This past year as a 2012 Graphic 45 design team member went by so fast! It was the most amazing year for me EVER as a designer. My dream of designing for my all-time favorite paper company came true! That said, I could not pass up the chance to keep the dream alive. ♥ Those of you who have tried out for the Graphic 45 design team know that the running is fierce. There are so many amazingly talented designers all over the world and several hundred of them try out for the Graphic 45 team every year. That says a lot about the Graphic 45 company, the products and the wonderful family behind the name. It is quite humbling to be selected, but know this.... I am a complete nervous wreck as I type this!! I am only one of the several hundreds (thousands) submitting for the Graphic 45 design team for 2013. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best! ♥
So without further adieu, this is my submission for the 2013 Graphic 45 Design Team. The following 8 projects below best represent me as an artist and my love of Graphic 45. Graphic 45 papers/products are so fun to work with, it's not difficult to be inspired. Even the last 2 non-Graphic 45 projects have G45 metal Staples on them! ♥
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...
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!! ❤
