Julie Nutting Be Inspiring Canvas + Tutorial

I love creating handmade Christmas gifts. I do my best to get crafty with at least a few gifts each year. After seeing the 8" Julie Nutting Dolls by Leaky Shed Studio, I was inspired to create a pair of inspiration canvases...one for each of my nieces. They both love pink and glitter, so selecting a color palette was easy. Especially when I pulled out the BoBunny Isabella collection. Today I am sharing the first of the two canvases. Look for the second one in the coming weeks!

This is a rather involved project, so I thought I would share a detailed tutorial on how I created the canvas. I used a series of mixed media techniques including packing tape transfer, modeling paste with stencils, paper piecing and painting.

Create the background piece by making your own packing tape transfer with patterned paper. Apply the packing tape in long strips across the paper, making sure to slightly overlap each piece of tape. Once the entire surface is covered. Wet the paper in your sink. Once the paper is saturated, begin rubbing the backside of the paper with your finger. The paper will begin to peel off. Continue rubbing until most of the paper is removed, but be careful not to rub to vigorously or you will remove all of the image and color. After you have removed most of the excess paper, set this piece to the side and allow it to dry.

Adhere the dried packing tape transfer patterned paper to your canvas by laying it over the front of the canvas and then fold the edges over the corners as if wrapping a gift. Use double sided tape or a hot glue gun to secure the packing tape transfer piece to the backside of the canvas.

Paint a coat of Matte Medium or Mod Podge over the surface of the packing tape transfer to help with adhering other media. I used modeling paste and a stencil from The Crafter's Workshop to create the "writing" on the background.

Embellish the canvas with stickers, die cuts, brads and layered chipboard stickers.

The white doily was misted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Pearl and Glacier. I then wrinkled it and dried it with my heat gun. Then I opened it up and smoothed out some of the wrinkles before attaching the Leaky Shed Studio Ring Frame Large to the top of it.

The Leaky Shed Studio Ring Frame Large was painted silver using a Krylon Silver Leafing Pen. I then added silver glitter to the inside and outside edges using Glossy Accents as an adhesive for the glitter.

I wasn't quite sure how to "dress" my doll until I talked to a dear friend of mine and fellow Leaky Shed Studio Design Team Member - Robbie Herring. I owe this next technique that I am sharing with you to her!

I love the details that are laser cut into the Julie Nutting chipboard dolls, and I wanted a way to keep that detail and give the doll's dress more dimension. I was able to achieve this effect by creating a dress using patterned paper and a copy machine. To create the dolls dress use a copy machine and make a two copies of each doll.

Cut the dress out with fine tip scissors. I love my EK Success Cutter Bee Scissors!

Cut out the second dress, but this time cut along all of the lines to create separate pieces.

After you have cut out all of the dress pieces, these are the pieces you will need to create the dress.

Trace around the small pieces with a pencil on the cream colored patterned paper.

Trace around the large dress piece with a pencil on the pink patterned paper.

Again, using scissors, cut around all of the pieces.

Ink the edges of each piece with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.

Use double sided foam tape to adhere the cream colored pieces to the large pink dress piece.

Create a lace piece by punching a strip of the cream patterned paper using a lace border punch. Ink the edges with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.

Lightly mist the strip with water and then pleat it to create the gathers and folds and to help achieve a more dimensional looking skirt.

Adhere lace strip along back side of dress with liquid adhesive. If needed use double sided foam tape in places to help provide more dimension.

Trim off the excess paper, but leave a small amount on each side to fold behind and create a smooth edge. Your paper dress is now complete and ready for your doll.

I hope you enjoyed this rather extensive for me tutorial and give a try at creating some homemade Christmas gifts this year! Thank you for stopping by today!