Welcome to a very exciting blog hop in Celebration of 10 years of Art from the Heart!
Lots of exciting things happening at Art from the Heart next weekend where the big birthday bash is happening. Want to know more then do click
HERE So in Celebration we are having 5 birthday blog hops.
You should have reached my blog from the lovely Janet
HERE and are on the 7 Gypsies hop
I used
7 Gypsies
Letterblock Tray
Old canvas, mount board, paint if making a faux letterblock tray
7 Gypsies
Lille collection: Abundance
7 Gypsies
Lille collection: Adventure
7 Gypsies
Lille collection: Life is good
7 gypsies
Conservatory collection: Butterfly
7 gypsies
Conservatory collection: Flora
7 Gypsies vintage tags: Gypsy Market
Foam pads
Hot glue gun
Black cardstock
AFTH red heart (From packaging)
Metal findings: watch cogs
Distress inks: Brushed Corduroy & Weathered wood
7 Gypsies stickers
Heart pins
7 Gypsies index tab
Instructions
These instructions are in 2 halves, 1 half for those with 7 gypsies letterblock tray and 1 half for those with faux letterblock trays.
I have drooled over a 7 gypsies printers or letterblock trays for many a year. But with a new addition to the family funds don’t stretch to luxuries like this. As I am never happier than when I am sat in my craft room with the radio playing in the background and my hot glue gun constantly on, I decided to construct my own.
I had an old torn and bashed up canvas. I removed the canvas which just left the frame. I gave it a quick sand before adding a piece of mount board to the back of the frame.
Next I measured the depth of the canvas and cut lots of strips of mount board to the same depth. Cut lots as you will need them later. I carefully hot glued strips of mount board around the four inside edges of the frame.
Once dry, I painted the whole thing in black.
I knew this was going to be a piece of wall art for my craft room so the Lille collection would match the reds and yellows of my room perfectly. I laid the collection out and identified my favourite bits from the collage style paper. I carefully cut them out and began arranging them on the canvas.
Once I was happy with the arrangement, I took a photo as I knew I would never remember how they went back together. I took each cut out piece and inked the edges with distress inks. I chose brushed corduroy and weathered wood to match the blues and browns of the papers.
This is the tricky bit; you have to do lots of measuring at this stage. I carefully measured the bits of paper and marked their measurements directly onto the canvas with a pencil. I carefully measured the mount board strips to match the pencil lines forming a grid type pattern. Check the boards fit. They have to be tight. If too big they will bend, if too small they will fall out. Keep going until you have the whole grid made. Paint the whole thing.
Once the paint was dry, I double check the paper pieces fitted into the grid ok. You may have to trim and re-ink slightly.
And that is the tray constructed. Its time to decorate
This is the 2 half, where those with real 7 gypsies trays come in. Do as above, select, cut and ink your chosen paper pieces. As you can see below, just adding the paper pieces gives a very flat appearance to the tray and I wanted mine to be more depth.
To start I selected a few of the smaller pieces and added them to card stock, just to make them firmer. I glued them into their correct places with the glue gun.
Next I construct little box lid type things. I picked another few paper pieces and stuck them to card stock, leaving about a 1/2cm edge around each one. I scored lines directly around the image before cutting off the corner squares.
I bent back the score lines to form a box lid. The unsecured sides expand out to fill the space. No need to glue as it’s a nice secure fit. I repeated with the remaining paper pieces but this time I left 1cm edges (or however deep your canvas is). The resulting “lids” are flush with the face of the frame.
Next its time to embellish. I took random stickers from various 7 Gypsies sticker sheets, and added them to the squares.
I cut out butterflies from the conservatory collection and decoupage them before randomly gluing them on. I added some metal findings and a sneaky Tim Holtz clock, and some buttons. I added more bingo squares with foam pads and a large flower cluster, again with foam pads. And finally to finish, as this project was created for the wonderful art from the heart birthday celebration, I had to add the lovely red heart that adorns your little packages of stash.
I just love how my project looks hanging on the wall.
I hope you have enjoyed my 7 Gypsies themed project as much as i have making it.
Posts
83 comments:
WOW great work, I would not have thought of using a canvas like that
Utterly wonderful Sarah and so much work has gone into your post xx Thanks for joining us on the hop you are amazing!
Just beautiful. Love it.
Aren't you clever! Love the fact that you made your own shadow box! Beautiful outlay of all the bells and whistles:) And many thanks for taking the effort to make a tutorial to boot!
Cheers to you!
Stunning project and so much work has gone into that. Amazing!!!
This is just absolutely AMAZING!!!! I love EVERYTHING about it!! x
Amazing project.
Hugs,
Justyna x
This is so clever and a beautiful display - thank you for sharing your instructions.
just got to have a go a one of these thanks for the instructions.
I absolutely love your project. Simply everything about it. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
Oh wow, this is just stunning. I particularly love how you added dimension by having some of the pieces of paper raised up within the tray.
a fabulous project and so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your piece and giving instructions on how to make one, Well done
Maggie
Wonderful project!
Sarah x
this is simply stunning!!!!
wow, loving this. Thankyou for all the step by steps, really useful for people. xxx
lovely project x
Your shadow box is wonderful. You must have so much patience to do all that measuring and sticking.The whole thing is perfect.
Stunning, thanks for sharing and showing how to make it :)
Stunning & fab!
Wow so much work has gone into that! Lovely.
Great idea and I love how you have shared the process - a real inspiration :0)
I think this is an amazing project that you created your own divided tray! Wow!
such a clever idea! I love this loads - feel inspired to make my own now!
what a fab piece - and such great instructions..
thanks for the tut! I love your project!
This is fantastic! Love how you repurposed the canvas. This was definitely a labor of love. Bette
Very very clever crafting Sarah - love the way you've given different levels to the different sections.
Love how you created the shadow box. Great job!
Fabulous piece, very creative. Tracy x
Love your poject, great idea
wow what a lot of hard work - but worth it - it looks great!
beautful
OMG THIS IS AMAZING, i mean like totally gorgeous, love every square inch of it, well done you :D
fabulous project sarah...hugs kath xxx
Wow so amazing, love it.
Wow...fab project and love the tutorial - will have to put this one on the to do list. Thanks for sharing and the inspiration.
Andrea.xx
Lovely project
xoxo Sioux
Loving the hi low parts very much ;0) Dxx
Fantastic use of a canvas!!!!
A wonderful tutorial. Thanks
The frame is so effective, its lovely. :)
Ooh, I love this, it's gorgeous. It must have taken you days to complete, you did an excellent job.
Looks like a labor of love! Very inspirational.
great project
Your tray looks amazing - like how you used the red heart (I'm thinking you have received one or two prettily wrapped parcels from AFTH!) :D
Stunning tray which will look great on your craft wall and thanks for the how to tutorial
love this sarah and even his Nibs is impressed!!! ;0)
Amazing. Thank you so much for the great demo.....
Your Rock.
Donna
Amazing project!
Sarah, this blog hop is great, I've been wanting to make a shadowbox/lettertray project for a while, thanks so much for sharing how you made this fantastic project. You are inspiring :-)
Big love
AJ
loving this thanks for sharing - love Liz - Happy hopping
Absolutely brilliant altered project! I love all the depth you created.
What a brilliant idea! Thanks for the step by step tutorial too!
Lynn Wild
Your project is absolutely fabulous - I love it. Jean.xx
So cool and so much work.
Fantabulosous Sarah....I totally love it!!!!
Kirsti xx
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
Ohh wow, thanks for the instructions to make your own, what a fab idea. Thanks for sharing x
Very cool! Love those raised panels. Great depth! Glad to have found your blog... off to become a follower.
Thanks for showing the how-to for your project. It's wonderful.
I would love to have your tray handing in our home. I love it!
Thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Amazing project, you put so much work into it. Love the fact you can make the sections fit what you like and the different depths - Sara
WOW must have taken you ages to do but well worth it. Great use of 7 gypsies papers LOVE IT
Wow, thanks for the great tutorial. Awesome project.
Fantastic project, looks so brilliant !!
Hi Sarah. Your Box is AMAZING. I love how you have created all the different depths. I have a 7Gypsies Tray lurking somewhere....this has made me want to go and get it out NOW...I love this ♥♥♥ and I bet it looks fantastic in your craft room. S xxx
Fab project. Kim
Just love this - it's amazing. The time you've taken to share is much appreciated
Stunning project, it's really awesome.
very cute! thanks for the great ideas.
Great project, looks like all your hard work paid off, Thanks for sharing x x
oh my you have put so much work into this, it is just fabulous, well done..x
I really love this. I must give this a go many thanks for the instructions
an inspirational piece of art
Fabulous instructions! and fantastic project :)
Fab creation!
Fabulous!!!
I absolutely love your project because it is made with my favorite 7 gypsies papers! i have just one page of each of this collection but now I want more!!! Thanks for tje tutorial.
One word - amazing!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
FAB project
Love how you've altered the tray, great idea to put dividing walls in :) x
just Beautiful! Happy birthday to AFTH and off I hop!
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