A Very Important Date ~ Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Hey everyone!

Welcome to another week of Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges and this week, our challenge is all about "LIONS AND LAMBS".

When this challenge was set, May was thinking about the saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb and it got her pondering the animal craft possibilities. From cute Lawn Fawn critters to animal print stamps, collaging images of your favourite animals to scrapbooking a photo of your pet ~ we can't wait to see how animals inspire you this week!

For my project, I was inspired by one of my favourite book characters, the white rabbit from Alice In Wonderland and I set about creating the classic scene from the book, when the white rabbit is late for his very important date and made a double layered canvas, where I place a smaller canvas over the top of a larger one. 

I first did this style of canvas last year and since then, I've seen quite a few other people do this and I'm not surprised as it gives such a wonderful effect and I absolutely adore the look of the double canvas.

So, how did I make this...

To begin with, I took the my canvases, one 8" x 8" and one 6" x 6" and using Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Paints, I started to layer my paints onto each canvas. I gave the paint a quick blast with a heat gun before adding torn pieces of Tissue Tape onto areas of the background. I applied more paint to seamlessly blend the tissue tape into the background before placing the gorgeous Flourish Layering Stencil (my new favourite) over the top and applying Broken China Distress Paint through the stencil. Once I was happy, I gave everything another blast with the heat gun to dry it completely.

I then took the larger canvas and added some Black Soot Distress Paint splatters over the top of the background and at this stage, I also dipped a bottle top into white paint to create the small circles. To complete this canvas, I used Frayed Burlap Distress Paint around the edges of both canvases and then added some Film Ribbon onto either side of the larger one before layering my smaller canvas over the top.

I then added texture paste through the Flourish Layering Stencil onto the corners of the smaller canvas and set the canvases aside to dry whilst I started work on all the elements.

To create the watch, I used the Pocket Watch die and placed the largest of the Movers & Shapers Circle into the centre to create an aperture in the centre of three pieces of die cut chipboard. I then removed the circle and used a fourth piece of chipboard to die cut a complete Pocket Watch shape. I layered the three chipboard shapes with the aperture over the top of one another and applied gesso to each piece. I then painted the pieces with Brushed Pewter Distress Paint. Once the first layer of paint was dry, I went in with a second layer but this time, I dabbed the paint onto the surface to create small bubble which gave me the look of hammered metal. Dry the paint before adding a small amount of Black Soot over the surface using your fingertip.

For the clock face, I placed a Vellum Ephemera piece in the centre of the solid die cut Pocket Watch and secured it into place by adding the Game Spinners for clock hands and attaching them with a brad through the middle. I then attached my layered chipboard watch surround over the top.

I attached a swivel clip to the handle of the watch and added a Hitch Fastener to the other end. I then adhered the completed watch to my base canvas, attaching the fastener through the board and layering the watch over the top of some die cut Holiday Greens Foliage and some dried grass which I had in my stash.

Next stage was to create the rabbit and for this I used the rabbit from the Spring Sprung stamp set and very carefully used Tumbled Glass Distress Marker pen to colour the jacket directly onto the stamp before inking the rest of the stamp with Jet Black Archival Ink. I then stamped onto watercolour card. I added some line work into the rabbit to give more definition to his jacket and then water coloured the rest of him using Distress Markers. After cutting him out, I added him to the canvas, attaching him with foam pads.

The "wonderland" wording is die cut from the red card, using the Holiday Words Script Thinlits die and I then applied embossing ink over the top, added clear embossing powder and heated the powder to create a glaze over the top.

I added the wording to my canvas together with a small corked vial, an arrow painted with Brushed Pewter Distress Paint and a Mirrored Star.

Finally, I added Remnant Rubs around the outside of the larger canvas and tucked a ticket from the Ephemera pack underneath the pocket watch.

I hope you've enjoyed the creative process for this project and I really hope you love this canvas wallhanging as much as I loved creating it!

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 Stamps: Spring Sprung

Sizzix/Tim Holtz Dies: Holiday Words Script, Pocket Watch, Holiday Greens

Distress Paints: Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot, Brushed Pewter, Picket Fence

Inks: Jet Black Archival Ink, Embossing Ink

Distress Marker Pens: Tumbled Glass, Festive Berries

Mediums: Gesso, Ranger Texture Paste, Clear Embossing Powder

Idea-Ology ~ Ephemera Pack, Vellum Ephemera Pack, Remnant Rubs, Swivel Clasps, Hitch Fasteners, Corked Vials, Film Ribbon, Symphony Tissue Tape, Framed Alpha Parts, Game Spinners

Tim Holtz Layering Stencil: Flourish

Surfaces: Watercolour Paper, Red Card, Chipboard, Tim Holtz Kraft Core Core'Dinations

Ranger Craft Sheet

Hot Glue Gun

Heat Gun

Canvases and dried grass from my stash