Sunday, January 9, 2011

Simon Says....New Stamps!

The first challenge for 2011 at Simon Says Stamp & Show is to use your new stamps! Well luckily I got 2 new Tim Holtz stamps sets for Christmas.....Good Thoughts & Rock Star!


This little canvas (it's only 5x7) ended up being a labor of love. I started by covering the face of the canvas with a page from an old readers digest, but it was too crisp and I didn't love it. I decided that the words on the page needed to be distressed a bit and pulled out the masking tape to remove some of the words. Well I didn't quite wait long enough for the gel medium to dry and more paper came of than I wanted. Well what can you just go with it.
I figured I keep going and ended up removing almost all the paper with the tape, then I let it dry for a bit. Once it was dry I sprayed the front with water and rubbed off most of the remaining paper which brought out the text from the backside of the paper.......this is a really cool transfer effect I've used a few times.
I wanted to ink the front once it was dry but there was still bits of paper fibres and I just wasn't getting the look I wanted so I pulled out the Claudine Hellmuth paint and gel medium and painted it instead. But again once the paint dried I still wasn't happy, it was too clean & flat.
I sat thinking now what....do I scratch the project and start all over or try to fix it? One good thing about working with a canvas it's quite forgiving and you can layer, layer, layer!
I decided before totally giving up to try sanding off some of the paint to lighten it up and distress it. I wasn't too hopeful this would give me the look I wanted but it did...I sanded, then sanded some more pulled out the distress inks and inked the sanded parts! Finally as I said after much labor the base of the canvas was done!! Phew that took more work than I anticipated but in the end I would do it again because I love how it turned out!
Sometimes when things aren't coming together as you imagined you need to just keep at it....and you might surprise yourself and end up with something you love even more!
Thanks for stopping by!

4 comments:

Nancy said...

This is beautiful, Lisa!!

Jen said...

Beautifully done!! Looks like it was worth all that hard work!!

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

This is just wonderful. Thanks for all the commentary about your trails with getting your canvas started. I thought I was the only one who kept on going and going until I got it so I liked it. So good that you persevered because the result is stunning. I especially love that floral element with the feathers - totally cool. So glad you were able to join in the fun with us this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show!

Terry said...

HIya so sorry that I am soo late with commenting on your fabulous creation thank you for joining us on the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge blog with your fabulous new stamp. Hope to see ya again for this next challenge. Hugs Terry xxxx