/* */ Beulah Bee: August 2014

August 29, 2014

Aporia crataegi


I've never seen a Black-veined White Butterfly (except via You Tube) and I think they are quite nice.

Inspired by this this photo, I created a tag by printing it, cutting it out, pasting mulberry paper behind the wings, tinting it with paint, ink and colored pencils, and pasting it to a distressed background.


I'm linking it to the Monday blog challenge at Simon Says Stamp. This week's theme is "witch kraft" and while it may not be apparent that I used kraft paper--it's there, as a background, now covered with layers of paint and ink.

A happy accident caused by using too much Seedless Grape distress stain to darken the kraft paper compelled me to sand and rub at it with the hopes of making it lighter. When the top layer of the paper began to peel away, I gathered up the bits and pasted them back on and spread a layer of thin white paint on top.

August 25, 2014

Antoinette


Did you ever wonder why brown paper bag-colored card stock is called "kraft" paper? It's not a clever take on the word "craft" but instead, comes from the "kraft process" a term used in paper making. Others must have wondered about this too because there's a Wikipedia entry for it. And did you know that manila paper was originally manufactured in the Philippines, which is how it got its name.

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To celebrate this new found knowledge, may I present a tag made from both manila and kraft paper which I'm linking to the "witch kraft" challenge at SSS.

I pasted the kraft paper onto a manila tag, stamped it with archival ink, transferred an image using polymer medium, tinted it with distress inks, stains and some colored pencils and added strips of printed kraft paper to the border.

The light-colored image plays nicely off the kraft-colored background and this week's challenge was the perfect excuse to finally use it.

August 15, 2014

Madame Butterfly

Before

After

Did you know you can achieve painterly results with gel pens? Just make marks with the ink then wash over them with a brush and water.

Credit for the original image came from one of my most favorite bloggers (thanks again, Aputsaiq).

Half of the pens in the first photo were thrown away after I completed this tag because they had either dried-out or, more typically, the gel and ink had separated from the base of the pen (the survivors had tighter-fitting caps).

Bought several years ago, I haven't used them much but suggest to you that they do have value for adding color to paper and don't need to be saved just for writing.

And because I used a mark-making technique here, I've linked to this week's Monday blog challenge at SSS where the theme is scratched-up.

August 09, 2014

Queen Bee


This is a tongue-in-cheek entry for the Monday blog challenge at SSS. This week's theme is "in the family" and mine happens to be royal.

The tag was made from a scrapbook paper collection by Authentique called Classique Pretty, a bit of Tim's Wallflower paper stash (top), and a frame from Tim's Industrious stickers which I distressed a bit by sanding and painting.

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The background in the frame was stamped and embossed (Hero Arts Lace Flower Cluster) then I applied an image transfer of the Queen and her accoutrements. I tinted here and there with distress ink and paint and dirtied up the inside edge of the frame with pencil rubbings. I intentionally offset the frame but, in hind-sight, should probably have centered it instead. It also needs a ribbon topper which I didn't add because then I'd have to photograph it instead of using my flat bed scanner.

I really need to buy a camera and take some photography lessons!

August 06, 2014

Cultivate


I've made a lot of nature-inspired tags lately so why stop now? Prompted by this week's SSS Monday blog challenge "family" theme, I found this excellent photo from my great aunt's collection.

I don't know their names but my relatives lived on a farm in Nebraska and I think it's fun that all the boys are barefoot and wearing bib overalls. In the original photo they were standing on a front porch.

With stalks of corn and advice taken from a gardening manual, this tag was made by creating a background with distress inks, cutting and pasting a copy of the photo, drawing and painting the plants, and hand-lettering the text.

August 03, 2014

Mariquinha

The image of this lovely lady, Mariquinha Junqueira, was found here and was my inspiration for creating a tag to link-up to the Tim Holtz blog.

His monthly tag for August has challenged participants to create something that showcases our own personal muse and reminds us that each of our artistic voices is unique and we must embrace it.

He also shared some great techniques including a personal favorite which is taking advantage of the resist quality of his tissue tape to retain white space.


My technique was similar to his--I used tissue tape, distress stains and Tim's burlap stencil with texture medium. The house (LaBlanche) was stamped on to deli paper which also has a resist quality. A bit of colored pencil was used to create a shadow under Mariquinha's dress to ground her to the page (keeps the image from looking like she's floating).

I love finding images that inspire me and then trying to place them in a composition using stamps and other collage elements. I created this tag for the pure joy of it and give thanks to Tim for a great suggestion and for time well spent.

Jewelweed


A late entry to Simon's Monday blog challenge, this "J" inspired tag pays tribute to another medicinal plant called Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) whose clear liquid, found in the stems, is a useful tonic for mosquito bites, bee stings and exposure to poison ivy.

There are lots of layers in this tag and it has everything to do with changing my mind (a lot) trying many different effects and essentially just making it up as I went along.

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The leaves and bee with shield were gel medium transfers. There's washi tape in both corners on the left side and I also used a Heidi Swapp script stamp.

Distress inks, gesso, gel pens and acrylic paint also played a substantial role in the process along with plenty of sand paper and gel hand-sanitizer which make great erasers! And it all started on a base of text from a book.

I really enjoy working in mixed-media and collage because mistakes are easily remedied and experimentation is such a big part of the fun. Sometimes, I'll create an effect and have no idea how it happened and could never repeat it again, now matter how hard I tried.

I can't help but thank Tim Holtz (and others) for the distress revolution because intentional imperfection is a great fall-back when things don't go just right.