Friday, April 1, 2011

Reading Takes You On a Journey Without Leaving Home

At Bella Creations our April Tres Chic Style Challenge is going grunge.
Lacee gave us our design team marching orders to use turquoise, silver, black and white along with the items she sent us: a turquoise painted corrugated cardboard, two brown flowers, a metal disk, a garter ribbon, and two K and Co embossed  butterfly stickers .
Since our April sponsor for the Tres Chic Challenge is Rogue Redhead Designs LLC., I chose to incorporate 3 stamps from the Rogue Redhead Relish Reading Plate (yes I bought it as soon as Shar released it).  The image of the girl sitting at the tree  was stamped 4 times so that I could cut it and layer it.  I ran the tree trunk thru the Cuttlebug Forest Branches embossing folder and grunged it up.  I stamped the skirt on an old book page.  I cut Lacee's ribbon garter into 3 strips, using the middle for the waistband and the two sides for the double ruffle.  So that meant I had to layer her arm on top of it all.  I dusted off the Copics too!  Of course the young woman is a redhead!

I meticulously cut out the swinging kids, losing one of the ropes 3 times. LOL! (Edging the images in black to make them finished is when all the trouble started!)  I used both brown flowers by layering them together.  I paper punched the tiny flowers from the same book page.  Then used my Color Duster (stiff bristle brush) to stiple Vintage Photo distress ink on top of them as well as the skirt.  Putting flowers on top of a bare tree trunk is not original to me, but hopefully punching flower words to make a tree of knowledge is.

I put to use a pin I made, in a metal technique class (taught by my friend in art and amazing artist Linda Cain --do click on her name to see her work) by anchoring the swing to it and placing the smaller butterfly on top of it. I added white acrylic paint to the journal metal tag to highlight the stamped word (another trick I learned from Linda).

I added a few more of my own embellishments.  After all, what's grunge without some Tim Holtz hardware?

Rogue Redhead Designs LLC is giving 4 stamps from the Relish Reading Plate to the winner of this Bella Creations Tres Chic Challenge.

You have until the end of April to submit your creation to the Tres Chic section in the Forum at our Bella Creations ning site, and the winner always is selected at random.  Just click on the Bella Creations blinkie on my sidebar to be magically transported to the site.

15 comments:

Sharon said...

This is great! Love the colours and the design!

Marjie Kemper said...

This is lovely! So many details. The tree of knowledge is divine.

Gerrie Johnnic said...

How beautiful! Seems like yesterday that was me reading the Bobsey Twins! Luv the butterflies, such a relaxing memory, thank you.

Zoechaos said...

Beautiful, the blue is so restful perfect for sitting under a tree and the little pair on the swing wonderful little extra XOXO Zoe

Anonymous said...

This is fabulous. I especially love the girls skirt. xx

Shelly Schmidt said...

Beautiful! I love those stamps- I was an avid reader and passed it on to both of my daughters too! I love the pin and the butterflies and admire all of the great cutting you have done!

Lynn Stevens said...

beautiful Helene, love your color choices.
hugs Lynn

Willy said...

What a beauty!

Michele Oliver said...

Stunning work. Love all the detail

Lynne Moncrieff said...

Helene this is grungy but also sophisticated and refined.
Totally agree with the quote as I coulnd't life without books in my life.
Wishes
Lynne
Also like to say thank you for all your hardwork as a DT member at Bellas. Another great challenge set by you.

Lindsay Weirich said...

love the cardboard!

Starr said...

Helene I love this project! Great stamp and your design is divine!

Anonymous said...

Fabulous piece! I love all the great details you added to the stamped images.

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Wow, that's really beautiful, love the colors and the images, just a fantastic piece of art.

Michele said...

this is beautiful Helene. wonderful detail and the coloring is fantastic! xo

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