Saturday 10 August 2013

A fleeting glimpse...

Hello all, Alison (butterfly) here with a pair of tiny hangings offering a fleeting glimpse of the creatures I'm sure are at least partly responsible for all the faerie mythology down the ages (though obviously there are real faeries to be found too, if you look hard enough).
I used some of the backgrounds I created a while back using Dylusions sprays and plain old rock salt and table salt.  If you want to see more about how they were made, you can find out here.
And it wasn't a massive leap of imagination to link the gorgeous images from the Insects and Butterflies plate with the two quotes - each available singly from The Artistic Stamper.
I stamped the butterfly in Olive Archival, and then clear embossed it for that magical shimmer you get when it catches the light.
I used a water brush and some paper towel to lift some of the Dylusions colour away from within the wings, just to make them stand out a little more from the background.
The quote - by Rabindranath Tagore - has long been one of my favourites.  I stamped it on a separate piece of glossy card, that I'd used to mop up some ink at some point, and which toned in rather well with the salty background.  And then I mounted it on some cream mesh to give it a bit of extra definition.
The dragonfly got the same treatment as the butterfly, though I had less luck with lifting the colour away since the webbing on his wings is so dense and intricate.
And this quote, I've just discovered, is from a beautiful sonnet called Silent Noon by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (full poem at the foot of the post - I know I don't usually do quotes other than at Words and Pictures, but this one's irresistible!).
I added some other images from Insects and Butterflies.  I love this snail - almost invisible in the undergrowth...
... and these two grasshoppers, perched and ready for action.  There's also a busy bee, going about his business.
I added little bit of Ivory Frantage embossing powder around the edges for some added sparkle and definition.
And I was happy to find some paper ribbon that matched, so I threaded that through my golden eyelets to join the panels together and to create the hanging mechanism.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Don't forget to come and play in our August Challenge - share your Postcards, Travel and Holiday themed projects to be in with a chance at the prize draw at the end of the month.  See you soon!

Ingredients used:
Artistic Stamper stamps: Insects and ButterfliesButterfly WordsDragonfly Words
Dylusions Sprays: Calypso Teal, Cut Grass, London Blue, Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime, Dirty Martini
Manila ATCs
Archival Ink: Olive
Wow Embossing Powder: Clear Gloss Superfine
From stash: Frantage Ivory, Paper Ribbon, Eyelets, Salt

Silent Noon

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass, - 
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms: 
Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms 
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass. 
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass, 
Are golden kingcup-fields with silver edge 
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn-hedge. 
'Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass. 

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly 
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky: - 
So this wing'd hour is dropt to us from above. 
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower, 
This close-companioned inarticulate hour 
When twofold silence was the song of love.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

38 comments:

Rita said...

Wonderful creations Alison. The colours are beautiful and I do love those quotes. I was not able to leave a comment on your blog. Hugs Rita xxx

Yvonne Garner said...

These are just beautiful! Love the addition of the grasshopper and bees. The embossed edge is fabulous. I always love the quotes and poems you include. Thank you! Hugs, Yvonne

barbarayaya62 said...

great great work! Dylusions are so bright , quotes are so beautiful...Very inspirational! BArbarayaya

Brenda Brown said...

Fabulous colours, background, images and quotes.
Hugs Brenda xxx

Helen said...

Simply beautiful (as always!) Alison - I love the colours. Stunning. Am off to play with salt....

Inkypinkycraft said...

gorgeous colours here and your quotes are as always inspiring! hugs trace x

Jenny Marples said...

More superb work from you Alison. Love those rock salt backgrounds. Hope all is well, hugs Jenny x

May said...

Gorgeous creations Alison, Love the colours & images.. Fabulous quotes too.. Have a happy weekend.. Hugs May x x x

Rosie said...

These are gorgeous creations, Alison

Have a wonderful weekend

Redanne said...

Two wonderful, magical creations and two fabulous quotes...... we certainly have faeries at the bottom of our garden........ Hugs, Anne x

Jennie Atkinson said...

Two gorgeous hangings Alison - colours are fabulous and I love the way the butterfly and dragonfly just shimmer.

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Such a nice creation Alison!!
Good luck with the internet...

kind regards, Alie :-)

Julie Lee said...

Butterflies, dragon-flies, grass hoppers and bees! All my favourites! This is the perfect marriage of image and background! I love these inspiring little hangings so much. It makes you think, doesn't it, how - although it links us and we rely on it so much - technology can never be as awe-inspiring and totally, spiritually nourishing as Nature! Sometimes technology can be so frustrating, nevertheless, I do remind myself that without it I would never have encountered the work of wonderful artists like you! Julie Ann xx

froebelsternchen said...

just wonderful Alison.. I wish I could be the dragonfly ... to be in this awesome creation of color and thexture must be gorgeous!

Hettie said...

Oh Wow Alison. These are both absolutely wonderful. Love that you included the other insects and especially the bee.
That poem is gorgeous too and glad you included it.
Hugs
xx

Cocofolies said...

Absolutely wonderful, fabulous make !!... Hugs, Coco xx

Kelly said...

I love your poems or words of reflection you include on your postings. Very nice bonus Alison to read. These are gorgeous as you have done my favorite colors and dragonfly. So pretty!
Have a great weekend,
Hugs Kelly

Sid said...

Both of these hangings are fab !

Anonymous said...

They are so beautiful! I love the colours & the quotes are perfect.

Art By Wanda said...

Beautiful!!!

Nan G said...

Very summery colors! Beautiful!

Astrid Maclean said...

Gorgeous hangers Alison, love how you have attached the two pieces together in each of them! The frantage around the edges works so well too and I absolutely LOVE those wonderful backgrounds. The quotes are fantastic and I love the Rossettie poem, fits the whole mood so beautifully! Wonderful make!

Cinderella Moments said...

Enchanting! It is amazing with it's wonderful colors. Reminds me of water- a pond perhaps where those would hang out!
hugs♥,
Caroline

Michelle said...

So lovely! The cool greens are a stunning background for the gorgeous embossing. A beautiful project! (And a lovely poem too!) Thank you for sharing your works. They are food for the soul.

Anonymous said...

Such sweet hangings that have a lovely watery feel to the backgrounds.
Wishes
Lynne

CreativSpirit said...

So beautiful, love both of them, the colours and the images and everything about them.

Chris said...

They're beautiful Alison! I love the colours and salt effect and the gorgeous quotes too. Chris xx

hazel said...

Fabulous hangings - the colours are lovely.
xxx Hazel.

Deborah said...

Breathtaking

Titbelsoeur, mixed-media addict said...

Your hangers are gorgeous !!

Dorthe said...

Alison what wonderful hanger,
your embossing is beautiful-and the colours so amazing!! The poem you used is so lovely ,too !!!
xo, Dorthe

Sandy said...

I love that butterfly - and of course Allison - I do believe in fairies REALLY!!!! Thanks for leaving that sweet comment on my blog. My granddaughter will be thrilled. i will not see her again until Christmas but I will talk with her on the phone.
Sandy

toni said...

Gorgeous hangings and perfect summer subjects what could be more lovely than butterflies and dragonflies ! love the colours, stamping and sentiments you always find the most perfect quotes x

Unknown said...

OH how awesome!!! The color in this is outstanding!!

Tincan Crafter said...

So exquisite Alison! I always love the excerpts you quote as well.

http://blog.timetocreate.com.au/ said...

What wonderful little banners ennhaced so beautifully be the perfect verse, Alison.

Kezzy said...

Wow gorgeous, I so love this technique. It's one of my favourites, it looks good on fabric as well but a lot softer. Happy Crafting :-) Kezzy xxx

Bonnie Irvine said...

These tags are so whimsical...absolutely enchanting. Love the speckled background that the salt helps create. The tone on tone stamping with the clear embossing is so effective with these yummy stamps. It allows the images to flicker in and out of our vision like these marvelous creatures really do. The Ivory Frantage, mesh, and ribbon ties add lovely contrast.