Sunday 16 March 2014

The Green Lady - PaperArtsy Blog Challenge with inspiration from Julie Ann Lee.

Happy Sunny Sunday Everyone!

............... or I hope it's as sunny for you lovely kind visitors as it is here this morning, so sunny it made taking photos of my entry for this week's PaperArtsy Blog Challenge impossible to take without some shadows especially at 8:00 am with the sun just peeking over the garage, lol!  Never mind, I'll put up with ;D!

Anyway, this week over on the fabulous PaperArtsy Blog it was my Twitter friend (hope to meet her at Ally Pally next month :D), Julie Ann's turn to be main guest designer once again and as always her project over the 3 days was full of fun and imagination not to mention wonderful inspiration.  A visit to her own blog is always fascinating not only for her lovely designs but I love the stories she often weaves into her posts.  Her 3 mini canvasses (HERE) this time were based around The Green Man and I have to say I love the garden ornaments you often see in garden centres of this character.  Now, I didn't have any of the ceramic masks to use for the face (really wanted to use a face and not a substitute flower or something) nor anything that looked like a suitable male face so I decided to use a stamp from a set of faces which I've had for years.  I have no idea whose the set of stamps is and I think probably they are nolonger available but one of them suited my purpose and became THE GREEN LADY!



As I said, there's lots of shadow!


Here's my canvas (somewhat larger than those Julie Ann used) and my pieces of Fresco treated card. I later added quite a bit of watered down Honey Dew to tone it down a bit but the effect I wanted was dappled sunlight through a thick canopy of trees. 


A few pics were taken very late at night so the colour is a bit lost here.  I didn't have a suitable stamp for the background so I decided to apply Fresco paint through a woodgrain mask and then heat embossed with clear EP.


The stamping  was done with Archival ink and clear embossed.


On the top edge of the canvas I applied Fresco through my new Lin Brown stencil (from PaperArtsy) and clear embossed as before.


I didn't have the lovely leaf stamps from PaperArtsy (must rectify that one) that Julie Ann used so I used some others from my stash, stamped onto my card and cut them all out, shaped them and clear embossed about half.  As it was the early hours of this morning by this time I didn't have time to get them cold enough to crack but I still liked the contrast between shiny and matt surfaces.

To save time I didn't do the shrink plastic flowers either (although I do love Shrink) but die cut flowers from some sprayed background card I had in my stash ......... just look at that fab shimmer ............. and a butterfly.  I also cut a second layer for the flowers from some gorgeous burnished metal mesh I bought when out for lunch with my buddy, Jo, last week and layered them with a brad before adding them to the side. I also added a few tendrils of rusty wire.








I hope you like my female alternative to Julie Ann's wonderful Green Man.  I had such a lot of fun with this once I got going.

Well I'd better get my skates on as we have visitors calling in later and first I have to do a supermarket shop (groan!!!).  I hope you all have a lovely Sunday followed by a pleasant week.  Until next time ............

Hugs
Lesley  Xx







20 comments:

sam21ski said...

Fabulous adaptation Lesley, she looks like she wearing a winners garland xxx

Sam xx

Helen said...

Oh, Lesley she's lovely!! Have a fabulous day (once you've done the shopping!)

Hazel Agnew said...

It's brilliant Lesley. Very resourceful again. Love the wood grain and she is nestled beautifully on the canvas! X

Deborah Wainwright said...

Oh Lesley love your green lady she is perfect I'm so inspired. Not sure I'll have time to enter another project but think I'll have a go anyway. Really love her xxx

Words and Pictures said...

So beautiful, Lesley - I love the face hovering within the leaves, and those wonderful embossed stampings - the woodgrain and the birds - they look amazing!
Alison x

Lucy Edmondson said...

This is wonderful, Lesley! I particularly love the embossed grasses up the side of the canvas. It is great seeing everyone's different versions, whether they have used masks or not. I am going to Ally Pally too, on the Sunday. Maybe I will meet you?

Lucy x

Julie Lee said...

Lesley, I love, love, love this! It's totally inspired! Actually I think those shadows make it look even lovelier! It's such a beautiful face and the leaves you've added are so very pretty. I also love your butterfly and that fabulous wood grain. Great ideas and wonderful textures. Thanks so much for playing along this week. It's been such fun and I'm really looking forward to meeting you too! Julie Ann xxx

Craftyfield said...

Love the look of your leaves complete with veins! I like your face too. Well done on finding time and products substitutes to make your entry.

Aquarius said...

Just love this variation of the Green Man which looks very detailed - lovely.

yoursartfully said...

Simply beautiful Lesley.

Lin x

Darcy Marshall said...

Really nice, I like the embossed woodgrain.

Lin said...

Lesley this is fantastic!! I love love love your green lady she is just beautiful xxx

Elaine said...

What a smashing project Lesley, I do love that face and I love your green lady, what a brilliant interpretation. Those leaves look smashing and I really like all the little details, the grasses and flowers on the edge, the wood grain effect - it all comes together so beautifully. Roll on Ally Pally, it's going to be a fabulouse weekend! Elaine xxx

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

This is amazing Lesley, I love the colours and the face peeping out from between leaves.

Sue xx

Paula (PEP) said...

I love the greens you mixed in this project & the stunning effect of the butterfly with his golden wings adds a really magical touch. The leaves are wonderful around the face - good bit of improvising which has worked beautifully with that face stamp & I love the contrast between shiny & matt leaves. The details along the sides of your canvas add a lovely touch - I love that big interesting flower with it's very russetty red centre.
Paula (PEP)

Sally H said...

Absolutely gorgeous, Lesley! I love it! Your leaves are so beautiful and work perfectly round that face! stunning work! Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog. I'd be happy to get inky with you sometime - email me some dates xxx

craftytrog said...

She looks amazing Lesley, with her beautiful halo of leaves.
Alison xxx

Beryl said...

Wow. What a fab project. I suppose there must have been a green lady on the scene at some stage - after all - where did the green man come from. Such a lot of elements and detail have gone into this amazing plaque - but you've more or less covered up the bit that struck me a really cool - the embossing through the woodgrain mask. I so want one of those masks now.
Beryl xx

Redanne said...

Wow Lesley, your canvas is a real stunner, I love the beautiful face and your leaves look perfect surrounding her face. So glad you showed the embossed canvas backing too, that looked amazing. Anne xx

Michelle said...

What a fantastic idea Lesley, love it you clever lady! Thanks for your comments and kindness, sorry to hear you've been going through it yourself. Here's sending you some gentle thoughts for an easy mind. X Michelle