Monday 15 June 2015

The Ravages of Time - June Challenge at SASPC

Servus and welcome to another mid-month reminder for SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges!

Summer heat has finally (and powerfully) set in and already starts turning my flat and studio into a sauna - so, please, bear with me, when my posts become rather short and less frequent - my brain simply can't cope with the high temperatures (and mojo also seems to have disappeared to chillier regions)....

The challenge theme for June asks you to show us "The Ravages of Time" and as usual our challenges are open to all kinds of media and interpretation as long as the projects entered are steampunk, vintage and/or industrial.

I decided to create another tag. I hadn't done tags for ages and my recent tag for Tim's 12 tags of 2015 really was a lot of fun! So I was up for more! But this one really gave me a hard time - everything I tried didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, I messed up a lot of times and at a point I really thought of throwing it in the bin...but then I followed an advice I have been giving others so many times: just paint over it and start anew!

And I am glad I did because that finally set me on track! Phew!
So here it is: my tag for our "Ravages of Time" challenge - well, I guess it was me who was heavily ravaging rather than time...lol.



The cogs and gears are a cut off piece from a lovely Creative Embellishments chipboard panel. They were covered with loads of different pastes and paints - some scraped on, some sprayed on, some stippled on...




I had also collaged on several scraps from old photographs and book pages when I started my tag, but they have all been covered up - at least they wonderfully add to the textural feel of the tag.



This close-up shows some of the torn edges that are still visible. The lovely calculations stamp is a design from Carabelle Studio. One of my new favourites for sure!

I also stamped it on some of the painted cogs and gears:




The rough, grainy texture is from a layer of DecoArt Texture Fierro that I had painted over.




The various spray paints that I applied over some coats of DecoArt media fluid acrylic paints created some delicate and worn looking effects. (sadly I won't be able to reproduce them as they were results from an act of desperation rather than controlled use of media....lol).




I did a lot of sprinkling, smudgeing, scraping on, wiping off and dabbing...I guess the thought of "well, it can still go to the bin if I don't like it, as it had almost been there anyway" freed me from sticking to any ideas or concepts at all - I just applied various media to see what I would end up with - and that was great fun in the end!




So once a "direction" for the design of my tag finally became visible, I just needed to add some finishing touches (like the dabbed on dark edge) and focal points (like washi tape, word tiles and labels and the all-seeing eye) - et voila!




Believe me - I really felt like an explorer while creating this tag! lol
So I hope you like the end result as much as I do and that you will hop over to our challenge blog to see what my fab teamies have made!

Very curiously looking forward to seeing your "ravaged projects" entered to our challenge soon! ;)
Hugs and happy crafting,
Claudia xxx




ooops...almost forgot:

I enter my really very masculine tag to the "Make it Masculine" challenge over at Anything But Cute where Cec is hosting their second challenge. Good luck, ladies!

http://anythingbutcutechallenge.blogspot.ca/2015/06/challenge-2-june-make-it-masculine.html


22 comments:

  1. Gorgeous as always Claudia! You are a genius with mixed media products, very inspirational! hugs :)

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  2. This is a wonder Claudia, you really are one of the best at doing textures and aging.
    Move to Britain....it's always lovely and cool over here!
    Big hugs
    Donna xxx

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    1. LOL, Donna! Thank you. I am really tempted! ;) xxx

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  3. So nun bin ich endlich mal wieder hier um zu schauen was du so Schönes zauberst und ich finde dieses Tag megamäßig gut gemacht,wow! Mich haben Urlaub, Haushalt und Garten in Anspruch genommen sodaß zum Selberwerkeln und Bloghoppen keine oder nur wenig Zeit war. Bin nun froh wieder hier rein schauen zu können, wie immer, ein Genuß.
    Alles Liebe und einen schönen Sommer, zu Wasser oder zu Land. ;)
    Sabine

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  4. Really earthy and grungy and textural and very very cool! <3 Candy

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  5. Wow! This turned out brilliantly! It looks like it was pulled up out of the ocean centuries later. Fabulous texture!!

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  6. Dearie, we had the same luck this month but I Have to say: you beat this lovely tag into ravaged submission! Wowzers! So many lovely textures and that calculation stamp is perfect (and now on my want list!). I want to feel this tag IRL because it begs to be touched. Hehe! Hugz to you muffin! ~Niki

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  7. Perfect texture for a beautiful tag Claudia !
    Bisous

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  8. Claudia, this is fantastic! I am stunned! Oh, that calculation stamp si awesome! Spectacular textures and so many fabulous techniques you have used there! I adore that grunge look! Brilliant piece of art!
    Thank you so much for joining in our 'Make It Masculine' challenge at Anything But Cute!
    Branka DT x

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  9. Fabulous! Love the variety of colours and textures

    Jools x

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  10. Gorgeous Claudia, love it. Happy crafting, Angela xXx

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  11. Claudia, I had to have a peek at your "About Me", because I wanted to see where else in the world was hot and steamy as it is here in southeast USA. What I found was SO interesting! My art teacher was my favorite person in the world when I was a teenager! Hat's off to you! I, too, am a messy crafter, and pretty much follow my heart, not a plan.

    Now about this ravaged tag! It is fantastic, and I'm so happy you stuck with it! I love the painty background and those brilliantly textured cogs! I adore the calculations stamp image, and must put that on my long list! Well done, and thank you for joining our Make It Masculine challenge at Anything But Cute! What an honor it is to see your work here! Hugs! Sara Emily DT

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  12. This is such an amazing tag, Claudia! Love the layers you've created and all the details! Stunning! Hugs, Sandra

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  13. Ein wunderbares Gemisch aus Texturen, Farben und Embelli's!! Wo kann man denn das tolle Auge erstehen? LG Kerstin xx

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  14. Holy cow Claudia, this is just spectacular!! I have to agree with my team mate on this one, I want to touch it too!! My wish list just got longer as I really love that calculations stamp and that fabulous texture paint from DecoArt!! Your colours are just amazing! You really did ravage this piece and the result is out of this world fantastic!!

    It's an honour and a pleasure to have you join us at Anything But Cute for our 'Make It Masculine' challenge! Hugs, Pamellia DT :)

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  15. Hello Claudia,
    When I was reading your post and the process you went through to obtain the effect you have on this Tag, I identified with you immediately. This is often how I create, never knowing where I am going with a piece but just enjoying adding and removing and literally hoping for the best. When it works I am thrilled, and this piece has worked and you have given many who see it inspiration. And sadly like you I also have projects where I can never recreate the effect, but nevertheless it was fun and I can always play again. You can always play again.
    Great Tag.
    Smiles:)
    Sue

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  16. Oh, I do like how this turned out Claudia!! Love the advice you received and applied here--Just Paint Over It!! Yes ma'am!! Fabulous advice! I can't imagine how this must have looked when it started, with you wanting to throw it in your waste bin, but I'm glad you didn't trash this!! The layers of paints and textures are marvelous!! LOVE that calculations stamp--I'll need specifics on that one! This tag looks like a blackboard that a mathematician or engineer has gone crazy on---She Blinded me with Science & Creative Adventure!! :) :) Fabulous tag, Claudia!! XOXO-Shari

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  17. What a stunning tag this is!!! Steampunk heaven!!! Love it! Thank you so very much for joining our Make It Masculine challenge at Anything But Cute!
    Samra DT

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  18. Das sieht richtig, richtig klasse aus!!!! Wahnsinn, wie viel man darauf entdecken kann!!!!

    LG!

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  19. This is a beautiful piece what a good job you didn't throw it out, the layers of paint that have built up on it are fabulous. x

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  20. Oh schäm Claudia, ich war schon ewig nicht mehr auf Deinem Blog, auch andere Blogs habe ich vernachlässigt.
    Und jetzt bin ich mal wieder hier und sehe ein genialschöneres Werk als das andere, ich bin überwältigt von Deiner Kreativität, einfach genial.

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