The Earth Laughs In Flowers...

Hello everyone ~ hope you've all had a wonderful weekend and if you're in the UK, enjoying the Bank Holiday! As you all know by now, today is the start of a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week the Design Team are showcasing PaperArtsy products and combining them with our theme...The Great Outdoors!

There are so many interpretations of this theme, maybe you will be inspired by a landscape, flowers or even deep blue skies ~ whatever you choose, we can't wait to see what you create and hope you'll join us for our fun challenge!

For my project, I was inspired by a flower garden and chose to create mini framed panel using PaperArtsy Infusions on my background and combining them with Tim Holtz products!

 

To begin with I prepped my framed panel by applying a coat of gesso over both sections of the frame. The solid section will eventually be covered but by adding the gesso this will act as a barrier on the panel so that when you add any type of medium, it won't be absorbed into the substrate.

I wanted to create a vintage style frame, slightly worn and aged in it's appearance and began by giving the frame a coat of Gathered Twigs Distress Paint. Once this layer was dry, I then added my next layer ~ Walnut Stain, a warmer shade of brown which I just dry brush over the surface of the frame. Once again, I dried this layer thoroughly before sanding off some of the paint. I then added some Gold Rush Alchemy Paint which again I dry brushed over the surface to accentuate the beading around the edges. To complete the frame and to create the worn effect I applied a small amount of Picket Fence Distress Paint and rubbed the paint into the beading, allowing it to sink into the recesses and then wiped away any excess before applying a small amount of Rose Gold Alchemy Wax over the top. Don't forget that you will need to also paint the outermost edge of the solid panel in the same colours as the frame.

Now to create my background and I began by cutting a piece of watercolour card the same size as the solid section of the mini framed panel. I gave the card a good spritz of water and then misted Weathered Wood Distress Spray Stain over the top. I wanted to leave some white space on this project, so I concentrated on the central section of the card.

I dried the stained card and then added some torn tissue tape directly onto my background, placing it over the top of the colour. I then applied some Grit Paste through the Linen Layering Stencil and once the paste was thoroughly dry, I went in with my PaperArtsy Infusions.

For this, you don't need a lot of product, these tiny particles really do pack a punch. I usually make a small hole in the top of the lid using a sharp pokey tool and then this acts as a sprinkler. I lightly sprinkled a minimal amount of the In The Navy Infusions over the top of my paste and then spritzed the infusions with water, letting the particles burst into action. Once again heat dry the surface and if you do need to add more Infusions, just sprinkle a little more onto the card and repeat with a mist of water.

Once I was happy with my background, I then added dry brushed the surface of the paste with Gold Rush Alchemy paint and added touches of gesso.

I attached the watercolour card to the solid section of the framed panel using Collage Medium and then attached my painted frame over the top, attaching this part with Glossy Accents.

For the flower, I used Tim's Flower Garden stamp set and stamped the head onto watercolour card, three times. I coloured each of the stamped images using Distress Marker Pens and then using the matching die cut set from Sizzix, I die cut the flowers heads and layered them over the top of one another using foam pads. Shape the petals of the flower to create a more realistic look.

I then stamped one of the stems, coloured it with Distress Markers and attached the flower head and stem onto my background.

I then used the Traveller Words set to die cut a panel of gold Metallic Kraft card. To give the aged look to the plaque, I used a sanding tool to create scratches and then took my Distress Crayons in Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain and applied the crayons over the top, rubbing them with my fingertips to blend them. Add a couple of hex fasteners either side.

Attach the die cut panel onto a piece of kraft card, slightly larger in size than the panel and then mount over a bed of sisal fibres and attach to the framed panel with foam pads.

Finally I used some of Finnabair's Melange Pebbles which I painted with a touch of Dragon's Eye Sparks Acrylic Paint before attaching them to my background with a dot of Collage Medium.

I really hope you've been inspired by my project 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 stopping by today and see you again very soon!

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

PaperArtsy Infusions: In The Navy

Tim Holtz Sizzix Dies: Flower Garden, Traveler Words
Tim Holtz Stamps: Flower Garden

Distress Paints: Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs, Picket Fence
Distress Crayons: Set 3
Layering Stencil: Linen
Idea-ology: Hex Fasteners, Mini Framed Panel, Symphony Tissue Tape
Surfaces: Classic Kraft Stock Paper Stash, Metallic Kraft Stash
Mediums: Gesso, Collage Medium, Grit Paste
Prima Marketing Sparks Paints, Acrylic Paints and Waxes: Dragon's Eye, Gold Rush Alchemy Paint, Rose Gold Art Metallique Wax, Melange Pebbles

Distress Marker Pens
Sanding Tool

Ranger Craft Sheet

Heat Gun
Sisal fibres from my own stash