(Feels Like) Armageddon

 

The wildfires in Canada have been unusually severe this year; the smoke has been traveling hundreds of miles south into the United States and east into Europe. A few weeks ago, the air in large parts of the Northeast turned orange and the atmosphere was deemed extremely hazardous. This is a view of New York City the afternoon of June 6.

In the meantime, I had received my June kit from Tres Jolie, containing a lot of ingredients for masculine projects and a Mood Board Challenge with a Steampunk theme. I decided that this would be a perfect chance to scrap this event.

This was an easy page to put together. The patterns of the 3 Quarters Designs Vintage Men collection are so filled with images and textures that little needs to be done as far as embellishments go.

After selecting my base, I cut up another sheet to form layers. I tore some of the edges using a tear guide, then inked them all around. The photo and the layers were each backed with USPS packaging to give them some depth, then glued down.

My basic embellishment was the pair of chipboard gears from Tres Jolie that came in the kit; I also used one of the gears and two of the wings from the Finnabair packages. I finished it off with a few clay pieces from my stash that were coated with black gesso and then with metallic wax.

A few closeups:

***The wildfires are still ongoing, especially in the Quebec province. I’ve been keeping our Canadian neighbors and all of those who are working to control and put them out in my prayers. ***  

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 *****Supplies*****

 ***Paper***

    3 Quarters Design – Vintage Men Collection

***Embellishments***

    Prima Marketing – Finnabair – Mechanicals – Metal Embellishments – Winged #962432

Prima Marketing – Finnabair – Mechanicals – Metal Embellishments – Steampunk Gears #963453

        Tres Jolie Kits – Chipboard – Steampunk Border – Black

***Mediums***

Prima – Finnabair – Art Basics – Heavy Gesso – Black #961459

Prima - Finnabair – Art Alchemy – Metallique Wax – Aged Brass #963965

Ranger Ink – Tim Holtz – Distress Archival Ink #AMPK77947

***Tools***

Prima – Finnabair Collection – Moulds – Rusty Pipeline #968601

Prima - Finnabair Collection - Moulds – Vintage Light Bulbs #969578

We R Makers – Basic Tools – Tear Guide #660082

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As always, I want to thank you for peeking into my blog; your visits mean a lot to me.

 

This Time

 

I came up with this inspired by the April Kit and Mood Board from the Tres Jolie Kit Club, where the topic was all about flowers and foliage. There’s a lot of fussy cutting here, along with a bit of mixed media using mediums from my stash. (Having built up quite a collection, I’m determined to begin to use it all up!)

I started by looking over a few of the 6”x 6” sheets that came in the kit, selecting those that contained the images and colors that I would need, and spending a few hours cutting them out.

Once that was done, I selected two tubes of Impasto paint. I squeezed out a bit of the Mint and watered it down to a thin acrylic consistency and used it to cover the sides of an 8”x 11” canvas. I watered it down a bit more and lightly spread it here and there on a shutter from my stash.

I used a heat tool on the canvas to make sure that it was completely dry. I had already selected one of the 12”x 12” papers (I love how it looks like the weathered outside of a cottage.) and trimmed it down to a bit over 8”x 11”. After heavily distressing the edges, I adhered it to the canvas using matte gel medium.

I created some “bricks” using texture paste and a very old stencil and let it set completely before lightly applying Boudoir Pink Impasto over the surface to evoke a worn effect.

The center of the shutter piece was backed with a bit of patterned paper that had been treated with Old Paper Distress Paint and then fastened to the canvas.

Next, I started with my layering, using bits of packaging behind some of the pieces to add dimension. I kept on adding flower images until I was satisfied and then placed some of the flower embellishments – some from the kit and a few from my stash. Once that was done, I began to glue down the vine images underneath the cluster. My project still needed something, so I added a few pieces to the upper shutter and a few more to the upper corner and finished it all with a Wishing Bauble as my title piece.

A few closeups:

 

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*****Supplies*****

***Paper***

Paper Heaven – First Kiss Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper #PH-PPOOset

Sheet #1

Sheet #6

Paper Heaven – First Kiss Collection – 6 x 6 Double Sided Paper

***Embellishments***

49 and Market – Florets – Mango - #FM-39005

Little Birdie – Arion – Amor Mio - #CR79434

Prima Marketing – Flower Embellishments – Piper #594886

49 & Market – Wishing Bubbles & Baubles – Mango #VAC-35243

***Other***

Prima – Memory Hardware – Venetian Shutter #996363

***Mediums***

Prima – Finnabair – Art Alchemy – Impasto – Mint #966416

Prima – Finnabair – Art Alchemy – Impasto – Boudoir Pink #966379

Prima – Finnabair – Art Basics – 3D Matte Gel #961398

Prima – Finnabair – Art Extravagance – Paper Texture Paste #965259

Ranger – Tim Holtz – Distress Ink Pad – Old Paper #TIM19503

***Tools***

Prima – Masks – Fence #2 #550011

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As always, I want to thank you for peeking into my blog; your visits mean a lot to me.

 

Captured in a Photograph

 

This layout was inspired by the March 2023 Challenge at Tres Jolie Kit Club, featuring a sketch and a Spring Flowers theme. I concentrated more on the “Spring” than the “Flowers”, allowing the layers and layers to do that job for me.

I love this photo and the memories of a Sunday in May, 1953 that it evokes. That’s a six-year-old me on the left and my five-year-old sister and my brother who would have been four on the left. The gentleman holding our hands was not only our neighbor, but our surrogate grandfather who doled out hugs and candy and many, many stories of growing up “long, long ago”. You can just make out the swing set and sandbox in the background, along with trees that were beginning to fill out with leaves. Directly behind us is an elm tree that spread over all of our yards and provided so much shade in the summer. Unfortunately, it (and its smaller sibling next to our house) succumbed to Dutch Elm disease some years later.

For a change, I didn’t do a lot of embellishing on this layout. Instead, I began with the beautiful pattern of the paper and added lots and lots of layers of laser and fussy cut images, backing everything with small bits of packaging for dimension.

I usually ink the edges of every component of my pages; this time, I added a small amount to the photo, clock and title piece.

A few close-ups:

 

 

 

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*****Supplies*****

 

***Paper***

49 and Market – Vintage Artistry Tranquility Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Cover Sheet #VAT39623

49 and Market – Vintage Artistry Tranquility Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sweet Nothings #VAT39562

***Embellishments***

49 and Market – Vintage Artistry Tranquility Collection – Laser Cut Elements #VAT39715

49 and Market – Vintage Artistry Tranquility Collection – Chipboard Elements #VAT39753

***Mediums***

Ranger – Tim Holtz – Distress Ink Pad – Pumice Stone

***Other***

ScorTape – 1/2”

Art Institute Glitter – Dries Clear Designer Adhesive

USPS Packaging

***Tools***

EK Success – Cutter Bee Precision Scissors

Ranger Ink – Tim Holtz – Mini Ink Blending Tool

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As always, I want to thank you for peeking into my blog; your visits mean a lot to me.