I've made a project just for me and it will hang on the wall in my bedroom. I'm doing this because my kids asked me to make art for our walls. My daughter mentioned that I make all of these beautiful 'things' and then either give or send them away. I've never kept anything just for me. I've made projects for them, but never for our home generally. Smart one, that girl of mine!
I have a tendency toward perfectionism. When I make projects for me, I usually only see the mistakes I made when I am finished, and so I give everything away. For this project, it took about a week, and I worked in short spurts, and if I started to second guess myself about what I was doing, I immediately left it and came back later.
As I plan out projects, I tend to follow the same process each time. First, I pull out and start arranging die templates and I have done this for years - long before I was offered the privilege of joining the Spellbinders team. I must say that I really love my Basic Grey magnetic mat for arranging my dies. I use the magnets to hold dies when I am working on a layout, and they are useful when I am working out layers.
Next, I pulled out a palette. I would like to redecorate my bedroom, so I chose the palette we will work toward. I pulled out virtually everything that might work. This is when I start to plan the layers. The play of light, medium and dark tones are critical for the success of all the layers I use. I tend to use the same principles as I do when I teach quilting.
I do a lot of double checking when I create a project this large. My magnetic mat makes it easy, especially when I am using a lot of little bits that could get lost.
My 'personal best' for number of layers was 17, and it was a project I haven't shown on my blog yet, but Spellbinders has had for awhile now because it was on show at CHA last January. This project I just made will be tough to beat! There are 25 layers, and I don't think it looks unreasonable or over done.
This month, Spellbinders has released 2 sets of dies that, in my opinion, are invaluable. 6x6 Matting Basics A and 6x6 Matting Basics B. When I cut this many tight layers, it is very easy for the pieces to be out of alignment and not fit together well, which makes my work look imperfect, which drives me a little bonkers. Using the 6x6 Matting Basics A & B allows me to make cuts that are perfect every single time, which means all my layers fit together easily and beautifully and I don't go bonkers! It's a lovely thing.
I have repeated images several times to create unity in this piece. The die template I used the most here is the ornate square frame from Blooming Collection. Next, I used Victorian Accents a lot. They were the hardest pieces for me to place because they really affected the overall feel of the end configuration. Yes, I can be prone to overthinking my papercrafting! Anyhoo...
The butterfly is my favourite part. I stacked 4 butterflies to create this beauty and mounted them on Tag 1 from Victorian Tags, which has the round center. The new release Butterfly is the base, with butterfly 1 from Les Papillions (both the shadow and the cut layers of the same butterfly), topped with Butterfly 1 from Les Papillion 2 cut from vellum.
I edged most of the layers with an opaque silver paint pen, and added silver to the tips and edges of many of the other pieces, which adds to the appearance of many more layers. I love the wee shine it gives the piece. There is so much going on that I used pearls to embellish because I think rhinestone bling would have been just too much. Besides, pearls are my favourite! And this is all for me!
ink: pumice stone
paper; embossed blue, embossed ivory (anna griffin), denim, stone (american crafts), flintstone, walnut creme (bazzill), vellum (paper accents)
accessories; 6x6 matting basics a, 6x6 matting basics b, victorian tags, butterfly, les papillions, les papillion 2, victorian accents, blooming collection (spellbinders), silver paint pen (zig), pearls (melissa francis)
I have a tendency toward perfectionism. When I make projects for me, I usually only see the mistakes I made when I am finished, and so I give everything away. For this project, it took about a week, and I worked in short spurts, and if I started to second guess myself about what I was doing, I immediately left it and came back later.
As I plan out projects, I tend to follow the same process each time. First, I pull out and start arranging die templates and I have done this for years - long before I was offered the privilege of joining the Spellbinders team. I must say that I really love my Basic Grey magnetic mat for arranging my dies. I use the magnets to hold dies when I am working on a layout, and they are useful when I am working out layers.
Next, I pulled out a palette. I would like to redecorate my bedroom, so I chose the palette we will work toward. I pulled out virtually everything that might work. This is when I start to plan the layers. The play of light, medium and dark tones are critical for the success of all the layers I use. I tend to use the same principles as I do when I teach quilting.
I do a lot of double checking when I create a project this large. My magnetic mat makes it easy, especially when I am using a lot of little bits that could get lost.
My 'personal best' for number of layers was 17, and it was a project I haven't shown on my blog yet, but Spellbinders has had for awhile now because it was on show at CHA last January. This project I just made will be tough to beat! There are 25 layers, and I don't think it looks unreasonable or over done.
This month, Spellbinders has released 2 sets of dies that, in my opinion, are invaluable. 6x6 Matting Basics A and 6x6 Matting Basics B. When I cut this many tight layers, it is very easy for the pieces to be out of alignment and not fit together well, which makes my work look imperfect, which drives me a little bonkers. Using the 6x6 Matting Basics A & B allows me to make cuts that are perfect every single time, which means all my layers fit together easily and beautifully and I don't go bonkers! It's a lovely thing.
I have repeated images several times to create unity in this piece. The die template I used the most here is the ornate square frame from Blooming Collection. Next, I used Victorian Accents a lot. They were the hardest pieces for me to place because they really affected the overall feel of the end configuration. Yes, I can be prone to overthinking my papercrafting! Anyhoo...
The butterfly is my favourite part. I stacked 4 butterflies to create this beauty and mounted them on Tag 1 from Victorian Tags, which has the round center. The new release Butterfly is the base, with butterfly 1 from Les Papillions (both the shadow and the cut layers of the same butterfly), topped with Butterfly 1 from Les Papillion 2 cut from vellum.
I edged most of the layers with an opaque silver paint pen, and added silver to the tips and edges of many of the other pieces, which adds to the appearance of many more layers. I love the wee shine it gives the piece. There is so much going on that I used pearls to embellish because I think rhinestone bling would have been just too much. Besides, pearls are my favourite! And this is all for me!
ink: pumice stone
paper; embossed blue, embossed ivory (anna griffin), denim, stone (american crafts), flintstone, walnut creme (bazzill), vellum (paper accents)
accessories; 6x6 matting basics a, 6x6 matting basics b, victorian tags, butterfly, les papillions, les papillion 2, victorian accents, blooming collection (spellbinders), silver paint pen (zig), pearls (melissa francis)
4 comments:
Loretta, this is a breathtaking project! I love love love all of the layers! Perfection!
WOW! This is one amazing and elaborate card! Layer perfection :)
I am beyond words to describe my thoughts on this masterpiece! I am in awwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!! this is so beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, magnificent, stunning, etc,etc, etc.
Absolutely stunning! I've been recovering from a broken pelvis and shoulder so I've had a lot of time on my hands and have been thinking of doing something like this when I'm not limited by my arm. I'm so inspired by your incredible creation but I'm a bit afraid of falling to create anything like this. Lov e the colors too.
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