Monday 17 June 2013

Some vegetarian with your grunge? Huh?

I'm not a vegetarian.  I love the idea and totally get the appeal that eating a vegetarian diet holds for so many of us.  The thought of fresh tender veg of any sort makes me happy, for sure.  Occasionally, when dining out (well, OK, pub grub), I will order the vegetarian option - specially since I launched into the diet of my life. I most often enjoy it, but also often think how enhanced my eating experience would be by the inclusion of well, bacon.  In the same way, I often look at the beautiful works that others make in the grunge 'genre' and find myself thinking that it would be lovely in colour. 
So last week I got a chance to put my money where my mouth is and did a workshop base don coloured grunge.  Not all plain sailing.  Only one of six workshopeers made the card above in it's original sample colour...most decided the Fired Brick was a bit too gruesome and opted for Broken China topped with Teal Stazon stamp images.  Nice, for sure.  Not often I offer a choice of colours, but I sort of knew it was a bit 'blood and bandages' and then the Lady Nurse emailed to say she didn't like it...well, ya gotta go with the customer, specially when they're right!  

This one didn't come a cropper though, some Evergreen Bough, droplets of one or other of the supposed mica sprays for the background and then some gentle stamping.  I say 'supposed'...it was a mica spray, but as with all my sprays, it doesn't spray any more.  Mica gets stuck in nozzle after one squirt and it's curtains for the next three years of using.  Argh.  And please don't recommend lots of hot water and a jolly good pumping.  Really -   I did say it - pumping!  Been there.  I think what I'm trying to say here gals, is that despite everything I've said, I'm loving the Distress range in colours. Because lets face it, if you can produce it in 7 shades of wee wee, think how lovely and cheerful it would be in a range of other colours.  I draw your attention here and throughout Sarah's blog actually...her work is aspirational for me, and when she gets her colour on - well, it fair makes me feel fizzy.

19 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

You may be enamored by the wee wee colors, but I have several reinkers that I have tried to use when painting my fabric. The colors are even MORE wee wee if the color of the fabric isn't snow white. Nice SECOND card, though.

Helen said...

I quite like them both, but do prefer the second. off to check out Sarah's blog now..

Anonymous said...

I love them both, the first is very dramatic and powerful, and the second is very easy on the eyes, a lovely soft message is portrayed.

Sue from Oregon said...

Red being my favorite color, I did not even go there...I think of red as a HAPPY color and would have chosen it...there!

voodoo vixen said...

Oh now, I agree, the second one is lovely, the first one is sort of red cross reminiscent but perhaps on a different card colour it would look less so? I mean, red is a wonderful colour for getting attention, so it should work!!
I am with you on vege thing... I have always said I could be a vegetarian as long as I was allowed to eat bacon... LOL

Carmen said...

I don't know where you get this idea that grunge is only shades of wee wee Julia :P I always seem to more associate that with vintage and aged-ness... but I love grunge and don't own any of the wee wee shades... (Check out Lora ZombieLara Zombie, to me she is grunge fabulousness and not a shade of wee wee in sight *g*)

I love both your cards but maybe that is because the first one looks kind of blooded? The blue on the second is just gorgeous. As for the mists... I give up. I now shake them then unscrew the lids and dab a paintbrush in and flick with that.

Off to check Sarah out now, she sounds right up my street :)

Carmen said...

Whoops - that's what I get trying to be clever with a link - it should still take you there though :P

misteejay said...

I love both of them Julia - the first because of the dramatic splash of colour and the second because it is such a contrast (and I love aqua shades).

I wanted to play with my mica sprays last night and only 3 were spraying - I give up with the rinsing out so might try Carmen's tip.

Toni xx

Lisa said...

I agree entirely- love grunge "style" but I'm not much of a muted colour person. I love the first card, nowt wrong with a bit of blood, lol. I've got the sprays too, and the only way I can keep them going is to wash the nozzle after every use, and life's too short for that......

Lisa :)

Glenda said...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I personally love both of these and think you did great! As for the sprays. I make my own using Pearl Ex and Gum Arabic and then when I use the "pearl" color I can add other things in to color like distress inks or just experiment. A good shake before you spray and I've had very good luck with the sprayers.

Francesca said...

Hi Julia, now I really like the red, but then I do go for the darker colours in more ways than one. Great cards .

Julie Lee said...

Very interesting post. Sometimes I wonder exactly what constitutes 'grunge'? I tend to feel - I don't know about grunge but I know what I like!!! I like both these very different, vintage 'makes'. I was a vege for six years then I went to France for a while and - don't know what it's like now - couldn't get anything to eat other than omelettes!I don't eat bacon; but I do tend to think when I eat vege now, 'What would this be like with chicken?' Julie Ann xxx

Dianne said...

Grunge is hard to get for some color people,so I can understand some of your Ladies not taking to it., I visited Sarah's blog and your right she is a fabulous artist with vintage and color, I'm actually getting her in my post now, thanks you for that, I love here work and all my lovely Ladies all commented there. I love both of your cards, thanks for sharing, I do make my own mist spray and just make enough to use then rinse my spray bottle, never a problem:). Have a wonderful day..

scrappymo! said...

I think they are both great! But I love the second...but I am partial to aqua or teal tones and I love anything with a bit of script on it!

Lisa-Jane said...

I love them both! But yes it is wonderful to have such a lovely range of colours.

SandyD said...

Wonderful fun as usual. Thanks again.

Tracy said...

I actually like both pieces.
But then again I do love the colour red :)

Unknown said...

Oh yes - sprays that never spray - been there done that, spilled ink all down the T-shirt in trying to to get them to work some how!

Anonymous said...

[url=http://abilify.kim/]abilify tablet[/url] [url=http://singulaironline.party/]singulair online[/url] [url=http://robaxin.online/]methocarbamol robaxin[/url]