More butterflies

When I did the last butterfly, I loved the idea, so have worked a bit more on it, and although I think they are probably a little too near the mark, I wanted to express how I felt about the children that perished in the awful concentration camps and ghettos during the Second World War.

I used Tim Holtz's Masks again, only this time I used the negative part of it, and more distress inks. I layered the masks, and stamped negative and then positive too. I also stamped the child's faces over the masks, and then masked with a negative mask to colour in their faces. A bit fiddly, but was pleased with the result. It is a technique that I shall try again.

Butterflies from all around the world

I first found out about this wonderful idea from Dan, and felt very compelled to take part. In commemoration of the 1,500,000 children who died in the Holocaust , the Holocaust Museum in Boston is asking for the same number of butterflies to be sent to them by June 30, 2011.

This is a poem called The Butterfly
written by
Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942
Born in Prague on January 7, 1921.Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942. Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone....
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ’way up high.
It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto

I have made my first butterfly, and hope this is not too poignant. I used a Tim Holtz mask ( Borderline, the barbed wire) and the children's faces and a word from Childhood Dreams. The inks are Distress inks.
I am planning several more before I send them off.

New masks and Grungeboard

I should have been doing the washing and ironing and general housework, but I got sidetracked by the new products by TIm Holtz this morning, and decided to have a quick play.
I used our chipboard tags, and at first thought I will try alcohol inks with the mask. Errr wrong, it didn't like them, and the ink leaked under the mask, as well as the mask sticking quite badly to the inked paper! Will have to work on that technique!

Then I tried the same stencil with distress inks, and I liked this technique ( note to oneself, must invest in more colours!) This is using worn lipstick, and old paper. I also used The Artistic Stamper swirls in the background. The stamp is one of Tim Holtz's and the sentiment is for a friend of mine.

Finally I made Christmas style tag, using distress inks, pine needles, and worn lipstick, and the snowflakes from the new grungeboard-Seasonal. I also stamped the Father Christmas from Victorian Christmas 3.The gold is Krylon pen, and I inked the snowflakes with distress inks, and then wiped over with the Krylon pen. Did do a bit of sanding but probably not enough.

Now back to the mundane things in life- ironing, cleaning, and washing!!

Happy Stamping!

On the drink again! or more alcohol ink techniques.....

Since I have had my blog, I have made much more artwork than I ever did, and this week I planned a project using alcohol inks, limited edition stamps on promotion, and the Stampbord blocks. It was all planned in my head, and then I had a phone call from Calvin which set me thinking....

He asked about the new Tim Holtz masks, and we got talking, and one thing led to another, and the complicated masking project that I had in my head suddenly got easier! I remembered about the batik technique using clear embossing powder, and wondered how it would work with alcohol inks and Stampbord. It works beautifully!

I started with this piece, using the new simple swirls on gold paper, embossed them in clear and dabbed alcohol ink over the embossing. Then I laid a piece of paper or you can use kitchen towel, on top of the artwork, and using the iron on a high setting I ironed until the embossing powder had been removed. I didn't move the iron too much, but it did take a couple of goes! You can see the effect really well.

Then I moved onto a smaller version of what I eventually wanted to make. This is an ATC sized stampbord, and I did 2 versions. The one with alcohol ink had a lighter layer of green and yellow underneath, and then I embossed on top. Then you layer again on top after embossing with more alcohol ink. When the embossing is removed, you get a lighter colour , not white, as in the one with distress inks.

                                    Distress inks Pre-Ironing           Distress inks technique

Stampbord ATC with Alcohol ink and embossed on top

The residue from ironing ( I love this piece)

Finally I made the bigger version, but I am not totally enamoured with it, but it was good experiment in embossing, and the use of alcohol inks!

Stampbord Block with Alcohol inks and Batik

I do hope you like the technique and although it is not a new one, has endless possibilities.

Time to myself!

I was going to do the butterflies on this post, but got waylaid by the challenge this week on Objet D'art Challenge, and for those of you who read my blog, I haven't really mentioned it here. This is a new blog challenge for those of you who like to get down and play dirty! Did I say that? Okay what I really mean is get messy and inky, and in my case gluey! I made a little frame covered in watch pieces, and decided to use Glossy Accents, and Crackle Accents on it. That was fine, but i think I managed to get more on myself than on the project!  Note to one's self: don't put your hands covered in glue and then rub your eyes!

I would love you to take part, so hop on over to my theatre of dreams, and get down and dirty!!

ATC Folder

I came across some A5 size glossy folders last month in my local stationers, and as they were shiny, I immediately thought of alcohol inks, and a workshop I was about to take. Bingo! there was my second project! I alcohol inked the outside, by dropping alcohol inks and blender onto a non stick craft sheet and swirling them with a stick, then laying the shiny side down in the inks. it gave the appearance of clouds, and I did the back too. Then I used the artist's plate, and added the pens, paintbrush and pencil to the front. and the ruler across the top. Finally I added Grungeboard alphabet, and a bookplate inside. I did cover the inside with paper and matched the pens etc on the inside, cutting up between the stamps to give a nice effect.

By the way, if you pop onto my Objet D'art challenge blog you can enter a competition!

Happy inking!

Hot off the Press!

New Stamps! Designing stamps is always a pleasure for me, and I absolutely adore these new ones! I had such fun making them-swirls, flourish frames, flourishes of all shapes and sizes. New today are more cute and gorgeous Stitchels, buzzy bees, and bugs, a  wonderful dragonfly, and more minis! I am planning to use some of them on a Weekend challenge which is happening on Crafts by Carolyn Forum, and I started last night by making an impromptu keyring with stampbord, distress inks, and one of the new swirls. Have not got a clue how many projects there are , so am going to work my way throyugh them slowly, and have a bit of me time!
Here is the key ring

I will upload more as I make them...*she says hopefully!*

Canvas Time

Or should that be Christmas time? This was a piece I designed for a workshop last Saturday. It was the first piece that I did after I broke my arm, and wasn't totally sure about it. There are chipboard pieces on it, with silver utee, Stampbord with alcohol inks, and the the background is done in alcohol inks too!
I shall put the project onto the website, so you can make it if you like. What you can't smell is the cloves and cinnamon stick wrapped in wire. Makes it smell so Christmassy!