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Wednesday 27 June 2012

Sunday Stamper week 211 - Weds 27th June

Hi there bloggers!


Wednesdays I don't  (usually) go to work, it's my craft time...all mine....well almost, it usually means catching up with commissions or friends/family cards that I am all behind in making. However, sometimes, you just have to step back and say to yourself, I need some time to create projects that I really want to make...get a bit mucky with the ink..and boy have I got inky today on two projects, the second of which will be on here in the next few days.


Sunday Stampers week 211 You gotta pick a pocket or two


Today's project is a picture that I made for Hel's Sheridan's Sunday Stampers challenge. I love the themes Hels' comes up with because they always push me and make me think out of the box. I will quite happily spend all the time I need to create a card, label, picture...


So where do I start with this week's theme, which is a project with a pocket? Well I can tell you, it didn't start out anything like it finished! It was going to be  a jeans pocket with a red spotted handkerchief in it. I even had the ink ready to create faux denim, so please don't ask me how it ended up being a picture collage of Venice!


It may be because I'm missing the place....I count myself a very lucky girl for marrying into a Venetian family. Tom's dad is from Venice and whilst he and Tom's mum live here, all Tom's unclogs and their families are spread around the Veneto, so I have been visiting this wonderful city more years than I care to remember. We were last there in September and we may not get there this year, so something obviously made me think about it this morning.


 The Picture

Where do I begin? Well I started with some kraft card, which using Cosmic Shimmer clear glue, I stuck to some thick cardboard. I then stamped randomly all over it using the Wendy Vecchi Heart Stamp from Studio 490 and a very useful script stamp from Sam Poole's Vintage stamp set.


On a lighter (buff) piece of card I stamped 'Venice' which is in a Debbi Moore Venetian stamp set; Ciao Bella from an old wooden stamp I had in my stamp box and some little flowers from Majestix Clematis Garden. For all the stamping so far I have been using Vintage Photo distress ink and I also distressed the edges using this.


I then took a piece of oatmeal coloured card, from the card that Sue Wilson brings to us and tore it all around the edge, but I left this clean as I think it needed a layer where there was no distressing. I made the pocket with the kraft card and stamped all over it in Vintage Photo, again using the script stamp and then over that, I faintly stamped a Gondola from the Debbi Moore set.


With this picture I wanted to depict not just a vintage Venice, but more my Venice...I'll explain: yes we still pay homage to the usual tourist places when we visit, but being 'frequent' visitors, we head for the hidden cafes or check out the art..there is always art to seek out! So I wanted to keep the Venetian icons to a minimum, or distort them. Despite the alleys and mystique, during Carnevale and the summer, Venice is a bright, somewhat gaudy place, so I wanted to keep colour to a minimum and make it mean something.


The photos used in the project were all taken by me, just last year, but I 'vintaged' them to make them look old. The photos in sepia tones with writing on are all from one of my very favourite places in Venice, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection. I simply love this Gallery. Two of the photos are neon art and the third says "amore, pace, goia X' (love, peace, happiness), which is the message Tom and I added to  Yoko Ono's Wish Tree in the garden.


The label is a basic luggage label, which I coloured with Vintage Photo and stamped all over with the script stamp. I also distressed  the label string. The only bright colours are a photo of a plaque on the wall next to a multicoloured door on the very colourful island of Burano. The tag can be removed to read the translation, which is:


'Colour is like Music, it uses a shorter way to come to our senses, awake out emotions'


I then added one final splash of colour associated with Venice, Murano Glass beads...pretty, but  sadly no longer guaranteed to have been made on the island of Murano or anywhere else in Venice.
I tied some organza ribbon across the pocket, embellished with some gold coloured beads, just to signify the opulence of 'La Serrenissima' when she was in her prime. Finally I felt I needed a mask. It could have been one of the bright ones we see in the shops, but I wanted to keep it simple. I made this one with some art clay and a mould and coloured it with bronze metallic acrylic paint.



Casa Bepi, Burano..a hidden treasure!
Venetian masks in shop window

Thanks for stopping by...sorry it was such a long blog today!
Carole X


This is my project for Sunday Stampers challenge week 211

10 comments:

  1. Hi Carole,
    This is fabulous! I love the collage and everything it stands for. I adore Venice, how lucky you are to visit there often. I haven't been for 3years, but I adored every minute. We stayed in a lovely hotel called Bella Conte and the walls and ceiling were lined with brocade fabric. Beautiful. I am certain I have a picture of that same shop window. If not it is definitely the same mask, as my daughter fell in love with it. I cannot access it now to find out as it is on my crashed PC and I haven't had it repaired as I use the laptop so much now. I may have to alter that so I can get to the photos.
    Anyway, a gorgeous inspirational piece. Thank you for sharing this delightful story piece.
    Hugs Linda x

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    1. Thanks Linda, I know the hotel you mentioned! Got you message about the candy as well, no rush..I will just look forward to receiving it whenever it arrives, hugs, Carole X

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  2. Sorry, me again.
    Just wanted to let you know that I have the glue has been ordered and should be here tomorrow, so hopefully I can post off your Candy win the same day, if not Friday at the latest.
    Take care Linda x

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  3. Wow this is fabulous and I think a new thing for you( am I right) you have done an incredible job its great , I love the final tag you placed into it !!
    Hugs Elaine

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    1. Thanks Elaine! No not knew, it's what I love doing, but hardly get the chance...along with scrapbooking, which was my 'first love' before cards! I love Sunday Stampers, because I can get back to what I love X

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    2. oooops! I meant 'new' :) x

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  4. Hi Carole, this is absolutely gorgeous and it took me back 30 years to my one and only trip to beautiful Venice, where I did buy some Murano glass beads, which is still have. I loved it and thought it very romantic and so picturesque. Anyway, enough of that, your tag is beautiful, well thought out and put together. Thank you too for your lovely comment on my blog, much appreciated. Crafty hugs, Anne x

    PS - I have read all of Donna Leon's novels which describe Venice beautifully.

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    1. Thanks Anne X Donna Leon?Yep, me too! :)

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  5. How fabulous. Your art is amazing. Hugs Rita xx

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  6. Cor, this is AMAZING, LOVE the theme (place I have always wanted to visit... ) and all those perfect details... Thanks for joining in with the Sunday Stamper x

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