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...

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Face Up To It

Hello all, lovely to have you stop by today.  It's the start of a new challenge at Fun With ATCs, and the theme for this fortnight is Faces.  There's some amazing inspiration from my fellow Design Team members, so do pop over and have a look... and then, why not play along?  Here's my starter for ten...


I ended up with quite a simple ATC in the end, as I felt the amazing Think and Wonder stamps from Artistic Outpost stamps could really speak for themselves.




I haven't used the whole of the stamps, of course... to isolate the faces, I inked up the stamp and then used a cloth to wipe away the areas I didn't want to have on the ATC.  

They're stamped in the blue from the ColorBox Archival set called Coffee House, with - in places - a hint of Seedless Preserves DI dotted onto the stamp too.










There's also some Seedless Preserves blended into the background of the ATC.  And once done, I spritzed some water into my fingers and flicked it onto the ATC, in the Tim Holtz spritz and flick (can you see why it's called that?!) technique.  I like the gentle mottled aging you get in the main image from the water spots.








The embossing round the edge is done with Stampendous Frantage Aged Silver embossing powder.  I love the slightly variegated colours within it.

I also added the same powder to the Idea-ology Foliage to create a flower that would really blend in with the rest.









So, come and have some Fun With ATCs with us... even if you've never tried the ATC format before. Just take a card 2.5 by 3.5 inches, and start to play!

That's me for today (except for the quotations of course), so for now I'll love you and leave you, and look forward to meeting you again, whether here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland!


I think your whole life shows in your face, and you should be proud of that.
Lauren Bacall

Strangers are exciting, their mystery never ends. But, there's nothing like looking at your own history in the faces of your friends.
Ani DiFranco

I'm entering this in Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stampers over at Ink On My Fingers, which by a fortunate coincidence, also has the theme Faces this week
And also in the Artistic Outpost November Referral programme: Anything Goes, using at least one AO stamp

50 comments:

Chrissy said...

How do you get so much gorgeousness on such a small space..I just folded a card and thought.. "I haven't even got a face small enough for this..lol..so lovely Alison.

Luv CHRISSYxx

Yvonne Garner said...

Your work is amazing!

Debi said...

very cool Alison- love the colours :-) Debi x

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is gorgeous Alison,lve the soft colours and the watery image..does that make sense..dream like and gorgeous!
Hope I have made sense!!! Hugs trace. X
This stamps are going on my ever growing wish let too!!!
X

chrissie said...

It certainly doesn't look simple Alison it is gorgeous. I love everything about this ATC.

Best wishes Chrissie xx

Deborah said...

It's a lovely ATC - I love the timeworn, faded look you have achieved.

Michelle Webb said...

This is awesome, I love that embossing powder, it looks so great. Michelle x

Michelle Webb said...

Ooh I'm your newest follower too. Love your ATC's. Michelle x

froebelsternchen said...

This is awesome Alison! this embossed edges and details makes it wonderful !

Jenny Marples said...

Superb ATC, brilliant timing - as you say, two Faces challenges covered by one piece. Love the faded beauty of your collage of faces. Hugs, Buttons x

Laurart said...

So beautiful! I love these stamps - you have done such a great job with such a limited area to work with. xxx

Astrid Maclean said...

+Stunning! The faces are so beautifully stamped and I love all the texture you have managed to create! Gorgeous ATC!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful stamping, & I love the embossing Alison

Claudia N. said...

The combination of the embossing with these wonderful fading colours is so absolutely beautiful, Alison!

Such a lovely ATC! Good luck over at InkOnMyFingers then! They just have to love it too!

Hugs,

Claudia xx

Paper Profusion said...

Hi Alison, Love your stamping technique - brilliant effect! Especially love the frantage - it given superb depth andd interest and to treat the embellishment in the same way is the icing on the cake for me. Nicola x

JoZart Designs said...

Your ATCs are mini works of art. I love the blue vintage tone of them and the heavily embossed edges.
Jo x

Redanne said...

Hi Alison, the way you have stamped the faces gives then a kind of ethereal feel which is perfect and love, love, love the Frantage, my latest obsession! Beautiful ATC, your work is wonderful, as ever. Hugs, Anne x

Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...

Fabulous ATC Alison! Love the colours and stamping and the Frantage embossing looks great! xx

Gerrie Johnnic said...

What a great look with the AO stamps!! Love your art GF!

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
thanks for commenting on my blog :-)
the stamp you were asking about is from ArtJourney which is situated in The Netherlands.

Love your creations, so much details, really amazing!

Rika said...

stunning ATC, I love the embosed edges!

Silvia(Barnie) said...

A beautiful face and a fantastic ATC.

Elaine said...

Great ATCs - love that stamp and the embossed edging!

Netty said...

Loving your beautiful ATC and the stamps are fab as is your flower, x

sam21ski said...

Gorgeous ATC Alison

Thanks for introducing me to this challenge site, have had a play and joined in

Sam xxx

Janny Jager said...

Very very beautiful Atc's Alison.
Great with the face.

Greetings Janny

catherine said...

These look amazing work as always Alison
x catherine

Nan G said...

I really like the way you work with face stamps! I need to get some so I can try this approach. Oh, as usual, this is a fab creation!

Lucy Edmondson said...

This is amazing, Alison. I love how you have isolated the faces but picked up a bit of the background of the two children. I love how you added the ep to the foliage to echo how you have used it around the edge. Perfect.

Lucy x

Anonymous said...

I believe her face has a story to tell and you used her so sympathetically.
Beautiful use of the Frantage (I've never tried this product) and I like how you altered the appearance of the embellishments with its use.
Wishes
Lynne

Michelle Webb said...

For the life of me, I don't know why I wasn't following you before Alison. Maybe I was on your other blog in your list. I've been itching to get the Word Play die for ages, I finally got round to it, and used it straight away. Thanks for your comment, you are always so very kind and say wonderful things. Michelle x

Hettie said...

This is gorgeous Alison and it is great to see how you have used these stamps. You see I have this set coming from my win with Funkie Junkie recently. If I win I like to buy stamps so they get kept as opposed to stash which gets given away!
Hugs
xx

Terry said...

I so love visiting you and taking in all the beauty of your art! Love the contrast of the embossing and stamped colors! Beautiful!!!! Oh I am loving that Fran-tage and picked up some new colors!

Hels Sheridan said...

GORGEOUS... I need some Frantage, been saying it for yonks lol Thanks for joining in with the Sunday Stamper x

Gillian .... said...

WoW! This is so striking, amazing effect from the embossing powder Alison. xx

Patti P. said...

Beautiful....I have to have some of that embossing powder. It makes such a gorgeous addition. I love your ATC.
hugs.....

Rita said...

Alison, those faces are beautiful and I love all your techniques as well. I think I need the frantage too. Hugs Rita xx

Mrs.B said...

So gorgeous, and so many details in such a small space. Brilliant job with the Frantage.
Avril xx

Marjie Kemper said...

This is so dreamy..... I love how you've done the smaller faces around the outside parts and that purple mixes so beautifully with the silver embossing. Lovely!

mark gould said...

Beautiful colours and images Alison, the colours work so well and I am becoming a fan of this frantage stuff now x

May said...

Alison.. This is Beautiful.. the faces are Fabulous Love the use of fran-tage.. Brilliant effect! Love it all.. Hugs May x x x

Lisa Somerville said...

I'm in love with this piece Allison! Fab use of the AO images, wonderful added embossed edges! Thanks for playing along with us at Artistic Outpost!

Anonymous said...

Stunning ATC Alison. Love the embossing and such fabulous stamping.
Regards Florence x

Bärbel said...

Was für ein grandioses ATC, Alison, das Spiel mit den Gesichtern ist ganz wunderbar und die Gestaltung mit dem Embossingpulver mit dem Überganz zur Verzierung, das ist so atemberaubend schön, ich bin ganz begeistert und muss mir dieses Embossingpulver unbedingt selbst zulegen.

Andrea Small said...

This is one of those - one of yours, I mean - that I could just look and look at. Those faces are full of stories...x

cbee said...

your ATC is wonderful! really love it!

Julia S-W said...

I absolutely love your stamps - I could have done with these earlier! Your ATC is beautiful and you have used one of my most favourite things: the aged silver (or any of the colours!) chunky enamel. I too love the shades they contain and I'm fast running out of silver and gold. Love it.
Juliaxx

Annie said...

Beautiful image Alison and I love the gold framing.

TFS

Annie x

Kati said...

What a wonderful atc you made!! Thanks for your comment. The girl-faces I used are some older rubberstamps. Two girls of paperbag studios.com-plate "Dreamer" and one girl of artjourney.nl-plate "smile".
hugs
mamapia

Margaret said...

Amazing work as always! I love the images and the embossing around them is fabulous! A beautiful piece!