Stampin' Mama: A mama that stamps

Part 2- Patterned Paper & Canvas Fun

I promised to show you the second canvas today - the other half of the set that I just sent off to my friend with the two little girls. I posted the first canvas yesterday, so make sure you check that one out so you understand the second half of the quote that's on this canvas. If you haven't seen that canvas first, I promise it'll all make sense when you see it. *wink*

I wanted these canvases to look similar but I didn't want them to be identical. I went with warm colors for the first one and for this one here, I went with cooler colors. I also changed the shape of the large flower petals so that they would be a little different than the first one. I made sure to include a little turtle on this canvas, as well.

These canvases will hang in the bedroom that these sweet little girls share and when they're together, the canvases read, "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden."

Someday, when the girls have separate rooms or move away from home, it'll be interesting to find out which girl gets which canvas. To see which one picks the purples and which one picks the pinks. I think about stuff like this because I have an older sister and we are only 15 months apart. Growing up, she would have picked the purple and I would have picked the pink....which is funny because I'm totally an earth tone kind of girl. But then again....what little girl would pick earth tones? haha!

I really like the versatility of working on a bigger canvas. There's so much room to work on and a lot of possibilities to work with. I also like that there are no rules when it comes to canvases. There's no such thing as ONLY paint. I can get as creative as I want and add all sorts of extras for visual interest....things like buttons, rhinestones, prima flowers, yarn, embroidery floss, glitter, confetti, etc.

I like that people can look at my work and see something new every time they look at it. I enjoy visual stimulation when looking at artwork and having something 3-dimensional on a piece of artwork is like eye candy for the artist.

I wanted to share a little secret about the birds that I created for my canvases. First, I used the stencil I created for the Little Paper Birdies at the beginning of last month. I adore the shape and size of the bird and thought it would add a little extra color and fun to the canvases so I traced a couple to use on these canvases. But, that's not the secret that I was going to tell you. 

As I was going around my bird to do the black outline, my hand slipped a little as it was coming down the front of the bird's chest. I ended up getting some black outline ON the bird. It wasn't like I could rip the bird off the canvas and start over. I had already sealed the bird onto the canvas. I've often said that my canvases tend to lead me as to what they want to be. I don't meant that lightly. It's so true. I might have a general idea when I start out but I'm more than happy to just go with the flow and let the canvas lead me as I go. I know that sounds kind of loopy, but I don't know how to explain it any other way.

As I looked at what had happened, I wondered what I was going to do about it. It wasn't like I could ignore it. It was very obvious. And then......it became very obvious that my black mark on the chest of the bird was meant to be a wing. So that's what it became. And as I finished the wing, I knew that the bird needed some matching swirly tail feathers. Once it was done, I knew that it was all meant to happen. Talk about serendipity!

I hope you've enjoyed these two canvases!

Happy Creating!

-Erika

Patterned paper and canvas - what fun!

I realize this probably looks like a card, but I promise you....it's not. It's actually 18 x 24 inches...HUGE!

(click on the photo for a larger view)

You might remember the posts I made in January about the mixed media canvases I had created. I just finished and mailed off two more canvases that were commissioned by the same friend that I made the little girls canvas for when his 2nd baby was born.

This is the first of the canvases. They actually go together...kind of like those friendship necklaces that were all the rage when we were growing up. The canvases will go together in the girls' room and complete the quote: "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." 

I absolutely love working with patterned paper and canvas in this way. There's so much you can do with all the amazing colors, patterns, textures, styles, etc. of paper that's out there. My mind is always swirling with new ideas that I can put to canvas. I have three more 12x12 and two 12x16 canvases that are just waiting to be covered with paint and paper. Oh, if only there were more hours in a day and another day in the week!

The little turtle was something that my friend wanted included on the canvas, as his family has a fond affection for anything to do with turtles. I really like being able to incorporate special sentimental things like this into artwork that people commission. It makes it even more personal for them.

I did more than just patterned paper on these canvases. I added buttons to the center of some of the smaller flowers and on the large focal point flowers, I added a bunch of buttons to make up the centers. I really like the exta visual effect this gives the canvases.

Someone else had asked me how I apply buttons and such to my canvases. I like to use Stampin' Up's Crystal Effects for this step. It dries clear and has a VERY strong hold. Once those are down and it's dry, those buttons aren't going anywhere! And you don't need much of it. One of the things to keep in mind with Crystal Effects, though, is that it's going to take a little while to dry and harden. The more you use, the longer it's going to take. It can also tend to take on the impression of a finger print if you touch it while it's still tacky. It's best to just leave it alone and let it harden up and perhaps touch a small area that's not going to be seen with a toothpick if you want to test if it's done.

I also added rhinestones to this canvas. Considering that these canvases are for two little girls, I wanted to go bright/pastel and shiny! The rhinestones did just what I wanted for the shiny bit.

They blinged up the petals of the large focal flowers, as well as added a little bit of visual appeal to the tulips, which didn't have button centers and seemed kind of "alone" without something to add to them. I also gave some to the turtle to bright up his shell and used one for the eye on the bird.

It's been so much fun to work on these and see them come together. I had them propped up against my studio wall on top of my craft bins and it was nice to see them there as they were in the middle of different stages. That wall suddenly seems bare without all that brightness now that they've been packaged up and shipped out. I guess that means I need to get working on some more to always have that area of my studio filled with vibrant colors and works-in-progress.

There are two other canvases that I've created in my Etsy Shop for sale....plus prints of my canvases that are ready for framing. And....don't forget that 10% of any sales from my Etsy shop help to benefit Village2Village Project. 

If you'd ever like a custom piece done for you, please let me know! I'd be happy do something custom!

Make sure to check back tomorrow to see the "other half" to this custom canvas set!

Happy Creating!

-Erika  

A creative journey....inspired artwork

Remember when I said that I was taking my art in a whole new direction? Yup, I definitely have. I haven't stopped making cards or scrapboking pages, but I've found an amazing amount of inspiration lately and this year is starting off to be one of my most creative feeling years ever. I'm so excited about where it's going to go and I love what I'm doing with the inspiration I've been given.

I posted a couple weeks ago about the fun I've been having with canvases. I'm still having fun and I don't see this stopping any time soon. This is a new passion and love of mine. It combines two of the things that I love the most. Painting and paper. I can't seem to find my way out of my studio....all I want to do in here is play with paints and paper. 

I've been working on a number of canvases with themes. I'm a huge collector of quotes...I find inspiration in quotes. I have them in notebooks, on scrapbook pages, in folders on my computer...one of the best things about collecting quotes is that they're free and they don't really take up much space. When I started working on my canvases, I couldn't bear to think of them without words. That's another one of my loves. Paints, paper, photos and words. I've been combing three of these loves on my canvases. I'm sure that eventually, I'll even put some photos on my canvases, as well.

I just recently uploaded my original canvas artwork to my Etsy Shop and I'm also offering prints, as well, that are ready to frame and hang on your wall. 

In the very near future, I'm also going to be offering my artwork as GREETING CARDS! I am SUPER excited about this! They'll come as a series of 4 different designs with the same theme. I'll make sure to keep you updated as that time draws closer. 

I have a couple of custom canvases that I've been working on for some dear friends. I was so privileged to be asked to do something so personal. It's amazing process to share ideas, talk about concepts and then see it all come together in front of me.

When I started working on my canvases, I knew that I wanted to do something extra with them. You might remember me talking about the inspiration that I found when watching a documentary at the beginning of December. You can watch a clip from it by going here: Sam & Esther. This clip is part of the documentary called, The Fragrant Spirit of Life: Misery and Hope in Uganda. Having been to Uganda in my teens and spending time with the people there, I couldn't ignore that so much of the inspiration I am feeding off of right now comes directly from what I saw in that documentary, what one woman is aspiring to do in helping these children and the memories I have of my own time in Uganda. Because of this, I wanted to do something to help.

So, when people shop in my Etsy Shop, no matter what it might be, 10% of all profits will go to help support Village 2 Village Project. This is a grass-roots organization that is making a huge impact on the lives of orphaned children in Uganda. This is the organization that is featured in the documentary that I saw and it also happens to be headquartered in Bristol, VT, which is only 15 min. from where I live. I've met Laurie Kroll (the director) and she's an amazing woman with a powerful vision. The stories and the faces spoke to me and I want to be a part of that vision....and to pass it on.

I'm giving you some sneak peeks here, but you can see all of the canvases over on my Etsy Shop. 

I can't wait to see where this takes me. It's a journey I've wanted to go on for a while, and the timing is right. The inspiration is right.

Happy Creating!

 

-Erika