Category Archives: Canvas Corp

Stitching together some mixed media spools

Stitching together some mixed media spools

I am lucky enough to own a massive bucket of vintage wooden spools. I had been trying to come up with some new ways to use them when I happened to see a picture of artist Cat Kerr’s beautiful mixed media tape dispensers.

That’s it! I thought to myself. I can make some mixed media spools.

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Add dimension to handmade cards

Add dimension to handmade cards

Thank-you-card-by-Betsy-Skagen-0026

It is SaturYAY! The perfect day for rebuilding my stash of handcrafted greeting cards. One way I make my cards stand out from those purchased at a store is by adding dimension with layers. Read the rest of this entry

Hippity hoppity back in time with a vintage ATC

Hippity hoppity back in time with a vintage ATC
Hippity hoppity back in time with a vintage ATC

Hippity hoppity Easter’s on its way. With Easter approaching, it is the perfect time for springtime tales and bunny tails.

Easter-ATC-by-Betsy-Skagen-0793

I combined these themes with my take on a time-honored altered art form–the Artist Trading Card (ATC). Read the rest of this entry

Fill your eyes with wonder at the Kringle Toy Store

Fill your eyes with wonder at the Kringle Toy Store

Christmas-Toy-Store-by-Betsy-Skagen-181556

Christmas is nearly upon us. Part of the magic of the season is when children fill their eyes with wonder while window shopping.

Make sure you leave time to stop by Kringle Toys, where the glowing chandelier casts a warm glow as shoppers come in from the newly fallen snow.

Christmas-Toy-Store-by-Betsy-Skagen-0040A

Approaching Kringle Toys, visitors see the faded ghost sign on the brick wall–a testament to the store’s longevity.

Christmas-Toy-Store-by-Betsy-Skagen-40

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A pink retro laundry room? No problem (if it’s in miniature)

A pink retro laundry room? No problem (if it’s in miniature)

Miniature-retro-laundry-room--by-Betsy-Skagen-0031

Let’s face it, doing the laundry would be so much more fun with a retro pink washer and dryer. Read the rest of this entry

What is this packing light you speak of?

What is this packing light you speak of?

What is this packing light you speak of?

I just don’t “get” people who manage to pack light. Even when I travel to the family lakeside cottage less than two hours from home, I manage to fill an entire minivan with vital stuff I simply cannot live without.

This particular postcard, which I made as part of the “Postcards from the Road” set I created for the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts/Canvas Corp Match Up, drives home this point. Read the rest of this entry

Memorializing a Mid-Century Updo

Memorializing a Mid-Century Updo

GSL-Midcentury-Book--by-Betsy-Skagen--3

A talented friend of mine has taken on the challenge of giving her entire house a Mid-Century Modern updo with only inexpensive secondhand goods.

Her ingenuity impressed me so much that I though she should memorialize her project with a mini album. As as surprise for her, I made a little album so she could paste in before and after pictures, make notes of her awesome estate sale finds and even add in inspiration and ideas from magazines. Read the rest of this entry

My Swedish heritage & my multicultural family in light of today’s hate for AALL and Create Challenge #1 Europe

My Swedish heritage & my multicultural family in light of today’s hate for AALL and Create Challenge #1 Europe

Family-Bible-MultiCultural-by-Betsy-Skagen-0171

I was thinking about the AALL Challenge #1 Europe one day and inspiration came to me throughout the day. First, while visiting my elderly mother, I spied the family Bible–a massive tome in Swedish that no one in our family can read. Later, while preparing photos for digitizing, I came across both a stoic picture of my Swedish ancestors and a colorful picture of my own multicultural children with impish looks upon their faces. The day concluded with racist hate spewing across the news channels. Read the rest of this entry

A new approach to altered tags–three dimensions

A new approach to altered tags–three dimensions
A new approach to altered tags–three dimensions

 The lifelike qualities of the Architextures mixed media embellishments almost demand a new kind of altered art tag.

You can see my unique answer to that call on the 7gypsies blog.

CCB-3D-Tag-by-Betsy-Skagen-0099a

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