We blog, we bake.
We craft, we create.

Monday 15 April 2013

UKS Blog Hop

Hello there, Welcome to the UKS Spring BlogHop! You may have come to me from Niknaks blog If you lose your way, or have dropped in on me directly and want to follow the hop, you can see the full list with all the links here

For new visitors, this blog is written by a bunch of bears, yes really! We staged a coup last year and took over from the human, as we thought we could write far more interesting posts than her! Don't worry though, we stashed her safely under the bed, where she resides quite contentedly!
It's Horace here today modelling my special space suit in honour of the  blog hop.  Now a blog hop, as you all know, means travelling from one blog to another, and as such, I thought I should wear special travel clothes for the occasion!

Anyway, on with the show. Today, I'm going to show you how to decorate a mini canvas, which can be used as a lovely present for a like minded friend, or to keep yourself if you like your creation too much to give away. First, of course, you need a canvas, we bought two sizes from The Works (other shops are probably available).....

I'll be using the slightly larger canvas for today's project, although the smaller ones, at ATC size, are fabulous for posting off. What with the increase in postage charges this month, these are still small enough to leave a smidgeon of change in your pocket once posted.

For this canvas I used the following Dylusions mists, although any mists would work, and if you don't have mists, inks dabbed onto the canvas with blending foam would look good too.

I set up a pizza box spray booth, and sprayed the two colour mists onto the canvas in a cavalier and careless fashion. Anyone for a weird colour tanning session?

I let the mist drip down the canvas, rotating said canvas to change the direction of the drips.

I then dabbed some of the mist off the canvas with good old fashioned kitchen roll, what would we crafters do without it?

Dabbing the canvas while wet leaves this lovely mottled effect.

I sprayed the easel that was supplied with the canvas in coordinating inks.

I then heat dried the mists to set them on the canvas. If you just keep applying mists with no drying in between you may end up with a muddy mess, depending on what colours you are using, so I always dry in between layers. How many layers of mist you add is entirely up to you, if you don't like a particular effect, just add more mist until you're happy with it.

Now you can add other layered effects. I took a paint lid stencil, and sprayed the new Dylusions white mist through it.

The mist does not actually dry white, but lends a more pastel tone to your previously applied colours. Although when first sprayed you do tend to get over excited at the white effect that you assume you've created.

Oh, any residue left over in your pizza spray booth? Don't just leave it to dry, utilise it by mopping it up with your art journal, or a tag. Look at the fabulous criss-cross effect made by pressing the journal down into my wet pizza box.

Once you've finished misting to your furry heart's content, choose a background stamp. I chose a Kaisercraft script stamp.

I inked it up in archival ink and pressed it randomly over the canvas, without the aid of an acrylic block. As canvas has a little give in the centre, you need to have a flexible stamp, and to not be too bothered about creating a perfect image with it. Think shabby chic, and if that's too much of a stretch, well, just think shabby!!

Next, you need a main focus. I chose a Stampers Anonymous stamp, and using archival inks again, I then stamped this in the bears' inimitable way, but rather than stamping onto card or directly onto the canvas, I stamped onto tissue paper. This technique is great for textured backgrounds, and anywhere that it would be hard to create a full image, such as a canvas. Cut the tissue paper close to your image, or tear it if you're brave enough, and adhere to your project using a suitable glue

such as Mod Podgy, yes that's the correct name for it, the manufacturers' just spell it wrong on every pot, Podgy the panda told us, and he'd never lie.

As well as stamping my main image onto tissue paper. I also stamped a sentiment onto it, imagine trying to get an even print from a text stamp directly onto canvas? It's almost impossible on this substrate. Make sure to add glue to the canvas and NOT the tissue paper, as this tends to become a soggy mess when glue is added! We made the mistake of adding the glue to the stamped tissue paper the first time we tried this technique and spent a week peeling glue and gunky tissue paper from our paws. Once adhered to the substrate and dried, the tissue paper dissolves, leaving behind your image, even on slightly lumpier textures.

Once you've glued your images and any other background features, you'll need to wait for everything to dry completely before adding any finishing touches.

Now for a bit of magic... Take one unassuming, bland white flower....

Spritz it with a little pink glimmer mist....

Abracadabra, wishy washy woo. Voila, one very pink shimmery flower to add to my canvas.

Now, don't be afraid but I have a gun and I know how to use it, do you feel lucky???

Ahem, sorry, all this blogging has affected my furry brain. I punched some butterflies (poor things had done nothing to deserve such treatment) from a Martha Stewart double punch, and I die cut a leaf from a Memory box die to decorate my misted canvas with. Anything you fancy can be used on your canvas, have a rustle through your stash boxes and see what you can find, old unused flowers, die cuts, stamped images.... It's a great way to use all your old embellishments that may have been languishing for a long time amongst your stash.

As a very final finishing touch I added some chicken wire over the main image to make it seem as if she was looking out through the wire. Chicken wire can be adhered to your canvas using a heat gun, and the blobby glue residue can be covered with your die cuts or punched ephemera, or you could glue a strip of co ordinating card down the length of the chicken wire if preferred, I like the chicken wire floating in mid canvas effect, so opted for the gun, plus, it made me feel all manly and powerful to brandish the gun in such a fashion!!!

My sentiment reads ' We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing. I thought the woman would look as though she was pondering why she felt trapped, and if only she could take heed of the sentiment, she'd feel freer. Hence the butterflies.

Finally, at last I hear you sigh, a picture of me with my creation. I hope you enjoyed my little 'how to'. Now it's time to go a hopping over to the next blog hosted by Sarah, which you can find by pressing a furry paw here


love from the bears.

77 comments:

  1. Thank you Horace. What a beautiful canvas and I must try the bear way of stamping.

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  2. Thank you Horace for the fab blog post. I have only recently bought some mists so will have to give some of your techniques a go. Thanks the the tissue paper transfer technique it sound like a really good way of getting images onto an uneven surface.


    Thanks again

    Wizbit (Liz)

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  3. Eeeeeeek !!! (Girlie squeal !!!) I LUV this immensely. :-) Such a cool colour and all those techniques. You are one clever bear. I love the pages used to 'mop up' from the box too. That will make such fabbo journal paper.
    Gorgeous creation Horace - thank you for showing us :-D
    Beary Hugz
    IKE xx

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  4. Yo bears! Fancy meeting you here. Horace, your inking is fab-u-lous and the finished canvas - wow! Thanks for sharinf how you did it.
    Sue x

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  5. I love your posts, this project is gorgeous :)

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  6. Absolutely brilliant tutorial, thanks for sharing, I sometimes have a go at canvasses and must try this :) Jen x

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  7. Great canvas thankyou

    Beanpie11 aka debbie

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  8. What a stunning canvas. You are clever bears :)

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  9. I've never used modge podge- an amazing canvas there.
    Kim

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  10. thankyou for sharing such a stunning creation in a fab fun way and you have gained a new follower

    UKS lelly

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  11. A lot of work there Sherri :)

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  12. I wonder how a bear does all that without fingers ? Must be magic. Thank you for sharing. Your sunny cheery tone has made me smile.

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  13. Fantastic. Brilliant colours. Love the sentiment.
    If only we all remembered to play more.

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  14. wow Horace you're one talented bear!! thanks for the great tutorial

    scrappybluecat uks

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  15. What a great, fun to read tutorial, Horace. I love the finished result.

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  16. Fab canvas and a very talented bear :)
    from Boland :)

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  17. Fantasticc canvas and Horace is such a clever bear. Will make sure my bears don't get any ideas From him.

    Meg baby UKS.

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  18. Well done Horace that's a fab canvas you created! And well done for not getting dirty paws, unlike my fingers when I use inks!
    chrisrydal x

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  19. I don't know how the bear stayed so clean! Gorgeous canvas. Tigerlady

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  20. Live long and prosper Horace, love your stamping method :D

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  21. gorgeous canvas :)
    Leigh11 xx

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  22. Absolutely gorgeous :-)
    *here be dragons*

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  23. Fab project! Lovely colours and techniques xx

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  24. Well done that Bear - what a gorgeous canvas - love the colours and the adding of chicken wire - would not have thought of that - thanks for sharing.
    PaulineD UKS xxx

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  25. Another great idea today for using inks! I'm off to The Works for a canvas, I even think that the children would enjoy creating their 'bear' art! Thank you. UKS - Sharon1973

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  26. super fun blog and a lovely project you've made, smashing colours and yes, will have to remember about chicken wire.(Maria in France on UKS)

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  27. Fun blog post. Loved the colours. Have some canvases to try this technique. Thanks for sharing Horace. UKS. sue1952

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  28. Wow.,gorgeous. Hope bear didn't get too inky. KJJC on uks

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  29. Horace, thank you so much for showing us your lovely canvas but I'm just in awe of your space suit!
    UKS name, AllycatD

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  30. Oh that made me smile! I love how you stamp with your, er, derrier so to speak! A really lovely canvas and now I'm off to the works as that was a bargain. Thanks for sharing. UKS - Julesaroony

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  31. Great messy technique and a blog that made me smile. (UKS TinkerHamilton)

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  32. Horace - you look so smart in your beary special suit - well done for getting so dressed up to present your post! Great clue about the tissue paper and about glueing the canvas rather than that - I will also address the error in the mod podgy spelling immediately! Fab canvas
    Ali (Alibri) xx

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  33. Horace you are tops at demonstrating your artworks, just love the colours youve used.
    Thanks for sharing

    Gill x

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  34. It looks great when you do it, it just looks a mess when I try :D

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  35. I have some canvasses but not had the courgage to use them yet but you certainly made it look easy. I might need to get the help of a bear though! Love your blog
    Thanks
    Chris55 - UKS

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  36. wow what a creative bear! Great idea for using those mini canvasses thank you xxx

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  37. Really stunning, thanks for the inspiration!

    UKS - Clairewill

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  38. Horace your artwork is almost as gorgeous as your orange space suit, thank you for leading us through the process.

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  39. Love the suit and the inkiness - gorgeous project.

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  40. Love it :) never played with Mod Podgy, may have to now! :)

    purplybunny (uks)

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  41. Smashing canvas - thanks for sharing. Mary x

    scarymary555 on UKS

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  42. Fab ideas Horace and I also love your space suit.You are a very talented bear! UKS...Bubbleblitt

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  43. wonderful idea-thanks for sharing - alibi

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  44. What a great idea. I love the dimension all the stamping and spraying has created. What a crafty bear you are!!' Audrey xxx uks poetcrafty xxx

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  45. brilliant, love the vibrancy (love your blog BTW)

    cantstopstampin

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  46. Great project

    Aka elainevking on UKS

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  47. I would never of thought of this. What a good gift idea for crafty friends. TFS. UKS Tagsie

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  48. I have a couple of these little canvases and lots of dylusions, I think I will have a play with them, thanks for the ideas! - Cassia

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  49. Marvellous post - and a great tip about stamping on the tissue rather than the canvas!!! Well done Horace!
    Jimjams x

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  50. What a fab creation - glad to see you managed to keep your paws nice and clean (nothing worse than inky fur) - TFS

    Toni xx
    (misteejay)

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  51. Horace, you're so clever and you make me want to do this myself. Thank you for the tutorial. Love, stillcrafting from UKS xx

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  52. Gosh how do you keep your paws so clean

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  53. Absolutely stunning, thanks for the review of the white spray its on my wish list :) love the chicken wire, need to add that to the list now as well! JoPink

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  54. I love it when i have most of the things in a tutorial cos it means I can give it a go RIGHT NOW! :D I've been wondering what to do with my mini canvas and easel and what a fantastic tutorial to inspire me. Thanks for sharing. Sian aka Violaceous :)

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  55. Love your creation Horrace and I love your space suit. Thanks for the inspiration :) (uks Jacqui200284)

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  56. Beautiful thanks for sharing

    Fran (Hedgie)

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  57. love this. I have a mini canvas and easel that have been sitting around for ages. I now know what to do with it.

    NIKIG (uks)

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  58. One of my fav stamps and love using dylusions sprays too. Lovely way to put them all together, love it!

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  59. Beary nice, great step by step pics and cute (talented) bear.

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  60. Cute watching the bear do this, I do hope he was supervised using that glue gun

    Fifi-T

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  61. love the bear lol

    uks - darm

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  62. Very clever - I have two of these mini canvasses in a drawer and not known what to do with them :)

    Stacey Scrapred on UKS

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  63. Lovely canvas- does your fur wash ok though?? :-)
    Laura Godfrey

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  64. oh that is super! love the colours - why wash the fur... leave the colour there! thanks for sharing, jenx uks wear crafts

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  65. Wow, Horace, that's a stunning canvas! I love the background you created, and can't wait to see what you do with those leftovers which are simply fabulous!! Really great work, and I hope your hopsuit has kept you safe and sound on your very first bloghop... I see lots of lovely visitors!
    Alison x

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  66. I have a mini canvas. And several mists. And lots of stamps. And acres of tissue paper. Perhaps they need to meet up?
    (Eileen C)

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  67. Ha ha, excellent post, really entertaining and a lovely project too. Thanks for taking so much trouble to entertain us!

    UKS name Fizzydrink

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  68. I have LOTS of blank canvasses just crying out to be altered - great tutorial :) Do you think you should let the human out from under the bed now ?? lol. Kitty Crafts UKS

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  69. Lovely tutorial, thanks for sharing. My youngest dd has a Kennedy space bear who looks like he might be your younger cousin!
    UKS - mumof4girls

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  70. Love the canvas. Very clear tutorial
    That chicken wire gets everywhere, lol
    UKS Meggie

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  71. Lovely little canvas, another one to add to my to do list lol! :) UKS - Scrappyyo

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  72. I loved this blog post beary much!

    PS the project was great too!

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  73. Love the techniques you used.Something a bit different from my usual style. Thanks for sharing. UKS Jolene

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  74. Hi Horace what a brilliant post today. Love your canvas and easel - great colours and stamps used - Hope you didn't get too inky. Gill x UKS name is Seaside Crafter.

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  75. Just had to pop back and say that I picked up some small canvas boards from the Works yesterday so hope to have a play at the weekend.

    Toni xx

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    1. Oh excellent, we'd really love to see what you create with them. So glad we inspired you too.

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