Crafty Backgrounds

I'm a sucker for a good background for any project I make.  I debate with myself which is the best background to use, or whether I should try to create something new, something no one has ever created before.  It really is a big decision for me. 
And so, when I found out my great niece was turning two, and loved Aurora from Sleeping Beauty more than any other of the Princesses, my decision of what to paint her was a no-brainer.  What to put her on, what background would showcase her true beauty, and what to actually make that would be useful was the hard part!  I decided to paint a pretty canvas with her name on it that could be hung on her wall. 

I started by painting the 12" x 12" canvas with two beautiful Folk Art Colors, Turquoise and Patina.  I double loaded a large, 3/4" flat brush with the two colors and slip-slapped them around until the canvas was covered. 

When all areas of the canvas were dry, I used a really trendy Peel & Stick Painting Stencil from Plaid to stencil through and around with Folk Art Jamaican Sea.  Over and over again.  Randomly.  I tried to be hit and miss with the pressure on my stencil brush in this step, giving the feel of clouds, which turned out to be really pretty.

To add a little more interest to the background, I watered the Turquoise paint down to an inky consistency, and with a liner brush, I added swirls from some of the flowers.

This is what I ended up with. 

I painted the princess and some wood letters to spell out my beautiful grand niece's name, and I added a hanger on the back.  I hope she looks at it over the years and remembers her Aunt loves her very much.