The Traveling Man...

Hello friends and welcome to another brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog! This week our theme is called Road Trip and we can't wait to see what you create ~ we want you to be inspired by the open road and however you choose to interpret this theme, we hope you'll join us and play along...

For my project, I decided to create a framed panel, telling the story of a dapper gentleman taking a road trip in London. I've used quite a few of my favourite Tim Holtz products to create this layered panel and hope you'll read along to see all the details...

So, let's get started because it's time for the new challenge!

To begin, I added some colour to my frame ~ the frame comes in two individual pieces, the frame itself and the base. I usually apply a coat of gesso to prime the surface of both pieces before adding my paint layers but I usually only then paint the areas that will be seen, the back, the sides of the base and the frame itself. For this I used a combination of Walnut Stain, Black Soot and Antiqued Bronze Distress Paints. By layering each of the individual colours and allowing them to dry between each coat, it creates this rich wood effect and a beautiful antiqued feel. Finally, to accentuate the beading, I rubbed a small amount of Aged Brass Wax over the surface.

I then cut a piece of the ticket paper from the Dapper Paper Stash and attached this to the solid panel of frame using Matte Collage Medium. I then chose a co-ordinating Design Tape and applied so that it will create an inner frame to the panel, once I place the painted frame over the top. Apply a coat of collage medium to seal the papers and tape and then place the painted frame in place, once again using the collage medium to attach it.

Placing the frame to one side, I now started work on the central section and began by creating the layers and my rusty gears. For this I used some Wooden Cogs from Kaisercraft but of course, they needed a little bit of rust and to create this I applied Finnabair's Rust Paste over the top of each cog, building up that texture. Once the paste was dry and I was happy, I then added my cogs to the background, placing them in each of the corners and once again, creating depth by layering them over the top of one another.

At this stage I also added some of Tim Holtz's Sprocket Gears, just to add another texture to the layers.

Now for the focal point and my dapper gentleman. For this I started by creating a background panel and cut a piece of canvas paper from my stash and then coloured it with Antique Linen, Pumice Stone and Tumbled Glass Distress Paints, blending out the colour with my fingers. I then stamped text onto the background using the calligraphy stamp from the Entomology set and added the gear stamp from the Dapper set. To give a little more texture and a more vintage feel, I added some Crackle Paste, quite thinly as I only wanted small crackles. Allowing the paste to do it's job and create the tiny crackles, I then ran my Ground Espresso Crayon over the top and worked the colour into the cracks with a semi dry baby wipe. To complete this panel, I added some remnant rubs from the Special Delivery set and a Union Jack from the Snippets Ephemera before machine stitching around the edge and matting the panel onto silver metallic kraft stash and a piece of red classic kraft stash.

I then took another piece of canvas paper, coloured it as before and then stamped the gear image onto this panel. I attached this to the back of my Baseboard Frame and then attached the frame to my layered background using foam pads.

I went on to stamp the image of the Dapper gentleman, coloured it with Distress Marker pens and then cut around the outline, attaching it to my baseboard frame with foam pads.

I went on to matt another piece of the canvas paper, in the same colours as the previous layers, onto silver metallic kraft stash and placed small Hex Fasteners in the four corners. I attached this across the centre of my Dapper gentleman and then attached a stamped Ticket Booth stamp.

Taking the matted layers, I adhered these into place using foam pads and placing them directly onto my framed panel. I added one of the handles from the Mini Hardware Pulls set and placed this onto the baseboard frames, attaching some of the larger Hex Fasteners through the holes.

I also added the 'Traveler' Ephemera piece from the Expedition pack, attaching this by tucking it underneath the baseboard frame.

To complete the panel, I added some mechanicals to the gears and to the inside corners of the frame...

...before adding the finishing touch of a Quote Chip that reads, 'Stay Curious'.

I hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this project and as you can see from the photo below, there's plenty of depth to this piece all achieved with the layers and a little help from foam pads.

Don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog 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 I'll see you very soon!

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stamp Sets: Dapper, Entomology, Ticket Booth

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Antiqued Bronze, Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Tumbled Glass

Distress Marker Pens

Ground Espresso Distress Crayon

Idea-ology: Framed Panel, Journey Design Tape, Quote Chip, Hex Fasteners, Baseboard Frames, Mini Hardware Pulls, Expedition Ephemera Pack, Special Delivery Remnant Rubs, Snippets Ephemera

Kaisercraft Wooden Cogs

Finnabair Hardware Mini Mechanicals, Mini Knobs

Mediums: Gesso, Matte Collage Medium, Vintage Collage Medium, Rust Paste, Ranger Crackle Paste, Jet Black Archival Ink, Aged Brass Alchemy Wax

Surfaces: Dapper Paper Stash, Classic Kraft Stash, Worn Wallpaper

Ranger Craft Sheet

Ranger Foam Tape

Heat Gun

Canvas paper from my own stash