"Summer at the Beach" Canvas for Cherish The Memory

Hello and Welcome!  

In this blog post I will be sharing the latest project that I have designed
for Cherish the Memory : A Mixed Media Canvas

The Crafting Kit Used: 

I used the Studio Light "Summer at the Beach" Deluxe Crafter's Kit, which can be purchased here.

Making the Canvas

To start my project I used a new primed canvas and a chipboard anchor from my local craft store. The materials needed for this project were mostly basic art supplies such as twine or raffia (which you can get from Cherish the Memory's Etsy shop, texture paste and Acrylic paints. I strongly feel that this project can be recreated by anyone, mainly because I had so much fun creating it, and the only technique I found myself using was just having fun and the rest fell into place.

The Close Ups

Some seashells were added to "nesting spots" on the anchor to create a grounded look against the canvas. Finding seashells on the beach is my most fond memories of summer vacations spent with my parents, so there is much to remember when I used these. 

I used texture paste from Finnabair called "White Crackle" to give the anchor an aged look. Similar texture pasts can be used on the canvas prior to the acrylic to add interest to the background. I sourced my colors from the vibrant blues and greens from the Summer at the Beach kit.

Despite having used a total of two real seashells, the kit contained such a generous amount of paper ones that when used altogether it really made them look incredible and realistic. Having the ones from the kit allowed me to strategically place them in places I otherwise could not have used had I used real ones. Look at those stars! The red starfish were my absolute favorite. They also brought out the red in the lighthouse and really tied the canvas together as the red really popped out against the hues of blue and sea green. 

I love the kit's versatility in choices. I chose to use this ship to give the canvas a more masculine feel.

The kit was full of fun scenes and accessories such as chairs, beach fences, buckets of sea life and lanterns! This kit is definitely friendly for everyone. 

I really enjoy using paper crafting kits, especially when making a mixed media project. The kit was so well organized and matched so beautifully that it took a lot of the guesswork out when creating this mixed media project. In this picture I took a scrap piece of leftover paper and applied it to this canvas, because the color matched the rest of the adornments just perfectly. 

I hope you enjoyed the blog post! Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions or comments!

Here are the links in case you missed them earlier :

Cherish the Memory Etsy Store 

Summer at the Beach Deluxe Kit 

"Romantic Summer" Tutorial for Cherish the Memory

Hello all!

I am excited to share my first project designed for Cherish the Memory as their design team member! In this post I will be showcasing a step by step photo tutorial using Cherish the Memory's "Romantic Summer 3D DIY Kit to make a dimensional decorative wall hang using a wooden frame. You can purchase the kit here : Romantic 3D Card Kit

Supplies Used:

1. Wooden Frame, A Wooden Shallow Box or the back of a canvas
2. Finnabair White Crackle Paste, Gesso or a heavy body white acrylic paint
3. Seashells and rocks for the ocean floor portion
4. Raffia for the seaweed that can be purchased here : Raffia
5. 3D Romantic Summer Card Kit (highly recommended for this project) or any beach themed paper collection with an assortment of sea and beach life graphics
6. Finnabair Art Stones and Mini Art Stones for Texture
7. Cheesecloth for ocean mesh 
8. Finnabair Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint in Blue-Gold, Aqua Rose and Light Patina for the background highlights
9. Lindys Stamp Gang in Time Travel Teal for background 
10. Basic Crafting Supplies : Glue Gun, Paint Brush(es), Scissors and a Craft Mat to protect your space.

"Romantic Summer" 3D DIY Kit 

Tutorial

I decided to use the back of a wooden palette type frame that I found in the woodcrafting section of my local craft stores for about $6. You don't have to stick with wood and can use the back of a canvas but the depth won't be as great and the results may differ a tiny bit because of the nature of the surface.

A very light coat of gesso was painted on just enough to prime the surface. This is entirely up to you, I did so to have some of the grain show through.

Here is where I applied some white crackle paste by Finnabair so that the surface would take on an aged look and look as if the paint had started chipping off from years of moisture. You can apply more gesso or use the crackle paste to adhere the Finnabair Art Stones or whatever you choose to use for texture. My goal here was to make the little balls look like barnacles had started attaching to the wood from  years of being by the ocean.

I started applying the acrylic paints to highlight the texture of both the stones and the crackled effect after everything had been dried. 

A close up of the texture

The Raffia and Seashells

The bright blue color here was the last addition in terms of the paint process. I used Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray in "Time Travel Teal". It brought contrast and tied the colors to the Raffia I used from Cherish the Memory. I was very pleased using the raffia because it made a perfect "seaweed". You can achieve this look by taking your glue gun and adhering the ends of a looped handful of Raffia, then cutting the looped part at the top so that the ends are even and tucking them behind and under the seashells. I glue the seashells first and then applied raffia in the corners and any crevices I found but you can apply the Raffia beforehand, just make sure to cover the bases with shells or any other decorative items you may think of using. 

Using the "Romantic Summer DIY Card Kit" 

I cannot express how fun this part was! The kit is so rich with lively colors and beautiful ocean themes that despite my love for painting and altering I must say this was my favorite part. The sky is the limit with this card kit because it was so generous in terms of the different designs, very well worth the price. The kit is perfect for those that love attention to detail like myself!

Here are some close ups of the project:

After completing the project I truly felt like I had just been at the beach. Making projects like these brings me back a flood of memories from past family vacations to the ocean with my parents. 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Be sure to check out Cherish the Memory on ETSY (link below) and thank you so much for stopping by!

Links

Website : http://www.cherishthememory.co.uk/

Cherish the Memory Etsy Shop 

Facebook Page

Facebook Group 

Pinterest

Summer Romantic Card Kit 3D

Summer at the Beach Deluxe Paper Kit

Crafting Raffia