Butterfly (aka Alison Bomber) throws down a challenge I couldn't resist

Once again, my internet has been offline for much of the day.  Now AT&T is telling me they have done everything they know to do to get me online and they are scratching their heads.  Translate that to read they are tired of me calling every hour or so because it can't be them, it must be me.  Sounds like a bad break up line in a B movie.  BTW, this almost didn't get posted/published because of being offline so long.

Alison Bomber, who many of us also know as Butterfly, left me a comment after I left a flippant, albeit truthful remark on her blog post about Creative Skypeing.  My comment was:

I followed the process all the way through and I have to admit, I only have one product you used and that was a TH paper doll. I also have the black tissue tape/washi tape. Other than that, I have nothing. I DO love what you created, though, and I'm glad you not only shared it, you showed photos of the process along the way.

Alison immediately left a comment under mine AND she also shared it in a comment on MY blog:

The suggestions are deliberately very loose - any tissue paper (doesn't have to have a design on it - you could just use it for texture), any kind of paint, any kind of texture paste. Ephemera could easily be cut from magazines, or old travel tickets, and for stencils you can use the nets that fruit comes in, or a piece of lace would give an interesting result - anything really. I'm sure most people could scrabble together some of that! In fact, now I'm tempted to go again with the same steps using what I can find around the house... watch this space!!
Alison x 

This is what she wrote on MY blog (some information was identical, so I removed it):

Thanks for visiting over at mine. As far as products go, the suggestions are deliberately very loose - any tissue paper (doesn't have to have a design on it - you could just use it for texture), any kind of paint, any kind of texture paste (and I know you've got some of that, homemade or not!!).  .  .  . now I'm tempted to go again with the same steps using what I can find around the house... watch my space!!
Alison xx

Had to laugh when she added the texture paste (MY emphasis, not hers).  Alright Alison, here goes my feeble interpretation of your spread.  Although mine is not as well put together as Alison's, I'm still proud of it, since I consider Alison an artist and consider myself a wanna-be.

I started by covering my two page spread with house paint, because I was out of gesso.  I actually like the house paint better because the pages are softer than had I used gesso.  As I've explained before, I get my small containers of house paint from my city's Household Hazardous Waste Swap and Shop.  Other than what I and every household (even every apartment) is charged and added to our property taxes, everything is FREE, as long as we go no more than once a month and live in this county.

Once the background was dry, I grabbed some recycled tissue paper (came in a box of shoes) I loosely sprayed with my handmade shimmering mists.  Alison used tissue paper that had numbers on it, so I looked through my rubber stamps and found two that were marginally similar.

After stamping the tissue paper, I tore it and auditioned where to place it.  At this point, nothing is glued in place.

Once glued, and dry (I used a glue stick to adhere the tissue), I grabbed my purchased molding paste and a gifted stencil someone sent me years ago.

I'd like to mention that although the molding paste is high end, it was actually cheaper than had I made my own using PVA glue, craft paint, and talcum powder.  I say that because that big jar of "real" molding paste cost me $0.70 (USD) when I got it at 90% off the lowest price shown.

Using the gifted stencil and a faux credit card, this is what I got.  It was time to allow the molding paste to dry.  Sadly, the cardboard stencil was now too saturated and distorted to use again.

According to Alison's instructions, it was now time for stamping to fill in the gaps.  I felt it was also time to decide on a theme. 

Therefore, I auditioned some of my bird and butterfly stamps.

All clear stamps were gifted by my friend Chris.  The tiny red rubber stamps came from a stamp store in Wichita, KS called Mrs. O'Leary's.  Joanie, the owner designs and makes them.  The larger rubber stamp was in a grab bag and I got two of them in the bag.  They were not made by Joanie.

Now it was time to add two colors of paint.  Alison wanted to use ink, so I did, too.

Wow, those lovely tissues I had worked so hard on, were now muted.  You can see I covered more of the tissues with fluid acrylic on the left side than on the right.

Using my fingers, I colored the swirls of molding paste

with the walnut ink.

I was delighted that I could still see writing from the book pages.

After downloading everything, I realized I had not carefully checked my notes.  I had forgotten the resist.  I don't have any resists except crayons, so I suspect that's why it didn't occur to me.

Here is the finished entry.  Much different from Alison's, I got a bit more carried away and spread my ephemera further on both pages.

Let's look at the left side of the spread.

Lots of recycled and repurposed ephemera on which I stamped butterflies and a tiny bird on the music note.  Tons of geometric shapes allow these pages to qualify for Valerie's Geometric Shapes theme at Art Journal Journey.  And because the birds and butterflies are found in nature, I'm also joining Try it on Tuesday's Beauty of Nature theme.

I used another of these same TH paper dolls in the past,  When I did, I added a triangle as a necklace, a bracelet, and a decoration on her purse.  This time, I only had one triangle left in the package, so I adhered it to the purse.

Instead of stamping one butterfly at a time on the tickets, I tried to stamp both at the same time.  It's a good thing I have more of these tickets, because I am a horrible stamper. 

Both the butterfly collage (upper left) and the birds were stamped and cut from papers I tea dyed.

Alison placed her dolls on washi tape so they wouldn't float.  I chose to place mine on one of the tickets.

This is the right side and the one that is least like Alison's.

Alison suggested finding images in magazines, so I went to Reminisce for the two images I used on this page.  I thought the man and woman on the other page looked like resembled these two teens in their youth.

My friend Valerie sent the photo negative clear stamp.  I am such a lousy stamper, it took three times stamping that same image before I got it all.  Luckily, the clear stamp was easy to position over each previous failure.

I was careful when I stamped the two butterflies in the spaces.  I fussy cut the negative strip and built it up using five thicknesses of card stock.

An old music flash card (dated 1952 on the reverse side) was next.  I stamped a butterfly on it, too.  The one word sentiment "Memories" came next.  I had already hidden a failed bird stamp behind the egg collage stamp and the music flash card.

I built up the egg collage stamp and added glittery thick sewing thread behind it for a bit of movement and to emulate a bird nest.  Another "admit one" ticket was placed behind a postage stamp of a bird.  A British bus ticket and another stamped butterfly collage were layered behind a length of washi tape that I thought had both the right color and the right images.

Finally, I added the image of the girl from the Reminisce magazine.

I had already glued the bird postage stamp in place, so had to gingerly remove enough of it in order to slip the image behind it.

I realize my pages are pale imitations to what Alison created, but I'm still pleased with what I achieved.  I am also able to share this at Art Journal Journey using Valerie's Geometric Shapes theme, as well as Try it on Tuesday's Beauty of Nature theme.  Bleubeard and I hope to see you at Art Journal Journey and Try it on Tuesday, too.

For Day 10 of 22 days of recycling and repurposing, I began by covering two pages in my Stress Free altered book with house paint from the Swap and Shop.  Next, I grabbed some used tissue paper, colored and stamped it.  Various tickets from my stash were used, along with a cancelled postage stamp, along with two music flash cards I'd been gifted.  Thank you beyond belief, because I realize how long this was and how delighted I am you stayed with me to the end.  I just hope Alison approves.