I am always inspired by the work of Teesha Moore. I’m not sure who can look at her work and not want to attempt to play with her techniques. Especially with her YouTube videos out there explaining all the different steps she takes. So this was my TM inspired page.
My thoughts? I liked making the borders. I do generally find myself lining elements along an edge of the page most of the time anyway so it wasn’t a far stretch to encapsulating the full page. I think I’m going to explore that a little further in the future. I tried combining a retro pin up girl head with a modern magazine clipping of an outfit, but they are close enough in size I don’t know that you really notice it right off unless you are looking at it carefully. I’d definitely try for more contrasting images next time.
The bird shape is a stamp I created with a foam plate that came from KFC the other night. They gave us two with 3 segments each. I’ve been trying to think of what else I can make with such small scraps of foam. I think I might try cutting an even square and making a repeatable pattern stamp. It’s kinda fun, but it’s a lot harder to cut into without messing up the backing than a carving block or eraser. The quality of the print it leaves is way different too.
The title is die cut from an alphabet set I found at the store marked down from $100 to $15. I don’t often bother with anything special for titling, handwritten does me fine, but I have probably a dozen different kinds of alphabet stamps, 6 or so alpha stencils, and two letter die sets. Ridiculous overkill, but I just can’t seem to convince myself that I don’t actually need such useful stamps. Because how useful are they to me really when I never use them? That’s the first time that I’ve ever used those dies.
The paper for the title was one that I painted. I wasn’t too in love with it as a sheet, but it’s amazing how much more interesting it got when cut to bits like that. Actually, that was true of the magazine border too. As a full page ad some things aren’t attractive at all, but cut a small bit of it off for this project and suddenly it’s the most intriguing thing I’ve ever seen.
I did a couple of minor experiments on this page as well. I picked up a couple of sheets of these really girly pink glitter fake tattoos from a thrift store in Vegas a couple of months ago with the idea that I’d see how they went on paper. I found out that you can, in fact, use a temporary tattoo on paper. It’s not the most stable thing I’ve ever used. I expected it to be a little bit more like a standard rub on, but it wasn’t quite. I also tried inking the surface of the really textured wall paper with some black ink and then used UTEE on top for a resist. Then I just painted over the top and did a light swipe after I was done. I liked the way it turned out. And as always, I’m in love with that roll of paper. Best $1 I’ve spent lately. Expect to see more of it.
The journaling is a song that I’ve been fairly obsessed with lately. Shimmer by Fuel. I always tend to fall for songs that don’t necessarily have the best message when you examine the lyrics. ( Your Love by Outfield? Hello, song entirely about cheating.) Emo break up song or not, I don’t care. I love it anyway. Oddly enough I kinda related to the verses about the girl. I get the sense that the guy isn’t listing them because they are necessarily great qualities that he loves in her, but still. If ever there was a girl who’d rather live in her mental fields of butterflies than reality it’s me.
One thing I need to do is find a better way of taking pictures of my work. What I’ve done so far is just grab whichever camera is closer and then try to balance my journal on a stack of whatever happens to be on the kitchen table at the time (today it was a couple of pizza boxes to go out to the trash and a stack of junk mail). I do it on the table because it’s beside the door and is the only surface in the house that gets any sort of natural light. I take about 6 photos and whichever one is the least offense if the one I use. Such a terrible system. I really need to either take better pictures or learn to love the scanner. But I figure a slightly horrible picture in front of the microwave is better than no pictures ever because I’m too lazy to mess with the scanner. At least it gives me a visual to put up with my words. The photos really help fill in the blanks of my explanations.
lovely pages! i love that you were inspired by teesha (and really, who isn’t
but yet the pages are still very much your style and not a carbon copy of teesha’s style. well done.