Today's project started with a canvas that's been lying around since 2007. Well, it's only been at my house since 2010. Again, with the stockpiling of art supplies.
This canvas is from an unfinished project at Creative Escape, a scrapbooking/art retreat. I didn't attend the year they did this project but a friend did. When she cleaned out her studio ahead of a move in 2010, I took home several discarded canvases, including this one. At that time it was covered with torn strips of a Chinese newspaper and painted a mustard-yellow-gold.
Look at it now, though, butterfly bliss...
Here's some insight into the metamorphosis of this 8x8 raised canvas (see what I did there).
I sanded down the decoupaged paper and repainted a turquoise-robin's egg blue color. Then I let it sit for another 6-9 months. Just to make sure it was dry...
When I picked it up again last week I was determined to make something out of it. I used gel medium to attach the following:
- punched butterflies
- "X"s cut from magazines
- fabric for bottom border
- vintage Dennison label stickers
- text cut from thrifted books
- hand-drawn girl colored with pencils
It's now a lovely addition to my handmade Valentine decorations and I no longer need to know Chinese to be able to enjoy it ☺.