Wednesday 30 July 2014

Princess Steampunk dreams with the Dragons

Hello and welcome to Magpieheaven, friends and followers! It's been a busy time here at the Magpie's Nest with our daughter's internship taking her off to Azerbaijan next week and our son settling into a new job! Also I've been creating art dolls with Mary Chadbourne over at Artful Gathering. Time moves on, though, and once again it's time to dream with the Dragons over at Dragons' Dream TIO. I'm still loving the beautiful tags people created for brown and the letter 'h'. Soon we will be announcing the Dreamboat 3. Right now it's time for the new recipe, which is brought to us this week by the amazing and talented Gabrielle who has chosen 'Cogs and the letter P'. Please do join us by linking your tags to the Dragons' Dream and remember to include at least one real stamp on your tag. For inspiration hop across to see what the talented Dragons and this week's guest designer have created. I found this challenge incredibly - well - challenging!!! I thought I didn't really have any cogs! Then I remembered a Lynne Perrella stamp I have in which the lady has very unusual hair that might just be comprised of cogs! Here is the tag I came up with! What an amazing brain that cog hairdo and phrenological head must be covering!
 Talking of incredible brains, I was really inspired by Liesbeth Fidder who is guest designer over at PaperArtsy this week. I love her techniques and this time I was keen to try out her 'peeled paint' effect. This along with the cogs seemed to say 'Steam Punk' to me - a genre which I like very much, but which I've never really felt was in my 'comfort zone'. The letter 'P' just had to be Princess, but with a difference, Princess Steam Punk!
I started with a Jumbo tag and a blend of these three colours: Mermaid, Bora Bora and Elephant. I went with the same colour for my top coat as Liesbeth - Cinnamon. She explains the technique over on the PA blog here.
My tiles are created from card painted with Stone Opaque Fresco and then the Translucent Yellow Submarine. They are covered in Clear UTEE and edged with Aged Copper Frantage. I added a little resin bird painted and accented in Sapphire Treasure Gold. He holds some blue painted wire in his beak - no doubt bringing it to help the Steam Punk Princess in her next invention in which curly wire is a most important component!
The rusted Prima mechanicals also serve as cogs in the Princess Steampunk's remarkable invention. I imagine the Princess rather like the brilliant Ada Lovelace, daughter of Annabella Milbanke and the mad, bad and dangerous to know, Lord Byron. She was not allowed to specialize in Poetry lest she turn out to be as 'wicked' as her father, but she did become a nineteenth century mathematical genius instead and she is often referred to as The First Computer Programmer because of her work with Charles Babbage on his 'Analytical Engine', the very first computer! Compared to our laptops, Ipads and Smart Phones it probably does seem like Steam Punk; but to think none of the cutting edge technology we enjoy today would have been possible without it! The Grunge Paste writing - from a ledger stencil could represent the Princess Ada's  jottings as she works on her latest invention! I should like to link my tag to the PaperArtsy Challenge here this week. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look at my Steam Punk dream. I shall be back soon, I hope, with my next Art Doll. And she is also a dreamer!

23 comments:

  1. Love this Julie Ann,stunning use of colours here. I really must join this challenge, I certainly have plenty of cogs to use,everything I do seems to be covered in them at the moment!

    Sounds like you are having a busy time there,your daughter certainly is going somewhere very exotic :)

    Hugs
    Donna xx

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  2. Great tag Julie Ann, the peeled paint technique is fab isn't it and you've certainly ended up with some great results there xx The metal additions finish it off perfectly xxx

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  3. The rust, pale blue and yellow meld together beauitifully Julie Ann. Aged copper frantage sounds delicious. Your steam punk princess sounds as though she has a lot to live up to with the heroine that she aspires to be like. As usual, a beautiful creation and wonderful story. X

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  4. Love the name Princess Steampunk. Great tag with so much detail, grunge and layers.
    Julie x

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  5. google./blogger's not letting me comment... this is gorgeous!!

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  6. Wow, wow, wow - that's an amazing tag, so many fantastic details. Just fabulous.

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  7. I always love reading your stories as well as seeing your wonderful creations - the peeled paint effect is brilliant xx

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  8. Love the colours and texture,just gorgeous.xxx

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  9. Such a beautiful tag Julie Ann ! You are so inspiring ! Hugs, blessings and love from Catherine

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  10. Julie Ann what a fabulous steampunkery, grungy tag! And I just loved reading your post!! How interesting to learn of the brilliant Ada Lovelace! I never knew!
    xoxo

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  11. A fabulous steampunk tag Julie Ann, that image was a great choice! xxx

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  12. You certainly stepped up to this challenge brilliantly dear Julie Ann!
    Wowee such lovely details and extra touches...you are the detail queen.
    Very best wishes to your daughter and son ♥
    and
    Happy last day of July
    oxo

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  13. Wonderful tag Julie Ann!! Fab steampunk image and gorgeous creation xxx

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  14. a fantastic steampunkery is this! wonderful tag!

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  15. Very nice, loving the peeled effect.

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  16. Fabulous Julie Ann! I hope to join in but I am on Childminding duties for most of the week! I just love the peeled paint effect! Hugs, Chrisx

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  17. As always a fabulous narrative accompanied by magical ArT :-) xxx

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  18. Fabulous tag Julie Ann...The texture is amazing, Love all the images & elements...Fantastic steampunk creation...WOW...Hugs May x x

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  19. A wonderful creation! gorgeous layers textures and colour!

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  20. You must be immensely proud of your family and both of them setting out on a new journey in their lives.
    Oh I so love the texture you achieved. I want to run my fingers (they are clean .... honestly!) over the surface and feel that texture beneath them and what a perfect stamp choice and also the colour palette.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  21. SQUAWK, SQUAWK, I just flew over the pond, from my holidays, and yours is my first visit , Wowzer Cuz, this is what did Suzi call it fantastic steampunkery, it's brilliant, using those bottle caps was brilliant idea, I don't have anything punk either, but do have a box full of bottle caps, I'll use them now, your color mixing is superb as always, you are a master with them you know and I agree with Miss Patty you are the Detail Queen for sure, add I LOVE the tiles, I'm just getting ready t make some myself, and I have to try the peeled paint, I love that too. I too as well as Miss Lynne, would like to run my claws over it.
    Sending GRRRREAT luck for both your son and daughter, and a big hug for you....
    Off to meet the Queen...

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  22. That cog hairdo is absolutely inspired, and the rusty effects and fabulous details bring this tag singing into life. Wonderful to read all your imaginative journeying as you create too - I'm a huge Ada fan!
    Alison xx

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  23. Wow the LP stamp you used is one of my favourites because of the hair. I love your rustic weathered tag. I love that technique and do it often. The cinnamon over the Mermaid looks totally awesome, especially with the Elephant Grey, love it. Kezzy :-) xxx

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