Open the Door to My Mind - May Prima PPP

Today I'd like to share with you a canvas I've wanted to create for a few months after being inspired by this amazing canvas by the incredible Ingvild Bolme.  When I saw the new palette for May's Prima Product Pick it gave me just the incentive I needed!  I've cheated somewhat though as I have not painted the portrait of myself - I printed a photo onto some Claudine Helmuth Sticky-back Canvas before mounting it onto the 8"x8" canvas frame.  To integrate the photo a little more and give the illusion of a painting I then dry brushed gesso around the edges and onto the image. 

 The idea of the canvas (as you'll guess from the title of my post) is that the Prima door represents the door to my mind and with it open you can see my mind busy creating, and the iconic representation of an idea depicted by the light bulb.

You can see I added some wings to the light bulb representing my idea taking flight and developing!  The wings I have made from a recycled drinks can.  After cutting the butterfly with a Tim Holtz die I have embossed it with a Tim Holtz embossing folder and then given it various treatments with alcohol inks, stamping and Frantage to achieve the final look.

I have filled the gap underneath the Prima door with various flowers and berries, some are from The Ribbon Girl and the rest are from Prima.

The clock element in particular you will see is taken from Ingvild's canvas.  It is what inspired me the most from her canvas to make one of my own.  The clock is also made from a recycled drinks can using the Tim Holtz Weathered Clock die and walnut stain alcohol ink.  The gears are all from Tim Holtz too.

On the clock face is another butterfly.  All of the butterflies are made from recycled drinks cans but I have given each one a unique treatment.  This one is stained with alcohol ink and then Frantaged.

On top of the canvas, to the left of the clock is a pair of scissors from The Ribbon Girl.

 Moving down the canvas you can see more of my mind at work with the little washer from MME that says "imagine" on it.

 The stunning flowers are from Prima.  I cut up pieces of a Prima vine to dot here and there on the canvas.

 The stunning lace is from The Ribbon girl too and I have also added a Tim Holtz pen nib which says "thoughts".  The pen nib is dribbling a drop of ink ready to write down an idea.  I created the ink blob with my glue gun.

 Here's a close up of another of the butterflies.  This one has been embossed with a script stamp before inking with alcohol ink and again has been Frantaged.

The final butterfly was coloured with alcohol ink, then stamped with various stamps, splashed with turquoise paint, embossed with distress embossing powder and finally Frantaged! 

 The bottom left corner of the canvas is adorned with flowers and buttons.  The metal button was recycled from a pair of jeans and the sparkly one is from Webster's Pages.

 The pearls along the bottom are some ivory pearl string from The Ribbon Girl.

 I have even decorated the sides of the canvas by sprinkling it with some Shabby Green Frantage!

 One final peak of the door to my mind - you can probably tell from all the photos that I'm really pleased with how it turned out!  It is now hanging on the door to my craft room to show what goes on in there!

I hope you like it and thanks for looking! x