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...

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Come buy, come buy!




Hello everyone! What with all the house-moving shenanigans, it's pretty quiet at my craft table at the moment... though the quiet was interrupted with some squealing when I found my Bluesy tag had been pinned by a certain Mr Tim Holtz!!

In any case, I thought I'd do a catching-up post today, as I continue to gather some of my GD projects together under the one roof.  So please don't feel you have to comment again...

This was my final project as Guest Designer for The Artistic Stamper in February.   As you know, I'm now thrilled to be a regular member of their team!

But here's what I offered up at the end of February, earlier this year...






So, I promised you something simpler for my final piece (in the hope of writing a post shorter than War and Peace for once)... and I did make something simpler, but I ended up making it in two different versions!







I knew I wanted to work with the glorious Victorian advertising bills - they are so much fun: fantastically detailed in their wording, with brilliant cartoons.  They are simply wonderful pieces of print ephemera that rocket me back in time when I look at them.


My first thought was that I wanted to stick them on a wall; a grimy, crumbling wall in a forgotten alleyway, with these three ancient posters still clinging on.  So I had to create a wall background... 







Lots of ways to do that - you could use the Decorative Strip Die by Sizzix, or some texture paste through a stencil.  I used an embossing folder, Tim Holtz's Bricked Texture Fade on a large tag (running it through twice to emboss the whole thing).






Then I set about it with some inks - Vintage Photo, Pumice Stone, Black Soot and Aged Mahogany - until I had a suitably grungy look.  


I used the Paper Distresser on the edges, and then ran the Black Soot DI pad around them to give it a good strong inky edging.

For the posters themselves, I did a bit of TH's wrinkle free distress technique using Old Paper and Antique Linen DIs - not too much ink, as I wanted age spots rather than a complete change of colour. 








I'd already done one version with darker inks, very beautiful, but once I'd stamped the images, they didn't really look like posters.

So with this new, paler version, I stamped the three adverts in Black Archival, and then did lots of distressing - ripping, rolling, using the TH paper distresser, and adding Vintage Photo to some of the tears and creases.  It's one of my favourite things to be able to age a piece of paper like this!









Simple enough then to stick the bills on the wall (hope I don't get prosecuted), all in a row, and add some trimmings.  

And you can read what you like about Victorian society into those trimmings: it's raffia, inky twine and some leather all tied up with a beautiful shiny satin black ribbon.




I was pretty pleased with that, but I still had those spare stamped images still sitting on my desk, stamped on the darker inky paper (two sets in fact, safety in numbers you know).  I started shuffling them around, thinking that they'd look pretty good in a slightly grungier version of the tag.













I grabbed some corrugated card, and added Distress Stains and thick gesso to it randomly and roughly.  

I created a background like this for a recent project and really liked it, so it was fun to resurrect it.  It creates a fantastically grungy, textural mess - no other word for it really.







I gave my three posters the distressing treatment again, and started positioning them on the tag.  They seemed to want to go in the other direction for this one, so I let them.






It was crying out for some metalwork, but I didn't want to go too smart...















... so I used some black alcohol ink to grunge up a key and some pen nibs from my stash, as well as an Idea-ology clock.

I like the grimy look of this - like the soot-ridden London streets of the nineteenth century.














I particularly love how the clock looks, with the black face and the figures sanded back to reveal the gold underneath.










I've always sort of thought that I was born in the wrong century, and I'd love to go back in time and visit, but looking at these images did just make me wonder whether my historical glasses are a little rose-tinted... were they really the "good old days"?

So I added a little slogan at the bottom asking just that question... stamped in black on paper inked to match the advertisements.




Again, I added some varied trimmings: string, raffia and some black paper string to tie them together.  

So there are my two variations on a theme using these fabulous little stamps, and I think I've brought it in under the 10,000 word mark!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, and Happy Crafting!


Ingredients:
Stamps: Goose Grease, Phineas Pinchbeck and Squaretoes Continuous Lunch
Distress Inks: Vintage Photo, Aged Mahogany, Pumice Stone, Black Soot
Distress Stains: Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Old Paper, Antique Linen
Ranger Archival: Black
Alcohol Inks: Pitch Black
Gesso
Idea-ology: Time Pieces, Game Spinners
Decorative Strip Die Brick Wall (as an alternative to Bricked Texture Fade)
Tim Holtz Paper Distresser

Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.
Marcel Proust


48 comments:

Kate Yetter said...

Gorgeous tag! So vintage!

Marci said...

I hadn't seen these, I don't think. Wonderful grunginess(sp)? They do look like very old posters.

barbarayaya62 said...

Your tags are both amazing! Love your background and stamps are very very beautiful and you use them so amazing! Being pinned by Mr.Tim a good feeling! congrats! Barbarayaya

brenda said...

Apologies in advance that I am still in copy/paste mode, but I still like to peek at what my favourite blogs are up to.

B x

Annie said...

Woohoo....how fab Alison x love these cheeky chaps....TFS and hope all going well with the house move

Annie x

chrissie said...

Sounds like you have been very busy whilst I was away-hope you have some 'Me Time' soon

Great work on the tags.

Love Chrissie x

Neil said...

Beautiful work as always. Yep, rose tinted glasses working overtime I think. I sometimes long for what appears for a simpler life but still want running water and mod cons.....

Astrid Maclean said...

Gosh, I had quite forgotten this piece, so good to revisit it and congrats on being pinned by Mr TH!!

Redanne said...

It is lovely being pinned by Mr T and this so deserves a place! Hugs, Anne x

toni said...

Hi Alison, love these tags ! I'm so tempted to get those stamps! I'm not surprised Mr Holtz pinned your Bluesy tag as it is a very beautiful take on the challenge. Hope the house moving is going well ! toni x

May said...

Congrats on the bluesy tag whoop whoop....Love these two tags... the images are Brilliant..fantastic texture & colours... Have a happy week... Hugs May x x x

Kath Stewart said...

wow what a feast for our eyes...lots of gorgeousness on these tags and woohoo...well done on being pinned by Mr TH..hugs kath xxx

cathylynn said...

Love these tags and so does Tim! The stamps are fabulous! Hopefully your move will be all done soon.
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

Claudia N. said...

LOVE THEM, Alison!

This is definitely what you do best - your use of corrugated card mixed with exquisit stamping and colour choice - brilliant as usual and sooo beautiful!

Hugs,
Claudia x

Hettie said...

Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous.
Hugs
xx

Terry said...

So stunning and vintage! I love that background for the interesting characters! Hugs!

Netty said...

loving the vintage grunge and congratulations Alison, Annette x

ionabunny said...

Grungy gorgeousness. Love those tags

Anonymous said...

Hi Alison
Sorry I haven't been in contact but I was suddenly struck with illness on Friday bedtime, this is the first of me trying to spend a little bit of time on-line.
Isn't this just fabulous the textures are wonderful, I do so want to reach out and touch it.
Wishes
Lynne

House of Bears said...

Such fabulous are work as usual. We have the Goose Grease stamp and really must dig it out to use. You've inspired us.

Carol Q said...

woo hoo Alison - I can imagine your excitement at being pinned by TH himself! what a hilarious quirky set of stamps. I love your brickwork background too.

pearshapedcrafting said...

Love what you've done with these! The brick wall is a genius idea, love the tag too! So happy for you, can imagine the squeals of delight! Well done to Tim for spotting it!!! Hugs, Chrisx

sam21ski said...

Wicked stamps!!!!

Sam xxx

Dorthe said...

Dear Alison, all your extra`s ...the way you altered the cardboard.. the key ,-so gorgeous, and the clock, even more... your creation is amazing, the distressed look all over, is just fabolous !!
xo, Dorthe

Mary Elizabeth said...

Love your words (all 9,999 of them :) ) and your lovely craftwork. I really enjoyed reading about the process of creating these pieces. Wow!! The cartoons on those stamps are wonderful. They made me smile. The bills on the brick wall are really great. I love the wrinkle-free distress on the bills. They looked like they had been on that wall for some time. The cardboard and sooty metal looked fab too. Both projects gave me the feel of industrial revolution London. Excellent "simple" makes for your last post as Guest Designer.

Oh ... and congrats on Tim's pin of the beautiful bluesy tag!!! -- Mary Elizabeth

Brenda Brown said...

Fabulous project and I'm not surprised tim pinned your tag, it is beautiful. Hope the house clearing is going well.
hugs {brenda} x0x

Michelle said...

Fabulous projects! I adore those images. They're so fun!

Shelby said...

How cool your work was pinned by Tim H.! As always your tags are just scrumptious and beautifully done with textures. Love em

Shelby

froebelsternchen said...

No surprise Tim tagged your work Alison.. always amazing!
This is a wonderful creation too!
Hopefully your move will be all done soon.
xxx
Susi

craftytrog said...

Fabulous artwork Alison, I love those stamps! x

Lucy Edmondson said...

This is gorgeous, Alison. Huge congrats on being pinned by Tim,

Lucy x

Cocofolies said...

I don't remember that I have already put a comment on this, so let's me tell you that I love it !!! Additionally this set of funny stamp faces is really beautiful. And congrats for your tag pinned by Tim himself Alison! :) Hugs, Coco xx

Victoria said...

Congratulations on the pinning! Bet that feels pretty good! I always love seeing your creations - you create such gorgeous works of texture. I always learn a lot from you :)

Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...

This project looks just s fabulous add I remembered it. A bit wicked but so much fun and the textures look amazing. Hope you will get settled soon and get more time to create! xx

Princess Judy Palmer said...

Yum yum! cold goose liver-my personal favorite. As usual, such a great attention to detail! Fun stuff.

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Sensational - the images are so wonderful and another gorgeous vintage color palette! Wonderful textures and great use of the Idea-ology products!

Hugs,
Linda

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Congrats on being pinned by Tim :) Your final project looks FANTASTIC.

craftimamma said...

I must have missed these first time round Alison so glad you showed them again in detail. They are fabulous and very 'atmospheric'. Love that wonderful grimy brick background. I have that embossing folder so must have a go at that effect.

Congratulations on the TH pinning!

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Anonymous said...

Wow. I love this piece. Thanks for sharing. Karen.x

Jo said...

Wow, love the whole grungyness of this, loads of texture and distress. Jo xx

Dianne said...

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, what else is there to say but I looooooooove both of them, STUNNING work my dear Miss Butterfly, your work makes me weak, thanks so much for sharing these..

Sandy said...

Now this is good - funny and fantastic. I really love these tags and I like the brown and black together. What fun! I never thought of using goose grease on my mustache - I always just cooked with it.
Sandy

Margaret said...

Both projects are fabulous and I love the posters, however, I have to say that the question on the bottom of the tag is brilliant! Not sure I'm cut out for that kind of fine dining either...

Nan G said...

How did I miss these? Maybe old age has addled my grey matter...so these are like a breath of grungy perfection ! Absolutely love them, butterfly!

Shirley said...

This one scared me too much Alison so I ran away

Back for a second look and realised there was food involved ... my fave "Snapper Soup and especially Sheep's Tongues". Licking lips as we speak!!

Gorgeous indeed not scary at all.

Crafty hugs from Shirl x x

Dorthe said...

Just gorgeous Alison.. those stamps are fantastic, and added to the corrugated cardboard with penns ,key and clock in black so gorgeous,-- the other tag with your wonderful created background is great ,too !!
xo, Dorthe

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Love these images...so fun! Awesome corrugated background! Congrats on the pin too!

Kezzy said...

Wow these images are wicked and I love what you have done with them, the embossed brick background is awesome and really gives you the feel of the past and the grungy tag is gorgeous and the metal work with black alcohol pens are fantastic. Hugs :-) Kezzy xxxxxx