Memories are Cracks in Time

Hi everyone, hope you've had a lovely weekend ^^

One of my favorite ways to try out new ideas and techniques is taking part in a craft challenge, there's just something about a theme thrown at you that gets the creative juices flowing. Simon Says Stamp have a couple of great challenge blogs, and in this week's Monday Challenge the theme is 'crack it up' - no way I'd skip that! YUM
It was one of those cases when one idea sparks the next, and I had a lot of fun experimenting and playing along.

The challenge title gave me several ideas for techniques and mediums I could use - from stencils to crackle paste - and I ended up combining most of them in the background. You can see the stenciling in two corners. The large 'crack' was done by stamping into the wet texture paste, then I added some crackle paste. I really like how the two pastes combined as they dried and the cracks appeared. I then added some color with sprays and some shading with markers.

For a focal image I immediately thought of this awesome broken pocket watch stamp by Visible Image. I decided to give it some dimension by stamping it a few times, then cutting out and layering pieces in different heights, I even glued some of them at an angle to give the feel of movement, as if the watch had burst from the inside out. To add texture and shine to the watch I selectively clear embossed some of the the base to create depth, and on the shards I brushed some Nuvo crystal drops for subtle shine and used the same drops to create a raised shiny border on the frame and metal ring. I added some Distress Mica Flacks here and there to emulate broken glass. I finished it with a couple of clock hands for Tim Holtz's Idea-ology.

The combination of the clock image and the challenge title brought the idea of memories as cracks in time. I really like it because a) it's sort of true and b) it gives an interesting twist to the often negative associations of 'crack'. I'll definitely come back to this idea in future projects, it really got the wheels turning, but for now - hope you like this little experiment!

Floral Pipelines

Hi Everyone! How is 2020 treating you so far?

I'm trying to keep up with my promise of posting more regularly this year, and though I'd share my latest project. It was a long while in the making, partly because I had to put it aside for a bit in favor of other more urgent projects, and partly because it took me a while to figure out exactly how to get the idea in my head out into the world hehe But here it is: the Floral Pipeline flower vase/canvas!

I owe the inspiration to my awesome neighbor, he has a gift of having plants in surprising places in his home, it's absolutely lovely and seeing it sparked the original 'what if a flower vase was a part of a painting?' thought, which led to the 'how?' and after much thinking and planning - voila! Painting\vase!

The idea was that the canvas would work just as well without flowers\plants (as any good vase should!), so I placed a flower image right at the top of the vase-tube that works as a backdrop for any flower or plant you'd put in it. I think it would look pretty with a draping vine of some kind, what do you think?
I built the background by combining Tim Holtz's Collage Papers and ephemera pieces with crackle paste and paints, and then added an industrial vibe with the pipes and tube.

The vase itself is a large glass tube that I wrapped with thick wire. The edges of the wire are attached to the canvas under the pipes. To keep it in place, I attached a large nut to the canvas, the hole is perfect to hold the rounded bottom of the tube.
I love these Pipeline dies (also by Tim Holtz) and thought that a water pipe theme would work great with a flower vase. The different pipe parts were cut out of chipboard for dimension and covered with gold embossing powder for a metallic finish. I love the imperfections in the finish 🖤

I added a bit of Seth Apter's Patina Baked Texture on some of the pipes for extra interest and Finnabair's rust pastes to add the effect in some places - I just love rust colors, in fact I like the so much I used them for some of the flowers as well! It's hard to see in the photos, but it also gave them a bit of extra texture :)

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I really like this idea and will probably make more versions in the future, hope you'd be interested in seeing them 
I'm entering this piece in two chalenges: the SanDee&amelie's February Steampunk challenge and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. If you're not familiar, the SASPC blog has a monthly Steampunk themed challenge that always has amazing steampunk\industrial entries. Simon Says Stamp has a couple of challenge blogs, this week's theme on their Monday Challenge is Floral Frenzie. Both challenges have amazing entries every time, I always find them so inspiring! I definitely recommend checking them out ^^

As always - I'd love to hear what you think :)
xx