LAZY, HAZY, DAYS OF SUMMER

Hi and welcome. This month's challenge at ARTastic involved the use of stencils or masks. Pop over to: http://artasticchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au  to see what the design team has been doing.
I've been dabbling with stencils more, so this was an opportune challenge for me. The photograph I have used on the layout was one taken near Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre, about 30mins drive from Lismore. This centre was a significant part of our school curriculum, with overnight stays with a class of students once a year, for far too many years to remember. For an Environmental Centre, it is in an ideal position. nestled among some gentle hills, surrounded by farms and with access to a large dam which was perfect for water studies. Students (at our school, usually Years 3 and 4 (9 and 10 year olds) were able to indulge in the delights of scoop netting the  water in the shallows of the dam to see what they could find, and it was a common occurrence for one or two of them, to 'accidentally' slip into the water. Since our camps were usually in the warmer months, it wasn't too bad. The dam was also home for a group of very shy platypus as well as a number of water birds. It was also common to see dragonflies, butterflies, and bees hovering over waterlilies and reeds. This flower was the most delicate blue, and yes, there is a bee sucking nectar.

The layout grew from this, and the memories invoked. It is redolent of those lazy, hazy summer days; fine weather, not too hot, maybe a gentle, balmy breeze; maybe a picnic beside a lake or lagoon, with the only sounds coming from nature.

The stencil I used reflected this idea perfectly. The paper I stencilled on, was card stock I use to 'decolour' ink sponges. A little glimmermist was also spritzed on before using gesso for the initial stencilling. As the background was still slightly damp, it bled into the gesso, softening the stark white. I repositioned the stencil a couple of more times and added further colour  and texture with the use of 3D stamping paint (silver, walnut brown and bronze). The silver was also streaked across the background card stock, to represent water ripples glistening in the sun.
Flowers punched from some of  my misting experiments, and a die cut butterfly were added. I chose a music background for the butterfly, because I felt it suited the idea behind the layout.

I used a Glaze pen for the heading,  ( and thank you to my friend Maree for the idea for the title). This pen gives a slightly raised surface, and feels as though it has been embossed.
Thank you for visiting. I enjoy reading the comments you leave.
Cheers, Di

PEGGED

Hi and welcome! There has been a succession of glorious, sunny autumn days here, meaning lots of gardening, very much needed! Camellias and the first of my jonquils are flowering, although I don't know why the jonquils are out so early. With the nights now quite cool, I would have thought that they'd be still in their autumn state. Crafting time has been mainly relegated to evenings for the time being, so that I can take full advantage of the weather.
I've been looking for large wooden pegs for some time, but had not been able to find any until recently, when I came across a jumbo craft peg (15cm x 3cm) in a local store; bigger than what I had been wanting, but fitting the bill perfectly for the use it will now have.
It's had quite a transformation with the addition of wire, beads, spraying with Colour Wash,and adding flowers.

The flowers were made from card stock which had been prepared on a gelli pad, using combinations of Splash Inks, Lumieres and  Glimmer mists. Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers, and Tattered Flower Garland dies were then used. Some of the constructed flowers were given a thick coat of Glossy Accents, to give a faux porcelain look (hasn't shown up on the photo). Added to the die cut flowers, are ones made from hessian. These were cream or grey. The cream ones were sprayed with cranberry or sailboat blue Colour Wash. Alcohol ink, again cranberry, was tipped onto a metal silver butterfly.

Very over-the -top, but still very functional. I've used a sticky pad note book here. With a magnet on the back, my peg is now ready for use.

The challenge I'm entering this into is ABAC Challenge 19, using a colour palette with 2 or more of the colours to be used. See what the design team and other entrants have come up with here:
http://anythingbutacard.blogspot.ca/

Thank you very much for visiting. I appreciate your comments and look forward to seeing what you are doing as well.
Cheers, Di

Beach ATC

Hi and welcome. First, thank you to the ABAC Design Team for selecting me as a featured artist for Challenge 17: April Showers : water mobile
ATC's are something I've not done very often, but I've enjoyed doing this challenge, so will endeavour to do more of these little artworks. Meanwhile, here is my take for Challenge 18 at:
http://anythingbutacard.blogspot.ca/

 

For the background I used foam, cut from a thin yoga mat and put it through an embossing folder to make my own stamp for printing. The same folder was used for the glimmer misted brown card stock strip. The photograph is of the headland at a nearby beach, Lennox Head and was taken on a beautiful, sunny, but very windy, spring day. Before mounting the photograph,  I used an old method of slitting and separating it, to give a different visual impact. Punched leaves and a bit of bling have completed the piece.
Thank you for visiting and for your lovely comments.
Cheers, Di