Thursday, September 18, 2014

Lisa's Birthday Present!

At long last, a whole week after I finished it, here's the canvas that I made for my darling friend Lisa's birthday. Lisa's the friend that everyone wishes they had - we walk into each other's houses without knocking, show up unannounced & occasionally in pajamas, look after each other's dogs, and LAUGH. She's a treasure!  (She normally follows that up with saying "yeah, you just wanna bury her")

So I started out thinking I'd make a button tree on canvas (Lisa's got a thing for trees) but the world conspired against me finding the right buttons. Augh. So back to the drawing board eleventy billion times, and I thought oooh, some sort of quilted patterned paper? nope. Finally I decided to just paint the canvas in her favourite colour & figure it out as I went along. Of course I didn't take step by step pictures.

The canvas is 16"x20", so it was a challenge to photograph:


Supplies: canvas; turquoise & lime green paint (Plaid); Mod Podge; doilies; Iris Dreams digital stamp from Sweet Pea Stamps; Spectrum Noir markers; Pearl Glimmer Mist; Memory Box flower die; assorted cardstock and buttons; sheer blue fabric; stencil from Plaid



The basic process:
1. Paint canvas using a 7-hair brush because I couldn't find a foam brush. Curse.
2. Mod Podge the doilies on. Curse some more because WRINKLES, AUGH!
3. Still no clue what the finished product will look like or have on it, but I want to use that stencil. Found the foam brush - should have used the 7-hair brush. D'oh.
4. Cut the sheer fabric to about the size of the canvas. Fray edges, heat with embossing tool to melt randomly. Curse at how long it's taking to do that with a big piece.
5. Mod Podge the centre of  the fabric to the canvas. Curse because it won't dry OR STICK! AUGH!
6. Still not sure where the canvas is going. Get out the glue gun. Glue down parts of the sheer fabric (which of course then need to be covered by SOMETHING BUT AUGH WHAT?) Burn fingers when glue oozes through fabric. Curse.
7. Decide to use the Iris Dreams image. Nearly use up the B4 marker in her hair, requiring lots of blending and anxiety and yep, cursing.
8. *whew* printed out two images at the same time, I can pop up the flowers! Something went right!
9. Die cut eleventy billion flowers, sew buttons through centres.
10. Hot glue flowers onto fabric. Burn fingers. Curse.
11. An hour before delivery time, panic and send a picture to the Snarky Stampers girls to ask if it looks ok.
12. Sleep so soundly it's not funny.

Totally worth it, though. She loved it :)
xoxo,
Jessi

13 comments:

Annette Allen said...

wow love how you added the texture to this canvas.. so totally pretty..

jimlynn said...

Wow, Wow, and TRIPLE WOW!!! I can see exactly why she loved it too. Awesome and so stunning! I know she's already hung this beautiful canvas.
Um......even though there was a lot of cursing (LOL) it turned out beautifully. A work of art and a labor of love!
Lynn

fairyrocks said...

So pretty and full of soft details. You are a good friend. PS love the butterfly card below too. Keep smiling and creating.

Andrea W said...

Marvelous canvas creation! I love how you used the sheer blue fabric and all the pretty flowers. I'm sure your friend will treasure her gift.

walchowDesign said...

Awesome masterpiece. Love the look of the sheer fabric, your coloring is fantastic and the flower arrangment - great mix of elements.

You did a fantastic job although you are burned and mentioned how many times "curse"!

Your friend, Lisa is one lucky girl to have you as a friend, Jessie!

Carol L said...

You really know how to appreciate your good friends!! This is a real treasure - a work of creative art, and I'd say your friend is lucky to have you for a friend too! Beautiful!!

Dana said...

Oh. my. gosh. SOOOO gorgeous!!! I love the tulle like stuff, looks like water!! The mermaid is fabulous, gorgeous coloring!!

Donna said...

WOW WOW WOW
What an awesome gift! The canvas is stunning, I love the colours, the image, the doilies...just gorgeous!
FYI - my birthday is in February LOL

Angela said...

Wow, Jessi, lovely texture...and those mini flowers are so pretty too...love it!

Lindsey said...

You know already I think this canvas is amazingly gorgeous. The design process sounds exactly right. :D I'm still trying to process you not having the right buttons, though...

Lynne Mizera said...

Oh how you ROCKED this Girl! and How I loved the running "TRUE" Commentary... been there... Done ALL OF THAT...feel your pain... and know how "Totally worth it" it was when she really truly loved it... TFS!!

Greta said...

Beautiful work, Jessi--I know she's treasures this! I can't imagine working on such a large project--terrifies me thinking of it--LOL!

Peanut said...

WOW WOW WOW ... and another WOW! Still, doesn't seem enough for the stunner of a project. What a gift... Lisa will treasure it. WELL DONE, Jessi - it's a master piece.
hugs, Asha