Last DID Entry for Nigel.

This is my last entry for the Desert Island Discs circle journal and I'm going to miss it each month. The last song remaining for Nigel was Read Em and Weep by Meatloaf. The songs all have meaning for the individuals and I wanted this song to reflect the journaling Nigel supplied to go with the song.

I started by gessoing the pages and then using texture paste and a brick wall stencil. I colour washed it with Granite Dylusions spray. The title was cut using the Cameo with SU paper.

The entry itself was inspired by the line about the rooms all being empty so I found some room plans on the internet and some silhouettes of a man and woman. I embossed them with a Kasiercraft script stamp and then put them facing away from each other to reflect the song lyrics. I hope Nigel likes it.

As this was the last stop there wasn't a lot to add to any of the other entries but I was inspired to add my Tim Holtz dancing lion to the entry about Radio Luxembourg. Virginia had added a wooden crown saying God Save the Queen and when I saw it the lion was the perfect accompaniment.

Thank you all for the great work you have created on my CJ I love it. Till the next time.x Sonja.

God & Satan - Sian's DID

Well, there was only two to choose from, so I went for this one.

As the saying goes, "there's two sides to every story"

Background is Tattered Angel sprays over Distress Inks.

Images courtesy of Google :)

Everybody shake your stuff! Nigel's DID CJ

You know I'm going to be gutted when this CJ is over, I've had so much fun with it!  I only have Sonja's still to do and then that's my lot :(

Anyway - here's my entry in Nigel's CJ

As he's currently recuperating, I doubt he will be doing much breakdancing at the moment! but I hope that this spread reminds him of fun times at the forces discos :)

My string of luck continues this month, and despite there only being two songs left to choose from on Nigel's list, the one I really wanted right from the start was still available - Street Tuff by Double Trouble and the Rebel MC - love this choooooon! :)

So I started with the concept of "double trouble", I was thinking evil twins a la the Shining:

But then my other half said "what about the Krays?" - genius ....

So I went about cutting a 5"square 4-layer stencil of Ronnie and Reggie..... what was I thinking??? It took ages and gave me a finger blister!

Here are the 4 layers cut out:

Fiddly little so and sos!

And here it is part used, this is layers 1, 2 and 3 before the final black layer goes on:











And here's the end result:

I do like the way it turned out but it was a lot of work!  I need to find some other use for that Krays stencil now :D

For the inside spread I wanted breakdancers, so I cut some masks out from copier paper, being sure to cut them in one piece so I could use both the positive and negative parts of the stencil:

And then I took inspiration from something I had seen Andy Skinner do in one of his videos, to create my little "disco" scene using the gelli plate:

and that's about it, other than my sign in bit on the back:

From that angle you can see the "double trouble" is dimensional - the little title tiles were made using shrink plastic, as I wanted to use these graffiti bubble writing style alphabet stamps, they have a very old school hip hop feel to them, but they were way too big.

After finishing my own entry I did have a good look through the others to see if any of them cried out for the collaboration treatment - but most have already been added to quite a lot.  So all I did was add a couple of bolts of electricity coming out of the cool pylon/transmitter on Virginia's Queen page:

And then I called it a day.

Nigel - I hope you like it!

Desert Island Discs - Pat

Procul Harem - A whiter shade of pale

Considering that there's only a couple more swaps to go,

I was amazed that nobody had taken this one!

(maybe I'm the only one who can remember that far back?)

I really enjoyed this one.

I'm not a huge fan of the sixties, but I love the bold bright colours

and the sometimes surreal imagery that was around on posters, LP covers and magazines.

I started with a realistic looking face but decided it didn't fit,

so went for a slightly 'odd' one instead.

Virginia's DID - Metallica

Confession time (again), this is another page I struggled with. 

Not because I couldn't come with anything, or didn't know what to do,

but because the whole thing took about 20 minutes (mostly waiting for paint to dry)

and it feels a bit of a fraud.

I keep looking at it and thinking it needs more,

even though my gut keeps saying

"no, it's as it should be".

"Nothing else matters" is from Metallica's self titled "Metallica" aka "The black album".

The cover and artwork is black, completely black, apart from a couple of shadowy images.

The song was written by James Hetfield whilst on the phone to his girlfriend

so it's played with one hand.

Everything about the song is stripped down and basic,

and I think my design fits perfectly.

But I still feel it's not enough.

Nigel's Desert Island Disc CJ - by Sherry

Fewer songs to choose from now but as you can see

I chose 'The Lark Ascending' by Vaughan Williams.

Beautiful music, but no lyrics to work with!

Luckily, Nigel had provided the reasons behind why

this made his top ten, so I worked with that.

For the front cover one lark is ascending from

what is supposed to be stormy clouds.

I used handmade paper, distress inks and 

some liquid pearls.

Sorry Nigel, this probably looks nothing like the 

abandoned airfield you spent many happy hours

in but let's just say it's my interpretation!

I used Pan Pastels for the sky and fields

and rubber stamped some wild flowers with

distress ink.

It's at times like this I really wish I could draw and paint,

but nevertheless, I like the end result - and maybe

it will be added to before it arrives back home.

I added to all of the previous pages as follows:-

Virginia's 'Brighton Rock' -

I rubber stamped a postage stamp with the Queen's head on.

Sian's 'Tainted Love' -

I rubbed some metallic rub on paste around the

title and added some splodgy rubber stamping.

Pat's 'Ultravox' -

A rubber stamped flourish to the back page

Donna's 'A New England' -

Painted the girls' stockings red to match their lips

Karen's 'Freebird' -
Added a bird to the front cover

 ... and finally to Nigel's own page 'Caroline',
I added a denim heart with 'Quo' written on.

Hope this is all ok and I'm looking forward
(yes, actually looking forward, and not so nervous now)
about the next one!

Turn It Up Nigel and Sian Pair Journal (Nigels)

Here's some pages I've been working on in Nigel's journal:

I started out light-hearted...

A song for a sunny day...

Then I went decidedly darker after discovering my two favourite songs of the moment, Pierce the Veil's "King for a Day" (fab video if you get chance to watch it!!) and Fall Out Boy's "My Song's Know What You Did In the Dark" (ooh another fab video esp if you're a fan!!) which I'm not sure I've finished yet. Who knows, that's the joy of PJs yes? :)

I am playing the two bottom songs loud as we speak - hopefully Nigel will be pleased :oD

Sian xx

Donna's Desert Island Discs

Florence and the Machine

Never let me go

I'll be honest and say upfront that I struggled with this,

as the music just didn't speak to me,

nor did the video.

But after giving myself a stiff talking-to, I actually like what I came up with

I just hope Donna will forgive my lack of musical taste ;)

 

The outside of the inside is acrylics,

and the errr, inside of the inside is pen and charcoal.

Now I just need to go and add a few tweaks to other pages :)

Nigel's Desert Island Discs - Donna's contribution

Each desert island disc journal has been an absolute pleasure to work in, and every journal has revealed alot about it's owner.  Nigel's 'discs' are no exception.

As a man who has served Queen and Country, his career strongly influences this life story told in music.

The longest time was spent actually choosing a track, I really really wanted to do motorhead, because hawkwind and motorhead were so influential in my own life story.  

I also remember how deeply tragic it felt when Kirsty McColl was killed, and I remember her mother talking about the boys she left behind and the impact it had on their young lives.  And as a child who lost my own mother I wondered what it might feel like to be able to hear your Mom's voice anytime you like? 

Kirsty's cover of this epic Billy Bragg song about our ability to glaze over the awkward harsh truths with a veneer of make believe is a classic, for sure.

 my fave line = 'when the phone didn't ring I knew it wasn't you' (Bragg you are a true poet)

The extra verses Billy wrote for Kirsty he now sings himself when he performs this song, in tribute.  

So Kirsty won and Motorhead is still up for grabs,

I  had fun adding to the other pages too:

 Caroline looked a bit Hippy Chick and the inside had me thinking camouflage:

 Vienna - added to Pat's lovely colour palette with keys and bindings:

 Tainted love - I was thinking boys and style and design and all the Marc Almond/Boy George stuff:
so I collaged in some extra's

Freebird, I just added a subtle echo of the cage:

Couldn't resist!!!!   I regret not seeing Queen live....

And finally New England:

Card, wax paper, imagery, wax crayon, machine stitching, embossing, and trinket

I don't want to change the world,
I'm not looking for a New England
Are you looking for another girl?

NIGEL'S DESERT ISLAND DISCS CJ

Well I've waved Nigel's CJ off in the post today, it said it had enjoyed stopping here on the way through but is ready for new scenery at Donna's.  However, this time I've sent the CJ with a giant type written address on the front - so big the postman's biro pen could not possibly 'change' the number of Donna's house - it's so big the Post master complained he was struggling to stick the stamp thingy on and the recorded post thingy!  Fingers and toes crossed that it arrives safe and sound and that poor Donna doesn't have to go pleading at the post office to obtain the same as she did the last one.

Anyway I digress so this is my take on Nigel's journal and wow did I make it hard work for myself, first up I decided to paint - yes I repeat again - paint an original piece of Brighton Rock, it was when said 12 year old said "what is it?" that I started to feel it may have been a bad idea, but I persevered and found some real Brighton rock piccies that hopefully helped the 'illusion' - once applied said 12 year old said "oooh I get it" which made me feel mildly happier about it!

Inside I've intentionally left it 'simple' so that others can add to it.  I almost (and I say almost) put an old fashioned microphone on it but then decided against it).  Radio Luxembourg was the reference Nigel had when discussing Brighton Rock - hence the layout, the background papers have been lightly gessoed to mute the colours.  I almost (and I say again almost) did some work on the edges of the page, but again realised that those that come after me can have plenty of fun when things are a bit simpler - so I left that bit too!

Then the adding bit, I added music notes to Nigel's layout

The stamped 'bubble wrap' stamp to Sian's layout

 Stamped envelopes to this layout

 And finally a lamp to Pat's layout

 Thoroughly enjoyable ready for the next one!