Prima Autumn Sunset Mixed Media Wall Hanging for Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Friends! Today, I have a mixed media wall hanging to share with you.  It has been a long, hot summer here in North Carolina.  I am so ready for the season to turn the corner into fall.  So while I’m waiting for these sultry days to wind down, I’ve been playing with my Prima Autumn Sunset paper pretties.  (You can see this entire collection in my unboxing video HERE.)

The inspiration for this 9″ x 11″ piece came from my granddaughters.  Sophie (10) and Julia (7) are fascinated by what I do.  They are always on the lookout for bits and pieces that I can add to my stash.  When a storm knocked over the Bradford Pear trees at their house, the trees had to be removed.  Sophie saved me that lovely piece of tree bark because she thought perhaps I could use it in my art.  And Julia, who  knows how much I love acorns, is always picking them up for me.  If you look in the floral cluster, you’ll see 2 cute acorns that are Julia’s contribution to this piece.

Autumn Sunset Mixed Media Wall Hanging: Preparing the Base

Here’s how this one came together, layer by layer:

• Begin by distressing the edges of a 9″ x 11″ piece of heavy kraft cardstock.
• Then cut an 8 1/2″ x 11″ panel of the rusty check from the Autumn Sunset A4 pad.  Distress the edges and machine stitch onto the kraft panel.
• Now, break out some Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste and a Flourish Stencil.  Add a few drops of Antique Linen Distress Re-Inker into the paste, and mix to soften the bright white color.  Apply a thick layer in the corners of the canvas.  Heat dry (gently) or leave to dry overnight.
• Now, apply Prima Copper Crackle Texture Paste through a Tim Holtz Autumn Leaves Layering Stencil.  I like to apply this in a thickness that is similar to mayonnaise on a Southern Style tomato sandwich.   Heat set (gently) or let air dry.  If you heat set, keep the heat gun moving.  You may get some cool little heat blisters that pop up, and I actually like that look.

Autumn Sunset Mixed Media Wall Hanging: Layer by Layer

This next part is where the fun really begins.  Cut apart the images from the Autumn Sunset 12″ x 12″ collage sheet.  Back them with dimensionals.  Use one, two or three layers on the back so that when you glue them to the base, you have varying heights.  Fussy cut the fox and other elements and do the same.  Then just kind of fit everything together in a pleasing arrangement.  It’s a bit like putting a puzzle together.

TIP: Ink all the cut edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  This helps the individual pieces stand out in the whole.

Because the tree bark is curved on the back side, I had to create “shims” with layers of chipboard before adhering it to the base of the canvas.  Then I tucked fall leaves, little ceramic mushrooms, flowers and other goodies in around the base to integrate it into the piece.

These Autumn Sunset Flowers are just so beautiful!

The final step was attaching the canvas to this sweet little vintage hanger that I found in my stash.  I topped the hanger with Turftan Brown Delicate Stitched Satin Bows, and Brown/Cream Plaid Ribbon from the August Ribbon Club Assortment.   Then I added some sweet vintage buttons on top of the bows, and here and there in the canvas.  You know me and my buttons!

I find that the more I work with mixed media, the more I am enjoying the process.  There is still so much to learn, but that is half the fun, isn’t it?

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and ideas that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.  You’ll also find a linked supply list below the post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

• Really Reasonable  Ribbon  August  Ribbon  Club 
  • Turftan Brown Delicate Stitched Satin
  • 3/8″ Brown/Cream Plaid
• Paper
  • Heavy Kraft Cardstock (at least 100# weight…your favorite brand.)
• Prima Autumn Sunset
  • A4 Pad
  • 12×12 Pad
  • Flowers
  • Ephemera Cuts
  • Leaves
• Little Birdie Allium Foliage
• Petaloo Bead Cluster (retired)
• Mixed Media Supplies
  • Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste
  • Flourish Stencil
  • Autumn Leaves Layering Stencil
  • Prima Copper Crackle Texture 
  • Gathered Twigs Distress Ink
• Other
  • Vintage Buttons from my stash
  • Stamperia Ceramic Mushrooms