This past Sunday I had the pleasure of
attending a very dear friend's wedding shower. For years Brandi and
Chris have shared a very special love and have been waiting for just
the right time to concrete their union. The couple's love of blues is
always apparent. From their wedding to the decor of their new house,
to their eye colors; various shades of blue has played a part in
their lives. Along side blue you will always find
neutrals with this pair. Warm and rich colors match their
personalities and love not only for each other but all of those that
are in their lives. Chris is a man's man who can appreciate the
beauty and art in the world while Brandi is a sweet, slightly
whimsical, no no nonsense classic kind of beauty. Both appreciate the
outdoors, family, life and of course each other. Together they can do
anything. So to help them commemorate this special union and the new chapter of their lives I knew I had to give them something special from my heart.
For their gift I really wanted to
create something that would fit them. So I closed my eyes and tried
to think of them. I imagines swirls of bright blues and rich browns,
a few flowers and a couple of pearls for that touch of elegance.
Brandi being the simple elegance kind of girl I couldn't imagine tons of sparkles or glitter but I know in her heart she loves a bit of bling so CTMH Opaques Adhesive Gems - Mocha collection and a bit of Creme Brulee tinted Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint would be just the right touch.
In the Mocha Opaques Collection there are 3 colors to choose from; Cocoa, Chocolate, and light tan. I used all of them to help compliment the various shades of Browns and Tans in the background.
The opaques were placed in organic free formed swirls around and underneath the cluster of hand rolled flowers. The cluster of flowers and Opaques gave weight and depth to what would have been a flat piece.
Close To My Heart's Art Philosophy Cricut Collection Cartridge was the perfect place to find the Fluer De Lis and various rolled flower options. To make inking the flowers easier I left the entire pre-cut sheet of White Daisy cardstock on the Cricut mat and sponged and inked until I reached the color saturation and variation I wanted. I wanted to keep the flowers feeling a little lighter than the background and Fluer De Lis so I tried to ink more Crystal Blue, and Bamboo. I did use a little bit of Desert Sand and Twilight for more character, and just the faintest bit of Pacifica. I did not use Chocolate on the flowers, as it would have been a bit heavy for the appearance I was trying to achieve. The colors did mix and mingle a bit, creating this patina kind of shade of green/turquoise, which was exactly what I was trying to achieve.
For the Fluer De Lis I inked the base Crystal Blue color on while still on the mat but added depth and shading in Twilight and Pacifica once it was removed. For the background I simply sponged and inked an entire 12 by 12 sheet of White Daisy Cardstock in Choclate, Desert Sand, and Bamboo. By sponging so much cardstock I was worried I would eventually destroy the ink pads so to reduce wear and tear on the pads I simple placed matching reinker in the lid and directly dipped the sponge into the ink. I then sponged some of the ink out on the piece of wax paper I had under the piece to protect my work surface. When the sponge dried I then went back to the wax paper and picked the color back up or I went back to the lid. By using the reinker in the lid I was also able to achieve a better saturation of color in a shorter amount of time. If I had kept sponging off of the pad it would have taken much longer to get the depth of color I wanted, and I would have had to re-ink the pad many times. Normally I do not have to do this but this being such a large area to cover it made a difference. If I am working on a smaller piece using the pad would have been just fine.
Be sure that all layers are completely dry before adhering. If any layer is still damp either allow more time to dry or hit it with a heat tool. Just be aware that heating with heat tool does dull the color a little bit and if you have the color where you want it, it might be better to just wait for it to dry. If you do not allow all layers to dry completely the Mod podge will begin to pick up color and become tinted. Sometimes this is a good thing sometimes it is not.
I allowed all of the pieces to dry overnight before adhering them to a 12 by 12 artist canvas using Mod Podge. To ensure proper adhesion I Mod Podged the canvas as well as the back of the background. Then using an old gift card I began to smooth out all air bubbles. Once most of the air bubbles were worked out I then added a layer of Mod Podge and placed the Fluer De Leis. After a couple of coats of Mod Podge I sprayed the entire canvas with a CTMH Spray Pen filled with a mixture of Creme Brulee and Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint. This gave the entire canvas a soft golden pearl effect that didn't really show in the picture but added just that little bit of "Je ne sais quoi". After drying over night I added the hand rolled flowers with a bit of Liquid Glass and then the Opaques. To ensure that the Opaques would stay in place for a life time I coated them in Liquid Glass as well. Liquid Glass is not only an amazingly great adhesive it also drys clear for a epoxy look, this also helped the Opaques stand out more with out taking away from their natural beauty. My final step was to add a personal message and to sign the piece on the back frame in a permanent marker. I didn't not want the writing to show up over time so the wooden frame was the perfect place to hide it.
I love how this wall hanging turned out! More importantly than the love I had for this piece is the love the couple has. I was thrilled to see their eyes light up when they open their gift, and can not wait to share their special day with them! Funny how just a few sheets of White Daisy Cardstock can turn into something like this, and even more amazing is the love that has blossomed over the year with Brandi and Chris! I wish them more love than they thought possible, more happiness than they can imagine, and just enough clouds to really treasure the special love they share! Congratulations Brandi and Chris, I love y'all!
NON CTMH Items: 12 by 12 Artist
Canvas, Foam Brushes, and Mod Podge (Found at local craft stores or
big box stores)
