Saturday 17 September 2011

This should have been soooo easy

Ah steampunk, what a theme.  it must have been the gods smiling down on me to select such a challenge in this weeks Simon Say Stamp and Show. I mean what more justification can you have for purchasing some of the latest PaperArtsy hotpicks?

Well yes the gods may have been smiling but it was that manic ha ha we are going to take your inspiration away and now let's see how you get on (I'm sort of thinking Greek legend kind of scenario ethereal , white togas and lightening bolts - you know what I mean).  On my goodness - what a challenge it was.
It's taken me all week and it's nearly gone in the bin twice, but this morning I rolled up my sleeves and decided I would crack it.  

To be honest I'm not sure I did - what do you think?

Frame - painted in a dark navy paint and then a lightish grey with some pearl glaze mixed in over the top of some crackle glaze.  Waited for it to dry and then sanded back to distress.  A cogs stamp from Paper Artsy in black stazon all over and finally some walnut stain and distress ink on the edges.

Middle - this is where it got painful.  I first started off with some grey metal embossed in a cogs folder, die cut a clock face and distressed and this was going to go over the top with this gentleman and these birds on top. as you can see only the gentleman and birds remained!

So this morning I started again, glued a page from an old book onto some card, covered with some Antique Linen and Crushed Olive distress stain and then some picket fence. Added various background stamps of Paper Artsy splodges, coffee stains and clocks.

Using a piece of Tim paper I inked with brushed corduroy stain , sprinkled on some walnut stain distress powder, flicked and rubbed of some of it and then heated.  

Once it was cool, gave it another rub over and added some dried marigold stain on top of that.  Ran it through the cogs die, added some bits of ideology and glued everything down with my glue gun.
I'm not sure it's what I was trying to achieve and I'm not sure it's really steampunk, I think it needs much more metal and sprockets and springs to give it more of a  "clanky victorian look" and I think I wanted to make something 3D that suggested movement like a lady dancing in a jewel box (am I talking gibberish - do tell me and I'll stop).

Right that's it I've spent far too long agonising over it  - time to move on to the next challenge: is it going to rain again today and what do I wear to the rugby?

hugs

jo
xx

6 comments:

  1. Hi Jo! I could soooo relate to your story about buying something, particularly stamps, thinking of a million ways to use them. Then, once in hand, creative BLOCK sets in and you're crafting in your sleep...trying to come up with a design to use those blasted stamps! It's happened to me on more than one occasion! haha anyway, I think your piece turned out very well. I really love the gears going across. They add a different color and texture to the piece. I love the birds with the "artsy" heads on them wearing crowns. I'm like you in that I always think my steampunk pieces should have lots of metal elements on them...but I've found that really isn't always the case. At any rate, I like your piece. Way to hang in there with it...it turned out well! :) <3 Candy

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  2. Hi Candy, thanks for the comment - glad I'm not the only one with these odd thoughts and being hyper self critical! And yes I really like the cogs as well - favourite bit! jo

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  3. You definitely cracked it, I love your piece, the cogs look rusty, really effective and love the images, nicely done. Thanks so much for joining in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge. Tracy x

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  4. I'd say you cracked it Jo, I love the grungy/industrial feel this piece has, love the dark blue, that works for me as does the lush PA stamps & the cogs. x

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  5. Oh thank goodness! It's not just me! My block was so great I gave in. I'll try again when tomorrow's challenge is released! This however painful to think about is a triumph!

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  6. i'm sorry, i don't think you cracked it. i think you put it on fire with firework sparks and everything!!!
    i love the background ink effects you created, and the cogs and characters work so well together.
    and as usual, i love your colorcombo.
    as i said, fireworks sparks and everything!

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