That's Life

Monday, 21 January 2019

Inspire: Create ART...

Hello friends and welcome...

Hope you are all well and had a great weekend! Today, I'm back with another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge piece and this week our theme is called ALCOHOL: DRINK or INKS and we hope you will join us, share your projects using this fun theme and play along!

For my project, I die cut circles of Yupo card, inked with various colours of Alcohol Inks to create an art tag and also added alcohol ink to my metal idea-ology pieces. Hope you enjoy the creative process behind this vintage style piece and enjoy reading how I bought this to life, adding layers and dimension.

So, let's begin and here's how I created this project...

To begin with I created my circular panels and for this I took a piece of Yupo card and applied drops of alcohol inks onto the card. Colours used: Lemonade, Butterscotch, Rust, Stonewashed Denim, Teak, Mushroom and Sepia. Once the inks were on the card, I then dropped small droplets of the Blending Solution over the top and just allowed the solution to do the work and blend those colours to make some amazing patterns.

Taking the inked card, I used the Stitched Circles die to die cut a selection of circular discs of various sizes and set these aside to use later.

Moving onto the tag, I applied a coat of gesso over the top to prime the surface and then used Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Distress Paint to add a wash of neutral colour to the background. I didn't want too much colour as I wanted the circles to pop and be the main focal point.

Over the top of the dried paintwork, I then randomly applied layers of Crackle Paste and allowed that to dry and work it's magic.

Whilst the crackling is doing it's thing, I started work on the framed section and used one of the Baseboard frames and attached a piece of paper from the Dapper Paper Stash behind the aperture, again applying layers of Crackle Paste over the surface and also adding some Vintage Collage Medium to create a more vintage look to the paper. I then inked the edges of the paper.

I attached the frame to the tag using foam pads to add dimension and then using my splatter brush, I splattered Black Soot Distress Paint over the tag and the frame section. I also added some shading around the outside edge of the tag using the Black Soot Distress Crayon.

Now to build up the focal point and add my discs ~ I layered five various sizes of the circles, using foam pads to add various depths to each piece and placed them across the bottom section of the frame.

I then attached my paper doll which I'd colour tinted with some Distress Marker Pens, again using foam pads to add another layer of dimension.

In between the circular discs, I placed some Sprocket Gears which are all altered with some Patina, Rust and Gold Mixative Alcohol ink, applied to the metal using a Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool.

I then placed the gears amongst the circles and added a 'Create Art' Quote Chip as a final layer.

To complete the frame I added Hex Fasteners to each corner.

...and placed some Vintage Melange Pebbles in the top right hand corner, together with a Snippets Ephemera piece...

...and attached a Parcel Post Ephemera piece to the left.

As a finishing touch to the tag, I alcohol inked a Hinge Clip...

...and attached some chain to the clip to hang one of the older Tim Holtz idea-ology pieces with the word Inspire written across it and a clock key, both of which I had in my craft stash.

So, that complete's this week's project and if you keep on scrolling down to the end of the post, below is a list of all the products I've used to make this piece.

Don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope to see you again soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Alcohol Inks: Patina, Rust and Gold Mixative, Lemonade, Butterscotch, Stonewashed, Teakwood, Mushroom and Sepia. Blending Solution
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Stitched Circles

Distress Paint: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap

Idea-ology: Snippets Ephemera, Hex Fasteners, Quote Chips, Hinge Clip, Sprocket Gears, Paper Dolls, Baseboard Frames
Distress Marker Pens
Distress Crayons: Pumice Stone, Black Soot

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Gesso, Crackle Texture Paste

Surfaces: Mini Etcetera Tag, Dapper Paper Stash, Yupo

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Melange Pebbles
Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool
Palette Knife
Paint Brushes
Rope, chain and Tim Holtz Clock Keys and Quote Token from my own stash

Monday, 14 January 2019

Spread Your Wings and Fly...

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and you're now ready for a brand new week ahead and the brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which this week is called ~ RECYCLE SOMETHING! Maybe you would like to use some ribbon or twine from a gift you received or there might have some jars or boxes that are just waiting to be upcycled ~ whatever you choose, the DT can't wait to see what you create and hope you'll join us for this fun challenge!

After all the Christmas deliveries, I had a plethora of cardboard boxes and decided that I would put some of these boxes to good use and cut a panel of the corrugated card that I thought would be perfect as a background for this week's project and hope you enjoy the transformation of how I turned the boring old cardboard into something slightly more attractive!

So, let's begin and here's how I created this project...

After cutting a panel of the corrugated card from the box, I then went about making a few tears and rips in it ~ peeling away the top surface to reveal the corrugation underneath.

Once I was happy, I then added a coat of gesso over the top to prime the surface and heat dried the medium. When working with the card, be careful not to saturate the surface too much as it will buckle ~ I find it's best to heat dry the card between paint layers.

When the gesso was dry, I then added a layer of Antique Linen Distress Paint over the top, dried the surface before using a dry brush to apply a layer of Bundled Sage over the top. Again, dry the surface before the next layer and taking another brush, I dry brushed the painted surface with a layer of Pumice Stone Distress Paint. I now have the colour I wanted so it's time to start applying the Floral Collage Paper.

Using a water brush, I run the wet brush around the outline of the piece of collage paper that I want to use ~ this allows me to have a flawless join when I apply the paper to the background.

After selecting the pieces I wanted to use, I attached each of them using Matte Collage Medium. When the medium has dried, I then used a palette knife to apply Crackle Texture Paste to random areas of the cardboard. Allow the paste to dry and the crackles to appear.

To complete the background and add just a little more interest to it, I then took the script stamp from the Entomology stamp set and stamped directly onto the painted background, applying the script to random areas.

Moving onto the frame and applied a coat of gesso to the smallest sized vignette frame. I then used Weathered Wood Distress Paint to add a hint of colour.

You'll also notice from the photo below that I smeared some of the Crackle Paste over the frame ~ not a lot, just a hint to create some more texture. To complete the frame, I used the Pumice Stone Distress crayon, running it over the top of the beading and then wiping away the excess with a semi dry baby wipe.

I cut a piece of paper to add a backing to the frame, before attaching it with foam pads to my corrugated background, surrounding it with a few Snippets Ephemera pieces on the left hand side.

Now for the moth/butterfly and for this I stamped one of the Entomology bugs onto watercolour card and coloured the image with Distress Marker Pens. I then used the co-ordinating Entomology dies from Sizzix to die cut the perfect little flutterby.

I placed the die cut image onto a bed of recycled twigs from my garden and some sisal fibres, attaching these in the centre of the vignette frame. The twigs and fibres also create height and texture to the focal point, which I loved.

I then added the quote chip, "Find Joy In the Ordinary" directly below the frame.

All that's left for me to do, is mount the panel and for this, I used a canvas panel which I painted with Weathered Wood Distress Paint before dry brushing a layer of Pumice Stone Paint over the top.

To frame the corrugated panel, I applied some torn strips of Butterfly design tape to the Media board cut down to measure 18 x 24cm and used the tape to create a border which will eventually sit around the edge.

I mounted the corrugated panel onto the centre of the canvas using foam pads....

...and finished the completed panel with four Hex Fasteners in each corner that I rusted up a little with some a combination of Vintage Photo, Antiqued Bronze, Rusty Hinge and Black Soot Distress Paint and a couple of Special Delivery Remnant Rubs that I applied to the background.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope to see you again soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Entomology
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stamps: Entomology

Distress Paint: Bundled Sage, Antique Linen, Pumice Stone

Idea-ology: Snippets Ephemera, Hex Fasteners, Vignette Frames, Floral Collage Paper, Quote Chips, Special Delivery Remnant Rubs, Butterfly Design Tape
Distress Marker Pens
Distress Crayons: Pumice Stone

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Gesso, Crackle Texture Paste, Jet Black Archival Ink

Surfaces: Corrugated Card, Media Board

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Palette Knife
Paint Brushes
Twigs, sisal fibres from my own stash

Monday, 7 January 2019

Smile...

Hi everyone...

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy start to the new year! I can't quite believe that it's already two weeks since we were celebrating the big day, it's gone so fast and how are we already in the second week of January?!?! But the 1st Monday of a new month and a new year is finally here and that means there is a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge starting today and this week our theme is called USE SOMETHING NEW!

We want you to use something that is brand new, or something that is new to you ~ maybe a new technique or a new product you've never tried before and whatever you choose to create, we can't wait to see it and hope you'll join us! The DT are also showcasing SSS products within their projects, which is something you can do if you choose but it's not necessary to do if you want to play along....

For my project, I created a tag using a couple of new products from the You Are Loved release by Simon Says Stamp and hope you love this vintage style, layered project that is all about the love of a beautiful child!

So, let's begin the brand new challenge and here's how I created this project...

To begin with I prepped my tag my applying a layer of gesso over the surface and then drying it. I then started to add my paint layers, starting with Antique Linen which I dried using a heat tool, followed by Pumice Stone which I dry brushed over the first paint layer. This technique will only give a hint of colour, not change the colour but it does add some more interest and depth.

I then added some torn pieces of tissue tape to the central area of the tag before taking the first of my 'new' products the SSS All My Heart Stencil and applying Grit Paste, mixed with a little Antique Linen Distress Ink, through the stencil directly onto the background.

I added a layer of Matte Collage Medium to the surface, dried it thoroughly with a heat tool and then applied Victorian Velvet, Pumice Stone and Vintage Photo Distress Crayons over the top of the tape and paste. Once I was happy, I stamped some script (I used my well loved script stamp from the Entomology stamp set) in Jet Black Archival Ink over random areas of the tag and then using an old credit card, scraped some gesso over the top.

As a final layer of texture on the tag, I used some Crackle Paste which I applied with a palette knife ~ just scraping the paste onto random areas of the background and allowing it to dry and work it's magic. I love the finished result once all the crackling has appeared and it really does give it the perfect finishing touch.

To complete the tag, I splattered some black paint over the top and added the hole reinforcer piece to the top, which I had painted with Ground Espresso Distress Paint.

Now for the layers, and I started with some of the smaller Snippets Ephemera pieces, then layered some Collector Ephemera pieces over the top, mounting one of the pieces onto a piece of burlap to give some more texture and each time I added a new layer, I used foam pads. Each of the ephemera pieces are aged with inks and crayons to give a vintage look to the project and I also added small tears into the edges.

For the next layers, I used the Botanical Layer pieces and attached one of larger pieces to sit underneath a baseboard frame which I adhered with foam pads over the top.

I finally added the Photo Booth image which I mounted onto a piece of linen and placed this in the centre of the frame, surrounding it with more Botanical Layers. You can see how much dimension is in this piece in the photo below and that is all built up with the foam pads that I added between each layer.

To complete this layered section of the tag, I added a Word Key with a knot of ribbon attached to it. To accentuate the wording on the key, I applied some Picket Fence Distress crayon over the top and then wiped away the excess.

I also placed a button and index clip to the cluster arrangement.

To complete the tag, I wrapped some twine around the bottom section of my tag and then I used the second of my new products and stamped the message in Jet Black Archival Ink from the Love Messages stamp set straight onto a piece of vellum that I then adhered to a small piece of scrap paper using Matte Collage Medium. I love how you can see a muted pattern from the paper showing through the vellum quote. After mounting it onto gold metallic kraft card, I attached it to my tag, placing it directly below the arrangement.

As the finishing touch, I placed some hand dyed ribbon through the hole at the top and three little Melange Diamond Pebbles that I painted with a touch of blue, gold metallic paint and popped these into the top right hand corner....

...and that completes this week's project, which I hope you love and also enjoyed all the techniques of how I build up the layers and texture that bring the piece to life.