{Spotlight Project} Shirley Creates a Canvas on a Card

Hi guys! I bought a roll of canvas last year, so I thought I'd better start using it. I wanted to make a mini canvas panel for the front of a card.

I cut some canvas off the roll into a four-inch square and added some machine stitching around the edge. Hurdle #1 - my mini sewing machine wasn't really coping, so the stitching is just on two sides. (I'm calling it artistic.)

Then I covered it with gesso. Hurdle #2 - because the canvas wasn't attached to anything, the wet gesso made it curl up - next time I'll have to tape it down before I start!

I covered the canvas with Distress Paints, spritzed it with watered down white acrylic paint, then dried it with the heat gun to stop it curling again. I also sponged some white acrylic paint through the ARTplorations Dots All Over stencil.

On a piece of double-sided paper I stamped a dress from Party Dresses, punched out lots of small flowers, then glued them over the skirt area of the dress. Because I wasn't sure how long I wanted the dress to be, I didn't cut it out until I'd got the desired length, then I could just cut behind the flowers.

I stapled the canvas panel to a mat of the double sided paper, glued the dress down, and added the numbers from Sketchy Alphabet. After stencilling some dots onto the base card, I attached the panel to the card, and it was finished. But the day after, I decided the card base was a little too bare. Hurdle #3 - you're a bit limited as to what you can do when you've already stuck all your panels down! I stamped some Mixed Media Elements images around the panel, then edged it with pink Neocolour II crayon.

Here's another look at the grunged version. Which do you think looks better?

If you're inspired by any of our Spotlight Projects, add your creation to the Spotlight Projects Showcase for a chance to win a $15 gift voucher, or a 5x7 stamp set and guest designer spot!