Pinterest Craft Day 2

A group of six ladies met today for another Pinterest Craft Day. We decided to try out various methods of getting a photograph to a canvas. We had mixed results - some were successful; others not so.

Trish used a color photo enlargement from a photo processor. After painting the sides of her stretched canvas with acrylic paint, she used Mod Podge to glue it to her 8"x10" canvas. Once it dried, she covered it in a layer of Mod Podge. It turned out very well.

Trish also tried the same process on a color copy from her home printer. The thinner copy paper wasn't happy with the wet Mod Podge; the paper bubbled as it dried. Trish ended up ripping that paper off the canvas.

Heather took her thumb drive to a copy and print center, where she asked for an 11"x14" laser print on standard paper. She painted her canvas with a thick layer of gloss gel medium, then turned her paper copy upside down onto it. She rubbed it down thoroughly and left it to dry. It wasn't dry by the time she left, so she will finish the process tomorrow. She will dampen the back of the paper, then rub it gently until the paper comes away, leaving the image on the canvas. She's excited to see how it turns out.

Greta used a photo enlargement like Trish's, only hers was a large 16"x20" color print. Even though it was huge, it turned out beautifully too. It truly looks like a professional portrait from a studio. Greta's only difficulty was that the print was so large that she needed another pair of hands to lay it on the canvas straight.

Joyce was quite frustrated with her attempts at this craft. Using her home printer, she printed several 8"x10" images onto clear transparency film, only to have them rub off, or get rain-spattered. At the copy center, their machines couldn't enlarge her 4"x6" image on her thumb drive to the size of her 8"x10" canvas. So she had them make a laser print in the smaller size on transparency film. She coated her canvas with a thick layer of gel medium, rubbed the transparency ink-side-down into the gel medium, and nothing transferred to the canvas. She tried assorted tools and nothing worked. She was able to transfer her inkjet-printed images to a file folder, but that's not the craft she was hoping to make today. She ended up without a completed canvas today.

Adie used an 8"x10" photo print also, but hers was black and white. She also painted her canvas edges with acrylic craft paint. She glued the photo to the canvas using Mod Podge, then, once dry, she sanded the edges of the canvas and print to soften the hard lines. She gave it a final coat of Mod Podge, experimenting with a satin finish and a matte finish. Everyone agreed that the matte finish made a more professional-looking canvas.

Kathy ended up having to drive carpool and didn't have enough time to begin her project. But she was interested to see the results the other ladies achieved.

I'm joining the Met Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch.