Mixed Media Canvas - DCWV

Hello! A couple of days ago I was up on the DCWV blog with a new video. This time it's a process video, sharing how I created this altered canvas:

I used a DCWV Premium Paper pack, acrylic paint, Gelatos, and Heidi Swapp mists. I also used a Heidi Swapp die to cut the word "create".

If you take the time to watch the video, I apologize for my sleepy-sounding voice! It's been a crazy couple of weeks with long hours and one of the first things to go when I'm over-worked is my voice ;).

Thanks for checking out my project and video :). I hope you are having a great week! Tessa

Be Always Blooming - DCWV

DCWV has a new stack coming out in the next couple of weeks that I'm really excited about called Vintage Essentials. The patterns are all vintage-inspired, such as ledgers, book text, and script. The weight of the paper is my favorite part - it's newsprint! The light weight is perfect for altered projects, and a decoupaged canvas was what I tried first:

You can read about my process at the DCWV blog today, but I basically decoupaged a couple of Vintage Essentials papers to the canvas, used gelatos to add color, and decoupaged some fabric pieces, too.

The fabric is leftover from the embroidery hoops I made for Adlyn's nursery. This canvas will hang in the nursery, too, but probably closer to my wall of artsy/crafty supplies.

Addie's fairly mobile these days, so that Expedit shelf wall is a top priority. I've got the lower shelves figured out, so she can't do any damage to those supplies, but the higher shelves are testing my creativity. I'm loving collecting storage containers in my aqua/yellow/red palette, though!

You can read more about the canvas at the DCWV blog here, and you can find the Vintage Essentials stack at Michaels in the coming weeks. Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Live Your Life Happy - DCWV

Hello! Today I am guest blogging at DCWV again :). I'm sharing some new wall art for Addie's nursery:

This is an 8x10 canvas panel that I colored with gelatos, then embellished with stamps and die-cuts from DCWV's Vintage Collector line. Vintage Collector was widely available at Michaels stores this past year, although mine sold out pretty quickly.

For more detailed instructions to make your own, please see my post at the DCWV blog today.

I've only played with gelatos a few times, and this was my first canvas. I absolutely LOVED how this came together. I watched a few tutorials online, overcame my hesitation and indecision, and just started laying color down. Now I need more canvas panels!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a good one! Tessa

Paper Flower Monograms - Mother's Day Gifts

Hello! Today I am sharing the mother's day gifts that I made my mom and mother-in-law.

I was inspired by a friend who made a shadow box with a floral ring for her mother, and I based my design on this print, found in this Etsy shop:

I started with 11x14 canvases, and after applying gesso, I painted them glossy black. For the flowers, I used my Silhouette Cameo and 3d flower cut files. I specifically used this one, this one, and this one. I sized the flowers so that each canvas had two large ones, three medium flowers, and several smaller flowers.

After cutting the flowers, I painted each side of each layer with Color Shine. I didn't mist the Color Shine, I used a brush. This part took awhile, and used quite a bit of mist, but I loved the result. I let the layers partially dry, then curled the petals with my fingers. I let them fully dry before gluing the layers together.

I chose not to use the flower centers in the cut files because I had centers and stamen of my own. Several months ago my father-in-law gave me a huge box of vintage flower-making supplies that I had yet to touch. When I combed through the box with this project in mind, I found so much great stuff! The black stamen, the white and black centers, the brown paper-wrapped wire and the velvet leaves are all from this box. They were delicate because they were so old, but they were wonderful to work with!

To finish the canvases I cut each mom's initial with my Silhouette and adhered it to the center. I love how they turned out so much that I am definitely going to make one for Adlyn's nursery. I think red, aqua and yellow will be really pretty!

Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Altered Art for Adlyn's Nursery - Mini Canvas

One of my favorite pieces of advice for decorating a home is to go for a "collected" look. Don't buy all of your furniture and decor all at once or from the same store. Allow some time to gather things, add and subtract as you go, and mix things up. I have to admit, I almost disregarded that notion when I was scrambling to finish Adlyn's nursery before she was born. But, I ran out of time, and luckily that means I have had more time to collect. I've also had more time to create some handmade things, which is a main theme in her nursery. This little altered canvas is one of those things:

First, I Mod Podged several layers of sewing pattern paper to a 4x4 canvas. I let the sewing pattern paper wrap the edges, too.

Once dry, I applied Whipped Spackle (by Faber-Castell) with my putty knife.

Next, I used white opaque ink, a foam sponge and the punchinella template by Crafter's Workshop to add dots. Polka dots are a theme you'll find in Addie's nursery, too.

I used a black pen to trace circles and draw the border. Lastly, I adhered the buttons (Prima) and a bit of wound-up thread to the canvas.

Besides the drying time, this project was short and sweet. I love the end product and can't wait to hang it up in her nursery. I think I might make another one or two to go with it. These kind of altered art projects are addicting!

Thanks for stopping by :). Enjoy your day! Tessa

Gratitude

We have a new poem up at Scrap That Poetry, and it goes right along with my Attitude of Gratitude challenge!  The poem is "Prayer for the Great Family," a Mohawk prayer that offers thanks for nature, the earth, and all the blessings that come from it.  I thought about making a layout, but then I realized that I wanted something that I could display, a visual reminder to be grateful.  So, I created this:

I painted, distressed, and inked a four inch by four inch canvas.  I added book paper (Scrap Rat) that I had misted in a few colors and then layered on butterfly stickers and fussy-cut roses.  Butterflies and roses may not be mentioned in the poem, but they are from nature and very symbolic of my journey lately to grow and change.

The large butterfly has stick pin antennae.  I doodled around the edge and handwrote a subtitle on the side.  The title is made with October Afternoon alphas.  This piece now sits in my entry way and I see it whenever I walk in the front door.

Yesterday was an amazing day.  Here we are, halfway through Attitude of Gratitude, and I can see the differences in me, in the way I look at things, in my overall happiness.  At church yesterday we had a testimony meeting, which is when members of the congregation are able to address the church members with whatever they feel prompted to say.  Almost every person spoke about gratitude, and even those who didn't speak on that topic expressed gratitude for something.  I was recently given the opportunity to serve the young women, ages 12-17.  The lesson we had yesterday was about gratitude, and I was inspired by their thoughts and feelings.  As if that weren't enough, last night we had a special meeting for all the youth (and as a leader I was able to go), and the topic was again gratitude.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have been present at all these meetings, to be able to take part in those messages.  So today, I'm grateful for this challenge and for all of you participating in one way or another.  I'm grateful for this emphasis on gratitude in my life right now, with inspiration seemingly coming from everywhere.

I hope you can find a little bit of time to create something about gratitude and submit it at Scrap That Poetry.  We would be so happy to have you play along.  Have a wonderful Monday! Tessa