Encore - What the eye doesn't see...

Hello all!  I'm safely home, catching up on sleep and mostly unpacked, and busy creating so as to be ready for the new Vintage Journey challenge theme this Friday.  In the meantime, I thought I'd squeeze in another quick little Encore post (see the foot of the post if you don't know what I mean by that).

This was made back in June 2015 for a Hidden Objects theme over on the PaperArtsy blog.  This may look pretty wintry on the outside, but there's a surprise reveal of springtime colours if you open it up, so this seemed like a good time of year to offer it up here at Words and Pictures in full for the first time.  There wasn't much sign of spring in New York when I left, but here in the UK Winter is definitely peeling back its layers and reveal the springtime growth ready to spring forth.  So here's what I wrote back in 2015...

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Hello all, it's Alison here from Words and Pictures ready to reveal some Hidden Objects!  As soon as Leandra mentioned envelopes in her original outline of the theme, my brain hopped into action.  So today I've got a little wallet to share with you - one that likes to keep its secrets close to its chest.  It seems very simple and rustic on the outside...

But it's definitely worth digging a little deeper with this one to find the hidden depths...

I started by gluing two ATC-sized envelopes together so that the flaps created a double triangle fold.

I wanted to keep the outside as innocuous and simple as possible, so I blended Brown Shed and French Roast Fresco paints on the reverse before adding a layer of Crackle Glaze with a palette knife.

Once that was dry, I added Chalk Fresco, allowing it to crackle over the top, as well as some gentle inking to burnish the edges, and some simple rustic twine as a fastening.  The metal pick is both decorative and practical - you can use it to whittle the knot open!

Heart-in-the-mouth stamping time on the inner flaps... I used the wonderful patchwork of images from LPC030.  They have some postal motifs involved, so they seemed all the more appropriate for my envelope wallet.  They're stamped in a combination of Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks, which I then clear-embossed to preserve the image.  (Okay, one of them's not quite straight, but what's a few degrees between friends?!)

Next, I set to with my favourite translucent Frescos.  I love using these with lots of water to create a watercolour look to the painting.  In action here we've got Blue Glass, Southern Skies, Hey Pesto, Limelight, Zesty Zing and, I think, a touch of Beach Hut.

I make no apologies for working with my favourite colour palette... I wanted a surprise blast of fresh zingy colour on the inside, and I knew these colours would deliver.  It also has the light-reflecting gloss of the clear-embossing of course, for added zhuzh!

I hope you like my simple wallet with its unexpected internal complexity... an oasis of colour inside a neutral exterior.  I rather like that you can see straight away from the flaps that there's something else in store.  It's not a completely hidden secret - though you don't know what might be lurking, you know there's something to find.  I think it adds a pleasurable sense of anticipation, and I hope you're enjoying hiding lots of things this fortnight.

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Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I'll be back on Friday with something new to share, and I'm also aiming to do some catching up around Craftyblogland now that the jetlag is on the way out.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to.  Happy Crafting all!

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.

Roald Dahl

Shock, horror - I realised I left the quote off the bottom of the last Encore post, so there's one there now!

Encore Posts

Projects which made their first appearances elsewhere for Design Team duties or Guest Designer opportunities, but which only had a sneak peek here, are being gathered together in the pages of my virtual scrapbook while I'm away.

As always, the Encore Posts are formatted differently from the regular ones, so that you can easily spot them.  Please don't feel that you have to comment all over again!