Mixed media canvas "First...vacation"

Hey all,

Have you seen the new challenge over at Canvas Corp Brands? Are you going to give it a try? I simply adore the summery moodboard!

When asked which one of the crew wanted to provide an example, I jumped upon the chance immediately! The pictures of Connors first vacation abroad, last year, were still waiting to be scrapped. 

And this theme gave me the chance to finally give the new Mixed Media origins papers a try as well! I received them only a couple of days before so I was very curious. 

The paper feels more like a fabric and though supple to handle, cannot be torn. It needs to be cut. (Meaning it doesn't tear up easily when you get it all wet with your mediums, very good!)

So cutting the paper was my starting point, since the canvas I wanted to use was wider than the sheet. (The canvas measures 12 by 16 inches)

I adhered the 2 pieces of paper to my canvas using gel medium. The section of the Canvas that wasn't covered with paper, became my sandy path. Put gel medium on it and then bird sand (for an actual bird from a store carrying pet supplies). After allowing it to dry, I shook off the excess.

Around the edges of the Canvas and along the edges of the sand path, I applied white crackle paste.


 I let this dry overnight and then started my coloring by spraying Tattered Angels glimmermist 'chalkboard French Vanilla' on the sand path because it was too white for my liking.


For the seahorse I used two shades of Tattered Angels glimmerglam to get the perfect color, 'Tailfin' and 'Blue Topaz'. I then covered the seahorse with one step (translucent) crackle medium by Tim Holtz and sprinkled some microbeads and 13 Arts glass filler on top of it. Let it all (air) dry, sprayed some Tattered Angels Glimmermist "crushed shells" to emphasise the cracks and get a more vibrant color.

I proceeded to color the other parts of the paper with different shades of Tattered Angels glimmermist: patina for the sky, crushed seashells for the lighthouse, edges covered with crackle paste and seahorse's background, maya blue for the compass and some drips on the page.

Colored some Scrapiniec chipboard seaweed pieces with Tattered Angels glimmerglam Caspian Sea and tiny glass beads. Glued them to the bottom corners of the Canvas, let them dry and then added real seastars, shells and some small chippies like a steering wheel, anchor and seahorses.

The Canvas Corp aqua Burlap flower came on a little too strong for my taste, so I simply covered the edges with white gesso.
Underneath the burlap flower is a fabric tag, which I gave a more distressed look by brushing and spraying Tattered Angels glimmermists 'Crushed seashells' and 'Maya blue' onto it, plus a little white gesso.
Onto the tag I used tiny letter stickers for my text. (Unfortunately my initial idea wouldn't fit...)
I mounted a Scrapiniec Monograce 'F' (altered with glimmermist, glimmerglam and white gesso) onto a slice of wood and added a little seagull and some little shells. Tied the bottle filled with sand to one of the burlap flower's loose threads.

Alongside my pictures I adhered straws to create borders. Underneath the picture is a little cardstock doilie I coated with white gesso, some 'shell discs' and some sisal thread.

Wrapped the corners and sides with some netting. 

The clusters of shells are complemented by some microbeads, small 13 Arts glass beads  and flass filler and Prima/Finnabair art pebbles. Completed with a bit of white crackle paste here and there, for example on the chipboard seahorse. Followed by Tattered Angels glimmermists of course.

This picture sort of captured the beautiful twinkle that the glittermists and glass beads gave in the sunlight.

Normally I scrap more elaborate, but I didn't want to overshadow the beautiful paper. Plus the 2 pictures made the canvas full pretty quickly.
Hope I've shown you what you can do with the Mixed Media Origins papers. Questions and comments are always welcome!

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Happy Scrapping!