Mona Lisa Plaque

Lately I have been experimenting with Ranger's Distress Inks. I decided to use distress ink to make my own paper. I gathered up my ink pads, a stencil, white card stock, some foam blending pads and spray bottle filled with water. After applying two different colors of ink with the blending pads, I laid a stencil over the paper and applied vintage photo distress ink. Then I misted the paper with water and let the droplets dry on the paper to create a mottled effect. Now the paper is ready for use in a project.

I had a picture of the Mona Lisa and Graphic 45 Couture Collection tags laying on my drafting table. The colors in the Mona Lisa painting worked well with the distressed paper. I found a small wood panel to use as the base for the project and grabbed my trusty Mod Podge and a foam brush.

Distressed card stock.

Mona Lisa picture and distressed card stock decoupaged to wooden panel.

Finished plaque.

Directions for Mona Lisa Plaque:

Mod Podge
White card stock
Ranger Distress Inks- Broken China, Vintage Photo, and Peeled Paint
Ranger Foam Blending Pads and Blending Tool
Tim Holtz Harlequin stencil
Graphic 45 Couture Collection Tags- A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous.
Buttons
Self Adhesive Pearls- medium and small
Small violet silk flower
 Black gesso
Art Minds medium laser shape ( 5x7)- available at Michaels
Small picture hanger

1.  Print a 3x5 image of the Mona Lisa with a laser printer. Image of Mona Lisa courtesy Leonardo Da Vinci- The Complete Works. Plain white paper works better than card stock.

2.  Trim the white paper away from the edges of the picture.

3.  Coat the wooden panel with black gesso and let it dry.

4.  Fold an 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch piece of white card stock in half. Cut the paper on the folded line. Randomly apply Broken China distress ink to the card stock with the ink blending tool. Leave areas of the card stock white. Next using a clean foam pad, apply the Peeled Paint distress ink in the white areas of the card stock. Overlap some of the blue areas and blend in a circular motion. Using a clean foam pad, apply some Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges of the card stock.

5.  Lay the Tim Holtz Harlequin stencil over the distressed card stock. Apply Vintage Photo distress ink over the stencil until the diamond shapes appear. Go over the stencil a second time with the distress ink for a darker diamond image. Remove the stencil and lightly mist the card stock with water. Let the water droplets dry on the paper for a mottled effect.

6.  After the card stock is completely dry, cut it to fit the wood panel. Apply Mod Podge to the panel and glue the card stock to the panel.  Coat the back of the Mona Lisa with Mod Podge and center the image on the panel.  Apply Mod Podge to the wood panel to seal it. When the Mod Podge is dry apply two more coats, letting it dry between coats.

7.  Punch out the Classy and Fabulous tag from the Couture Collection. Brush the back of the tag with Mod Podge and glue to the lower right corner of the wood panel, slightly overlapping the picture. Cover the entire wood panel with Mod Podge and let it dry.

8.  Attach four small pearls to the bottom of the tag and glue the silk flower to the top of the tag.

9.  Attach the medium pearls to the center of the buttons and glue the buttons to the left side of the wood panel (evenly spaced).

10.  Attach a small picture hanger to the back of the wood panel and hang.

L'Affaire de la Joconde

I'm always thinking of ideas for future projects. I would jot the ideas on post-it notes and leave them on my desk. The problem was that I didn't have a good system for storing the notes and there wasn't enough room to make sketches. Brittany, the ever practical one, suggested that I use a small sketch book to jot down my ideas. This would not only keep my ideas organized but also allow me to make a sketch of the project.

I have been reading Vanished Smile-The mysterious disappearance of the Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti. L'Affaire de la Joconde was the inspiration for this project. My sketch book was drab and uninspiring-the perfect candidate for a make over. I chose an earth tone color palette to compliment the picture and give the project an aged appearance. Since visitors to the Louvre often placed flowers on the floor beneath the painting I decided to add a rose at the base of la Joconde to represent the flowers left by her admirers.



Directions for L'Affaire de la Joconde:

Recollections Mulberry paper flowers-available at Michaels
5 inch by 8 inch Sketch book
Slate green and parchment card stock
Light brown hand made paper-available at Michaels
Tan flower patterned tissue paper (This was recycled. It had originally lined a shopping bag from a small boutique.)
Modge Podge decoupage glue
Martha Stewart Rose Leaf paper punch
Ink jet photo paper-matte finish
Gesso


1. Scan a picture of the Mona Lisa into the computer and print a 3x5 inch picture onto photo paper. Trim the excess photo paper off so that only the picture remains. Cut a piece of light brown hand made paper 1/4 inch larger (on all sides) than the picture. Attach the picture to the hand made paper using double stick tape. Cut a piece of slate green card stock slightly larger than the light brown hand made paper. Attach the hand made paper with the picture to the slate green card stock using double stick tape.

2. Cover the cover of the sketch book with gesso and let it dry overnight. Apply a second light coat of gesso and let it dry.

3. Tear the tan flowered pattern tissue paper into large pieces and glue to the top of the sketch book, slightly over lapping the pieces until the entire book is covered. Let it dry thoroughly.

4. Center the Mona Lisa on the sketch book and glue in place.

5. Print L'Affaire de la Joconde on parchment card stock using Microsoft Word and the Trebuchet 24 pt font. Cut the title to fit the front of the sketch book. Center it over the Mona Lisa and glue in place.

6. Lightly apply Modge Podge to the cover of the sketch book to seal it. Let it dry completely. It may take a day or two depending on the humidity. Lightly sand the piece and apply another light coat of Modge Podge. Let it dry and lightly sand the cover again.

7. Attach a mulberry flower rose to the bottom of the picture. Punch two rose leaves out of the slate green card stock and glue under the edges of the rose.