Mixed Media Canvas Featuring Sabor Papel's Amor Collection

Welcome to my blog!!  I am so excited to share this tutorial with you.  I created this mixed media canvas to celebrate my daughter's birthday.  Crystal Dominguez of Crystal Domi Designs is the co founder and graphic designer for Sabor Papel and now has launched her own design company called HolaChica.us.  Happy Birthday my love and I am so very proud of you and excited to see what the future holds for you with your new company!!

Supplies Used

Sabor Papel Amor cardstock and cardstock cutouts

Decoart Gold Metallic Acrylic Paint
Butterbee Scraps Metal Embellishments
Acrylic Gems and flowers from Michaels
12x12 Canvas from Michaels
Coordinating Colors Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Tim Holtz paper distresser
Ranger Stickles
Coordinating Colors Tattered Angels Shimmer Sprays
"Beauty" Wood Sentiment from Michaels
Martha Stewart Paper Punches
Beacons 3 in 1 Adhesive
Mod Podge



My Process 

Since I knew I wanted this to be a home decor piece, I painted the sides and one inch along the edge of the front of the canvas with two coats of gold metallic paint and allowed it to dry in between coats.

I sprayed the bottom layer with Tattered Angels shimmer sprays to create an overall glow on the paper.

Next, I distressed and inked all the edges.

Then, I glued each layer of paper on top of the other making sure to use a brayer to ensure a complete adhesion.

The photo above shows the distressed edges.  To add more interest, after gluing the layers to the canvas with 3 in 1 glue, I lightly brushed the edges with gold paint and on the top layer, I swept the paintbrush across to create a more luxurious look.

I wanted to layer two strips of paper across the canvas to create a base where I would put the focal point, so I cut them and used two different Martha Stewart punches to embellish one edge.

After adhering the strips, I began to play with the arrangement of the photos.  I was pleased with this one, so I glued the photos to lightweight chipboard to give them more stability and attached them to the canvas using dimensional foam tape.

To provide emphasis on the focal point, I adhered metal corners to the top layer of paper.  Then, I began to arrange the sentiment and other flowers.

For the rest of the process, I played around with the arrangement until I was pleased with the distribution of color , balance, and texture.  I ended up painting the word sentiment in a teal color to enhance the jewelry Crystal was wearing in the photos.  It is this attention to detail that gives the project its overall cohesion and beauty.

I tucked in some metal and bling into the outside distressed edge.  I love this look and it adds a beautiful finished detail to the canvas.

To add shimmer and shine, I lightly brushed some of the cutouts with Stickles and glued bling here and there across the canvas.  The final touch was to add a few coats of Mod Podge to seal the canvas.  This step will help to preserve the piece since it will be hanging in the home as a decor piece.

I just love the way this canvas turned out.  It embodies everything I love about my daughter.  Crystal is beautiful, classic, and artistic.  Happy Birthday my sweetness. Wishing you continued success and creativity forever. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of this project.  Happy Crafting!!

Love and Blessings,

Erminda