Saturday 5 July 2014

Flower Fairies! Inspired by Liesbeth. at PaperArtsy.

Hello and Welcome. Thank you so much for dropping by! Last week was busy with Mum's 85th birthday and Kevin, our kitchen fitter friend turning up unexpectedly and actually started tearing down our old kitchen! Things are moving after quite a long hiatus! This is great but it means our shabby kitchen is just a little more chaotic! Ah, well it will have to get worse before it gets better. I was determined to play along with Liesbeth over at PaperArtsy here! She is so very inspirational and I love the way she uses Lynne Perrella's amazing stamps. I was really excited when I saw that she had been playing with the idea of a face at the centre of a flower; as I've played around with this idea myself. Just for fun last weekend I created this little canvas on the left. I decided to create two more inspired by some of Liesbeth's ideas and have a Fairy Trio!
I didn't exactly 'case' Liesbeth's original. The canvas was quite mini so it needed fewer background features if the focal image was to stand out. I wanted to include  some of the motifs from my first canvas. I had used stamped and painted Baby Wipes, which I used again, but I also included some of the new tissue from PaperArtsy.
Here you can see the size of the canvas. I used some of the tissue with script on it and some plain sheets and - there in the background - is my trusty dried-out Baby Wipe! I gave my two new surfaces a coat of PaperArtsy Antarctic. I wanted a very light blue to show through the translucents I planned to use.
Three stages! The first one, on the left is Antarctic with some tissue added. Here is a closer look. I rather like this one before the paint is added and I think I might re-visit this and create something in Black and White one day: that would be a first!
In my first canvas I created a clearing in the forest where a knight dreams that he sees his lady in the form of a flower. This one, I thought, would be a magical city rising from the mists, perhaps a fairy kingdom.

Here is my third canvas with some Translucent colour added. I used Chartreuse, Inky Pool, Hey Pesto and Zesty Zing and a little Beach Hut. I stencilled some leaves in Grunge Paste and in Beach Hut. The music notes are from Sara Nauman's Eclectica Collection and I used my favourite mini with its lovely Medieval script on both.
A Fairy Kingdom with its flowery Queen! She reminds me of the very majestic, Titania in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. You can see how the feathers have been misted over, but I loved that central one so much I didn't want to obscure it as much as the others. I used Liesbeth's idea of applying blobs of paint to card for my central image, but for this one I die cut my fairy from a PaperArtsy Eclectica flower die and applied some Frantage for extra texture. Liesbeth added interest with tiny cut outs from the sunflowers on the stamp. I went for butterflies punched out of what was left over from my stamping.
With the next canvas I had a go at creating my flower using those Lynne Perrella houses as Liesbeth did. I fixed the small flower at the centre with dimensional pads, keeping my petals flatter, although if I did another of these I might fix the petals more in the style of Liesbeth.
With all three canvasses I used Tim Holtz Garden Greens for foliage. I do have some chipboard PaperArtsy Eclectica stems, which are lovely and I can't wait to use them, but these canvasses were just too small!
As this is a canvas, I wanted to extend the decoration over onto the edges.
We've past Midsummer Night now, but with these fairy-sized canvasses, I was still dreaming in the enchanted wood - and no - I hadn't taken a bite out of that pretty little mushroom!
Thank you for stopping by today and Thank You, Liesbeth for providing such fabulous inspiration this week at PaperArtsy. If the canvasses had not been quite so tiny I might have added this lovely quote from the ending of Midsummer Night's Dream somewhere on them:

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream...

24 comments:

  1. a masterpiece, Julie Ann (or 3 to be accurate) love them... hope to get a chance tomorrow to play along...

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  2. Fabulous Julie Ann! A gorgeous trio! Yay! to Kevin!!!! BTW this project has taught me one thing - I need more more paints!!! Chrisx

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  3. Oh these are just beautiful Julie Ann! As Helen said 3 mini masterpieces and I love every one of them. I love Liesbeth's work and her canvas this week was beautiful too.

    I'm so glad to hear that things are finally on the move with your kitchen. I do hope it doesn't take too long to get it done with now. I think you deserve a medal for your patience!

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

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  4. Wow Julie Ann how lovely. I love the way you have used all the stamps. The little quote is great too xx

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  5. Gorgeous Julie Ann - as usual! Nikki xx

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  6. These are really gorgeous, the colours are fab x

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  7. A triumph of a trio Julie Ann, all three canvases are amazing but when you add your tantalising tale they suddenly become magical images. A treat for the senses:-) xxx

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  8. Happy Birthday Wishes to your Mum, 85 is a magical age to be celebrating.
    Julie Ann, I adore books, always have and sure hope that I always will and for me, there is no greater pleasure (other than new stamps LOL) than reading at bedtime. However, I have discovered a new joy, visiting your Blog near (and actually, past) my bedtime and savouring a bedtime story in the form of your magical tale which inspired you to create this trio. You are a beautiful storyteller .... a beautiful artist.
    Goodnight Wishes
    Lynne

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  9. Beautiful works of art again Julie Ann,such magical colouring. I really love how detailed your work is,always something new to see if you look long enough. I do hope you put these on your walls as they are truly gorgeous.

    Good luck with the kitchen,don't know when I'll ever get mine done!

    Hope you are having a great weekend

    Hugs
    Donna xx

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  10. That's an amazing project, fabulous set.

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  11. More magical and inspiring work from you Julie Ann. Delicate and gorgeous. X

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  12. More magical and inspiring work from you Julie Ann. Delicate and gorgeous. X

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  13. Cheers Miss Julie Ann I knew Liesbeth creation would inspire you, you've taken it and made it into a production, a magical one, brilliant work, how wonderful to see some photo's of that magic happening, those colors are gorgeousssssss, my favorite, you blend them so beautifully, your a master with them, love how it goes,on past the boarders joining the tale together, shesh that was brilliant, I agree with Helen too 3 Masterpieces, Ton of inspiration around this nest, have a wonderful week, ((( BIG HUGS ))).. PS Great news about the cupboards, they have been long in the making, whooot whoot..

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  14. Absolutely stunning set of canvas's Julie Ann, fab background colours and of course it goes without saying, wonderful images

    Sam xxx

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  15. all 3 are so beautiful - such lovely layers and detail xx

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  16. These L.P. stamps look very cool and I love what you created with them!! Especially love the color combinations!!

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  17. I love everything about these gorgeous canvases, julie Ann! Particularly the two different flower ladies and I have that die now so something else to try. Glad your kitchen is moving along!

    Lucy x

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  18. Julie Ann, what a most gorgeous trio!!! I love Lynn's stamps and how you made little flower faces out of them! Adorable fairies! xoxo

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  19. Beautiful designs Julie Ann, each one is delightful and so attractive. Hope the kitchen gets finished soon. Have a great week xx

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  20. There are beautiful and lovely world Julie Ann!! I always love your LP ladies used xx

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  21. A beautiful trio of canvases Julie Ann! xxx

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  22. They make a lovely trio, Julie Ann - fabulous seeing those layers build up (I agree that b&w needs to feature soon - looks so cool!), and I love the faerie queen stories woven around your canvases. Gorgeous, gorgeous work!
    Alison xx

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  23. Wow such beautiful creations, the colours and layers are amazing. Kezzy :-) xxx

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