The Last Me Time Message : 6

"Me Time Messages" is finished. I've really enjoyed this project and I had lots of  fun with this last envelope: instructions HERE.

My focus for this envelope was "I am creative" and I wanted the envelope to include stitch as an aspect of my creativity that I want to develop. I started with a very large envelope which I cut down so it would fit inside my cover

Then I opened it out to decorate - I am intending to add stitch as part of the embellishment, and to stitch it closed as I did with my cover. First was a layer of gesso and then modelling paste scraped through a stencil- you can use an old credit card or a paint spatula for this.

I removed the stencil and applied it a few different places across the length of the opened envelope paper - quite like that some colour from a previous project has transferred a bit.

Click on any photo to see it larger

Here's a view from the side so you can see the texture modeling paste gives - I love it.

Then it was time to add some colour. I started with a couple of my fav sprays

And then added some gold to warm it up just a bit

The next instruction was to stamp on some tissue paper and glue that to the surface. I love to use paper serviettes in my work, so I pulled out a couple of my fav's

I used both of these recently in my fabric banner :

Click on the photo to see the details larger

and I think I've used the last of that blue butterfly serviette - also seen on this altered book cover :

To apply the serviettes, tear out your shape. You can make this easier by running a line of water with a brush around where you want the tear to be. Then separate the top layer from the 2 under-layers, apply gel medium to your surface, place the serviette on top, and smooth it into the background with the brush you used to apply the gel medium. 

I forgot to take photos of the next stages because I fell in love with what was evolving and couldn't stop :-) I also left the rest of the original instructions behind at this point and it became totally my own piece. Here's some detail shots of my additions of serviettes, found words, small strips of sari ribbon, and stitch

Here's the full view of each side of the completed envelope - I stitched up each side

and across the flap closure

See all the instructions HERE, and all of my postings from the workshop HERE