A Bug's Life...

Hello friends...

Welcome to a brand new week over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog and also, a brand new challenge! This week our theme is OMBRÉ and we want you to create a project using this beautiful effect. The DT are also showcasing Dina Wakley products within their projects, something that you don't have to do but of course, it would be lovely if you could!

For my project I used the Dina Wakley Media Journal to create a layout across two pages using an Ombré background using Dina's paints and combining it with a few Tim Holtz products.

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

To begin with I cut a panel of cotton watercolour paper, slightly smaller than a page in the journal and gave it a coat of gesso. Allow the medium to dry before adding the paints and for the ombré effect I chose from top to bottom...Night, Marine, Peacock and Buff. I applied the paint with a paintbrush, adding a small amount of water to blend them seamlessly. If you need to add more paint, I would suggest that you heat dry between layers, otherwise it could become very muddy in appearance. Once I was happy with the colour, I then added some white paint across the bottom section of the panel, applying the paint with an old credit card and just scraping it down.

Ensuring the panel is thoroughly dry, I moved onto the next stage ~ the gold speckles along the top and for this, I applied Grit Paste through the Speckles Layering Stencil and then sprinkled gold embossing powder over the top. Allow the paste and powder to dry and set and once this is done, I heat embossed the powder to create this beautiful effect which I was so pleased with!

After machine stitching a border around the edge, leaving strands of cotton hanging free, I moved onto the journal page and using exactly the same colours of paint, I applied these onto my page, mirroring the ombré effect of my panel.

Allow the paint to dry and then attach the panel onto the centre of the journal page.

At this point, I also added some Design Tape along three edges to appear as if it had been used to attach the panel to the book.

I wanted to create a double paged spread but not add colour onto the opposite side as I didn't want to detract from the artwork.

So, I added some torn Design Tape along the seam of the journal before applying scrapings of the paint colours I'd previously used and applying a small amount of Black Soot Crayon.

I then flicked Black Soot Distress Paint across the surface and once the page is dry, I added some stamped images using the Correspondence stamp set.

Now for the next stage and those bugs...

To begin with I used the Stitched Circles die set and cut out five circles (using the smallest two dies from the set) from card inked with Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Hickory Smoke Oxide Inks. I then stamped the text from the Entomology set onto each circle in Hickory Smoke Archival Ink before stamping each individual bug onto the die cuts. I coloured the images with a soft watercolour of Distress Marker Pens, inked around the outside of the die cut with Ground Espresso Distress Ink and then, using Matte Collage Medium, attached each circle across the centre of my journal page.

Once the medium was dry, I added shading around the outside with the Black Soot Marker Pen, smudging it with my finger and then applied little white dots around the circles.

To complete the page, I stamped some wording from the Air Mail stamp set, coloured this with a was of Dina's Acrylic Paint in Night and then added a Remnant Rub, Collection from the Words Set to the centre of the Original wording.

As a finishing touch, I added some Nailhead findings and a clip.

I hope these pages have inspired you with some ideas of how to use Dina's products for this challenge and 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:

Dina Wakley Products: Media Journal, Cotton Watercolour Paper, Acrylic Paints: Night, Marine, Peacock, Buff

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stamp Sets: Entomology, Air Mail, Correspondence, 105713
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Stitched Circles
Tim Holtz Layering Stencil: Speckles

Distress Paint: Black Soot
Distress Marker Pens
Distress Crayons: Black Soot

Idea-ology: Nailhead Findings, Collector and Elementary Design Tape, Words Remnant Rubs
Ranger Ink Embossing Powder: Gold

Mediums: Gesso, Grit Paste, Matte Collage Medium, Jet Black Archival Ink, Snow White Impasto Acrylic Paint

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat
Big Shot Plus

Heat Gun