The Jubilee weekend is finally upon us! I mentioned in my latest DIY Saturday post that there are a fair few union jacks about at the moment in the UK and that is certainly still the case! The atmosphere is lovely-most people are thrilled that the Queen is celebrating a reign of 60 years and aren't afraid to show their support :-)
Of course I'm being a little sarcastic there-the technique I used is my firm favourite-decoupage! If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know I have used decoupage a number of times for my DIY projects, most notably for my Decoupage Dresser last year. I am a great fan of this technique, as it is simple and relatively mess-free (unless you are particularly messy!), and the outcome is really very effective.
I put together an image using several images from The Graphics Fairy (a firm favourite of mine) including her Union Jack image and the vintage crown image. I had a fiddle around on Photoshop to layer the images together and created this banner:
So, to achieve your own Jubilee canvas art, you will need:
PVA glue (I used quick-dry because I'm impatient!)
Acrylic Satin Varnish or Mod Podge
Your chosen image, printed on regular paper.
A canvas.
That's all! And it literally is a case of cutting out your images, pasting them on to the canvas using the PVA and coating the whole thing in the varnish or Mod Podge several times...et voila!
Make sure to let the glue dry properly before varnishing, and let each coat of varnish dry before applying the next coat.
I love the outcome because it is suitably vintage which is rather appropriate given the 60 years the Queen has been on the throne-it harks back to when she was originally crowned.
I'm definitely proud to be British and I love that we have a royal family and a heritage to be proud of.
Congratulations on 60 years, Liz!
Emily
xxx
I love the layering of the crown, music sheets and flag - your canvas looks great !
ReplyDeleteI've decoupaged some graphics before, but want to try transferring to fabric. Like you, I'm a Brit, and citra-solv is pretty expensive over here. I've just got to experiment because I would love to do some layering like your canvas.
Happy to have found your blog - Fiona
Thank you for your lovely words Fiona :-) I've never tried Citra-solv, like you said it's pretty pricey but I bought Acrylic Satin Varnish from craftmill.co.uk and found that it really works fantastically! Can't wait to see what you come up with!
DeleteEmily
I am an American, but sat and watched the flotilla on BBC America for a few hours yesterday. I was disappointed we will not hear tonight's concert (probably due to time difference!) I love decoupage, too. I came over from the Graphics Fairy to see your canvas. I love it - is that music I see in the background? If you have the time visit my three posts using Union Jacks. I am your newest Google Follower.
ReplyDeleteDistressed Donna Down Home
Hi Donna! Lovely to have you over from TGF-I'm obsessed with her site! Any excuse I can find to use her images, I take it! That most certainly is music in the background-if I'd really thought about it, I should have found the British national anthem sheet music but never mind!
DeleteP.s. You didn't miss too much with the concert-the first couple of acts were pretty awful but it got better. And the firework display at the end was stunning!
They say heavy hangs the head that wears a crown. But this canvas puts paid to that. It's brilliant. And probably not the least bit heavy. Good Show. Virginia
ReplyDeleteThank you Virginia :-) What a sweet thing to say! It's certainly light-weight ;-)
DeleteI’ve sent this to my sister as she is a decoupage Queen (har har)! I love what you created Emily and I especially love the vintage feel to it!
ReplyDeletehaha! Love what you did there ;-) I'm obsessed with vintage graphics-any excuse to use them is good in my book!
DeleteThis is really cool...you say you printed it on regular paper? Did you piece all the pieces of paper together? Or is this a little canvas? What kind of ink did you use? I'd be concerned the paper would pucker and the ink would run.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips!
Hi Jayna!
DeleteThe canvas I used is approx. 20x25cm so fairly small in the canvas world!
I didn't use a particularly special ink, just regular inkjet printer ink.
The thing about the acrylic varnish I used to decoupage is that it doesn't cause the ink to run. I have discovered that the brush might very slightly pick up some of the colour but it never smudges and can sometimes add to the vintage effect :-)
I've never found the paper to pucker-as long as you use a generous amount of glue and smooth it as you go, you should be fine!
I'd love to hear how you get on :-)
This printing is excellent and also incredible, lovely quality and the colors are vibrant and true, far better than I expected, thanks for sharing that vintage royal crown.
ReplyDeleteAffordable wall art designing services online