Gothic Arch Gypsy

Another week has fled past already and it's time again for a new Gothic Arches challenge. The theme this week is Gypsy and as soon as I saw it I knew I had the perfect background for it already. A fabric/paper collage I made ages ago using vintage French text, images and napkins featuring wine labels and french chateaux. I cut out the arch shape and added a female gypsy image from Alphastamps Beauty Queens sheet. I added beading to her in true gypsy fashion gold. I stamped Fortune at the top of the arch ( from a unmounted stamp on the subject of alchemy, also from Alphastamps) with Staz-On, and added the star (from Lost Art Creations Artbit 260). I added a bead through the centre of this. My book of quotations provided the text Do Fortune what she can. I layered the whole arch up with felt and watercolour paper, enclosing the beaded trim at the bottom. I zigzag stitched around the edge with gold thread on the other 3 sides and finally added Krylon Gold Pen markings around the edges, the text and the dress of the image.

I find myself really looking forward every Sunday now to see what the new theme is and making the arches is the first thing I try to do in my studio on Monday!