It's Time To Sparkle...

Hello friends and welcome to our last Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge of 2016!! Hasn't this year flown? This challenge is going to last for TWO weeks and we will be back on 2nd January, so if you have the time to join in and play along, we would love to see what you create for our PARTY TIME theme! Whether it be last minute Christmas ideas or maybe New Year...let's party!!

For my project, I created one last very special Christmas card to wish all my friends and followers a very Happy Christmas and New Year! I wanted to make something really frivolous and create the look of a real party atmosphere and the ideas and techniques that I used on this card can be used on any projects and wouldn't this make a wonderful scrapbook layout for New Year or even a personalised party invite....

So, it's time for a brand new challenge and here's how I created this piece...

 

To begin with I cut a piece of canvas card stock which I have in my stash and prepped it with a coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint. As I mentioned last week, I always add a layer of Distress Paint (you can use gesso or a multi medium) because it easily allows me to blend the Distress Crayons onto my surface and it also creates a white background and doesn't change the colour of the mediums I'm applying.

Heat dry the painted surface and then start layering the Distress Crayons. I used Victorian Velvet, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen and a touch of Hickory Smoke and blended the colours with a semi dry baby wipe. Once I was happy, I then added some texture and for this I started with some offcuts of card that I had in my stash and just attached them onto the background using Collage Medium, slightly offsetting each piece. I added some gesso over the top and then went in with the same crayons as I used on the background to build up the colour. To add some more texture, I applied Transparent Texture Paste through the Splotches Layering Stencil and allowed to dry, before flicking some Gold Watercolor Ink and Black Soot Distress Paint over the entire background.

Matt and layer the background onto kraft card, followed by a layer of corrugated card with a hint of gesso applied around the edges and finally a layer of gold card.

Now to create the party vibe and for this I began by altering one of the photos from the Found Relatives Occasions pack and just adding a wash of colour with Distress Marker Pens.

Matt the photo onto metallic kraft core cardstock and then attach with foam pads, sticking it directly onto the background over a layer of cheesecloth. I then added an Ephemera piece, which I cut in half and added to the top and bottom of the photo, (I'm really sorry but can't remember which pack this was from as mine are a little jumbled up).

Using the Dimensional Stars die, die cut three various sizes from gold metallic kraft core card and assemble them.

Using Collage Medium, apply the gel over the top of the cheesecloth and smear small amounts onto the background. Sprinkle Gold Rush Glass Glitter, Copper Micro Beads and some small gems over the medium and allow to dry.

Attach the stars with a strong adhesive, placing them around the photo. Cover the photo and then using the Distress Splatter Brush, splatter a small amount of Picket Fence over the stars.

To compliment the die cut stars, I also added some Finnabair metal stars, coloured with Gold Alcohol Ink and placed these in the top right hand corner.

Finally, I added some Gold Gilded Remnant Rubs, a couple of crystals in the bottom left and right hand corners and a Chit Chat sticker.

I really hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this piece and you're inspired by some of my ideas!

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 stopping by today and Merry Christmas everyone!

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz Dies: Dimensional Stars

Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Black Soot

Distress Crayons: Set 3 and 6, Hickory Smoke
Distress Marker Pens

Layering Stencils: Splotches

Idea-ology: Found Relatives, Gilded Christmas Time Remnant Rubs, Holiday Talk Metallic Stickers

Surfaces: Metallic Kraft Core

Mediums: Gesso, Collage Medium, Transparent Texture Paste, Royal Talens Ecoline Liquid Watercolor Gold, Gold Alcohol Ink

Finnabair Mechanical Mini Stars, Gold Rush Glass Glitter, Copper Micro Beads, Prima Fragments Crystal Stones

Tim Holtz Splatter Brush
Palette Knife

Ranger Craft Sheet

Heat Gun
Cheesecloth and Canvas Paper are from my own stash