Sweet Dreams Canvas Collage

Hello everyone! Just a quick note: I think my camera is biting the dust. The lens gets stuck every time I turn it on and when it's shut down and is supposed to retract. Looks like it's time to get the camera I didn't get for Christmas. I got a video camera instead, so can't complain too much. :)

At 22x18, this is a huge piece and I had trouble getting it all in the camera and keeping it focused. I created this for a special little girl to hang in her room. The framed words are a bedtime poem that my mother recited to me every night from the time I was born. In fact I think it's why I could talk in full sentences by two years old because I was reciting it as well between two and three years old. To say the least this poem means a lot to me and I thought it would be great for a canvas collage. I wanted a lot of layers and things to look at. I also wanted it to have kind a hint of a seventies feeling with the orange and green colors and funny cut-out flowers. Don't know if I pulled it off though.

I used upholstery material for the leaves, a real tree branch and used paper to make the flowers of which I sprayed with homemade paint sprays then edged with ink. I used a popcycle stick to support the nest.

 

Along the left side I used a strip of wall border wallpaper. I also integrated an old book page about flowers and then used modeling paste to overlay some white flowers on the floral scrapbook paper.

 

Hope you like it. Happy Crafting!

"At Sea" Mixed Media Collage

Hello and welcome to Heartedly Handcrafted! "At Sea" is my first mixed media canvas collage and my first major piece of arts or crafts anything. I had been watching YouTube videos for craft ideas and fell in love with this art form. Then I decided to start this blog to share it with you. I think YouTube had created an arts and crafts monster. I'm obsessed and want to try it all.

Everyone has a junk drawer, garbage, broken decorations, etc. Some people have an earring without a match, an old watch, seashells from that beach vacation, old fake flowers, kids small toys (like Lego), a drawer knob and so forth. These can all be used to create your mixed media canvas collage. 

You don't even need an actual canvas. A scarp piece of wood, metal, old picture frame, a box, book, anything that you can stick stuff too will work. What you will need to by is some strong glue such as E6000, Mod Podge which you can get at Walmart now, Gesso and some craft paints. 

I purchased inexpensive crafts paints at my local craft store. I also made some sprays. How to create your own sprays can be found under the blog tab Craft Supplies, Ideas and Tips or you can just google it and decide which idea you like best.

The people who became my inspiration, their blogs/websites and one of their demonstration videos for two of them:

Anna Dabrowski - Finnabair  
Leanne of Luvlee Scrappin (video). 
Gabrielle Pollacco (video)

Happy Crafting!