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