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 10 September 2013

Earn Your Stripes

Good grief (Charlie Brown), it's busy here at Words and Pictures this week!  I'm just squeezing in my DT post for the new challenge at Fun With ATCs between PaperArtsy projects.  I hope you've enjoyed Projects One and Two so far - number Three will appear later today.

But first of all it's time to invite you to come and play with our new Fun With ATCs challenge theme: Stripes (I told you it was busy!).  

Remember, Artist Trading Card size projects only, please - that's 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  And here's my stripy offering for you...


I originally set off in a completely different direction with this.  Here's the quick proof...






Stripey kraft glassine, run through a stripey embossing folder...






Stripey Tim Holtz stencil, overlaid with Artistic Outpost stripey ticking stamp from the Kudzu Kafe set...







But I was thinking too hard, and then I got completely stuck, so I abandoned all that for another day and another project.








Instead, I grabbed some tissue tape and just let what wanted to happen happen.




It's just such lovely stuff - easy to work with, so pretty, and it does most of the work for you.  I just laid down some strips of it onto a piece of 2.5 x 3.5 cardstock, and there you have them: stripes!

You know what?  I was pretty tempted to just leave it there!

But no, I reached for the Fresco Snowflake, and whitewashed it.  I usually just put a blob of paint on the craft mat, give it a quick spritz of water and then mix that direct on the paintbrush and onto the project.









Then I remembered I had some lovely Kaisercraft lace, quite narrow, which would work nicely as textural and dimensional stripes, so I grabbed a few pieces of that.

You get five different styles within one pack - pretty handy.



And then, although there are already plenty of words going on within the tissue tape, I thought we should really have some more prominent ones.

So I found myself a nice wide Tim Holtz sentiment - not too tall either - that could be another "stripe" within my ATC.  













I distressed the edges with the Tim Holtz paper distresser, and that was really pretty much that.  

Simple, stripey, and it really makes me happy!

I hope you'll have time to pop over to Fun With ATCs and see the lovely inspiration from my fabulous team-mates, and - even better - I hope you'll have time to play along with our Stripes challenge this fortnight.








I'll be back at 7pm today with my third and final PaperArtsy post for September.  It would be wonderful to see you then.

Oh... and I nearly forgot: since it's Tuesday, I'm over at Artistic Outpost today too.  I think I need a lie-down!

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The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.
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32 comments:

Paper Profusion said...

Well done Alison for being so productive whilst still maintaining fabulous results. I reckon the whitewash here is what makes this little stripey treasure. Gorgeously done! Nicola x

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Such a nice combi of stripes Alison!

Francesca said...

Hi Alison, how do you fit it all in, LOL Love the colours. xxx

Redanne said...

Brilliant work, as ever, this is gorgeous - the lace is so beautiful. You are certainly a busy girl! Hugs, Anne x

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is wonderful , great stripes! Hugs trace x

Astrid Maclean said...

Fab stripy creation and good luck with all your other projects!! Don't know how you keep up with it all!

Mary Elizabeth said...

It makes me happy too! If it had been me, I would still be staring at the first attempt at this project (vertical stripes) and unhappy:) Thanks for sharing that moment with us. When I get an idea, I sometimes feel like I have to force it to work. Sometimes it's advisable to just call it a day and use it later. Gorgeous stripes. Love the lace and of course the texture tape! Really like that the sentiment itself is a stripe:) Great piece Alison!

Deborah said...

Love that whitewashed look. I'm a recent convert to Tim's tissue tape and I love it.

brenda said...

I always find ATC sizes a bit scary, just the same as large cards, all in the mind of course.

Loving the soft blues and lace, puts me in mind of some rather well known china Alsion.

B x

Meggymay said...

Gorgeous ATC ans super soft colours.
Yvonne

Nan G said...

Oh I so love the second make here! Very soft and feminine. Off to see what I can throw together. :)

Anonymous said...

I was chuckling at Charlie Brown as I was at one time addicted to Charlie Brown and still have many of the books from back in the day.
The words are a perfect addition as is, of course, the lace. A very pretty ATC.
Wishes
Lynne

Rita said...

Absolutely stunning Alison. I need some of your energy right now. Hugs Rita xxx

Gerrie Johnnic said...

Love your interpretation of the challenge.

Dorthe said...

So pretty is your striped tag- love the mix with lace and paper.
Now remember to take care Alison...
The qoutes added today are both wonderful, and number two really a bit scary I think ....
Hugs,Dorthe

Silvia(Barnie) said...

That's a gorgeous tag, great texture.

mark gould said...

I love the evolutionary process in crafting at times, it is fantastic that a layer of gesso, paint or sticky tape and you have a new project. fab atc, lots to grab the attention x

maj. said...

Totally stunning work, such an amazing beautiful background!!!!!

ike said...

That is so gorgeous - I love how the white muted it but originally it's gorgeous too. :-)
I look forward to seeing what you do with that first attempt with the ridged cardboard ... great colour effect :-D

Hugz
IKE xxxx

chrissie said...

Terrific striped ATC. I love all of the different lace.

Chrissie x

Brenda Brown said...

Mmmmm strips if Finnabair I think. Lovely work Alison.
hugs {brenda} x0x

hazel said...

A brilliant striped ATC, I love it.
xxx Hazel.

cathylynn said...

Another fantastic ATC! You are amazing with your creativity! Love it all and I know you'll do something with what you originally started.
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

Sue said...

I love these tissue tape stripes, and the pretty lace gives it such dimension xx

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Grandest stripes ever! Love the lace...yum!

Tracy said...

....SWOOOOOOOOON...SPEECHLESS!!
Big hugs
xoxox

Jenny Marples said...

Beautifully blended ATC Alison, and another reminder of a technique I used and forgot forever ago! Hugs, Jenny x

Neet said...

Lovely atc Alison - and thanks for the step by step. Now why do I never think to overpaint? Fab results.
Hugs, neet xx

Bonnie Irvine said...

You were so brave to paint over the washi when it looked so cool before. I'm so glad you did because the effect is remarkable. All of the stripes still show but they are so softly blended and hazy looking. Much more vintage...lovely. The beautiful trims add to that feel as does the distressing on the edges. You get so much mileage out of 2.5 x 3.5 inches. I love it!

Kezzy said...

Wow wow I love it, I think the white wash really makes it stand out more as you want to look closer and see what's hidden. Kezzy :-) xxx

Mrs.B said...

Love the whitewashed effect on this.
Avril xx

Anonymous said...

Auch dieses werk gefällt mir wieder supergut!
Die Farben sind so schön zart und passen wunderbar zu der Häkelbordüre!