Canvas Corp Mixed Media Canvas by Guest Designer Mendi Yoshikawa

Hi there! Mendi Yoshikawa is here today to share a Canvas home decor project using a few of the fun, new goodies from Canvas Corp and Tim Holtz available at your local Craft Warehouse!

Alphabet Foam Stamps $5 (reg. $12.99); Canvas Flowers $2.99;

Entire Stock of Artist Canvas 50% off white tag;

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Embellishments 25% off regular prices

Distress Stain $3.88 (reg. $5.99)*

For this project you will need the following supplies:

-12x12 White Canvas (Sierra Pacific)

-Creative Cafe 4" foam alphabet stamp set

-Canvas Corp. burlap flower embellishment

-Canvas Corp. burlap & canvas tags

-Canvas Corp burlap ribbon, jute cording & clothespin

-Ranger Fired Brick Distress Stain

-Tim Holtz idea-ology Numeral Plaquettes

-Tim Holtz 12x12 Kraft Resist Paper Pad

-Bazzill 12x12 Black Cardstock

-American Crafts Pearl Brad

-American Crafts Foam Alphabet Stickers

-American Crafts White Crocheted Lace

-Beacon's 3-in-1 glue

-Scotch Foam Tape

-DMC white embroidery floss

-Ceramcoat Black paint (and other color of choice for background)

-Versafine Onyx Black ink

-1" wide Scotch Painter's Tape

These tools are also helpful:

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Mover & Shapers Heart Die/Cutting Tray

-Spellbinders Circle Dies

-Martha Stewart border punch

-Foam brush(es)

-Ranger Craft Mat

-Scissors

-Heat gun

-Paper piercer

Unfortunately I didn't manage to take pictures of me creating it along the way, but I thought I would share with you some step-by-step instructions on how you can re-create your own canvas. 

Instructions:

1. Paint the a 12x12 canvas using tan acrylic paint.  Two coats may be necessary, but make sure to let canvas dry completely before continuing to next step.

2. Apply 1" wide painter's tape to the bottom portion of the canvas, pressing down the edges firmly.  To do this I laid my first piece down and then used another piece to temporarily leave a 1" space and give me a guide to lay my next row straight.  I did this until my entire canvas was covered with the painter's tape mask.  Next you need to paint the exposed areas with black paint using a foam brush.  Keep in mind that it won't matter how perfect the lines are at the top because this will be covered by the punched borders with burlap ribbon later. 

3. For the canvas and burlap tags, cut them apart so you are working with just a single layer.  Generously apply the Red Fired Brick Distress stain to a 3" strip of Tim Holtz Resist Kraft paper of your choice and 2 halves of the red canvas tags.  Set aside to dry.  Next generously apply black versafine ink to one portion of the burlap tag (for the flower center) and set aside to dry as well.  These both may take a LONG time and can sort of be sped up with the help of a heat gun, although I found it nice to do this step at a time when I could walk away and leave it for a long period of time). 

4.  When the items have all dried, you are ready to diecut.  Diecut a heart from part of one of the stained canvas tags using Sizzix mover and shapers Heart die.  From the other side of the canvas tag, diecut a 1-3/4" circle.  Save the leftover scraps to use behind the openings of the letter "o" and "e" in the title.  Diecut the Black inked burlap tag into a 1-1/4" circle.  You will need to add a shim when using Spellbinders and it will most likely not cut all the way through, but will give you a nice cutting line to go back over with scissors.  Otherwise punching out a cardstock circle to use as a cutting pattern is another easy option.

5. Using the 3" strip of Resist Kraft Paper that you stained earlier, punch out a decorative border on either side using the border punch of your choice. Adhere strip to canvas above black stripes as shown using Beacon's 3-in-1 glue.  Layer with 12" long Burlap ribbon and white crocheted ribbon as shown.

6. Layer the diecut circles onto the burlap flower applying a bit of the beacon's glue between each layer. Add a bead of glue around the red canvas circle and adhere the jute cording, cutting off excess. Using the remaining single layer natural colored burlap tag (that you cut apart in step 3), cut it into 2 tails to be glued beneath the flower. Top the flower embellishment with a pearl brad and adhere to the canvas as shown using more of the Beacon's 3-in-1 glue.

7. For the main portion of the title, using the foam stamps, stamp the word home with the versafine black ink on the backside of a piece of Tim Holtz Resist Kraft Paper, making sure to leave enough room around each letter so that you can cut them out with a bit of a natural kraft border.  After they have dried (it doesn't take long with this ink), cut them out as shown.

8. Glue the red canvas fabric scraps saved in step 4 to the backs of the openings for the letters "o" and "e".  Using the Beacon's glue, glue the letters H, O & E directly to the canvas, making sure to leave room for the letter M.  Clip the clothespin onto the letter "m" as shown, adding a little beacon's glue inside the clothespin for a permanent bond.  Next, using 3 to 4 layers of foam tape, build the letter "m" up so that it is can stand at the same height and thickness as the clothespin.  Tie a jute bow onto the clothes pin and adhere the number plaquette to the center of the letter "o".  Use a paper piercer to polke directly through the canvas background, creating small holes to insert the plaquette brads into.                                

9. For the remainder of the title, use American Crafts black foam alphabet stickers to spell out "is where the is".  Leaving room for the canvas heart, apply words once again with a small amount of Beacon's glue (this is more permanent than relying on the stickiness of the actual letter stickers).  Underline words with a 1/8' x 9-1/2" black cardstock strip. 

10. For the heart, adhere with Beacon's glue and then using a paper piercer, pierce stitching holes around the perimeter of the heart.  Using embroidery floss, sewing a running stitch around the heart, going through the canvas and all.  This is easier than dealing with the edge of the heart unraveling by stitching it beforehand. 

There you have it!  A finished canvas to enjoy in your home.  I hope you will visit your local Craft Warehouse and check out all the cool Canvas Corp items they now have in stock!  :)

* Sale ends August 19th, 2012