Love Story That Sparkles

Today, I have a blog post that was suggested to me by my lovely niece.  She wanted some wall art, as inspired by Pinterest.  She also wanted the lyrics to one of her favorite songs--Taylor Swift's "Love Story".  This is the glittering creation that I came up with:

Of course, you wouldn't have to use a Taylor Swift song.  You can have any words and images that you would like.  Here is how to do it:

MATERIALS:
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent 198 Green Briar
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent 284 French Lilac
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent 303 Volare
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent 168 Black Light
Art Institute Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Gallery Wrap (wrapped around the edge for easy hanging) 16 x 20 Canvas
Digital Die Cut Machine (I used the Silhouette)
Vinyl for Digital Die Cut Machine, any color
Transfer Tape for the Vinyl
Small Flat Tool to Help With Transferring Vinyl
Tape
Ruler
Small and Medium Large Brushes
Acrylic Paint in Light Green, Dark Green, Purple and White
Sponge Tipped Pouncing Tool
Scissors
Craft Knife
An Empty Jar (you will use the jar for water and the lid as a palette)
Old Newspapers

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Use your die cut machine to cut your saying out.  Use whatever fonts you like.  In the Silhouette Studio Program, I created a file that was 8 x 10 (one quarter of the canvas size).  Then, I laid out the words to fit the 8 x 10 size.  Once it was exactly the way I liked it, I doubled the size of the words.  That way, something that fit well within the 10 inch horizontal now fit perfectly on a 20 inch side.

2)  Use the craft knife or the picking tool if you have it, to remove the vinyl from the background of all of the words.

3)  Lay out the words on the canvas and lightly tape them in place to ensure that they are positioned well.

4)  Remove one set of words and place them upside down on the transfer tape and burnish with a flat plastic tool.

5)  Flip over and burnish again before very carefully removing the original vinyl backing.

6)  Line the ruler up with the side of the canvas and use it as a guide to align the words.

7)  Burnish down and then carefully remove the tape.  You may need your fingers to rub down the letters as you do this.

8)  Repeat steps 4-7 until all the words are on the canvas.

9)  Flip over the canvas on a flat, hard surface.  Burnish hard so that the letters will stick well.

10)  Make sure that you are now working on newspapers.  Using the lid of your jar as a palette, squeeze out the lightest green and apply all over the center of the canvas.  Paint right over the words.  Leave some space around the edges of the canvas.

11)  Add the darker green to your makeshift palette.  Dip your brush into both colors and paint from the outside of the canvas into the center.  This step creates the blended, shadowed effect.  Be sure to paint the side of the canvas, too!  Let dry.

12)  Working in sections around the outside of the image only, add another layer of paint immediately followed with a sprinkling of Green Briar Glitter.  Be sure and add it ONLY to the outside of the canvas.  You don't want to have to paint the heart over glitter.

13)  When the paint is dry and the palette and brush clean, add purple to the palette and paint on the heart.  Paint right over the green paint and the words.  Let dry.

 14)  When the paint is completely dry, the heart is very dark and non dimensional, as you see here.  We will be creating dimension with the transparent glitter.

15)  Squeeze some of the Designer Dries Clear into the palette.  (The Fine Tip you see in the picture is not necessary, but mine ALWAYS stays on my glue.)  Add a little water.

16)  Dip the sponge tool into the glue.

17)  Starting with the top of the heart, "pounce" the glue over sections of the heart that you would like lighter.  Pinch on some French Lilac Glitter.

18)  Continue working around the outside of the heart and pour on the Volare Glitter.  You will use the most of this intermediate color.

19)  Finish off the center portion, which will look roughly like a heart itself, and cover with the Black Light Glitter.  Let it all dry completely.

20)  Use the craft knife to remove the vinyl.

21)  Touch up any parts where the color may have leaked under the vinyl with white paint.  While you are at it, you can completely paint the letters for a finished effect.

See the sparkle?  Notice the dimension in the heart and the light glitter around the edges?  That is a great way to use the transparent glitter to create something that truly fits your style and personality!  This painting will be adorning a wall in East Lansing soon.

Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to visit my blog at www.rememberinglifesmoments.blogspot.com anytime!  I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.