Lately, I've been reaing alot in blogland about repurposing objects around the house, primarily using spray paint. These articles really got me itching to redecorate, but I either gave away or donated objects long ago that did not fit in my decor. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and the Salvation Army store to see what I could find on the cheap.
While at Hobby Lobby (in their clearance section), I found lots and lots of things I wanted to spray paint, but I came across some canvases with ugly screen printing on them (I forgot to take a before picture). They were 12 x 12 (a size I wanted but couldn't find in the art supply section; and if I had, they would have been around $10 or so each). These particular canvases were priced $3.60. So I bought 3 thinking I would hang them in the hallway that leads to the half bath by the front door. That hallway has been crying out for some lovin' for quite some time.
Then, I watched a video on an artist's blog were she used paint and a gel medium and book text to create a cool water color look.
Well, to make my story brief, this is what I came up with (using images from that artist's stamps):
(I think they look more impressive in person ;-))
(Look! They are already hanging!)
You'll have to see them in person to really tell what they look like, but I LOVE them. They turned out pretty close to what I had envisioned. I added some quotes to each one randomly cut from a literature text book I have left over from college.
The quote strips say: "Whenever she counted her blessings, she felt as buoyant as if she weighed one hundred and twenty-five pounds instead of one hundred and eighty." I don't know why I liked this quote, but I found it funny and ironically true.
The quote strips say: "Somewhere in the back of his mind a vague idea stirred, sprouted. The idea began to bloom, strange, wonderful." The guy in the story was actually plotting to drive some old woman mad, but hey, it fits!
The quote strips say: "And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction." This is the only author I remember, and it's by Edgar Allan Poe. He was talking about the craft of writing a short story and why a short story is better than a novel.
The total cost of this project was around $20 after buying the gel medium, canvases, india ink, dip pen, and some paint. But not bad, especially since all but the canvases are reusable.
Motivated by my success, I took on another project I bought at Hobby Lobby. I was so excited to complete this project that I also forgot to take a before picture, but it was a picture of a cross and it said "Rejoice." It's not a frame; the original picture was printed on the center. I just merely took a picture of mine, resized it in Photoshop Elements, and using scrapbook adhesive dots, adhered it over the printed picture. So, for $4, I got a fancy new frame.
(The picture in the center of the frame looks washed out because of the flash on my camera.)
Aren't you proud of me?? Man am I excited! I have a couple more projects lined up so I'll be sharing those with you soon. (I know, the anticipation is just killing you!) But I love this feeling, this feeling of a dam breaking and all this energy and creativity and passion and contentment comes pouring out of me all at once. It leaves me feeling on top of the world.
1 comments:
You go girl!
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