And so, the adventure begins...reversed canvas by Julie Ann.

Hello, it's great to be back at Calico Craft Parts. Today I have a reversed box canvas. I love to work on these chunky 5 cm x 5 cm canvases, especially if I can turn them around and invite the viewer into a world in miniature within and use Calico Craft Parts to add imaginative touches.

Back in the Summer I participated in a workshop with Stephanie Rubiano, learning how to create with printable shrink plastic and I now have quite a collection of miniature characters to find homes for! Serena, the owl was so tired of waiting for me to find her a comfy home to perch in that she helped herself to a walnut shell boat and went off to search for one herself!

I hope she'll take care because the seas can become rather choppy as the Autumn gales approach. Serena must have read the Calico Word Element I had attached to my canvas and, regarding herself as an adventurous owl, she was launched in a heart-beat!

The effect of the choppy sea is created with plaster bandages, cut into strips and moulded around the outside of the canvas.

Fragments of tissue napkin resembling old maps, stamping and scraps of muslin, all attached with fluid matt medium and then painted with thinned acrylics helped to create the effect of a stormy day.

My inspiration for Serena's boat was this half of a walnut shell and the mast is the top of a barbecue skewer, painted, gilded and aged.

These atmospheric sea-gulls from Calico flew by to speed Serena on her way.

Embossing the seagulls with white embossing powder and then touching their wings with a sprinkling of Ultra Thick Gold embossing enamel really helped them to stand out and the gold paint on the walnut shell helped to give it a magical feel.

Here you can see how the tissue napkin layer was perfect to use on this canvas.

Let's hope those seas calm down a little before Serena's journey ends, or those pink dancing pumps might get a little damp! But the best adventures do have an element of peril and as long as she finds the perfect shelter from the storm eventually, I'm sure wet feet won't be enough to dampen her enthusiasm for travel! Thank you so much for stopping by the Calico Blog today. I hope that all your adventures will lead to happy and creative outcomes!

Calico Craft Parts Used
Wooden Word Elements, Travel and Explorer
Sheet of Mini Seagulls Wood Birds