Hello MajaDesign fans and friends!  Nancy Hanttula here, back again, to share another mixed media project using the Sommartider Paper Collection.

For this project, I decided to use a larger scale canvas…measuring in at 18 inches by 24 inches.  Above you can see my 8 year old son, Saylor, graciously assisting me in displaying it’s size.

I used the gorgeously vibrant Sommartider paper collection for this project and….oh, how I love this paper collection. It has the perfect combination of prints and colors to satisfy my color obsession.

My 6 year-old daughter immediately laid claim to this piece, and it now resides quite happily in her bedroom.

So, here is how this piece was created:

#1 I painted the entire canvas.  Although it is difficult to see here, I actually used 3 different acrylic paint colors to paint the canvas:  FolkArt’s “Patina” and Apple Barrel’s “Calypso Sky” & “Bimini Blue.”  Note:  Be sure and paint the sides of the canvas as well.  This gives the piece a more finished look.

#2  I then stamped and stenciled onto the background and sides to give interest, depth, and dimension to the piece.

I used various stencils and stamps from The Crafter’s Workshop, Dylusions/Ranger, Close to my Heart, Kaisercraft, Stampendous, Glitz Designs, Unity stamps, and various other odds and ends from the “soles” of flip-flops :).

#3 I then cut out butterflies from the different patterned papers of the Sommartider paper collection.

After choosing the papers I wanted to use & cutting out the butterfly shapes, I then laid them out onto the background canvas to figure out exactly how I wanted to lay the project out.

I LOVE dimension and texture….and so, I dove into my vast collection of buttons to create the butterfly centers.

#4 After deciding the basic “composition” of the piece, I then glued my butterflies down using Mod Podge & adhered the buttons down using hot glue.

#5  After gluing everything down, I shaded my butterflies using Inktense blocks and a Faber Castell India ink pen in Warm Grey (the key to this step, is to “smear” the ink after applying it….otherwise, you get a very hard line)……  (If you look at the picture from step #4 and compare it to the pic in step #5, you can really see what shading brings to your projects).  After shading my butterflies, I went back in and added more stamps, stencils, acrylic paint, and some “sayings” around the butterflies.

For all of the butterfly antennaes … I used clothes pins.  I separated them, and then glued them down with hot glue.

& #6  To create my message, I used some of my Stampendous alpha letters to stamp on paper.  I also shaded the letters to add depth via the very same process as I shaded the butterflies.

Thanks for looking! and I hope this has inspired you to create today!   I challenge you…..let’s get MESSY!