Welcome Back GD: Wanda Hentges #1 Darcy Flower Canvas

Happy December!!!  It's Wanda Hentges here today to begin my final week as guest designer for PaperArtsy... where has the time gone!!!!!  This week my projects will use stamps from Darcy's newest sets and today we are creating an 8 x 10 canvas.

The stamp set is Eclectica³ by Darcy EDY10.  I fell in love with those heart flowers the first time I saw a picture of the set!!!

I'm also using some paper from the Chatsworth 12 x 12 pack.  I really didn't have a plan when I started (I quite often don't when I create... start with one thing and figure it out as I go along), so we'll just take it exactly as I figured it out.  I knew I wanted to use the heart flowers stamped onto the Chatsworth paper as my main image, so I picked a sheet and stamped the flower.  It is stamped with Archival Ink jet black.  

EDY10. 

I tore around the image by laying a ruler on the paper and then pulling up with the excess paper creating a torn edge.

This piece is approximately 4" x 7 1/2".

To paint the flowers I used Fresco Finish paints in yellow submarine, blood orange, autumn fire, hey pesto, hyde park, and old gold. The old gold is used in all the little circles in the center of the flowers.

At this point I wasn't sure what else I might be doing with this piece so I set it aside and moved onto the next layer.  I thought it would be fun to make a border with part of the same image.  I tested out the idea first on a scrap of paper and realized I needed a little help with lining up my image so I put 2 pieces of tape on the block giving me a "line" to use when stamping.  It wasn't a perfect line but worked well enough.  I could have spent time tweaking the placement of the tape but it was close enough.

To ink just the part of the image I wanted to stamp, I put tape directly on the stamp, inked it with jet black....

I removed the tape and stamped on my paper.  I'm using another piece of Chatsworth that I've cut to approximately 8" x 5 1/4".  I stamped first in the center of the edge (no measuring, just eyeballed it) and then worked out to the edges.

I painted in the hearts with blood orange and yellow submarine blending between the colors and again used old gold on the small circles.

I laid the main image on top and decided I needed another layer to help it stand out.  I cut a piece of smoothy card and painted around the edges with blood orange.

I decided to add the quote to the main panel.  I wanted to be sure it popped so first I added a little honey dew paint where I would be stamping, brushing it on and then rubbing with my finger to help it blend out.  The quote is stamped with jet black. 

Time to start working on the canvas itself. To begin I'm using stencil #PS001 and grunge paste.

I started working around the edge with the stencil and paste (there is no need to do the center as it will be covered) and then finished up by just scraping on some paste and tapping it with the pallet knife to create texture and let this dry completely.  

After it was dry, I sanded the paste to smooth it leaving texture but no really rough spots.

I kept to the same colors for the canvas as for the flowers - yellow submarine, autumn fire and blood orange.  I started with blood orange and as I went from color to color I did not bother to clean the brush, just keep going and blending.  

After some thought, I'd decided that I would glue the bordered panel directly to the canvas and use a charcoal pencil to give some depth around it, so to help me with placement when stamping onto the canvas, I laid the panel on and made a line around it.  Next I stamped the same quote onto the canvas multiple times with jet black.

I wondered about rubbing a lighter colored paint over the textured areas but wasn't sure so first added it inside my pencil lines, that way if I didn't like it, no worries, it would be covered up.  I decided not to go with that but did add just a few smudges of the paint, honey dew, here and there and then I used a cover I kept from some kind of bottle to add paint circles. 

Next came Treasure Gold. I have totally fallen in love with this stuff and will be getting a bunch more colors for Christmas from my hubby.  I first used Spanish topaz over all the high spots....

but then decided I wanted it to be brighter and went over it with white fire.  I decided I wanted to bring the paint circles back to the front - the TG had pushed them back, I knew it would, but then I decided I didn't like that, so re-stamped them.

I added more pencil widening my line and smudging with my finger.  I also distressed the edges of the border panel using a distressing tool but you could use a pair of scissors by rubbing the edge of the scissors along the edge of the paper to rough it up.

I stamped the birds image in the upper right hand corner with jet black.  I had a little trouble because ink got on the stamp between the birds and wanted to transfer onto the canvas while pressing hard enough to stamp over the texture so I wiped the ink off the stamp and just inked one bird and stamped it repeating until I had enough.  If I had put the birds on an acrylic block and tapped lightly onto the ink pad, it would have taken care of the extra ink problem and that's what I would do if I wasn't trying to stamp over texture. 

I glued the border panel onto the canvas.

I was thinking of tying a ribbon around the main panel but wasn't sure about the color or a blending of colors.  I started with yellow submarine.  I sprayed the ribbon (Idea-ology crinkle ribbon) with some water, watered down some paint and then dabbed the ribbon in it, scrunched it up some and dried it.

I put the ribbon around and did a multi-loop bow but it just wasn't right.  So I added autumn fire to the ribbon.  I watered down a bit of the paint, did not get the ribbon wet first, dabbed it into the paint, and dried it.

Next I did the same with blood orange (forgot to take a picture) and finally I thought lets add some old gold after which I was wishing I hadn't added the old gold, lol.  I thought about starting over but pressed on.

I again added autumn fire. 

I kept trying to wrap it around all crinkled and making a big, puffy, multi-looped bow and it just wasn't working.  For some reason that idea was totally stuck in my head and I was trying and trying to figure out what to do.  I started looking around because I thought maybe no ribbon but what else, it needed something... or maybe a totally different ribbon, still unsure... finally it occurred to me that it didn't have to be crinkled and it didn't have to have a bow.  I ironed the ribbon, wrapped it around a few times, tired a knot and trimmed the ends.  This would work for me!!!!  Much better!!  I added brads to the center of the flowers coloring the heads of the brads with old gold paint and attached the panel with foam mounting tape.

The edges are painted with blood orange and both Spanish topaz and white fire Treasure Gold added.

I do like this canvas - the texture in the background, the partial image border (it is fun to use parts of images - it makes the stamps go further and can be great for building layers), and that fabulous heart flower!!!!!  

I'll see you again tomorrow.  Have a good one!!!

~Wanda~

A huge thanks to Wanda from all at PaperArtsy for this fantastic canvas. ( Darcy here..I am slightly biased, but WOW I love it) These layers are just so vibrant and full of texture. The partial flowers are just the perfect way to add a complimentary border, and the coloured ribbon is so scrummy. 

We would love you to join in with the challenge. If you are inspired to action by any of this month's guests who have blogged in December 2014 then join in and link up your creativity HERE. You might win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. You need to add your link by 17:00 (London time) Dec 31st 2014, the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00, Dec 31st, 2014.