How to Make a Textured Mat for a Picture Frame

When my sister was here for my birthday we went thrift store shopping and she bought me this frame for a gift. It's an awesome frame, but it's bigger than I realized.
 

I have this print of the San Diego LDS Temple (12"x18") that I envisioned would go in the frame, but it's turned out to be too small.

I have made several attempts to make it look how I pictured it in my head, but have had no luck. The vision has just not come together as I had pictured it.

In one of my attempts, I created a textured mat to go around the picture and that's the tutorial I want to share with you today.

I started with a 20"x 30" foam board from the school section at Wal Mart.

 

I cut the middle out a little smaller than my print, 12"x 18", so that it would overlap on the print. My cut out was about 11"x 17".

Then I used this stuff called Gesso. It's used to prep your canvas or board or whatever you're painting on, to give it texture. I had some left over from an art class in college. (It was not a painting class, you'll see I don't have painting skills, but some art class, nonetheless.)

 

Anyway, I painted the foam board and let it dry.

Then I used a gold metallic paint from the craft section at Wal Mart and made my first layer.

(Above: you can see the texture the Gesso creates)

Then I took the brown craft paint and mixed a tiny bit of water with it, painted it on and then used a paper towel to wipe some of it off. Just like glazing.  (Sorry, no picture of this step)

I got a little carried away while adding the watered down brown paint. I just loved how well it worked that I ended up doing too many coats and making it too dark. Oh well.

Then I used my Cricut to cut a monogram and our family name in brown vinyl. (I apologize that the pictures aren't great.)

You see, something is not quite right about it, but I can't figure it out.

Any suggesstions?

 

 

This is a previous attempt that didn't include the 12"x 18" print. It is a silhouette of the San Diego LDS Temple stenciled on burlap. Still not quite what I was going for.

It just goes to show that not every idea turns out to be great. When it's exactly what I want, I'll be sure to share again.

This tute is linked up over at:

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/