Thursday 24 July 2014

Field Notes of a Naturalist

Hello all, Alison (butterfly) here with a Victorian naturalist's field notes from his day's excursion in the fields... and we're back to the neutrals!  It's a simple stamped tag, using Katy Leitch's fabulous new Jumbo Flowers along with one of the Stampers Anonymous Classics releases from earlier this year.


I kept the stamping simple over a background of Fresco paints and crackle glaze.  I couldn't resist a spot of clear-embossing though!


The flowers are done in Potting Soil Archival, which seems an appropriate enough colour for botanical sketches.  This is the Bouvardia, tucked away at the bottom...


Here's the Flowering Branch...



And the Camellia...


The insects are stamped in Jet Black Archival...


... carefully labelled to keep track of genus and species.


In between, you might catch sight of the sparkle of some handwritten notes about what he's found.


I stamped the Calligraphy Mat #9 in Pumice Stone Distress Ink, and then clear-embossed it.  I love the dewy shimmer as it catches the light, so I don't mind the occasional places where it's spots rather than writing - just more dew drops!


There's some simple embellishing - a word band attached with rustic twine, and the pen nib with which he's been scratching his field notes in his journal.


At the top some seam binding, dyed with Pumice Stone and bound with more twine, is fastened with a Muse Token celebrating the new knowledge he's acquired in today's nature ramble.


The whole thing is matted onto black card, to give a little extra definition, and that's your lot.


Thanks so much for stopping by today.  There's still time to enter our By the Seaside challenge this month... hope to see you there!

Ingredients used:
Artistic Stamper Stamps: Katy Leitch Jumbo Flowers - Bouvardia, Camellia and Flowering Branch, Calligraphic Mat #9
Stampers Anonymous - Classics #17
Fresco Finish Paints - Crackle Glaze, French Roast, Chocolate Pudding, Stone, Snowflake
Ranger Archival Ink - Potting Soil, Jet Black
Distress Inks - Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs
Idea-ology Findings - Word Band, Pen Nib, Muse Token

38 comments:

massofhair said...

STUNNING colours and images, that is one gorgeous Tag :-) xxx

Rupa Swaminathan said...

Nature in a tag! Beautifully captured...loved the dewy look of the embossed script.

Helen said...

Fabulous Alison, the stamping, choice of stamps, the clear embossing.. love it; Hope the Victorian Naturalist isn't getting too hot out on his explorations in this heat!

Amanda said...

Beautiful tag!
Love
Amanda x

Shilpa Nagaonkar said...

Wonderful tag, Alison!
Love the composition.. with so many stamps!! and background is incredible!!

Sid said...

Lovely sepia tones and stamping !

Marci said...

Lovely!

Inkypinkycraft said...

gorgeous layers and love the colours!

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

A gorgeous collage in great colours Alison...
greetings, Alie

Unknown said...

This is beautiful Alison... just beautiful in all ways... love the techniques you used on this... Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie

www.deeadamsart.blogspot.co.uk said...

I really like the clear embossing over the base of the tag it is wry affective . The natural colour''s contrast nicely with the black. A lovely total effect. Dee x

Artyjen said...

Glorious tag :) Love it
xoxo Sioux

Kay Wallace said...

Love the gentle earthy tones on this tag, Alison! Love this on all levels!

Nan G said...

A beautiful field notes tag, butterfly!

sally said...

Fab field notes :-) I love this kind of thing and have a wonderful plant book with drawings which I keep meaning to do something with!!!

Sally

Redanne said...

This is beautiful Alison, great design and I love the layout of the botanical items and the embossing in the background just gives a lovely hint of shine - beautiful. Anne xx

Juliz Design Post said...

Alison, you always manage to do botanical themes with such elegance and beauty. Love it.
Julie x

Dorthe said...

So beautiful, Alison, in your simple colour choice , and I love your stamped Calligraphy in Distress Ink, and the clear-embossing of it !
Also wonderful stamps!!
Just having some few dayes home, untill my daughter and the kids arrives. Sorry to not be much around,- I miss it, but so enjoy being with my little family :-)
Hugs, Dorthe

Cocofolies said...

Simply fabulous Alison... Love the crackled background and clear embossing over it, but of course that's just the icing on the cake! These wonderful flowers and butterflies are so gorgeous in your hands!! Hugs, Coco xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Great tag Alison, Katie's stamps look wonderful stamped like that!

Lisa Minckler said...

You and ink and nature go hand in hand...as always! Seeing your work is like breathing fresh crisp wonderful morning air while watching the sunrise. Gorgeous work!!

toni said...

Just as I suspected! A gorgeous tag Alison, love your cool stamping and lovely background with the clear embossing, beautiful work xx

Corrie Herriman said...

Love the subtle colours on this, beautiful !
Corrie x

craftimamma said...

Absolutely gorgeous colours Alison and very in keeping with the theme of your tag. Those stamps are beautiful and I love your final touch of the 'barely there' embossed script.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Jenny Marples said...

A beautiful way to show off these wonderful designs Alison. Love this. Jenny x

Almo said...

I love the way the embossed script sits so gently in the background and the use of just the brown and black gives this tag a beautiful rustic but elegant look. Gorgeaous. Mo x

Julie Lee said...

Gorgeous tag, Alison. I love the neutral colour palette and the way you incorporated such delicate texture. This tag reminds me of 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'. I suppose it's all the intricate descriptions of the natural world and how fascinated the Victorians were becoming with the accurate and detailed illustration of flora and fauna. This is a real delight of a tag! xxx

Unknown said...

Love the neutral colors and the embossing is so luscious. It makes me want to rub my fingers over it lol. The stamps are beautiful and you've done an amazing job showing them off Alison. xx

Cinderella Moments said...

Hi Alison! As always you don't disappoint!! You always put all the perfect details together and your projects always turn out beautiful.
hugs♥,
Caroline

Julia Aston said...

What a wonderful naturalist tag Alison! love the earth tones and the wonderful dewey text background!

Chris said...

Very beautiful Alison, I adore the subtleties of your colour scheme and the gorgeous stamps you've used. Chris x

pearshapedcrafting said...

Fabulous! Love that dewy texture! The stamps do compliment each other beautifully - discoveries indeed!!! Chrisx

Anonymous said...

I really, really like those stamps!
A beautiful tag from Alison.
Wishes
Lynne

rkramadh said...

Simple, elegant, gorgeous, period!

Etsuko said...

Elegant Tag Alison!! Especially I love the artistic stamper's big flowers stamp images. xx

Mary Elizabeth said...

Oh my ... looks so organic. Perfect for a naturalist. Beautiful stamping Alison as usual :) -- Mary Elizabeth

Lucy Edmondson said...

How beautiful, Alison!

Lucy x

Kezzy said...

Wow wow wow absolutely gorgeous stunning hanging and wow the stamps you used are awesome :-) Kezzy xxx