Taking It Outside The Box

The image for Ike's World Progressive Challenge this month really is a challenge being the grim reaper. A lot of craft challenges and digital stamp companies have taken the halloween approach to October. I am not a fan, never have been, I try to be more a Philippians 4:8 girl. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (NIV)
So you see my dilemma. So I have been pondering all month. I was just going to skip this month and then buy back into the challenge in November but then I had a bit of a brain wave. I have been wanting to try a bit of Bible journaling for a while but never really got around to it so when Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, came to mind I thought I would try out an idea in an old Bible I have been saving to practice in.



Materials used: 
Ike's Art - Death #2 (available on Facebook Page) white tissue paper
bookbinding gluePolychromo pencils:
clothes - Black 199, Cold Grey VI 235, Cold Grey V 234, Cold Grey IV 233, Cold Grey III 232
bones - Cream 102, Ivory 103, white 101
scythe  handle - Burnt Sienna 238, Ochre 187, Terracotta 186
scythe blade - Cold Grey III 234, Cold Grey II 231, Cold Grey I 230

If you read my post a while back on the decorated candle, I used the same technique for printing the image onto tissue paper. There are a lot of  videos on line which will explain the process.

Once I had my image sized correctly and printed onto tissue I very carefully coloured it using the Polychromos. Because it is so easy to tear the tissue I had to work very lightly building up the colour in a series of layers. I did not attempt to burnish as I think the tissue would not be strong enough to take it, that is probably why the photo is showing up areas that are quite grainy looking.

When my image was coloured as best as I could do I carefully tore around the edge leaving a little border then glued it to the page with a bookbinding glue. Because the edge is torn rather than cut it gives a softer join so once the glue had dried it was hard to see where the image and the page meet with the naked eye (the photo shows it up more as it is zoomed in).

When I left school I trained as a librarian and we did a bookbinding and book repairing unit at college. I will always remember the lecturer talking about how evil sellotape is and should never be used to repair books! He was right, of course, over time it yellows and goes brittle and leaches into the paper damaging the pages. Do you know the correct way to repair ripped pages? Go on have a guess! Yep tissue paper and bookbinding glue! I knew that unit would be useful again one day even though I ended up working in school not in a library.

Thanks for popping in. Take care.
Pippa