Sunday, March 6, 2011

Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge - Some metal...

Greetings on this fair and sunny Monday morning! It's great to start the week with a little inspiration and a new challenge. So, here is my first piece for the Design Team over at Simon Says Stamp & Show, where the challenge theme is "Some metal".
 I wanted to blend antiquity with history and created this triptych to celebrate the pioneering spirit of Women. Research led me to the book Le Vrai Livre Des Femmes (1863) by Eugenie Niboyet, a French authoress who campaigned for the education, freedom and rights of women. I have called my piece Les Trois Visages (The Three Faces). I was drawn to the faces of three anonymous but alluring ladies and have recreated the original book-cover and a ledger page from around that time. I love to work with an underlying theme and it was really interesting to work with metal, paper, images, stamps, ink, findings - well, everything. I would love to see your interpretation of "Some metal"...so join in with the challenge, the chance to win the coveted Top Three Award and a $50 shopping voucher! Sounds tempting to me.

Here are more details about the piece...or just browse through the photographs if you like...

 The blocks were just cardboard packaging collaged with dictionary pages using Claudine Hellmuth medium followed by a swoosh of gesso. Then I stamped to add more detail (Papillion, Urban Chic) by Tim Holtz, adding more age with Distress Inks. I really wanted to use some old bottle tops to encase the images and cut mica circles to resemble glass fronts. I spent ages looking for those faces - you must feel they each have a story to tell. They were also my inspiration for the title and metal lettering.

Here is close-up of the letters. I laid Chip Block Alphabet letters by Tim Holtz under metal from Ten Seconds Studio. I used a paper stump to emboss the letters, then coloured the metal with different Alcohol Inks and then sanded it lightly to bring out the letter surfaces. Just loving those colours and metal! I also adding a little patterning on the far left with a fragment from an embossing folder.

 Here is a close up of the French ledger. It details the names of European citizens that were immigrating to Quebec. No mean feat back then...ties in just perfectly with the theme. I added some gold thread, metal tags and a scrap of stamped mica using a Memo pin. I used scanned images from my own collection of images and ephemera so I can preserve the original. I print them out on ordinary paper, age them and then seal them with matte medium for strength and clarity.

I created a row of roses from old brown dress-pattern paper using the Tattered Florals die. I wanted them to look more like rose buds so I crumpled the paper then cut two flowers, rolled one around the other and added a small scrap for the centre. They are edged in Inka Gold as are the edges of the other flowers and block pieces.


Here, two hand-rolled ribbon flowers layered with ribbon and lace scraps. They take just a few minutes to make and means you can put a bit of yourself into the piece.
Yes, more flowers that are on the book cover. Just simple hand rolled sweeties that are real fun when they unfurl. I used the old dress-pattern paper and some french book pages for the lighter ones to give a bit of contract. The leaves are just mini metal tags that have been bent and coloured - again with Alcohol Ink ...a fabulous product. There is so much you can do with them so do give them a try...

See what I mean - these were shiny silver to begin with - just look at those rich tones now. These are genuine vintage pen-nibs which I found just recently in a junk-shop. I live in a market town just full of antique, junk, vintage and charity shops. I am forever rummaging around in boxes or scouring the bottom shelves...but just look what you might come across. I was all done with the project but knew I was missing something. These were just what I needed to finish it off.

So there we go. Another labour of love, but worth every minute. I do hope you will be inspired to create something yourself. Let your imagination and hands loose!

Pop over to Simon Says Stamp & Show to see the other pieces from the wonderful Design Team.


Look forward to seeing you there...

Sarah .

23 comments:

Jen said...

WOW! This is fabulous!! Love all the details!

Unknown said...

Beautiful work ... Simply stunning!

Heidi said...

Stunning! Love the details:)
Beautiful work.
Hugs, Heidi:)

Nancy Wethington said...

You can't see me but I am bowing to you. This piece of art is amazing! The detail . . . the way you made the flowers . . . the ephemera you used is all gorgeous! WOW. WOW and WOW!

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

This is beyond fabulous, Sarah! I love the way you take a central theme and us it to shape your piece around. All of your elements work so perfectly to support the others. I especially love the women's faces in the bottle caps and the way you created the metal letters. All in all a totally amazing piece of art. You totally ROCKED your fist challenge with us - so happy you have you on our team!

Hugs,
Linda

laurel said...

Those are absolutely beautiful, Sarah. So happy that humble packing material found it's way to being a canvas for you.

Candy C said...

Sarah...your piece is awesome...as is ALL your work! I love this vintage mix of ephemera and metal!! You attention to detail is incredible!!
LOVE it!! You killed this challenge! Well done!!

Terry said...

Hiya Sarah, well I don't have to tell ya ....or shall I ??? I JUST LOVE IT...every little detaill I JUST LOVE IT and I am honored that your our TEAMIE AMAZING Hugs Terry xxxx

Lori said...

Awesome, Sarah! Just awesome! Love every little detail that you so painstakingly created, Gorgeous! And so good to have you on the team!

Rachelxx said...

Stunning! Love all the detail Sarah :-)

Scrappy~Sarah said...

wow beautiful work

Sid said...

What a fabulous creation !!

Angelnorth said...

Lots of lovely details to enjoy here - fantastic piece! Hope you've got somewhere to display it and enjoy it!

email: Steph@SimonSaysStamp.com said...

Hi Sarah,

Welcome!!!! I love your entry work, it's breathtaking! The roses are beautiful and I'm loving the bottlecap embellishments :)

*mwah*
Steph
Simon Says Stamp

peggy aplSEEDS said...

Wow wow wow! this is fantastic! what detail! it's amazing!
i would love to live in your market town and do some rummaging!

jude said...

Absolutely stunning hun!Just amazing
hugs judex

Mrs A. said...

I need to come and live in your vilage Sasa. I just love these pieces. Off to ten seconds studio now for a browse. No hang on wasn't I supposed to be commenting on every ones blogs!!

Fiona said...

gaorgeous gorgreous ! love the colours and everything about it well done on your first piece for the DT x

salamanda said...

Wow this is a stunning piece and so much work has gone into it.

Trish said...

This is STUNNING! Wow! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work, and the detailed description - truly inspirational.

voodoo vixen said...

Oh these are stunning indeed, love the colours and textures and the theme is perfect.

Unknown said...

So amazing and love all the details it makes it a very special piece

Love Dawn xx

VICKYFF said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.