Summertime...

Hello crafty friends...

Hope you've all had a good weekend and ready for a brand new week ahead and a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. This week we challenge you to Stencil It and with so many different stencils available ~ we're sure you will have fun playing along with us and can't wait to see how you incorporate stencilling onto your project!

This week I chose to create a journal page and I used a stencil to create my background. The whole project was actually inspired by George Gershwin's, Summertime and I combined products from Tim Holtz, Sizzix and Stampers Anonymous to bring the pages to life and tell this week's story...

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

To begin with I cut a piece of cotton watercolour paper, slightly smaller than the size of the pages in the journal so that once I mount it onto the page, there would be a border showing around the outside.

I then started adding the layers, and began by adhering some tissue tape from my stash directly onto the central area of the surface. I applied a layer of Matte collage medium over the top and dried it thoroughly before applying Grit Paste through the Gradient Layering Stencil, again concentrating on the central area, this allows me to have white space left on the final project. At this stage, i also added some Crackle Paste to the background, placing it around the outer edges of the stencilled area.

Once the paste was dry, I then started adding colour using Distress Oxide Sprays, together with the original Spray Stains. First layer, I spritzed the paper with a light mist of water before spraying Walnut Stain and Fossilized Amber Spray Stain over the background, concentrating on the central area of the paper where I'd fixed the tape and added the paste. I then just let the colours run and drip.

Heat dry the first layer of spray and then using the Oxide Sprays, I added Fossilized Amber, Squeezed Lemonade and Antique Linen over the top, together with a gentle mist of water and then just allowed the colours to mix, seep into the pastes and blend together seamlessly. You'll also notice how the stains sink into the crackles, highlighting the crackle paste. I heat dried the background thoroughly but very gently, you don't want to overheat any of the paste!!!

After flicking small droplets of Wild Honey and Walnut Stain Spray Stain over the background, I placed the stencil back over the top of my original stencilled area and randomly applied a little more Grit Paste, this just gives some added definition to the paste and highlights a few areas to add even more texture.

I added some ink around the edges of my paper before machine stitching a border.

Now to create the focal point of the pages and after choosing my image from the Photobooth set, (I love this photo so much, she has a face just full of character and warmth), I started by creating my daisies and foliage...

These are all die cut using a selection of dies from the Sizzix Wildflower Stems 1 and 2 dies sets by Tim Holtz, using Distress Watercolour Card. Once I had cut the images, I then watercolored them using a water brush and Distress Marker Pens, adding highlights of Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber and Wild Honey to the centres of the daisies and the petals and applying Peeled Paint to the stems. At this stage, I also dipped the stems into Peeled Paint Oxide Ink, that I applied to my craft sheet before drying the foliage and then inking the outer edges with Walnut Stain DI.

I arranged my foliage into a posy, each layer was attached with Matte Collage Medium from behind and then tied a piece of twine around the stems and then setting it aside to dry.

For the tag that sits behind the photo, I used one of the small tags from Tim's Assorted Tag set and spritzed the surface with a combo of Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain Distress Spray Stain, followed by Antique Linen and Pumice Stone Oxide Spray Stain. Whilst the tag was still damp, I scrunched it up to create some creases in the paper and then unfolded it before leaving it to dry.

The crochet lace section is cut from Mixed Media Heavystock card using the gorgeous new die set from Tim, and simply coloured with Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Oxide Spray Stains before the edges are inked on the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I now have all the elements to build up the story...

...for my first layer, I adhered some Keepsake Ephemera directly onto the background using Matte Collage Medium. I then attached the crochet die cut, the tag and finally added the Photo Booth image which I mounted onto black card.

I placed the daisy arrangement down the right hand side of the image.

For some little details, I added a button and a mini paperclip to the tag...

...a vintage melange pebble and the darling little bee from the Entomology stamp set, which I've stamped onto watercolour card, coloured with Distress Marker Pens and then die cut, using the corresponding die from the Entomology die set.

And I finished with a clippings sticker, 'she dreamed beautiful dreams'.

I now have my finished page and all that's left is to add it to my journal. I attached the completed panel using Matte Collage Medium and placing it onto the burlap page inside the journal itself. What I love about the Dina Wakley journal is that it has different substrates.

I applied some torn Designer Tape taken from the Tim Holtz Remnants sets and just attached these around the edges of the page, so they appear to be attaching the page to the book.

I then added some more on the opposite side of the book, I love how this just brings together the two pages to make them come together as one.

After adding some gesso and blending over Fossilized Amber and Vintage Photo Distress Crayons, I stamped the Paris Postmark and the numbers onto the page.

As a finishing touch, I added some Special Delivery Remnant Rubs and some flicks of Black Soot Distress Paint.

So, I hope you've loved my journal pages and all the techniques that create so much texture and depth to this project.

Have fun creating your projects 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 taking the time to stop by today and hope to see you again soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous: Gradient Hex Layering Stencil, Paris Postmark, Correspondence, Entomology
Tim Holtz/Sizzix: Wildflower Stems 1, Wildflower Stems 2, Entomology, Crochet
Distress Oxide Sprays: Fossilized Amber, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Squeezed Lemonade
Distress Oxide Inks: Peeled Paint
Distress Spray Stain: Walnut Stain, Fossilized Amber, Black Soot, Frayed Burlap, Wild Honey

Distress Paint: Black Soot
Distress Crayons: Pumice Stone, Gathered Twigs
Distress Marker Pens

Idea-ology: Clippings Stickers, Keepsake Ephemera, Photobooth, Remnants Design Tape, Special Delivery Remnant Rubs, Mini Paper Clip

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Black Soot Archival Ink, Grit Paste, Crackle Paste
Surfaces: Classic Kraft Stash, Cotton Watercolor Paper, Dina Wakley Journal, Distress Watercolor Card, Tim Holtz Assorted Tags
Prima Marketing Vintage Melange Pebbles

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Heat Gun
Palette Knife
Twine and button from my own stash