Autumn Greetings

Our new challenge this month over at A Vintage Journey is Pairs, Trios and Sets, which is being hosted by the lovely Toni. Here’s what it’s all about:

“For this month’s challenge we would like to see you create a set that works together. It could be ATCs, tags, triptyches, or any other grouping. Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk”.

To wish you happy Autumn Greetings, I had fun creating this art journal page with its set of pretty autumnal tags and a faux bark background to display them on.

I cut four tags out of white cardstock using a Tag Collection Framelit from Tim Holtz. Then I laid three of the tags in a stamping platform so I could create a continuous picture; the ferns were stamped using a Leaf Print stamp set and the grungy dots are from an Urban Tapestry stamp set, both of which are by Tim Holtz. I gradually built up the colour of the autumnal scene using Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed Distress Inks. I also stamped the “Autumn Greetings” wording, which was from a Wild & Free stamp set from a magazine, using Vintage Photo Distress Archival Ink. Then I used glue dots to stick the fungi in place which are from a Field Notes Ephemera Pack by Tim Holtz.

I repeated the stamping for the forth tag and added one of the Ephemera Pack fungi too.

To showcase the tags, I created a faux bark background using white gesso, Distress Inks and a Faber-Castell Big Brush marker. I spread some Pébéo white gesso over the page using a palette knife to create the bark texture and left it to dry. Then I covered the page in Rusty Hinge and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink applying it like watercolour using a paintbrush. To intensify the colours I also dragged the Distress ink pads horizontally over the page and smudged the ink with my finger. To add more detail and contrast I used a Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Big Brush marker; firstly by scribbling the marker onto an acrylic block and dragging it across the page so the ink caught on the gesso texture, and secondly by drawing on the page and smudging the ink with my finger and also a baby wipe.

To finish, I added some brown string to each of the tags and then I mounted the set of tags onto the page using double-sided tape.

For more inspiration you’ll find some amazing creations from my fellow Creative Guides over at A Vintage Journey blog. I hope you are inspired to join in with our Pairs, Trios and Sets challenge too; it would be lovely to see you there!

My page reminds me of a beautiful walk that we went on when we stayed with our dearest friends in Maine, America where we saw these pretty rusty coloured ferns (grin!).

We saw lots of fungi too, this one happens to match my set of tags beautifully (double grin!).

Hoping that you are all staying safe and well!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create my set of tags and art journal page:

• White Cardstock
• Tim Holtz Sizzix Framelits (Tag Collection 658784)
• Ranger Tonic Studios Stamping Platform
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous (Leaf Prints CMS273, Urban Tapestry CMS061)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Brushed Corduroy)
• Creative Stamping Magazine Issue 87 (Wild & Free Stamp Set)
• Ranger Distress Archival Ink (Vintage Photo)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Ephemera Pack (Field Notes #TH94051)
• Stix2 glue dots
• Pébéo White Gesso
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Dark Sepia 175B)
• X-Press It! double-sided foam tape

Challenges I’m glad I found out about Challenge Blogs, like A Vintage Journey, as I always enjoy taking part, they provide me with inspiration for my pages and are a wonderful way to meet like-minded arty people. So here are the challenges I’m joining today: I’m so pleased to be able join the #131 – Picture Inspiration challenge over at Paperbabe Stamps with my tags and page as the autumnal colours, leaves and tree bark match the picture inspiration and my set of tags match the panel design too. I’m happy to join the Home is Where the Heart is challenge over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog as my page like our home is full of happy memories of our dear friends and travels to America. I’m pleased to join the Mix It Up Challenge Blog and their MIUCB #43 – Anything Goes + optional twist of Making Your Own Background with the continuous stamping technique and faux bark background. I’m joining in the fun over at Country View Challenges and their Anything But A Card challenge with my set of autumnal tags and page. I’m also joining the Thinking Of You challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge as my art journal page makes me think of our friends in America.