Saturday, July 29, 2017

Blue Jean Baby...Journal Pages

Hello friends and visitors! Today I have a quick post to show off my latest journal pages. I am participating in an art journal round robin where we are to use two designated colors on a page spread. This time the colors are denim and neutrals.


My mind turned immediately to the lyrics in Elton John's ballad 'Tiny Dancer', and so my pages evolved from these words:

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
Elton John

(I goofed and inserted a word that's not part of the original lyrics on my page. I can't sing, either!)
  
I just used a bunch of stuff from my stash, but a few things bear mentioning. 

The photo was amongst hundreds of old photos my neighbor was trashing. I'll have a post August 9 using another bit of trash from that haul. Stay tuned! I colored the baby's 'jeans' with Stormy Sky Distress marker, because my Faded Jeans was dried up!


The wooden frame and the Tim Holtz Sewing Room mannequin die cut have been crackled with Deco Art Weathered Wood. I love this stuff for subtle crackling! The corrugated cardboard beneath is painted with DecoArt Prussian Blue--a new favorite color.  I added just a touch of dry brushing with Faded Jeans. The faded jeans strip under the frame and the patch on the opposite page is from my daughter's jeans when she was 4 or 5 years old! 



The flowers are cheapo store bought white paper flowers I colored with Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire ink and Denim Glimmer Mist, crinkled and layered. The burlap strip is a sweet gift from my blog buddie, Niki (Pawsitively Creative)--thank you, again, sweetie!

The denim design paper almost looks like a real pair of faded jeans thanks to the sanding I gave it.

I used Golden crackle paste and a Wendy Vecchi stencil and heat embossed an unnamed image using cobalt and white embossing powder on the backgrounds. I also stamped some music (MSE) in Archival ink and paint.



I had fun making the mannequin dimensional by using a scrap of muslin and some batting. I also did a little stamping for a vintage look. I used Tim's postage stamp die and some burlap paper to show it off.

 

The cheapo chipboard pieces are my favorite element. I painted them with Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans Distress paints, splattered them with rubbing alcohol and sanded them to show off the kraft within. Tiny dancer is Tim's smallest Paperdoll.



Here are some close ups of some of the details on this page.



Thankfully these simple pages came together really quickly, once I found all my goodies. It has to be in the mail by Monday! 

Challenges I'm entering:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-You’ve Got The Edge Odd shaped edges, handwriting and inking around edges. Frayed edges on burlap, ticking, and jeans, scalloped edge of lace, doily, and postage stamp die cut, flourish edge on frame, sanded edges of chipboard. Probably more...
Mixed Media Monthly-Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #38 - Altered Embellishments I altered the wooden frame, the mannequin, four kraft chippie pieces and flowers.



Well that's it for me! I'm so thankful for your visit today!
Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily


16 comments:

  1. Well, that's a colour combination that's likely to win my heart! Fabulous layering in your pages, and great weathered look on the frame, and yes, I love those sanded chippies too.
    Alison x

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  2. AWESOME pages! I love the va!riety of textures

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  3. Nothing in my home is sacred anymore Sara Emily and you can blame Autumn, Ingrid and yourself for that as I was looking at the nectarine stone thinking that would make an awesome embellishment, and I've had another idea whilst typing this, lol!
    It was a bizarre, fun and not planned idea at all. I scrubbed the stone and left it to dry for a week or so before using it. Thank you my lovely friend for all the inspiration you give me and the crazy ideas and possibilities you have inspired in me! :-)
    Your journal is beautiful, love anything fashion and fabric related as you will see in the next few weeks. Have a lovely weekend sweetie xx

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  4. Wow, these are so stunning, Sara Emily!! The texture is so amazing!! I love the weathered frame and the details you added!! How sweet to add denim from your daughter's jeans!! The layers and papers are so beautiful!! Wow!! I just love, love these, my sweet friend!! So creative and gorgeous!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  5. The blues are glorious Sara and I just love all the wonderful textures you created - the pages are beautiful, the recipient is a very lucky person! Hugs, Anne xx

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  6. Wow!!! Your journal pages are amazing! So many fabulous details! The denim and burlap are such great textures....and what a clever idea to recycle your daughter jeans in this project! The chippies are great and I love, love the frame-the crackling looks spectacular! Whoever receives this will treasure it forever..so beautiful Sara Emily!
    Have a great evening,
    Sherrie K

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  7. Wow Sara Emily! I find it hard to believe these came together quickly, as they are brilliantly executed! (WoW- did I just write that?)
    Anyway, your design and take from the lyrics and materials...Bravo my friend! Just deliciousness! (oh how I wish you were joining us "( later this August)
    Have a beautiful day sweet friend! xoxo

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  8. How cute! I like the way your inspiration brought out the song in your heart, Sara Emily! I especially like that you've taken a treasure hunt around your crafting arena to find precious goodies like old blue jeans to add to the theme. I notice two types of burlap. Soooooo, the finer weave of burlap will die cut without fraying all over? Does it only work on large bold dies (like yours) or will that finer burlap cut out things like detailed flowers? I had burlap "fluff" floating around yesterday as a friend and I cut out some Tim H flowers. It was loosely woven, though. I almost wonder if I should have backed it with something. I have other, finer burlap, but it is soft, so I'm thinking it will need a backing.

    Back to your incredible spread - it's a wonderful project. Thanks for all the closeups so we could really see what you used, and how it was embellished. FUN AND FABULOUS! Hope your week is pure delight! hugs, de

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  9. A lovely layout, Sara Emily, with awesome textures, and how sweet you used a piece of denim from your daughter's jeans. I love the stamping on the white page, too. You picked a great song to be inspired by and ran with it - beautiful job! Hugs :-)

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  11. I love the your journal pages. The pretty blue colors and fabulous texture make them so pretty. Thanks for joining us on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

    Cathie ♥

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  12. Absolutely delightful Sara Emily, from the wonderful colours, gorgeous old photo, brilliant layering and wonderful textures your pages are awesome xxx

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  13. Wow! Beautiful work! Lovely journal pages! Thank you for playing along with us at Happy Little Stampers. Good luck!
    Aditi Mahajan- DT

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  14. HOW did I miss this post! So glad I followed today's link! Having seen this beauty IRL, I have to say it is even more beautiful than these amazing photos show! You rocked this theme (and completely intimidated me along the way!) LOLOLOL! ;0 Stunning and that rescued photo is tops! Hugs, Autumn

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  15. Another wonderful trash haul! Genius! I think you and I would have fun doing some dumpster diving. Anywho, this denim design is lovely and soft and more textural than I realized. Soft blues and burlap go amazingly well together. Awesome sauce and fantabulous dearie! Hugz to you muffin! ~Punkin

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