This past week I spent some time on the Web viewing videos (especially those of Christy Tomlinson) and decided to give this whole mixed media art sensation a try. What I created uses a mix of art canvas, scrapbook supplies, molding paste, a ton of Mod Podge, and a vintage button set.
My first step was to cover the canvas. I used blue acrylic paint and just started painting. I think what I learned through this process is that the messier the look, the better the results.
Next, I began covering the canvas with the papers I had chosen. For this project, I used Basic Grey's Picadilly patterned papers and an old McCall's pattern I found in the garage. Once I had chosen where I wanted to lay the papers, I used the Mod Podge to adhere each piece to the canvas. I then used my heat gun to speed up the drying process, and followed with a little more of the blue acrylic paint.
The next step was to give the papers a distressed look (my mantra), which I did using Tim Holtz's Distress Stain in Vintage Photo. Here, I rubbed the dabber on all of the edges and rubbed any excess ink around using my fingers.
Using the molding paste and stencil to create the red dimensional diamonds followed. Here, I laid the 12x12 stencil (by The Crafters Workshop) directly on the canvas and began spreading the molding paste with a brush. This was not creating the effect I wanted, so I ended using my fingers and that worked a lot better. Once I had the paste where I wanted it, I sprayed it very heavily (I'm talking puddles of paint) with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Candy Apple Red. Next time I will invest in colors meant to be blended with the paste, but I had to make do with what I had on hand.When I finished spraying the Glimmer Mist, I lifted the stencil and used my heat gun to again speed up the drying process.
Once the molding paste and paint were dry, I began to randomly stamp (DMD stamp) the surface of the canvas and apply rub-ons (Basic Grey). As before, just start stamping where you want and don't try to be too uniform about placement.
The final steps were to cut out and adhere the letters (Thickers), ladies, flower, and bird (GCD Studios Melody Ross Designer Collections Homespun Chic) using a healthy amount of Mod Podge. The buttons are a vintage find from an antique store on the Oregon coast that I bought this past summer. Additionally, I went around everything with a black Zig Writer to give more depth and take away the "flat" feeling of the paper cutouts.
Once everything is on the canvas, the final and most important step is to cover the entire surface with a coat of Mod Podge and let it dry completely. This will keep everything in place and provide a protective coating with a glossy finish.
And, voila! You have a beautiful piece of mixed media art!
~Jennifer
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