Shabby Vintage canvas for CVC

The lovely Astrid has chosen 'shabby chic' as the theme for this months challenge at Country View Crafts and I have created a canvas as my second DT project for the month. These are the same process steps as I used on my summer canvas for the Pickwell Farm workshop.

Process steps

Apply gesso with a palette knife and press some torn dictionary paper into it whilst it is still wet and heat dry.

Adhere some die-cuts to add both contrast and texture to the background. Again heat dry.

Stamp numbers randomly using black archival ink.

Use chosen distress paints and smear colours one at a time randomly on the canvas using a babywipe rub them in gently. Heat dry between each colour. I used frayed burlap, pumice stone and antique linen.

Using gesso, a piece of cut and dry foam and a stencil, add texture onto the canvas (woops sorry missed the photo for this stage). Then using texture paste, a different stencil and a palette knife add further texture randomly over the background - I used the Tim Holtz flourish. 

Daub some stains onto the background and spritz them with water, let the colours drip around the textured areas. It doesn't matter if your colours are getting a bit too dark or intense at this point. Heat dry. Daub small amounts of your chosen colours in distress inks on the craft mat, spritz with water and dip the edges in them to provide continuity of colour around the whole canvas.

With a small piece of credit card drag a thin layer of light modelling paste over the raised areas and quickly dry. Then drag white gesso over the same areas and again dry them off quickly. (The gesso absorbs the water based colours underneath and needs a white base to stay whiter).

Daub some picket fence distress paint on the heat mat, spritz it with water and dip the canvas in it quickly drying it - repeat if required. Drip some spots of paint in random areas.

At this point I didn't want to cover up the background I like the texture and colours so much.

I gathered some elements together that I thought would look good for a shabby vintage collage and I never know if I am going to end up using all the pieces or not.

I ended up using the Tim Holtz film strip and leaves which were painted with some gesso and picket fence distress stain mixed. The hessian flower was one I bought on my recent trip to California.

A lovely group of found relatives with the backing peeled off and used as part of the collage with some ideology elements; the pen nib was given the rusted treatment.......

.... as was the lock and the beautiful lace was given a very light spritz of antique linen distress spray.

I love the contrast of the collage elements over the textured background.

It's not often I use the shabby style these days, but I thoroughly enjoyed creating this canvas.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope we will see you over at the Country View Challenge where there is a £20 voucher to the Country View web shop for the lucky winner.

Have a wonderful Sunday

hugs Brenda xxxx