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Saturday 23 May 2015

Dawn Chorus

Hello all... After a quiet start to the month, it's hotting up around here now.  I was over at PaperArtsy last night (I hope you'll check out my Word Tags if you missed them), and today it's a Magpie Day of inspiration over at Country View Challenges.  I wasn't able to be part of the main Simply Scenic inspiration this month, so I'm really happy that I was able to squeeze in a scenic postcard for this.


I've kept it simple with some of my favourite Distress Ink colours and various stamps combined to create a dawn chorus scene.  Did anybody catch the marvellous "slow season" on BBC4?  There was a two hour canal trip, glass-blowing, furniture making and an hour of the dawn chorus - all without soundtrack or voiceover - magical!





Well, this postcard probably qualifies for a similar world of simplicity... some ink, some stamps and some water.

I blended Faded Jeans, Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo Distress Inks on to a textured postcard, and spritzed water at them with my new T.H. water spray bottle... Yes, I know, I gave in, but looking at this I'm already glad that I did!












The tree silhouettes are formed by the two halves of a Penny Black stamp (used in one of my favourite journalling pages from earlier this year).  It's actually a narrow avenue of trees, but by inking up one half at a time you can have the trees as far apart as you need them!











Along the ground in between I used one of the PaperArtsy Hot Picks birds & grasses images, stamped in a combination of Jet Black Archival and Rusty Hinge, just to get a slightly burnished tone of early morning sunshine on the birds.










The "Postcard" at the top is a Darkroom Door stamp, and I drew the dividing line with a PITT pen.













Another Darkroom Door stamp provides the writing on the postcard, stamped in Faded Jeans so that it would fade into the background.













The words from the Small Talk sticker set seemed about perfect for the theme, and I added shading around them, first of all with Inktense pencils, and then with Faded Jeans and Rusty Hinge Distress Stains, applied with a water brush.








I liked the effect so much I repeated it around the edges of the card to give a bit of extra texture.  So now there are splatters of removed ink and splatters of extra ink.

I thought that was that... but then it occurred to me that I maybe wanted to preserve the colours a bit.  Don't get me wrong, I adore Distress Inks, but over time the colours can fade a little if they're out on display.




So I decided to clear emboss the whole thing.  I tapped the Versamark ink pad all over the postcard and applied the powder, and I love the result.  Not only are the colours more vivid (because of light getting refracted and so intensifying the colour spectrum - or something like that!), but there's a delicious enamelled texture to it.


And of course it catches the light which, as you know, I love as an effect.  Most of the photos in this post are of the plain ink version... just the first and the last photos give you the embossed effect.

So there's my Simply Scenic postcard for you.  I hope you'll hop over to Country View Challenges to check out the Magpie inspiration from the rest of my fabulous team-mates, and I'll see you again soon.

Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety.
René Daumal

I'd like to enter this in the Vintage Garden theme over at the new Anything But Cute Challenge.  I hope with the inks, pencils, staining and embossing it's mixed media enough to qualify!
And at A Sprinkle of Imagination it's an Anything Goes theme, as long as you use at least one product available in the store - the Distress Inks and Stains are all there.


65 comments:

Helen said...

ooh, Alison, this is a beautiful postcard!! I missed the Slow Season but wished I'd seen the canal trip, I read about it on twitter!! It was a great idea to clear emboss the postcard, preserving and enhancing the intensity of your gorgeous colours. Have a good weekend.

Shilpa Nagaonkar said...

Wonderful scene!! Love the colors and love your idea to preserve them with embossing.

sally said...

Oh, I want to be in that dawn....I can hear the birdies tweeting as I type :-)!

Sally

chrissie said...

Very beautiful postcard Alison and just the sort of place I like to explore.

Have a lovely weekend

Chrissie xx

Lauren Hatwell said...

WOW! This is just magical and you really have caught the mood perfectly. It's lovely! I NEVER think to emboss a whole piece so that's something I'd love to try out soon. I love the effect and it really does make the colours more vibrant doesn't it. Lx

Amanda said...

Glad you squeezed it in as it's beautiful!
Love
Amanda x

Anneke said...

This card looks so special. It makes me want to go there because it
looks so pieceful and warm. Very inspiring. Thanks for showing it makes me feel happy Anneke.

Jane said...

What a gorgeous postcard Alison....it is so relaxing to look at and the sheen makes me think of long summer holidays x

Astrid Maclean said...

Fabulous postcard, great colours, it just seems to glow and I can almost hear the chorus...

Ruth said...

Beauty in it's simplicity...just wonderful. I too can hear the birds and feel the serenity that only comes with dawn. Fabulous Alison. Ruth x

Unknown said...

So full of atmosphere, I love the colours and the pretty countryside scene you have created xx

Jennie Atkinson said...

A gorgeous background Alison which works so well with your foreground stamps. A stunning postcard which has a lovely serene happy feel. Jennie x

Jenny Marples said...

And I could gaze at this for hours, getting lost in thoughts of evening sunsets. Everything about this just sings to me and the clever idea to emboss it all is the perfect finishing touch. Jenny x

Kirsten said...

So beautiful.

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Absolutely beautiful,Alison. Perfect scenic postcard and I love Tim's small talk stickers,they are so useful
Big hugs
Donna xxx

Marci said...

Outstanding! I love this.

Marci said...

Outstanding! I love this.

froebelsternchen said...

Just AMAZING Alison!
Happy weekend!

Lys said...

A beautiful scenic post card, Alison! The shades of splatters and highlighting the colours with the embossing powder are Great ideas !

Pamellia said...

Wow Alison, what a stunner!! Amazing blend of earth and sky, and the silhouetted plants are so stunning I'm so glad you took that last picture so we could see the embossed finish, it really is gorgeous hugs :)

Pamellia said...

Oh my gosh, I was so busy pinning this beautiful project that I forgot to say how honoured I am you have joined us at Anything But Cute for our 'Vintage Garden' challenge, and yes it's plenty mixed media enough! Hugs, Pamellia DT :)

Corrie Herriman said...

Gorgeous, Alison !
Corrie x

Kay Wallace said...

Love that clever water brush technique you used around your words and the edges of the postcard, Alison. Especially around the words, it seems to create an mystical aura. Love your color palette here, too. Thanks for sharing, my friend!

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

I ADORE THIS!!!! Breathtaking simplicity and what a glorious scene! Just super!!!

Linda S. said...

This really is a beautiful piece of work. Thanks so much for sharing how you created some of the special effects, and where the products you used originated from. I was not aware of the fading of distress inks over time. It seems the cards I make using them are either housed in a box, safe from daylight, waiting to be sent out, or they have been given away, and I don't ever get the chance to see them again. Your work is lovely.

Juliz Design Post said...

Love the depth of your scene and the vibrancy of colours works beautifully.
Julie x

Pawsitively Creative said...

Wonderful use of DI and mixed media techniques on this Scenic postcard. The end result with the embossing is spectacular!

Thanks so much for joining in our first challenge, "Vintage Garden", at Anything But Cute. Hugz! ~Niki DT

Chrissy said...

Stunning Alison..love the colours and stamps and the gorgeous gloss...beautiful.

luv CHRISSYxx

Redanne said...

This is just so, so beautiful Alison, the kind of postcard anyone would love to receive! The embossing just took it to another level - gorgeous!! Anne xx

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Lovely effects...the colours and techniques are awesome Alison...a great make!
Greetings, Alie :-)

Julia Aston said...

I just LOVE this Alison! what great splotchy colors - intense spots and watery spots - love the text, birds and grasses stampings - and over all embossing seals it up and gives it a glow - I want to try this now! Julia xx

rachel said...

Hi Alison - I adore postcard you have made - the colours are beautiful and the scene so lovely! wonderful! Hugs rachel x

S@ndy Diller said...

You may say simple, I say simply lovely!!

Hettie said...

Beautiful Alison.... I can hear the birdies! They sure sound better than some of the errrr music??? if I can call it that, that has been endured on TV tonight!!! My turn to choose what we watch tomorrow!!
Hugs and have a good Bank Holiday.
xx

Maremi's Small Art said...

Simply amazing !!!

selena said...

magnifique page!

Vintagehandmade said...

Absolutely beautiful, Alison! Amazing colours and fantastic techniques! Stunning embossing effect! I LOVE this!
Thank you so much for joining In our Vintage Garden challenge at Anything But Cute!
Branka xxx

Rita said...

Absolutely wonderful Alison. I can just about hear the birds singing. Have a good Day my friend. Hugs Rita xxx

sarascloset said...

Alison, when I saw your thumbnail at Anything But Cute, my initial draw was the enameled corners of this piece, so I had to come in for a closer look. I'm drawn to enamel and rust like a magnet these days! Now that I get to see this amazing work of art, I could just sit and stare for hours! I love the watery background, and now curious about this new TH bottle you mention.

What a lovely, inky mixed media scene you have created using so few products--love it's simplicity and the magical quality of a morning in the garden! Breath taking in a word!

Thank you for joining in with our Vintage Garden Challenge at Anything But Cute! Hugs! Sara Emily DT ( I still can't believe I have the honor of being on Pamellia's DT!!! and have to pinch myself every time I say that!)

bkazoo said...

lovely

Anna-Karin said...

Wonderful card Alison! I love the colours and the gorgeous scene. Great sentiment too!

Willy said...

Beautiful card, love it!!!

Jackie PN said...

WOW! Stunning!! xo

craftytrog said...

The enamelling really intensifies the colour, this is beautiful Alison! xxx

experiments in paper said...

Fabulous, Alison!! You have really captured the dawn light here, and I love how you've used all the stamps to such wonderful effect. And clear embossing - brilliant!! Will have to tuck that trick into my back pocket for sure - xxx Lynn

Cec said...

Love the colours on this postcard - earth to sky on one page. Love the stamping, the embossing and the splotches where you have added and removed colour. Thanks for joining us at Anything But Cute.
Hugs!
Cec

craftimamma said...

'Simply' stunning is what I'd call this Alison! The techniques may be relatively simple but the end result is anything but and I love it. I love Distress Inks but have to admit the fading is a real nuisance. When you've created something you really like only to see it slowly disappear it's a real shame.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Candy C said...

Alison, I adore this! I totally love the blended and spritzed background. The blue sky melding down into the golden fields is just beautiful. Love your stamped tall grasses in the foreground and the simplicity of your sentiment.

Cocofolies said...

A simply fabulous postcard, I love the scene you have created and your choice of distressed colours and shades, very beautiful. And that's a good idea to emboss in clear the whole card, the colours will not risk to disappear!
Well, I've just admired your project with the butterflies at Calico too.. Also a stunner Alison.
Now I will look at your PA's project rather tomorrow if I can, I prefer as I'm really tired tonight behind my PC and don't see well the details I much love... :) Hugs, Coco xx

Unknown said...

Beautiful postcard, Alison! A dawn chorus of creativity, indeed!! I completely love how you finished this with clear embossing the whole postcard! Genius! Just Fabulous!! :) XOXO-Shari

Kasia said...

Oh WOW! What a fabulous postcard! Love it! Amazing creation, Alison :) Hugs!

Anke said...

WOW WOW WOW fantastic, I love it.

Hugs
Anke

Samra said...

What a stunning piece of art this is!!! Gorgeous colors and fantastic design! Thank you for joining Vintage Garden at Anything But Cute!
Samra DT

pearshapedcrafting said...

I saw this on my side bar the other day and then lost connection - I was looking forward to seeing it and I must say it is even better now I have seen it properly! Definitely something I will be trying! Hugs, Chrisx

Marjie Kemper said...

This just makes me smile..... it's stunning and I love the all-over preservation.

Deb said...

So beautiful Alison! Gorgeous colour palette and the simplicity of the scene just lets the beautiful colours and textures created by the water droplets and extra inking steal the show. Love the embossing as well, such beautiful shine and textures!

Paper Profusion said...

This goes to the top of my favourite artworks of yours Alison! Seriously beautiful. You have worked wonders with your ingredients and artistry. The 'water effects' really place this into a higher league. Nice tip too thanks about how you did the tree borders. Exceptional!! Nicola x

Julie Lee said...

Alison, this is genius! Those birds in the grasses are, I think, one of my all-time favourite Hot Picks! It just gives me a thrill every time I see it used. You have truly captured the dawn in all its subtle loveliness. The colours are magnificent and your technique beyond beautiful! Lovely, lovely work! xxx

Mrs.B said...

Beautiful postcard scene. Love the colours.
Avril xx

Unknown said...

Just popping back again to say thanks for joining our challenge Alison at Anything But Cute, hugs, Gee xx

jaine drake said...

Oh my goodness I love this postcard. How lovely to see postcard art again. Thanks for entering it for our challenge at ASOI. x

scrappymo! said...

Love this one! I love the scene itself but mostly I love the words as that is one of the mottos we live by.
The scenic route to us does not have to be the costly, travel magazine route...though i have had some of those.

To us, it is in the daily workings of life. Taking the scenic route is a world of tiny perfect moments, frozen forever in your memory, to be savoured at random in moments of leasure.

Lisa Minckler said...

There's so much that has already been said about this, but the words that struck me immediately were, "absolutely tranquil." I need a place like this in real life. :)
hugs,
Lisa x

Mary Elizabeth said...

I can see why the Distress Stains are becoming your go to Distress form. Amazing. These warm summer days, with windows open to let the breeze in at night, I wake at dawn almost every morning with the chorus of feathered friends and no traffic. This image parallels the feeling from those early morning peaceful moments. Talk about color making something sing!! And the clear embossing enhanced it all. Love where you are going with translucence these days. And the little detail of continuing the blue edging around "the scenic route". Love that too. Adding this to one of my faves for the way it makes me feel. -- ME

Sandy said...

Beautiful! I can honestly say this - the scenic route is always with you!!
Sandy xx