Wildflowers – Mixed Media Canvas

 

Hello all!  Today’s project came about based on a combination of a quote I saw on the internet and an idea I have had for a while, but just didn’t have the right quote. BUT now I do, so here goes.

As I’ve said before I have so much stash hanging about and this year I aim to use it, well quite a lot of it, if not all.

I covered a blank MDF Unfinished Artist Panel 300 x 300 mm with Gesso and then added some torn strips of paper from an old dictionary using matt medium. Somehow it all got lost in the end, but it does add a little texture. Everything was covered with a nice layer of Gesso using the Ranger Craft Squeegee. [I really like this product - its my new toy]. When that was dry I used the Ranger Mixed Media die set {chicken wire] to cut myself a stencil. I love this set of dies and often use the cut outs as stencils.

 

 

 

At the same time I used a scrap of silver metal foil to cut two more die cuts and coloured them with Ranger Gold Distress Paint.

 

Some texture was added to the outside edges of the artist panel with Ranger Texture Paste and my home made stencil and left to dry.

Because I am impatient and I was off to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I needed that texture paste to be dry in a hurry so I helped it along with the heat gun.  I mixed up a little Dylusions Calypso Teal with some Liquitex Matt Medium and used a wet wipe to apply it to the artist panel. 

 

I mixed up some Ranger Ground Espresso Distress paint with Liquitex matt medium and using the bristle paint brush I scrubbed it in around the edges and wiped it back with a clean wet wipe.  This gives it a sort of grungy look which is what I was going for.

 

Some time back I did a class on polymer clay tiles and have a whole pile of left over clay so guess what, out it came.  This idea has been with me for a while and I was eager to see how it would turn out.  I cut enough white Sculpey Ultra White clay and as per the recommendations I prepped it by kneading it in my hands until it was soft and smooth. Then I rolled it out using a Sculpey Acrylic Clay Roller. The thicker the clay the heavier the flowers and heart.

To create the clay heart I drew a heart shape onto paper, cut it out then laid it over the clay and used a sharp cutting knife to cut the clay. I must say I was a little nervous but it worked like a charm.

Although I don’t often stamp with an acrylic block, this time I felt it was necessary so stuck the flower onto a small acrylic block and applied Black Archival Ink to the Echina flower stamp from the Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Cling Mounted Rubber Stamp Set - Flower Garden and not applying too much pressure, stamped out three flowers, then like the heart I carefully cut them out and baked them in the oven according to the instructions. Because the pieces were relatively thin they “warped” a little but I do not mind that at all; it adds to the charm of the piece.  

 

Now for the quote on the heart.  I did write it out onto a piece of tissue paper using a permanent black pen, but I’m still not happy with my “writing” skills, so took to my trusty computer and my huge stash of fonts to create the quote. I printed it onto a left over mop up page and then used my original template to cut it out and collage onto the clay heart. I ran my Distress Ground Espresso around the heart being careful as it could crack, then sprayed some fixative over it.

 

Using Potting Soil Archival Ink I chose a couple of flowers from the Tim Holtz Cling Mount Stamps - Wildflowers CMS253 and stamped them here and there on the background.

 

I added some beautiful drips with Daler Rowney Turquoise Artist Acrylic ink and a few circles using Ranger Gold Distress Paint.

 

I painted the clay flowers with Daler Rowney Brilliant Yellow Artist Acrylic ink and the left over Ranger Distress Ground Espresso and Liquitex matt medium.

I found a bit of cardboard cut it to size and ripped off some of the paper to reveal the corrugated board behind and used a stiff bristle brush to apply some White Gesso then distressed the edges and ran my Distress Ground Espresso ink pad around the edges.   I stuck strong double sided tape to the back.

 

I also found a bit of gauze in my stash and coloured it using a drop or three of Daler Rowney Turquoise Artist Acrylic ink mixed with a bit of water. I assembled the heart, the gauze and chicken wire onto the cardboard and glued them using Ranger Glossy Accents.

 

I attached it to the artist panel using strong double sided tape.

 

I had a few florist wires so bent them a little and attached them to the back of the flowers using glossy accents then glued the flowers onto the artist panel.

That's my project done for today.  I've hung it at the entrance to my craft room/office and it makes me smile each time I walk in or out and acts as a reminder to allow myself to grow.

Thank you for stopping by.

 

Supplies:
Blank MDF Unfinished Artist Panel 300 x 300 mm
White Gesso
Texture Paste
Tim Holtz Mixed Media Dies - chicken wire
Creative Craft Metal Roll 1mx43cm - Silver
Dylusions Calypso Teal Paint
Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Ground Espresso and Gold
Daler Rowney Turquoise and Brilliant Yellow, Artist Acrylic ink
Wet Wipes
Bristle Paint Brush
Scrap of Corrugated Board
Liquitex Matt Medium
Potting Soil and Black Archival Ink Pad
Holtz Cling Mount Stamps - Wildflowers CMS253

Sculpey Ultra White clay

Echina flower stamp from the Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Cling Mounted Rubber Stamp Set
Florist Wire

Ranger Gossy Accents
Glue Gun 

Double Sided Tape