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Sunday, 12 January 2014

Be transformed






Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a lovely weekend, even if you're not at CHA (major event envy here!!)...


From my Artistic Stamper hanging, we move to Artistic Outpost time here at Words and Pictures, and a mixed media tag.


It's been on my desk for a couple of weeks, being used to mop up ink and paint remainders and spillages, so I can't be precise about all the ingredients I'm afraid!















I know I started by putting a thick coat of gesso onto the tag and pressing an embossing folder into it to create the texture.

Then I just set it aside and grabbed it any time I had some blue-greens that needed mopping up!

Today it was finally time to let it take centre stage...













There are Distress Inks and Stains, Fresco Paint, a touch of Gelato, maybe even some Dylusions, and probably some other stuff too.












There even seems to be some crackle in there - no recollection of that at all, so maybe the gesso just cracked under the strain!












I added some background stamping using the text from the Bluebird plate.  You can see it just hovering in places...














Now to the words at the heart of this tag.

I stamped this wonderful sentiment from the Chalkboard Wisdom plate onto some plain white tissue paper using Cornflower and Aquamarine Archival inks blended on the stamp.  Then I glued it down with matte medium.

I think this could pretty much stand as my life motto - I've never quite fitted in (or much wanted to most of the time), and unexpected life transformations seem to occur pretty regularly - so it seems an appropriate New Year's thought... a reminder to continue the processes of transformation and renewal in life and in crafting.

The mixed media layers and randomness are something I'm keen to pursue further this year craft-wise - less control, more excitement (as with this week's icon which took such an unexpected journey), so that crafting resolution is pretty much built into the tag too.




I think that makes this a perfect entry for the New Year's Resolutions challenge at Frilly and Funkie.  I don't seem to have time for many challenges any more, but when there's such a good fit at one of my favourite challenge sites... well, it would be rude not to play!





As well as the quote, there are some delicious little wooden butterflies - the larger ones are by Studio Calico, the tiny ones from the fabulous UHK Gallery, a Polish site well worth a visit.











I painted them white, stamped the Bluebird text again, in Olive Archival this time, and then inked and chalked the edges until I liked how they looked.

I debated zhuzhing them up with some Glossy Accents, Shimmerz, or Dry Glitter, but in the end decided I'd rather stick with the shabby chic matte look.









Lots of seam binding at the top, coloured with Distress Paints as well as some Distress Ink.  

I love using the Distress Paints for dyeing the ribbon - it gives it a chalky opaque look rather than the usual translucent effect of just the Inks or Stains.







And that's really pretty much that.  It does please me as a finished piece... mainly because it pretty much made itself, so now I can just enjoy it.  Hope you do too.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope you have a great week ahead and I'll see you again soon, either here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland.

Do not conform to the pattern of the world.  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
From The Bible, Romans 12:2

Good resolutions are like babies crying in church.  They should be carried out immediately.
Charles M Sheldon




I'd like to enter this as a New Year's Resolution over at Frilly and Funkie

55 comments:

  1. What fun we could have if we all went to CHA. Your tag is wonderful Alison and the textures and colours look stunning. I really need to sort myself out. Hugs Rita xxx

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  2. Fabulous tag Alison - a great quote and what an amazing array of mop ups! I will have to start having a tag at hand and yes I agree the distress paints are fab on the seam binding. Looking forward to seeing more randomness! Jennie x

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  3. gorgeous tag Alison and a wonderful post at all!
    Happy new week for you!
    xxx
    Susi

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  4. wow - such a beautiful tag - the textur is great!

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  5. oh, yes I wish I were at CHA too!! However, your tag is beautiful - I love the colours, and all the texture too.

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  6. Super tag! Fantastyczny mediowy efekt :)

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  7. Wonderful mixed media tag! Love your color palette !!!!!!I always like very much the way in which you can create wonderful textures in your pieces! BArbarayaya

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  8. WOW - great texture and love the subtle pastel colours

    Sam xx

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  9. Great mop up tag Alison :) I'll have to try the embossing folder in the gesso :)
    Von ♥

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  10. Love the serendipitous nature of your 'mpo-up' tag and the gorgeous minty colours.

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  11. Even when you create by chance ...you get a stunning result!
    Thank you for you supportive and lovely words on my blog, Alison. I'm pretty sure the quote you chose it wouldn't be more perfect for the 2014!

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  12. Love your tag! I like to hear how it just hung out and picked up extra colors for awhile. That's the brilliant artist in you showing!

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  13. Great colours and textures Alison and that certainly is a sentiment after my own heart, wonderful tag!

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  14. What a great blues, white and greens Alison...lovely tag

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  15. Sigh, blue and green ... love those colors. Makes me think Spring will be here soon. Your quote is fantastic. Wish my moping up looked like yours, lol. The unknown crackling is so pretty.
    Hope you have a wonderful week.
    hugs....

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  16. A totally beautiful tag Alison, wonderful colours, great texture and the quote is wonderful. Hugs, Anne x

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  17. sooooo amazing textures and lovely colours :)

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  18. Fabulous tag, I love using paints for backgrounds that way as well.
    Yvonne

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  19. This looks like spring has sprung Alison. Fantastic fresh hues at play. The painted ribbon looks fab. Nicola x

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  20. Oooh, looks like Spring! Love all the texture, don't know if my gesso is thick enough for the embossing folder, brilliant idea, though. Also, love your bow this time! I'm very much a fan of nonchalant bows. And, the butterflies scattered over the tag are the perfect touch. Of course the stamping is wonderful, as usual.

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  21. Gorgeous Alison! Love the textured background and pretty color palette! Love the butterflies fluttering about!

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  22. Good ideas again Alison--I do mop up stuff on paper but never thought to add some texture first--will be doing that now after seeing your background. The tag is beautiful.

    After reading today that the Pope did baptisms yesterday and didn't mind the children crying at all I think one of your quotes may be infra dig today :)Always love to read what you put and marvel at how you find them

    Love Chrissie x

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  23. Love the mop up background, fabulous textures and great quote. The butterflies add that fabulous dimensional touch.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  24. A gorgeous tag - beautiful colours.
    xxx Hazel.

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  25. Wow! Fabulous textures & colours! This is a stunner Alison!
    Alison xxx

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  26. Love that sentiment - being a bit of a rebel myself - still!! Just love mop ups as you know but perhaps I should be having tags around to mop up too as well as my journals! The colours here are just beautiful and the butterflies - well, they're just you ! A truly gorgeous tag Alison! Chrisxx
    Tried to comment last night and blogger refused to co-operate Grrrr! x

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  27. Well Miss Alison your mop up became an amzing piece of art, the colors, the texture its fantastic, and the quote is perfect for you. You never had to fit in your in a class all your own, thanks so much for sharing and I hope you have a wonderful week, ((( BIG HUGS )))..

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  28. Beautiful tag and I love those quotes!
    xx Monique

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  29. Alison you've created another beauty! I love that Scripture too!
    Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

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  30. I love the result of your randomness on this mixed-media tag, so lovely colours and texture at the end!!! And your wooden butterflies (very cute!) and painted ribbon are the ice on the cake! Hugs Coco xx

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  31. Beautiful tag, Alison! Love the colours and texture!!!

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  32. Am totally surprised you are not at CHA, hopefully for your sake you will be able to go another year.
    Love your mop up background, its a fab tag Alison. A great quote. Hugs Annette x

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  33. Fabulous colours & textures Alison, Love the sentiment...Beautiful... Hugs May x x x

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  34. Alison, what a funny way to create this tag,- I mean the mups up thing :-) and with a wonderful result on the thick gesso ,stamped with an embossing folder... a great idea ,too... thank you, dear.
    It is a in every way beautiful, dear "butterfly".
    Hugs from Dorthe

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  35. How I long to go to CHA, I've been overdosing on all the pictures & videos the last few days.:)
    Your tag is incredible & so beautiful, the layers look amazing.

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  36. Love those little butterflies and the words, you are so good with words! Beautiful colours too.
    Sorry I have not commented for a while, will do better in 2014 x

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  37. This is fabulous Alison, I love the idea of pressing an embossing folder into gesso, I will have to give this a try xx

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  38. Great color scheme and fab texture. A wonderful tag.

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  39. Great color scheme and fab texture. A wonderful tag.

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  40. Gorgeous tag there Alison. Love that Romans quote at the bottom of your post. Think it may be my mantra!
    xx

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  41. For a tag that made itself this is stunning Alison, lol! Such beautiful colours and all that wonderful texture. The butterflies are beautiful too ..... always my favourite embellishments!

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

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  42. Wonderful textures and colors in your beautiful tag Alison!!! I'm delighted that you joined us for the Frilly and Funkie challenge! ((hugs)) Rebecca

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  43. What a gorgeous tag, Allison! I love the techniques you used to create the texture and soft hues!! Thank you so much for participating in this weeks Frilly and Funkie challenge!!
    Hugs,
    Nancy

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  44. We must resolve to find a way to get to CHA next year... maybe sneak into Jennie Boxall's hand luggage?!
    I love the freedom of this tag and the way the mix of colours has really picked up on that embossed gesso patterning. Thank you so much for joining us at Frilly and Funkie with this. Jenny x

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  45. Fabulous tag Alison, love all the textures you've created here.
    Avril xx

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  46. Beautiful tag, gorgeous dreamy colours and textures x

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  47. Beautiful tag and amazing that it came from mopping up extra ink. Never thought about running paper through an embossing folder after the gesso layer. Great tip! Loving your January color obsession of blue and green. Romans 12:2 is my husband's life verse. One of my favs too.

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  48. Sort of ethereal looking... love the subdued shades.

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  49. Your mop up tags scrub up so well Alison. I have a box full which haven't seen the light of day for ages.

    Me to with the sentiment.

    Warm crafty hugs from Shirl x x

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  50. What a fun and gorgeous tag! I love how the crackle magically appeared somehow during the process! You have the most amazing ability to perfectly blend the blues and greens in a way that looks accidental but never muddy.

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  51. Hmm ... gesso and embossing folders have my mind flying in a million directions. Love the way the colors play in the background on this tag Alison. Beautiful and a wonderful New Years thought. -- Mary Elizabeth

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  52. Wow wow absolutely gorgeous, I love the gesso with the embossing folder pressed in, and all those wonderful blues and greens. I love how all the different mediums have made such an awesome background. I love mopping up with my tags, and I have a gorgeous coloured collection, but they are all flat and I don't use them that much, but I think I might try adding texture first and then use them to mop up as I could see me using them more. I got gelatos for Christmas but not used them yet. Kezzy :-) xxx

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Thank so much for taking the time to stop by. It's lovely to hear what you think - every comment is so much appreciated.