Boy oh Boy! The King of the Seas Mixed Media Canvas for Frilly and Funkie
Hello, Friends! It’s time for a fabulous new challenge over at the Frilly and Funkie Blog. Our lovely hostess for the Boy oh Boy Challenge is the elegant and inspiring Jenny, and here are her instructions:
Challenge Theme: Boy oh Boy!
Create a vintage or shabby chic project with a man in mind. Let’s see those male themed creations come to life.
I love creating masculine projects, so I was excited to see this one. I had one idea in mind, but when I was packing up my studio for our recent move, my hand fell on the incredibly gorgeous Voyage Beneath the Sea Collection from Graphic 45…..and I took a sharp turn in a new direction. I’m so glad I did, because I had the BEST time creating my King of the Seas Canvas to share with you here today.
I so rarely indulge in a Mixed Media canvas like this one, but Boy oh Boy, did I have FUN!!!! My sweet husband Dale adores the ocean, and when he was a little fella, he used to dream that he had discovered the Lost City of Atlantis. So when I saw these fabulous steampunk ocean images, this canvas began to unfold in my brain. And Boy oh Boy, what an inky good time was in store for me!
This is an 8″ x 10″ gessoed canvas. I started my Voyage Beneath the Sea by creating a resist background with the Graphic 45 stamps that match the set. Using Ranger Archival Coffee Ink and Clear Embossing Powder, I stamped and heat embossed the blank canvas. Next, I spritzed on layers of Carved Pumpkin, Mermaid Lagoon and Twisted Citron Distress Sprays Stains drying between layers so the ink would not get muddy. Once I was happy with that, I used a gear layering stencil and crackle texture paste to add another layer to the canvas. Waiting for that to dry was the hardest part of the process! I am such an impatient crafter…and I confess I did pull out my heat tool to speed things along!
We’ve had such a strange journey with the sale of this house that this sentiment from the ephemera pack had to find its way into the design! And, orange is one of Dale’s favorite colors. I colored white corrugate board with the same ink colors and mounted the sentiment on that and some great bronze metallic paper I found in the Closet of Shame. I also sprinkled the surface with various Stampendous embossing powders and potions to add touches of metal and cool texture. My chipboard gears were painted with Tarnished Brass and Antiqued Bronze Distress Paints, then tapped with Broken China DP. I love how rusty and old they look.
Doesn’t this dapper fellow look as though he might have come from Atlantis? I added more steampunk chippies, seed beads and pearls to the mix and I have to confess, I love the way this turned out.
And here’s our regal King of the Seas! I die cut my seahorse onto the bronze metallic paper, then used a texture fade to add, well, texture. A second layer was cut from corrugate to add thickness, and I tapped on some Broken China and Carved Pumpkin Paints. The King of the Seas is wearing a crown adorned with sapphires, emeralds and pearls that have been harvested from his watery kingdom. His netting “train” is made from a mesh garlic bag, stained with Mermaid Lagoon ink and filled with treasures from the deep.
These lovely fish are swimming in my faux reef, made from white corrugate. I love the texture this adds to the overall scene. And I’m sorry, but that itty bitty seahorse charm in the birdcage makes me laugh with delight. And just look at all that yummy color and texture in the background. I almost hated to cover it up!
I had already packed all my seashells away, but I manged to scrounge up a real sand dollar to add to the mix. I painted the center with Carved Pumpkin stain.
Here’s Dale, exploring the watery depths. This really is his motto…he’s always ready for a trip to the beach at a moment’s notice.
I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun in the studio! I was so engrossed in this project that I lost all track of time, and Dale had to come hunt me down and remind me it was time to eat.
I hope you’ll play along in the Frilly and Funkie Boy oh Boy Challenge. At the end of the challenge the Frilly and Funkie team will choose their top four picks. Our first place winner will be invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie. Three additional talented participants will receive badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and adheres to the challenge guidelines will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique! You can find all the guidelines and link up your project on the Frilly and Funkie Blog. I can’t wait to see what you make!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy
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