted today Erin and I made together. I had decorated a box for her at Christmas with a smaller version of this tree on it. We both said we wanted a bigger one of it. So we made an 8x10 canvas willow tree.

I started with a base coat of harvest gold paint. Then I did a coat of crackle medium. Then another coat of harvest gold. I'm sure you're wondering why I did two coats like that. I wanted the gold to show and then I was going to antique the crackle with stain medium mixed with a brown wash. So instead of priming the canvas I just painted it with the gold paint. The stain medium is a neat product to have in your stash of acrylic paints. The medium is a clear to kind of cloudy medium and then with a 1/1 ratio you can add any color acrylic you want to make your own stain.

The trunk is cut free hand and then all crinkled up. Then we rubbed brown ink on it to give some dimension.

The leaves are punched with a Martha Stewart punch. ALL of the paper used in the project was scrap.

We used white craft glue to adhere all the pieces to the canvas.

Super simple! Super cool!

I love my willow tree - it matches my living room perfectly.

Talk soon,
Michelle