Christmas Carol Canvas Project

For the past few weeks, I've been working on several holiday projects for the store where I teach. I recently finished up a fun "canvas" type project using this sheet of Christmas carol paper. 

Let's face it...this paper is a bit unusual! I honestly wondered what to do with it. I considered several types of projects -- ornaments, a mini album, etc. -- but all of them were focused on cutting up the paper or changing its original form. After studying the paper for a bit, I decided that I really liked the colors...so why not embrace the design? So I came up with a plan for a canvas project featuring the paper rather than disguising it.

I started with a 12x12 canvas. I used Matte Medium to adhere a sheet of 12x12 black cardstock to the canvas, then I weighted it down until it was completely dry.

I trimmed down the Christmas paper a bit so that the black cardstock would show around the edges. I inked it and adhered it in place with Matte Medium.

I wanted my die cut deer to be positioned at the top of a snowy hill. So I cut some scrap paper to determine the height and angle of the slope. 

Once I had my slope designed, I cut it from cardstock. I wanted the entire slope to be embossed, but of course the size of the embossing folder meant that I would have to do the embossing in segments. I found that it worked fine with this particular folder to emboss the strip one-third or so at a time. The random snowflake pattern makes it look like the embossing is continuous.

I envisioned a bit of gray "shadow" to show at the top, so I positioned and cut gray cardstock to fit behind the slope. After inking, I adhered it to the bottom of the canvas.

Then came the part that I HOPED would work as I imagined it! Luckily, our store had cardstock in the exact coral-y red as the numbers on the paper, so I used it to die cut several poinsettias to pull out that color. I chose two shades of green to die cut evergreen sprigs and poinsettia leaves, then I die cut a few snowflakes from cream cardstock. 

I covered the snowflakes in Diamond Dust glitter and let them dry, then I embossed a couple of the poinsettias for contrast. Finally I glued everything in place, using foam tape behind some elements for dimension.

I had a lot of fun putting this project together! I love it when the vague idea I have in my head actually works like I imagined it! :)

jp