Hi everyone
Etsuko (My favorite things) here with you today.
Our current topic Mail Art gives me a great opportunity to create something to use; Washi-paper. In the old days in Japan, letters were written with a brush using washi paper, but it's not easy today! However I thought I'd follow suit and make a tidings of flowers letter out of old fashioned scroll letter using wonderful Sara Naumann stamps and stencils.
For the Texture main theme I have used collage of thin washi-paper dyed with Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics, Momigami-paper applied to the surface case, underlying background showing through thin Tengucho-paper and picture postcard made of thin paper.
I decided to use blue and peony as the main colours, chose PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic-Bougainvillea, Pea Coat and Blueberry by thinning these colours as much as possible and layering the paper, it was made to look purple, I also made another colour of Heavy Cream for the stamping.
I used Sara Naumann stamp set 67 (ESN67) for the flowers illustration of the letter and same Sara Naumann stamp set 65 (ESN65) for the belly band decoration of the case.
The following three types of washi papers were used for this project. A little thick Washi-paper for the letter scroll, Momigami-paper (wrinkled paper) on the surface of the case, finally I used ultra-thin Tengucho-paper (the paper often used for restoring old books or Japanese paintings.)
When I dyed the Tengucho-papers the paper was so thin that the colour it applied would pass right through, so I laid down a craft sheet and painted it.
The dyed Tengucho-paper is cut into strips and used to frame the flower paper below. In the three pieces of flower papers below are ESN67 was stamped with Tsukineko -VersaFine Clear (Nocturne) on two pieces of Tengucho-paper, and coloured later.
The PaperArtsy Stencil by Sara Naumann (PS364) was reverse-stencilled with Ranger Industries - Distress Oxide (Faded Jeans) and it was made for the border of the letter scroll. I ended up not using the two sheets on the left.
As shown in the previous picture, I made a case mount with card stock and stamped the ESN65 Key and Voyage with Ranger Industries - Archival Ink (Cobalt)--(picture A). Next I prepared Momigami-paper (picture B) and glued it on top so that the stamp pattern underneath could be seen through a little, but it only helped a little. (picture C)
I added PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic-Southern Skies with water to the surface of the case by splattering it. Also I did PS364 and gel printed with Distress Oxide (Faded jeans) for the back of case. The original plan was to gel print the PS364 on the Tengucho-paper and glue it on the back of the case. However, I was worried that if thin paper was coated with a water based gel medium the pattern would smudge all over the paper.
I made the belly band and the decoration, the decoration stamped ESN65 heart on two sheets of paper (the papers made two pieces of Tengucho-paper glued together) with Distress Oxide (wilted violet and faded jeans) and finished with clear embossing powder. The two heart sheets paper were placed in a diamond-shaped frame with the patterns slightly shifted.
The belly band was stencilled with the Distress Oxide (wilted violet and faded jeans) using PaperArtsy Stencil by Sara Naumann by (PS 362) on the Washi- paper, then attached a small magnet to the belly band to hold the case. Also I made postage stamp using Ink and Dog mini stamp MN126 and MN127 then I pasted to the band.
The project using Sara's supplies from Topic Mail Art was so much fun that was a pity that it was over, so I made the picture postcards in the same way. I painted PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Bubble Gum, Lemon Meringue and A bit Fishy on a card stock, randomly stamped Ink the Dog mini stamp (MN131, MN132, MN125 and MN126) with VersaFine (Morning Mist) and cut with scalloped cutting Dies for the postcard frame and post stamps.
I made picture postcards used Sara Naumann stamp set 66 (ESN66) with VersaFine Clear (Nocturne) and clear embossing powder on a vellum. These birds to painted from the back. I glued frames and postage stamps to the vellum cards and decorate with ribbons. And I played it a little sideways.
I wanted to make the background of the letter like watercolour paint, so I used transparent Southern Skies diluted with water. I used a soft flat brush with 1-inch bristles to apply paint in gradate shades and draw a curve in a horizontal line. Then stenciled Southern Skies diluted with water from dot stencil on the upper curve with a sponge. To splattered the bottom with water and sprinkled silver embossing powder to embossed. Also I used flower cutting die to the dyed blue Washi-paper. I pasted the border for edging that I made with PS364 from the back.This mounting is like a picture frame made of cloth or paper used for hanging scrolls, and it's not often used for the like letter, I used it here just as a decoration.
I put pieces of flower paper in the middle and made a collage with dyed Tengucho-paper to make the frame, and placed each on the letter scroll with gel medium. On the thin flower papers the background of the letter scroll bellow is slightly transparent at the same time, so that it becomes the background of the flowers. I made the letter to tell someone about a tidings of flowers, and Japanese sentiments next to each frame are short poem about these flowers.
To say that all the content in this project was good it is not true, but I think this continuous scrolling without breaks works will provide me with a lot of ideas to create interesting works in the future. Sara's stamps and stencils are a mixture of abstract and figurative elements, and our thoughts work flexibly, so we can create fun works, I love them very much.
Thank you so much for joying me.
Etsuko xxx
1 comment:
what a gorgeous set of mail art Etsuko! Love it.
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