GD: Ellen Vargo Project #3 Fresco Finnabair Inspired Canvas

Hello everyone, Ellen here, back for my final project as a guest designer for this semester - the time has flown by but I have had the *best* time ever! Let's get straight to today's project... a large canvas loaded with embellishments!

I started with a 6 x 16 box canvas.

Using the colors below, I created a blended background with a bright center and dark edges. I used a combination of techniques - some finger painting, some baby wipe blending, and brush blending until I was happy with the background.

Here are a few pix at various stages... first Snowflake and Cheesecake mixed together.

Then I started building up layers of colour.

And the final blended background ...

Next I added some stamping to the background using the scratchy rectangle from EEV02 and some Venetian Orange Archival Ink.

And now the *real* fun begins ... I chose to embellish this canvas "Finnabair" style, using her Sunrise Sunset collection of metal embellishments with Prima, as well as some other goodies and paper flowers.  If you've had the pleasure of taking one of her classes, you know that she loves to load on the embellies ... 

I did a dry fit of all the embellishments first, then carefully set them to the side, in the same placement as the dry fit. Then I broke out the heaviest, nothing-is-gonna-budge adhesive I've ever come across ... Golden's extra heavy gel medium.  And I used the best tool ever (my finger) to apply it to each embellishment.

I applied a generous, well, GLOB, for lack of a better word, to each embellishment, layering the largest embellishments at the base and stacking more on top, ending each stack with a paper or script flower. And then set it aside to dry over night. Thick coats of heavy gel take a *long* time to dry.

The next morning, I added some stems to my ginormous flower arrangement with a black sharpie paint pen, and added some little grassy stamping to the base with the line/dot stamp from EEV05.

Then I added some dotty circle accents around each small metal flower in the arrangement using a white paint pen.

I needed something to "ground" the flowers so I added some script tissue paper across the base of the canvas using Glue 'N' Seal (told ya I was addicted to it...the script tissue AND the glue 'n' seal... LOL!).

Next I used the long line stamp from EEV05 in certain areas. I used Snowflake paint on the stamp, and used a baby wipe to wipe away certain areas of paint so I only got portions of the lines. Then I wrapped some fibery twine around the base to ease the transition between lines/dots and script. And finally, added some dotty stamp (EEV06) texture to the very bottom of the canvas.

And here's the finished Fresco-Finnabair canvas ...

I think I will hang this in my office at work, which I recently rearranged and redecorated so it's more relaxing and "pretty".  I spend 8 hours a day there, so it's nice to have a cozy office with nice things. 

Well, folks, that's a wrap!  I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of the guest designer group here at PaperArtsy and I can't say thanks enough to Mr. and Mrs. PA, the entire PA family, as well as all of YOU for giving me such a warm welcome, for embracing my style of mixed media/abstract/painty art... and for giving me a chance to have my stamps made!  What a dream come true!  Who knows where the road will lead next. Until I see you again please feel free to follow along on my art journey on my blog. 

~ ellen.

Leandra Says: Ellen thank you for another great week of inspired projects, love the statement piece using the metal embellies. Look forward to seeing you again soon. x

Gillian Says: Great size canvas. Love the simple stamped background against the centre piece, again loving the boldness to this canvas. Thank you Ellen for sharing your techniques and inspiration with us all. Look forward to seeing you here in the future. x 

Darcy Says: Do you want to know a sneaky secret? Really! you do? Come closer then, and I shall whisper... We have loved having Ellen on the blog and her stamps have been a huge hit. We know you would love to see more of her work so we asked her to return next semester.... She said Yes!.. so watch out for her, you never know when she might pop up. 

If you would like to join in this week's challenge and play along with Julie Ann's techniques, then do link up your creativity here, and go in the draw to win some PA stamps of your choice! You need to link your entry by 17:00, Sunday April 20th 2014