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Saturday 22 June 2013

Dragonfly High



Hello everyone.  Hope you're all having a great weekend.  I'm here to share my take on Tim Holtz's glorious June tag... 

I made it well over a week ago - but this is my first chance to get it on here since then.  Life's kinda crazy - what can I say?

Anyway, here it is... following the master pretty closely, with the main variations being in colour choices, and my irresistible urge to add words.  Again, I had a ball making it.

I'm finding crafting a bit sticky at times at the moment - fitting it round another highly creatively demanding job means that it feels like there's not much left over when I sit down at the table - I know, I really shouldn't complain!  But this was pure fun - definitely flying high!

You can find out all the how-to details from Tim's own post so let me just share some pictures and  keep you posted on where I've departed from the recipe...









I had several stampings of the dragonfly on the go at once, experimenting with different colours and techniques, but ended up - no surprise - with my favourite blues and greens... though there is some Dusty Concord in there too!














It was great fun to play with the Distress Markers.  I usually do my "watercolouring" with the Distress Stains - love their fluid ease - but there's no doubt you can apply colour with great precision with the markers if you want to.










Love Tim's suggestions for adding extra colour, like tinting behind the words, and casting "shadows".

LOVE the flicking effect!











And the play you get on the watercolour paper is yummy.

In the end, I couldn't bear to cut any of it off, so ended up using a large tag!










One of my favourite bits was blending Distress Inks onto the edges and drawing the colour in - meant I could bring some Mowed Lawn into the picture - one of my favourites at the moment!











Mixing the media on the background was such fun - and again one of my favourite things to do... the interplay of the paints, stains and inks gives you such constant and glorious variations of effects and possibilities.

My background stamping is one of my main departures from Tim's tag.  Although there's some done in Archival, I wanted to pick up on the white of the watercolour paper. 









So I decided to stamp my text in Picket Fence Distress Paint. 











I love the Papillon butterflies hovering in the background.

And I do love the white text, but if I made this again, I'd probably do partial text stamping rather than completely all-over, but it's a minor quibble!









For the topping, I dyed two separate pieces of crinkle ribbon - one using only inks and stains, for full glowing translucent colour, and one adding some Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint to the mix, so that you get the opaque shabby chic look.  

They're tied together with some paper string that I curled around a wooden skewer.









And then, despite all that text, I felt the need for some words to add to my pictures, so I used some of the Alpha-Parts - Newsprint, I think they are - and added them to the mix.  

I dabbed Picket Fence DP onto them, gave them a quick spritz of blue mica mist, and blended a touch of green ink onto them - pretty pleased with the effect - it's iridescent in the light.







I decided to mount my watercolour dragonfly on padded tape to give some extra dimension, and
there we are... so grateful to Tim for one of my favourite times at the craft table in recent weeks!









Thank you so much for stopping by - your visits and comments make me so happy... and that's really helpful just now, believe me.  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend - whatever you're up to, and I look forward to seeing you somewhere out there in Craftyblogland.

Clouds of insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies. 
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Dragon-fly
Today I saw the dragon-fly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Thro’ crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

I'm entering this as my June tag in Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2013

66 comments:

mark gould said...

absolutelty beautiful, I need to go and have a look at tims technique and see whats what, I love the bg colour and he layered words. Sorry for the lack of comments, like you I am feelig the work thing, there are just not enough hours xx

Jenny Marples said...

Such a beautiful version Alison. I love your blues and greens on this. Hugs, Jenny x

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

That amazing stamp of the dragonfly...and your colours and background...love this tag, every element on it Alison...gorgeous!!!!

kind regards, Alie :-)

...the yorkshire fox... said...

...gorgeous take Alison, the bluey greens are so dreamy together and adore that dragonfly stamp too, wondeful...Mel:)x

sam21ski said...

Ooohg orgeous Alison, loving your colour combo, those greens look lush

Sam xxx

Helen said...

I hope to get my June tag done before the end of the month, but not sure I could match his - and definitely not yours - I totally love the colours - perfect for the dragonfly image (need that stamp set!!) - your background tag is beautiful, not sure I could have covered it up..Have a great weekend.

May said...

Stunning tag Alison, The colours are Fabulous , Love the dragonfly..Great texture too... Happy Saturday! Hugs May x x x

toni said...

Beautiful ! nuf sed x

sally said...

OMG! This is so stunning, the colours are great... I must pick my jaw up off the floor :-D

I think you can safely assumed that I REALLY like this one!

Sally

brenda said...

What can I say Alison, it's just beautiful and a lovely fusion of colour.

Hope you have a good weekend.

B x

Brenda Brown said...

Beautifully created Alison, the background of words is the perfect backdrop for your gorgeous dragonfly. Love it.
hugs {brenda} x0x

Julia said...

Stunning tag! The effects of mixing the paint, ink and mist is so very very pleasing to look at. I love the way you use words, something I really struggle with myself. Love this tag.
Julia x

Unknown said...

Ooooooooo, you've done it again. The use of these colours is fab, fab, fab! A gorgeous tag Alison, absolutely dreamy! Have a lovely weekend. Chris xxx

Krisha said...

Hi Ali,
I just love comming to your blog, your work is undeniably amazing, and beautiful, and this tag is just one more proff of it.
Thanks for sharing.

maria's knutselplezier said...

Great tag, dear Alison, I love your dragonfly and the colours of his wings, your background of your tag is very beautifull too, love the ghost effect and the letters of the text a lot!!!
Great design!!
Maria

Deborah said...

Such a wonderful watery feel to this tag.I prefer it to TH's!

chrissie said...

Wonderful tag Alison and made me recall the first time I ever saw a dragon fly on the wing--bigger than I thought and glistening above a stream.

Hope your weekend is going well and you are having a rest.

Love Chrissie xx

Netty said...

Loving your gorgeous tag and pleased to hear you are back at the RSC, they need you. Annette x

Astrid Maclean said...

Wonderful take on the master's original, and to be honest, I prefer your colour choices!! Love the title, the subtle background, well the whole tag really... :)

Paper Profusion said...

If I had created that background I wouldn't have wanted to cover it up at all - it is superb! But then again the watercolour paper dragonfly is so so beautiful too! Put them together - for a match made in heaven! Love the little ringlet string and stunning work on the 'fly high' too! Make sure to care for you thru this especially demanding time. Your talents are flying high deservedly. Nicola x

Rosie said...

Soooo wonderful, Alison. I love the background

Carol Q said...

stunning tag Alison. love your delicate colouring of the dragonfly.

Hettie said...

This is beautiful Alison. Love all the text on the background tag and the butterflies.
Beautiful!
xx

Janny Jager said...

Gorgeous and beautiful tag Alison.
Lovely details and great stamps.
Greetings Janny

Almo said...

Hi Alison, your tag is absolutly gorgeous, I have gone through the pictures several times now and see something else every time. I love everything you have done and the colours are beautiful. This looks like a winner to me - good luck! Hugs Mo x

noomiy said...

I just love this tag, the mood of this one is amazing! :)

Cestina said...

This is stunning. Dragonflies to me are ephemeral - like yours. Not insects but almost fairies. Tim's,though beautiful, is all insect and looks as if it might bite into the bargain :-(
xx
PS We'll need to find a house complete with ivy or a giant pot thereof!

Jennie Atkinson said...

Absolutely fabulous Alison - I love your colour choice and stunning painting of the dragonfly. Better than the original in my book! Enjoy the rest of the weekend x

Dorthe said...

I love this stamp from T.H. and have wanted to buy it for long now! You used it wonderfully, in this tag, with its gorgeous background, Alison-and so very beautiful coloured, with great choices of greens and aqua-and white!Love your words,too.
I hope all will soon calm down in your world, and that you are well!!! Thankyou for your so kind comment on my last post Alison.
xo,Dorthe

Redanne said...

Gorgeous Alison, love your take on the Master's tag. Hugs, Anne x

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Absolutely love the colours on your tag Alson, love how you can see all the layers , the butterflies and stamping in white are gorgeous. A well thought out piece, love it. Tracy x

Kjersti said...

A wonderful tag Alison, beautiful colours and I love the background you have created - the dragonfly is gorgeous too!
Have a nice Suday!
Hugs Kjersti:)

Unknown said...

Absolutely beautiful...the layers of techniques on your tags always look incredible!

Keren Tamir said...

another beautiful Tag Alison!! amazing!!

barbarayaya62 said...

Alison, fabulous tag as always! You know i love colors you used and dragonfly is colored in amazing way!
BArbarayaya

Anonymous said...

Fabulous tag Alison, love how you've created so much depth to your background. Sue C x

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is a gorgeous take on Tims tag, love the soft and delicate feel to this , almost dreamy! Soft colours and delicate touches all make this a wonderful and gorgeous tag! Hugs x

Kyle4143 said...

What a beautiful tag! I love the colors! I might have to give this one a try now that I see your gorgeous take on it! I think the words are a nice addition.

Terry said...

Alison, again you have treated these eyes to some gorgeousness! I love that background and your dragonfly is color perfection! Love that you used washes of green, great accent! Hugs!

Mikaela said...

beautiful!!!

Monique said...

Beautiful tag. I love the white text in the background and the added "Fly High". The colors on this tag and the dragonfly are amazing.
xx

froebelsternchen said...

Alison .. this is another AMAZING piece of art... You are a MUSE in person... and you don´t miss your inner Frida!

xxx Susi

Chris said...

Cool and beautiful Alison and such expert water colouring, I really love the effect you've achieved and your gorgeous background too! Must get on to mine June offering,not much time left! :D Chris x

Annie said...

Fabulous take on th tah Alison. Love the colours and the letters really add to this piece. Hoping to play along this month.....where does time go. I have an Andy Skinner course that I signed up for starting May 17th so I need to cram it in this week too.

Best wishes

Annie x

Cocofolies said...

Oooh, it's a wonderful and perfect tag, I love the colors you used !!! I'd love doing it too, but I missed time so far.. Love yours ! Coco xx

craftimamma said...

This is an absolutely glorious tag Alison. The colours are so pretty and the way you have added the hints of colour to the dragonfly's wings reminds me of the huge one I had in my garden a couple of years ago. It's wings would have gone wrist to fingertip on my hand and were the exact colours you have used. I have no idea how it ended up in my garden as we are not near any open water and only have a tiny water feature ourselves but I was so glad it decided to visit it was so beautiful.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Nan G said...

love your watercolored dragonfly. and your occasional departure from TH is fab. Love it!

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

BEA -U-TI-FUL!!!!! I love your background! The dragonfly is wonderful as well, and your colors are glorious! Awesome take! I so need to get on this!!!

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Loving your take on Tim's June tag - totally exquisite. The colors are gorgeous and the white text background really makes everything pop. I haven't used Mowed Lawn in awhile and now you've got me itching to pick it up! As always, thanks for your fabulous inspiration!

Hugs,
Linda

Nicecrane Designs said...

Wowww a.lison , love the soft colors and these aqua tones in your incredible tag,,,,my friend,,,,,You are always surprising me with your amazing techniques.

Margaret said...

Wonderful as always, Alison! I really like the background text combined with the brighter 'fly high'. Such a beautiful tag!

Katja/MezzaNotte said...

Wow! Your tag is amazing. You have really put your personality in it! Hugs Katja

Kasia said...

So beautiful tag, Alison! Love the colors. The background is fabulous :)

pearshapedcrafting said...

Love those colours! A beautiful tag! Chrisx

Lindsay Craftymonster81 said...

So beautiful, I love the colours and the background stamping and the dragonfly is gorgeous
Lindsay xx

Dianne said...

Ahhh you are the queen of the large tags,the background is STUNNING, and the dragonfly is GORGEOUS, I looove that mowed lawn,and then your crinkled ribbon is fantastic with the curly white paper sting, brilliant, dare I say, well I will anyway, you have out done the master:O, thanks for sharing your awesome creativity....

Marjie Kemper said...

Stunning sure is the right word for this one, Alison. Oh my stars... I feel like I could dive into that background. It's so rich and layered beautifully with all the different mediums. Love it!

sara j said...

What an outstanding rendition Alison...the colors are so rich and vibrant and you somehow managed to get such a depp white stamp on them...the contrast remindes me of the glitter and grit of ... oh let's see...the dragonfly. You've made another great piece!!!

Silvia(Barnie) said...

A fantastic take on Tim's tag. Love the colors.

Kezzy said...

Wow I love your take on Mr Holtz tag, gorgeous. I am so loving the colours and love the tied bow at the top, stunning. Happy Crafting :-) hugs Kezzy xxx

Anke said...

WOW WOW WOW absolutely stunning Alison, I love your art.

Hugs
Anke

Kelly said...

I do adore this stamp and I saw Tims, wow your tag turned out perfect!!! Love your background, so beautiful in itself but the dragonfly is gorgeous and is perfect, love the whole thing on the bigger tag.
Fabulous Alison,
Hugs Kelly

Mary Elizabeth said...

WOW!!!!! This is phenomenal Alison. I love the variation of color that you achieved on your background and all the details you put into this (including the various colors used to edge the watercolor paper). The bow at the top is darling. What a great tag!!! -- Mary Elizabeth

Maria said...

This is beautiful Alison. I haven't seen Tim's version of this so I must pop over and have a look. The colours you've used in this are beautiful - I love the stamping in white and how it shows through the butterflies, and the finish you've achieved on the letters is lovely.

Maria xx

Unknown said...

Absolutely Gorgeous Alison. Beautiful work.

Mary Elizabeth said...

I'm back again Alison ... just to take another look at your fabulous tag (winner in my book any day of the week) and to say thanks for the support. I'm glad you dropped by the blog to help me celebrate being picked by Tim. Wow! What a great day. Hugs -- Mary Elizabeth