Remember The Time...

Hello friends...

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and looking forward to a brand new week of sunshine and speaking of sunny days and holidays, today is the start of a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week our theme is called...SUMMER FUN! We hope you'll join us for this fun challenge and we can't wait to see how you'll interpret the theme.

For my project, I created a panel all about summer friendships. When I was little, once the summer holidays had arrived and there was no more school for 7 weeks, my parents would take me to the beach during that time and I would enjoy days of paddling in the sea and playing on the sand and I remember those days so well...no cares in the world and no worries, just fun, fun fun. So with this in mind, I wanted to put my thoughts to canvas and made this panel full of dimension and layers that incapsulated those memories and also included techniques to create the look of sun, sea, sand and travel.

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

To begin with I took a pre-gessoed canvas board, measuring 24 x 18cm. Then, using Broken China, Peacock Feathers and a small amount of Faded Jeans, I brayed each of the individual colours over the surface. I wanted to use the brayer to apply my paint because I didn't want a solid block colour, I just wanted the paint to kiss the canvas and allow some of the white to show through.

Once the paint was dry, I then added some torn tissue tape to the right hand side of the canvas, giving it a coat of Matte Collage Medium to ensure it was adhered. After applying a smear of Snow White Impasto Paint over the top of the taped areas and adding extra colour with Pumice Stone Distress Crayons, I applied Grit Paste through the Dotted Layering Stencil and allowed this to dry.

Once completely dry, I then used metallic watercolour paints to add some drips and runs to the background and add colour to some of the pasted areas and then flicked some gold and Black Soot Distress Paint across the surface. I also lightly stamped some text onto the canvas using the script stamp from the Entomology stamp set.

To complete the background I used a heat tool to dry the paint and added some Crackle Paste around the outside. Set the canvas to one side for the paste to dry and the crackles to appear before adding Ground Espresso Distress Ink over the top of the crackles, spritzing lightly with water and allowing the ink to seep into the cracks. Wipe away any excess ink.

Now to move onto the central section and all those wonderful layers and embellishments ~ I began by creating the shell which was cut from heavyweight card using the Seashell die by Tim Holtz and then embossed with the matching folder. I then added some colour and began by painting the shell with Mustard Seed Distress Paint and adding highlights with white acrylic paint and shading, using darker paints.

I set the shell aside to dry and moved onto the tag which you can see poking out...

For this I used one of the medium sized heavyweight tags by Tim Holtz and added colour by swiping it through Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Iced Spruce Distress Oxide Inks. I then inked the edges with Ground Espresso DI and stamped the postmark and numbers from the Correspondence stamp set. To create a more worn feel, I crumpled the tag and then unfolded it before adding some linen ribbon through the hole reinforcer.

Next stage is to build up the layers and for this I began by adding some strips of design tape, the Carte Postale from the Collector's Ephemera and some Snippets Ephemera, all adhered into place with Collage Medium.

I then attached my seashell, shaped to create more dimension and a realistic look to the shell and my crumpled tag which as you can see, sit underneath my image and are all layered on the left hand side...

Now for my focal point and the image that I wanted to use, which I took from the Tim Holtz Found Relatives Occasions set but you could use one of your own if you prefer. I cut the image down to fit my canvas and then mounted it onto ivory cardstock to create a border before matting it over the top of a torn piece of corrugated card, painted with gesso to create a whitewash effect.

I also added some colour to the image using Distress Marker pens, some glitter highlights and a Clippings Sticker, 'true friend'.

At this stage, I also attached some Melange Pebbles, painted amber and blue/green using various colours of Finnabair's Sparks Paints from Prima and just adhered these into place using Collage Medium and also added some die cut foliage. The foliage is cut from green Classic Kraft Cardstock and Metallic Kraft Cardstock and just placed around the photo, together with some moss from my stash.

Now to add that texture and the elements of the sea and for this I used Prima Art Stones by Finnabair, held in place with 3D Gel that is just added directly onto the canvas in the places that I want the texture. Once the gel is dry, which ideally would be overnight...I then added some shimmer using Unicorn's Hair Acrylic Paint. You can see from all the photos just how much texture these tiny pebbles add to the piece.

To complete the panel, I added a 'Remember This' Quote Chip and a real seashell...

So, that completes this week's project which really does have so much dimension and layers that are mostly created using Tim Holtz products...

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: Entomology, Correspondence
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Seashells Die and Texture Fade, Funky Floral 2
Tim Holtz Layering Stencil: Dotted
Distress Ink: Ground Espresso

Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Faded Jeans, Mustard Seed
Distress Marker Pens
Distress Crayons: Pumice Stone

Idea-ology: Clippings Stickers, Symphony tissue Tape, Collector's Ephemera, Quote Chip

Prima Marketing: Unicorn's Hair and Ginger Magic Sparks Acrylic Paint, White Pearl Alchemy Paint, Melange Pebbles, Art Stones, Snow White Impasto Paint, 3D Gel, Metallic Watercolour Paints

Mediums: Gesso, Grit Paste, Crackle Paste, Matte Collage Medium, Jet Black Archival Ink, Geranium Archival Ink
Surfaces: Canvas Board, Classic Kraft Stash, Metallic Kraft Stash, Tags, Mixed Media Heavystock Cardstock, Textured Surfaces

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat
Big Shot Plus

Heat Gun
Moss, Found Relatives Photo and shell from my own stash