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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Midnight Madness Bloom

My great-grandfather was a china painter. Glad I asked my mom to clarify that! I am lucky to have a whole piece of his china in a cabinet in my home. The style when he painted was very ornate, lots of gold, lots of floral images. When I saw the challenge this week on Midnight Madness (sketch 13) I wondered if it would be possible to recreate the look of old china for their sketch.
There is another story of glass and china that belonged to my grandmother. She lived overseas and when she died my dad shipped home a box of glass and china so family members could all have a remembrance. The airlines must have drop-kicked the box out of the cargo bay at 30,000 feet because we didn't have anything left but glass dust when they were finished. I would have loved to have had a piece even as large as the 'fragments' on the side of my card.
So this is a combination of a remembrance of my grandfather on one side and grandmother on the other.
First I stamped the flower from Blooming Beautiful in gold craft and embossed it an the bee, then painted the images in with a variety of twinkling H20s. For the flower I used sapphire, wild blueberry and plum on the blossom. For the side china bits I stamped Belle Toile on vanilla cardstock, gold embossed it, then for both pieces I did the cracked glass technique. For those of you who have never tried it, you cover your image with versamark, sprinkle on clear EP and emboss it. You have to repeat this step at least five times to get a nice, thick layer of gloss on your paper. Other people use UTEE, I don't own any. Then you put it in the freezer for at least fifteen minutes and then when you take it out, you bend the paper to form crack lines. I used creamy caramel ink and a sponge to rub some ink on the images and a bit of it goes into the crack lines to help define them better.

For the belle toile panel, then I cut it into the squares for the sketch, to look like random pieces of broken china that someone is trying to put back together. At least, that's the effect I was trying to achieve. The flowers are those new primas, little roses, in white. I took reinkers in pacific point and creamy caramel with an aquapainter and painted them to match the blossom and the background, then put a bit of liquid glue on them and dipped them in gold glitter. Sponged the edges of the vanilla cardstock with creamy caramel.
Thanks for looking.
Stamps: SU Belle Toile, Bloomin' Beautiful
Paper: Vanilla, PTI Ripe Avocado
Ink: gold craft, creamy caramel, pacific point
Other: versamark, clear EP, sponge, gold EP, twinkling H20s, gold ribbon (PTI), prima roses, aquapainter, gold glitter

25 comments:

@JoyceCasaldi said...

This is the most beautiful card I've seen! Your amazing!

Sending you a rose:)

Leah said...

Oh my goodness! This came out just stunning, and so touching too with it being a remembrance piece too. How sad that nothing made it safely to your family...gorgeous work!

Carolyn said...

I think you have achieved your goal of that look. What a great keepsake to remind you of your Grandfather! It is a gorgeous piece of art. Thank you for sharing it with us, and for playing with us this week. We love having you!!

Carolyn, MMSC DT

The Minister's Wife said...

What a sweet remeberance of your grandparents. The card is really neat!!! Just beautiful.

Karen Lynn said...

Oh, Peggysue what a beautiful card and what a story to go with it.

Sue said...

This card is wonderful. Love how you did the squares. Flower is beautiful.

Chef Mama Lori said...

So beautiful! I'd love to see a picture of the piece of china. What a precious treasure.

scrapperjulia said...

This is so beautiful! Love the embossing and the crackling techniques, just gorgeous!

Traci M said...

Well you know your story is very heartwarming, it is good to remember and write down those things that bind us to our past and our families for generations. Maybe you should write the story and tuck it into the card, then seal it and give it to one of your children when the time is right...just thinking.
I love your card, the technique is perfect for broken china, and the roses are so pretty! Wonderful work, Peggysue!!

Joanne (jojot) said...

stunning...STUNNING.....and with such meaning....beautiful work, my friend

since you were asking, I am okay...went back to the retina specialist today and the eye looks okay...vision hasn't changed yet, but that was to be expected...thanks for caring....

hugs
joanne (alias Glitterdot)

Michelle L. said...

What a gorgeous card PS! Your work amazes me.

The Mama Monkey said...

Wowza girl...this is AMAZING! I love it! It does look like China.

BethieJ said...

Peggysue this is card is BEAUTIFUL..you did an AMAZING job with it!!!!
Have a GREAT weekeend!

Terri Trotter Earley said...

Love all of your gold elements and neat crackle technique as well. Wonderful take on the midnight madness sketch challenge.

It's a good life!
Terri E.

Michelle's Daydreams said...

Peggy Sue, this is simply stunning! I love the story behind this card, I think you should frame it for all to see. :) Thanks so much for joining us this week!
Michelle MMDT

Unknown said...

Gorgeous card and I enjoyed the story as well.

Mary said...

Beautiful!! and a lovely story as well....

Cheryl said...

Wow, that's pretty! I love how it turned out.

Leah said...

I left something on my blog for you:)

Vanja said...

Stunning card! Beautiful flower.
Vanja

B said...

So pretty!

Melissa said...

This is amazing...so gorgeous! What a beautiful rememberance of your grandfather!

Stephanie said...

this is spectacular, and I love how you have your great grandfather's china to use as inspiration.

Chris Olsen, Glowbug said...

This is stunning. So elegant and beautiful!! What a great rememberance!! Thanks for playing along with the MMSC this week!

Jeni C Slack (^0^) said...

WOW, this is such an amazing card, definitely the closest technique I've ever seen to making porcelain. What a keepsake! Thanks for sharing your Talent with us this week at MMSC, xox ~Jeni & MMSC DT