Get Altered Challenge & Tattered Florals - Bloom Canvas


Welcome to eclectic Paperie’s Get Altered Challenge.  The Get Altered Challenge is held on the first Thursday of each month and each challenge is an opportunity for you to be inspired by one of our eTeam’s creations to share your work, and to be entered into our challenge prize drawing. This week's is from Micki and she has challenged us to recycle fabric into a mixed media project.
Although I'm a week behind, there is good reason. I got rolling on a piece, and just didn't know when to stop. In addition, I decided to submit yet another project for Tim Holtz's Tattered Floral Challenge. You should see all the fantastic artwork on Tim's blog using the Tattered Florals die. Amazing stuff!
Here is my art piece using fabric and TONS of tattered florals...

16 x 20 inch canvas.



One of my past hobbies (and hopefully again some day) was quilting. I know someday I'll get back into it when I have more time. Meanwhile, I have stored away tons of fabric in bins sorted by color, just like a good quilter should. I chose a variety of prints in pretty colors and, after backing them with some medium weight interfacing, cut them out on my Vagabond using the tattered florals die. LOTS of them.



I grabbed my 16 x 20 canvas and laid down some Vintage Photo Distress Paint around the edges, thinning it with water as I went along.



Next I started tearing big pieces of Tim's newest paper "French Industrial." I can't even tell you how much I LOVE this pack. My favorite so far. Perfect for mixed media among other things. Here I have just placed the pieces to start planning how it would look.



After inking the edges of each piece with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain, I adhered them using Studio Multi-Medium (matte).



Then a white wash of Picket Fence Distress paint over the whole thing.



I took Broken China Distress Stain and gave the outer edges a wash. As a random thought, I slapped the two pieces of fabric in place, after cutting them with pinking sheers and inking their edges with Walnut Stain.



Next I adhered the flowers with the same multi-medium, sketched my girl's face, and made the BLOOM by laying large chipboard letters down and spraying a concoction of Distress re-inker and Perfect Pearls then lifted the letters away to reveal a stenciled look.



Now here's where things got scary. I tried to get clever and create her hair with flowers rather than simply painting on some hair. Ugh! Not happy. I seriously thought I had ruined her. I was sick thinking about it all day, and put it aside and gave myself time to think. My daughter came home from school and basically told me she was "done for." But I had to make her work. I was NOT giving up.



I decided to embrace this flower thing and started layering more fabric flowers all over her hair. I painted in some vines and leaves as well as some raised ones made with a stencil and embossing paste. More on that in a sec.



At this point, I thought I was done. But I wasn't. I knew it. Something was not right and I just wasn't happy. Then my friend Lisa stopped by unexpectedly. I really needed someone else to look at it (not my family, who had been watching it come together each day). It was just what I needed! The problem was it was all too flat still and the Bloom and bird were too muted. Yes! That's it! Thank you, Lisa. Sometimes it just takes another set of eyes to see things that aren't obvious to me.



I layered another bird over my previous one, and outlined Bloom with charcoal pencil and gave it a smudge. 



Those embossed leaves needed to pop so I painted over them with various Distress Stains on a paint brush to give them more depth and prominence. The stencil is from Wendy Vecchi, as is the embossing paste. The stains worked perfectly on them and blended just like watercolor. I love how you can see through the layers to the French Industrial papers in the background. 



My bird got some gold edging and spritz of Biscotti Perfect Pearls spray. I added just a few fabric leaves for dimension and drew in the flower above the bird and painted it in with Picket Fence Distress Stain. 



Same treatment here with the flowers. I touched a little Rusty Hinge and Mustard Seed Stain into the white before it dried for more of a watercolor effect.



In the lower right corner, I placed more flowers. This time they are made from grunge and French Industrial papers with some distress inks rubbed over the surfaces and gold paint on the edges. An Idea-ology button adorns the center of one flower cluster. The blue in the small flower and this button ties in the bluebird in the upper left corner.



As a final step, I toned down all the fabric flowers with my gold Gelato stick and rubbed it around the edges, then a pouncing of gold paint all over. This gave it more of a unified feel. A final spritzing of Biscotti Perfect Pearls spray over everything except her face, and I believe I can finally say I'm done.


Lisa calls her Eve. I supposed that seems about right, don't you?


The Get Altered Challenge is about exploring your creative journey, about stepping outside of your comfort zone (boy, did I ever!) experimenting with new products, and creating altered and mixed media art.  Share a unique card, a scrapbook or journal page, a canvas, or any other project where you’ve used paint, ink, paper, and embellishments.  We want to see your work and hear about your inspiration!  All of those who play along with our challenge will be entered into a prize drawing for a $15.00 gift certificate to the eclectic Paperie store.
So grab your supplies and play along!  Here are a few things to keep in mind for this challenge…
-You do not have to use products sold in the eP store…but we do love it when you do!
-Share a direct link to your creation, not just your blog, using the Linky Tools feature at the end of the eP post. If, for any reason, the Linky Tools doesn’t cooperate, please add a link in the Comments section of the blog.
-When uploading to any online galleries, please use any of the following keywords; eP, eclectic Paperie or Get Altered Challenge. Link your creations to the eP blog.
-If you’d like to be considered as one of our featured projects and be entered into our prize drawing, please be sure to add your link no later than 6:00 pm EST on March 20th. The winner's project will be announced right before the eTeam Picks Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you get outside your comfort zone and try something challenging.

Comments

  1. So glad to help!! Eve is BEAUTIFUL! You could paint portraits... she is so pretty!! Lovely work with the flowers!

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  2. Stunning, Annette! I'm seriously in love with this piece! I love all of the flowers, being drawn to all things floral, and your face is just perfect. Love the flowers for the hair and the addition of the embossing paste is wonderful! Great stuff!!

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  3. WOW WOW (closing my mouth). She is absolutely beautiful. I am in love with the whole canvas but am so loving how you sketched/painted the face. I truly wish I could sketch/paint like that. And the flowers are perfect with her face. Sometimes stepping away truly is the best thing. I'm so glad you went with it. I totally agree with Lisa, you could paint portraits.
    Oh and I had to giggle because I used to be a quilter too. I always say "fabric, paper = it's all the same".

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  4. Super beautiful!!
    Her face is perfect...I like the eyes pointing upward it moves your eyes through the painting. You were right about adding depth and color it turned out wonderful...I am glad you worked it out :-)

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  5. Just sensational, Annette - what an absolute masterpiece... I love the texture paste, and the added colour on the embossed leaves really makes them zing... likewise the outlining on the lettering. Fascinating to read about the whole journey, and what a destination!
    Alison x

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  6. It's just beautiful Annette!! Amazing really - you're super talented!! :)

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  7. oh, Anette, what a stunning piece. So glad you stepped away with the intention of coming back - it worked out beautifully. Thanks for telling us the detail of how she came together - so many great techniques and an absolutely gorgeous canvas.

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  8. Annette, she is beautiful. I love reading and seeing how the piece evolved. You have given some very sage advice about walking away for a while and also getting someone to look with fresh eyes. The charcoal around the word and the brighter layered bird made all of the difference. The layering and texture are awesome. Truly an amazing make.

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  9. Amazing work. What a brilliant project, well done for embracing your fear and working through it , it's a perfect result, a great 'out of the box' way to use fabric with the tattered florals die x

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  10. Eve is amazing, Annette! Love the expression in her eyes.

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  11. Oh my giddy aunt Annette..jaw dropingly gorgeous..Woohoohooo!!
    No words can describe just how Amazing your art is....clapping my hands here at your work if ART!!
    Hugs
    Tracy
    Xxx

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  12. I just love how you took us through your creative process, struggles, and triumph with this blog piece. Eve is simply stunning. The depth and dimension in the canvas just bring her to life.

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  13. OMG! this is totally awesome. Wow this canves is a work of art. I too love the face and the flowers framing it make it even better. WOW is all I can say. one day I will be brave and try something like this. however I can no draw like you so maybe just the right photo. love the paper pack!!

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  14. Thud! Chin hitting table. Annette!!! This is totally stunning. Thanks for all the step-out photos and for sharing how you got to your very happy ending. The letters and vines were wonderful solutions and the hair is amazing. I love it! Off to pin.

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  15. Fantastic, love her hair and the texture paste and flowers. A masterpiece. Tracy x

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  16. WOW.....STUNNING.....JUST GORGEOUS....I'm just sitting here shaking my head I am so gob smacked by what you have created, Annette. The whole thing is just crazy good. There are so many elements that make is so AMAZING! I must say....her eyes are phenomenal....I'll bet they follow whomever is in her presence!
    You ARE one AMAZINGLY TALENTED artist!

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  17. Very nicely done!! If by any chance you’d also like to join a GIVEAWAY of two handmade cuddly Swucans (mixed breed of swan and tucan)or three soft silk/cotton scarfs, be sure to take a look at this blog before March 20th:
    http://homeiswherethedachshundis.blogspot.be
    This blog belongs to my mother, who has only just started blogging and is really over the moon with every new follower!

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  18. Awesome, Annette! LOVE the dimensional leaves!!

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  19. Thank you so much for the visit and sweet comment on my Tattered Floral Tea party! I had to pop over and visit for awhile. LOVE your piece. I wish I could sketch and paint (mine never look recognizable..) Your canvas is so lovely, I hope you frame it for your studio. I Love her expression and the great background. Genius use of the florals! All the best, Winnie

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  20. Wow Annette - beautiful and unique piece of art. I bet you have extra muscles on one of your arms now! Lots of die cutting but it was worth it.

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  21. Thank you for leaving in the left turns and thought process about what you thought "didn't work" as this was a treat! Great job, enjoyed this post!! Thanks.

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