WOYWW 196

The Time Imps have done it again – dispensed with the other days in the week so it’s suddenly Wednesday! I’m not ready for this week’s What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday as I haven’t finished looking at last week’s desks, but the Time Imps don’t do refunds so I’d better get on with thanking host Julia and start sharing my desk!

Except...it doesn’t look any different to last week, though my Smash Book has moved from the poky writing desk to the top of the microwave (which is rarely used – no need to worry about smoke damage!). It’s still waiting for those final double-spreads to be crafted, but in the meantime I have been busy tap, tap, tapping...

Typewriters are a huge symbol to me of writing and the toil it takes, and, in this way, just looking at one is like a kick up the behind! I’ve been planning to make three typewriter canvases for my hallway (which I enter as I head to my scriptorium where the writing desk resides) since well before Christmas, and I’ve finally managed to do one! Here are my ingredients:

I matted a funky retro image of a woman typing onto card and cut it out, then printed my chosen phrase in two different fonts. Using my fab friend Zoe's That Special Touch Stone Wall mask, I stamped Antique Linen Distress ink straight onto the canvas, and took a chance spritzing water to react with the ink for a shabby chic effect (this was the first time I'd used this technique - thank you, Zoe, for teaching me!).

While that dried, I played around with the fonts, testing which looked better inked with either Antique Linen or, erm, tea bags! (Zoe hates me doing this, especially after her fab blending lessons, but I have to say it carried the colour better!). Making the most of the mask, I stencilled a brick outline around each word, cut them out and edged them with Walnut Stain.

Laying the words out on the wall-canvas, I took my time till I was happy with the placement, then used sticky squares to attach the typing image and the brick-words to achieve depth and...et voila! The finished canvas:

It’s now up on the wall, awaiting the others for a writing inspiration party... I’ve thought and roughed out what I want to do with each one, but I’m learning to let ideas percolate and adapt and take on new guises, so who knows how they'll turn out...!

~ ttfn ~