Challenge The World...

Hello friends! Another week has flown by in a blink of an eye and I hope you all had a good one and a great weekend!

Today is the start of the brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week our theme is called ~ YOU'VE GOT THE EDGE! So whether you choose to distress the edges of your projects with inks, a paper distresser or use machine stitching or matting and layering...we want you to focus your attention on the edges of your projects and hope you'll join us and play along with this fun theme!

This week, I interpreted the theme by using Grit Paste on the edges of my panel to recreate the look of rust and the actual inspiration for this project came from Banksy, an artist whose face we've never seen but who uses the power of his art to express his thoughts and opinions!

 

So, it's time for a new challenge and this is how I created this panel...

To begin with I cut a piece of canvas paper from my stash to measure, 24 x 18cm. I then applied a coat of Peacock Feathers Distress Paint over the entire surface and allowed it to dry before adding some more depth to the background by using Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo, Mowed Lawn and Black Soot Distress Crayons, just blending out the colour with my fingers.

Now for the edges! I started by colouring the Grit Paste with Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Distress Inks and then, using my finger I smeared on the smallest amounts of the coloured paste around the edges, building it up in some areas and applying the teeniest amounts in others. Once the paste was dry, I then sanded it back slightly before adding some more rusty tones using Rusty Hinge Distress Crayon and a small amount of Aged Brass Alchemy Wax.

Once I was happy with the background colour and the edges, I added a few paint scratches using gesso before flicking gesso and Black Soot Distress Paint over the surface. Blast the entire surface with a heat gun to dry everything throughly.

Next step is to start building up those layers and to begin, I used torn strips of tissue tape, which will be the base. I then added a ruler adornment, cut so that I got a strip two thirds long and a second strip the remaining third.

I aged the rulers using Vintage Collage Medium and the Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Distress Crayons and then attached them over the top of my torn tissue tape section, layering them with Collector Ephemera pieces all appertaining to art. At this stage, I used the Black Soot Distress Crayon to add shadows around the ephemera pieces.

Stamp the word "art' on the left of the cluster of layered pieces, using the foam stamps dipped into white acrylic paint and at this stage, I also added a couple of Clippings stickers above and below the word art, so that it would read ~ Make Good Art, Challenge The World.

The next stage is to create the stamped focal point and I began by stamping the main image of the dapper gentleman onto a die cut circle of card. I then coloured the image with Distress Marker Pens before inking around the edges with Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress Inks. I then stamped the Painter's Supplies logo onto a separate piece of card and water coloured this image before cutting it out. Attach foam pads to the centre back of the logo and then attach the banner across the empty face of the gentleman, allowing the centre to be curved and raised.

Attach four Hex Fasteners to the outside of the circle.

To create the dimension on this project, I then attached a paint brush, (I aged the paintbrush using gesso on the handle and some Alchemy Waxes on the metal section before dipping the brush itself into the gesso and allowing it to dry) placing it vertically down the centre of my arrangement and then using foam pads, I built up the pads on the back of the stamped circular image to achieve the correct height for me to attach the image over the top of my layered pieces and some sisal fibres, allowing it to lie flat but be supported at every point.

I then attached some Sprocket Gears, just poking them into the layers.

Finally, I added a couple of Star Adornments, an ephemera piece in the top left hand corner and then matted my finished project onto a piece of chipboard that I painted black before highlighting the edges with Old Brass Alchemy Wax.

...and that completes my project for this week! A really dimensional layered piece with textured edges made from coloured Grit Paste.

As always, if you do need any further inspiration, then 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:

Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Stamps: Dapper

Distress Paints: Black Soot, Peacock Feathers
Distress Marker Pens
Distress Ink: Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso, Old Paper
Distress Crayons: Set 1, Set 2, Set 3, Set 4, Set 6, Ground Espresso
Tim Holtz idea-ology: Sprocket Gears, Symphony Tissue Tape, Ruler Pieces Findings, Star Adornments, Clippings Stickers, Block Lower Cling Foam Stamps, Collector Ephemera, Hex Fasteners
Mediums: Collage Medium, Grit, Vintage Collage Medium, Gesso, Aged Brass Alchemy Wax, Ranger Foam
Spellbinders Large Circles Dies
Ranger Craft Sheet
Sanding Tool

Big Shot

Heat Gun
Sisal fibres, old paintbrush, chipboard and canvas paper from my own stash