Secret Garden Mixed Media Altered Canvas & Tutorial

Happy Monday, my sweet blogging friends! Hope you enjoyed your St. Patty's day weekend. Did you catch any leprechauns?  ❤

I have another mixed media project to share with you today. I created this 8x8 canvas featuring Graphic 45's Secret Garden and Metal Staples. The photo was taken of me on my wedding day immediately following the wedding ceremony at a "secret garden" behind the church. My wedding was the happiest day of my life (next to when each of my sons were born), so I wanted to create something special with this photo... something I could share with my grandchildren someday.

The key to creating a mixed media canvas is to just have fun! Lay it all down and don't hold back. Everything will just come together... I promise! ❤

...and when you do mess up, there is always a fix! See the metal butterfly on my shoulder? Well, I made a huge boo-boo... the heat gun got a little too close to the photo, it melted it! No worries... just layer, layer, layer and no one will notice whether or not something "should be" where it is. LOL!

I used gesso to prime all the elements on the canvas before using my Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays to color it up. Be sure to watch my YouTube video below for a full beginning-to-end tutorial for this canvas...

I spy an Ornate Metal Key Hole and Stamped Metal Brad...

I was married on April 8th = thus, the "4" and the "8" on the canvas...

I spy an Ornate Metal Label Holder...

A combination of metal embellishments, mulberry flowers, sprays and laser cut elements are perfect on an altered canvas... lace, doilies, crepe paper, netting and stencils can add glorious texture to the base...

The Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in pinks, corals and greens make for a perfect blend of color...

Pull out miscellaneous embellishments from your stash that you normally wouldn't use, and pile it on! Put those scrap laces, ribbon and paper to use!

Here is a video tutorial showing you how this canvas came together...

Come visit the Graphic 45 blog where today's project will be featured. You also won't want to miss out on the unveiling of a new Graphic 45 product, so head over there now!

Hope you enjoyed my share today. Have yourself an awesome week and I'll see you back here again tomorrow when I share my 2013 Graphic 45 DT Audition post. Eeeek, so excited and nervous at the same time!! ❤

xoxo ❤,

Products:

Secret Garden: 6x6 Patterns & Solids pad, 12x12 Sticker Sheet "Memories"

Staples: Ornate Metal Door Plate, Ornate Metal Label holder, Ornate Metal Key Hole, Stamped Metal Brad, Staples Lace

Imaginarium Designs chippies: mini clockface, "remember"

Tim Holtz: angel wings, light bulb, pen nib, dove, drawer knob

Recollections butterfly spray, flowers

I Am Roses flowers

Prima metal flowers & resin window

Momenta ornate corner piece

Bottle Cap, Inc. wooden block letter "8"

Maya Road bingo chip "4"

Lace, bird netting, doilies, pearl trim

Gesso

Mod Podge

E6000

Glossy Accents

Hot glue

Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays: Cotton Candy Pink, Cape Cod Coral, Salt Water Taffy, Fuzzy Navel Peach, Sea Grass Green, My Mojito Green, Gator Gumbo Olive

Other miscellaneous findings from my stash