SET IN STONE

This week's challenge on TMTA is a "stone" theme which really got me thinking .. and at first I was a bit short of inspiration. Then I came across this rather grumpy "green man" and it all fell into place. I used a paper which rather reminded me of mossy stone as a background, and added a bit more shading with chalk inks. The latin text was stamped in grey - I was sort of thinking about latin inscriptions etc and the green man was mounted onto card to make him stand out. The square stamping along the bottom represents some kind of stone base or pedestal. The key is my favourite bit! I made it out of Delight Clay using a mould, then painted it black before distressing it with touches of rub on copper - really had fun with that.

And of course a story was forming in my head about a lost garden and the green man's face half hidden in the overgrown ivy. Clearing away more ivy reveals the latin text which tells you how to find the door which the key will open .. and yes of course I grew up on The Secret Garden! Didn't everybody?