Love Gelato

We love summer because of all the ice cream we can eat, so I thought I would create a page to celebrate this summertime love and join the many others who have created ice cream pages over at Art Journal Journey for Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s “Summertime Love” theme.  My page focuses on gelato rather than ice cream though and also the delicious flavours that you find in the many gelateria (ice cream shops) when holidaying in Italy.

I started by covering the page in Aquamarine, Kingfisher, Topaz and Gold Spectrum Aqua markers; I did this by scribbling the marker onto an acrylic block, spritzing the block with water and pressing it onto the page. I also used a paint brush to transfer some of the diluted ink across the page. Next I fussy cut magazine images that reminded me of our holidays in Italy. I also cut out some birds, an Italian ice cream shop banner and an ice cream cone which details possible holiday destinations. Once they were cut out I stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. As I chose Italy as the destination for this page, I coloured the word “flavour?” with green, white and red Uni Posca paint pens to represent the colours of the Italian flag and outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker so they stood out more. Then using black Archival Ink I stamped the names, in Italian, of our favourite flavours of gelato that we had when we visited Italy (you will find an English description of each of these flavours below). I created the border using a heart stamp and the black Archival Ink and I also top and tailed the gelato names with this stamp. I coloured each heart with the green, white and red Uni Posca pens to represent the Italian flag design; this took some time as there were so many hearts but I think it was well worth the time and effort as I love the detail. Next I used some gold alphabet outline stickers which I coloured black with a Sharpie permanent marker to add the words “Love Gelato”. I connected the gelato names, created a heart and embellished the magazine images using some small green, red and clear gemstones. To finish I added the ice cream cones which I made using some leftover petal outline stickers that I crisscrossed with black Uni Pin marker to represent a waffle cone and a large gemstones that I placed on the top to represent the gelato.

There are gelateria everywhere in Italy and it wasn’t hard to find this shop in Verona. It had the most beautiful display with the carved fruit, intricately shaped gelato and corresponding toppings to depict the flavour, such as a lemon, coconut or strawberries.

Needless to say we couldn’t pass by without trying some, so we had three scoops of different gelato piled into a waffle cone. It was so yummy and although I could have probably eaten both of these, one was for my hubby (grin!).

When we were in Tuscany, we had this Amarena, Tiramisu and Stracciatella gelato.

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, so you could argue that gelato and ice cream are the same. However there is a big difference and it comes down to these factors: fat, air and serving temperature. If you are interested to find out more, then:

• Gelato has less fat than ice cream because gelato uses more milk than cream compared to ice cream.
• Ice cream is churned faster and harder than gelato which is churned at a much slower pace. As a result, gelato is denser with less air while ice cream can consist of 25% to 90% air. The higher density gives gelato a more intense flavour.
• The temperature at which the two are served is different too. The higher density and lower fat composition means that gelato is typically served at a higher temperature than ice cream. If gelato were served at the same temperature as ice cream it would be too hard and if ice cream were served at the same temperature as gelato, it would melt and become soupy.

On summer evenings you will find that the Italian gelateria is the busiest part of town, often opening until midnight. There are so many different flavours to choose from including:

• Fragola: Strawberry and this is usually a deep pink colour due to the addition of crushed strawberries.
• Limone: fresh, tangy lemon flavour. This is a traditional flavour in Italy as lemons were introduced into southern Italy in the first century and are still grown there today.
• Tiramisu: One of the most popular Italian desserts is turned into a frozen delight. The name tiramisu is often translated figuratively as “pick me up” or “cheer me up” in Italian, in reference to the effects of sugar and coffee and also traditionally Marsala wine.
• Stracciatella: chocolate chip style, this gelato was invented in Italy and is a light vanilla gelato with crunchy shards of chocolate running throughout.
• Vaniglia: Vanilla and the colours and taste varies depending on how many vanilla beans are used to make the gelato.
• Crema: Italian crema is a pale yellow colour and is more like custard than cream.
• Frutti di bosco: translates to fruits of the forest and is normally a mixture of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and raspberries.
• Cioccolato: good old chocolate, my favourite!
• Panna Cotta: this is the frozen version of the traditional Italian dessert; it is rich and velvety due to the addition of heavy cream.
• Amarena: Plain ice cream with swirls of cherry sauce which is made from Amarena cherries which are small, slightly sharp cherries that are grown in Italy.
• Malaga: Rum and Raisin.

My hubby loves this gelato sandwich called “brioche con gelato”; you can choose your gelato flavours, this one if filled with Tiramisu and Panna Cotta, and they are served in a brioche roll. These can be found in gelateria across Italy and this particular one was in Lake Garda – yum!

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 this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Sea Green, Kingfisher, Topaz, Gold)
• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White, Red, Dark Green, Light Blue)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Sharpie Fine Point Permanent marker (Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.3mm)
• Pentel Arts Hybrid Gel Grip (White)
• Dovecraft Essenitals Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Old Magazine
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Modern Alphabet Gold ANT8101000, Simple Flowers Gold ANT8101102)
• Hobbycraft Rhinestone Stickers (Green Rhinestone 5971381004)
• Oaktree UK Eleganza Craft Stickers (3mm 418 Gems Red No.16)
• Poundland (Design Gems 175751, 504 Gems 128133)
• UHU Stic

Snapdragons

Snapdragons (antirrhinums) are one of my all time favourite summer flowers and as they are in full bloom in my garden I thought I would create a page. With my love for this flower I’m pleased to be able to join in the fun with Bluebeard and Elizabeth from Altered Book Lover with her “Summertime Love” theme over at Art Journal Journey.

I started with Potter’s Clay and Rich Cocoa Memento Ink which I applied to an acrylic block, spritzed with water and painted onto the page using a paintbrush. Then I stippled the same inks through a brick design stencil and also a wood grain stencil; these designs remind me of the area in our garden where the snapdragons are flowering. Next I tore up a page, that contained information about plant biology, from a Pear’s Cyclopaedia and layered the paper pieces onto my page using a UHU Stic. Once the glue had dried, I applied Butter Cream, Watermelon and Earl Grey Faber-Castell Gelatos and edged the papers with a black Sharpie Marker, smudging all the colours with my finger. I splattered the background with black acrylic paint using a paint brush and once dry I covered the whole page with white gesso. While the gesso was drying, I used a baby wipe to remove it from the papers and some of the brick and wood grain designs allowing the writing and colours to show through. The snapdragons are from a wallpaper sample which I fussy cut and stuck to the page using Liquitex matte gel medium. Once the gel medium had dried I outlined them with a Derwent Graphik marker and added shadows using Desert and Slate Spectrum Aqua Markers. To show my love for these flowers, I used some pretty pink heart brads. I pushed them through the page and then covered the back of each brad with a piece of masking tape to prevent any damage to the next journal page. I drew a very faint green circle around each heart using a Moss Spectrum Aqua Marker and then I added splatters of the Moss and also a Chocolate Aqua marker using a paintbrush; I did this by scribbling the Aqua markers onto an acrylic block and spritzing the block with water to dilute the ink. The “snapdragon” wording is made up from some leftover Cardstock Stickers by Little Yellow Bicycle that I had in my craft stash, and as I didn’t have the full complement of letters to spell out the word, I also made some of the letters using card and Uni Posca paint pens. The antirrhinum definition is cut from my old school dictionary, it is stuck to the page using a UHU Stic and outlined with a Charcoal Grey Derwent Inktense pencil and a black Uni Posca paint pen. Next I edged a pink “Love this” sign by The Works using a black Sharpie marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam tape. To finish, I added some gold flower outline stickers, green pearls and green lace trim.

Here are the lovely snapdragons in our garden! These flowers are also known as “dragon flowers” and their Latin name antirrhinum means resembling an animal’s snout.

They bring back the most wonderful childhood memories of when I used to play with these flowers and make the dragon open and close its mouth by gently squeezing either side of the flower head– well in actual fact I still do this, it is such fun (grin!)

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 this art journal page:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black)
• Memento Ink (Potter’s Clay, Rich Cocoa)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Butter Cream, Watermelon, Earl Grey)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Desert, Slate, Chocolate, Moss)
• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White, Black, Brown, Pink)
• Derwent Inktense Pencils (Charcoal Grey 2100)
• Derwent Graphik Line Marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker (Black)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• The Pocket Oxford Dictionary
• Pear’s Cyclopaedia 2007-2008 Edition
• Wallpaper sample
• The Works M&C Boutique (Vintage Die Cut Shapes)
• Little Yellow Bicycle Cardstock Stickers (Fresh Verse PD-140)
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Flower Blossom – Gold ANT810143)
• Trimcraft Simply Creative (Adhesive Pearls SCDOT056)
• Docrafts Papermania Botanicals (Adhesive Lace Trim PMA358334)
• Brads (Hearts – Pink BRHEP1)
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic
• The Range double-sided foam tape

Dragonflies and Stars

This page is inspired by two things; firstly by some very magical water reflections under a bridge on a recent day out in Garstang and secondly by the most wonderful quote by an unknown author on one of my friend’s posts – so thank you Kristah.

“May you touch dragonflies and stars, dance with fairies and talk to the moon”

This page started with a background gone wrong, so I covered it in a thick layer of Pébéo white gesso and I rolled a clean brayer over the surface to create a textured effect. Once the gesso had dried, I scribbled Earl Grey and Caramel Faber-Castell gelatos over the top. Then I dipped my finger into some water and rubbed the gelato to smudge the colours. Next I dragged a Hickory Smoke Distress Ink pad over the page and also used a grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and blended them both onto the page with my finger. I like the way the gelatos and ink bought out the texture that I had created previously with the brayer on the gesso. Then I vertically stamped the rows of dots by Craft Sensations using black Archival Ink and I used the same ink to stamp a circle/heart design by Sugarloaf Inc. and also a small script texture stamp by The Works.  I used a circle stencil to add modelling paste to the edges of the page using a palette knife and when it had dried I painted it with white acrylic paint so it stood out from the background better. Then I used an acrylic block and a paintbrush to add splatters of white and black acrylic paint. I added the white circles by drawing round a tube of tape using a white Uni Posca paint pen. For the dragonfly circles, I used a circle cutter to cut three circles from some pre-stamped paper (this is the paper I create whilst completing other journal pages as I always test my stamps before using them on my pages). On each circle I stamped a dragonfly by Eco Green Crafts using black Versafine Ink and applied black Papermania embossing powder over the top. Then I shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper and tapped the circles against the table to make sure I’ve removed any stray powder. Once the excess powder was safely returned to its container, I used a heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I swept the gun over the images, taking care not to direct the heat in one area for too long until the embossing powder changed to a glossy finish becoming smooth and dimensional. I used a black Faber-Castell big brush marker to draw black circle outlines and stuck the dragonfly circles over the top using a UHU Stic. Then I drew a dot border around the edges of these circles using the white Uni Posca paint pen again. I stamped the quote using black Archival Ink and I went over the wording with a black Uni Pin pen to make it stand out more. The stars are outline stickers which I coloured with a black Sharpie permanent marker. To finish, I coloured some paper flowers using a Red Violet Spectrum Aqua marker by liberally colouring the centre of the flower and then applying water with a paintbrush so the water spread the ink across the petals giving a shaded effect and once they had dried I stuck them to the page with Glossy Accents.

I’m pleased to be able to join Rosie who is hosting the “Circles” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Garstang is a lovely old market town in Lancashire, here you can see the view up the high street, and the gentleman in blue is sat under the Market Cross. The town is steeped in history and there has been a market here for over 200 years and we always enjoy looking around the weekly outdoor market stalls that wind their way up the high street.

We always go to The Royal Oak Hotel for lunch, which is a 17th century coaching inn situated opposite the Market Cross in the centre of the town. The pub is made up of several small rooms which are decorated in a traditional pub style with beamed ceilings, wood panelling and stained glass, along with china and brass adorning the walls. We sat in this little room off the bar which has a very cosy feel.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a beer called “Pint of Thrones” by Robinsons Brewery. It’s pictured with our usual choice of prawn sandwich with chips (shrimp sandwich with fries for my friends in the US) – so yummy!

After lunch we like to walk along the Lancaster Canal and also the River Wyre. We walked about 5 miles looking at the boats and scenery.  This white bridge is the Fylde Water Board Crossing and carries a water pipe across the canal which is so pretty and quite elaborate considering its rather mundane task (grin!).

There were quite a few boats along the canal as it was a hot sunny day. There were many narrow boats and we had just walked round a corner when we saw this one coming towards us – don’t worry though, it’s not going that fast, they are limited to 4 mph. I think my hubby secretly wants a narrow boat!

Then we made our way back along the canal approaching the Cathouse Bypass Bridge and I think dragonflies may well enjoy these reeds and iris.

We love the wonderful views and countryside in this area. At the Wrye Aqueduct, which is a bridge taking the canal over a river, we turned down some steps to continue our walk along the River Wrye. This aqueduct was first used in 1797 and is still going strong today!

As we passed under the aqueduct, we saw the most amazing circular reflections on the ceiling. These are caused by a few drops of water from the canal above dripping down into the river below.

The background of my page reminds me of these walls and the wonderful circle reflections that we saw. The circles were so magical, it’s as if fairies were dancing on the water – just like Kristah’s quote!

We then followed the path alongside the River Wyre through the trees and back into town. We always have such a lovely time in Garstang, it’s a beautiful place!

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 this art journal page:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (White, Black)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Hickory Smoke)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tsukineko Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Red Violet)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Earl Grey, Caramel)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199, Cold Grey IV 233)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (White)
• Sharpie Permanent Fine Point Marker (Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.5mm)
• Papermania Embossing Powder (Black)
• Pébéo Modeling Paste
• Craft Sensations (Clear Stamps CR0274/16R2)
• Sugarloaf Inc. Anita’s wood mounted rubber stamp (26645)
• The Works (Clear Stamps CR0274/TW3)
• Eco Green Crafts Recycled Rubber Stamps (Petal Party #04309)
• Dovecraft Essentials Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Creative Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Pre-stamped paper
• The Works M&C Boutique (Mini Paper Flower Embellishments)
• Outline Stickers (Gold Stars)
• UHU Stic

Past Times

Loving all things Victorian, I was delighted to hear a familiar sound whilst gardening; it was a steam engine coming down the road. Luckily they don’t go too fast so we had time to grab our cameras and take some photos while it was passing our house. This magnificent sight inspired my steampunk page.

I started by colouring the edges of the page with Tea Dye and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink using a blending tool, fading the colours as I reached the centre of the page. Then I stencilled cogs, keys and text by Viva Décor using the same inks and highlighted areas with Black Soot Distress Ink and a terracotta Spectrum Aqua marker. These colours and images remind me of the steam engine that we saw. I cut the world image and rulers from some vintage paper by Kaisercraft and I used some street map paper by American Crafts to illustrate where we had seen the steam engine. I aged all these papers with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink and edged them with Black Soot Distress Ink using a blending tool and then I stuck them to the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Once the medium had dried I added colour and detail using a black Uni Pin marker and terracotta, tan and slate Spectrum Aqua markers. Next I stuck on the three Victorian tags, the very dapper looking gentleman, the top hat and the fountain pen/pocket watch, all of which I aged and edged in the same way as the world and map paper. I coloured three clocks which are outline stickers with a black Sharpie permanent marker and stuck them to the page. I added the keys which are rub-on transfers and then layered up lots of different items including: Salvage Stickers from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Crowded Attic collection, Bees that I had stamped using Archival Ink onto some of the Kaisercraft paper and rulers that I cut from the same sheet of paper. All these items are edged with a black Sharpie pen and once in place I added shadows using a Slate Spectrum Aqua marker by smudging the colour with my finger and a baby wipe to produce a grunge effect. I stencilled white cogs with modelling paste and when it had dried I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker so they stood out more. I added star outline stickers that I had coloured with the black Sharpie marker and some assorted buttons using Glossy Accents. I coloured and underlined the “Past Times” text with a black Uni Pin marker and applied Glossy Accents on top of this wording, the black stars, the metal button in the centre and around the holes of the tags to give a 3D glossy look.

I’m so pleased to be able to join Erica who is the guest designer for the “Steampunk” theme over at Try it on Tuesday and also Rosie who is hosting the “Circles” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Here’s the wonderful old steam engine as it passed by our house! The sight, sounds and smells were wonderful, reminding us of times gone by. Steampunk captures this era very well as it incorporates technology and designs inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery and is referred to as Victorian futurism. If you are interested here is some more information about steampunk:

• Steampunk is a fictional style and is often set in an alternative history of the 19th century’s British Victorian era or American “Wild West”. Neither of these style cares too much about historical accuracy, the purpose is to have fun, be creative and use your imagination and not to accurately re-enact a period of real history.
• Technologies that were new or important to the Victorians, such as steam power, clockwork or electricity, are big themes in steampunk.
• The first science-fiction novels by authors H. G. Wells and Jules Verne strongly influence steampunk and as such fictional machines are popular. If either of these authors wrote a science-fiction novel today, it would be considered steampunk.
• The “punk” in steampunk comes from going against convention that sets something apart, which is borne from creativity, imagination and one’s individuality, be that style or gadgets.
• Steampunk is thought to have originated from well-known science-fiction authors William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and/or writer K.W. Jeter.
• Steampunk may also, though not necessarily, incorporate additional elements from other genres like fantasy, horror, goth, historical fiction, alternate history, or speculative fiction.

In the Victorian era, afternoon tea was also invented and became very popular; it is still popular nowadays although it is seen more as a special treat. So we decided to take advantage of the “Afternoon Tea – 2 for 1” offer whilst visiting a local Garden Centre which also has a wonderful craft shop (grin!). As T Stands for Tuesday I’m saying a big hello to the T Gang and sharing our afternoon tea, which includes our usual choice of green tea with a selection of sandwiches and cakes. There was so much food that we both only manage to eat the sandwiches and delicious scone with jam and cream.

We took all the other cakes home to enjoy another day; from the bottom left clockwise there is a Bakewell slice, Viennese Whirl, millionaire’s shortbread, Victoria sponge, tea loaf and in the middle is a chocolate brownie. As I don’t eat nuts I was served different cakes to my hubby and I have to say the millionaire’s shortbread tasted out of this world – yum!

In case you are interested, here’s the craft shop that we looked round after our afternoon tea. I did buy a few things, well, it would be rude not too with the sale items on offer and the 20% off voucher/coupon I had (double grin!).

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 this art journal page:

• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy, Black Soot)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Terracotta, Tan, Slate)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Sharpie Permanent Fine Point marker (Black)
• Pébéo Modeling Paste (High Density)
• Hampton Art 7 Gypsies cling mounted rubber stamps (Birdsong ICO151)
• Viva Décor Universal Stencil (Past Times 900270300)
• American Crafts Paper Pad (DIY Shop 366665)
• Kaisercraft Timeless Collection (Postmarks P853)
• Outline Stickers (Timeless Silver 904935)
• The Works (Victorian Style Embellishments)
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Salvage Stickers (Crowded Attic #TH92898)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Sentiments (Home Collage #ROY533 Rub-on)
• Assorted buttons
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium

Pretty mismatched china

With the glorious sunny weather last week we decided to go on one of our favourite circular walks from Scorton to Nicky Nook and back, with a visit to the Apple Store café. This page was inspired by our walk and the pretty mismatched china that we found at the café.

To start I sectioned the page in a starburst design to represent the sunny day and our circular walk, then I cut pieces of decoupage papers the same size as these sections and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. I used two different papers and alternated them, the pretty colourful butterflies represent the countryside and the lovely gardens we sat in at the café and the measurement paper depicts the miles we walked and the hills we climbed whilst on our walk. Next I drew black lines with a ruler and Sharpie Permanent Marker between each section and added some white gesso with my finger to soften some of the colours and designs. I stuck some black border stickers through each butterfly patterned section and some silver outline stickers along each black line outlining the shapes with a black Uni Pin marker. My mismatched tea spoons, teacups and saucers are rub-on transfers which I arranged around the page, I like the way some of the cups are hanging  from hooks along the black lines. To finish I added some shadows under the different images using a Slate Spectrum Aqua Marker and I stuck a pretty embellished teapot in the centre.

I’m pleased to be able to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth over at T Stands for Tuesday with my tea related page, as well as Gill from gibbyfrogettcraftations who is hosting the “Elegance & Grunge” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

The walk was around 5.5 miles and this is the marker at the summit of Nicky Nook with the Red Rose of Lancashire painted on the side of it. In the distance you can just see where we had walked from, through woodlands and past a reservoir.

Nicky Nook is located in the Forest of Bowland and is 215m (705ft) above sea level. We live in an area that is known for being relatively flat and being by the sea we are just about at sea level,  so walking up this hill made a nice change and the views were breathtaking.

This is the view looking the other way, we were heading towards the lake on the left hand side which is where the café is located.

You may remember this walk and café from my post last year. The café is located in the Victorian glass houses of the grounds of Wyresdale Park.

This time we sat in the garden in the shade of the trees, because it was too hot to sit inside. I think everyone had the same idea as they were bringing the tables and chairs out from within.

This time we had a triple sausage sandwich, chips (fries) and a pot of green tea in the pretty mismatched china.

Here we are saying a big cheers to the T Gang and wishing you all a very Happy T Day!

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 this art journal page:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• Memento Ink (London Fog)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Slate)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.3 mm)
• Anita’s Sugarloaf Inc. (Retro Starburst 7146)
• Viva Gade Decoupage Paper (Helsinki 25586)
• Poundworld (Patch Paper DS9454)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Sentiments (Romantic Tea #PAR-244 Rub-on)
• Sandylion Kelly Panacci Scrapbook Collection (Stitches & Borders KSC102)
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Fanciful Floral Corners Silver ANT8101411)
• Outline Stickers (Time – Silver 90493S)
• Poundland (Handmade Embellishments)
• UHU Stic
• The Range double-sided foam tape

A very fine swan indeed!

On a warm sunny day whilst walking alongside the Lancaster Canal, my hubby captured a fantastic photo of a swan looking very regal whilst showing off his plumage; this swan definitely wasn’t an ugly duckling in fact “You’re a very fine swan indeed!” as the well-known song says.

The background is Yellow, Aquamarine and Slate Spectrum Aqua markers which I scribbled onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and pressed onto the page. Then I used the same technique to add some Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink over the top. Next I added a series of stamps using London Fog Memento Ink and a Hobbycraft silver pigment ink; these stamps included a Script stamp by Kaisercraft to represent the Ugly Duckling lyrics, a feather stamp by Craft Sensations to depict those beautiful feathers and two crown stamps as he looked very regal. Next I stamped the swan images by Urban Stamps using Rich Cocoa Memento Ink and added torn pieces of a blue-green paper from a design pad using a UHU Stic. The swan is a print of the actual photo my hubby took which has been edited to give a vintage monochrome look and stuck to the page using the UHU Stic. Once the glue had dried I outlined the image and the papers with a black Uni Pin Marker and silver metallic paint. I added silver border outline stickers to the blue paper, as well as the small silver cross-like stickers, white diamante-centred flowers, colourful flower shaped stickers and purple rhinestone flowers across the whole page. I added a feather that I picked up alongside the canal on the day of our walk which I’m pretty sure is from a swan, and also some decorative diamante chain to hold it down. To finish I used the same decorative chain under each of the swans that I had stamped.

I’m pleased to be able to join Try it on Tuesday’s theme of “Feathered Friends” and Gill from gibbyfrogettcraftations who is hosting the “Elegance & Grunge” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Here’s the original photo my hubby took of the swan, isn’t he magnificent! I can just imagine him singing (grin!):

“Not a quack, not a quack, not a waddle or a quack
But a glide and a whistle and a snowy white back
And a head so noble and high
Say who’s an ugly duckling?
Not I!”

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 this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Yellow, Aquamarine, Slate)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Cracked Pistachio)
• Memento Ink (London Fog, Rich Cocoa)
• Hobbycraft Pigment Ink (Silver)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Poundland Metallic Paint (Silver)
• Script Metallic Pen (Silver)
• Craft Sensations (Clear Stamps CRO274/16R1)
• Kaisercraft clear stamp (Script CS752)
• Docrafts Urban Stamps (12 Days of Christmas – Icons PMA907909)
• Hampton Art 7 Gypsies Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps (Birdsong ICO151)
• Poundland Design Pad (Vintage Chic Creations CRO701/PL4)
• Swan printed photo
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Timeless Borders ANT810117)
• Fancy Stickers (Flowers & Butterflies 28965)
• Home Bargains Special Occasion (Mini Decorative Stickers 22740, Decorative Diamante Chain 26254)
• The Works Stickers (Rhinestone Flowers)
• Feather
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• UHU Stic

Hotel Majestic

Today’s page reflects back on a time when the Hotel Majestic was one of the finest treasures in St. Anne’s on the Sea. Alas it has been demolished now, so I created a page in its memory!

To cover the background I collaged torn sewing pattern pieces onto the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Once they had dried I applied black and gold Spectrum Aqua Marker ink by scribbling the marker onto an acrylic block, spritzing the block with water and pressing and dripping the ink over the page. I like the way the gold colour is more concentrated at the edges of the collaged paper emphasising the layers.  Next I stamped various stamps by Hampton Art using black Archival Ink; these included a palm tree, crowns, art deco borders and a postage mark which tie into the era and décor of the Hotel Majestic. The Majestic was also known for its music and grandeur so I added some washi tape music notes and black decorative tape, then I used gold size to adhere the gold leaf. I found an old picture of the Majestic in a local magazine and added a gold border, the hotel name and the dates that it stood in our town; which are all outline stickers. I used photo corners and double-sided foam tape to adhere it to the page. To finish I added gold chain and “style” outline stickers to the background and some gold sequins which are stuck down using Glossy Accents.

I really like the vintage art deco look of this page and I’m very pleased to join the lovely Gill from gibbyfrogettcraftations again who is hosting the “Elegance & Grunge” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

The Majestic Hotel was originally called the Imperial Hydro which opened in 1910, you can still see the initials IH on the two brick archways which are the only parts remaining of the hotel. It was renamed the Majestic in 1920 and many stars appearing in Blackpool shows stayed there over the years.

I love this old photo of the Hotel Majestic, it looks such a grand and stunning building! If you look closely you can see the archways on the right hand side of the hotel, they look quite small in comparison to the building itself. The hotel was built between the pier and the town Square, it had 200 bedrooms, tennis courts and was the height of luxury. Here’s an interesting link on YouTube that shows the old brochure of the Hotel Majestic with photos and descriptions of the facilities and interior.

The hotel closed down in 1972 as the costs of modernising it made it unsustainable. Sadly, it was demolished in 1975 and replaced with these five storey flats. What a shame as it must have been an amazing place to stay during its heyday.

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 this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Gold, Black)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Hampton Art Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps (Graphic 45 – Tropical Travelogue ICO134 & ICO135, 7 Gypsies – Birdsong ICO151)
• Style Sewing Pattern
• Local Magazine
• Gold Leaf
• Hobbycraft Outline Stickers (Gold Harmony 934031001)
• Magenta Style Outline Stickers (Daisy Gold)
• Dovecraft Peel-off Stickers (Alphas Caps Gold DCPO-05)
• Poundland Decorative Border Tape (Black)
• Poundland Assorted Sequins
• Annie Sloan Water Based Gold Size
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• The Range double-sided foam tape