Sunday 4 June 2017

Mission Inspiration: May 2017

I thought that I'd better complete this page as the next mission has already been posted and we are now in June.  I'm not usually this late, but I got sidetracked with other things over half term.  In the end I decided to make the page semi auto biographical as I am the eldest (by 15 minutes) of four (three girls and the youngest a boy).  The quote is completely tongue in cheek, as my parents do not feel this way at all.  However the old fashioned nature of the Paper Dolls that I used as the focal points reminded me of the 'Victorian/Edwardian' feelings about children.  As my brother (aged 6) once said about our grandparents, "I'm not spoiled, I'm ruined rotten."  The colours of the month were Teal, Lavender and Grey, so I decided to use a warm grey which matches the colour tones of the Paper Doll characters.


Step 1
Step 1: Use bits of graph paper or composition paper.  I found some thin sheets of graph paper which once kept OHP acetate sheets apart.  As the lines of the grids are grey, they were ideal for this.  I tore an A4 sheet into three and glued the top and bottom pieces to the top and bottom of the page.
Step 2


Step 2: Use gelli paper or stamped book pages.  I happened to have a gelli clean off print of clocks in teal with some lavender in the background.  I tore this into strips and spread them out across the page in the other direction to the graph paper.  Once glued, sealed and dried, I trimmed the bottom of each strip and the side of the strip on the right hand side of the page.

Step 3
Step 3: Use one of the suggested colours.  For this step, I dabbed Milled Lavender Distress paint over the sections between the gelli print strips and blended it out with my fingers.






Step 4

Step 4: Use bits of twine, ribbon, lace or yarn.  I dug into my stash and found some self adhesive shaped border tape by Paper Cellar which matched the Milled Lavender and some teal coloured ribbon and added them to the page, layering the ribbons and laying them in both directions to match the paper strip layers below. 
Step 5

Step 5: Use at least three focal points.  I sorted through my Paper Dolls pack from Tim Holtz idea-ology and found the perfect set of characters; two girls who could well be twins, a younger girl who is a dancer and a little boy.  The age differences looked correct (nearly 3 years, then just over 5 years) and my youngest sister did a great deal of dancing as a child.  I added them to the page, sealing them with Distress Collage medium and, once dry, added some Warm Grey IV Big Brush Marker around each paper doll, blending the pen with my fingers, to help each 'doll' become one with the background. 

Step 6
Step 6: Make marks with household items.  For this step I used a washing up sponge and dabbed over the bottom of the page with Hickory Smoke Distress paint, then added some more Milled Lavender paint with a lid.  I deliberately kept this step very subtle.
Step 7



Step 7: Add (a) word(s) for the month.  The choice given was Flower, Accomplish, Climb/Reach, Hike and Succeed.  I obviously went for the last one on the list.  I stamped the word 'Succeed' using the Claritystamp Word Chain Alphabet in Paradise Teal Archival ink and went round each letter in the Warm Grey IV Big Brush marker for emphasis.  The first part of the quote was printed using my Dymo Letratag.  For step 8: Add cardboard/scrapbooking paper strips, I tore strips of cardboard off some packaging.  Once the core was revealed, I dabbed on Milled Lavender paint and glued the strips randomly onto the page in the same two directions as the ribbon/tape.



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