Scrappy Musings: Dreamer - A Mood Board Canvas for Tres Jolie

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Dreamer - A Mood Board Canvas for Tres Jolie

The March Scrapbook Kit from Tres Jolie is filled with gorgeous papers from Craft O’Clock and the perfect embellishments to blend with the blues and browns and subtle patterns. I’ve chosen to create my first project for the month on an 8 x 10 canvas, using the March Mood Board Challenge for inspiration.

Here is the Mood Board:

FIY, Tres Jolie hosts a Challenge every month, open to everyone. For more information, check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/121919621993809/

I’ve created a Step-By-Step tutorial to show how this all came together…

To start, you’ll need a sheet of patterned paper from the Hours of Longing collection, an 8 x 10 canvas, gel medium and an old brush or a palette knife. I chose Sheet #1 because the colors and overall design matched my photo so well.

On the back side of the paper, measure 3” from each side of the page, then about 1½” from the top and ½” from the bottom, so that you’re left with the doorway image in the center of your rectangle.

Begin to carefully tear your paper, roughly following the pencil lines.

You’ll want to lift the center part toward you and the edges away, so that the white core appears on the edges of your center piece.

Using the canvas as a guide, tear off the tops and bottoms of the edge pieces to create 10” strips.

Thoroughly coat the backs of the strips with gel medium…

…and place them on the edges of the canvas. Press down on every edge of the paper (or use a brayer) to make sure that every bit of the surface is glued down. Allow it to set and dry.

Using the KaiserCraft stamp that came in the kit and a permanent ink, such as StāzOn, randomly go over the surface to create some texture. (It helps to place a book under the hollow center of the canvas; I actually use a steel-rule die – the perfect size.) You’ll end up covering a lot of the stamping, but right now, the idea is to add some texture to your background.

Coat the middle third of the canvas with gel medium, going down the center and then into about an inch into the paper on each side.

Place the “door” piece on the canvas, making sure that the edges are NOT glued down.

Once the paper is set, slightly curl the edges up to give them some lift.

Using an applicator, ink the edges of the canvas and paper. You don’t have to entirely cover the surface; you want a distressed look here.

Again using an applicator, use Distress Ink to go over the edges, pressing rather than rubbing the ink into the surface.

Adhere three layers of packaging to the back of the photo, using smaller layers as you go. This will allow you to tuck embellishments under the edges.

Place your photo and several of the Windows chipboard pieces on the canvas, playing with them until you’re satisfied with their placement. Do not glue anything down yet.

Cut the chipboard piece down the middle; put the larger half aside to use on another project.

With the same Distress Ink that you used to ink the canvas, begin to color the chipboard pieces. I find that I get better results if I apply the pad directly to the chipboard, rather than using an applicator.

Ink the edges of your photo and glue it to the canvas. Add the chipboard pieces as shown.

Cut several pieces from the vine that came in the kit. .

Cut one of the larger blooms from the All for You package along the center and tuck the pieces underneath the edges of the paper near the top of the right side.