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 6 July 2013

Rough Around The Edges




Hi all and welcome, with an especially big welcome to the newest followers - I'm absolutely delighted you decided to join the journey.

I'm here to share a tag inspired by some playing around I did with rustification the other day (more about that very soon), and by the arrival of my first ever Stampotique stamp - the wonderful Moth Fab, a lucky bid on ebay - yay!

And it seemed only right to create a piece that would fit in with the current Stampotique Designers Challenge, which is to Recycle It.

And we go from oodles of colour back to the rusty neutrals that give me so much pleasure.

I started with corrugated cardboard, ripped from one of the packaging boxes I keep under the table.  And I gathered up washers, muslin and various other bits and pieces lying around the craft room to subject to some rusting.











While they were busy oxidising, acidifying, or whatever it is they're doing, I gave the cardboard a rough coat of white paint, and then added Vintage Photo Distress embossing powder in tiny amounts around the edges.













I distressed a paper doily with some ink and then grabbed some kraft glassine paper, discarded from a previous make, for my next layer up, and then - all rusting done and dusted - layered in a scrap of the now rusted muslin, fraying the edges for an even more lived-in look.









Moth herself (well, I had to have the one named after a character in Shakespeare, didn't I?) is stamped on an old book page, which I've then torn and inked to frame her.  I added a little snippet of lace left over from my Love of Vintage canvas which was lying on the table - inking it, and fraying it a little more as I went.











The words came to me as I was playing (and no I wasn't suffering from a hangover!), and seemed to fit perfectly - not only with what was appearing on the desk in front of me, all distressed and frayed and decaying, but also with my mood in recent weeks, when I've felt very unsettled and uncertain quite a lot of the time.  

(I've started to get the bit back between my teeth now.)








I stamped them onto one of the leftover tags from a previous tea-dying session which had been lying around for ages and which, at some point, had got itself a rough border of gesso'd brush strokes. 

Since this was becoming all about the edges, I stamped around the edge of the tag, so that all the words also got a touch of the gesso'd area.











I layered some of them onto some rusty tin wire net from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, teasing and twisting the edges for a lovely grungy effect.










The Idea-ology flowers, thoroughly rusted (fastener and all!), and some differently-sized washers, also thoroughly "decaying", add the metal touch to the tag.














I'm a little bit sad that the act of gluing everything down robbed me slightly of some of the fabulous dimension from the creased glassine and wrinkled material that the tag had when I was in the layering up stages... but overall, I still love the look of the thing.









A little bit more of the rusty muslin tops the whole thing off, tied together with some rusty wire, curled around some dowelling.




I had an absolute ball with this... I'd forgotten how much I love altering things for a rusty look.  And all the fraying really tickles me.  And of course I love the book pages...

Part of the trouble with all this crafty adventuring is that there's always something new to try (and I strongly feel I'm still in exploration and discovery mode with it all), and while that's wonderful, it's easy to let the things you've really gelled with slip into the background.













Well, they're all here with a vengeance: book pages, stamping, distress, ageing and good old layering, and it felt good to just play again.

I may still be feeling a little rough around the edges, but I'm ready to start living closer to the edge...

Come to the edge, he said. 
They said: We are afraid. 
Come to the edge, he said. 
They came.  
He pushed them... 
and they flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire

I'd like to enter this into the following:
Recycle It at the Stampotique Designers Challenge
Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp and Show
Show Us Your Metal at Try It On Tuesday



79 comments:

maria's knutselplezier said...

Great tag Alison , with beautiful details!!

Greetings and have a very nice weekend!!

Maria

Helen said...

It's beautiful, Alison - and I love Moth... Hope your life sorts itself out soon, it's never nice to be in a tough place (I should know!) Your art certainly doesn't show the hard times though, it is always fabulous, this is no exception.

barbarayaya62 said...

Great tag Alison! I love the way you use neutral colors, amazing details, you know how much I love the rust! Thanks again for your kind words on my blog! BArbarayaya

Brenda Brown said...

Fantastic altering Alison, with amazing rusty metal pieces attached they look incredible. I love all the aged layers you have added and the different textures, you have really given this tag the Butterfly treatment. You have also used my most favourite quote at the end, it became my whole belief and philosophy as a teacher and it fits you perfectly too. You are flying my friend.
Have a great weekend.
hugs {brenda} x0x

chrissie said...

This is just amazing and so much recycling to look at and admire. I ave never tried rusting anything so must have a go at that.

Have a lovely weekend Alison

Chrissie x

Von said...

Fab rusting Alison love the little touches like the fraying around the quote :)
Von ♥

sally said...

Recycling in all it's glory! The detail is all there...fabulous post :-)

Sally

Astrid Maclean said...

A piece after my own heart Alison, though I am not actually a great Stampotique fan, I love how you have used Moth Fab here. Great layers and the most wonderful rusting and oodles of great little details everywhere!
Delicious!! :)

Great to hear that you are starting to feel a little less frayed around the edges, - art and creativity are the best healers!!

May said...

Fabulous tag Alison, Love all the layers & great image..Your rusty look is perfect! Hugs May x x x

Rita said...

Good Morning Alison. What a fantastic tag. Super textures and use of muslin too. I love rusting lots of different things too. Have a Good Day. Hugs Rita xxx

Evil Edna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris said...

Fantastic tag Alison! Loving all your gorgeous rusty elements and that wonderful stamp, all the layering is superb too. Have a lovely weekend. Chris xx

Jenny Marples said...

Totally rough around the edges in all the right ways - love the muslin, the rusted elements and of course that fantastic stamped young lady. Another superb tag Alison. Hugs, Jenny x

craftytrog said...

This is wonderful Alison, just love the rusty looking muslin & other bits! Love Moth too!
Hope you're feeling much better soon,
hugs,
Alison xxx

hazel said...

A brilliant tag Alison, love all the rusty bits.
xxx Hazel.

Claudia N. said...

Aaah, I already wondered which Stampotique Stamp it was you bought (when you told me recently that you had bought your first one too).... such a cool tag! Love all the rustification magic you've done and the stamped image goes with it so well! A great tag with a load of yummy details and texture! YESSSS!

Hugs,
Claudia x

toni said...

Great bit of recycling going on with this gorgeous tag! Love your rusty elements and the stamp is adorable! Have a lovely weekend
Toni x

Sam & Poppy said...

Oh Alison, this is gorgeous. One day I'd like to be able to make beautiful things like yours. Thanks for joining in with us at Stampotique :)

Sue uk said...

Fab tag and love how you've used the recycle bits!

Evil Edna said...

wonderful and textured, warning, the stampotquie gang are addictive, they've taken over half my craft space.thank you for joining us at TIOT.EE

Candy C said...

Alison...this is such a cool tag! Love the girl in the center! She looks amazing just stamped on text. Love all of the fibers and fabric scraps you have tucked in behind her....perfect for the sentiment! The corrugated paper underneath also is really a cool look. The rusted metal pieces are really cool embellishments, too. Love it all! Thanks for sharing your always very cool art with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is yuumy, full of scrummy layers and textures ! Just gorgeous Alison magic! Sorry to hear you are feeling frayed , sometimes real life takes our energies but your creativity still seems to be shining bright xx hugs x

Redanne said...

Hi Alison, from one who really is rough around the edges at the moment, I think you are definitely on the right side now with this gorgeous tag. Moth is superb surrounded by all the rusting and tearing - she looks amazing. Loving your creativity on this piece and your wonderful description. Hugs, Anne x

Jane Wetzel said...

WOW! Moth couldnt look any better and I LOVE this :) Glad u joined the Stampotique challenge too!

Cocofolies said...

Wooow, this is a really fab tag, sweet and vintage, and I love your Moth fab like that !!!! Have a fab week-end Alison, and thank you for your kind comment on Tando's blog too today ! :) Coco xxx

Lucy Edmondson said...

This is great; love the words you have chosen to go with it!

Lucy x

Wee Von said...

Oh so wonderful. Love it when you get down and rusty!

Meggymay said...

Fantastic tag, I love all the aged and rusty additions, its a great quote as well.
Yvonne

Michelle said...

Fabulous! The "rustification" is a brilliant idea. I love it! :)

Shelby said...

Wonderfully fun and quirky tag! I love it and especially love the sentiment!

Shelby

trisha too said...

So many gorgeous rusty details--fabulous tag, Alison.

:)

Julia S-W said...

Great tag Alison and I just love all the rusting - one of my favourite things as you know!
Life is a funny old thing isn't it but at least you have your desk to retreat to and lose yourself in - to wonderful effect too.
Sorry to be on catch up (again!!). Hope your weekend is going well.
Juliaxx

Keren Tamir said...

Beautiful tag. Sorry I haven't been around. Trying to catch up in everything now. And I'm going away so everything has to be done before. Hugs
X
Keren

Netty said...

A terrific textured tag Alison and love the words......oooh yes I know how that feels....... hugs Annette x

Dorthe said...

Dear Alison,
I hope for you will soon be feeling all well ,-and on top of world again!! Life is hard now and then!! I know!
Your tag is another wonderful piece, and I too, love the rust and frayed edges, - the corrugated cardboard looks just like a piece of metal, starting to rust: Gorgeous!!
xo,Dorthe

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Quirky cool! Love the shabby vintage feel as well! Thank you for sharing your work with us this week here at Simon Says Stamp & Show this week!

Julia said...

The rusty neutrals are fab and so is the project. I love funky images, this one made me smile.

Astrid Stulemeijer (AssiCrafts) said...

Amazing tag! Really love the look. Thanks for joining us at Stampotique. XOXO

Unknown said...

How fab! Love these stamps and you've done this one good service, love it! Love the sentiment you've added too, fab! Chris xxx

Unknown said...

This is awesome!!! How cool!

cathylynn said...

Love it! Love it! Love It! Yep that sums it up. I can not wait until you share how you rusted the metal pieces. So much to admire here and this is truly one of my favorites!
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

Marjie Kemper said...

Great tag, Alison! Love all the different textures... yummy! Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Chrissy said...

I'm feeling a little rough around the edges this morning Alison, and it IS through a hangover..love your rustic and textured tag, isn't she a great image..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Kay Wallace said...

This tag has enough texture for a full two-page spread, Alison! It is absolutely gorgeous!

Kate Yetter said...

Very pretty, Alison. I like the cutesy image with the vintage flair. Love your rusty elements!
Kate

Nan G said...

Love Moth! Your rust is amazing! The whole tag is ... Fun!

Unni A said...

Wow, this is amazing! I love everything about it! I wish I could touch it, look at it with my fingers, feel all the textures.
Hope you're feeling better!
hugs, Unni

froebelsternchen said...

a fantastic rusty piece Alsion.. for me the look is fantastic here!

xxx
Susi

Anonymous said...

Fabulous tag Alison, love all the distressed layers and the rusting looks awesome ! Sue C x

Gaby Bee said...

Your tag looks fantastic, Alison! I love all that rusty elements and the many other gorgeous details. Great job!

Hugs,
Gaby

Anonymous said...

A lovley piece with such wonderful textural interest. The rusty pieces really finish the theme off nicely. And I like the neutral monotones too.

Claudia N. said...

Me again, wanting to thank you for joining us at TioT with your awesome creation!

Hugs,
Claudia x

Unknown said...

Alison, this is such a fun, beautiful tag! That girl looks like myself on most days ;)! Your details are wonderful!

xErin

Janny Jager said...

Wauwwwwwwwwwwww Alison this tag is Fabulous.
So many lovely and great details.
Love it.

Greetings Janny

Anonymous said...

Absolutely love the combination of textures you have brought to the tag.
Alison, I sure hope your life becomes more settled.
Wishes
Lynne

Anonymous said...

this is so pretty - full of gorgeous texture!!! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week!! - Ashli :)

Reflective Art Studio said...

Stunning I love all the use of old metals. Wonderful work. Thank you for sharing your talents with us at Stampotique Designer's Challenge.
Sarinda

Mary Elizabeth said...

Alison ... the best art comes from the heart and that's what I see here. What a great stamp to use for this tag :) I think we can all identify with being "rough around the edges" and more than a bit frayed, tattered, and torn. And like life, your tag has all of these wonderful layers that get hidden when they are glued down ... but the beauty is still there. Keep digging through the layers during these tough times. Thanks for sharing this wonderful tag. It definitely resonates with me :) Hugs -- Mary Elizabeth

Dianne said...

Sorry I'm so late getting her it's been a crazy weekend. Anywho what a fun tag very different but still you have created it all in your own style, fabulous that is..All those corrugated, rusty layers looooove the rusted muslin, the rusted lace and that flower is FANTASTIC. Well mu dear I'm soooo excited just seeing all the fantastic work you did on this tag, I'll have visions of it dancing in my head at waterfit, I'm off thanks for sharing you awesome talent Miss Butterfly have a wonderful day and have fun on the EDGE..

Unknown said...

What a great stamp Alison. :) I love the elements you added and the journaling is perfect. Fabulous tag!! Hugs

Sandy said...

Hey Alison! Your tag is an A+ For color and design, Love the metal pieces. Most of all I love that girl!!! Wonderful artwork!
Sandy

Valerie-Jael said...

Just wonderful Alison! Thanks for playing along at TIOT! Valerie

Fliss said...

Really funky tag Alison. Love the sepia tones and the very clever and quirky text.
Hugs, Fliss xx

Silvia(Barnie) said...

It's one of my favorite images. Such a fabulous creation, love all the details.

Mrs.B said...

Love this tag, and the funky image you've used with that quote.
Avril xx

Julie Lee said...

Lovely tag with gorgeous textures. Love the reference to Moth in 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. I really enjoyed exploring your blog and gained lots and lots of inspiration, after discovering your comment on mine earlier. Dianne has been so kind and a great inspiration too. Thank you so much for becoming a follower. I'm honoured. Julie Ann xx

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Such a great tag with unique combinations Alison...you're good in that!

kind regards, Alie :-)

craftimamma said...

Another awesome piece Alison! Love Moth and all her rusty embellishments. All the layering looks suitably 'roughed' up too.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Bonnie Irvine said...

Stampotique makes some of my favourite stamps...like Moth. The rusty and textured tag makes a wonderful home for her. I want to touch ever so gently :)Love the layering and the play of the pretty with the more rustic and natural elements. It sounds like you are going through one of those transition stages where there is so much work and sorting going on inside...much like what happens in a chrysalis. I know things will become clear and you will emerge stronger, freer, and more beautiful than ever. I send you a giant hug.

Margaret said...

I wish when I was feeling rough, I looked half as fabulous as this tag! The rusted, dyed, and frayed pieces should give a feeling of falling apart and sadness, but instead seem to be invoking comfort and familiarity. I can't help but think that this was part of the therapy of your wonderful tag!

Kjersti said...

Love your tag Alison! Beautiful colourscheme and the text... don't we all feel a little rough around the edges sometimes??:)
Have a nice day!
Hugs Kjersti:)

Sophie said...

Großes Kino, liebe Alison.
Ich liebe die vielen Details und kann mich garnicht satt sehen :-)
Großartig!

Liebe Grüße
Sophie xx

Kelly said...

Oh I love this tag, she is just great! The sentiment is perfect for the effects of the tag. Love your humor.
Hugs Kelly

Valerie H. Marshall said...

Another smash hit, Alison! Love this!
Val :)

Monique said...

Love, love love your tag. Love those goofy stampotique girls. Next to vintage they are just my cup of tea, so your tag is right up my alley on both counts =). I think it's so funny you had to have the one with the name of a shakespeare character.
Beautifully done!
xx

Katja/MezzaNotte said...

Its great... i LOVE all the rough details!

Kezzy said...

Wow wow gorgeous rusty tag, I love using my rusty powder but not done it for awhile. I love stampotique stamps but yet again not used them for awhile. I hope you are starting to feel like your undoing those rough around the edges feelings. Hugs :-) Kezzy xxx

Mary Elizabeth said...

Congrats on being picked as a "favorite" on the Stampotique Challenge. Knew this was a winner :)
-- Mary Elizabeth

Magda said...

Great tag, love all layers and details. Thanks for playing along at the Stampotique Designers Challenge. Magda :)