For WOYWW my desk has been busy this week! I have been having great fun trying out a new technique I learnt about from the incredibly talented Morag over at Paper Rainbow. It involves Citra Solv cleaner and National Geographic magazines, and the process dissolves the ink leaving beautiful background papers. For anyone interested I found this tutorial here particularly helpful. The backgrounds on this weeks index cards for ICAD are all from my first attempt at this technique and they led me to work with darker colours and a night time feel - I ended up with a wonderful mix of highly patterned papers and more subtle ones like these - you never know what you are going to get! I introduced blue as I adore this peacock shade but very rarely use it - I thought the black really enhanced the vividness of it. I used some pieces of real wings from my old antique collection and I matched them with some brilliant blue embroidery thread and black lace.
Some close-up details
I love the darkness of this one with the delicate blue spots - so perfect for my theme!
I used some of the Victorian butterfly wing jewelry I've collected over the years to photograph with the index cards, including a brooch that fell apart when I picked it up - strangely I was thrilled, as I would never have pulled apart a perfectly good piece of jewelry but I love the old, broken look of it and I know I'll put it to good use in the future!
Where do you and Morag get all these copes of National Geographics then?! Lol. All I can say is its worth the effort because your art is gorgeous. I adore the broken jewellery blues one - that sounds like a back handed compliment, doesn't it??! Or the title for a particularly good song, lol!
ReplyDeleteHugs, LLJ 15 xx
Oh Diana. What a beautiful collection you must have. These butterflies are so beautiful. The Citra Solv papers fit in so well with your theme 'Decay and Repair'.
ReplyDeleteOh WOW Diana... Every week I seem to add another wow... This is just simply goooorrrgeous. I adore those iridescent wings. Somewhere I've got an old brooch with a butterfly wing in it. Amazing that it's defraction, not pigment, that causes the amazing colours. It's amazing how well all your recent colour schemes are going with the buff coloured cards, really setting them off. Do please tell us how you are going to display the finished work. It's far too lovely to be filed away!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comment. Yes, the trend in all areas of my life is generally up (apart from the diet which should be down lol!) - TIAs can be a real worry, and I know the tendency to leave one slightly worse off than before. Her short term memory doesn't seem to be as good but maybe yesterday was just a bad day? We've got to keep a close eye on her because she's always been terribly independent and thinks she can do things that maybe she can't, but in other ways she's ever more dependent and demanding for the smallest thing. It's a difficult balance.
Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #30
Your art is sooooo beautiful! Happy WOYWW, Evelyn # 54
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, Happy WOYWW and thanks for visiting my desk. WOW your first efforts with this new technique is stunning..just beautiful images. Cheers and have a lovely week RobynO#41
ReplyDeleteThese colors are fabulous, Diana! So rich and dark and the embroidery just adds to the mystery. Very, very cool!
ReplyDeleteDiana these are wonderful. I have often thought how much like moths wings some of the patterns citrosolv gives are like. Love what you have achieved.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, thanks for stopping by mine and pleased you found the info re. the distressing tool useful.
ReplyDeleteYour art work is gorgeous. This is a great technique though I haven't tried it myself your results are stunning and I may have to give it a go.
Have a great week and happy crafting, Angela x # 42
Butterfly wings are so very beautiful, aren't they? Well done - lots more added to your collection of little cards this week. I, too, love rich, vibrant colours - the more jewel-like the better!
ReplyDeleteTake care. God bless.
Margaret #13
Wow! Every week you out do yourself. I love the addition of the blue in these. Somehow, to me, the four cards look almost lunar. And how perfect that the brooch fell apart, to go with your decay and repair theme! I love the way you included the pins in some of the photos, too. Absolutely stunning post.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence! My post this week is about Citra Solv and National Geographic. Having picked up the magazines this weekend I'm now waiting for the Citra Solv I've ordered to arrive. I can't wait to start experimenting with it. I'm even more excited now having seen what you've created. I've pinned them to my Citra Solv board so other people can enjoy them too.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week
Gillian #50
Looks like another thing I need to investigate and experiment with. The blue is stunning and as always so is your photography Diana.
ReplyDeleteI keep chuckling about your comments over on my desk about my cards on your wall.
Have a good week. I look forward to seeing more of your cards xx
Oh Diana thank you so much for posting this this week.... I saw the national geographic paper thing on DLP a while ago I got the paper and then forgot what the stuff was I had to get .... now I know. beautiful work as usual ... my mum has a blue brooch like that I don't think she would let me break it though.... it was her mums before. thanks for your visit
ReplyDeletejanet #11
So beautiful, and a departure from you color-wise. That peacock blue color is a favorite of mine as well. I had no idea there was such a thing as butterfly wing jewelry, I'm fascinated now!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I"ve bookmarked the tutorial as I have some NG magazines here I had planned to cut up for mixed media work anyway. Creative Blessings! Kelly #75
ReplyDeleteFabulous - I love the colours!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard about the technique with citrasolv before but where can I find it in the UK???
You do the most interesting and beautiful things!
ReplyDeleteKaren x