The Boy who could fly…

The Boy who could fly…

Hello there!
Thanks for stopping by.
Well, Thursday’s blog is always blue, 
so here’s a blue piece.
I have to say, I am really pleased with this artwork. 
You know how it is; every now and then, you make something or create something that just makes your heart sing. 
See what you think…

It starts out with a page from a book.
The paper is good quality, almost satin, and quite thick. 
I tried it on basic paperback print – not so good; the print on the reverse side came through.
OK. 
So let’s assume you have found a good book that 
you are prepared to cut up.
The other ingredients you probably already have, too:
The stamps I used are:
and my favourite stamp ever:
Remove the indexing from the stamps with either Blending solution or a mild nail varnish remover.
This will stop your Versamark ink pad going blue.
(Although Thursday’s blog IS a blue one!)
Stamp and emboss the trees along the baseline with clear embossing powder.

Use torn paper to make hills.

Stamp and heat emboss the boy and birds stamp, too.
Can’t see much right now. So let’s take a closer look….
Time to bring out the boy!

Starting at the bottom of the page, tear a hill out of copy paper, and position at the baseline, like so:

and brush in the hills, from left to right – and back again!.
Wipe the ink off the trees with a paper towel.

Make another hill-line further up, but this time use Tumbled Glass – a lighter blue.

3rd hill’s Antique Linen

Then I think we’ll go back to Chipped Sapphire, or Faded Jeans
for the mountains in the way back.

To do the sky, I think we’ll use a Brayer
It will give us greater coverage faster.
Let’s do an undercoat with Tumbled Glass first.
Roll it out on the Clarity Blending mat first.

Once we’ve travelled from top to bottom with the lighter colour,

it’s time to get out the big guns – Chipped Sapphire

See how he comes out as soon as we brayer a darker colour 
over him? Wipe the ink off the glazed image into the paper background.

Let’s take a step back and look at the surrounding page. 
I continued the hills into the margins, too.

This is cool. If you dab a little Squeezed Lemon onto the glazed tress and bushes with a make-up sponge, not only does it clean the image beautifully, but when you move it out beyond the glaze, the yellow blends with the blues to create a fab green hue.

Now dab some Black Soot on the embossed areas and gently sweep them into the printed paper, to create shadows. 
The ink will glide and move on satin printed paper.

Trim the edges back. YOU decide how much.
All depends how good the landscape in the margins is!

Very happy with this.

I think this one is going in my gallery….
So let’s see.
The BLOGSALE continues until 31st.
Let’s add a couple of things from this tutorial.

Large Meadow Tree (rrp £7.25)  £5
Tall Meadow Tree (rrp £7.25)  £5
Boy in Flight (rrp £9.25)  £8
Squeezed Lemon Distress ink pad (£4.50) £4

If you go to the website OFFERS page, you will see all the items which have been added through the BLOGSALE.

BLOG CANDY
Yesterday’s lucky winner is Beryltreble
(Beryl, email me your address, and we will get a £20 Gift Voucher off to you!)

Leave a lovely comment today, and give this piece of Artwork a title. If this were the cover of a book, what would be the title of the book?
And if you say “The Boy who could fly”, that’s mine!!!!

much love,

89 thoughts on “The Boy who could fly…

  1. How about : 'Up, up and away!' Great shading on this one, even if we couldn't see much of what was going on until towards the end. I think its worthy of a frame and a place in your gallery too.

  2. My book title would be…
    DREAM…There's is nothing you can't do xx
    I have just tried this out on your coated paper and it works a treat.
    I didn't have a suitable book so thought I would type out the words, sentences etc I wanted and copied and pasted it and printed it out.
    I just love how yours turned out and no wonder it will go in your gallery. That boy stamp is fabulous! Thanks for the inspiration x

    1. Yep that's me, why do something simple when you can do it the hard way x I've made the art piece into a special birthday card and the writing is dates, memories etc. for the recipient. Don't you just love the inspiration on Barbara's blog? xx

  3. Just love this one could do with a lovely story on page about a boy could print your own story to go with picture. Would that be fun. Brilliant enjoy your day with dee crafting xx

  4. Love the art work. Only the obvious spring to mind. 'Up, up and away ' or ' A bird's eye view'. You could write many a story with that picture and those titles.

  5. Hi Barb,
    How beautiful, serene and arty. I love it.
    You wouldn't believe it but I thought "Up, up and away" but Leslie Thomas (1st post) pipped me to the post!! So how about "Soaring over hills and dales". xx

  6. AWESOME – I love it. I'll have a think about a title and come back to you. I don't always comment on your wonderful blog but I adore it and I never cease to be amazed by the constant inspiration you bring to us. Thank you so much. Laurane x

  7. Morning Barbara, hope you have a good day….what a truly beautiful piece of artwork…and yes what a fabulous book cover it would make….
    How about….." jack's Journey to Neverland"
    Hugs…Jo. X

  8. This is so effective over the print Barbara. I love all the blues and then adding the yellow to get the green, and with the shading it looks like the sun is reflecting off the birds wings, so with this in mind I think the title should be 'Sunny 'Flight. x

  9. What a lovely piece Barbara. As a librarian I don't generally like ripping books up but in the name of art its all good. As for a title what about " the words just fly off the page".

  10. Beautiful shading on this – it's a lovely composition and well deserves a gallery place!
    I think "Flying by the seat of your pants!" suits this perfectly 🙂
    Have a great day Barbara, Carole x

  11. Flying High would be my title – had to whizz down to the bottom so I couldn't see what others had put – will now read back to see!

    Well done Beryl !

    Was smiling to myself and wondered what the words on the page were about – I hope you didn't take a page from 50 shades of ….. 🙂

  12. "He flies like a bird in the sky." Just like the song from the Honeycombs – "Can't let Maggie go" written to promote Nimble bread a lot of year ago. Showing my age now
    Ann xx

  13. Hello Barb. I love this artwork and it rightfully deserves a place in your gallery, but maybe it had better be where more people can see it! Let's call your book 'Let your imagination take wings and fly' as that is what you do for us. xx Margaret Col.

  14. Stunning artwork. I give in, now I must have this stamp; my two young grandsons will love it.
    My other suggestions have already 'gone', so 'Come fly with me'
    Carol

  15. Good Afternoon Barbara!!!

    I love the boy in flight….he sits on my workbench most of the time right now ….just waiting for me to use him!!!!
    I love what you have done here….and am so glad you will put this in your gallery – he is a worthy participant of that gallery!!!!
    I do hope you did not go to work!!! but that you had a good day with Dee prepping for the TV etc!!! I myself have had a tense day at work and am so glad to be home…one more day then it is the weekend!!!
    Any way….as ever…Much Love
    Kim xxx

    1. How very rude of me!! I did not suggest a title!!! – had a very stressful day at work….oops
      'To Infinity and Beyond!!!!!!'

      Theory – the little boy thinks he can fly to the moon…….
      Added much Love
      Kim!!!x

  16. Well Barbara you've done it again!! This is so beautiful, using one of my favourite stamps. I've not read all of the the other responses so don't know if this title has already been said – I would call the book Let Your Imagination Fly: How to Free the Artist in You, just as you encourage us to do with each inspirational work of art you share with us. Hope you've had a lovely day. xx

  17. Hi Barbara,
    Not sure if this has already been suggested … 'a picture paints a thousand words'.
    Hate the idea of spoiling a book, but really want to try this as I love yours so will have to get typing!
    Hugs xxxx

  18. Hallo liebe Barbara,

    das ist wieder etwas total geniales was du uns hier zeigst. Die Idee mit der Buchseite finde ich großartig. Mir würde spontan einfallen. "Der Flug in die unendliche Kreativität". Ich bin absolut sprachlos und finde dein Werk umwerfend schön. Ganz liebe Grüße Silvi

  19. Hi Barbara gorgeous I love this and had to enlarge the screen to read the page of the book! I think you have improved it! I must be tired I really thought you were putting squeezed lemon on the embossed bits to clean them before I carried on down and saw the ink pad (silly me). I do love the names they use for them. Right book title One day I'll fly away that's also a song but can't remember at the moment who sung it – will come to me in the middle of the night no doubt! I do love the boy stamp so useful. Enjoy your evening love Diane G xxx

  20. Book page, stamps, inks and loads of talent = a fantastic piece of art. I haven't read all the comments so I don't know if 'Fly me to the moon' has been suggested but that's my contribution. Pat x

  21. Love it, love it, love it! Reminds me of our highland scenery so my title would be "Soaring over Lochs and Bens", will have to try this when I get a chance! Thanks for sharing, Susan x

  22. Lovely technique, must give it a go. My suggestion for a title is "Look Up". This is my motto at the moment. I try and make time every day & just look up & around to enjoy whatever's out there. We can spend too much looking at our various screens & being absorbed in what we're doing and I want to remind myself there is a big wide world out there to appreciate.

  23. Hi Barb,
    This is just fabulous and has turned out brilliantly. It is definitely one for the gallery. I have always resisted buying the little boy stamp, but I think I'm going to have to take advantage of the blog sale and finally buy the stamp. As for the title, everything I think of , someone beats me to it! I think I'm going to settle on 'Follow your dreams'. Love Alison xx

  24. Great idea and beautiful end result. Although in my rather tired state ( lack of sleep due to painful knee ) I did think you were squeezing lemon juice on your work. Definitely one for the Gallery. Over the trees to Sky is the only offering I can come up with. xx

  25. Beautiful, really love this, I also like the idea of writing my own story as books to cut up with the right paper are hard to come by. I shall have a go when I get home from holiday.
    Title ' flying free' x

  26. This is totally stunning, and an absolute must for your gallery wall. My book would be titled 'Flying Home'. Keep up the great work that you do. You are such an inspiration.

  27. Hi Barbara. It's like magic watching the picture appear on this one. I love it. My title would be "Childhood dreams can come true" as when ever I see this stamp it makes me think of the dreams children have of flying up with the birds.
    I hope you had a good day. And I also hope that young Evie is thriving and that she isn't keeping her Mum and Dad too short of sleep!
    Take care.

  28. Love this piece of art work, though I would have a serious problem tearing a page out of a book, ha. My suggestion for the book title would be
    "If happy little blue birds fly…….."

  29. I just realised I had not got round to commenting yesterday morning. I love anything with this stamp and am starting to come to terms with taking books apart. My title would be more of a hope – "Let these words free your soul to fly" xxx Maggie

  30. My title would be "Flying into the Future". What could be more exciting in this day and age than what is going to happen tomorrow?

  31. Hello Barb, yet another great technique and wonderful inspiration, love this stamp, don't have it yet, but it is on my wish list. Well done Beryl. I think the title of this book (and sorry if anyone mentioned it, or similar) should be Fantasy Flight. I hope we are going to see some pics of your gallery soon Barb. Bx

  32. This artwork is crying out to be published on a Travel Brochure and named
    'Booked Your Flight'
    Good source of income for your charity work Barb. Keep up the good work. Am browsing your blog for some inspiration on this great sunny Sunday morn. xx

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