A Lacy Canvas

I have been on Pinterest quite a bit lately. One of the things that keeps popping up is lace and vintage neutral fabrics made into books, banners and mixed-media art.

I wanted to play with this style myself, but not wanting to get out the sewing machine, I thought I would try it with canvas.

I started by adhering pieces of cheesecloth, eyelet and lace to the canvas with Prima’s Heavy Body Gel. This is a great medium for adhering heavy and difficult-to-adhere items. I put on a layer of the gel, then the lace, and then another layer of the gel. It worked well, except I noticed it can easily build up inside the pieces of lace. I also didn’t like the sort of plastic look it gave when dry — even though I did not get the glossy, it still has too much shine for me.

I also used a stencil and texture paste to add a bit more texture and design. This didn’t work too well on the bumpy lace, but you would never know if you don’t try.

I wanted to add a little color, so I spritzed it with Dylusions spray. Again, not the best solution, but it did add a bit of color here and there. One problem was that when I went to glue anything on top of it, because it is water soluble, I got a bit of rose ink on my canvas. NOTE: Use permanent or archival product instead!

Next I used Archival Ink and an ink applicator to color the lace. I added a photo of my husband’s grandmother (a favorite of mine) and then I went to work adhering flowers, gems and other embellishments.

I used chipboard letters and the same Archival Ink to create the title … 

Many of the objects I added were leftovers from other projects or the last one of something I have been carrying around for years. The buttons sewed onto tulle was something new I purchased at the Great Lakes Mega Meet. The key is also new from Tim Holtz. The fragment (square clock face) had been made years ago for another project and was never used. I finally put it to good use!

The metal stars and flowers are new from Prima. The bird charm I made by trimming a piece of art from Craft Fantastic to fit an old bezel I had from Hobby Lobby. I then coated the entire thing with a layer of Globecraft UV Resin (which I haven’t used in years. Globecraft is now part of Sweet Stamps.) and let it sit in the sun for a few minutes to cure. I forgot how much fun that stuff was!

I love how my canvas turned out, although I do need to find a different medium to adhere the lace next time. Have you tried any of these techniques?

Don’t just make it; Wear it!

I finally had some time to play this week, so I tried my hand at making some wearable art.

This piece started as a plain bookboard bezel from Globecraft & Piccolo, which I coated in the new Platinum Embossing Powder.

Then, I chose a stamp from Northwoods and stamped an image on the front with Staz-On Ink.

I was not too concerned about the image on the stamp, since I knew I would be covering most of it up. I just wanted some pattern for any blank spots on my pendant.

Next, I added a few pieces of Fantasy Film from Art Glitter. I attached them with Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive.

I didn’t want to have cows on my necklace, so I cut out and tore a few pieces of Graphic 45 paper to attach. I used Burnt Umber 3D Enamel Gel to add a bit of aging to the papers.

Then I added some different glitters and Vintage Glass from Art Glitter.

Then, I added a Piccolo piece covered in Vintage Gold and some additional glitters.

Then I coated the entire thing, front and back, with Globecraft & Piccolo’s new Instant UV Resin. (This product will be available online soon.)

I wanted to add beads from Tim Holtz to the bottom, but I found the pearl color too bright. So, I placed them in a plastic bag and added a few drops of Alcohol Ink.

After letting them dry for a few minutes, I attached them with a jump ring to the bottom and hung my pendant on a chain (also by Tim Holtz).

Here is the finished piece. What do you think?

I used the same Piccolo Bezel to create a hot-air balloon pin. Head over to the Globecraft Blog to see how I made this one.