Although this week was a short work week, I really don't feel like I got much accomplished. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't. By the time I came home, got into my jammies, and pulled myself off of Pinterest, it was time for bed. No house cleaning this week; sorry peeps. Too busy doing fun stuff!
Like many of you, I am constantly trying to "cuten" up my surroundings. I like to have a warm and welcoming home, and there is an empty nook at the end of the kitchen that is glaringly ugly, which does NOT make it warm and welcoming. I don't even have any curtains up (haven't for four years) and the wall is that dingy gray white. You know, the white that used to actually BE white but isn't anymore? Never fear, this icky color will not stay much longer, but until I can paint, I will just be focusing on how to make some fun, funky and cute things for my decor. I kind of have my own style, which may or may not be a good thing, and I like to come up with things that I enjoy looking at.
I like different, so that's a good thing. Not to mention, I have a seriously limited talent, so I just have to beg the art gods that something will turn out. Really, they do not smile down on me often. That being said, I still enjoy making my home into something that reflects my quirky personality. This week, it's an "I really wanted to be a sign but Toodie doesn't know how to make them so this is what I ended up as" type of wall art. Poor wanna be sign; it just didn't work out that way this time.
What I did come up with was fun, funky and just plain (in my own opinion) cute. I had some blank canvases that I had a grand plan for, but couldn't find some of the things I had planned to use on them, even though I KNOW they are around here somewhere. Those blank canvases were supposed to be a hinged sign. And the letters that I used for this project were supposed to be a phrase. Not being able to find the hinges and not having enough room above the window for my phrase, I decided to come up with something different and combine the two.
I took three of those blank canvases and mod podged some old torn up cookbook pages to them. I decided I didn't want to have a smooth background so I let my paper bubble before I put the sealing coat of mod podge over it. Then I panicked. It's pretty bubbly. I did only adhere and seal to the top of the canvas as I wanted to paint the edges. My husband was ok until I mentioned paint; then HE panicked. I did the same to the letters, only I smoothed down the paper so that the letters would be an opposite texture of the canvas.
Now that the canvases were completely dry, I took my scrapbook paints and painted the edges, letting the paint brush over the sides so that it was a sort of shabby, messy look. I did like the addition of the color, so maybe I wasn't really going to dislike the end result as much as I thought. After I finished with the canvases, I did the same to the letters. I gave both the canvases and the letters two coats around the edges and let them dry. Ok, I'm liking this a little better now.
Once everything was dry, I adhered the letters to the tops of the canvases with a glue gun. I used the low temp setting as I didn't want to burn through the papers on the canvases. Then I added utensils (except to the letter A, because I did not have an old fork to use so that will have to wait until tomorrow) beside the letters and called it good. Still skeptical, I put them in the window and stepped back to see how they looked. The bubbled texture of the paper on the canvases combined with the smooth texture on the letters, with that pop of color, really made me happy. I LIKED THEM!! YAY! They are three-dimensional and will look great above the window.
Tomorrow I will add a fork underneath the letter A and that will be that. All in all, for a hodge podge project, it turned out fairly well, and I do like the end result. Sometimes being quirky and coming up with something different IS all it's cracked up to be!
Canvas (12x12) from Artist's Loft; Wooden letters (9 inch) from Michael's; Paper from an old cookbook; Scrapbook paint (Poppy, Sunflower and Meadow) from Making Memories; Mod Podge Matte-Mat from Plaid Enterprises.
Like many of you, I am constantly trying to "cuten" up my surroundings. I like to have a warm and welcoming home, and there is an empty nook at the end of the kitchen that is glaringly ugly, which does NOT make it warm and welcoming. I don't even have any curtains up (haven't for four years) and the wall is that dingy gray white. You know, the white that used to actually BE white but isn't anymore? Never fear, this icky color will not stay much longer, but until I can paint, I will just be focusing on how to make some fun, funky and cute things for my decor. I kind of have my own style, which may or may not be a good thing, and I like to come up with things that I enjoy looking at. 
I like different, so that's a good thing. Not to mention, I have a seriously limited talent, so I just have to beg the art gods that something will turn out. Really, they do not smile down on me often. That being said, I still enjoy making my home into something that reflects my quirky personality. This week, it's an "I really wanted to be a sign but Toodie doesn't know how to make them so this is what I ended up as" type of wall art. Poor wanna be sign; it just didn't work out that way this time.
What I did come up with was fun, funky and just plain (in my own opinion) cute. I had some blank canvases that I had a grand plan for, but couldn't find some of the things I had planned to use on them, even though I KNOW they are around here somewhere. Those blank canvases were supposed to be a hinged sign. And the letters that I used for this project were supposed to be a phrase. Not being able to find the hinges and not having enough room above the window for my phrase, I decided to come up with something different and combine the two.
I took three of those blank canvases and mod podged some old torn up cookbook pages to them. I decided I didn't want to have a smooth background so I let my paper bubble before I put the sealing coat of mod podge over it. Then I panicked. It's pretty bubbly. I did only adhere and seal to the top of the canvas as I wanted to paint the edges. My husband was ok until I mentioned paint; then HE panicked. I did the same to the letters, only I smoothed down the paper so that the letters would be an opposite texture of the canvas.Now that the canvases were completely dry, I took my scrapbook paints and painted the edges, letting the paint brush over the sides so that it was a sort of shabby, messy look. I did like the addition of the color, so maybe I wasn't really going to dislike the end result as much as I thought. After I finished with the canvases, I did the same to the letters. I gave both the canvases and the letters two coats around the edges and let them dry. Ok, I'm liking this a little better now.
Once everything was dry, I adhered the letters to the tops of the canvases with a glue gun. I used the low temp setting as I didn't want to burn through the papers on the canvases. Then I added utensils (except to the letter A, because I did not have an old fork to use so that will have to wait until tomorrow) beside the letters and called it good. Still skeptical, I put them in the window and stepped back to see how they looked. The bubbled texture of the paper on the canvases combined with the smooth texture on the letters, with that pop of color, really made me happy. I LIKED THEM!! YAY! They are three-dimensional and will look great above the window.Tomorrow I will add a fork underneath the letter A and that will be that. All in all, for a hodge podge project, it turned out fairly well, and I do like the end result. Sometimes being quirky and coming up with something different IS all it's cracked up to be!
Canvas (12x12) from Artist's Loft; Wooden letters (9 inch) from Michael's; Paper from an old cookbook; Scrapbook paint (Poppy, Sunflower and Meadow) from Making Memories; Mod Podge Matte-Mat from Plaid Enterprises.
great job on your wall art--i love that you used an old cookbook for your paper!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary Pat! Have a super day!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using a book for the paper! Looks great!!
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to let you know I'm hosting my first giveaway...I'd love you to stop by & enter to win a My Memories digital scrapbooking software. Thanks!
Sally
loveofhomes.blogspot.com
Sally, thanks so much for stopping by! I will defintely run over to your blog and check it out!
ReplyDeleteHi Toodie
ReplyDeleteLove the letters - how fun to use old scrapbooks. So glad you stopped by and liked my In Her Shoes mantel!! Following you (but not in a weird creepy sort of way)!!!
Kelly
Hey Toodie, I love your letters and your name to cute! Thanks for coming by and leaving kind words on my blog about my roses dresser. I'm a new follower. :-)
ReplyDelete