Based on a Book!

Hello Monday! Hello friends! Our challenge for you this week is "Based on a Book." I LOVE to read, and headed to my all time favorite books for this challenge - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I can't tell you how many times I have read through this series, from childhood into adulthood.   I decided to focus on this one from the series for my art piece, and the scene when Lucy goes through the wardrobe into Lantern Waste.

It's been wonderful having Nicola with us this month as our Guest Designer, so please join me in thanking her for sharing her awesome creativity! I wish you the very best Nicola, and look forward to seeing what you create in the future! 

Let me share how I created my panel. I started by adding a thick layer of gesso onto the board, and swirling my brush across it to create texture. I also gessoed the frame.

While the panel dried, I started to add layers of color to my frame, starting with a solid layer of Antarctic, then dry brushing colors on top of each other. Later, I decided the frame needed to be darker for greater contrast and added in some Midnight.

I laid this great Crackle stencil by Nathalie Kahlbach and Stencil Girl down onto my panel after I had painted it with the Antarctic, and started sponging in the Pansy and Midnight.

Yes! I like that!

Let's tone that down a bit with the Buff, more Antarctic, and some Aqua Rose Opal Magic. I just buffed this in with my fingers, and wiped a bit off with a baby wipe. 

Dry brush a bit of Midnight down from the top, and sponge in the trees with Hyde Park. When I die cut the trees, I kept the negative to use as a stencil to make my trees.

I went in and added detail with Ranger Glacier White Enamel, and Frosted Lace Stickles. I really wanted to create a feeling of winter. 

I have had these Prima Victorian Lamps in my stash for awhile, so I distressed the lamp to make it look old, added a bit of Key Lime for the light, and some snow. This lamp is a bit fancier than the one in Lantern Waste, but I liked the dimension of it, so chose to use it. 

I had a lot of fun typing on my Mint WeR Memory Keepers typewriter onto tags for this.

Here is the original drawing by Pauline Baynes from the book. I love her illustrations! 

Well, I had typed up way more than would fit on my panel - originally, I was going to do a large double spread in my art journal, but then got inspired to go more dimensional. My tags describe the lantern in front of my home, that remind me of Lantern Waste when we have deep snow and it is lit at night and illuminates the evergreens. My other tag describes how much I love these books that have been part of my life since childhood. Then, when I looked at the saying about reading from the Darkroom Door Bookworm set, I had to add that, because that is so me. So, the back is finished too! 

I had some Julie Nutting Wardrobe tags in my stash, and cut one in half to put along the edge, to bring in the idea of Lucy going through the wardrobe into Narnia. 

I had so much fun with this, reminiscing about my favorite books and creating this scene, I hope you have enjoyed it too and will join us this week in the challenge! I am looking forward to seeing how you are inspired by a book! 

As always, Simon Says Stamp is offering a lovely $50 voucher this week! 

SUPPLIES:

                                       

                                       

                                       

Simon is on Instagram! Be sure to use #sssmchallenge when you share your work.

I am wondering now how the rest of the DT approached this challenge. Be sure to head over there to see what they have created and get some awesome inspiration! 

A great place to shop!!

Just had a lovely honor over at Splitcoast Stampers with this being chosen as a FAVORITE for the week, and a FAVORITE FOR THE BEST OF 2017!!!