Santa Will Know...

Hello friends...

Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend and ready for the week ahead! Today, we have a brand new challenge starting over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog and this week our theme is called IT’S A STITCH UP! We can't wait to see how you will interpret the challenge and how you will include stitching on your projects...it's going to be fun and hope you'll join us!

For my project, I chose to stitch paper as I haven't really used my machine for a long, long time...I can stitch in a straight line and years ago when I was at school I did make my own clothes and home decor pieces in class but since then...papercraft and paint has taken over my life and I haven't really ventured into sewing but the one thing I do love is to create stitched borders on the edges of my paper, I just think it creates that perfect finishing touch. So, with this in mind, I decided to make a home decor project, using many of my favourite Tim Holtz products and use my machine to stitch around the paper.

 

So, let's get this party started and here's how I created this project...

To begin with I wanted to die my burlap panel a lovely shade of red and used Candied Apple Distress Spray Stain to obtain this. I sprayed the stain directly onto the panel and then set it aside to dry whilst I work on the rest of the project.

For the next stage, I cut a panel of the gorgeous paper from Tim's Christmas Paper Stash and machine stitched a couple of times around the outside. I then matted my paper onto a panel of gold metallic kraft card, leaving a border showing and attached this with Matte Collage Medium onto the centre of my dry burlap panel.

For the next layer, I used a Vignette Panel, which I painted red using Candied Apple Distress Paint, before sanding the edges back a little and adding a touch of Aged Brass Alchemy Wax. I cut a second panel of co-ordinating paper from the Christmas Paper Stash and again, machine stitched around the outside before adhering this piece onto my red Vignette Panel using the Collage Medium.

Matt the completed panel onto a piece of Christmas Kraft card and then mount the finished layers onto the centre of the covered burlap panel.

Next, I took the word "Believe" from the Christmas Typography set and coloured the lettering with Gold Mixative Alcohol Ink before adding some Black Soot Distress Crayon around the edges. Attach the lettering to the top section of the panel.

I then added some ephemera pieces just below, attaching them with Collage Medium and adding a Remnant Rub and a Christmas Clippings Sticker. I also added a Mirrored Star, altered with Mushroom Alcohol Ink.

Now for all those embellishments and to begin with I made some "logs" for my little boy to sit on ~ these are actually made from the wood effect paper in the Christmas Paper Stash which I rolled up into paper rolls and then cut into various sizes before layering them and piling them up to create the little seat. You can just about see these in the photo below. I also smeared some Grit Paste onto the ends of each "log" using my fingers before sprinkling the paste with Rock Candy Glitter.

Attach the logs at the base of the vignette panel and I also added some Christmas Fringe Trim beneath them.

To create my scene, I then added a wood slice, topped off with more Grit Paste covered with Rock Candy Glitter and some die cut foliage, cut using green kraft card from the Classic Kraft Paper Stash. To give a frosty look to the foliage, I applied a little Picket Fence Distress Paint to the ends of each die cut piece, lightly brushed some collage medium over the top and then dipped the foliage into the glitter. Allow the foliage to dry before arranging them on the panel and adding some Nuvo Crystal Drops to create the berries on the ends of the foliage pieces.

For the next layer, I added a small corked vial bottle, filled with glass beads and attached this over the top of the wood slice, placing it so that it sits on one of the logs.

I then coloured the gorgeous little Paper Doll figure, using Distress Marker Pens and attached him so he sits on the logs.

To complete the scene I used the poinsettia from the Festive Greens die set and die cut two poinsettias from gold metallic kraft card. Layer the flower pieces over the top of one another, slightly offsetting them and shape the petals before punching out two more petals using the Sizzix Daisy Flower punch and layering these inside. To complete the poinsettia, I coloured three Beaded Berries with Candied Apple Paint and attached these as the centres to the flower before placing and attaching the flower over the top of my logs. I completed the piece by adding a couple of gumdrops, altered with Mushroom Alcohol Ink and placing them on either side of the central arrangement.

As always, I hope you love the project I've created and enjoyed how I built up the layers to create the dimension on this piece. 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/Sizzix: Holiday Greens, Festive Greens, Daisy Flower Punch

Distress Paints: Picket Fence, Candied Apple
Distress Spray Stain: Candied Apple
Distress Crayons: Black Soot
Distress Marker Pens
Alcohol Ink: Gold Mixative, Mushroom

Idea-ology: Christmas Paper Dolls, Mirrored Stars, Wood Slices, Christmas Clippings, Christmas Ephemera, Vignette Panels, Burlap Panel, Beaded Berries, Gumdrops, Tiny Corked Vials, Christmas Remnant Rubs, Christmas Fringe
Mediums: Collage Medium, Rock Candy Dry Glitter, Nuvo Crystal Drops, Grit Paste
Surfaces: Classic Kraft Stash, Metallic Kraft Stash, Christmas Paperie, Christmas Kraft Stash
Aged Brass Alchemy Wax
Ranger Craft Sheet

Big Shot

Heat Gun