Jumpstart On A Wednesday, Blooper Edition.

Do you know what I love about this handmade art business (other than pretty much EVERYTHING!)? I find it so cool that you can start with an idea and it can turn into something so completely different that there are barely any traces of that first idea...and it's just so fun and fulfilling to watch it all evolve into a completely different piece of art. 

Take, for instance, this week's jumpstart project: It all started as a project to make a canvas bag functional enough to hold the mass quantities of diapers and supplies needed when going places with two babies under the age of 2, colorful enough to be carried by a mama that has a penchant for rainbow colors, and subtle enough that a certain daddy wouldn't mind lugging it if said mama were, say, too busy taking photos to be bothered with lugging around yet another bag. But what I ended up with was a small decorative canvas that will sit inside our nursery. The bag project, I decided, will just have to wait for another day.

So with those perimeters set, I got out what I thought would be the perfect mix of supplies (I like to have my supplies out and on hand before I start so that I don't waste tons of extra time digging through all my stuff and trying to find something more perfect...it can also sometimes work as a great challenge to make JUST what I had already out work.) and got to work.

I was especially excited about using the mobile iron-on transfer that I got as part of a pack from Urban Outfitters on clearance for $2.50 this past weekend as a starting point for the entire project. Problem is, the second I lifted the iron off of the bag and lifted the paper, I realized why it was on clearance when all the others just like it weren't. The transfer wasn't clear, there were some lines that were doubled and most of the details didn't read onto my fabric.

So, once I realized that my initial "slightly embellished" 30 minute iron-on bag job wasn't going to work out like I'd initially planned, I decided to just stick with the original supplies and simply use more of them to cover the entire transfer instead of just bits and pieces.

I covered all the lines with the iron-on rhinestones or sewing, all the circles with buttons, flowers and even one handmade felt brooch (sold at The Littlest Bean etsy shop) that I found in a little handmade shop in Baltimore the other week. And the final design ended up looking much cooler than I had originally planned, which made the extra couple hours spent on it very much worth it!

BUT, as you can see, somewhere along the creative process I managed to cut into the top of the bag (insert a VERY frustrated yet determined smiley here). So it was back to work for me, with a whole new creative dilemma...I wanted to be able to make something out of the mobile after all the time I'd put into it, but wasn't sure what the best answer was since everything was already sewed and ironed onto the heavy canvas bag. Finally, I just decided to cover a small canvas and make it into wall art for the nursery.

And in almost no time, with the help of a little fabric glue and small white nails to secure the canvas pieces together, I had this finished project:

And I'm going to be honest...it was handled with a VERY delicate touch on that short trip from my art desk down the hall to it's new home in the nursery. :) 

But you know, I'm not at all disappointed with the end result. I think it just might be more suited for the top of a nursery dresser than the arm of Nate...because let's be honest, that's where it would have spent most of it's time. 

I've decided this week that sometimes the bloopers make the most cherished art. Have you ever created a "blooper" piece that you ended up loving? I'd love to see it!

Peace and Inspiration,

Cheryl

SUPPLIES:Canvas Bag: Walmart; Iron-on Transfer (Mobile): Mike Perry (Urban Outfitters); Circle Felt Brooch: The Littlest Bean; Orange Flower and Blue Flower Center: Prima Marketing; Game Spinners: Tim Holtz; Canvas, Buttons, Trim (by the yard) and Iron-on Studs: Joann Fabrics

Comments

[Jan]

What a beautiful blooper! :) Sadly, none of mine have ever turned into a beautiful butterfly like yours did. ;)

[cindy]

omg, that is so cool! what a clever idea. love this & i loved the "uh-oh" hahaha ;)

[Elizabeth Rosemond]

Very inspiring!! I've had plenty of bloopers, but I'm never quite brave enough to forge ahead like you did :)(

[Sherri]

I just performed a blooper last week. It was only a card, but I was stitching onto it, and forgot to open it up first. I ended up stitching the card shut. I had left the stitching till last, so I painstakingly sliced the sewn portion out with my craft knife, and re-matted it onto a new piece of card stock.

[Brenda]

Pretty much every art project I encounter is a disaster in the making...nothing ever turns out the way it was planned, which makes it more fun I guess! BTW Cheryl...wait til you see all of Amy's photos from her visit to see me in TX...awesome!