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...

Saturday 15 September 2012

Last Days of Summer

Hello all, I'm so happy you've dropped by... it's a wonderfully sunny, though still slightly chilly, early Autumn day here, so it seems the perfect time to share this project with you, inspired by Crafty Individuals' challenge this month "The Last Days of Summer".


The stamp set is, of course, by Crafty Individuals, and all the stamped images are from the one set, bar the decorations on the large butterflies' wings.  



The little girl at the front has, however been deprived of the teddy bear she usual holds, and has been given a butterfly to admire instead!

All the children are stamped in Archival Sepia, and just gently shaded with Antique Linen DI.  Then I put some Tattered Rose Distress Stain Marker ink onto my acrylic block and, using plenty of water, painted a slight blush onto their skin wherever it was visible.




Finally, I gave them a coat of UTEE, just to strengthen them, since some of the cutting is delicate, and also to make the colours a little more vibrant.

I mounted the older girl and boy on padded tape, and the girl at the front is on some leftover packaging foam to bring her to the foreground.






The butterflies are a slight adaptation of the ones I created for an earlier project.  They're still made of leftover bread wrappers, and cut using the Tim Holtz Butterflight On the Edge die (which means you have to do some extra trimming to get whole butterflies!).

They're stamped using a Prima Almanac wallpaper design of tiny flowers, then doubled up for extra flutter effect, and glued with Glossy Accents.



The background uses a resist technique.  I stamped the little butterflies and dragonfly from the CI set repeatedly onto some white cardstock and clear-embossed them. 








I then painted over them using some Cosmic Shimmer paint I got in That's Crafty's sale.

This colour is the romantically named 'Sahara Mist'.  It does indeed shimmer cosmically, but also gave a lovely sunset sky effect.  You can get really varying intensities of colour depending on the amount of water you use.






The whole thing is actually made in the lid of one of the little boxes I got for a pittance in one of the Czech cheapy shops.  I had covered the whole thing in regular masking tape, and I used some more of the Sahara Mist on the back.

Round the edges of the frame (lid!), inside and out, I used some TH calendar tissue tape, to mark the passing of the summer days.

And I cut some white jute ribbon in half lengthwise, and adhered it to the front of the frame, edging it with Vintage Photo DI.











The sentiment from the same set captures exactly the mood of the children's faces and bodies - so full of wonder... it really is a lovely stamp set!


Finally, some late summer roses, paper mulberry ones, but better than nothing!  I love the colour of these, very close to my favourite Peace roses.  They're tied with some frayed natural twine to tie in with the vintage colours of the whole piece.

Thank you so much for spending some time here at Words and Pictures.  And I'm delighted to welcome the new followers - it's great to have your company on the journey.




I do hope you get to enjoy some of this wonderful world this weekend!

I'm entering this in the Crafty Individuals challenge The Last Days of Summer
Frilly and Funkie's current challenge The Great Outdoors
I'd like to add it as another entry for the Crafty Cardmakers challenge Winged Things
Heck of a Challenge are on Anything Goes as their first monthly challenge

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. 
James Dent

September
The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.
John Updike

40 comments:

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

What a beautiful way to recycle your box , love the resist background. Really like how you have given one of the girls a butterfly rather than her teddy. Reminds me so much of summer. You have captured the last days I'd summer perfectly Alison. Tracy x

Anonymous said...

A stunning piece of up-cycling Alison and beautiful use of the CI stamps. I adore that you swapped her teddy for a butterfly.
Thank you for sharing with us at the CI Challenge.
Wishes
Lynne

Cestina said...

Love the Updike. (The upcycled box is nice too ;-))

Anjas-Artefaktotum said...

Really a masterpiece, love it very much, all details are amazing combined.
Hugs Anja

Redanne said...

Hi Alison, I always hold my breath when I open your posts as I know I am going to see something wondress - you never disappoint. I love your little box picture and how you have put the butterflies in. The children are charming and look so interested in the butterflies. It is just like a fading summer's day - wonderful. Crafty hugs, Anne x

Shelby said...

How utterly rich and gorgeous is this creation! Love it

Shelby

Diana Seal said...

Adorable! Love all the little details, wonderful creation!

J said...

What a lovely way to use the box - I really like your butterflies, too.

Thank you for sharing it with us at Crafty Cardmakers.

Jackie

Lisa Minckler said...

That box and an overhaul! I would never have guessed what it looked like before. The inside edging you added to frame the image...sensational! The butterfly replacement in the little girl's hand..an excellent idea. What a gorgeous piece of artwork.

Thank you so much joining at Heck Of a Challenge too.
Lisa xx

Mrs.B said...

Hi Alison, This is a beautiful project, love the idea of the children playing with the butterflies.
Avril xx

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

What a great alteration of the box Alison,and you've made such a nice creation of it, together with the stamps and butterflies...amazing!

greetings, Alie :-)

Ana K. said...

Children seems so alive...stunning art,like always!!

Mynn xx said...

Oh, WOW!!! This is gorgeous! Your colors are amazing and your images are just fabulous! LOVE how this scene looks alive! Thanks for joining us at CCM! :)

Debi said...

stunning!!! just love the little girl holding the butterfly, Debi x

Barbara said...

Alison, this is such a sweet project, making me feel nostalgic (showing my age!). Love your work.

catherine said...

Just stunning Alison. the colours are so beautiful and the images of the children are perfect. Such creativeness
x catherine

Anonymous said...

Totally blown away by this beautiful piece of art. Looks like such a labour of love, so many details and techniques and those CI stamps are beautifully coloured. As for your butterflies just magnificent. Thank you so much for your second entry for Crafty Cardmakers for my challenge Winged things and good luck.

Marie

Claudia N. said...

I so love your Summer-Farewell in a box, Alison!

What a lovely idea and how lovingly performed!

Hugs,
Claudia xxxx

Jean Hardy said...

Just adorable Alison! Beautifully stamped, coloured and assembled. Loving it all! Funnily enough Malcolm and I were out at Staithes today and saw LOADS of butterflies all at once. Haven't seen so many together since I was small! Thanks for your lovely entry, Jean

Netty said...

Loving your beautiful box collage with its terrific recycling, Annette x

Unknown said...

Alison, I really really really like this project!!! The vintage kids are adorable and I love the 3D aspect of this altered box. You've done such an amazing job on this! :-) Hugs

Chrissy said...

So gorgeous Alison love the children such lovely images, gorgeous colours, love the sepia, and love the resist background.Fabulous recycling, love the butterflies too.

luv CHRISSYxx

Inkypinkycraft said...

I love the soft colours, the utte on the children is a wonderful idea and I love those butterflies! Another fab make Alison! Trace. X

chrissie said...

Just terrific-the images and colours are just right and a great idea to make it all in a box lid

Love Chrissie xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Alison. Totally gorgeous. Love how you have used the CI stamps and the image positioning with the butterflies. What a wonderful idea and so charming.
Regards Florence x

Andrea Small said...

Goodness me - this is a satisfyingly deep piece. Initially I was quite happy admiring it on one level, then found myself looking and looking and LOOKING at the main picture and getting a wash of melancholy from the passing of summer and the passing of childhood/innocence. For me, it also a symbol of a changing age - that still point in Edwardian England before the world changed. They are looking up and seeing butterflies now, but what will they be seeing in the skies when they are older? I could go on... This is a splendid piece of art x

Cocofolies said...

It's really beautiful, and I really love also this set of stamps... I's even one of my favorites ! Love your butterflies too !! x

Terry said...

I am sure you have not heard this, but what an incredible recycled project. Love this and how precious is the little girl with the butterfly! Thank you so much for playing along at Frilly and Funkie!

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Be still my heart!!! I love love LOVE the way you made this 3D...those girlies come alive!!! This is exceptional! Love how they are chasing fluttery friends! Thank you tons for playing along with us at Frilly & Funkie!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your winning entry for my challenge at Crafty Cardmakers totally deserved. Please pop over to CCM toclaim your prize



Marie

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous project Alison, the butterflies look so life like and the expressions on the faces of the girls are magical !

Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Sue C x

Rita said...

Alison ,your creation is beautiful. I love absolutely everything about it. Hugs Rita xx

Marjie Kemper said...

What a transformation, Alison! It's lovely. The girls are so sweet and I just love the way you've positioned them. The butterflies are magical. Always a pleasure to have you join in at Frilly & Funkie with your gorgeous creations!

Bärbel said...

Was für ein wunderbares Werk, Alison, es ist großartig in seiner Gesamtheit!

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Just lovely, a wonderful piece of art.

Brenda Brown said...

How did I miss this Alison? What a wonderful project, so beautifully vintage, so well made and so darn drop dead gorgeous.
So glad you joined us at CI challenge.
Hope your day has been a creative one.
hugs {brenda} xox

Daniele said...

awwww this is so sweet, I love the little butterfly on her hand and the soft colouring so glad you joined us at CI this month
hugs

Unknown said...

wow - what amazing detail!! thanks for joining us with our 1st challenge at 'a heck of a challenge xx'

nefertiti said...

lovely creation, very delicate with my favorite stamps!!!! bizz

Nan G said...

What an amazing shadow box! So much detail in such a small space! Love the stamps...wish they were available in the USA. Quite inspiring - thank you!