play time

i was so inspired by some of the projects in ashley calder's book, "Scraptastic!", that i decided to take some time and do a little experimentation.  it's amazing how much more creative i allow myself to be when i know that it's "play-time" instead of "i-need-to-have-a-piece-done-for-an-exhibit-tomorrow" time!  everything seems to flow so much smoother when the pressure is off!  anyway, in one of ashley's projects, she had painted a little flower on a piece of canvas and i thought it was so cute i just had to try it for myself.  i used 10 oz. art canvas, painted some gesso on top and then used watercolor to paint the artwork.  i decided to embellish it a bit with some embroidery on the stems using cotton floss.  i also sewed some yellow seed beads in the flower centers to give them a bit more dimension.  i'm really happy with the results, although i'll have to admit that my fingers are a little blistered after sewing through the thick canvas.  next time i may try this using lightweight muslin! click on image to enlarge