Be the Rainbow in Someone's Cloud

Maya Angelou said to, "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." So simple, and such a good way to live your life. When I saw a version of this quote in a coloring book, I decided to experiment with putting it on a canvas. I don't mean the quote - I mean the actual coloring page. Could I transfer the coloring page to a canvas and still use it for its intended purpose of coloring it in? Answer: Yes! This project also answers a question I get asked ALL THE TIME: "What can I do with my extra Diamond Dotz?" Affiliate links below. 

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'Be the Rainbow in Someone's Cloud' Coloring Page Canvas

Materials: 

• 8" x 10" canvas
• Leisure Arts 'Kindness Matters' coloring book
• Folk Art paint: Licorice, Wicker White, Cardinal Red, Pure Orange, Daffodil Yellow, Classic Green, Aqua, Perfect Purple
• Plaid paintbrushes
• Matte Mod Podge
• Mod Podge Smoothing Tool
• Black Sharpie
• Folk Art Extreme Glitter
• Extra Dotz and stylus from Diamond Art
• Craft glue

Steps: 

Because this was experimental, I did some things in what turned out to be a strange order. I'll do my best to tell you how I'd go about making it now that I know what I know. 

I started with a canvas that already had paint on it (a project I started and never finished - you can see the pinks and yellows on the edges in the first two photographs below). If you're starting with a new canvas, I'd apply a base coat of grey (which I mixed myself with black and white). Let it dry completely.

Trim the coloring page to remove the copyright info and to even up the margins. Add an even layer of Mod Podge to the canvas and center the coloring page on top of it. Use the smoothing tool to make it perfectly flat. Add a second coat of Mod Podge on top of the coloring page and smooth it down. Let it dry completely. 

Mix equal parts Mod Podge and grey paint and put a thin coat on top of the coloring page. You should still be able to see the lines on the coloring page. Let it dry completely. 

Use the Sharpie to trace the lines of the design. 

Dry brush some blue horizontally onto the top of the canvas. Paint the cloud white. Fill in the rainbow with paint. 

Add a second coat of white on the cloud, touch up the rainbow as needed, and paint the edges of the canvas black. 

I traced the letters with Sharpie a second time, then filled them in with paint. This was unnecessary. If you have a steady hand, just paint the letters.

Add a coat of Extreme Glitter to each color of the rainbow. When that is dry, paint black dividing lines between the colors in the rainbow. 

Place dots of craft glue along the red band of the rainbow. Use the stylus that comes with Diamond Art kits to place red Dotz on the glue. 

Repeat the process with the other colors of the rainbow. 

Now display your canvas where you will be inspired. 

Now that I know how easy it is to put coloring pages onto canvases and paint over them, I'm definitely going to do this again. And I love how much the sparkly Dotz add to the finished design.