Guest Post by Matt Stacy

Can you hear the crickets? I know I do. This summer has been so crazy busy, My posts have been very few and far between. I bet you guys are feeling a bit neglected, right? Well, to show you, my lovely readers, how much I love you guys, here is a special treat- A guest post from my good friend, Matt Stacy. So, here to prove that men can be crafty, is "A Servant's Jornal" post. Enjoy!

If you like the painting in the above photo than I've got good news for you. This blog entry is a step by step tutorial on making one of those. The one in the photo was the result of a painting spree my wife and I went on to make some extra money. We didn't sell to many, but we're still working on it. Let's get started. The items you will need are a blank white canvas, masking tape (frog tape or scotch tape will work), at least four colors of paint including black (Black is used LAST), a blade (we used an exacto knife), letter stickers (standard or foam), and a day off.

The first thing you do is clear your area and prepare your canvas and your masking tape. In this instance we used ordinary cheap masking tape.

Now start masking of strips of your canvas starting from the bottom left corner traveling up the the top right corner.

Now proceed to paint the entirety of the canvas in a single color with a single even coat. For our first application we chose the color Blue and I am using spray paint. You may use whatever color or type of paint you want. Once it is covered let your canvas dry for as long as your particular paint requires for it to be dry to the touch. Once your first coat is dry to the touch, start unmasking your canvas and reveal the white underneath of your tape. Once you have removed all the tape from your canvas, begin remasking your canvas in the opposite angle, starting from the bottom right corner and traveling up to the top right corner. In this instance I was able to re-use the tape and so it is blue in the photo. Proceed to paint with your second color of paint apply another coat on top of your alternatively masked canvas. The second color we chose was a bright green. Once your second coat of paint is dry to the touch, you may begin to unmask your canvas once more revealing your pattern beneath. You should be pretty excited at what is taking place here at this point. Once your tape is removed and you see the pattern you have so it is time for one final masking. Take your masking tape and mask your canvas again, this time from left to right making horizontal strips across the canvas. We went for a slightly thinner stripe this time. Again, we re-used the masking tape. The horizontal stripes are green in the photo. Once you have finished masking the canvas in this manner, proceed to apply a third coat using your third selected color. In this case we chose to use a stylish purple. Once your third coat of paint is dry to the touch, you may begin unmasking your canvas for the last time, at least with tape. You see we have three colors painted now in a pattern. Once you have removed all of the masking tap from your canvas and have revealed a sweet pattern, you will prepare for your final steps in your painting. Prepare your letters. Think of something inspiring and encouraging to display on your canvas. After all you will be hanging this somewhere right? Also once you have come up with something, make sure that you have all the letters or numbers you need. If you have trouble placing your letters you may always use a level and more tape to place your text. Just be sure to remove that tape before painting again. We also cut a heart shape from an old sticker and used it as a cute decal for this craft.

Once you have all your text, shapes, and stickers masking the areas you want to pop with color, take your black spray paint and apply a coat of black over your canvas. This part is going to hurt a little as you will so greatly appreciate the way it looks already, but if you want it to look like the one above, you'll have to swallow and pull through. Grab some tissues. Additionally you have two options with the black coat. 1. You may go all black and give it a even solid black coat. 2. Do what we did and lightly spray it black so you can barely see the color underneath. What the second option does is give a clear contrast to the observer that whatever the text is, it implies something that improves the world its in. As in the 1st photo, life is dull and dark, but with JESUS it is bright and shiny. Once your black has dried to the touch use your blade, and begin to carefully peel away the letters and stickers from your canvas. Your canvas should look dingy and dark except for that which you want it to say. That should POP with color in contrast.

An additional step you can take is spraying it with a clear sealant or some Modge Podge. This will give it some shine and make your dark darker and your brights really pop as well as  protecting it from the elements. Good luck with your craft and God bless.