I like stickers, and I love the texture of canvas. Leave it to Claudine Hellmuth to come up with a product that combines the two! Manufactured by Ranger, it’s a perfect craft-to-art crossover product- that is, it introduces the crafting world to higher-quality art supplies.
Here’s how it’s described on the website:
It’s a self-adhesive canvas sheet that you can decorate with paints, inks and dyes, then cut out and stick onto canvasses, cards, scrapbook pages, and more. Prime with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso and paint with Claudine’s line of Studio Paints!
• Self-adhesive backed canvas paper
• Available in White or Natural
• Acid free, non-toxic adhesive
• Sticks to many surfaces
• 5 sheets in every package
• Available in letter or scrapbook page sizes
I first played with Sticky Back Canvas when I was reviewing her Studio Paint line (which are really rich and creamy, by the way.) First, I brushed the paint on the canvas and then spritzed it with water to get a watercolor effect. (Note: I didn’t prime it first.) When it was dry, I added some stamping with Claudine’s Creative Layers Stamps. The canvas held up really well to the wet media I put on it- there was only a teeny tiny bit that seeped through the backing paper.
Next, I was playing with Letraset Markers and I wanted to see how they would work on the unprimed SB Canvas. They bleed a little, but then I decided to push it by dripping alcohol on it. Can you believe that it didn’t bleed through the backing?? Wow.
So, then I heard somewhere that you could use Sticky Back Canvas as an image transfer medium. SAY WHAT??? It’s true. Check it!
I took a piece of SBC and removed the backing, then placed a photocopied picture on top. (You can’t use inkjet printed images- it must be toner-based:
Place copy face-side-down on the adhesive, then burnish well. Spritz with water, and then rub off the paper with your finger. By the way, it works for scrapbook paper, too!
They suggest you prime the canvas with gesso, so I used Claudine’s Studio Gesso to prime a swatch.
When it was dry, I did some swatching- I used common inks & dyes on both the primed and unprimed canvas. First, the unprimed:
Clockwise from upper left: water-based marker, alcohol-based marker, acrylic dauber paint, Radiant Rains mist, A few drops of Adirondack alcohol ink, a few drops of Distress Ink spritzed with water.
As you can see, the markers spread a bit, but there wasn’t a lot of bleeding with the daubers or spritz mist. The Adirondacks spread out a bit, and the Distress Ink really got feathery.
Clockwise from upper left: water-based marker, alcohol-based marker, acrylic dauber paint, Radiant Rains mist, A few drops of Adirondack alcohol ink, a few drops of Distress Ink spritzed with water.
So you can see that everything stayed pretty much PUT, if you know what I mean- very little feathering and bleeding- especially with the markers! I think it’s interesting that the Distress Inks that were misted with water became really translucent. Interesting!
I guess if bleeding is effect you’re after, then don’t prime- but if you are stamping or working with multiple layers, priming is a good idea. After I took my photos, I continued adding inks, dyes, and stamped images to make these decorated canvas sheets:
Oh, man- this was such fun. Messy, messy fun!
Next up was to test how they cut in punches and various dies in manual die cutting machines:
And of course, it cut very well with scissors and didn’t seem to leave any residue on my Tonic Scissors at all.
Next, I just played & made a few paper tags with the cut-outs.
Here’s an interesting fact- the tack of the adhesive is grabby, but not absolute. This means that while I was trying to position the negative-space tag on the left, I had to lift and reposition it a few times to get it right- it lifted from the paper and left no residue, nor did it rip the paper. So it’s kind of somewhere between repositionable and permanent.
Now, I’m planning on doing some sewing soon, so I’ll give you an update when I sew that sweet photo transfer of my daughter on an art quilt. But I figure I’ve given you enough for today.
I have to admit, this is fun stuff- right up my mixed-media-likes-to-work-wet alley! The price is about $10.00 USD for 5 sheets- so at 2 bucks a pop, it’s just a little more than designer 12X12 scrapbook paper. Sticky Back Canvas is also available in 12X12 sheets, and both sizes are available in natural and white. (I used white today.) It’s readily available in big box craft stores and online, so you can find it easily.
Anyway, this is fun, handy stuff for adding an extra element to scrapbooks, embellishments, mixed media, etc. I love the texture, and the canvas really expands your options with inks and paints. Again, this is a great “bridge” product, connecting at home crafters with more high-quality art supplies. It may bring out the Monet in YOU. For this reason, Sticky Back Canvas gets my …
Craft Test Dummies Seal of Approval!! I love the stuff, and I bet you will, too! Oh, and if you have some and get stumped, just go to YouTube and search “Sticky Back Canvas” -there are some great ideas and tutorials there to jump-start your creativity.
I’d love to hear if you like it- just weigh in below!
IF you are considering buying Sticky Back Canvas products, I hope you’ll use my affiliate links:
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Emma says
Love it! Going to have to get my hands dirty messing about with these!
Victoria says
I love Sticky Back canvas! There’s ATC size, too. It sews great, no gumming up the needle.
Vic
sherrieoma says
Loved it. 🙂 I have played with sticky back too – made for a great Easter bunny embellishment on my cards. Fun to ink up.