Mixed Media Happiness Canvas and Fiskar Fuse

Hello everyone!  Today, I have something new, fun and a little different to share with you.  I know for a lot of crafters we have those moments when we see something new or new to us and we are very intrigued with the products and how they work.  Well, for me it's the Fiskars® Fuse Creativity System Die Cutting Machine and the die templates.  To be honest it was actually my husband who asked me if I had heard of these new dies LOL.  He stopped in at Joann's to pick something up for me (yes he is very sweet and shops at the craft stores for me!) and while he was there he saw the new machine and die templates.  I started looking around online and I loved the concept of these dies.  You can do five different techniques with the dies--Die-cut + Letterpress, Die-cut + Press Only, Die-cut Only, Letterpress Only, Press Only.  You can click HERE to see how it works.  Some of the die templates will cut thicker materials such as chipboard and other die templates cut more intricate designs and work best with cardstock.  You can also get expansion packs for more letterpress options.  

So are you ready to see a project?  I altered a 8 x 10 canvas and I used the Fiskar Fuse Medium Design Set 101910 - Mirror and Fiskar Fuse Medium Expansion Pack 101910 - Mirror to create the key plate on the canvas.

I just love how the canvas turned out and I love the key plate.  I took a few pictures, but not too many while I was creating.  I just wanted to have fun getting inky lol.

This is how the canvas started out.  I prepped the canvas with some white gesso and then I laid down some color with the Distress Sprays Stains.  I started out using Peeled Paint, Peacock Feathers.

After putting the first couple of colors on the canvas I added some torn pieces from old book pages.  Then I used texture paste and a few stencils to the background.  Here is a close up of the textured doily.  I just kept added sprays, paints and inks as I was going.

Here you can also see some of the dot texture and splatters from the Distress Spray Stains that I flicked on with a paint brush.

Here is a close up of the key plate.  I love the vintage look and feel I was able to achieve using a few different products.  

To create the key plate I cut three shapes using black fun foam and on one of the shapes I did the die cut and press only technique.  Then I created another die cut using chipboard.  For this piece I did the die cut and letterpress technique.

Next I cut the key holes from the two die cuts that had been pressed.  I used a craft knife for the chipboard and it was actually easier to use a scissors for the fun foam.

For the top piece I used some VersaMark ink and added Frantage Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel from Stampendous and heat set.  Then inked up the letterpress plate with Jet Black StazOn ink and ran the chipboard piece through the machine again.  Next I sanded and distressed the chipboard piece and once that was done I glued all of the pieces together.  I also added more of the embossing enamel around the outer edges and used a PITT Big Brush Pen Black 199 around the edges.  If you would like to see more of the Fiskar Fuse die templates and machine in action you can click HERE--scroll down just a bit and you will see a few different videos you can click on. 

I also used  Vintage Photo and Brushed Pewter Distress Spray Stain and here you can see a little of the brown color.  The brushed pewter is really pretty and leaves a little bit of a shimmer.  I also dry brushed over some of the textured areas with white acrylic paint to make the texture pop a little more.

I think this is one of my favorite parts about the canvas--love this little bird!  This is from an older Prima stencil.  I used some of the Distress Spray Stains and a paint brush to apply the color.  

After I added the color to the bird and twig used both the Gelato-Squid Ink and PITT Big Brush Pen Black 199 to edge the canvas, word blocks, around the key plate and the image of the bird.

I'm not really sure what I am going to do with the canvas--but I had SO MUCH FUN creating it!!  Maybe I will put it in my store.  What do you think?  Yes, I am still working on getting the store up and going--hopefully soon!! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies
8 x 10 Canvas
Fiskars® Fuse Creativity System Die Cutting Machine, Fiskar Fuse Medium Design Set 101910 - Mirror, Fiskar Fuse Medium Expansion Pack 101910 - Mirror
Ranger:  Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain-Peeled Paint, Peacock Feathers, Vintage Photo, Brushed Pewter; Distress Inks-Antique Linen, Pumice Stone
ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko:  StazOn Jet Black Ink, VersaMark Ink
Faber-Castell:  Gelato-Squid Ink; PITT Big Brush Pen Black 199
Stampendous: Frantage Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel
Plaid® Mod Podge® Matte
Krylon® Clear Satin Spray
Gesso, Texture Paste, Old book Pages, White Acrylic Paint, Stencils, Fun Foam, Chipboard