Monday, May 17, 2010

Marie's Closet and My Escape

When I got home late on Saturday, there was a package waiting for me.....Val's Marie Antoinette journal.  Val chose the theme of Marie's Closet, and we're to create an outfit for Marie to wear for any occasion we could imagine.  A few days before, I'd been messing around with the stencils left behind after cutting butterflies with my Big Kick.  I used them along with some color washes, inks, mica powder mists, etc. to make a background.  This inspired me to give Marie a "casual" dress for an afternoon spent catching butterflies in the gardens of Versailles.   Do I have any idea if people actually did that in those times?  No.  But it does seem like the sort of genteel activity that a queen might indulge in.
For this page, I took a sheet from Tim's Vintage Shabby paper stack (a blue one) and added some greens and purples, the other colors that appear in my butterfly background paper (which you'll see next). The paper butterflies were cut from a Cuttlebug embosslit.  I added tiers of lace for Marie's dress.  Her hat is just an oval of vellum with some tiny flowers and other bling.  The challenge was the butterfly net.  That I did with some jewelry wire, and attached the tulle with some sticky strip.  The bejeweled butterflies were part of the stash of Marie-inspired goodies that Daisy had sent along with her journal.  I've used a lot of what she sent in the pages I've done so far.  
What tickled me the most......I discovered that I actually own a stamp (from Quietfire) that says "papillon," which is French for.......you guessed it, butterfly!  I think you can see it stamped in gold in a few places.
For my journaling page, I took that background paper, added some vellum butterflies (which I inked, sprayed with a mica powder mist, and added stickles to), and attached my journaling (which was printed on parchment paper).

Val included patterns for little slippers to be used as her sign-in tags.  (Val is super organized and thinks of EVERYTHING!).  We were to decorate our shoe in the style of our pages, and this is what I came up with:
I'm very happy with these pages, and hope Val is too.

Now, over at PID, the weekly challenge theme is "My Favorite Escape."   For me, that has always been books.  This is a tag I did.  All images are from the PID shop.
If you're at all curious about the background, it will be featured on the PID blog tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.
It's only noon.  You have time.   Go make some art!

19 comments:

Angie Hall Haviland said...

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL pieces, Eileen!!!

Diann said...

Oh, the Marie Antoinette journal is surely a work of ART....at least on your end. I know your friend will love it....I liked her shoe as the sign in sheet! Love your Tag and it's clear how special books and reading are to you. Diann

Elena said...

You are a frickin genius!!! Love this!

Anonymous said...

Oh Eileen...these are breathtaking!! I absolutely love coming to your blog and seeing your creations...I admire YOU and Angie SO much on all that you are able to create!!!!! I'm trying to get myself in that mode and just haven't quite made it yet... ;(

Lori said...

I would like to ditto Elena's comment.
And now that I've done that, I would also like to say you are smokin' these journal pages, INCREDIBLE with a capital "I"! That tag is cool, and hopefully I'll remember to tune into PID tomorrow....

craftyM said...

Tres chic, mon amie!!

Marita

tracyozzie said...

Oh, she is beautiful. I don't know how you do those dresses; but I just love it and the shoe.

Nancy Lynn said...

This is really a great page Eileen. Just some more beautiful artwork from you.

Healing Woman said...

I am enjoying all of the butterfly creations. You've created a few masterpieces for sure!

Kerry said...

Absolutely beautiful! I love coming to your blog - you inspire me. I so enjoy looking at your art and reading how you created each piece. Thank you for sharing. Kerry P.

Inge said...

Hello Eileen,

WOW...and I'm the next to work in this book after you... I'll start sweating already :)

i really like the theme of the butterflyhunting : original and yes, she could have done it !
Your Marie dress is very nice and the butterflies and the net. The vellum butterflies on your journal page are also a work of art and effort.
you just got the book and ended up in two days with this....great inspiration and project.

greetings from Belgium
Inge

Merry said...

What an amazing page. That dress is just perfect.

Anonymous said...

You are a paper GODDESS!!!

Im honored to be your friend if even only online.

Stephen

Sherry Goodloe said...

These journal pages are breath-taking . . . wow, just wow!

teri said...

Your background colors remind me so much of the Monet water lilies I was so captivated by in Paris.Very timely (for me) to come home and see this franco-inspired post!

Sandi M said...

Stunning! Now, if only I lived in your area instead of the Phila area, I'd be knocking at your door begging lessons to learn some of the cool techniques you've done here :)

Patzee said...

These creations are stunning! The colors, transparency, layers, and delicacy would surely make Mme Marie quite proud! Your pages tell a story of a creature of elegance, refinement, and supreme girliness. Perhaps this is autobiographical, too??

Unknown said...

Wow! I love the lace on her dress and I just really love the page itself. It is so beautiful with the colors, the butterflies. Everything goes so well together.

Sue Young said...

Hi Eileen...your Papillon Marie pages are wonderful! the colors are really gorgeous...how creative of you...love your new Twinchies(or Inchies?) as well!!! Bon weekend,mon amie! XO Sue