Sunday Stars and Stripes...

Nocturnal or early bird greetings to you all...

A few hours ago I was engrossed in papery ponderings...convinced I had another day left to join in with the challenge at Simon says Stamp and Show. Agreed to work all week at the office and today was my first chance to get going with an idea that had been waltzing around my head... but after a quick peek at their blog I saw I had just five hours to come up with the goods. Major eeek! So, after a rather animated  "Oh flippin' heck" and a pep-talk with my tweakaholic side, time to get busy.


The challenge this week is Stripes and thoughts of the American flag immediately took up residency with me. I also have this great photo stamp of Clarke Gable and Vivien Leigh in a passionate moment. So I decided to pull it all together by recreating the mood of the film "Gone with the Wind". Hard times, around 1860, The Civil War, Georgia and on the plantation Scarlett O'Hara will get her man...

I started by doing a bit of research and then went on a hunt for my materials and ephemera. I have printed out the flag on canvas and then aged it with inks and fraying. I really wanted canvas for the texture, authenticity and to be able to create movement in the piece. I set it onto a piece of painted and distressed cardboard.




I found a pretty sassy excerpt from the book on-line and turned it into a book page by changing the font, layout and adding a page number. I applied a layer of gesso and then tore, distressed and inked the papers. I stamped over top with some florals to add contrast and layered it under the flag.

I am really pleased with the letter which I made from nothing. Just my printer, some white paper and a rubber stamp. I found out where Scarlett lived, typed the address and then spent ages looking for the right letter font to transform it into a love-letter from Mr. Rhett Butler! I printed it out onto paper, cut it to size, aged it with DI, added two collaged stamp images and then added the post mark by stamping to finish off. Don't mind the wrinkles and bumps - all part of it...See, if you really want something bad enough - create it!

I found the other images after a hefty on-line search for genuine ephemera images from that time. Again, chose the size and just printed out on normal paper. The change happens after lots of fine tuning with "the distress kit". I adore this green card. It is a remembrance card for the soldiers of the Civil War, the others are a song book cover and an ad for the Pony Express Mail!

The film is originally a book, so I wanted to add an image of the book cover too - next to the lovers... I then added a hand-made ribbon and lace flower. I used more lace and ribbons on the rest of the piece, going for a nice dark brown velvet one down the side, a fabric scrap and buttons and also added a double bow in the corner. I didn't go over the top with embellishments. I think the stamped photo and other images are strong enough.

Today it was really about recreating the mood and era of Gone with the Wind. Have you ever seen it? No...? A good way to spend a long, lazy Sunday afternoon...and frankly my dears, I do give a damn...so that is why I am here at this ungodly hour. Huge thanks to my brilliant hubby who helped with the fabulous photographs - whilst I fainted on the craft table...

I am entering it into a few challenges:
Simon says Stamp and Show
Creative Inspirations
Paper Romance Challenge
The Pink Elephant
Anything Goes Challenge

I think I will call it a day, even though it's morning. Thanks for calling by and taking the time to be here. Hope you enjoy it - I'm off up the wooden hill.. a soft pillow and a dream with my name written on it awaits...

Sarah