I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Monday 15 July 2013

Hope Perches...

Hello everyone, and welcome to a brand new week.  I hope you had a great weekend, whatever you were up to, and are all ready for some fresh inspiration and challenges.  It's going to be a busy few days here at Words and Pictures...

First of all, it's time for the rest of the Our Creative Corner team to share our Design Team pieces for Linda's Captured Memories challenge... create anything you like, but it must include a photograph.  And you have just under a fortnight still to play.

I decided to go for something a little out of my comfort zone - that's the point of a challenge, surely, after all?!  So I began playing with the idea of a scrapbooking layout - something I really don't do.  The fact that it turned into a canvas in the end... well, you can read into that what you will.  And what's more is it's PINK!

Warning: photo-heavy post alert!




I was extremely fortunate to win a blog candy of Pion papers recently - and so this challenge doubled as an excellent excuse to have a play with them too.  They're so exquisite that it's hard to take the leap into cutting them up to use, but I gritted my teeth and went for it.

And the photograph is also from Pion's papers, not a relative of mine, I'm afraid.  But as I was working on the piece, it became apparent that she is related to someone I "know".












You may remember the Colonial Bungalow from the Small Worlds Dollshouse Museum post... and the young man recently arrived in the Colonies leaving behind him a broken engagement.  Well, I now know some more of the story... 





At first, I thought she'd broken it off, and he'd arrived to take up his diplomatic post with a broken heart.

But it turns out something else was at the root of it...

In fact, it seems his posting was arranged by his father in order to put an end to his son's extremely distasteful relationship, one he found impossible to countenance.

The young lady is an actress, I'm afraid, and French to boot... and therefore quite beneath the dignity of the family. 




So our young man has been hustled off to a far continent but he has defied his father and is continuing to correspond with his love.  

Letters and postcards make their laborious way around the world, to where she waits... and the latest one to arrive offers the possibility that he may be able to send for her to join him in April - highlighted on the calendar by the shabby chic picture frame.












All the papers are Pion, both the background sheet, the layers framing the photo...














... and the tags, stamps and ribbons layered into the composition.














As I said, the papers are already beautiful, but I've added to the background page both some texture using the Damask stencil, and some gesso for extra shabby chic. 








  



I used some Pumice Stone and some Victorian Velvet, applied very sparingly, to gently highlight the damask texture. I didn't want it to overwhelm the paper, but I also didn't want it to disappear completely!







I was sad that we were going to lose the reverse side of the paper, but as soon as I had the idea to mount the whole thing on a 12 x 12 canvas, I realised I could keep a touch of it by doing some raggedy rolling.










That of course has the added bonus of giving even more dimension and movement to the layout - or what I suppose I should now call the canvas!











To highlight the Regency stripe being revealed by the ripping and rolling, I added some stamping with the ticking texture which is an Artistic Outpost stamp.









In fact, all the added stamping is done with AO stamps: 

the birds in the cage... 













...the beautiful sentiment... 












...the gorgeous PostCard stamp at the bottom...

I'll be going through the details of which sets they all come from over at Artistic Outpost tomorrow, so as not to keep you here all night!










On the photo itself, as well as some gesso to soften the edges, I decided to try to tint the flowers so that they would echo the colours in the main background page. 













I used mainly Distress Stains, topping up with colour from ink pads if I didn't have the necessary colour.








The birdcage and wooden flourishes are from Crafty Emblies, and the shabby chic frame on the calendar is by Melissa Frances.












As well as the ticking stripe and some gentle inking, I also took the paper ribbons around the side of the canvas, keeping that sense of dimensionality.













To add to the layered tags cut from the Pion papers, I also die-cut a shabby chic tag out of the papers using the Magnolia Doohickeys die.  I inked it and added the little Artistic Outpost flourish, embossed in Vanilla White.











Some of the flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts - given an extra blush of Victorian Velvet DI -  and some are my trusty mulberry paper roses bought on ebay right at the start of this crafting craziness and still going strong!

So there she is, reading her letter, and full of hope for the future... 







Will he be able to stand by his promise and send for her to join him?  

Will his father intervene again?  

We can only leave her to her hopes in her flowery boudoir, with our fingers crossed for the triumph of true love...






Enough, already!  We'd love to have you join us with your photographic memories (real or imaginary) captured in a project.  So do check out the beautiful projects from the rest of the team, and come and play soon!

To write a good love letter, you ought to begin without knowing what you mean to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

I'd like to enter this in the following:
At Vintage Stamping Challenges they are playing Pretty in Pink - pink is pretty rare for me, so this is a must!
At the Hobby House Challenge Spot the theme this month is Vintage
And at Bunny Zoe's Crafts they are helpfully playing Pink & White this month

59 comments:

froebelsternchen said...

a beautiful vintage piece Alison.. it´s good to try out things we usually don´t use ore make.. This is the only way to grow.. in life and in ART!

have a wonderful new week and take care of you!
xxx
Susi

Helen said...

Gorgeous colours, Alison, you should use them more often! I love the story you create for your artwork, and this is no exception. All told, this is a stunning piece of art.

Brenda Brown said...

Gorgeous Alison, I just love what you have achieved in the shabby chic style, it's certainly one that you have embraced beautifully. The rolled edges, the EF texturing and added elements have given this canvas superb texture and the photograph fits perfectly amongst it.
Have a good week, it's staying warm.
hugs {brenda} x0x

Annie said...

Absolutely fantastic Alison. Your attention to detail makes this so beautiful ...........I love all the elements.

Have a good week too

Hugs Annie x

Jenny Marples said...

What a fantastic way to dip your toe into the scrapping ocean! Love the choice of papers, the tearing and stencilling, and the composition of elements. Beautiful as always Alison. Hugs, Jenny x

Ephemera said...

Hi Alison, oooh I just love this, shabby chic is a fave of mine and this is a magnificent example, and even though you're not a 'Pink' girl, you do it so well. xx

Chrissy said...

This is beautiful Alison...loving the pink, you are destined to use pink..lol..gorgeous image and details,stunning papers,and loved the story...

Luv CHRISSYxx

Yvonne Garner said...

Alison, you always take my breath away with your fabulous, well thought out projects. You have masterfully crafted a vintage pink delight. I love how you use so many AO images from various sets. It truly is the hallmark of AO images. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us once again. Hogs, Yvonne

Claudia N. said...

Your canvas is adorable, Alison! I LOVE that bird cage and especially the damask texture - sooooo beautiful!

You created a treasure with your won Pion papers!

Hugs,
Claudia x

Redanne said...

Hi Alison, you always do 'out of your comfort zone' pieces so well and this is truly stunning! Hugs, Anne x

Astrid Maclean said...

Great LO/canvas Alison, I love it when you do something totally different but do it equally well, and like you say these papers are just perfect for this kind of project!

Mine never arrived, but in the end the kind people of Pion sent them again will you believe it, and this time they did get there. So far I have only stroked them....like you say, they are hard to cut into, they're so pretty...

Deborah said...

Wow, that is quite breathtaking, Alison! I think you can safely say scrapbooking and pink are now within your comfort zone.

Claire said...

Wow this is a real stunner, so romantic and I love the story behind it. You were so brave to use those gorgeous papers but your bravery paid off as the result is absolutely beautiful
Claire xx

Claire said...

ooops forgot to say thanks for joining us at VSC
Claire xx

Cestina said...

Oh a brilliant continuation of the story.....umm, should the presence of two glasses in his bedroom be revealed to her? Or is he just dreaming ahead of what he hopes will be?

I think you should put pink straight into your comfort zone, this is just lovely.

Candy C said...

Absolutely stunning project, Alison. I adore the colors and the papers. Your bringing color to the flowers in the photograph really adds so much not only to it but to the entire project. Love the dimensional flower,s too. Everything about this piece is so elegant, so feminine and such a sweet shabby vintage feeling. Love all of the torn edges, the stacking of papers...gosh, just everything. Reading your story as your inspiration for this piece is such a romantic tale! No wonder this piece has such a haunting romantic quality to it! <3 Candy

Julie Lee said...

What can I say! This piece of work is amazing: beautiful, imaginative, inspiring - these adjectives are just not vivid enough to describe it! And then the Emily Dickinson quote - such a lovely poem! I am in awe - Alison, you are a true artist who brings so much to her work! Julie Ann xx

Rita said...

This is so Stunning Alison. Hugs Rita xxx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Good Grief!! You've done it again - and in pink too!!! This is a truly lovely canvas with lovely words along with it! So much to take in one go so I'm going back for another look! Chrisxx

Mary Elizabeth said...

Alison -- simply beautiful ... I would never have guessed this came from someone pushing the borders of their comfort zone. It looks like you've been doing shabby chic, pink vintage projects every day of the week. You could not have paid homage to those lovely papers in a better way. Love ... love... love all of the details and texture, as well as the story interwoven in them. It makes the piece feel "lived in" and comfortable like a favorite sweater. (By the way, I have got to get that ticking texture stamp!!!!) Can't wait until the next installment of "her" story. Great way to start the week Alison! -- Mary Elizabeth

Hettie said...

Wow Alison. This is fantastic and I love the story behind it all!
For someone who doesn't do scrapbooking you put me to shame!
Hugs
xx

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Loads to see and admire on this creation Alison, lovely!

kind regards, Alie :-)

chrissie said...

Wonderful Alison and love the story woven into the canvas as you follow it through.

Beautiful textures, papers and images to use.

Love Chrissie x

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Beautiful! Love this! She is gorgeous and all her surroundings are wonderful! Great canvas!

Anonymous said...

what a gorgeous layout so much detail and beautiful photography, thank you for joining us at the Hobby House for our 2nd challenge
Hugs Kate xx

Paper Profusion said...

So so gorgeous Alison! I love those papers and each and every other element! The bird cage especially is wonderful (I might copy!) I was delighted to receive it from you, as I never did receive a promised goody bag from Crafty Emblies! All the delicate stencilling and stamping is just divine. What a beautiful Pion piece. Nicola x

Carol Q said...

lovely soft colours Alison and so pretty. you wouldn't know it was out of your comfort zone.

toni said...

So pretty Alison! Thank you for continuing the story, so many lovely details , i think you must have really enjoyed putting this beautiful piece together x

jasann said...

What a beautiful piece!!! You do beautiful work!! And I love the imaginary love story!!! Just love the way you are mentioning and photographing all the elements of this page, thanks for sharing!!!

May said...

Gorgeous layout... love the shabby chic feel, Love the soft colours & Beautiful design... you would never know you were out of your comfort zone...simply perfect... Hugs May x x

Silvia(Barnie) said...

That's an amazing layout - so much to see. Love all the torn edges. Thanks for joining us at FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping Challenges.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, vintage layout Alison. Love all of the layers and the embellishments. A real English Garden on a page ! Sue C x

Katherine said...

So beautiful I love all those layers Alison :)

Cocofolies said...

Well... it's pink, it's scrapbook... and it's just FABULOUS !!!!! Congrats Alison, I think I would love seeing more scrapbook pages like this one ! :) Coco x

Netty said...

Beautiful vintage inspired canvas, I definitely love this fab collage. hugs Annette x

cathylynn said...

What a beautiful canvas! I love the vintage style and the colors are beautiful. I also enjoyed reading along your post. You always create pure art!
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

Anonymous said...

WoW!!! I love you blog!!!
kiss from Spain.

Margaret said...

Oh, I do hope we don't have to wait until April to find out what happens... What an absolutely gorgeous layout (on canvas) and a marvelous story to boot! I am not normally a huge fan of pink but this is just so beautiful in all of it's vintage goodness!

Nan G said...

An amazing piece, Alison! Love the story line. And I too hope we won't wait too long for the next chapter in her/their story. :) So your next project you'll be jumping back into the neutrals and browns?

Terry said...

Pink, but not overly pinky! Gorgeous vintage feel and what a lovely story! So many wonderful and elegant details! Love that birdcage! Hugs and enjoy the week!

barbarayaya62 said...

Great canvas Alison!All details are perfect and it has a really romantic feeling! Stunning! BArbarayaya

hazel said...

This is stunning - a great design and I love the colours and all the fabulous elements that you've used to create your beautiful piece.
xxx Hazel.

AnyOldCraft said...

This is a beautiful creation.
Will look amazing hung on the wall.

Thank you for joining in the challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts.
http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.co.uk

Julie (AnyOldCraft) GDT

Lucy Edmondson said...

Absolutely glorious, Alison! I love your use of the different AO stamps, the turned up edges of the paper on the canvas background, and the feminine style and colourscheme which is perhaps a departure for you. Beautiful.

Lucy x

cbee said...

Absolutely stunning! It's a wonderful piece of art and I think you should scrap more often - you would create so beautiful layouts!

Elly said...

OMG!! This is utterly perfect shabby chic. Love it, love it, love it (:o)

Ozawa said...

Wow! It turned into something amazing! You have done good work out of the comfort zone :))

Dianne said...

So much to get caught up on, you have been busy, well this canvas is gorgeous, being out of your comfort zone doesn't seem to make a difference you still create a stunning piece of work.Every single inch is glorious and all you, thanks for sharing Alison..

Nikki Craft said...

Just adorable.....stunning layout:) I agree those Pion papers are so hard to cut into they are one of my favourites! Thanks for joining us at The Hobby House this time! Good Luck x

Hugs Nikki x

2amscrapper said...

love the muted color palette and all the details.

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

This is shabbily exquisite - the papers are gorgeous but the way you have combined everything is absolutely perfect. I really love the damask stenciled paste. Such a beautiful layout, Alison!

Hugs,
Linda

Kate Yetter said...

Quite an unusual theme for you but you nailed shabby chic! Love the soft colors of these papers and your embellishments. You picked a lovely photo as your focal point! Fab layout, Alison!

craftimamma said...

Yes you definitely did nail the shabby chic Alison. This canvas is wonderful with such gentle colours and beautifully thought out embellishments. Everything is perfectly proportioned and positioned and I love it!

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Mrs.B said...

Hi Alison, just been catching up - this is a beautiful canvas and as usual such attention to detail.
Lovely 'story' too.
Avril xx

Bonnie Irvine said...

This is such a delightful canvas and a beautiful story. When you write and illustrate you own book, I want to buy a signed copy. Absolutely fantastic in every detail. I love how the bits and bobs help to tell your story...or rather their story as well as delighting my eyes.

Lisa Minckler said...

I heard my heart clap over this! This is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! What an incredibly beautiful sight :)
Hugs to you while I nosey around your blog for awhile.
Lisa xx

Margie said...

Wow, look at the number of comments on this one Alison and I'm so sorry mine is so late but what a wonderful canvas you've created. Love the story and all the beautiful layers here. I think you are so brave with the rolling and ripping at the edges - it looks really good though. Love, Margie x

Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...

How did I miss this project? It is absolutely stunning Alison! So soft, delicate and romantic! No wonder you're one of the top picks at the Hobby House - well done my friend! xxx

Kezzy said...

Wow how romantic, your stories always makes your pieces extra special. This canvas is truly stunning, I love the soft pinks and the shabby chic look. Absolutely gorgeous :-) Kezzy :-) xxxx