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...

Friday 20 October 2017

Winter Sunlight





Hello all - I'm so glad you enjoyed my frosted falling leaves over at A Vintage Journey.

We're even more wintry here today with another quick catch up for my PaperArtsy word stamps launch samples, as we've made it back round for another sample using EAB05 The Winter Edition.

This one started with a real collision of words and picture. I'd just been finalising the plates, so had the quotes going around in my head, when Pinterest dropped this photo into my email inbox.  It seemed to me to be a match made in heaven for this glorious quote.

Initially, I was thinking of trying to re-create the photo in mixed media form but then I thought, "well, I don't work with photos very often, but plenty of people do... what a useful opportunity to show that the quotes can work for that kind of scrapping too".






So I printed the photo out and set about trying to create a setting for it which wouldn't let it down but, on the other hand, which wouldn't overwhelm it.  (I see now that maybe there's a reason I don't do this very often!)

Influenced partly by the words, I guess, I reached for the White Fire Fresco paint.  PaperArtsy have excellent metallic shades, as well as a Metallic Glaze which you can add to any of their paints, but White Fire is out and out my all time favourite metallic paint.  (It's my favourite colour of Treasure Gold too - no surprises there.)












I brayered the paint onto some Smoothy card and was immediately delighted with the subtle lustre.













Over that, I stamped the fabulous twigs from Hot Picks 1008 multiple times to give me the woodland atmosphere.













And there are lots of fine twiggy branches in the picture too, of course.













One of the things I really love in the photo is the sense of movement from the snow in the air, and I wanted to try to echo that.  I used a palette knife to apply texture paste through a splatter stencil (I think it was glossy transparent paste but it's tough to remember exactly this long after making it.)












While the paste was still wet, I sprinkled Rock Candy Dry Glitter over it, and then let the whole thing dry and set.












Trying to match that extraordinarily lovely blue of the shadows in the photo wasn't as hard as I thought at first.

It turned out that Fresco Blueberry was just in the right tonal range, so I painted a couple of coats (it's translucent so you need that for coverage) onto some more Smoothy paper.














That served as both the frame in the matted layers and as the plaque for Thoreau's words.
















I stamped the quote in Versamark and used the Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder on it. 













I love that these stamps are so well made - firm rubber, deeply carved - that you can emboss them and still have a sharp finish on what are really very small letters, especially when you get to the author's name.

I also love how you get that fabulous fiery gleam when the words catch the light.









Finally there's some Blueberry splatter amidst the snow to tie things together.

So a bit of a hop out of kin for me... photos AND glitter... who knew?!  Not the kind of thing you see very often round here, but I was aiming to show another side to these word stamps... I want to share the inspiration they give me as widely as possible!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  We've one final round of samples to get through -one Music and Silence, one Autumn Edition and one Winter Edition left to go - and those posts will make their way to you as and when there's time and space!  For now, happy crafting all, and I'll see you soon.





The colour of springtime is in the flowers, the colour of winter is in the imagination.
Ward Elliot Hour

30 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

Beautiful piece, love the cool colours. Hugs, Valerie

Monika Gulyas said...

Beautiful words and pictures!!! Awesome wintry background!!! xx

Fliss said...

Really stunning artwork Alison. Your background is so lovely and a perfect match for the beautiful atmospheric photo. The blueberry mat frames the background so well too.
Can't wait to see your other samples soon.
Fliss xx

Helen said...

wow, what a beauty! the embossing of the quote is quite quite perfect (last time I tried to emboss something I failed miserably, think my EP has gone "off" - it's very old!) and the starting photo is gorgeous. I just love how your supporting art works so well.

Dortesjs said...

quotes, I do love this, awsome background. your so good at this i enjoy very much your work. Thank you

sarascloset said...

Lovely words and pictures brought together perfectly at your talented hands! Bring on the glitter! It looks beautiful amongst the twigs! Gorgeous photo on a stunning background, and that quote looks pretty amazing embossed in that shimmery powder! Hugs!

Mrs.B said...

This looks stunning, the perfect quote for that picture. Love the background.
Just off for a catch up to see what I missed while on holiday.
Avril xx

brenda said...

You have achieved a really lovely Wintery feel Alison, you can almost feel the frost in the air.

Have a good weekend.

B x

Art By Wanda said...

This is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!

Marci said...

Lovely background and stamping.

craftytrog said...

Beautiful!!! x

Patty O'Malley said...

This looks fantastic, Alison. I love the wintry effect you created.

My name is Erika. said...

Gorgeous winter pages. You really do winter art well. You must feel some affinity for the season. Happy start to your weekend. Hugs-Erika

Paper Profusion said...

Very serendipitous of Pinterest - they are a perfect match! Your blueberry paint choice works fantastically too!! Gorgeous make Alison. Happy weekend! Nicola x

froebelsternchen said...

That's absolutely BEAUTIFUL Alison!
oxo Susi

Dorthe said...

I love your gorgeous snowy background Alison, -snowflakes really glitters, when being caught in the light, just as yours are doing here . And the lovely thin branches echoes the photo beautifully.
There is a magic feeling to your background, and the photo, together,- which Thoreau`s words in silvery splendor , are perfectly covering !! Just amazing !!
Hugs, Dorthe

maj. said...

What a beautiful background! Great artwork!

Meggymay said...

You created fantastic base layers for the beautiful photo. The colour choices and the words all go perfectly together.
Yvonne xx

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Absolutely stunning Alison, a really atmospheric creation,beautiful
Hugs
Donna xx

Kate Yetter said...

Wow! The splatters with the glitter is spectacular and looks exactly like snow! I love the look you have achieved Alison!
Kate

Craftyfield said...

I love the shine and the pearlescence of the background, it does speak of snow... A lovely photo too, well chosen!

Redanne said...

The photograph is beautiful and you really have made the most of it with your gorgeous wintry background and the perfect sentiment! Anne xx

Jane said...

Your card is so beautiful Alison. The colours all work so well together and the gold words are the icing on the cake. I love your words you created for PA...just delightful. The rock candy gives a delicious finish too. Enjoy your weekend, hugs xxx

Mary Elizabeth said...

Oh yes ... that quote and the photo ... a match made in the heavens. Love the use of liquid platinum embossing powder on the quote. Goes quite well with the glitter :) Really such a brilliant background for the photo. Amazing. Hugs -- ME

pearshapedcrafting said...

Wow! If you hadn't given the game away at the start of your post I would have been wondering which came first - your background is beautiful - with such a beautiful shining light! Perfect for your photo - and of course the quote fits this so well! Hugs, Chrisx

Sue said...

Really lovely Alison, you can feel the chill here xx

Jackie PN said...

Absolutely breathtaking dear Alison!
Is there anything you can not work with that turns out so lovely?!
this would make a lovely greeting card,just saying!
Thank you for sharing!
Jackie xo

Gio said...

I love this unusual matching between a photo and MixedMedia techniques. The quote is perfect, the overall design, even if winter-ish, is bold and bright. Amazing!

rachel said...

this is so striking - wow! Hugs rachel x

Kirsten said...

That's lovely, the background complements the photo so well.