New England Neptune

I love to collect seashells, but I've always been kind of afraid to carve them. I had A LOT of trouble deciding what to carve for my seashell swap, and I only decided on this shell about a week ago, after spending much time on another image. This is the Massachusetts state shell, New England Neptune.

My favorite part of this card is the background. It's made with crumpled tissue paper and a water/glue combination. I then used clear embossing powder to give it a watery look, and I edged it in opaque white.

The light blue background is also made with tissue paper, but I didn't crumple it this time. I painted the blue on top of the white, glittery tissue paper.

The stamp is two layers, and the string is embroidery thread.

Medusa

According to Greek legend, Medusa was a beautiful priestess in Athena's temple before she was cursed by Athena. With this in mind, I set out to find an image of a pretty Medusa.

Medusa is supposed to be looking over her right shoulder. I had to cut off half a centimeter or so from the bottom, and I think I messed up the way she was supposed to look a little.

The dark green is embossed, and the other colors are painted with acrylics. I finished the card off by embossing the edges gold.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

I read The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot when I was in the 11th grade, and I've been quoting it ever since.

When I signed up for Poodle Circus' poetry swap, I wanted to focus on lines 120-121.

"I grow old … I grow old …
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled."

I couldn't find a good image, though, so I went with the last 3 lines of the poem instead.

"We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown."

Although I envisioned this sea-girl in greens and blues, I felt like I needed to remain true to the poem and make her seaweed red and brown.

I finally bought a container of UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel), and I used it on this card. You can't tell from the picture, but there's a thick, clear embossed layer covering this card. It really gives it an underwater feel.

The blue and red are watercolors. The pink was done with a Prismacolor pencil, and the sea-girl wears a pearl in the middle of her pendant.