Friday 21 September 2012

"Finally Fall!"

As fall is my favourite season of the year, I was already hopefully looking forward to challenges that required autumnal colours and themes. Well, here they come: DragonsDream Tag It On want to see "Misty Autumn Glaze" and Frilly and Funkie ask to "Fall into Fall" and last but not least the gorgeous "Fairy tale challengeblog" that celebrates the beginning of fall as I do. Well, they would not have needed to ask ME, as I love to fall into MY season after a long and (too) hot summer anyway. ;)

So here is my project for them:



I think I have not mentioned yet, that I am interested in children's books and illustrations too (according to my art studies AND my education as a school librarian). Good illustrations in books for children are really hard to find, as they imho should not only visualize a scene from a story to cut off an intimidating long text, but capture the spirit of the essence of the story and create something behind the shown action, that drags the reader in. (I hope, this makes some sense to you and I have explained that right).

So in this tag, I tried to create a scene that would show all the things and sensations I so love about autumn - the especially clear air and lighting, the earthtoned colours, the textures and the contrast of still warm, vibrant colours forming a contrast to rotting and decay. Metamorphosis at it's best!

I punched a stencil out of card for the leaves on the ground and did them with Distress inks "mustard seed", "spiced marmalade", "rusty hinge", "barn door" and "vintage photo". Then I tore stripes from masking tape to cover the upper part, as I wanted to create a glossy and bright space between the trees that were to come later. These spaces I inked with "broken china" and "shabby shutters" and embossed them later with clear embossing powder as a resist to the stamping of the bark and the shading of the trees.

Some of the punched out leaves were embossed in red, copper and gold. I stamped a pine cone, some mushrooms and a snail onto the forest ground and did the bark with my small texture stamp, which I only partially inked with walnut stain to get that fading structure.

Then I carefully sprayed GlimmerMists "Mustard Seed" and "Marmalade" and MayaMist "Espresso Brown" onto some areas (mainly at the edges to create a kind of frame for the scenery). At least I added the stamped owl and the banner on top.

I hope, the close-ups show the glimmer and glaze, that can be seen when you look at the tag from various angles:


41 comments:

  1. Oh claudia, das Tag ist auch wieder soooooooooo schön. Klasse gewerkelt.

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    1. Dank dir recht herzlich, Margot!

      Lieb, dass du vorbeischaust!!! :)

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  2. Fabulous Autumnal colours and the leaves look gorgeous ! Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Sue C x

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    1. Thank you for the lovely visit and the laud, Sue!

      die amelie x

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  3. Eine wunderschöne Herbstszene, alles harmoniert prächtig. Beim ersten Anschauen dachte ich, du hättest ein Paperbag-Motiv (die Männerjeanshosenbeine)in den Hintergrund gestempelt. Vielen Dank für deine Teilnahme bei TIO.

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    1. Ob man die Männerjeanshosenbeine auch als Baumstämme gebrauchen könnte, Silvia? ;)
      Das wär ja fast schon einen Versuch wert...

      Danke für deinen lieben Besuch hier!!!!

      Claudia x

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  4. Gorgoeus tag and I love the little snail hiding at the bottom, he made me chuckle! Thanks for sharing with us at Dragons Dream TIO. Elizabeth x

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  5. A really beautiful tag, love your colour choices...and that snail is fab!!! A really lovely tag, thanks for dreaming at TIO, trace. X

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    1. Thank you so much, Elizabeth and Trace,

      for your lovely visits! So glad, you like snails too ;) (Luckily the owl was not interested in it at all).

      Hugs,
      die amelie xx

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  6. Ein sehr schönes und herbstliches Tag, Claudia

    Ich wünsche Dir ein schönes Wochenende

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    1. Herzlichen Dank, Rosie,

      auch dir ein feines, erholsames Wochenende!

      LG,
      Claudia

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  7. Interesting take on fall theme....for me is like walking through forest when I am looking at it...Perfect Caludia!

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    1. That was what I hoped it would be like looking at it, Ana!

      Thank you so much!!!!

      Hugs,
      Claudia xx

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  8. very beautiful background, love how you did that. And that little snail is so cute (hate them in real life though, slimey creatures yuk)Thanks for sharing at TIO

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    1. As long as they do not invade my shoes, I rather like snails, Monique ;)

      Thanks for the lovely visit!

      die amelie x

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  9. Was für ein toller Hintergrund, die Texture und Farbkombi mit den türkisen "Streifen" ist einfach gransios. Auch Schrift und Blätterverstärken die wunderschöne Herbststimmung.
    LG Anja

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    1. Herzlichen Dank, Anja,

      für deinen lieben Besuch und das schöne Lob!

      Liebe Grüße,
      die amelie

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  10. Gorgeous work, Love those colours! lovely texture.. I too love that wee snail... Thanks for dreaming with us at Dragons Dream... May x x

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    1. So many snail-friends in the internet ;)

      Thank you, May,
      for your lovely visit!

      Greetings from Vienna,
      die amelie x

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  11. Wunderschöne Arbeit Amelie, ich liebe die Farben and Textur! LG,Valerie

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    1. Lieben Dank, Valerie,
      für den Besuch und das feine Lob!

      LG aus Wien,
      die amelie x

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  12. das ist ein Traum Claudia! einfach toll gemacht!

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    1. Huuhuu, Susi,

      lieb von dir!!! Danke für deinen feinen Besuch!!!

      Herzliche Grüße,
      Claudia xxx

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  13. Oh so beautiful! A wonderful recreation of autumn in colours and textures and atmosphere. I so agree about illustrations in children's books - there are illustrators whose images still travel in my head, and they mean so much to me... when I see one again, it's like meeting an old friend. This is a beautiful tag, and a beautiful post, thank you for sharing it!
    Alison x

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    1. Certain images from one's childhood days are burnt into the memory forever it seems, Alison. And yes, watching them many years later is like time-travelling back to happy adventure-filled days, when being completely lost in wonderful foreign worlds, brought to life by the works of gifted illustrators. Love that too!

      Thank you for sharing some of your thoughts and memories!!!

      Hugs,
      Claudia xxx

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  14. Oh this is stunning, I love the colours and the textures and shimmmer look wonderful
    Lindsay xx

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    1. Thank you, Lindsay!!!

      So kind of you to stop by and leave this lovely laud!

      die amelie xx

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  15. Love all the tearing and that wonderful texture with the embossing. Thanks for sharing with us at Frilly & Funkie!

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    1. Thank you, Marjie,

      for stopping by and for the lovely challenge!!! :)

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  16. Das ist ja toll geworden!!!! Gefällt mir außerordentlich gut!!!!

    LG!

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  17. That´s so pritty and so very stunning! You have made such a wonderfull tag! Thankx for joining us at Fairy Tale Challenge xx Bianca

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    1. Thanks, Bianca,

      for your visit and the lovely laud! :)

      die amelie x

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  18. Absolutely stunning!!! I love the sparkle and the matte contrast! Gorgeous design...eye candy! Hello Fall! Thank you so much for playing along with us at Frilly & Funkie this fortnight!!!

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    1. Thanks for this lovely laud, Anita!

      Hugs,
      die amelie x

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  19. Wow this tag is great. The leaves are so nice and the banner also.
    Thanks for joining us at Fairytale.
    LG Michelle

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    1. I am so glad I found your lovely blog, Michelle!

      Thank you for your visit!

      LG,
      die amelie x

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  20. Das sieht klasse aus
    Vielen Dank fürs mitmachen bei Fairytale

    lg
    Tanja

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    1. Danke schön, Tanja!

      Ich hab gerne mitgemacht bei euch!

      LG,
      die amelie

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  21. Beautiful colors and I love the subtle artistry of this piece. Wonderful images and the embossing is fabulous! Thank you for sharing this beauty with our Fall Into Fall challenge at Frilly and Funkie!

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    1. Thank you very much, Linda,

      for your visit and the lovely laud!

      die amelie x

      Delete
  22. Das Tag ist ja der absolute Oberhammer, ich weiss es ist ein bisschen spät mit meinen Kommetar aber die spektakuläre Kleinarbeiten hauen mich einfach total um - So genial und so schön liebe Claudia

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