Catch up time again...

I'm pleased to say that I'm beginning to find time to play again and do some creating so I thought it was high time I get my blog up to date.
So, first I have to go back to pre Christmas, when I did a swap challenge with my friend Stephany in the USA. We decorated a mini canvas and easel.
Here is the lovely and versatile one that Steph sent me - you see she decorated both sides....wish I had thought of that! So I can display it all year round!

These photos are really bad as it's so dark today.....kept meaning to take photos on sunny days but today, I didn't want to wait any longer so this is the best I could do.

Here is a close up of one of the heat embossed corners - so rich and opulent!

And this is a closer look at the non-Christmas side of the canvas in all its gorgeous glory!!!

I hesitate to add pictures of my canvas now but here it is... I should add the challenge was that we each sent a stamp we had never used, some papers and embellishments for the other person to use and then returned the stamp with the finished canvas.

I painted the easel with a mixture of acrylic colours and then crackle-glazed it, working in some Distress Ink afterwards for an aged look.

Yes, obviously these photos were also taken on bad weather days so rather dark!
Here are some photos of some of the detail on the canvas.....

That is one gorgeous embellishment - thanks Steph for giving me such great tools to work with!
I stamped the Eiffel Tower image onto a piece of canvas paper which I then mounted on thin card and adhered to the background canvas. This I had painted with acrylics onto which I scattered Barbara Trombley's Vintage Glass Glitter while the paint was still wet.

Thanks for a great swap, Stephany - look forward to the next one!