Saturday 21 September 2013

Lynne Perella's Hallowe'en Pumpkin Hat

Over on Paper Artsy this week it's been the turn of Joanne Wardle as Guest Designer, who has a beautifully elegant clean and simple style which is deceptively hard to emulate. I have been going stir-crazy with my crafting, or lack of it, as I was in France until last night so I missed Alison Butterfly's week of inspiration as Guest Designer and I am also an enormous fan of hers. So this week I have had plenty of time to plan what I was going to make whilst I was away, but almost no time to make something.

Before I show you my rather quick and basic card though, I thought you might like to hear my rubber stamping related story of my journey home, which wouldn't have been funny were it not for the fact that it's completely true, and also the sort of stupid thing I do. While I was in France I had been trying in vain to get my crafting fix by stamping up some mixed greetings and sentiments ready to put onto cards, and I grabbed some blank notecards I keep next to the computer for writing reminders and messages on, and stamped off onto them each time I changed my ink colour. A few days later I was looking on-line for the train times for the last leg of my journey home and I grabbed one of these notecards. I turned it over, wrote the departure times down, tucked it inside my passport, then put it into my carry-on bag so I wouldn't forget it. Well of course I then did forget. So I handed my passport over to the customs officer, and inside he had a little card, in alternating green and fuchsia ink, which read:-

'Thank you So, So Much'
'You Are Amazing!'

Honestly, you couldn't make it up!

So, this is my rather rushed card for this week's Paper Artsy challenge:-



I wanted to stick with Joanne's Hallowe'en theme but I didn't have any Paper Artsy Hallowe'en stamps so I thought, I know, Lynne Perella stamps are characterized by women with unusual headresses, so why not a pumpkin for a hat! I chose the lady with the teacup on her head from LP014 and made a pumpkin from shrink plastic and fresco Butternut and Smoked Paprika and Green Olives, as Joanne had been using shrink plastic this week. I embossed it before shrinking with clear embossing powder. I coloured the image with distress inks and used greens, purples, and orange as I think of these as Hallowe'en colours.

Joanne had made some wonderful streaks of Fresco paint on her cards and I knew I would mess up if I tried to do an artful brushstroke. Early one of the guest designer had made washi tape so I thought I would paint some microporous tape:-



It was lucky I had put it back in the medicine cabinet rather than in my craft room otherwise I would never have found it! I coloured some with Eggplant for a gothic purple, and some with Pumpkin mixed with Smoked Paprika and then some streaks of Pumpkin added on afterwards. This meant I could tear off some strips however I wanted it to look. This is something I will definitely try again.

Sorry it has been a bit of a rushed make and it's a shame I haven't had a bit more time as I have had loads of ideas this week!! Hoping to meet some lovely Paper Artsy friends tomorrow!!

16 comments:

  1. Ah! I love her pumpkin head! So creative, Lucy!

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  2. I am sure the officer had a bit of a chuckle! Lucy I so love this pumpkin hat adoring her head! Great card! I am so trying to find creepy spiders that look real and no luck! I would ask you where you found yours, but I don't believe that would help me here! Hugs!

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  3. A lovely idea! She still looks dignified even though she has a pumpkin on her head! Love the notecard story! I do that sort of thing too! Julie Ann x

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  4. Great story Lucy, I bet you both had a laugh about it. Love the idea of a pumpkin hat. Enjoy Ally Pally, I went yesterday.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  5. Funny story and great piece !

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  6. very creative ! great story too xx

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  7. I'd love to know what the officer said/the look on his face. Your card is gorgeous, love the tape idea too as I was equally daunted with the stroke of paint! In the end, it only took a few practice swipes and a change of brush (you must start with the width of brush you want your swipe to be)and voila. It's not meant to look perfect...

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  8. Your passport story cracked me up, Lucy :-) And I love your problem-solving take on painting streaks - very inventive. Looks fab too.

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  9. Lovely card and amazing story, I bet it made his day lol!

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  10. That is too funny!
    Nothing funny about your card - Lucy I like this so much.
    Talking of not being able to make it up, that relates to my saga with AOL yesterday, a nightmare of a saga with hours on the phone (and you know that is something I am unable to do) and with them refusing to resolve the situation. I cannot access my AOL e-mail account. I have nobody's e-mail addresses so cannot contact directly so Lucy, I have set up a hotmail account at

    ReadingRoom12@hotmail.com

    If, at any time, you could e-mail me there (maybe you could provide me with Alison's e-mail at the same time) and I will then be able to chat with you. Of course I cannot reply to the e-mail you sent me from France.
    Why does life become so ocmplicated when it should become easier with all this access to technology ... something to ponder this Sunday LOL.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  11. great idea to use the tape if you are not confident with the paint. your card is fab and quirky, and I enjoyed your story. thanks for taking part in my challenge

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  12. I love your story of the customs officer - I'm sure they need people like us to brighten their days (my passport belonging to A.Bomber usually raises at least an eyebrow if not a smile!).

    Love your LP pumpkin lady - fab Halloween colours and gorgeous blushing cheeks. Hope you've been having a ball at Ally Pally today... and I'll drop Lynne a line myself...
    Alison xx

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  13. Eine großartige Idee mit dem Kürbis.
    Sieht total super aus.

    Sophie xx

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  14. Lol I'm sure it made his day lol. I love your card, fantastic idea to use her stamps, and I love the pumpkin, amazing :-) Kezzy xxx

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