Sunday, October 13, 2013

NAUTICAL NONSENSE!!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  
Fall has finally arrived and so have the cooler temperatures!  I love it!  
It's a wonderful time to hang out in my art studio and CREATE! 

This week at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is "Nautical Nonsense".  From mermaids to sea critters or the emerald and aqua blue colors of the ocean; whatever inspires you to join us this week, dive in and join the fun!


Here is my nonsensical nautical art journal page combining all sorts of Distress Inks, some Distress Paints, various stamps, a Texture Fade, Treasure Gold Guilding Wax and even some good old boys from Graphic 45's On the Boardwalk collection decided to swim by and check out the funky mermaid.


Speaking of the funky mermaid, she is a concoction of stamps from Prima's Paper Doll With the Ruffled Dress (head and upper body) and Dyan Reaveley's Doodle Parts (her hair and head dress) and Around the Edge (her seaweed shawl).  


 She (and all of her assembled parts) was stamped onto Specialty Stamping Paper with Jet Black Archival Ink.  Then all of the pieces were cut out after being colored. The seaweed shawl (from Around the Edge) is colored using a Detailer Water Brush and Fresh Lime and Dirty Martini Dylusions Ink Sprays. The headdress (from Doodle Parts) is painted with a Detailer Water Brush and Bubblegum Pink, Calypso Teal, Fresh Lime and Pure Sunshine Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I also added some "bling" and sat it right on top of the Bubblegum Pink headband on the original Paper Doll.  The hair is also from Doodle Parts and is water brushed using Mustard Seed and Wild Honey Distress Inks.  I cut it apart and fashioned it to look like a mermaid's long blonde hair freely flowing in the ocean waves.  The hair on the original paper doll is also colored with Mustard Seed and Wild Honey.  The little bra and the two pearls on the mermaid's upper body are painted using Picked Raspberry Distress Paint (because I needed something more opaque to cover the Specialty Stamping paper and the pearls than the Dylsuions Ink Sprays could provide).  I free handed the belly button, bra and the doodling around it. 


I have to say that I love her scaly tail.  I wanted to create something that had some dimension and an almost realistic scale look yet keep it whimsical.  I think I achieved that with the help of Tim Holtz' Bubbles Texture Fade.   Here is how I made it:


Step 1:  Rub the Evergreen Bough Distress Ink Pad across the front of the Bubble Texture Fade.  Slip a piece of Manila Cardstock in between the Texture Fade and run through a Vagabond or embossing machine. I repeated this process using a Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Pad so that I could get varying shades of scales.


Step 2:  Add shimmer to the scales by adding Perfect Pearls Mists to the embossed Manila Cardstock.  In this case, I used Mint and Turquoise Mists on the Evergreen Bough scales and Sunflower Sparkle on all (including the Mint and Turquoise misted scales).
**Note - Perfect Pearls Mists are not like most mist sprays.  They do not add a lot of color.  They are more about adding iridescent shimmer.


Step 4: Cut the scales into strips, scalloping the bottom edge and using about two rows of bubbles (or "scales") on each strip.  Add Renaissance Treasure Gold Guilding Wax to the scalloped bottom of each strip and then lightly rub the remaining wax on your finger over the "scales".  Then add a strip of 1/4" Scor Tape across the back of each strip.


Step 5: Begin at the bottom and overlap the rows of scales, attaching them to a piece of Manila Cardstock that will serve as the base for the tail.  Alternate the lighter and darker colors of the strips.  Repeat this until you have enough strips to fashion a tail.


Step 6: Lay a piece of paper on top of the Prima Paper Doll and create a mermaid tail that is proportionally correct for the size of the doll's upper body. Cut it out and lay it on the scale strips.  Tape in place and cut out.  Then ink a piece of Manila Cardstock with Evergreen and Tumbled Glass, spray it with Sunflower Sparkle and cut out the fin of the Mermaid Tail onto it.  


Step 7:  Glue the fin underneath the end of the mermaid's tale and distress the edges with the Treasure Gold Guilding Wax.  Gently wipe your finger over the surface of the fin and add touches of Sepia Black Cats Eye Ink Pad on the fin. (I added a piece of gold Dresden trim to the waist of the mermaid's tail right before I snapped the final photos of the art journal page.) 

Step 8:  Glue the mermaid tail onto the upper Prima Paper Doll body that has already been assembled.  


My mermaid needed some friends so I stamped these three little fisheys from  Under the Sea and colored them in the same manner as the mermaid.  The two smaller fish are colored with Pink Bubblegum.  The larger is colored with Mustard Seed and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink fins.  Their eyes are then coated with Glossy Accents.


I actually created the background for this art journal page before I started on the mermaid.  I wanted to create an underwater scene so I sprayed a piece of Bristol paper with Dylusions London Blue, Calypso Teal and Fresh Lime Ink Sprays.  Then I heat set those and added the Sunflower Sparkle Misted chevron pattern from The Crafter's Workshop 12 x 12 Chevron stencil that was laid over the sprayed paper and then lightly misted with Sunflower Sparkle.  

Next I added the white "bubbles" using Picket Fence Distress Paint (because it is more opaque than just a spray).  The bubbles were created by randomly stenciling them into place using The Crafter's Workshop Mini Messy Circles stencil.  

Then I began stamping more images on top of the sprayed paper so that I could add more detail.  Above, you see the leaves from Further Round The Edge.  I am coloring them in with the Detailer Water Brush and Dirty Martini Dylusions Ink Spray.  So easy...and fun!


And at the bottom of the page, I added seaweed and coral that was stamped in place after masking the seawood.  I then colored the seaweed using Dirty Martini and Fresh Lime Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I also added a little Sour Apple Perfect Pearls painted on with the Detailer Water Brush for some extra shimmer.  The coral is painted using Post Box Red Dylusions Ink Spray.


And here is the background right before I started adding all of my elements to make this page turn into nautical nonsense!


As I was thumbing through my Dylusions Stamps for THE PERFECT sentiment for this nonsensical art page, I came across this one ... "Boys will be boys and so will a lot of middle aged men!" Well, THAT got the wheels to turning and I remembered these guys ...


From the Graphic 45's On The Boardwalk 12 x 12 paper pad.  So, I cut them out and popped them into the ocean!  I love them and I think they are perfect for the sentiment and this page!


See what I mean?  
And now ... they will forever be at the bottom of the deep blue sea with my mermaid and ... 


Right next to these characters that I did for an earlier Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge titled "Water"They look perfect together! Gotta LOVE Dyan Reaveley's stamps and sentiments!

And now it's YOUR turn to do some Nautical Nonsense and join our challenge. You could be the lucky winner of our random weekly of a 
$50.00 gift voucher to shop Simon Says Stamp.  

You might also be selected to be one our top entries of the week in a feature we call


It's a wonderful way to recognize and thank our wonderful entries and inspiration we receive from YOU each week! 

Now GET CRAZY and have some fun with this one!

Here are all of the products available at Simon Say Stamp that were used in creating this Nautical Nonsense art journal page:















 

33 comments:

  1. Oh my Candy, I love seeing your creativity at work and you sure went to town on this piece. What amazing journal pages, brilliantly made and full of whimsical fun. Thanks for sharing all the detail in your processes and how your ideas came together. Love it.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  2. Fabulous page! Thanks for the sharing the steps of how you created this beauty.

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  3. These pages have it all goin on. Color, texture, composition and a ton of fun.

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  4. Hi Candy, I remember your earlier page and love this one just as much, if not more! The chvron pattern in the background is perfect and those little fish are just the cutest things ever. But the mermaid - wow - she is a masterpiece of paper engineering! Love her scaley tail and her hair is just fabulous - such a clever idea to use Dyan's stamp in that way. The sentiment is a real hoot and those guys are perfect, they look quite mischievous - perfect for your nautical nonsense scene. Genius and wonderfully creative - love it! Hugs, Anne x

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  5. Hi Candy, what fun pages, I absolutely love love your mermaid and all the different parts and pieces to make up her tail and body. I love how you used Dyan's stamps too for her head dress. Using the Texture Fade for her tail is inspired and her tail does look like scales and looks so tactile. The sentiment is absolutely brilliant, made me smile especially when I saw those middle aged men. Absolutely perfect. I love your nautical nonsense piece. Enjoy your week my friend. Tracy x x

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  6. How incredibly imaginative is this Candy!! LOVE your mermaid, especially her scales and what a perfect background. Bucket loads of inspiration again. Jenny x

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  7. that mermaid! I'm in love! Thanks for showing your step by steps - she is just fabulous!

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  8. wonderful fun and nonsense Candy, a fab journal page, hugs Annette x
    Have a great week

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  9. Both FUN and FABULOUS Candy! Your mermaid is astonishing really - brilliant ideas at play. Thank-you for such wonderful inspiration. Enjoy your vacation! Nicola x

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  10. Candy, this page is so much fun!! I LOVE how you created that mermaid, you are so clever. Great sentiment together with that Graphic 45 image. Love all the colours, leaves, and the background.

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  11. Candy, you are one of the most creative people that I've ever known. This is so awesome that I don't even know where to start. I love her little bra. I'm so glad that you mentioned how you did that because I had been staring at her chest for ages wondering how you did that. :) I love the clever little tail too. Love the texture. And the boys....too funny. Great project, Candy!

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  12. I just had to laugh when I saw this one! How true it is!!

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  13. OMGosh, this is amazing!!! I can't get over how much imagination (and work!) went into this! Love the cute mermaid and the clever bra, and the vintage photo is fab.

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  14. This is hilarious!!!!! I just love the sentiment! And I really love the colors! And that mermaid is fabulous!!!! Thanks for sharing how you made her tail.

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  15. Wow Candy! What fabulous art journal pages! I love your precious mermaid and all the underwater details! The burst of colors looks amazing! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  16. Oh Candy, I see you are having more fun with your paper doll, she is even cuter this time as a mermaid. What a fun project you have created to share!!

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  17. BRILLIANT!!! I loved seeing how you put together the mermaids tail! The whole page is so fun and whimsical! Love it! The gentlemen in the corner made me laugh!

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  18. Wow, Candy! Your page is so pretty! Love the mermaid with the pink top. And the gentlemen in their bathingsoots are hilarious! The sentiment is perfect! Hugs, Sandra

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  19. I almost rolled on the floor laughing when I first saw this. The sentiment and boardwalk boys are the perfect accents for you lovely nautical piece. So much fun and whimsy here ... not to mention incredible talent and creativity. Love how you "constructed" your mermaid. I am so grateful for all the details. Wow!! Such a fabulous make. -- Mary Elizabeth

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  20. Stopping by again for another look at your nautical nonsense and loving every detail. The mermaid is the best by so many other interesting elements.

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  21. Oh..... this is such a fun and fabulous creation! I love the cute mermaid and all the amazing details. The background colors and sentiment are awesome. :)

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  22. Oh wow!!! I love love love this! You are awesome! Look at that tale you made! So clever! Love this gorgeous bright work of art! Sensational!!!!!!

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  23. Love love love your funky mermaid! Everything in this work is totally perfect! BArbarayaya

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  24. LOVE the theme, and your collage of the boys with the Dyan fishes are fabulous!

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  25. WOW! This is so awesome, love it! Suzanne

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  26. Holy cow! Not to steal a Halloween phrase here, but you totally Frankensteined this together in the coolest way ever! I was stunned when I saw how you mixed and matched stamp parts and inks and images. You have got some mad skills, my friend! I especially loved the whimsicality, humor and eclectic nature of this piece. I would've never dared to combine so many images, but I just adore how it all came together. Thanks for making me smile and laugh out loud at the brilliance of this one!

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  27. Oh, how I love this amazing tag! The texture on your mermaid is just wonderful...and thanks for the great tutorial...that was a lot of work. Love the colors, love the stenciled elements, love the sentiment. (You are a hoot!) But I keep going back to that mermaid again and again. She's magical! Another absolutely delightful creation!

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  28. Hahaha! The splashes of color are great and the sentiment is SO TRUE :)

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

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  29. Beautiful vibrant pages, love the funny cheerful atmosphere you have m ade with all the elements, really an art work, which make me smile. thanks for that.
    Wish you a nice weekend,
    big hugs Anja

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  30. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, see soooooooo creative, imaginative... I'm smiling BIG and you have made us all so happy watching you create it, MAGIC, you are truly such a gifted artist and soooooo sweet to share it with us.. Well this visiting has been FABULOUSSSSSS I couldn't take any more, a lovely rain is falling, I'm making a pot of turkey soup, my friend was over earlier and we were oohing and awing, hope your having a wonderful weekend,you certainly have made mine... BIG HUGSSSSS...

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  31. Fab journal page and the photo image made me smile. I could picture Tim and Mario's faces on these vintage bathing suits !!!! Now that would be fun.

    Wonderful use of the stencil's Candy.

    TFS and best wishes

    Annie x

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  32. Glorious work on that stunning fish scale tail... so clever, and so effective. Another totally brilliant page to go opposite your Water one!
    Alison xx

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