Tutorial Tuesday - How to turn a photo into a photo canvas

There are tons of ways to turn a beloved photo into a photo canvas. Do a quick google search or two and just see how many you find. My current preferred method is photo transfer and I thought I'd share the process with you one more time since it is TUTORIAL TUESDAY! 

I have searched and tried a few different methods but found my favorite on the "Come on Ilene" blog. I will outline my process here but you may also want to check out here wonderfully simple tutorial here: Make Your Own Canvas Prints.


So far I have made 2" x 3" up to 8" x 10". I'm planning on trying larger canvas sizes but would suggest starting small and moving up in size as you get more comfortable with the process and your results. 

You will need: 

• Blank canvas
• Photo printed with a laser printer on regular paper (not photo paper)
• Gel medium
• Water spray bottle
• Foam paint brush

If you aren't a fan of mess, then you should probably cover your work space with a garbage bag (as Ilene suggests) or newspaper or wax paper. Then take your canvas and give it a thick coating of gel medium (I got mine at a local art store called Blick). I would say thick but not TOO thick otherwise in my brief experience, I end up with more air bubbles to push out and glue oozing out the sides. 

Make sure you have cut your image down to the size of your canvas (or maybe just a bit smaller on all sides). When you print, maybe SURE you reverse your image if you want it to appear correctly once you've transferred it to canvas. Of course you may not have to depending on your image, but remember this if you have any wording in your picture or it will be obvious what you did! 

Gently place your image photo side down onto the gel on the canvas and then carefully push out all air bubbles and make sure your image is flat on your canvas. 

Let your project dry for 5 hours to overnight. Then the fun begins! 

Fill your spray bottle with water. Spray your canvas until the paper is saturated and give it a few minutes to soak in. Then you want to start gently rubbing the paper off with your fingers. Be especially careful around key elements of your image so that they don't get rubbed off -- such as faces. You will probably have to do this step multiple times until your image is completely paper free. 

When you are satisfied with your image (and lack of paper on it), allow your canvas to dry thoroughly. Give it a final coat of gel medium and voila -- you have a gorgeous photo canvas! 

 This one just so happens to be a mini-canvas and is available in my shop 

Floral Mini Canvas - Image of Deep Bright Purple Daisies - Photo Transfer. 

It's Tuesday - Without a Tutorial

Once again it is Tutorial Tuesday and despite being in process on a sign-making tutorial, I am not able to share it with you quite yet. 

As I sit here on my couch watching "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Rhoda", I was trying to think what I could share with you tonight. What I have decided is to share a couple of my favorite folks I've found on Etsy. 

First off is a friend of mine who has creative overflowing... she is a talented photographer and jewelry maker too. One of her recent project is bejeweled book marks - just gorgeous!

Check 'em out at her Etsy Shop Storm Shade Designs. 

Another new Etsy friend is David over at SoffittaUSA. They make such creative and useful items. Who needs a table or desk when they can have a great hand crafted solid wood lap desk or sofa tray. 

I LOVE this idea. Perfect for a space where you have no room for a table but want to safely set down your drink. Love, love, love! Check out all their options in their shop. 

Well now I need to finish icing my knee (tweaked it at work today) and work toward getting the kids and myself to bed. I am looking forward to making more progress on these signs each night and then some major headway with a 3 day weekend. 

Enjoy your week and I'll keep you posted on all things Mama Picture This. Oh and by the way, for anyone who was waiting for the outcome of my great photo transfer experiment (on porcelain plate and glass)... it was an unequivocal fail! I have another option to try but it will probably be a little while before I can get back on track in that direction. 

Good night!
Mama Zuzi

Tutorial Tuesday - Photo Canvas Laser Printer on Paper Method

I have seen many different ways to put photos onto a canvas. 

I put my purple power photo onto a canvas before by mounting a photo print directly to the canvas and then using Hodge Podge and paint to give it texture and a bit of a canvas art feel. I was happy to sell this to someone who loved it as much as I did at last month's (and my first) Last Thursday in Portland! 

With a Miniature show coming up at Side Street Gallery, I was moving forward with several small photo canvases with this same method when I realized there was a different way that I wanted to try! Thanks to Ilene over at the "Come on Ilene" blog for sharing your wonderfully simple tutorial:  Make Your Own Canvas Prints. I followed her directions last night and came up with this new version of "Purple Power": 


So if you want to give this a try, I might suggest starting small and working your way to larger sizes of canvas when you get comfortable with the technique. Right now I'm specifically making ones that are small (mostly 2.5" x 3.5"). 

You will need: 

• Blank canvas
• Photo printed with a laser printer on regular paper
• Gel medium
• Water spray bottle
• Foam paint brush
• Option sponge

If you aren't a fan of mess, then you should probably cover your work space with a garbage bag (as Ilene suggests) or newspaper or wax paper. Then take your canvas and give it a thick coating of gel medium (I got mine at a local art store called Blick's). I would say thick but not TOO thick otherwise in my brief experience, I end up with more air bubbles to push out and glue oozing out the sides. 

Make sure you have cut your image down to the size of your canvas (or maybe just a bit smaller on all sides). When you print, maybe SURE you reverse your image if you want it to appear correctly once you've transferred it to canvas. I made this mistake last night and think I've learned my lesson. Gently place your image photo side down onto the gel on the canvas and then carefully push out all air bubbles and make sure your image is flat on your canvas. 

Let your project dry for 5 hours to overnight. Then the fun begins! 

Fill your spray bottle with water. Spray your canvas until the paper is saturated and give it a few minutes to soak in. Then you want to start gently rubbing the paper off with your fingers. Be especially careful around key elements of your image so that they don't get rubbed off -- such as faces. You will probably have to do this step multiple times until your image is completely paper free. 

When you are satisfied with your image (and lack of paper on it), allow your canvas to dry thoroughly. Give it a final coat of gel medium and voila -- you have a gorgeous photo canvas! 

Unfortunately for you (or me maybe) all of my little canvases are down in my studio drying for a few more hours before I can finish and share with you. Maybe tomorrow on "What a Shot" Wednesday! Stay tuned. 

Mama Monday - Whoops Edition

I wasn't going to blog today because honestly I didn't really have any "Mama" moments or pieces of wisdom to share. 

And then I wasn't going to blog because I was so excited about tomorrow's blog post... Tutorial Tuesday! I worked on magnets last night (not sure how well they worked out). 

I also created two little pendants that I think look pretty fun. 

I got started on an idea for mini photos on canvas and started by painting some black acrylic paint on them, allowing them to dry. Then today, I decided I wanted to go another way (which doesn't include black paint) and had to change my plans a bit. 

On my lunch break, I went to the art store and got: 

• gel medium 
• sponge brushes

I got home and realized that the one thing I hadn't planned on this morning (when revising my plans) was that my prints could no longer be on photo paper (as they had been), they could no longer be ink jet (as they would be if printed on my printer) -- they had to be laser prints! 

I then tried to upload and have them printed at Kinko's but they wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. Not good enough for me in my creative frenzy - nope! So I put the document on a thumb drive and raced up to my local Kinko's to print two copies. So far so good. 

Then I swung by Joann's and got new canvas's to replace those with black paint on them. Good to go - I thought! 

Of course, the second I got into the house I headed for my studio to get started only to realize that I'd forgotten one crucial thing. What could it be? I had totally forgotten to flip the images so that when I put them on canvas they won't be backwards! Ugh. I had three images to do and figured that the one with numbers and letters on it can't be backwards without being noticed nor could the one that albeit small says Blacksmith right on it! 

I couldn't stand not trying at least once canvas tonight (even though it needs to dry for 4-5 hours -- which means after midnight!) so I'm going ahead with the Purple Power canvas... let's see who notices the image is flipped! 

So... long post short (not really)... if you want to see how to make your own photo canvas (different technique than the last one I've shown), tune in tomorrow for Tutorial Tuesday!

And now the reveal...

From this: 

 To this: 

Tutorial Tuesday - Photo Light Switch Cover

1. Select your photo and size it to the size of your your switch cover. 

2. Tape either a sheet of tissue or other soft nubbly paper to an 8.5 " x 11 " paper to help it go through your printer and print.

3. Cut out your image just slightly larger than your image. 

4. Glue down your image onto the switch plate cover.
I used a spray adhesive. 

5. Paint over your image carefully with a layer of Hodge Podge.

 

6. Using a natural sponge, I like to add a soft white (or other color) border. 

And now ... unlike on television cooking shows ... my switch plate must dry. Visit tomorrow for the big reveal. Sorry if this tutorial feels a little "thrown together" but I have been busy and finding it hard to not only find a tutorial to share but do it and photograph it too! 

In the mean time, you may want to check out this fun DIY switch plate cover with splattered paint. Don't forget the drop cloth! 

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/splat-light-switch-cover

Ciao for now, 
Mama Zuzi