A Piece Of Paradise ~ Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and you're now feeling refreshed for the week ahead! Of course, a brand new week means that we have a new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog and this week is all about ~ A Piece Of Paradise!

Are you dreaming of sandy beaches and the sound of ocean waves, of sitting down to read a whole book and of quiet relaxation? Whether you're inspired by a tropical shore, exotic travels or simply want to play around with new technique and be in crafter's paradise ~ this week, we invite you to share your creations and be inspired from a blissful place. Your personal happy place and paradise awaits and so do we ~ as we can't wait to see what you create!

For my project, my mind is racing ahead to the summer and those balmy days of sunshine, sand and maybe a little romance and with this in mind, I created a box canvas packed full of ephemera and trinkets together with Tim Holtz die cuts and that gorgeous Found Relative image...

To begin with, I painted the 8' x 8" box canvas with a blend of Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers and Picket Fence Distress Ink to give me the perfect colour of the ocean. I then added some texture to my background using Texture Paste around the edges, and applying more paste using the Texture Tools to the front of my canvas. 

At this stage I also added some splatters of Gesso, Antiqued Bronze Distress Spray Stain and applied some Glass Glitter adhering it with Texture Gel.

Also, not forgetting the edges of the box, I applied Wendy Vecchi's gold Embossing Paste through a PaperArtsy stencil to give the bubble effect which runs right around the canvas.

Whilst the canvas is drying, I started work on the bits and pieces to add to the front, starting with the seahorse and starfish, which are die cut from Grungeboard, using the Sand and Sea die from Tim Holtz. I then applied blends of Distress Paint over the top before adding a layer of Rock Candy Crackle Paint and allowing that to dry and work it's magic! Once the crackle is dry, I added some Distress Stains in a slightly darker shade to the paints and let that seep into the crackles to highlight them.

The die cuts are then attached to the background, layering them over the top of various pieces of ephemera and a Found Relative photo, with added Remnant Rubs. At this stage I also added a ticket behind the photo, adding a Remnant Rub and a Hinge Clip.

I now just wanted to create a real feel of a cluster of vintage elements and for this, I just added layer upon layer of rusty wire, Sprocket Gears, a Faucet Knob and some real sea shells, one of which I popped a pearl into!

I also added a piece of driftwood, a Word Band and then, tucked in some pieces of real moss, netting and linen ribbon.

Finally, it needed one more thing and the perfect addition was the Prima Typo Bulb which I popped in the top right hand corner.

...and that completes my Piece of Paradise project and as always, I hope you've loved what I've created and that it's inspired you ahead of our challenge!

Of course, don't forget that if you're looking for some more great ideas and inspiration for this challenge, then you need to look no further than the blog to see all the wonderful creations from all the very talented Design Team members and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. Good luck....

Thank you so much for all your visits today and hope you all have a great week ahead

See you again soon...love Emma xx

Products used:

Tim Holtz Dies: Sand And Sea Bigz Die

Distress Paint: Antiqued Bronze, Festive Berries, Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Picket Fence, Mustard Seed, Barn Door, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint

Distress Spray Stains: Antiqued Bronze

Distress Stains: Wild Honey, Aged Mahogany

Stencils: PaperArtsy Eclectica 3

Mediums: Prima Flowers Soft Gel in Matte, Glass Glitter, Gesso, Ranger Texture Paste, Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste

Idea-Ology ~ Ephemera Pack Expedition, Sprocket Gears, Words Remnant Rubs, Found Relatives, Word Bands, Faucet Knobs, Hinge Clips, Linen Ribbon

Embellishments: Prima Flowers Typo Bulbs Junkyard Findings

Grungeboard

Ranger Ink Texture Tools

Ranger Craft Sheet

Hot Glue Gun

Cheesecloth, box canvas, rusty wire, sea shells and moss from my own stash