BEAUTIFUL SANTA ON ART CANVAS

My only regret with this project is that the photo does not really show how wonderful this Santa on canvas really came out as the photograph does not do it justice. After trying it with and without the glass decided on no glass as part of the beauty of this is that it is on canvas and the glass dims that.  Here is how it is done and I promise you it is gift worthy!

 

I am so in love with all things Annie Sloan.  I know her products are expensive but worth every penny.  So easy to use and the end result is always the same - fabulous. I even saved a sideboard with her product.  Alcohol (rubbing type) was spilled and it immediately ate the finish and I thought well, it was nice while it lasted (was less than a year old) then I remembered I had some Annie Sloan paint that might work and it did and it was fixed in a flash and you cannot tell where the spill was.  If you have not used her products you might want to try getting a small jar (like the one in the photo) and trying out a project.  Home Depot is now carrying a line (you order on line and free shipping to the store) of chalk paint with wax.  I just ordered some it's called Americana Decor and comes in many colors and has light and dark wax like Annie Sloan.  The big difference I see right off is that the wax for the Americana Decor is liquid and the Annie Sloan is paste wax.  After the holidays I am going to find a project for the Americana Decor and I will do a post and give a very honest assessment of this product. I am not very optimistic as I have tried other chalk paint and there is no contest. There are sellers on Ebay who sell little bottles of Annie Sloan so that you can see if the color is the one you want without having to purchase an entire can of product. I live in Eagle, Idaho and sadly there is no seller in Idaho except in Bonner's Ferry which is in Boundary County, the boundary being the Canadian border, a long way from Eagle.  So I have to either remember to purchase the product when I go to Salt Lake City or Oregon or just bite the bullet and pay shipping for heavy paint. Worth every penny.

This project starts off with gloss art canvas which is art canvas that works with an inkjet printer. I had purchased a wonderful Old Tyme Santa graphic from one of my favorite Etsy sellers and thought it would be perfect for this project. I found a picture frame that I was no longer using that holds an 8 1/2 x 11 photo. I printed out the image on the art canvas using the best glossy setting on my printer and then set aside to dry while I did the Annie Sloan treatment on the old frame.  All you do is wipe the dust off the frame, paint with your preferred color, let it dry, put on a coat of clear wax, let it dry and rub with lint free cloth, add the dark wax (as little or as much as you like) rub it with a lint free cloth, and you can use some of the clear wax again to take away a little of the dark if needed.  Another thing about Annie Sloan projects, no right or wrong, just do it and it always comes out great. You can even paint over hardware, etc.

 Next I painted the frame - my painting is not as sloppy as it looks as I put some protective paper on the easel back of the frame so I would not get paint on it.  Now it just has to dry and then be ready for the first coat of wax.  Don't worry if you miss a little spot especially in the nooks and crannies as the dark wax will cover any little imperfections. Once it was dry I turned it over and painted the underneath of the bottom and let that dry. BTW, if you try her products there are some really good videos on YouTube by Annie herself so please read her instructions and listen to her instructions carefully to get the best outcome on your project.

Note: As I finished this project I was thinking about how much it cost and the answer was nothing.  I bought the Annie Sloan last Christmas for some candlesticks and I use every drop of her paint and it does not take much to do a frame, same with the waxes, I had the art canvas on hand and the frame was in a box in the garage.  All good! Okay (forgot)I did purchase the graphic but that was $4.00 and I can use it again and again and on other things like tags, cards, invitations, etc. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Resource

Gloss art canvas for inkjet printers might find at a craft store I bought mine online and they no longer carry the product.
Gloss art canvas link, Inkpress ACWG851110 Fine Art Glossy Canvas 350 GSM 8.5in. X 11in. 10 Sheets
This Amazon product looks very similar to what I used
Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk is the red I used
Soft wax clear, Annie Sloan
Soft wax dark, Annie Sloan
Frame, one I had on hand
Small trees in burlap, craft store
Reindeer by Grasslands Road 
Santa Graphic, Etsy seller MarysMontage