Thursday, February 28, 2019

Canvas Art Using DIY Foil Paper

Hello, Crafty Friends! It's been a while since I've been crafting. I took a short break to take care of my son had surgery on his leg. He's getting better tons better and his poor little leg is getting stronger every day. Which is just in time too! Warmer weather has been peeking its head and soon Spring will be here. And you know what that means... lots of flowers blooming!!

So, to celebrate Spring's arrival, I created this Flower Bloom Wall Art Canvas using...of all things... wait for it... Aluminum Foil!!

Yup, the same stuff you wrap your leftovers with! I used this kitchen staple and made my own DIY SHEET METAL EMBELLISHMENTS that look and feel like, well, metal!! Unlike the foiled cardstock from the craft store, which is just a thin plastic coating. 

AAANNND, it die-cuts like a dream!! 

Let me show you how...



Supplies Used
Eileen Hull Leaves Die (Sizzix)
Tim Holtz Stitched Circle Die (Sizzix)
Textured Impressions Plus Embossing Folder- Botanical Swirls(Sizzix)
16"x 20 " Canvas
Gesso (Liquitex)
Black Chalkboard Paint (Prima)
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Clear drying liquid Adhesive

I started my project with a plain 16"x 20" Canvas and applied a coat of gesso. Most canvases come pre-gessoed but I like to add an additional coat anyway, it seems to help my paint go on smoother and helps spread my paint further (at least it does to me, anyway).

I zapped the canvas with a heat gun to speed up drying time.

Then, applied a layer of black chalkboard paint over the entire surface (including the sides).  Then zapped it again once more.


Here is where it gets really good...

I knew I wanted to make metal embellishments but didn't want to just run the foil through my Xyron. NOPE, it would crinkle up in a heartbeat! Even though I used HEAVY DUTY FOIL, IT still didn't have that heft and standing power that I wanted.

So, to firm things up a bit I attached the foil to 110 lb cardstock. Nice, thick, and sturdy 110 lb cardstock!

I simply ran each individual sheets through my Creative Station, peeled the film backer, and attached the sheet to the aluminum.

 When attaching sheets of adhesive start from one end and kind of roll it toward the other end. If you attach straight down you are a more likely to catch air bubbles. 

Smooth out any tiny lumps and bumps with a rubber or silicone brayer.
Look how shiny and smooth it is!! Ooooh, pretty!

Next, I cut my sheets to die-cuttable sizes. I'm saving myself a lot of tears by die-cutting all my petal pieces instead of cutting them by hand. I once hand cut 50 take out boxes for a birthday party once, um, yeah, NEVER AGAIN!!

I had bruises and calluses for weeks. My poor hands took a nasty beating! I'm so glad someone invented die-cut machines and dies! ENTER the Big Shot Machine ...

I knew I wanted "petals" but didn't have any huge petal dies. So, I used an Eileen Hull Leaves Die instead. I die-cut out the foiled sheets then cut off the little stem.


 I also knew I wanted more texture (just not the crinkly kind) to my petals. So I loaded up this HUGE Texture Impressions Plus  Botanical Swirls folder with all my little stemless leaves. This time using my Big Shot Plus machine. These embossing folders were just way too big to fit through my regular Big Shot!

 These metal sheets even emboss like a dream!! 
**SWOON**

And look how well the stitched details show up on these Tim Holtz Stitched Circle Dies! I used this die cut as the center of my bloom.

Starting from the center, I attached the petals with liquid adhesive smallest to largest and worked my way outward.


I made sure to continue even along the sides of the canvas. Anything left overhanging got a bent and tucked over the side and glue down in place. With small children in my house, I didn't want to worry about any sharp edges. So tucked away they went.

LOOK AT ALL THIS GORGEOUS TEXTURE!!
The embossing in person is absolutely STUNNING!!


HAnd here's my final piece. Already up and mounted on my wall!


I hope you enjoyed this project and it has inspired you to create a canvas piece of your own!!

Thanks for stopping in!

Until next time...
HAPPY CRAFTING!!
~Mitsyana

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