Beginning with a blank canvas makes starting a mixed media project super easy but I'm always more than happy to hit up my local Goodwill for things I can alter.

Mixed media projects are great but they also tend to turn you into a hoarder! I have a big box and two drawers full of things that I could have otherwise thrown into the trash or recycling bin. Instead, I've kept them to use on mixed media projects.

But I also like to take it a step further by altering tins, wooden boxes of candies, and now, this wooden whale sign. Imagining something in a new light can be a creative challenge that I love and is a great way to upcycle.



Whenever I alter something, I think of upcycling. Upcycling is to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item or to reuse or find a new purpose for something that would otherwise be discarded. And that is basically what you do when you alter something for a mixed media project.

I found this whale wall art probably almost a year ago at my local Goodwill and thought that, with a change, this would be a perfect home decor item for my sister. However, my sister's decor is beach themed but her decor focuses on neutral hues with pops of mint and aqua. It is definitely not an in-your-face nautical style. And this whale wall art was light blue with a phrase stenciled on it--definitely not her style...well except for the whale part.


I knew this wall art would be the perfect candidate for altering. I began by filling in the cracks with 3D gloss gel (my modeling past was all dried up or I would have used that instead) and then gave the surface a light sanding. From there, I painted the surface with some white chalk-like acrylic paint.


I went on to add gesso through a stencil as well as crackle paint. I topped the gesso with a light but shimmery wax and then I also prepped my die cuts. My netting die cut from kraft cardstock got splatters of tan and brown color mist and distress stain. My chipboard Tim Holtz starfish and seahorse dies were painted with white gesso and then with a layer of crackle paint on top.


I added various mint color sprays to the seahorse and starfish once everything was dry and then I began layering on all of the embellishments. I used a watercolor brush to add mint color spray to the crackle paint on the whale and that was it.


To see everything step-by-step, watch my tutorial video below!



Products Used
Prima: Art Basics - soft gloss gel, heavy body gel, 3D gloss gel; Art Alechemy Impasto - linen; Art Alchemy Wax - turquoise satin; Art Ingredients - mélange art pebbles, mega art stones; Mechanicals - hardware accents, woodland fern; La Tella - 5 | Tim Holtz: Distress Spray - cracked pistachio; Distress Stain - walnut stain; Alterations - sand & sea; Idea∙ology - small talk, baubles, compass coins | Ranger: Texture Paste - crackle | Dina Wakley: Media - white gesso | Marion Smith Designs: Color Lab - cookie, cool mint | Kaisercraft: Decorative Die - fishing net | 49 & Market: Botanical Potpourri - hazelnut | Bazzill: Cardstock - turquoise mist | Bead Landing: Found Objects - seahorse charm | Waverly: Chalk Paint - white | Recollections: Flower Shoppe - aqua/mint mix | Scrapbook.com: Adhesives - foam mounting squares | Other: burlap flower with button center, stencil


Happy Crafting!
Adrienne