Sunday 10 November 2013

Had we but time...

Hello all, Alison (butterfly) here with a cri de coeur.  There doesn't seem to have been any let up since the house move, and I've been feeling the pressure of deadlines - work and crafting ones.

So the words used in today's journal page have been revolving in my head for days: Had we but world enough and time...

I know that in the poem they come from they're actually being used to try to seduce the listener into bed with the poet - but that's not where they're coming from in my head and heart at the moment.  I'd just like a bit more time to myself - at the craft table, preferably!


And yes, of course, I did have some time to create this - but in between planning the next batch of workshops I'm delivering, so it wasn't as free and easy as I'd've liked.  Ah, well - I'm pretty happy with the end result, nonetheless.

This page is the first time I've put ink to paper in my Dylusions art journal, bought several months ago... and I have to say, they really are gorgeous pages to work on: sturdy but smooth, taking ink and other media beautifully.


I started out with two of the new Artistic Stamper masks - two sizes of circles, and I stamped some text through the larger one and used a palette knife to scrape some embossing paste through the smaller one.


The text didn't stamp all the way to the edges of the circles, but then I wasn't trying very hard to make it do that.  I quite like the gentle waves it created in the background.

I also added some more texture through the Crafter's Workshop Art Is stencil.


Once the texture paste was dry, I started adding ink (all the blues - Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire) and paint, and some more layers of stamping, using the Sequin Waste and Mini-Dots, as well as some more text.


Some of the stamping is done in Archival - Coffee and Cornflower, amongst others - and some is done in paint - Gesso or Snowflake Fresco mainly.


While all that dried for a bit, I cut the Tim Holtz Weathered Clock out of some cardboard.  I splodged Picket Fence, Weathered Wood and Stormy Sky Distress Paints onto it and spritzed it with some water to get them to blend.


Once that was dry, I gave it a good coat of Rock Candy crackle paint and left it to get on with its magic.


I also used a couple of the Tim Holtz masks - Clockwork and Dot Fade.


The Gibson Girls were clamouring to put in an appearance - they have a quality of yearning and frustration about them which seemed to connect in to the words.


I stamped them onto tissue paper first so that I could have a play with their positions.  Initially, I had those two corner women the other way around but, in the end, I felt the thoughts were most strongly expressed by having them facing away from the centre, each wrapped up in their own problems.


It's pretty much coincidence or luck (or subconscious planning) that the central woman found herself on an almost un-inked area of the page, leaving the face free to connect directly with the viewer.

A bit of Vintage Photo and some Gathered Twigs around the edges helps to draw the eye towards the centre of the page, and then I couldn't resist adding a bit more Rock Candy Crackle paint.


I particularly concentrated on adding some extra texture over those lovely bubbly circles, and that was when I suddenly realised what they were...


With the addition of some green pencil shading and highlights, the circles had become little planets - the "world enough" from the quote - completely unplanned, but once I'd seen it, so clear that that's what they are!


I stamped the words on a separate piece of card, cut them out and inked them, and added them to the page.


I suppose it's unsurprising that, with limited time at my disposal, I ended up playing with my favourite colour combination yet again.  Those blues and browns just seem to end up in my hands without me even thinking about it, so I hope you're not bored by them.


Don't forget our November challenge is up and running now... we'd love to see your Christmas creations, so come and share them with us here at The Artistic Stamper.  Thanks so much for stopping by, and see you soon!

Ingredients used:
Artistic Stamper Stamps: The Gibson Girls #1Mini Polka Dots, Sequin Waste, Calligraphic Mat #4
Artistic Stamper Masks: Large Sequin Waste, Large Dots
Dylusions "Perfect" Journal
Crafter's Workshop Stencils - Art Is
Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Clockwork, Dot Fade
Distress Inks: Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs
Archival Inks: Coffee, Cornflower Blue, Aquamarine
Distress Paints: Weathered Wood, Picket Fence, Stormy Sky
Gesso
Fresco Finish Paints: Snowflake
Rock Candy Crackle Paint
Grunge Paste
Sizzix Dies - Weathered Clock (from my stash)

Had we but world enough, and time,  
This coyness, Lady, were no crime  
We would sit down and think which way  
To walk and pass our long love's day.
From To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

39 comments:

massofhair said...

Yummy post :-)

Yvonne Garner said...

Wowza! What a fabulous project. Love all the texture! Bravo, well done.

Nan G said...

Wow is right! Fabulous textures and colors. The way you use these colors is never boring!

chrissie said...

Such an interesting post Alison and a beautiful page with great techniques.

Love Chrissie x

Helen said...

Beautiful page, Alison, I love the subtle blue you've used and the stamping through the stencil looks wonderful coming and going in drifts. Might just have to get my journal out today!

Anonymous said...

That is beautiful.

Annie said...

Wonderful journalling Alison :-) love the colour tones and texture.

TFS Annie x

Carol Q said...

gorgeous pages Alison. that weathered clock is going to be in demand as apparently it's been discontinued. it looks so good aged and cracked.

Carol Q said...

gorgeous pages Alison. that weathered clock is going to be in demand as apparently it's been discontinued. it looks so good aged and cracked.

Astrid Maclean said...

Beautiful layers and textures, love how you used the Gibson girls again!

Maggie said...

Gorgeous AJ page full of texture layers and a lovely pastel colour Love it!

MaggieH

crealinedance said...

Hoi hoi Mooi geworden.Gr.Nel

craftytrog said...

Wonderful layers, I love added crackle Alison xxx

Unknown said...

Beautiful colour palette, beautiful composition, another winner Alison! Fab! Chris xxx

Unknown said...

Love all the details

Shilpa Nagaonkar said...

absolutely gorgeous page, Alison! love the texture and colors! soft..and lovely

May said...

WOW, What a stunning page Alison...The texture & colours are fabulous... Love the stamps too....Hugs May x x x

Deborah said...

So many amazing layers to this. Fab!

Redanne said...

The Gibson Girls work so perfectly with the words you have chosen and I love the amazing background you have created. Beautiful work Alison. Hugs, Anne x

Corrie Herriman said...

Love all the texture and blue is my favourite colour so a winner !
Corrie x

Anonymous said...

Your thoughtful composition brings more drama to this page than it might otherwise have conveyed, especially turning the women to face away from the centre.
Adore this so much!
Wishes
Lynne

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Lovely created Alison, nice composition, colours and details

Cocofolies said...

Totally gorgeous page, I love the stamps you used (really beautiful!) and your cracked clock !!! Great textures also. Coco x

Anneke said...

Beautiful piece of ART. Thanks for showing and your explanation Anneke.

Dianne said...

GORGEOUS, BRILLIANT,CREATIVE all wrapped up in on journal page, that book is going to be MAGNIFICENT, thanks for sharing this amazing journey with us..

Dorthe said...

Another fantastic piece, filled with drama, and gorgeous effects...like the truly magic crackle here and there,- I love the lines from the poem, as well, Alison.
Hugs, Dorthe

Artyjen said...

Layers of inky goodness ;) Makes a great page.
xoxo Sioux

Terry said...

So many wonderful details! Gorgeous, Alison!

Sandy said...

Beautiful Alison - really a gorgeous page. I look forward to seeing more.
Really child - I don't see how you have time to do what you do. I am just a Southern Belle I guess and move rather slowly. It's in the genes I think.
If I had tons of money - I would fly over there and attend one of your workshops.
Sandy

Paper Profusion said...

Hi Alison, I love the subtle delicate hues here and your amazing incorporation of so much layering. It all looks beautiful.

You need to go over to your display cabinet and look at some of those fantastic art works of yours with wonderful quotes thereon. Now please start following some of those guiding quotes so that you can have / make more time for you!!

Nicola xx

craftimamma said...

Absolutely stunning page Alison. I'm certainly not bored by your favourite colour combination as you use it so beautifully! The texture you've gradually created is wonderful too. It would be hard not to touch if your journal were within reach!

Hugs
Lesley Xx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Wow! Hurray to time to yourself! Just love the texture, the colours, those fab images, the clock, the quote - well, just a fabulous page altogether! Chrisx

Titbelsoeur, mixed-media addict said...

what a wonderful combination !

Mary Elizabeth said...

Knowing what you've been going through with all the deadlines and moving (and then there are the everyday things of laundry and feeding oneself and taking care of family and trying to get some sleep), that I immediately saw the culmination of all of this in this art journal entry. It's you, through and through, with the blues and browns and wonderful textures. And it emotes ... through the images and the words and the blues and the browns and the texture. Fabulous, fabulous journal page Alison. Thank you for sharing it with us. -- Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth said...

Posting again ... wanted to say that I love the 'Planets' ... very cool. The texture over top was wonderful. And the green pencil shadowing ... very unexpected but perfect here. Love it!!!! -- Mary Elizabeth

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Wow, that's a gorgeous page.

cathylynn said...

Let me catch my breath.... OK now this is totally awesome. I'm in love with those stamps! Your textures are superb! Great coloring too! Love it all!
Hugs, Cathy
ps if I had lots of money I'd fly with Sandy to attend your workshop! LOL!!

Lucy Edmondson said...

This is absolutely glorious, Alison. I love all the layers and the circles stencil works so well. I love those Gibson Girls stamps,

Lucy x

Kezzy said...

Wow wow wow absolutely gorgeous stunning journal page :-) Kezzy xxx