This is a unique challenge blog where we are inspired by and focus on the Vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres and encompass the talent, flair, expertise and ideas of many artists that we are inspired by. We welcome all types of projects - cards, journaling, assemblage, layouts, albums, atcs, altered art in fact whatever you want to share (as long as it is in good taste).

Monday 9 March 2015

New Look Destination Inspiration

Hello everyone!  It's Alison (butterfly) here, and I'm really excited to introduce you to our new-look Destination Inspiration posts.

Since you now have a whole month to play on each challenge (if you missed the birthday celebrations with the news about the changes, plus exciting prizes on offer, check it all out here), we're going to offer you four - yup, count'em, four - Destination Inspirations each month, always on a Monday. Like the old Destination Inspirations, they won't necessarily be related to the challenge theme, but we hope you'll enjoy the new game we're playing...

Each month, four Creative Guides will play with the same set of ingredients as each other, and cook up four (hopefully) very individual creations to inspire you.  There are four of us playing in March - with one project revealed each Monday.  And there'll be a fresh team of four Creative Guides each month, and a fresh list of ingredients too.
Don't worry - you'll soon get into the swing of it!

So between the four of us who've signed up for this first month,
we've nominated a substrate, a main colour, a technique and a product
to be included in the project, and here are our March ingredients:

Substrate - Tag
Main Colour - Peacock Feathers
Technique - Spritz and Flick
Product - Idea-ology Metal

And here's the tag I cooked up with them...


Instead of using my Spritz and Flick technique as my background, I actually used it to create my Umbrella Man.  I applied my Peacock Feathers ink to Distress Watercolour Paper, which gives a really strong effect to the water droplets you flick at the ink.


I love that he looks like his own slightly cloudy sky now...
... an effect I particularly like on the umbrella!


I painted a thin coat of gesso onto my manila tag, and then blended on some more Peacock Feathers for the sky.  The gesso really softens the intensity of the colour so you get a delicate, pale shade.  But I then spritzed some Distress Spray over the top, to get some more colour and to give it a lovely spritzed splatter texture.


No surprises that I chose some greens to accompany my Peacock Feathers - Mown Lawn and Peeled Paint are here, both blended on and used to stamp some of the meadow grass layers.  I also layered some more stamping using Archival inks in Olive and Leaf Green.


I couldn't resist using my new Mixed Media Thinlits, simply cut from kraft card and trimmed to fit the tag.  I love how delicate it is - and given this design is my most-used stencil from Tim's collection, I'm thinking this die will get lots of use too!  It's a happy coincidence that it ended up over the darker spritzing, but the contrast works really well I think.


To give Umbrella Man somewhere to stand, I've used a coffee stirrer "liberated" from Tim and Mario's favourite coffee shop.  I inked it with Vintage Photo and a bit of Coffee Archival and snapped it in pieces, so it would have nice rough edges.  I added some extra shading under his feet with Distress Markers to ground him properly.


And for my final ingredient - the Idea-ology Metal - I've used one of the Muse Tokens, altered with Distress Paints, mainly Peacock Feathers of course, but also a touch of Mown Lawn in the mix.


And some simple twine finishes the whole thing off...


Umbrella Man is gazing off into the distance, allowing his mind to wander in pursuit of Knowledge, and in the meantime enjoying a sense of peace and solitude.  (Me too, please!)


Well, that's the first of our Destination Inspiration posts for March.  I hope you like it, and I hope you like the idea of this new game.  Do let us know... it's always great to hear what you think.

So, who will it be next?  And what will they come up with when they combine these same ingredients with a little touch of their own special magic?  You'll just have to come and find out next Monday!

If you can't stand the suspense, why not spend the time in between creating an Anything Tim project to come and play along with our birthday challenge?!  Don't forget that as well as the prize voucher from our generous sponsor Country View Crafts, there are other goodies on offer this month too, including fantastic prizes provided by Tim and Mario.  See you there!

45 comments:

  1. Oh - I do LOVE your tag Alison! Wonderful use of the March ingredients! Your wooden floor for Umbrella man to be standing on is SO creative!! beautiful use of your new thinlet die and the foliage stampings!

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  2. Lovely tag Alison. Love the water effect on the man and the way he us grounded! The thinlits due is a super add and of course the color is bright and beautiful.

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  3. Lovely tag Alison. Love the water effect on the man and the way he us grounded! The thinlits due is a super add and of course the color is bright and beautiful.

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  4. a great tag and love how you used the technique on your man and not the tag a great idea x trace x

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  5. Wonderful tag Alison, the rain/cloudy effect on your umbrella man and the background is wonderful. Will have to investigate these new Thinlits mixed media dies, love how delicate it is! Can't wait to see what the talented DT comes up with next using these four ingredients.

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  6. I love your tag,Umbrella Man looks particularly good today!! I've just got hold of that much sought after die, and can't wait to use it. I think the new way forward for AVJ will be really interesting.

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  7. This weekly "cookery class" is a fabulous idea.....the same ingredients though will come out very differently each week though...no boring sponges here on AVJ ;0) This is a great tag Alison and I have the thinlets high on my wish list. Your colours look so vibrant xx

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  8. Great first DI Alison, well done explaining it all so well. Love your tag and I smiled when I saw you too have succumbed to those mixed media thinlets...

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  9. Great tag Alison, great colour choice
    love
    Amanda x

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  10. This is such a wonderful idea and a great first make from Alison - wonderful tag using the recipe! Nikki x

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  11. This is fabulous! I love the colors and all the texture.

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  12. Wonderful tag Alison, I love umbrella man and he looks great today!! Fabulous foliage in the background and the lattice is a great touch! hugs :)

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  13. Fantastic tag Alison and so well explained. Your umbrella man looks super. TFS.
    Julie xx

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  14. Striking and very pretty!

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  15. Beautiful. Love the splatter effect on umbrella man, I always tend to do him in black. Peacock Feathers has got to be my fave colour of distress . Hugs Jan Hill x

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  16. Wonderful introduction into the new DI, Alison! Love the umbrella guy inked on the watercolor paper, so stunning is the effect! This is a gorgeous tag and love it to pieces. Can't wait to see the next DI up to bat! Love this!

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  17. Alison- Gorgeous!
    I love the new idea for the challenges and hope to participate! ")

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  18. Alison, it is wonderful. The bright colour tones, of spring,-the diecut , metal medal, and the broken stirrer ,-a few things which together gives a fantastic effect. The splatting effect is wonderful with the Peacock Feathers.
    Hugs, Dorthe

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  19. So beautiful, Alison! I love the wooden "planks" that you created at the bottom! So ingenious! The depth and textures are really lovely too! Thanks for sharing! :-)
    Hugs, Cathy

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  20. A beautiful tag from your ingredients, Alison! Love the splotchy look created from your flicking technique on our second favorite man! hehe Nicely choreographed, my friend!

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  21. You have explained the new system so very well Alison and I think you already know how much I love this gorgeous tag, the colours are quite stunning and I love how you used the fabulous mixed media die! Anne xx

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  22. LOVE this tag, Alison! The 4 ingredients you've used, have concocted the most lovely tag!! :) You know how I love to spritz & flick!! :) :) XOXO-Shari

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  23. Great new recipe and rules for the challenges here at the Vintage Journey! :) I will try to play along with you and the other creative guides from time to time if I can... For this first sample of inspiration, I love your cooking Alison! :D Gorgeous tag...And like you, I love the effects of the 'spritz and flick' technique applied on the umbrella rather than on the background! this is very clever. Hugs xx

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  24. I love what you 'cooked' up with your ingredients, Alison. The tag looks so fresh and colourful and I love the grasses. I also really like the way that Umbrella Man has something to stand on - a really nice touch! xx

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  25. I also love your cooking! The recipe new book is a Great idea, and your first make is a delight. I especially love the cloudy Sky...

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  26. Love this new idea, and you've done a wonderful job starting it off! Look forward to seeing what others come up with! Love the umbrella man with the water drops.....and your greens are luscious, so spring-like! A serene piece, indeed. xx Lynn

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  27. I'm in love with this tag! This is such a gorgeous colour & the water sprints are just the best with watercolour paper :-)

    Sally

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  28. Beautiful, gorgeousky balanced tag Alison. Great post too. Nicola x

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  29. stunning & thank you for the break down of products.

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  30. Stunning! I adore the colour and the effects you've created. I love the mixed media die too, just adds that little touch of something extra. Beautiful tag Alison, you always produce the most amazing art work xx

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  31. Thanks Allison for being the first brave soul to step into the new way of doing things. Your tag is simply beautiful! Great explanation too.

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  32. Fabulous Alison - such a wonderful first take on our new Destination Inspiration. I love the colours you have added to balance the Peacock Feathers and what a great idea to use the technique on the embellishment and not the tag! Fabulous x

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  33. Really lovely Alison, a fab tag and I love the idea of a recipe xx

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  34. The perfect way to start this new DI direction Alison! I LOVE how Mr Umbrella Man has become his own personal cloud storm (great idea to flip the S+F technique onto the focal point) and the way he stands on his coffee stirrer plinth surrounded by spring greenery and that Mixed Media trellis. Looking forward to the remaining three DI projects now! Jenny x

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  35. Your tag is gorgeous Alison. I love how you've used the products and it's so nice to see the umbrella man with a bit of colour. Love your clever use of the coffee stirrer. Thanks for sharing such a great project. :)

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  36. a gorgeous tag ... and what great fun this sounds cannot wait to see the other takes with those ingredients ! x what a great start Alison! xx

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  37. Love your umbrella man with my favorite Tim Technique! Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with. Awesome tag!

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  38. Love your umbrella man with my favorite Tim Technique! Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with. Awesome tag!

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  39. Fabulous tag! I love your umbrella man and the mixed media die! Amazing colors and background!
    Branka x

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  40. The results of your cooking are superb. I love the colours and layers. Thanks for starting off the new look DI posts so creatively.
    hugs Brenda xxx

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  41. Ohh I missed this post earlier. It is great to know, we will be getting these wonderful art recipes every Monday by you all talented ladies, that will be great start for a week.
    Alison, as always, love to read your words! Tag is awesome with beautiful thoughts behind them. spritz and flick technique looks great on Umbrella man. Beautiful addition of die cuts and ideology metal. Would love to work with this recipe.

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