A Foggy Artistic Outpost Day

Hello all - it's an up and down day today.  I'm delighted to be part of this Artistic Outpost bloghop, the first one under new management, celebrating the re-launch of the AO line... but I'm also really sad that it's going to be my last official duty with Artistic Outpost.

As you all know, real life has kicked into action, with so much going on on the work front that I'm having to re-balance how everything fits together... and this is one place I've decided to cut back.  It's been a huge honour and privilege to play with these beautiful stamps, and to work with the amazing AO team, under Lisa's brilliant leadership.

Speaking of that amazing team, here's the itinerary for today's hop...

Lisa Somerville, Gerrie Johnnic, Tracy Evans, Linda Coughlin

Alison Bomber, Terry Horrall, Kate Yetter

I do hope you'll find time to pay them a visit - you won't be disappointed, I promise you!  And there's a special summer sale with 20% off all Flower and Gardening plates.  You'll find the details here.  But before you head off, here's my offering... and there's even an extra little bonus to come.

Since I'm so sad to be going, it seems appropriate that this is definitely in a bluesy mode...




I started with some Distress Stains on the craft mat - Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans and Pumice Stone - to create the backgrounds.

Then I used the stamps from Loverly London to create some London vignettes.












At one end we have the dapper businessman, stamped in a combination of Blue Violet and Cobalt Archival inks...













...with his pen nib to record the day's transactions.













At the other end the woman - either a lady, or perhaps a singer from the music hall, in which case she's probably no lady at all.  (Classic music hall songs of the time include She Sits Among The Cabbages and Peas - say it out loud to yourself!)

The Idea-ology feather echoes those fabulous plumes in her hat.










Big Ben stands tall and proud in the centre (though that's actually the name of the bell, not the tower)...

... with all those cogs and gears to keep the hands turning and time ticking away.












I used one of the other stamps from the same set to add the random script stamping for extra texture.










And the words are what really gives away at least one of our protagonists as less than gentlefolk in status...

They're very much the words of "the lower sort"!










They're all fastened on with the adorable Idea-ology mini paper clips.

The ATCs are mounted onto some corrugated cardboard, and I was really pleased that I managed to paint it to match the ink used for the stamping - don't ask me what colours were involved!!






And here's your final little added extra.  You'll have noticed there were four backgrounds originally... well, here's a bonus ATC.

Yup, it's a foggy day in London town (with some added gesso to give that soft smoky effect over the stamping)... the detail on these stamps is really incredible.

So there you go - my last official post for Artistic Outpost.  I hope I haven't made you all too blue!

I'd just like to say thank you again to Lisa, Robyn and Steven for inviting me on board in the first place, to the rest of the DT for your amazing inspiration and company on the journey, and I wish you all a fantastic time on the adventures ahead.  Artistic Outpost will always hold a special place in my heart and in my crafting, so you'll still be seeing these amazing stamps turning up from time to time, never fear!

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you enjoy your AO hopping!

This melancholy London - I sometimes imagine that the souls of the lost are compelled to walk through its streets perpetually.  One feels them passing like a whiff of air.
W.B.Yeats