Timeless

This is the second of four cards made for the Try Something New swap mentioned in my Follies Review post, below.

Using the same background technique on all four cards, changing only the colors, I covered several torn pieces of paper from vintage books with a mix of turquoise acrylic paint and clear glaze for the background. Highlights are from two ink pads "dragged" in certain places: "Platinum Planet" Brilliance pigemtn ink and "Red Magic" Versamagic chalk ink, both by Tsukineko. The word "timeless" was typed on my computer and printed on a transparency. A clear glaze finish was added over the entire piece for added dimension.

Thank you American Troops - past and present!!

We're celebrating Memorial Day in the United States today! We are commemorating men and women who have died in military service to their country and dates back to the Civil War.

Volunteers place a U.S. flag upon each gravesite located in a National Cemetary.

Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, parades and family gatherings. We think of it as the unofficial beginning of SUMMER!

A little known fact is that the first celebration was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic. The official birthplace is in Waterloo, New York where they first observed the day on May 5, 1866. (excerpt from Wikipedia)

Follies Revue

This is one of four ATCs I made for a swap titled "Try Something New."

In an earlier post I mentioned a way to create a background from torn pieces of vintage papers mentioned in Bernie Berlin's book called "inky layers." Since I only tried it once, this was my choice to try something new!

Items used were torn from a 1903 almanac, a childrens book from 1930 called "whys and wherefores", a small 1931 brochure "Songs of the Campus" and some vintage advertising that I printed from a collage CD. I used Modge Podge both over AND under each piece.

Next I covered it with acrylic paint mixed with clear glaze (yellow for this card. green, turquoise and copper for the next three) followed by some dragging of a purple cat eye ink pad. Then I layered my final image and words from a Luna Girl collage CD and sealed with 1-2 more layers of my decopage glue.

I will post the other three cards, using the same method, shortly. Please try this....it couldn't be easier and I know you will LOVE the results!

A little history on the title of the card...
"Follies" - Used here, comes from The Ziegfeld Follies which were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931 and were inspired by the Folies Bergeres of Paris.

"Revue" - A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. Revues enjoyed great success on Broadway from the World War I years until the Great Depression, when the stock market crashed. George Lederer's The Passing Show (1894) is usually held to be the first successful American "review." The English spelling was used until 1907 when Florenz Ziegfeld popularized the French spelling (revue).

"The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose."

This morning I came across a lovely quote by Ghandi and wanted to simply share these words for your contemplation along with two gorgeous Art Nouveau postcards advertising a ladies' hair comb and pearl pendant both titled, "The Jewels." Art Nouveau (New Art) is an international style of art, architecture and design that lasted from 1880-1914.

I'm inspired to make an ATC based on both the quote and the images and promise to share it with you in my next post. Why not combine a favorite image with a favorite quote today, leave a comment and include a link? Or, simply allow this post to inspire your next creation!

Merletto da Roma

The title for my ATC is based on this image from a vintage postcard. It served as an announcement for a type of "fashion exhibition" in Rome, Italy "Dicembre 1907 - Gennaio 1908."

Merletti is Italian for "lace" which is just one of several items that were being exhibited. Others listed are:

gielli - jewels

ventagli - fans

orologi miniature - miniature clocks

profumiere - perfume

cofanetti - ?

coperture di llibre ecc. - covers of books, etc.

My color palette was inspired by the background which is at the top 1/2 of the card PEEKING out from under a transparency grid pattern. There are shades of copper, olive green and dusty pink. I replicated these colors in the brads, the paper image of an italian woman, the prima flowers and on the paper piecing I used at the bottom of the ATC. Almost all of my cards are finished with a textured glaze and beg to be touched!

This card has a different look to it. Maybe a more somber and masculine feel than is my usual style. I loved trying something new and I LOVED the result! I hope you do, too!

Home-made "Page Pebble"

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This card began with an alcohol inked background. Then I cut out a brown daisy from some pp I had lying around, edged the card with clear embossing ink & followed with UTEE in copper.

As you can see, I barely "touched" the edges of the design and of the card with turquoise acrylic paint, creating a look of PATINA! Looks weather-worn, doesn't it?

Then I added words that I typed, printed & glazed.

The final touch was adding a silver "concho" that I found at my local craft store. They also come round as well as oval. I backed it with a vintage image and filled it many times with my trusty clear "glaze" until it was full, making a raised dome-like shape once it dried. Lots of dimension here!

This card begs to be touched! ::smile::