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...

Friday 31 January 2020

Romance in the Ruins







Hello all!  It's Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey, so the Creative Guides have been taking their tags out for a spin with no other destination in mind than a bit of creative fun and freedom.

As always, there are delights in store if you hop over to a Vintage Journey, and a link party for you to share any tags you've been making this January - we'd love to see what you've been up to.

You'll probably spot that my tag continues the nature/decay themes that have been running through the last couple of posts.  No rust this time, but some stone ruins being overtaken by nature's greenery...

I could also have called this tag "the mystery of the disappearing words"!















I started with some wrinkle-free distressing (Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans for the top part and Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage for lower down), and then stencilled some Gothic lettering on in the same colour tones.














I loved this Tim Holtz monastery stamp from the moment I saw it, and it's done good service so far... often with ivy involved.  But you can see that at the point of stamping it, the stencilled text was already starting to go.















It's stamped in Watering Can Archival and then embossed with my Wow Earthtone Pepper powder, which I thought would give a nice stony effect.
















I die-cut the ivy from some suitably dark green kraftcore.  With a little light sanding, you get a nice weathered look.















I made sure to apply the glue mainly to the stem, so that I could scrunch the leaves upwards for some extra dimension and a more lifelike look.















There's plenty of moss surrounding the ruins too.  I'm having a bit of a moss-thing at the moment... 













There's an upcoming Guest Design project where it plays a big part, so it's been around on the desk rather than tucked away in the stash.














And of course there are my much loved dried flower stems winding their way through the greenery...
















... adding a touch of 3D white spatter effect - I guess that's probably why I like them so much!















I added a couple of small glass pebbles to catch the light, glued on with Glossy Accents.













Actually there are three of them... the rule of odd numbers in composition is a good one.
















I love how they magnify the inky patterns behind them.









I'm really happy with the dimension on this tag, and the shabby edges, distressed with the blade of my scissors.


It's a very pleasing tag to hold and move around to see from different angles, letting those pebbles catch the light.







And the words... I almost forgot the words!  They're Nathaniel Hawthorne's (just the best name for a writer ever, don't you think?), and they're also embossed in Pepper.













You can find the quote on the very first of my PaperArtsy stamp sets, EAB01 Trees & Flowers.















Some fine twine finishes things off at the top of the tag, and it's mounted on some off-white card for a nice framing effect.













So we have some wonderful words at the heart of the tag, but as you can see, the Gothic stencilled words have pretty much entirely vanished from the background - yet the wrinkle-free distressing hasn't faded or changed at all.  I'm very puzzled!

Despite the mystery, this tag brings me a sense of calm and serenity, just like the last time I combined the monastery with ivy in Silent Strength.  I think that was a Tag Friday tag too - and it used the flower stems and one of my quotes...  I'm playing variations on a theme!

Speaking of quote stamps - keep your eyes peeled in the next few days for exciting news.








I hope you'll hop over to A Vintage Journey and see how much fun my fellow creative guides have been having with their tag playtime.  And do share any tags of any kind that you've been making this month in our Tag Friday link party.

We'll be picking a Pinworthy from those tags, as well as a trio of Pinworthies from our main challenge, We're All Getting Older.  You've got one more week to try out those ageing, distressing and weathering techniques to make something new look old.  Hope to see you there... and happy crafting all!

The stones here speak to me, and I know their mute language. Also, they seem deeply to feel what I think. So a broken column of the old Roman times, an old tower of Lombardy, a weather-beaten Gothic piece of a pillar understands me well. But I am a ruin myself, wandering among ruins.
Heinrich Heine

Even though the words are about romance flourishing amongst the ruins, it's still romance, so I'd like to join in at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where this week they are All Loved Up
And at the Bleeding Art Challenge it's Anything Mixed Media Goes

32 comments:

aussie aNNie said...

wow Alison, wow, this is stunning, love the design here you have created with so much texture...gorgeous...x

Christine Alexander said...

Beautiful Alison, Perfect sentiment for your background. Love the tag :)

Helen said...

This tag is just gorgeous! I love the ivy and greenery and the little dried flowers. that monastery stamp is fab (how have Imissed seeing that before!!!) Just magical

Valerie-Jael said...

Gorgeous tag, love the colour scheme, so cool. Have a great weekend, Valerie

craftytrog said...

Simply gorgeous Alison! Roll on Spring! xx

Fliss said...

Absolutely beautiful tag Alison. The soft greens and blues really do conjure up a Spring day and love all the little details you've added which give such an atmospheric look.
Have a lovely weekend and looking forward to your news.
Fliss xx

Ann Chuang Crafts said...

So beautiful tag. I love the wrinkle-free distressing background so much.
Ann xx

Dorthe said...

I love your wintery spring tag, with the beautiful background, and so wonderful with the mosses, which I also love to use, - your delightful flower stems gives the last lovely touch to this gorgeous tag.
Hugs, Dorthe

Chrissy said...

I'm into moss too Alison and I love it along your tag..great colours used too and love the stamped monastery building..awesome tag..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Julia Aston said...

I always take note of the colors you mix on your backgrounds Alison! (My craft room is scattered with sticky notes of 'Alison's' colors!) Love that arch stamp and your perfectly matched sentiment along with the moss, greenery and white bits. A beautiful tag! Julia xx

Sue said...

What a beautiful tag alison, and I love the moss and glass pebbles, fabulous finishing touches. Have a very happy weekend, Sue xx

My name is Erika. said...

This is another gorgeous tag. I love the moss and the droplets and all those fabulous details Happy February. hugs-Erika

Etsuko said...

What a fantastic scenery, the spread image in the small tag is gorgeous. xx

Redanne said...

I do love the monastery stamp and you always use it so beautifully. The background is lovely and the ivy climbing up with the dried flowers interspersed look wonderful. The sentiment is just perfect and yes, it is a wonderful name for an author. Anne xx

suzyb said...

Really nice tag and lovely sentiment as well. Really love your work Alison, the colours you use are always wonderful.

Let's Art Journal said...

Wow, what a stunning tag! I love your storytelling and the wildflowers and greenery are flourishing beautifully 😁. I enjoyed seeing how it all came together too and the 3D elements look so amazing! I hope you're having a lovely weekend! Hugs, Jo x

Astrid Maclean said...

A fantastic tag Alison, that Monastry stamp is indeed a beauty and the natural elements you added to bring your theme alive look great. Those glass light catchers as I am going to call them, finish it all off to perfection.

Marci said...

Moss and ivy and that stamp, lovely!

Craftyfield said...

Gorgeous tag, Alison! I love the cluster of moss and other vegetation, goes well with the inks colours too. x

Margaret Mifsud said...

The monastery stamp is so gorgeous Alison and you do enhance it beautifully with the ivy and moss. The background colour is perfect and I love the dried flowers and glass beads. A really stunning piece!! hugs xx

Mac Mable said...

Wonderful inspiration throughout your blog post Alison and it sure is a mystery about the hidden words....but maybe that's just what they wanted to be....hidden x.
Fabulous attention to detail as always and thank you for reminding me about my 'stashed' kore card. I've just recently bought the ivy thinlits so I must get them out for a play x.
Love the colours, the moss, that wonderful ruin stamp and of course the splats x.

Patty O'Malley said...

My most favorite craft item is a tag. I just love them and the one you made is beautiful. Love the clear droplets and the moss.

Lagene said...

Gorgeous creation! I love the many layers of color and stamps & greenery etc!

Diana Taylor said...

Absolutely beautiful work Alison - I love the colours and the whole subject of decay has been fascinating me for years - I am so drawn to this and once again you have created another stunning piece that just sings to me.
Diana x

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Gorgeous tag Alison. You're getting me in the mood to start my monthly tag project again but I will have to get my finger out as it's February already! Happy creative week, Angela xXx

Cocofolies said...

I love this tag Alison!!! I have this words stamp set from you, your tag really inspires me to play again with some similar ruins designs I have and love! Thank you :) xx

sarascloset said...

Lovely colors and gorgeous embossed image on your tag, Alison! I always enjoy my visits so much to your blog and your wonderful mix of thoughts in words and pictures. I've finally gotten this stamp (on sale, of course!) and you have inspired me to crack it open. Soon, perhaps! Off to see what other inspiration I've been missing...

Anna-Karin said...

Such a beautiful tag! I love the moss theme and the wonderful sentiment. The background is perfect and all that greenery is just wonderful. I wish I could step into this tag for a little while.

Ina G said...

I love when I have the time to sit down and just looks through and read the process you take to make such incredible pieces of art. You have such an artistic flair that each visit I learn something new. It's a dreary rainy day here so perfect to just play and get messy. Thanks for another great post.

Dortesjs said...

waue, love this artistic and great tag

Neet said...

How come I missed this? It is a beautiful tag Alison.I I just love architectural stamps and this is a beauty which looks wonderful against that green background with the blue sky above it. Love the embossing which does, indeed, give it a stony effect.
Love that you are having a mossy moment as it looks so good on the projects you have used it on and here, with the ivy and baby's breath. The addition of the tiny pebbles lights the tag up and links the architecture with the corner frame of greenery.
Love it and everything about it.
Hugs, Neet xx-

Zoe B said...

What a fab tag, love that stamp. Thanks for playing at Bleeding Art Challenge