/* */ Beulah Bee

January 31, 2015

Clouds


Up in the Clouds is the Monday blog challenge this week at SSS. I had a hard time thinking of an idea so I began playing around with bits of book paper and stamp remnants cut in the shape of clouds. Eventually, I found an image that I thought would work and finished it off with some chit-chat text.

January 26, 2015

In the Balance


I used to love spending time flipping through picture books at the library. I'd grab a few National Geographics, perhaps a volume on a famous artist or some books on travel. Anything with lots of pictures.

Now, thanks to the Internet, I can do almost the same thing right from home on my laptop. And when I find an image that really strikes a cord, I feel I must print it and do something with it. I guess it's a way of savoring it just a little more--becoming more intimate with it.

I altered an image like this one last year (see here) and believe this recent discovery is its mate (I wish I knew who the artist was so I could give credit). It's almost identical and I strongly suspect both images were made by the same artist at around the same time.

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It was cut out and pasted on a tag whose background was made by stomping white paint through a nylon mesh bag, stamping with archival ink and tinting with Distress inks.

I'll be on the look out for additional work by this artist and perhaps, finally discover who created them. If anyone can steer me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it!

Stamp credit: Stamping Bella Eclectic

January 22, 2015

Buddies

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I've spent a lot of time, lately, working with the Idea-ology Found Relatives.

When I opened my first box I have to admit I was disappointed in how thick they were--a bit like playing cards.

In some applications, a thick photo is good but I use them most for collage and in this case, thinner is better.


But now I know it's SO EASY to modify them and I thought I'd share one of the ways I do it in case you'd like to give it a try.


First, peel off the back covering. Use your fingernail or a knife to get it started then just slowly pull it off (really easy).

Then get out some sandpaper (I use Tim's sanding block) and remove as much of the paper backing as you'd like.

For really thin photos, after sanding, spritz a little water on the back and rub off more paper bits with your fingers. Be gentle at this stage because the water weakens the paper and it becomes more delicate.

I've been able to get a photo so thin you can see through it! These guys are pretty tough and you'd never be able to do this with a regular photo.

It's also much easier to trim the photo after you've thinned it down a bit and I always tint the cut edges with a waterproof ink marker so they blend into my backgrounds better.

My "Buddies" came from the new Occasions series of Found Relatives and I created this tag for the winter theme at Simon's Monday blog challenge. I did some sanding, peeling and rubbing of the background paper, pasted on the boys, then used Simon's Falling Snow stencil with some white acrylic paint.

I didn't intend to create an avalanche but that's what it looks like!