Big Tit – Small Canvas.

Big Tit – Small Canvas.

Hi there.
Rainy Sunday, or what?!
Thanks for popping in.
First day off in a while, but what a brilliant week we had in Crowborough at the Retreats.
I thought I would dig out a little canvas board today, 
a really little canvas board,
a 4″ x 4″.
If you are new to canvases,
I think it is a good idea to start small.
This is smaller than your average card, so no big shakes at all.
And as we said last week,
if you are feeling a little hesitant about trying a canvas,
what’s the worst that can happen?
I think I speak for most people at the workshops
when I say that the Canvas morning was the session most people were most nervous about.
It also ended up being the most enjoyable and fun for most of them.
Stamp the large Garden Bird onto plain tissue paper 
with an Archival ink pad.
I used Coffee. Great colour as an alternative to black.
This is a great way to transfer a good quality stamped image 
to the canvas. 
Better than stamping directly…

 Spectrum Noir pencils ideal for colouring in. 
Flip to the back and paint the bird with white acrylic paint 
from behind.
Good enough.
Allow to dry.

Meantime, paint a little Phthalo Turquoise acrylic onto a 
4″ x 4″ baby canvas board.
Wipe in a lake with a wet wipe.
Can you see what I see?

Cut out the bird.
Position her on the mini canvas.

Use Mod Podge to attach and seal.

Apply to the back of the bird 
if you don’t want it on the canvas behind the bird.

Lay onto canvas and wrap overlays around to the back.

Lightly seal at the front with Mod Podge, 
but know that if you do, you are sealing it! 
Want to get off the Arty train? Here’s the first stop…

Or you can stay on with me,
and add a little red paint.
Just wipe it across.
What colour? Can’t remember.
Looks like Crimson to me.

If you applied Mod Podge to the front of the bird, 
the acrylic Crimson will wipe off easily.

 Using the Claritymask which comes with the large bird stamp,
cover up and add some shadow with a make-up sponge and the Coffee Archival ink pad.
Punch a moon.
Add a moonshadow.

Wipe the bird clean with a baby wipe.

Mount on a larger Canvas Board.
A 6″ x 6″, or an 8″ x 8″, as I have here.

Looks great when you give it a decent white frame,
don’t you think? 

There’s my stash

 Can you use the Fresco Chalk Paints? Of course.
But let’s not forget the ones we bought first.
If you get a little oil coming out with these tube paints after they have sat a while, 
try storing them standing on their lids.
That way, the oil will find its way to the bottom!
(I learned that at the workshop last week! So obvious when you think about it!)

In case you haven’t heard,
I have decided to cancel next Sunday’s TV Show.
Dave’s not feeling great, 
and I have got more than I can chew on my plate.
I am sure you understand.
So the Blog and Youtube will have to carry us for a while.
I’m sure that, with your support, we will be able to keep going;
just maybe do it a little differently….
See you tomorrow.
Same time.
Same place.
love and hugs,
xxx

103 thoughts on “Big Tit – Small Canvas.

  1. That's wonderful Barbara and has given me an idea for one of the letter plates I'm doing at the moment! I've been asked by an English teacher friend to do some letters for her wall..that will make her classes remember the AFOREST acronym! I've done 4 so far!
    Hope Dave is feeling OK and you are taking advantage of a bit of time off! Love and hugs! Xxx

    1. Jane, I've been making my brain hurt trying to work out what your acronym stands for!! Please put me out of my misery, thank you x

  2. That is a new twist on canvas work. I thoroughly enjoyed the projects on the retreat and learned so much – as Maria said – if you make a mess then you will not do it again – famous last words. I will certainly support all you are doing to make life a little easier for you. Of course I will miss the TV programmes but to be honest, your blog makes me feel closer and is ultra informative. Also the Clarity website is superb and your team of helpers on the end of the phone.
    A very big thank you for last week – it was wonderful and I had so much inspiration and help.
    Love and best wishes
    Anne (Reading) p.s. best wishes to Paul who did make me laugh when he showed me my green clown nose!!!!

    1. That really was a lovely picture of you, green nose or not. Not quite sure Maria is right about not repeating mistakes.It depends if you have your awake head on. Hope you had a good journey home. xx Maggie

  3. Great. Love that. Grateful too that you can spend time here what with dave not so good. Got to look after the people nearest and dearest first. Take care of you too. Xx

  4. Great. Love that. Grateful too that you can spend time here what with dave not so good. Got to look after the people nearest and dearest first. Take care of you too. Xx

  5. I am glad you have been able to cancel the programmes for now and concentrate on the most important thing in your life, which is undoubtedly Dave. Hope things will soon improve there. In the meantime, that is two projects I want to do right now, yesterday and today. I love the blue tits, even if cutting the outie traumatised me with Maria, and this is such an atmospheric design. Beautiful! Make sure you get plenty of rest this week to get ready for the next sessions, which I know will be wonderful. Would you notice if I crept in at the back to do it all again? xxxx Maggie

  6. Sorry to hear Dave not well and very sensible to cut back a little so you can focus on what is important. Invitations still stand for bit of R&R and to allow us to help out with the blog, whatever you need, you've got. I see your creative juices are still flowing, only thing that keeps me sane when there is a lot going on. Love this canvas, picked up a load in your recent sale so will have a go. Also seen some linen canvas ones so going to try those too. Keep your chin up and stamp in a few of those puddles. Karen

  7. Good heavens – you need to think about what's closest to home – and that couldn't be closer than Dave! I had to give up some of my stuff when my OH was ill earlier this year but – fortunately – he is on the mend (and playing up!!) so hopefully that will be the case with you and Dave very soon. Don't worry about us – we'll still be here!!

  8. beautiful canvas ,you want to be proud of yourself Barbara not doing your c&c show and putting Dave your first priority and giving yourself breathing space time spent together is so important ,will look forward to your daily blog and your you tube sending lots of hugs hope Dave results come through soon xxx

    1. Yep!!!!! Unboxed, stroked for a bit and then out came the paints! I went safe and painted a grass/sky background. Then I'm going to die cut some poppies to add to the scene. Will paint in some grass details after I put on the poppies, maybe do the dots to look like flowers that Barbara has shown us……………..or maybe even grunge paste some long grass in? Hmmmm will have to have a think. Xx

    2. Well done you sounds like a plan as our Barbara says …grunge paste whoa your brave but like she say's just do it…Well nobody stopped me from the stencil deal so must confess fell of the wagon again but I'm ok don't know about the bank man though……take care…xx

  9. Hi Barbara, I am glad you cancelled the show on Sunday although will miss seeing you. However Dave's health is more important than anything and he needs you more than we do. So wishing him a speedy recovery and peace of mind for you both. Take care and God bless. Pippa x

  10. Lovely canvas and pleased to hear you are putting Dave and yourself first – hope he feels better and that there is good news for you soon. Hope you spend your Sunday morning having breakfast in bed as a treat!!! Susan x

  11. Just the right size canvas to build confidence on, Luved the retreats & just looking through all the projects, did we really do so many? Will miss the Clarity Sundays but the daily blogs give me lots of inspiration. Life has a habit of changing our priorities, so hope Dave gets results & any treatment soon & enjoy the week before next retreats. Luv n hugs Pam x

  12. Love this canvas, must have a go! You re right it looks amazing on the larger mount, very atmospheric. Loved being re inspired last week, am hoping to get stuck in to some proper canvas attempts now. Big smile for Dave it was great to see him propping up the corner last week. Love yr blog, try and have a restful week. X x x x x

  13. I liked the Bird to the first 'get out' place, not so sure about the rest – think it's panicky me thinking that I can't do that. I'm glad that you are cancelling 'Sunday' telly firstly because you need space and a break from the 'telly' programme and secondly I would have missed it 'cos we have to drive down to South Wales to collect my granddaughter 'as she stays with us during the school holidays. So thank you for cancelling. Love to Dave.X

  14. Your canvas is lovely Barbara, I've never had the guts to make the first move onto canvas, goodness knows why because you make it look so simple. I hope we get to have a try on the next retreat, which I am so looking forward to. Thanks to you for your continuous and unfailing inspiration, and best wishes to Dave for a speedy return to good health. Enjoy some time out together xx

  15. Hi Barbara and dave this stamp is my most treasured possession the canvas is stunning going to have s try. Hope you are resting dave please don't worry. We will support you Barbara whatever you do you and dave are the two people who are most important. Love always June horrocks xxxx

  16. Hi Barbara
    The garden birds are my favourite set. That small canvas is so lovely and the mount displays it beautifully. I bought the set of canvasses when you first brought them to us and used all the small ones first. Not as scary as a big one. I have another set on the way thanks to your canvas sale. You are wise to cancel the TV show. Dave must be your first priority and I hope all goes well.
    Hugs from Chris x

  17. Hi Barb,
    Your little canvas is great and looks relatively easy if I follow your step by step instructions. Although I will miss not seeing you on TV next weekend, I fully understand your decision – in fact I'm pleased that you have listened to your heart – Dave is far more important to you than a 2 hour show ( plus all the prep and stress). You just do whatever is necessary for you both, forget us, we will muddle through until you are able to visit us. Hope Dave feels better soon, love and hugs to you both, Alison xxx

  18. I love this canvas and the colours work beautifully with that adorable blue tit. Cancelling the show makes sense to give you both a breathing space and Dave is of course your first priority and I hope that he soon begins to feel better. x

  19. Great little canvas, I bet everyone loved learning from you, I know I do. I can't think why anyone would mind that you need to take off to care for Dave and get things sorted. Like you said blogging is enough for now. Xx

    1. Hi Brenda when are we up here goin to stop putting the heating on or bringing in Guinea Pigs (that's me) in incase its to cauld oot there on the good side nae wattering the plants but cursin the return o the weeds thot I'd got rid o them.
      Hows your wee garden doing managed to get yer wee worker sorted oot take care my friend miss yi ,,,,xx

    2. Rainy day here too Donna. You did more than I did haven't been in my craft room for a while. Seem to be too tired to think straight lately. Hoping after a holiday I'll get my mojo back. Going to take some colouring with me to do.xx

      Hope you are feeling better Brenda. You sounded as though you were really doing well with your teapot. Sending you lots of hugs. Pam xx

    3. Hi pam enjoy your holiday and hope you manage a little crafting even colouring have you downloaded the rose bowl I haven't coloured mine yet hugs xxx

    4. Colouring is always good to relax the mind. Stamp out some stamp designs and colour them in, then you could use them as toppers. I bet your mojo returns as you finish off each one! Have a great holiday, going anywhere nice? Xx

  20. Hi Barb, So glad to hear you are putting yourselves first for a change. I hope Dave feels better soon and don't worry, all of us Clarity followers won't forsake you. You make us feel like part of the family and that means a lot. Take care both of you.
    Amanda Rose

  21. Love this, want to do a canvas just haven't got round to it yet, May have to buy the bird stamp. Hope Dave feels better soon. Take care
    Love sam

  22. Love this, want to do a canvas just haven't got round to it yet, May have to buy the bird stamp. Hope Dave feels better soon. Take care
    Love sam

  23. Great blog again. Sad to hear you have cancelled next weeks show, to be honest I am not surprised and I and many others think it is the right decision. You and Dave have worked so hard you both need a break. The Clarity family will always be here. Take care both xx

  24. Hi Barbara
    Now my lovely lady, stop worrying about us and you just look after your lovely Dave, he's far more important than us. After all other people have time off TV for holidays so you gave some family time. I'm really pleased you are having some quality time to recharge your batteries. Love your canvass today, I must be brave and try one, especially as I have the garden birds and paint! Enjoy your retreats next week and Dave keep resting!
    Lots of love to you both
    Diane xxx
    Brenda big hug flying up to you and Daisy xxx

  25. Sometimes a Gal's gotta do what a Gal's gotta do. Quite right that Dave should come first before a TV show too. Great canvas too Barbara. Take care of yourself and each other and see you for the Retreat in August. Much love. xxxxxx

  26. I shall miss you and the Sunday show so much but looking after yourselves is so much more important and I think you are being very wise. I think the canvas has the feel of a dusky evening, when it would be lovely to be out for a stroll. Foggy and wet here

  27. Hi Barbara,
    the tit on canvas in the moon light looks good…
    Right decision cancelling the shows. To be there for Dave is more important.
    My mum is in hospital since last tuesday. They make one test after the other and couldn´t find anything. She is diabetic and doesn´t feel well. Tomorrow some more tests…
    She will be 80 next year so me and my sisters are worrying a bit…
    But as always: I think positiv!!!
    Best wishes
    Rolf xxx

  28. Oh Barbara! We all feel for you and Dave. I've been thinking for a while, that you should make Sunday, a day to stop and smell the roses! Meaning you should stop, not blog, take a day out to rest and relax, every Sunday! Some followers have recently mentioned that your daily blogs provide us with so much inspiration and fresh ideas even we have trouble keeping up. So maybe a day of rest is long over due.
    Take care and take time to treasure what's important!
    Frankie x

  29. Hi Barbara
    Just going to have a go at the wee canvas first to see how I get on thanks for the canvas blogs there making me less nervous now to have a go wish I could make it to one of your 2 day retreats for some confidence.
    I will miss seeing you next Sunday but I think you've made the best choice for you and Dave look after him and if C&C goes bust tomorrow I will still be here if you lovely lady will be…take care and enjoy every day while you can I know he will be o.k. its just Gods way of telling him to slow down ….take care…xx

  30. Great canvas artwork Barbara. I ordered some more from the sale so I will be trying this. I love how they look mounted onto another canvas.
    I am so pleased you listened to your crafty family and have decided to take off your roller skates and cut back on the workload. We will still be here eager as ever and happier in the knowledge that Dave is resting too.
    I think on Sunday we should all watch a selection of your YouTube videos. I have a memory like a sieve so I love watching them and saying to myself "oh yes I forgot about that technique, and that stamp" gets my get up and go up and running lol
    Anyway enjoy some relaxation time with Dave….. Much love Vanessa xxx

  31. great journey on this little canvas. need to try using these little ones.
    glad that you are taking a little break. it can only be good for you. i hope Dave perks up very soon, hugs xx

  32. Thank you for doing a small canvas, love it so much my favourite stamp too. I bought your canvases a while ago, the paints more than a year ago & not used them yet. Got lots to catch up on. I think you are doing the right thing by cancelling the TV show. Dave needs you more and you need to rest up a bit yourself. Good on you, proud of you it must have been hard for you. Everyone of us is behind you so don't fret. Hope you get good results from Dave's tests soon and that Dave feels well again very soon. Lots of love & hugs Pam xxx

  33. you'll be missed, but you have made the right decision. Too much stress, what with all the prep for the show, 2 hrs on telly, not to mention the journey from East Sussex to Peterborough, it's a blooming long way. You could both do without all that. I wish you and Dave well and enjoy next Sunday off, give the blog a miss too
    best wishes
    Linda

  34. Lovely canvas Barbara. Good decision to cancel I think, family is much more important than work. I really hope that Dave feels better soon, and that you both have a bit of rest and relaxation. We will all be here for you whether you are on the TV or not.
    Big hugs,
    Amanda xx

  35. Hello Barbara

    I love the canvas. Haven't got the nerve to do one yet!

    Please don't worry about the television, blog or youtube Tuesday. All that matters at the moment is getting Dave back to full health. The rest of us can wait, after all, we have plenty to keep us occupied. Lol.

    Love
    Roz.x

  36. Hi Barbara,
    Best wishes to Dave, and yes you have made the right decision to cancel shows for a while, but we'll all be here when you are back. I'm afraid I can only ever be at your retreats or open days in spirit rather than body as I have two lovely dogs that I wont leave or put in kennels. But love reading about what you have all been up to. Been watching the great in the classroom lessons on the C&C website.
    Best wishes to you and Dave
    Marie

  37. Hi Barbara,
    This is lovely, it would make a nice coaster too!

    Totally right to cancel the TV, prioritising what is most important…that being Dave and yourself. Having just done the house move and been unpacking boxes from dawn till dark I need a week to recover but sadly have to return to work and am shattered!
    Much love to both of you

    Kim xx

  38. Love the canvas, you are so right to cancel the tv show and no ne would blame you if you took a break from he blog, looking after you and Dave must be the priority. XX

  39. Well done Barbara, really brave to cancel a regular fixture, but also liberating! I'll miss the show, of course, but all in a good cause. In the meanwhile, my canvasses are due tomorrow so I can play and experiment with the wonderful ideas from the blog and previous shows. Have an idea how I might use the tissue technique to highlight words on a canvas, so have to try that out!

  40. Hi Barbara. Sorry I haven't been in to comment again lately, my laptop is not being nice to me!
    Have loved all that you have shared, and todays Big Tit is gorgeous. So sorry to hear that Dave is not well, please give him my very best wishes. Of course you had to cancel the show on Sunday. We will miss seeing you but family ALWAYS comes first and anyone that doesn't understand that is not worth thinking about as far as I am concerned. Please take care of yourself, and Dave of course. Love and hugs xx

  41. Love the art work, you are making me more adventurous, thank you.
    So sorry you have had to cancel the shows, I always look forward to them. However family must always come first. I hope Dave feels better soon.

  42. Hello Barbara and Dave. Sorry to hear that Dave is still unwell. So sending big hugs to help him get better. I for one am going to get up early on Sunday and do a bit of Canvas work…. I may even pop one of your dvd's on or look up one of your wonderful YouTube Tuesday videos. I am sure we will all keep ourselves occupied while you are doing the right thing and looking after Dave and we hope yourself. Sending lots of love to go with those hugs. XxxxxxX

  43. Hello Barbara and Dave. Sorry to hear that Dave is still unwell. So sending big hugs to help him get better. I for one am going to get up early on Sunday and do a bit of Canvas work…. I may even pop one of your dvd's on or look up one of your wonderful YouTube Tuesday videos. I am sure we will all keep ourselves occupied while you are doing the right thing and looking after Dave and we hope yourself. Sending lots of love to go with those hugs. XxxxxxX

  44. Hello Barbara and Dave. Sorry to hear that Dave is still unwell. So sending big hugs to help him get better. I for one am going to get up early on Sunday and do a bit of Canvas work…. I may even pop one of your dvd's on or look up one of your wonderful YouTube Tuesday videos. I am sure we will all keep ourselves occupied while you are doing the right thing and looking after Dave and we hope yourself. Sending lots of love to go with those hugs. XxxxxxX

  45. Lovely canvas Barbara, will definitely try this technique. Good decision to cancel the show and while I will miss my monthly 'fix' of Clarity, I quite understand. Health and husband must come first. Take care and hope Dave feels better soon.x

  46. Hey Barb, beautiful canvas, one I will try. The shows will be missed, but then even more so, you and Dave would be missed. Take care, relax together and Dave, get well soon. Bx

  47. Glad you are taking time for you and Dave. So sorry he is still not feeling well, hope the rest will do you both good. We will miss you on Sunday but completely understand, both your and Dave's health must come first. Best wishes to you both.
    Gayle x

  48. Barbara, I'm delighted you cancelled the tv show. Not because I didn't want to see you on tv, course I did. But health comes first, it was the right choice xx love to you and Dave and hope to see you soon. Xxx

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