Sunday, July 5, 2009

What's Your Style???

Well, it has been a long time but I finally got a chance to finish up/work on a Circle of Friends Journal. The rotation is actually done for the year but since I moved the last to members said that regardless of the fact that they would get their journals back late they still wanted me to work on them.

So here is the first of the last 2 remaining journals.

The theme for this journal was "What's your Style?" Have you ever tried to answer that question? It is not so easy. At least not in my case. I discovered while working on this journal that I have two distinctly different styles. A kind of Victorian Sheik look and then a Retro Glamor. Of course I use glitter and shimmer in both though.

So for the first page, the description of my style page. I decided I wanted to have a ying and yang but stamping on black paper is impossible so I altered the symbol drastically, but isn't that what creative licence is for...

I kept this page really simple more as a time saver than anything else. There is very little stamping, just the words and I selected a background paper that I thought was pretty and not so busy that you wouldn't be able to read the words. I added glitter too the two cut outs of the symbol and used it to separate the sides. The last touch was adding some diamond glaze to my name and the word "style."



Here is a quick preview of the two very different styles that I did for this journal. They don't go side by side at all but then again I think it is fun to see them like this.



Okay so this one is a redo of a piece I did about 2 years ago that I have never been able to let go. I even hand wrapped it and hand carried it with me during the move because I didn't want it to break.

I like to work with non traditional items to stamp on, hence the pop sickle sticks. Once they were glued onto the paper I stained the wood with some various water shades of alcohol ink. Then painted over it with a cream and sanded that down to let the under layer show through. One more step before I start adding thing, I stamped sea shells randomly all over and then once again did a little sanding.

After all that I finally added the image of the mermaid (Alpha Stamps) which I covered with diamond glaze and then surrounded with some German Scrap. The final step was the fishing wire strung with sea shells and beads. Lastly I glued down a bunch of mini river rocks.

The fish ephemeral was originally gold and it was a little too harsh in my opinion so I used the same alcohol inks as I did on the sticks to add a color to it.





And here is the Retro Glam page. A much simpler and faster piece to make but in my opinion not nearly as eye catching or tantalizing.

The background was created by stippling on various shades of distress ink and then spritzing it with water to get them to blend and smooth out. Next I brushed on the Silver Crackle paint.

The butterflies are chipboard that I covered with weathered wood crackle paint. The orange jello mold extraordinaire is cut out from a sheet of specialty paper send in a Paula's Kit Club, I had been saving it and this was the perfect opportunity to use it.

All the stamping is direct to paper and then I added some rhinestones to the tips of the spray thingies.
It is hard to tell but there really is a lot of texture to this piece.







And last but not least Since I am the last person to work on her journal I thought a quick and simple "The End" was appropriate.

you can't tell but the flower is covered in diamond glaze.

I had a blast working on this journal I just wish I could work faster and still accomplish the looks I love to share with people.


2 comments:

Amy's Stocking Stuffers said...

What gorgeous work! I love the idea of stamping onto popsicle sticks!

Moira said...

wow Caro, absolutely fab