Iron Craft #33 ~ Quote in a Cloud

The tutorial for this project is at the bottom of this post!

Well, I've been following Just Crafty Enough for a while.  I LOVE the concept of Iron Craft!  I've been too busy this summer to participate.  This week I read the challenge and thought... I MUST participate.  There are many UFOs in my house (as you may have suspected.)  I decided to finish a craft that I started quite a few months ago.

My husband and I stopped our cable TV service about a year ago.  I quickly started falling in love with ION because they had fun DIY shows.  Wendy Russell on "She's Crafty" became one of my favorites.  This project was on the TV show and was just begging to be made!  The link to the project online seems to be long gone so you'll just have to take my word for it.  

I'm calling it Quote in a Cloud.

It was to be a first birthday present for my best friend's son... and now it will just be a 'present'!  Anyway, she's a Disney freak, and loves the quote "Dream No Small Dream".

I printed the quote onto regular computer paper with blue ink.  I Stamped some mickey mouse hands on the paper.  Then I decoupaged it to a canvas that I had in my stash.  To cover up the edges and 'frame' the quote I used regular old spackle.  At first I was trying to be all perfect and pretty, and then I realized it didn't matter.   It was so fun to put on and swirl up!  Lastly, I put some sparkly star stickers on it because... you need stars in a dream!

And that is where the project has been....

So with the push of the Iron Craft I bit the bullet and picked a color.  I mixed up my acrylic paints and finally finished it!  wahoo!!

It turned out a little brighter blue than I originally wanted, but it will work.  I used a bit of water to dilute the paint that got on the 'decoupage' part.  I left a faint blue around the inner edges of the spackle (where the spackle meets the decoupage.)  It helped to soften the contrast between the bright blue and the white part.  I also took a tissue that had a tiny bit of the blue paint on it and wiped it all over the quote.  I figure it looks more like a cloud now! 


Want to make your own Quote in a Cloud?  Here ya go!

You need:
~ Painters canvas (mine was 8"x10" at Hobby Lobby it was $3.99 and then 40% off!!!)
~ Quote or picture of any kind
~ mod podge/or decoupage  (I used gloss finish)
~ foam brush
~ spackle (like you use to fill in nail holes in the wall)
~ Flat edge spackle tool (mine was about 1.5 inches wide)
~ Acrylic paints
~ Your favorite picture hanging hardware


Sorry I don't have pictures of each step... it was impossible seeing as I started this months ago... =)

1.  Prepare your paper.  i.e. print your quote, stamp your paper, etc, etc.  The paper should be about 1/4inch shorter than your canvas (i.e. your canvas is 8x10, your paper is 7.5x9.5.)

2.  Spread decoupage onto the canvas using the foam brush.

3.  Place paper/picture in the center of the canvas.

4.  Spread decoupage onto the picture and seal using the foam brush.

5.  Let dry!

6.  Take spackle and spackle tool (it must have a real name....) and swirl and scrape spackle onto edges of the canvas. Be sure to cover the edges of your paper with the spackle as well.  (It doesn't have to be perfect!)

7.  Let dry... probably for a couple days (mine dried for several months... not on purpose!)

8.  Paint the spackle with paints to finish!  You can also dilute the paints and do more of a 'wash' of color.  The spackle does soak up a lot of paint.  You need a bit more than you might think.  The paint will wipe right off of the decoupaged quote so no worries there!

9.  Attach your favorite 'picture hanging hardware' to the back and hang on the wall for all to see!

I'd love to see what you make!!!  Post your pictures!