Grandchild names – Subway Art – gift idea

 

I wanted to make something for my mom with her grandkid’s names on it.  Something I could add a name or two down the road if need be.  (I still have young siblings — who knows?)

The first thing I did was cut a large piece of primed canvas.  I bought a huge roll from Hobby Lobby almost a  year ago and hadn’t used it yet so this was perfect.  My Subway art is approximately 3’x4′.

 

I painted the canvas with a base (Essential Grey) Sherwin Williams paint I had on hand.

 

Then I used some Martha Stewart butterfly stencils sprayed with stencil adhesive and some “metallic Sterling” paint  to create a heart background on almost the entire canvas.

The stencil adhesive was cool as it is reposition-able.  I sprayed them once and used them over and over on the entire canvas.

 

 

I wish I would have left it like this but I was afraid it would be too prominent with the names too so I dry brushed some of my base paint over the top of the whole heart.

Which made it too light but I didn’t want to start over — so I went with it.

 

Next, I used freezer paper to create stencils that I could iron onto the canvas.  I cut some of the  names out with an Xacto knife because I couldn’t get my cutting machine that I bought over a year ago and never took out of the box to work.

Luckily, when Wes came home from work, he got it running for me.  What a guy!!!   The machine was SOO much faster.

 

Then I ironed the freezer paper onto my canvas.  I used a thin cotton cloth to protect my iron from the base paint.  When you iron the freezer paper (shiny side on the fabric), it sticks and generally comes out crisp and clean.

 

I painted the names using several different mixtures of Sterling, my base grey and some of the Martha blues.  I wanted it to be monochromatic.

With just a little POP of color.

 

Next I stapled it to a frame I found in my pile of “thrift sore finds” in my workshop that was the right size.  I starting with the top, then the bottom, stretching it as I stapled.  Then I did one side and then the other.

 

I tended to the corners by using the “gift wrap” technique.

 

And that is that.  I wish I wouldn’t have muted the butterfly heart because it barely shows up now.

 

But I think my Mom is going to love it anyway.