Step-by-step canvas instructions

I've been asked a few times how I put together a canvas so I thought I'd take some pictures of one that I created for a pal of mine.....Barb....stop reading this right now!!! You'll ruin the surprise!!! lol The pictures follow the instructions in each step.

I started with a 5" x 7" canvas, then I did some texture paste through the waste piece of that lovely scroll die from the cuttlebug. Let it dry overnight. Paint on a wash of Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (I used Golden paints for all of this so I'll just say the colour).

I used this same colour to do a light wash of paint (paint mixed with water) over an image of Louise Brooks (actress - when they used to be called "actresses"!)

I then stamped onto the canvas using a decorative stamp (Green Pepper Press - Juliet sheet) and Timber Brown Stazon ink.

Next step was to glue down (with Golden soft gel medium matte) the image as well as a piece of Basic Grey scrapbook paper over the bottom for balance. I also gave the image & paper a coat of the gel medium as well for protection.

One thing I should mention at this point, at each step along the way I use my heat gun to dry the canvas. So dry after the Nickel Azo Gold, dry the image after painting, dry after stamping, dry after gluing images down, dry after coating images with gel medium. If you don't do this, the paints will mix together and that's not what you want.

Next was a light wash of Dioxazine Purple over the whole canvas which turns it this beautiful rusty sort of colour. I used a baby wipe to blot some of the purple off her face, rather her be looking a little orange/yellow than purple!

Using the gel medium again, I stuck down a little piece of white gauze (bandaging), just painted the gel medium onto the canvas and using the paint brush, smooshed the gauze into it and painted over the top of it as well.

The gauze was then painted with a wash of Quin Nickel Azo Gold, dried, Dioxazine purple, dried and then a light wash of Paynes Grey and dried again.

This is a piece of lovely white German Scrap that is sold at the store where I work (Scraptivate). We also have the white wings and another beautiful border that looks like a scallop (plus the standard gold, silver and black colours in borders & wings!).

The white German Scrap was painted with Quin Nickel Azo Gold and dried.

Next was a coat of the Dioxazine purple, then dried.

I attached the painted German Scrap to the canvas using Golden Extra Heavy gel matte and then coated it with the Golden soft gel medium.

I printed out a quote that I wanted to use from my computer and Epson printer (with Durabrite inks) and attached it to chipboard using double-sided adhesive.

This quote was then coloured using Ranger Distress inks on a little sponge, firstly Spiced Marmalade, then Dusty Concord (a purple colour). I edged the sides of the chipboard with a mustard coloured sharpie pen....have I mentioned I LOVE my sharpies??? lol

The next step was to use some Paynes Grey on my transdermal applicator (you know....the finger) to add some depth around the image and a little around the edges of the canvas so it's not just one colour right to the edges.

The top corners needed a little dressing up so I found two little metal embellishments (think they were meant for earrings?), added a little extra heavy gel medium to the back of them and for double insurance to make sure they stay put, I attached them with brads through the holes as well.

A close-up of these...

The final paint step is to dry-brush some Golden Interference Gold over sections of the canvas...this can't really be seen on the computer but when you tilt it to the light, that's when it shows up! I also rubbed some "White Diamond" Treasure Gold (a wax medium) over the texture paste scroll and the German Scrap and some of the edges.

The quote is added with a strong double-sided tape........and it's finished!