Wishing each and every one of you a healthy, happy and creative New Year filled with peace and joy! If you are like me, once the cold days and dark nights of winter are upon us, I start to dream of warm and sunny places. I decided to work in bright tropical colors and create my own summer dream.

Items Needed:

• Americana Decou-Page Papers - Moroccan (DP05-K)
• Americana Stencils 12x12 - Retro Mod (ASMM03-K)
• 8x8 Wrapped Canvas
• RubberMoon: Elizabeth St. Hilaire Stamps - Sun Dials, Undulation, Joy
• 6x6 Gel Plate
• Brayer
• Flat Brush
• Small Round Brush
• Cosmetic Sponge
• Key Card
• Palette Knife
• Heat Tool
• Foam Tape
• Baby Wipes
• Scissors
• Pitt Artist Pen Black Medium
• Gelly Roll White Pen
• Uniball Gold Pen
• Craft Sheet
• Gold Sequins
• Glue
• Word Cards

Instructions:

Step 1: Start the first layer on the canvas by adding ripped pieces of the Moroccan print papers and use the Decou-page to adhere them into place. I always work on my craft sheet, since I seem to get messy. Let dry.

Step 2: Add some texture to areas of the canvas with stencils and texture medium. I like to apply the texture medium with a palette knife and used the Retro Mod stencil. Dry.

Step 3: I challenged myself to use colors outside of my usual palette and reached for bright yellows - Diarylide Yellow, Primary Yellow, and Cadmium Yellow Hue. I started by painting over the papers and texture by scraping the paint across with a key card. Then I used a baby wipe to smudge the paint into the canvas. Be sure to bring some over to the sides also. This is where I decided to change the orientation of my canvas also.

Step 4: Add a bit of the Vermillion onto the end of the key card and scrape it down in three sections. Then, use the key card to scrape across at right angles. Repeat this step with the Cadmium Orange Hue. Let dry or speed up the drying with a heat tool if you are like me.

Step 5: Now, add another layer of transparent yellows using the Fluid Acrylics in Diarylide Yellow and Hansa Yellow Medium. This time I used a flat paintbrush to go over the canvas. Work some of the color around the sides again.

Step 6: Now that the background is ready, it’s time to stamp on some images using Titanium White. I like to add some paint to a small gel plate, brayer it smooth, and then stamp into the white to lift it, like a big ink pad. Repeat the process with the Peacock Pearl Dazzling Metallic and another stamp. Dry.

Step 7: Add another layer of summery bright with the Torrid Orange and Sizzling Pink Neon paints. I used a small round brush and painted the petals of the of the flowers, and also between some of the squiggly lines. Dry.

Step 8: Stencil the word DREAM onto the canvas with the Serendipity stencil and Cobalt Turquoise Hue fluid acrylic and a cosmetic sponge. The key to sponging the stenciled area is to always dab off the paint a few times, so the sponge is almost dry. This will give you a clean stenciled edge.

Step 9: Once the paint is completely dry, use the archival black pen and outline the word dream. Go around the dots in the design with the black pen, then fill in with the gold pen. Use the white pen to go over the flowers. Add the journal words with foam tape over the stenciled dream, and write letter “A” in-between with the white pen. (go around that with black also). Finally, glue gold sequins into the middle of each flower.

Details: My hula girl keeps me company when I am creating and will dance while the sun is out.

Are you dreaming of summer and a warm tropical location yet? I know I am! Bring out the bright colors on cold winter days and imagine you are soaking up the sun. It’s the next best thing to being able to go on vacation. Happy New Year! Maura