My Mixed Media Frenzy and the new Flying Unicorn Mixed Media June Kit!

The Flying Unicorn's  Mixed Media Inspiration kit sent me into a real frenzy these last couple of days!  It looks like my supplies all got together and did a frenetic dance in the middle of the floor and then just collapsed wherever they were!  Ha!  My husband says to me, "I thought you were sucking up the floor, you had the vacuum on for so long."

So what got me on this mad creative kick?  Well the Flying Unicorn kit included an 18" x 27" canvas banner.  That's a lot of canvas to cut up and turn into projects.  The kit also included some mists, a burlap flower, Flying Unicorn Adornments metal flowers, TCW mini quatrefoil mask among other things.  There are plenty of things in the kit to get your mind whirling.   For my first project I decided to make a wall plaque.  You know how one person's trash is another's treasure?  Well thank you to my friends, Kathy and Kathi, I don't know which of them tossed out the unfinished wood plaque but it is now my treasure, LOL!!



Here are the steps for making this wall plaque:

 

1. First cut a piece of canvas to fit your frame.  A word of caution here, the canvas shrank quite a bit after coating with gesso so if you are going to coat the canvas with gesso, I suggest that you gesso it first and cut it out after the gesso dries. Fortunately I cut an oversize piece with the idea in mind that I would fray the edges. There was not enough fabric left for fraying but at least it still did fit in my frame!

2.  I found it easier to do most of my work on the canvas before gluing it into the frame.  First I applied mists in different colors.

3.   Then I did some masking, most of which got covered up.  If you look closely, peeking out from behind the image on the left and under the floral cluster, I used the TCW quatrefoil mask and gold embossing paste. 

4.  Then I rubbed white chalk over the canvas in places.  Now you need to spray a fixative on the canvas so that the chalk doesn't rub off.  You can see a little of the chalking under the word "my."

5.  At this point I painted the plaque first with white gesso and then with white acrylic paint.  After that dried, I glued the canvas into the frame.

6.  Now its time to alter the chipboard letters that came in the kit.  First I painted on a coat of gesso.  Then I dabbed on Antique Linen distress paint and snowcap white.  Now the fun part, I dabbed on some embossing ink, taking care not to coat the entire letter and embossed with Stampendous Shabby white embossing enamel.  After the enamel cooled, I applied some glossy accents glue here and there and sprinkled the letters with Diamond Dust.  The overall effect is that the letters have a multi-dimensional appearance.  The Diamond Dust looks a tad like sea foam to me.  When I placed the letters in the frame, I popped them up so that they'd really stand out.

7.  Now take some Viva Stone Art and carefully apply in the corners and along the bottom edge.  Press some small seashells into the Stone Art, it will hold them in place when it dries.  I found that a palette knife worked well for applying the Stone Art.

8.Next I took a Pink Paislee Hope Chest scrap of paper and  an image from Prima's Fairy Rhymes paper, both from June KOM, and distressed and ink. 

9.  Now its time to glue the braid around the frame, I used hot glue for this.

10.  Ok assembly time!  First glue in the strip of paper, it should fit from side to side.  Figure out the approximate placement of your letters and then add the fairy image which is also popped up with sticky foam.  Add the letters.

11.  Last step - add your flowers!  I used the burlap flower than came in the kit, I dabbed  some white paint on the flower to tie it in with the rest of the piece.  I used a metal Flying Unicorn Adornment for the center.  The berries and greenery are from Hobby Lobby's floral department.  I cut apart the blue flower vine that came in the kit and worked that into the cluster.

 

 

Closeup of  the gold from the embossing enamel and the Diamond Dust on the letters in this photo.

 

 

Supplies:

 

Patterned paper:  Pink Paislee Hope Chest scrap (from the June KOM)

Letters:  Maya Road - painted (6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit)

Embossing powder:  Stampendous shabby white on letters,

Flowers:    Canvas Corp burlap flower (6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit) ,  Petaloo blue flower vine (6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit), Berries green sprigs from Hobby Lobby

Ink:  Mixed Media Inx patina

Mist:  Stephanie Barnard Artichoke, Mr Huey clay,  (both from 6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit), Glimmer Mist Gumdrop , Bronze, Lindy's Cape Cod Coral, Royal Emerald Fire Glitz Spritz, Edelweis Moss Green,

Paint:      clear gesso painted on canvas, white gesso panted on letters, snow cap dabber, Antique linen distress paint, white acrylic

Other:  Canvas (6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit)  cut to fit inside wooden frame from Hobby Lobby; Viva Decor Stone Art, Royal Langnickel chalk-white (6/15 Mixed Media Inpiration kit) ; Diamond Dust on letters, seashells from M's

Unknown:  Braid