Style is Eternal

 

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out and this fortnight we challenge you to be

Fashionable!

 

I've never really followed fashion - anything that's fashionable today will, by definition, NOT be fairly shortly!  Style on the other hand is eternal!   And this Dashing Crow from AALL stamps has oodles of it - from his impeccably tailored suit and red cravat to his top hat and aviator goggles!

I'm going with a little steam punk today - couldn't resist given that top hat and aviator goggles!  I've kept the image fairly clean and resisted the urge to add background stamping, stencilling or distressing.  What I've done instead, is used a technique I call faux embossing.  It consists of simply overlaying die cut elements to create a much more pronounced embossed background than you would get with an embossing folder.  

I've never tried it with a stamped image before.  I needed two identically stamped images so I stamped the crow image onto two 5x7 panels (I used a stamping platform to make sure they were stamped in the same place on both panels.  After colouring both, I cut the top image using a clockwork cover plate die, lining up the die so that the crow's beady eye was framed by one of the gears.  Once cut, I carefully overlaid it so that the cut image lined up with the base image - pretty easy peasy actually!   Very subtle but I love the tactile interest of the gears on this gorgeous image!  Next time I'll get a little more adventurous and add some more background stamping and perhaps a little gilding wax!  A stamping platform makes this soooo much easier as whatever is stamped needs to be the same on both panels so that they line up  - though the colours of the ink and card stock needn't be the same and might be interesting 💡!

Because the stamp is just a head and shoulders - I felt he needed to be framed so I made a simple thin black frame using two stitched rectangles.  I added some gears (X-Cut Chronology Gears die set) that I then double embossed with some verdigris embossing powder.  I stamped and cut the sentiment with a very old Sizzix Framelits set called Style is Eternal and then shadowed it with black card stock.  

What does fashionable mean to you?  Perhaps fashionable accessories such as handbags, hats or shoes or perhaps a fashionable period of time (the 60s or "disco") or is it something else entirely!   I can't wait to see how you'll be inspired!  As always my fabulous fellow DT members have plenty of fashionable inspiration for you and we're joined this fortnight by the very talented Arlene so do please pop over and say hi!

Challenge #237 is sponsored by AALL and our winner, as voted by the DT, will receive a $20 store credit and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  

This Dashing Crow image is getting it's first inking here so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #49!  

I'd also like to enter my masculine card in Traumfabrik Challenge 115.  Traumfabrik has two movies to inspire this month - Miami Vice for a masculine card and Freaky Friday for a feminine card but anything masculine or feminine is accepted!

I'd also like to enter my Dashing Crow into the April Triple B Challenge - where anything bird, butterfly and/or bloom related is accepted!

And Crafty Animals Challenge #71 closes just after this post goes live so I hope to sneak my card into that challenge as well if I'm quick enough!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments always bring me joy and are always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate