That's Life: Lost In The Darkness...

Hello friends and happy Monday...

Hope you've all had a good weekend and you're now ready for the week ahead and the brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! This week our theme is called FRAME IT and with so many possibilities, we would love for you to join us and play along with this fun challenge.

For my project, I created an Etcetera tag using some of the brand new Stampers Anonymous stamp sets from Tim Holtz, including the really popular Specimen set which is definitely one of my favourites from the release and a must have for your collections! There is also a little surprise to this piece, which you can look out for further along in this post...

So, let's get started and welcome the uninvited guest to my blog...

To begin with I took the small sized Etcetera Tag, 5.5" x 10" and using the Spider Web Thinlits Die Set, I cut a few of the webs from Mixed Media Heavystock card ~ you will probably need approx 5 webs. I then adhered the webs onto my tag using Matte Collage Medium and arranging them all over the tag surface.

Moving onto the next stage, I added some texture around the edges and for this I used Translucent Grit Paste. I usually use my finger to apply the paste ~ I just find they give me an even coverage but you can also use a palette knife or any other tool of your choosing and once you've added the paste, allow to completely set.

Once the webs and the pasted areas were dry and securely in place, I primed the tag with a coat of black gesso, allowed for it to dry before then applying a layer of Black Soot Distress Paint over the surface. You can gently heat dry the surface but be careful of the pasted areas, too much heat will cause these to bubble and disintegrate.

After drying the surface, I then used a combination of Metallic Distress Crayons and Alchemy Waxes in Old Silver, Vintage Gold, and applied the wax and crayons over the top of the raised die cut webs and the pasted areas, and then using my fingertip to blend it onto the surface.

For the hole reinforcer piece, I added some Crackle Paste to the circle, allowed for the crackles to appear and then used a light wash of Black Soot Distress Paint over the top. Attach the piece over the hole at the top of the tag with Matte Collage Medium.

Now to create the layered frames and for this I used a combination of the a Vignette Frame, and two Baseboard Frames.

Paint the surface of the wooden frame with Black Soot Distress Paint and once dry, I used the same combination of waxes to accentuate the beadwork on the frame. Attach the frame to the tag.

I then took two of the baseboard frames and layered a smaller one over the larger one, attaching them with Matte Collage Medium. Apply paste around the edges of the frames using a little more of the Translucent Grit Paste and once dry, I used Black Soot, Antiqued Bronze and Rusty Hinge Distress Paints to add colour and create a gnarly, rusty finish. Layer each of the paints, one at a time, over the pasted areas and heat dry between each application.

Ensure that the paint is thoroughly dry before adding a touch of the Gilding Waxes over the top.

Now for the treat...this panel is going to be lit from a vellum panel set inside the frames!

...and for this, I used the Vellum Haunts. These are a set of beautiful transparent panels in various sizes that can be used as I have with lights or just to add a decorative panel behind your embellishments. I chose the webs to continue my background theme and cut a section of the panel which I then stuck using red line tape, behind my layered frames.

For the lights, I used the orange set of Halloween Tiny Lights by Tim Holtz and after boring a small hole through the back of the tag using a drill, I then threaded the wire string of lights through to the front. Arrange the lights and attach them onto the inside of the frames.

Mount the baseboard frames over the top of the painted wooden frame already attached to the tag and adhere with Matte Collage Medium. Once you flick the switch, the lights will shine through from behind, giving a warm, mysterious glow.

To complete the frames, I attached some Mummy Cloth. I dyed the cloth using Frayed Burlap and Pumice Stone Distress Spray Stains and then attached the dry cloth around the outside using Matte Collage Medium but also hammering a couple of nails into the top as a decorative detail.

Now for that beautiful butterfly which I stamped onto Distress Watercolour Card and water-coloured the image with Distress Inks and Marker Pens ~ Crackling Campfire, Gathered Twigs, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and Speckled Egg.

I then stamped a pair of hands, using the stamp in the Anatomy Chart set and coloured these with Polychromos Pencils.

Fussy cut around the outline of all the stamped images before attaching the butterfly to the vellum panel, shaping the wings slightly either side to make it look as if it's in flight. Add the bony hands to either side of the butterfly to appear as if it's reaching out to capture it.

Beneath the images, I added a Quote Chip from the Halloween Baseboards set. I punched a hole in either end of the chip and wrapped some twine, securing the ends at the back of the chip.

Attach the quote onto the lower section of the frame.

We're nearly there and all that's left is to add some details...

...underneath the frame I placed a Measurements ruler piece, attaching with Matte Collage Medium and adding some Hardware Heads and a few pieces of metal hardware. Just as I added some texture to the edges with the Translucent Grit Paste, I added some more of the paste around the edges of the ruler. Once this was dry, I used the same combination of Distress Paints, layering the colours to add that rusty crusty goodness.

Finally, at the top of the frames, I added a small number from the Curiosities Sticker Book.

So, that completes my tag for this week and I hope you've loved how I bought this wicked tale to life and how I used tiny lights to illuminate the piece which will be perfect to add amongst my Halloween decorations for 2020!

Don't forget, if you would like to see more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....