The Merchant Tailor

Hello friends and welcome to a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! This week, our theme is called ~ It's A Stitch Up and we would like to see a sewing themed project! So, whether you use faux stitching or real stitching, we can't wait to see what you create!

Now, followers of my blog will notice that I do like a little bit of machine stitching on some of my projects, so this was the perfect challenge for me and with all the recent Tim Holtz Dapper themed products, I decided to create a card full of layers and texture, that would be suitable for any stylish gentleman. I also showed how you can combine the large Dapper set with the mini versions of the stamps that are now available on the Ladies and Gentlemen stamp set.

 

To begin with, I cut a piece of the "tape measure" paper from the Dapper Paper stash to measure 19 x 17cm and I machine stitched around the edge of the paper, leaving some loose ends of cotton to hang free. Matt the paper onto kraft card and then mount the matted layers onto a black card blank.

Next is the layering and I cut a piece of burlap, 16 x 13.5cm and once again, I machine stitched a border around the edge of the burlap and left loose threads of the cotton hanging.

For my final layer, I used a piece of white Substrate sheet by Tim Holtz and this again measures, 16 x 13.5cm. I spritzed the sheet with a mist of water and then scrunched it tightly in my hand. Open the sheet out ~ this is such a clever surface as it creates the look of leather but it's paper!! I wanted to create a slightly worn, vintage look to the surface and to take some of the "whiteness" away, so whilst the substrate sheet was still damp, I flicked Old Paper and Frayed Burlap Distress Stain over it and let the stain run and blend into the paper. I heat dried the surface and then stitched a border around the edge.

I matted the burlap and the "leather look" substrate sheet onto the covered card blank, off-setting each layer as they were attached and not fully attaching the substrate sheet, so that it would look more natural.

I can now set that section aside to work on the rest...

For this, I used the largest Stitched Rectangle die to die cut a piece of canvas and then I also cut separate frame using the largest and the second largest die, which I placed inside.

I painted the surface of my canvas and the frame using a blend of PaperArtsy Snowflake White Fresco Finish Paint and Antique Linen Distress Paint.

I then used the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon and a small amount of gesso smeared onto the surface using my finger, to create a more worn effect to both sections of the canvas. Once the paint was dry, I flicked some Frayed Burlap Distress stain across the surface.

Around the edge of the frame section, I added some foil highlights using the gold foil from the Vintage Foil Transfer sheets and this helped to create just a little bit of shimmer.

Attach the frame to the rectangular section of canvas and then matt onto a piece of kraft card, inked around the edges with Walnut Stain ink.

For the focal point of my card, I inked up the gentleman from the Dapper Stamp set and stamped onto the centre of my framed canvas.

I added some colour using pencils.

For the Merchant Tailor sign, I used the mini version from the Ladies and Gentlemen stamp set which is the same as the large stamp on the Dapper set but this sized stamp was just the perfect fit for my image and it shows how you can combine the two sets perfectly!

I stamped the wording onto a further piece of canvas, painted with the same combination of paints as before and then matted this panel onto a piece of kraft card and added two small hex fasteners either side.

I then attached the wording across the centre of my framed image.

As the final layer, I cut a tape section strip of the tape measure paper and mounted it onto a piece of card which was cut exactly the same size but this gave the paper some extra strength.

I then used a gold pen to add a line at either end of the tape strip before attaching this across the centre of my covered card blank, leaving the ends to overhang the card.

Attach the framed image centrally and add an idea-ology adornment arrow and a typed token both coloured with Gilding Wax below the wording banner.

I then added some gorgeous buttons from the 28 Lilac Lane Embellishment bottle into the four corners of the substrate sheet.

To complete the card, I added some leftover offcuts of Eclectic Elements fabric, some decorative pins and finally, a couple of Nailhead Findings to the either side of the tape border strip.

So, I really hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind my card and as always if you do need any further inspiration, 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 Stamps: Dapper, Ladies and Gentlemen
Tim Holtz Dies: Stitched Rectangles

Distress Paint: Antique Linen
Distress Stains: Old Paper and Frayed Burlap

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
Distress Crayons: Set 3

Idea-ology: Adornment Arrows, Typed Tokens, Hex Fasteners, Nailhead Findings, Linen Ribbon
Paint: PaperArtsy Snowflake Fresco Finish

Surfaces: Substrate Sheets, Vintage Foil Transfer Sheets, Ranger Adhesive Canvas, Tim Holtz Dapper Paper Stash, Eclectic Elements, DCWV Burlap Paper

Birds of a Feather 28 Lilac Lane Embellishment Bottle

Mediums: Gesso, Treasure Gold Gilding Wax, Collage Glue, Jet Black Archival Ink

Ranger Craft Sheet

Palette Knife

Heat Gun

Blending Tool
Decorative pins and colouring pencils from my own stash