Create Yourself ~ eTeam picks challenge

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! The eTeam picks challenge at eclectic Paperie started last Thursday and usually I post my response the same day but flower gardens, home renovations and life in general got in the way. The good news is that it continues until July 4 so I'm still within the challenge window. Our wonderfully talented Annette Green chose the theme of Monochromatic for June's eTeam challenge and right away I knew I was in trouble. I don't believe I have ever created anything monochromatic in my life. I am a big fan of combining lots of bright colours along with touches of both black and white. This, my friends, was a huge challenge for me...darn near daunting :) That's why I chose a smaller canvas to alter (6" x 8"). I figured the less real estate I had to fill the better.

I first covered the background with Neocolor II crayons blended with water. I wasn't happy with the intensity nor the shades of green so I covered that with Inktense blocks and water to spread the ink. Still not satisfied. Next, I applied Fresco paint in Hyde Park, Avocado, and Snowflake using a piece of Cut N Dry foam and keeping the paint wet to help with blending. When the paint was dry, Peeled Paint Distress ink was applied through the Dylusions Diamond of a Border stencil as well as the Dotted Flowers stencil. Peeled Paint Distress stain was mixed with Studio 490 white embossing paste and applied through the Dotted Flowers stencil to create greater dimension. Once dry, the circles were shaded on the left side with a Prismacolor pencil. The Distress stain was also splatted onto the canvas in several places to make the inky circles with the radiating drips. Have you tried that? So fun!

Some lighter green patterned paper from my scrapbox was cut with the MFT harlequin border die and adhered to the canvas in two places, after the edges were inked with the Peeled Paint Distress marker. The same marker was used to outline the diamond border on the canvas. Sewing snaps were taken apart and glued onto the diamonds . A TH flourish stamp was inked with Memento Bamboo Leaves  and stamped over the top of the diamonds and around the edges of the canvas. A manila tag was torn, inked with Peeled Paint Distress ink and edged and stamped with Memento Bamboo Leaves. Before the tag was adhered to the canvas, dotty ribbon was threaded through the hole and tied with a burlap string.

One of the Dylusions Mini Couture women from the set was stamped onto three different papers: one for the hat, another for the dress, and a third for the body. The parts were fussy cut, the dress adhered to the body, and the elements matted with dark green cardstock. Shading was done with Prismacolor pencils. They were then placed on foam dots for dimension and adhered to the canvas. To complete the project, 1" circles were punched from the same dark cardstock, cut in half, and glued to the top edge. Green Prisma pencil created the dots on the circles. Pine needle branches were punched from green scraps using a McGill punch and adhered behind a threaded green button. Along the bottom, an Idea-ology word band  (Life is about creating yourself) was threaded with baker's twine and glued in place with Glossy Accents. Peeled Paint Distress marker deepened the outer edges of the canvas to create definitiion.

Phew! I made it! I really had to fight off the urge to add white and black accents, a brighter button, and maybe a coloured belt. I really do like my usual variety of colours but thoroughly enjoyed the challenge that the Monochromatic theme presented. Thanks, Annette, for the push  that got me out of my comfort zone :) Thanks also to all of you for joining me on this adventure. I'm glad to know you were right there with me. Pop over to the eclectic Paperie blog, if you get a chance, to see Annette's take on her challenge as well as the wonderful inspiration pieces by the rest of the DT. I'd love to come for a visit...maybe you'll play along with us.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Below are the links to some of the products used above which can be found in the eclectic Paperie store:

Dylusions Couture Clear Stamps - Mini Couture	Dylusions Stencil 5x8" - Dotted Flowers	Dylusions Stencil 5x8" - Diamond of a Border	Wendy Vecchi - Studio 490 - Embossing Paste - White
Tsukineko - Memento Dew Drop Bamboo Leaves	Inkssesentials - Glossy Accents 2 oz.	Idea-ology - Word Bands	Tim Holtz� Distress� Markers - Peeled Paint
Distress Stain - Peeled Paint	Distress Ink Pad - Peeled Paint	Inkssentials� Surfaces #5 Manila Tags

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