Winter Pinecones

Hello all!  I'm sorry for the long silence... I'm still waiting on floors to go down before I can unpack everything, so I'm feeling a little stuck.  But there are a few things going on on my temporary craft table with the supplies I have available.  Mostly all I'm managing are some inky backgrounds, but occasionally a couple of them get a bit further.  Here's a pair of finished wintry tags which do make me happy.

The backgrounds are a combination of Distress Inks and Distress Oxides pressed onto the mat, spritzed with water and then smooshed into with the tags.  I'm no longer sure on all the colours, but I'd say Pumice Stone, Broken China, Stormy Sky and Speckled Egg are all in there somewhere, along with some Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain.  There may be others!

Then I layered on some background stamping...

... weathered text and postmarks for the most part.

I picked up the tiny pinecones (they aren't really pinecones as such - they're the flowers of the alder tree) on one of my winter walks.

That must be the best kind of embellishment, just lying on the ground for free!

And these Paper Dolls, wrapped up warm against the cold, were the two that wanted to come for a walk in the wintry backgrounds.

I usually try out quite a few characters, and there will be some that just seem to say, "yes please, use me!", and for these tags they were very clearly the ones.

The words are all about that winter chill... wonderful snippets from the Clippings stickers.  

Again, the right words somehow seem to appear.  Even though you've never spotted those particular phrases before, suddenly there they are!

At the top of the tags, some simple white twine adds another frosty white accent.

I really like the dimensionality the pinecones give to these tags.  I managed to transport a number of fragile creations much like this across the continent, but I hope I don't have to do it again!

I did some pen-doodled frames around the edges of the tags, just to draw the eye inward.

Not much gets as far as completion at the moment... I'm gathering backgrounds in large bunches but mostly they're going to be waiting for the unpacking, I think.

(I'm especially missing being able to die-cut focal points or extra layers.)  So it's a relief when I do finally manage to get something to go the next step.   And it's a bonus when they make me as happy as these two do. 

I know lots of us are struggling with creative mojo in these dull winter days of lockdown and ongoing crisis.  I think it's also partly just my usual winter hibernation habit, but it's hard to tell how much to blame on what!

Whatever the reasons behind the blocks, those moments when the mojo starts to flow, for however short a time, feel extra valuable.  We have to cherish them.  Wishing you a safe, warm, creative week - in whatever ways you can manage it - and I'll see you again soon.

Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.

Paul Theroux

At the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge they are looking for Anything But A Card

It might be stretching things just slightly, but I'd like to share this at Tag Tuesday where the theme is Black and White and One Other Colour... my whites are white and off-white, and my blacks are black and off-black, and my colour is shades of turquoise - but it's been so long since I've played along anywhere, that I wanted to join in!

Rustiness in Progress

Hello all, I'm back with some more tag backgrounds.  Inky smooshing and splotching is pretty much all I'm getting up to at the moment, but I am really enjoying it when I do!

I've particularly been enjoying playing with creating rusty effects using Crackling Campfire along with various browns in Oxide and Inks.

These were over a background wash of Pumice Stone and Frayed Burlap, with some Stormy Sky thrown in for contrast.

There's definitely Vintage Photo and Gathered Twigs in there, and I think there may have been just a touch of Walnut Stain.

I just enjoy the dipping and dabbing and seeing what happens as you layer up the inks, Oxides and water.

I've got no idea what, if anything, will ever go over the top of these backgrounds - that step just doesn't seem to be happening at the moment.

I'm hoping to find a bit more mojo somewhere once I start unpacking (still waiting on floors for those who are curious), though then of course there will be less time!

Ah well... it's all a process working towards getting the work/life/admin/creativity balances right.

There will be more rusty splotches and patina games on their way to you soon.  In the meantime stay safe, stay well, stay creative, and I'll see you soon.

Inking is meditation in liquid form.
J.H. Everett