Farm Boy - Allis-Chalmers Mixed Media Canvas

Happy Monday!  

I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend.  This past Saturday was our oldest son's 26th birthday!!  I can't believe he's that old.  Sure doesn't seem like it.  Anyway, he's not a real artsy type but I wanted to make something for him for his birthday.  Recently he bought an Allis-Chalmers D15 and I took this photo of them both...  It was actually the inspiration for the canvas.  Now I want to warn you - I used my hands for most of the blending on this canvas...you of course can use tools but I like the effect of blending by hand.  You know what makes for a great day...Ink Stains on my fingers!!  ;)  

Supplies:

Canvas Board (Wal-Mart)

StazOn Midi's - Orange Zest, Spiced Chai  (IMAGNINE Crafts/Tsukineko)

Creative Medium - Vintage (IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko)

Gesso (Ranger)

Reclaimed Corrugated Cardboard

Adhesive Backed Cork (Altered Pages)

Burlap (Altered Pages)

Crochet Lace (brown) (Altered Pages)

Book Board (Club Scrap)

Black Acrylic Paint

Chipboard Gears (Leaky Shed)

Delicata Gold & Silver Ink (IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko)

Fude Ball 1.5mm Pen (Ranger)

Photo printed & covered with a thin layer of Micro Glaze (Great for sealing ink jet photos!!)

Instructions:

1. To start off with I inked the edges and outer portions of the canvas board with StazOn Midi - Orange Zest.  Yes, it's bright but we'll take care of that in a minute...

2. Rub Spiced Chia StazOn Midi over select areas of the canvas and I rubbed it into the canvas to blend with my hand.  

3. Glue on a piece of reclaimed corrugated cardboard that's had one of it's layers torn off to exposed the fluted center.

4. Apply a layer of Gesso here and there for effect and texture.  Once dry cover the gesso and exposed area of the canvas with Vintage Creative Medium.  This will tone down the bright white of the gesso and blend the background colors even more.

5. Of course I couldn't wait so I sped up the dry time with my heat tool...you don't have to but if you can't wait (like me) go for it :)

6.  Next add a piece of adhesive backed cork, burlap and a bit of brown lace...yes, I said lace for a guy.  It's brown and not flashy so it will blend in great and add texture and dimension.

7. Create a mat board for the photo out of book board. Why book board?  Book board is similar to game boards as it is pretty thick - I wanted to really pop the photo up and make it the focal point.  Using the book board does this in spades.  So, I cut it to size, used an exacto knife to carve up the edges for a worn away look then I painted it with black acrylic paint.  Once dry I took a piece of sand paper and scratched up the edges even more.

8.  Mount the photo on the mat frame and adhere to the canvas.

9. Ink several different size chipboard gears with metallic inks.  To grunge up the bright shiny ink a bit I used my finger to rub Spiced Chai StazOn here and there.

10.  Finally I added a little info in the lower right hand corner using the Fude Ball pen and signed the back.

I am happy to report he really liked it

(and I don't even think he noticed the lace!)