Our Beautiful Mother

Merry Christmas!

This is a scheduled post of a mixed media canvas I made for my MIL. I couldn't post it before now because I didn't want to risk her seeing it.

This is the completed background before I started adding my design elements. There are four layers at this point. I started with a collage of design papers, including one I made myself.

After the first layer of papers had dried I added a used dryer sheet for texture.

Next I added a pretty fabric ribbon on an angle.

I dried my textured layer, then added some green acrylic paint directly to the canvas. I spread that around with a plastic store card and finished by scraping the card through the wet paint.

 Once everything was dry I started experimenting with the layout of my design elements. None of this is glued down at this point. It was important for me to figure out where everything would go in order to glue everything down in the proper order. There are layers here too. Once I decided where everything would go, I put my elements in piles. Each pile represented a layer.

All of my chipboard and wooden elements were painted and embossed while I waited for some of my background layers to dry.

This is a copy of a vintage photo of my beautiful MIL, taken in her youth where she worked at a cookie factory. I used lots of modge podge (homemade) on the tiny flowers to give them a hardened, glossy appearance. I replaced the fuzzy flower center with a button and pearl combo that reminds me of jewelry that my MIL might have worn. The dress and pearls are also fashions from the era of her youth. The lace down the side reminds me of the slips that women used to wear. The old-fashioned bicycle is another youthful element.

I clipped the sentiment from a piece of K&Company design paper and mounted it on burgundy corrugated paper. Another modge-podged flower highlights the sentiment which so defines our Mom.

In her youth Mom probably would have worn crinoline slips under her dresses, made of tulle. I tied a piece of tulle around the canvas in a simple double knot.

This is what the chipboard letters looked like before I painted and embossed them. The paint makes the embossing powder bubble so you get some interesting texture.

Finally, here is the finished piece. I hope she likes it. (Sorry for the bad lighting)

Blessings on your Christmas Day,

Teresa

Challenge Links:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Paint Party Friday - Art link-up
Crafting By Designs - Embossing
Divas By Design - Anything goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything goes
Miriam's Crafting Blog - handmade gifts
Word Art Wednesday - anything goes
All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card