There Is Always Something To Be Thankful For...

Hello friends and welcome to another week over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog! This week our challenge theme is ~ Thanks or Thanksgiving. There are so many options for this challenge, whether you make handmade items for Thanksgiving or just want to say a simple thank you to someone, the choice is yours and we can't wait to see how you interpret our theme!

For my project, I chose to create a panel that told a story. Whenever I look through Tim Holtz's Vintage Photo Booth photos, they immediately conjure up these little stories in my head and for this one, I was just drawn by the idea of this young girl simply saying thank you to her parents.

So, it's time for a new challenge...

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

To begin with I cut a panel of canvas paper. I wanted to have quite a big surface area around the layered focal point, so this is roughly A4 size.

I then started by adding a layer of gesso before applying my colour. I began by using a combination of Tumbled Glass and Weathered Wood, blending the colours together over the gessoed surface. Once this layer of paint is dry, I then went in with my Distress Crayons and added some Rusty Hinge, Hickory Smoke, Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass, blending the colours together with my fingers and a semi dry baby wipe. Give the surface a blast of heat to ensure that everything is set and then add strips of Tissue Tape across the centre of the canvas.

To add some texture over the top of the tape, I then applied Texture Paste through the Linen, Splatters and Industrial Layering Stencils, let the paste dry before adding some colour over the top. Once again, I used the same colours of Distress Crayon that I added to my background. I also added some drips of Rust Alcohol Ink over the top, letting it run down the canvas.

Add a few paint scratches of gesso and a few splatters and then dry the entire background thoroughly.

As a finishing touch and to add some shimmer, I used Gold Rush Alchemy Paint which I dry brushed over the top of the embossed areas together with Gold Foil, allowing the foil to just kiss some of the areas of the embossing.

Now that the background was complete, I mounted it onto a piece of mount board and set it aside to work on the focal point.

For this, I started by colouring some card using Tarnished Brass, Squeezed Lemonade, Peeled Paint and Aged Mahogany Distress Stain which I applied to my craft sheet, misted with water and then dragged the card through the inks. Heat dry the card before die cutting it to cut some Layered Leaves and some Fall Foliage using Sizzix dies. I love how you can also emboss the Layered Leaf, (embossing folder is included in the die) to create the veins which create such a fabulous texture.

If the leaves need a little more colour to bring them to life, just apply Distress Ink over the top and around the edges.

For the gold shimmer, I ran a collage glue stick over the veins of the leaves and then applied Gold Foil Transfer sheets over the top.

Shape and arrange the leaves in a grouped cluster onto your background, together with some ephemera pieces that I mounted onto my canvas using Multi Medium.

I wanted to create some real dimension to this piece, so you can see from the photos how the leaves are really standing out from the canvas.

At this stage, I also twisted some wire and attached these around the leaf arrangement.

Now for the main part of my story and I chose this beautiful photo from Tim's photo booth set and attached it to a fork from the silverware adornment set ~ this is something that I'd seen my very talented friend, Paula Cheney do on one of her projects and I just thought it looked amazing and was such a cool idea. So, with this in mind and with the theme of my project, it just seemed the right moment to incorporate this into this piece!

I then laid down my image over a bed of floristry sisal, attaching it with a hot glue gun.

To complete my canvas, I added some metal studs and applied Distress Crayons around them to create the look of them being rusty and also a Remnant Rub.

As a finishing touch, I attached a small talk sticker ~ a quote which really does encompass this theme.

So, that completes my Thanksgiving project ~ a story of love and a dedication and I really hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this piece!

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....

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz Punches Dies: Fall Foliage, Layered Leaf

Distress Paint: Tumbled Glass, Weathered Wood
Distress Crayons: Rusty Hinge, Tumbled Glass, Hickory Smoke, Vintage Photo

Distress Stains: Tarnished Brass, Squeezed Lemonade, Peeled Paint and Aged Mahogany

Idea-ology: Occasions Small Talk Stickers, Photo Booth Vintage Photos, Nailhead Findings, Thrift Shop Ephemera, Sketchbook Tissue Tape, Special Delivery Remnant Rubs, Silverware Adornments

Surfaces: Metallic Kraft Core, Vintage Gold Foil Transfer Sheets
Rust Alcohol Ink
Layering Stencil: Linen, Splatters, Industrial
Mediums: Gesso, Texture Paste, Alchemy Gold Rush Metallique Paint, Collage Glue

Finnabair Mechanicals Embellishments: Mini Stars, Tin Hearts

Ranger Craft Sheet

Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer

Heat Gun 

Floristry fibres, wire and canvas paper from my own stash