My Two Littles Grungy Canvas

     Here is a canvas I made to practice my layout skills. I am amazed at all the gorgeous layouts that I have seen on Pinterest. So much talent to inspire.
   So, I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone. My background is textured using a honeycomb stencil and texture paste. I used some dylusions for color. I went over the background again using gesso and a chevron stencil.

   I added some string in the upper corner and a banner for some more texture.

    I added some flowers, lace and a bit of border to frame the picture. And Of course the picture is of my little men. Thanks for looking,
Kate

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Steampunk Mini Canvas

  

Welcome to the March Artistic Outpost Blog Hop. This months focus is on backgrounds, sentiments, and typography. Since I love backgrounds I tried to make the background of my canvas the focus.

   I started out by painting my canvas in various colors. I spread a layer of pink molding paste and stamped into it using the clock stamp from the Wonderland Collage. I layered different colors of paint and sprays once the paste dried. The Ephemera Backgrounds, one of my favorite background sets, was used to stamp in the background and on the pocket watch backing. I also uses some of the background stamps from the Generation Redux set.

     The rest of my embellies were treated with gesso and/or metallic paint. The gentleman image and ‘steampunk’ sentiment are from the Steampunk set.

   Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to hop along to the other design team members blogs for more inspiration.

Gerrie
Lisa
Suzanne
Tracy
Linda
Alison
Terry
Kate- you are here

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Bird Song Canvas

    Happy Friday! I can’t believe I have posted almost every day this week. I love it! We got a lot of snow here in New York, more than predicted. I had a lot of fun playing with my boys in the snow today.  Now that the sun is out I am guessing our snowman and snow angels will be melted soon.
  

   
   So, onto the canvas. I covered the canvas using the gorgeous Bird Song paper by Graphic 45. I love anything Asian themed so playing with this paper made me smile. I then painted, sprayed stamped, embossed and did anything else I could do to hide the original background. Not that I don’t like the paper… I am just liking it better MY way.

   Well, then I started layering the fussy cut lanterns and popping some of them up. I layered embellies around the photo as a frame and added stuff here, there and everywhere. I am still deciding as to whether it is cluttered or busy. Aren’t my two littles cute? And just because I can, here are two pics I took today of them playing in the snow.

   Thank you to all of you who have left sweet comments as of late. I am working my way around to your blogs. I am sure you understand…these two little guys keep me very busy. Have a great weekend.
Kate

Challenges entered:
Simon Says Stamp and Show- By the numbers
Inspiration Emporium- Add a little POP
Graphic 45 National Craft Month Challenge

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March Blog Hop with Red Rubber Designs

     This month the design team at Red Rubber Designs is featuring ‘Special Occasions.’ Our spotlight stamp is Easter Chicks. All of the DT members will be sharing a project with this stamp during for the blog hop.
   So, I have a few pictures to show the steps that I went through in creating this project.

   My base is recycled packaging for a frame I used on a previous project. I covered it in gesso. The Tuscany Spice Paper Stack is my base paper and then I added a light pink homemade paper in various spots to create some texture. The papers were mod podged on the background. I sprayed the background with orange and violet sprays to achieve the colors I was looking for.

    I then stamped several Background Elements to create a bit more texture and interest.

    I rubbed a bit of white metallic paint over the raised areas to highlight. I really love how it came out.

    I embellished with some flowers that have been coordinated in color. I used the cute little chick stamps around my central image.

Here is the Contest: Guess how many candies are in the candy dish. Guess how many Easter candies are in the candy dish and you could win the spotlight stamp set Easter Chicks. Send your guess to contest@RedRubberDesigns.com. If you have a blog, please include a link to it in your email. Contest ends Sunday, March 10 at midnight CST.

   Thank you for looking and enjoy the blog hop:
Red Rubber Designs
Louise
Kate- You are here
Paula-Kay
Diana
Sarah

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I Am Roses Sketch #2

    The I Am Roses challenge for this month was to follow the layout and include the word ‘Thanks.’ I made this canvas of my hubby and I for our living room wall.

   I accidently spilled a bottle of turquoise spray all over the canvas and splashed a bit on hubby’s face. I was able to cover most of it up but you can still see some. I used molding paste in the background with a doily stencil. Love the texture! I used a lot of glimmer sprays and layered the background with ephemera and stamping. I used the large white rose, white daisy, blue gardenias, medium white rose bud and the small white flowers from I Am Roses. I used a verse about thanksgiving as my sentiment. Check out the challenge Here.

    I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving! I’ll be spending it with family!  I am so thankful for the many blessings that I have on a daily basis that I don’t deserve. I am praising the Lord for my family, my friends, my country and my salvation through Jesus Christ! Thank you for stopping & don’t forget to stop and give thanks for your blessings.
Kate

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October Just Because Challenge

   October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To celebrate Red Rubber Designs is sponsoring the contest over at Split Coast Stampers. Check it out.
    For this challenge the Design Team is making something ‘Pink’ with our Breast Cancer Stamps. I started off my canvas by gluing various pieces of torn patterned and mulberry paper. I stamped and gessoed the background. I then colored and spread some pumice gel in a random fashion. I made a few tags using the stamp set and then adhered them to the canvas.

Red Rubber Designs products used:

Support the Girls
Singing Praises
Rustic Chic Patterned Paper
Script Background

Kate

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Just Because Challenge RRD

   Here is a postcard canvas that I made for this weeks Challenge. Check out the blog and play along if you can. There are prizes for playing.

   I am short on time today so I am not going into the details. If you have questions, please leave a comment.
Later,
Kate

RRD products used:
Vintage Santa
Vintage Background

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‘Ancestors’ Mixed Media Canvas

    I love these canvases that I bought at Ocean State Job Lots. A great price for lots of canvases. I have been trying my hand at different textures. I started out by adding some paper, gesso and paint in the background. On this canvas, I used a technique that I found on Donna Salazar’s blog. It didn’t turn out so well. I’m thinking its because I used distress ink instead of the mixed media inks used in the Tutorial. I then sprayed the background in some Dylusion sprays. I stamped the background and images using Tim Holtz stamps. Can you believe I got 4 sets on clearance at Joanns for 12$. Awesome, huh?

   I used wood letters and covered them in black soot distress embossing powder to add some texture.

   I layered several elements to make the background for the TH image. I used TH distress markers to color the image.

  I really pushed myself to use some rosettes that have been sitting on my peg board. I have so many embellies that are just sitting around unused and forgotten.

   I added a rosette on top a wooden clothes pin and a wooden butterfly on top of that. Some metal and twine complete the canvas.
    Well, I think thats about it for today. Thank you for stopping.
Kate

Challenges entered:
Simon Says Stamp & Show-paint
Fashionable Stamping Challenge-anything goes
Creative Expressions DT Challenge- texture

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London Underground Canvas

   It has been a while since I have sat down and played with a canvas. I went to town on this one and had me a whole lot of fun!!
    First off, this stamp set I won in a challenge over at Artistic Outpost just happened to come in the mail on the perfect day. I wanted to buy it a couple of weeks ago but the company I was ordering from was out of every single AO stamp set they had. Crazy how they stay in buisness. Anyway, I was so excited to get this fabulous set.

   I started my background by layering vintage paper ads and old novel paper all inked with walnut stain DI. I layered cardboard, embellies and stamped images. I used glassine paper for the first time. I made a few roses with the glassine and stamped an image on a crumpled piece. I alcohol inked my metal embellishments to give a vintage apearence. I completed the piece by wrapping some tulle around the canvas and tying it off.
     The inspiration for this canvas is from Sarah’s canvas over at My Monthly Mojo. Sarah’s canvas is so gorgeous and full of wonderful texture and layers. After seeing it my gears started spinning with ideas. I flew to my craft room to start creating. It was my first bit of inspiration in a week! Thanks, Sarah.
Please leave me a comment to let me know you visited. Have an amazing weekend.
Kate

Challenges entered:
My Monthly Mojo- My Style
Simon Says Stamp and Show-Layered
Artistic Outpost July Referral- Anything Goes
Frilly & Funkie- Altered Metal

    

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Romanic ‘Grunge’ Canvas

   I am finally getting around to taking more online classes. It is nice to have a project laid out for you that you don’t have to come up with yourself. This canvas was made using an ustream Prima class. I did not have any of the products used in the class so it was a challenge for me to improvise with items on hand. I am loving the background texture and dripage.

    I made this flower spray by staining and gluing curly gardenia on a floral branch. The large pink flower was made from Webster’s Bloomer trim.

   The embellishments are made from those clear stones (I have no idea what they are called, moonstones maybe?) and clay flowers. I also added some WP sparklers.
     Happy Tuesday,
           Kate

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Mixed Media Grunge Canvas

    I am not much for making a lot of goals for the New Year. I rather make them throughout the year and fulfill them as I go. However, I did make several when it came to my art. I really want to be on a design team and I have come to the conclusion that my art just is not good enough. I don’t say this at all feeling sorry for myself but more as a challenge to myself to do better. I am really excited about all that I can learn.

My main goal throughout the year is to grow the style and technique of my art so that in the future I may qualify for some DT’s.

    On to the project..I started out with these supplies and a few others.

After adding my background paper, stamps, paints and sprays the canvas looked like this.

At this point I chose my photos and embellishments. I used lace, burlap, flowers, diecuts, shells, metal, gears and beads. I placed everything where I wanted it and glued it down with hot glue.

Light molding paste was added to and around the embellishments for texture. Once dry, I started adding color with sprays. This part was fun! Here is the completed canvas.

Some close ups…

   Thank you for viewing my first project of the New Year!

    I would like to enter this in the challenge Simon Says Stamp and Show. The theme is Something Old, Something New. Everything on my canvas is old stuff that has been sitting in my stash for a while. I used all of it to make a new canvas. Well, that it for now.

Kate

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Grungy Monday and Psychomoms Entry

  I am loving my new grunge canvas now hanging in my dining room. I had so much fun. My inspiration came from the talented Tonya Gibbs (YT:Psychomoms). She made an awesome canvas and I was dying to make myself one. When she announced her giveaway I decided I had a reason to start a canvas. At first I just starred at the canvas for a while but after watching Tonya’s video again I got my mojo and went crazy! Thanks Tonya for sharing your talent! Check out her giveaway.
   Second, I decided to enter my first Grungy Monday at L3 Studio. I am so in love with Tim as of late. I have been visiting so many blogs as of late dedicated to Tim and his grunge style. I love that this canvas is ALL Tim! The challenge was to use Rock Candy Crackle Paint. Check out his blog here. So I used this awesome crackle paint on  the advertisements on the right shadow box and on the fracture doll (made with my clay mold). I then distressed in the cracks with walnut stain distress ink to make it a bit older looking. I used lots of Lindys Stamp Gang as well. As you can see I used of Ideaology products. Well, thats about it. Thanks for stopping by.

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Another altered Canvas

Here is the last of my altered canvases from Christmas. This one is for my aunt. Since these are such quick projects I was able to complete this in a whole afternoon and with limited resources. I was out of so many embellishments so I had to really dig in my craft room to find supplies that I have been hoarding. I tend to do that with my favorite papers and embellishments. I prefer to take them out and stare for a bit and imagine how perfect they would make my projects and then I return them to their spot on the shelf.  I have really made an effort as of late to make myself use them. Besides, it gives me a reason to have to go shopping. Anyway,  I used chipboard flourishes that I got at an awesome deal from Tuesday Morning. They came in handy to tie together all my stray flowers. I chose the neutral color scheme because my Aunt decorates her home with mostly neutrals and blue. The Canvas reminds me of a flowering garden in spring. I love having flowers all over, but then again, I LOVE flowers!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed Sunday.

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A Few Merry Christmas Canvases

My goal for Christmas this year was to make all of the gifts by hand. It was wishful thinking. I found that having a two year old, a 5 month old, a husband and a home just will not allow me the time. Perhaps in the future.  This year I made homemade applesauce for every family and a piece of art work aside from the store bought gifts within our budget. Our parents each received a mini album and the siblings received a 10 x 10 canvas. The grandparents were given chipboard ornaments that were originally a flower chipboard album. Pictures of my boys were on some and others were left blank with a photo mat for the receipient to add their own picture. I never thought canvases were so fun but I am definetly hooked. It is a beautiful piece of decor in only a few hours. It can’t get much better than that.



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