Natasha’s Reverse Canvas

Hi everyone! Happy Spring! I am so excited and looking forward to the warm weather. Today I would like to share my first attempt at a reverse canvas. It measures 20” x 20” and is somewhat like a GIANT layout! I had so much fun making this project because I used so many different elements. Below are a few steps describing how I texturized the frame of my canvas.

STEP 1: First apply a coat of Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso. The gesso acts as a primer and allows the work surface to accept paints and other mediums easily. It also adds a subtle texture to
your project.

STEP 2: After the gesso dries, apply a layer of DecoArt Texture Stucco, a paintable texture. I would suggest allowing the stucco to dry overnight.

STEP 3: Once the stucco is completely dry, paint the texture with acrylic paint. Although the stucco medium is a firm texture, be careful not to chip off any pieces. Apply as many coats of paint as desired.

STEP 4: Next, apply a crackle medium. I used a two-step crackle made by Folk Art. Allow to dry.

STEP 5: Spray the frame with Glimmer Mist and allow the ink to seep between the cracks.

STEP 6: I also added a little Distress Crackle Paint. I randomly painted areas of the frame with the white paint.

STEP 7: Once the paint is dry I coated the entire frame with a clear acrylic sealer. It helps prevent the paint and stucco from chipping. I chose to use a matte sealer instead of a glossy sealer because I wanted the frame to have a worn look. Once the sealer is dry, the surface of the frame will harden and become easier to embellish.

All of the chipboard elements, including these ornate corners, are made by The Dusty Attic. I inked these corner chippies with Glimmer Mist and randomly embossed them using Distress embossing powder. I embellished each corner with mulberry flowers as well as floral vines made by Prima and pearl flourishes by ZVA.

I used a template to give me the basic shape of this stitched flourish, but I added additional stitches to achieve greater detail.

The white ferns are also chipboard elements and were painted white and covered with glitter.

This flower is made by Prima and was originally a light blue. I inked it using Glimmer Mist to match my papers. The swirly vine chipboard element was painted and inked in several colors to give it a distressed look.

This is the actual cap that my daughter wore in the hospital. :o) I can’t believe how tiny it is! It is amazing how quickly children grow.

I tend to do a lot of hand-stitching on my layouts. I love the added texture it adds to any project.

To create the masked flourish on the photo, I used a Prima mask and Distress Ink. The pearl flourishes are made by Prima and ZVA, and the green foliage is a chipboard element that was dry embossed and inked.

A little lace was stitched beneath my photo to add a softer feel to my canvas. The decorative frame chippie were altered the same way as the ornate corners.

This is my twisted lacing technique. I love to add lacing to my projects. You can find the tutorial for this lacing on my blog.

The title is made from Thickers alphabet stickers. The smaller letters are foam Thickers that were inked and coated with Glossy Accents to give it a crackled effect. The fence is made out of real wood. I painted it white and inked it to give it more of a worn look.

I really enjoyed working on this canvas. It was slightly different from creating a traditional layout. I look forward to making another one soon... but perhaps not SO large. :o)

Before I go, I’d like to share how I store my paper scrap. Originally, I had my scraps organized in file folders and sorted by color. To be honest, I never once used my file box full of scraps. I just found it to be a pain to sort through all of those little papers just to find the one I need. But then I realized that it was silly to waste an entire sheet of cardstock just to make a tiny flower. I also realized that the problem was how I ORGANIZE my scrap paper. This is when I found the perfect use for the Clip It Up Swinging Wall Arm.

I installed the Swinging Wall Arm on the wall beneath my desk. I organized all of my scraps by color and placed them in poly envelopes with snap closures. Now I can easily see what is in each envelope. To prevent the clips from sliding off of the poly envelopes, I used Clip Grips. The Clip Grips are fantastic! What I love best about this system of organization is that it takes up very little space. The first photo you see here was taken with the arm in a ‘closed’ position (parallel to the wall). The second photo is the
Swinging Wall Arm in an extended position. Either way, this Clip It Up works perfectly for organizing my scraps! Now I have no excuse for wasting an entire sheet of cardstock. My scraps are now within reach and I am finally using up my stash!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my post. I am looking forward to sharing more projects with you, and I also hope to share more about how I organize my craft studio.

Have a beautiful day!
Natasha

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