Valentine's Day Tutorial: Friday

I got my very first Valentine in the mail today!  Courtesy of this crafty lady:

I love the black on black embossing.  It looks fantastic (my photo is a tad washed out)!  Definitely a trick that I'm going to steal!  Thanks, Cheryl!

Well, here it is: the last tutorial.  Valentine's Day is tomorrow, after all. 

Supplies:

• Adirondack Color Wash (Butterscotch, Stream, Red Pepper, Cranberry)
• Spray Bottle of Water
• Heat Gun
• Rag
• Idea-ology Mask (Ransom)
• Sakura Pigma Micron
• 6x6 Canvas
• transparency
• computer and printer
• popsicle stick
• Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint (Landscape Green)
• Paint Brush

STEP ONE: Place Mask Letters Onto The Canvas.

The letters are clear, so they're a bit difficult to see.  Stick them on as firmly as you can.

You can see that my hands were all inky and I mucked up the canvas when I did it.  You'll be more careful, right?

STEP TWO: Spray Ink It!

Using the four colors of Adirondack Color Washes, spray your canvas.  I like to leave some white space.

By the by, the Spray Washes are actually fabric dye, so they will stain your hands and clothes and everything they come into contact with, so be careful!  After you spray, dab the excess color off with a paper towel and carefully remove the masks.  You can use a heat gun to speed drying time BUT be sure to REMOVE the masks BEFORE you use the heat gun (they will melt).

STEP THREE: Make it Bleed.

Spray water onto the letters to make the ink bleed and the outlines become less clear.

STEP FOUR: Outline the Letters.

Once your canvas is dry, use a Sakura Pigma Micron to outline the letters. 

I used a relatively thin tip (02) because I wanted to make the word clear, but I didn''t want to create a harsh line and lose the softness.

STEP FIVE: Image Transfer.

Stick those masks back onto the canvas.  You don't have to line it up perfectly, just generally.

You want to protect the white areas from the image transfer.  Now, print a black&white photo onto the smooth side of a transparency.  Place it face down on your canvas and begin to rub vigorously with the popsicle stick.  When the image has transferred, remove the masks and this is what you'll have:

Remember, a transfer will be a bit muddy - it's part of the charm!  You may want to use a heat gun to dry the transfer ink.

STEP SIX: Paint the Edges.

Paint the edges of your canvas and you're done!

Have a great Valentine's Day weekend!