3 July 2015

Destinations at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone and welcome! I'm hosting the latest challenge over at A Vintage Journey this month. So many people are taking trips to far flung places or exploring locations closer to home right now. With this in mind we would love to see creations based on a destination or place of your choice. Tim has provided stamps themed around the United States, Great Britain and Paris but don't let this restrict you! Let your favourite destination inspire you. Our challenge is a monthly one and a randomly chosen winner will receive a £20 gift voucher from our very generous sponsor, Country View Crafts. We also award our Pinworthy badges to the Top 3, chosen by the Creative Guides.

(click on each image for a closer look)

I was particularly inspired by a single strip in Tim's 'Cityscapes' stamp set and worked on recording my thoughts and feelings about the city in question in my journal. The city is of course Rome and though I've not yet visited (it's on the bucket list!) the intense heat here in the UK at the moment definitely triggered all sorts of colours and images in my mind. It also gave me a reason to play with the new Distress Micro Glaze - WOW!!! (and since playing with this stuff myself I see Tim has added it as one of the ingredients for his July tag! Timing...



Back in 2013 Tim Holtz led an Artful Adventure in Tuscany, Italy and clearly those memories stuck with him, with a few of the stamp sets released since that time echoing recurring themes and designs. For my journalling I headed away from the vineyards, olive groves and green rolling hills of Tuscany and dove straight into the hustle and bustle of Italy's capital city.

Imagine the heat, noise, dust and dirt of an historic place trying to cope with the demands of modern life; traffic jams were probably not considered when the Romans built such landmarks as the Colosseum!!! So many architectural gems crammed into one city - the Pantheon, Circus Maximus, the Trevi Fountain, basilicas and piazzas, and of course the vast number of tourists they bring all vying for space in the soaring temperatures of Southern Europe. And for the current inhabitants of this incredible city the reality of everyday life and work, only enjoying their ever present surroundings as the evening sun sets and different attractions delight the senses.

So if I've not been there how come such a vivid description? As well as our mini heatwave causing a rush of blood to the head! I remember well the years of living in another historical city, London. Same amazing scenery crammed in cheek by jowl, same hustle, bustle, dirt and dust, same influx of traffic and tourists, and all the while those of us who scurried to waiting desks like worker ants had no time to fully appreciate all that surrounded us.



Hopefully I've captured some of this 'vision' in my journal, with warm yet sun bleached colours, architectural details and travel ephemera, Remnant Rubs and Small Talk stickers provoking thoughts and those tiny 'postcards' grabbing the attention of onlookers. That's where the Micro Glaze came into it's own; colouring the cityscape with various Distress Inks allowed for the layering and blending of marble and terracotta tones. I used a fine nib brush to cover these parts with the Micro Glaze before dipping the postcards into a mix of Tumbled Glass and Tattered Rose Distress Stains. Of course the Glaze worked perfectly to form a resist, leaving the 'painted parts' untouched! LOVE it!




Now, you've visited Rome vicariously with me, it's time to move on to the next of your Destinations, a task with which my fellow Creative Guides will be happy to help you with. Hop on over to A Vintage Journey and let them whisk you off to more far flung places. And then we need you to return the favour by sharing your favourite destination with us to be in with a chance to win.

Looking forward to seeing you soon. Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx


Distress Paints, Inks, and essentials, Idea-Ology, Sizzix Dies and Tim Holtz Stamps can all be purchased at Country View Crafts.

27 comments:

  1. Yes - I do feel like I've been to Roma and seen the sights Jenny! Love your pages - wonderful colors, layerings and stampings - so inspirational!!! Julia xx

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  2. Gorgeous pages Jenny, I love how you layered everything and the delicate splatters in the background. I hope I can find time to join in with this challenge. I love adding layers to a design so this really appeals to me and I love how you used the film strip die too. Hugs. Tracy x

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  3. Fab pages, love the layering and the colour combinations combined with those great stamps.

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  4. Am amazing spread with wonderful images and techniques

    Love Chrissie xx

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  5. beautiful project jenny...now I need to get me those stamps and some Micro Glaze...hugs kath xxx

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  6. Your descriptive post is wonderful Jenny! How could anyone fail to be transported to that gorgeous city that is Rome..... Your journal page is beautiful, so well balanced and hints at the wonders that the city holds. Each of your journal pages has been fantastic but this one is my favourite (so far) because it tells a wonderful story.... Anne xx

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  7. I adore these pages, Jenny - amazing terra cotta warmth to the colour palette and brilliant use of that cityscape stamp. Fantastic composition with the collaging too to lead the eye across from one side to the other. Brilliant!
    Alison xx

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  8. wow what a gorgeous make , love your use of the distress glaze and the gorgeous hot terracotta and clay colours you have used x

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  9. Gorgeous journal page Jenny of one of my fave cities which I have been fortunate enough to visit and what an incredible city it is . I love thebackground effect you have created n your layout n composition is spot on ! Thanks for taking me back to my fab trip to Rome x

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  10. Jenny, these are FABULOUS art journal pages!! I love everything about them!! That design is amazing! Love how you have layered and collaged your pieces and the colors are awesome.

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  11. Wow, gorgeous as always Jenny! Love the film strips and the amazing Roman feel you created!! Your page has such amazing balance, LOVE LOVE LOVE!! hugs :)

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  12. stunning work Jenny - and so very clever - love your pages to pieces! I have very fond memories of Rome .... and Florence ... Italy generally really! Big Hugs rachel xx

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  13. Stunning Jenny!!!! Love this layout. And that glaze really did work perfectly ... what an amazing it gave. Love the mix of Tumbled Glass and Tattered Rose -- I've never tried that combo before! Beautiful. Great laying of stamped images. Did I mention that I love this?! -- Mary Elizabeth

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  14. Great pages Jenny, I just love a cityscape and yours is fab!!!
    The colors are great with the muted background.
    S@ndy xx

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  15. Absolutely gorgeous pages, very evocative of a hot, dusty and romantic city....love it. So enjoy seeing your journal pages, they're wonderful Jenny!! Ruth x

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  16. Ciao! And Wow!! Fabulous pages, and thanks for the reminder about distress micro glaze! Fantastic pages, Jenny - you continue to amaze and teach me! xx Lynn

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  17. Wonderful pages, they make you feel you are there!

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  18. Wow, that's a fantastic spread, great design.

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  19. Absolutely beautiful journal pages. My family has a trip planned to Rome next year and your have inspired me. Love how the Distress Micro Glaze worked with your beautifully colored images. Just gorgeous!

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  20. Gorgeous art journal page, such warm orange tones, which is perfect for Rome! xx

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  21. Such gorgeous and glorious inky/painting and wonderful stamping too. This just totally rocks. I never considered those stamps would be of use to me yet now I'm thinking I have to get them! Oh dear more glorious stamps to add to my list lol! Thanks for sharing Karen

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  22. Love your destination, Jenny! Great challenge theme, which I wish I could have played in! Your journal pages are simply fabulous and love all the layers from inks to paper! Hugs!

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  23. OK, Jenny! My bags are packed and I'm ready to head to Rome!! :) :) Oh, but no need to hop on a plane...Your AJ pages took me right there!! I think I can even feel the heat emanating off of these pages --WHEW!! It's Hot!! Just a Fabulous inspiration for this month's AVJ theme! XOXO-Shari

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  24. Fantastic journal page! I was wandering around Rome again taking in all the fabulous details here! Chrisx

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  25. Bellissima Jenny! What a wonderful journal page, love all the fabulous layers and I must get some of the glaze, wonderful results. Thanks so much for sharing this great piece.

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Thank you for stopping by and leaving your comments - they are really appreciated and will be published when moderated. Jenny xxx

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