Tailor Made...

Hello everyone! Can you believe how fast these weeks are flying? It's crazy to think that we're already in the third week of June and at the moment, Christmas has arrived here in the craft room! Yes, can you believe I've already started working on my first Christmas commissions...eek, we haven't even had summer yet!!!

Anyway, back to today and as always on a Monday, it's time for a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog and this week, the theme is PATTERNED PAPERS! Now, if you're like me, patterned papers are usually for stroking and looking at, BUT....there are so many beautiful papers out there and hopefully you will be brave enough to break into that stash and use them and we can't wait to see what you create!

As for my project, well...I was spoilt for choice but decided to use one of my favourite all time paper collections from Tim Holtz ~ Dapper and I went with the theme of the papers and chose to alter a box and create my own little tailor's shop! There's plenty of photos to show all the detail and I hope you'll enjoy this visit...

...and here's how I created this project!

To begin with I took an old chocolate box which was perfect for what I needed as it had the lid attached to create a side opening. I covered the entire box with a coat of black gesso and allowed this to dry before dry brushing individual layers of Faded Jeans, Antiqued Bronze, Black Soot and Ground Espresso Distress Paint over the surface. Allow each of the layers of paint to blend with the previous layer creating a beautiful textured effect to the surface. To complete the box, I used my fingertip to apply Tarnished Brass Distress Paint around the edges, as I wanted to create a worn, vintage look to the overall project.

Once all the paintwork was dry, I then chose a selection of patterned papers from the Dapper Paper stash. I measured and cut each panel of paper to fit onto my box, inked the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and then attached them to the inside and outside of the painted box.

On the inside of the box, I also measured and cut a piece of linen from the Textile Surfaces pack. The linen is self adhesive and all you need to do is peel of the back and apply to your project ~ I inked the edges before attaching my piece to the back wall.

At this stage, I also added a small box inside to create the look of a drawer section. I created this box from a piece of card, then painted it with Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Ground Espresso Distress Paints to create the look of faux woodgrain. I also added a metal label pull, complete with Big Chat sticker.

Next stage was to decorate the front cover and for this, I began by using the large Stitched Rectangle die to die cut some canvas paper and applied a coat of Old Paper Distress Paint over the top. Once dry, I added some more colour using Set 3 of the Distress Crayons and then used a piece of kitchen towel to dab Pumice Stone Distress Ink ~ this created a worn look to the paper which I loved. I then used the Dapper Die to die cut black and a dark pink felt, (this die is fantastic as you can use both the negative and positive pieces that are cut. For my project I used the inner sections). I stuck my felt die cut pieces onto the painted panel, inked around the edges and then matted it onto burlap before attaching the completed panel to the front of my box.

Apply enamel dots to the top left and right hand corners of the panel and then I added Gilded Rub Ons to the bottom corners.

As a finishing touch to the front section, I added a Quote Band which I altered with Copper Alcohol Ink and added some blue twine.

To complete the box, I added two Prima metal plaque studs down the spine.

I also added a small metal embellishment, again altered with copper alcohol ink to the top of my box. this was to represent a bell as every good tailor shop needs a bell so that you can enter.

Now for the fun part of bringing this project to life and adding all those little embellishments...please step inside!

I added a small corked vial full of 28 Lilac Lane buttons and also scattered a few on the shelf together with a safety pin.

I created the inside of my pocket watch using the Gears Thinlit die to die cut foil card, which I then inked with alcohol ink, a min sprocket gear embellishment and then for the touch of reality, I added some real watch hands that I had in my stash.

Then we have some cotton spools, again these were in my stash but I painted them with Ground Espresso Distress Paint and wrapped some white cotton around them before attaching decorative pins.

The little tape measure that you can see, well that's created from the papers in the paper stash...I just coiled it around a pencil and added it to the arrangement.

To complete this side of the box, I attached a wonderful image to the back wall that can be found in one of the Tim Holtz Ephemera sets (so sorry, mine are all a bit mixed up and I couldn't tell you which one it is).

...for the door section, I added some Thrift Store Ephemera pieces as a background and layered these with more tape cut from the paper stash and some Dapper Design Tape.

I also attached some pieces of Eclectic Elements fabric, which I attached to a couple of small hanger charms, hung on a hitch fastener.

To complete the box, I added buttons, wooden embellishments and an old safety pin.

 

I absolutely loved creating this project and I hope you enjoyed the creative process!

As always, if you need any further inspiration for this challenge, then you need look no further than our 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. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and 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 Sizzix Dies: Dapper, Thinlits Gears

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Tarnished Brass, Antiqued Bronze, Ground Espresso, Faded Jeans, Antique Linen
Distress Crayons Set 3

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap

Idea-ology: Mini Pocket Watch Findings, Corked Vials, Dapper Design Tape, Gilded Accents Remnant Rubs, Quote Band, Big Chat Stickers, Thrift Shop Ephemera Pack, Label Pulls, Mini Sprocket Gears, Hanger Clips, Hitch Fastener

Collage Medium
Alcohol Inks: Copper

Surfaces: Ranger Manila Card, Dapper Paper Stash, Textile Surfaces, Textured Surfaces, Melange Eclectic Elements

Buttons: 28 Lilac Lane Embellishment Bottle ~ Toasted Graham

Prima Metals for Wood Plaque 5, Finnabair Mechanicals Metal Mini Knobs

Black Gesso

Ranger Craft Sheet

Scissors

Heat Gun

Blending Tool
Alcohol Ink Applicator
Cotton spools, Decorative Pins, Box and safety pins all from my own stash