Hello friends and welcome to a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which this week is all about being Wild and Wonderful!
When I first thought about this theme, I instantly thought of the wonderful Harrison Colorize Sizzix die set by Tim Holtz, then I thought maybe I should do a project all about nature using wildflowers and birds but no, I wanted to try something slightly different this week and think outside the box. So this lead me to think about how I'm wild about all the wonderful new idea-ology products from Tim Holtz, and I chose to create a journal layout inspired by one of the brand new Snapshots photos. As soon as I saw this photo, I just thought that couple appear to be "wildly in love" with each other and therefore, that is my take on this week's challenge theme...
 |
| Click to enlarge |
So let's get started, it's time to get creative!
BACKGROUND LAYERS
To begin with I used my Dina Wakley Media Journal to create my double page spread.
I worked mainly on the right hand side, but I have also continued over to the left hand page but we'll begin on the right...
I started by distressing, ripping and tearing the edges of a panel of Backdrops Vol 1 paper, slightly smaller in size than the journal page, and featuring the wildflowers design. Once I was happy I machine stitched a border around the outside and then inked the distressed edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
I adhered my panel onto the right hand side of the journal spread, adding some layers of paper underneath which were all from the Backdrops paper pack and were all offcuts from previous projects.
I added some Tim Holtz Design Tape from my own stash, together with some of the new Design Tape Trims and attached these strips to the paper layers before I added some more machine stitching and yes, I did actually machine stitch the book pages themselves, with some difficulty but got there in the end, lol!
The layers are now ready for some texture and I used Crackle Paste. I applied small amounts of the paste around the edges, I didn't want a lot, just a smear here and there.
Once the paste was dry and the crackles had appeared, I used Gathered Twigs Distress Crayon to accentuate the cracks, rubbing it directly over the top and blending it out with a paint brush dipped into water, but ensuring most of the water is removed before using it ~ you only want it slightly damp enough to move the medium around.
Finally, using a splatter brush, I added some tiny Black Soot Distress Paint splatters across the surface.
With all my layers in place, and thoroughly dry, I moved onto the main feature ~ this beautiful couple, wildly in love!
AGEING THE PHOTOGRAPH
I wanted to keep this image black and white, not add colour but I wanted to create more of a vintage feel to the Snapshots photograph, I began by adding some more rips and tears. I usually use the edge of my scissors for this, and then just tear of the corners of the photo or tear into the edge.
To create the aged look, I applied a layer of Matte Collage Medium over the surface of the photo, allowed to dry and then dragged Vintage Photo Distress Crayon around the edge, blending out the colour with my finger tip. To add more depth of colour, I scribbled Gathered Twigs Crayon onto my glass media mat and used a water brush to pick up the colours which I applied directly to the photos to create more ageing.
With the photo complete, I layered it onto a piece of calico which I dyed with Brushed Corduroy Distress Stain and cut with my grandmother's pinking shears. I machine stitched down the side of the photo, then attached to my journal layout, placing it over the top of a panel of paper, again ripped, torn and stitched and is taken from the idea-ology Pocket Cards set. This one shows the large numbers, white on black.
To complete this arrangement, I tucked a ticket underneath the right hand side of the photo, adding some twine.
As final little details to the photo, I added an idea-ology Mini Paper Clip...
...and then a clippings sticker, 'you and me".
So the main feature is ready for embellishments and those flowers are created using the beautiful Sizzix Modern Floristry Thinlits Die Set by Tim Holtz.
FLORAL ARRANGEMENT
After cutting my flower heads from watercolour card using the die set, I inked and watercolored them with a combination of Mustard Seed, Wild Honey and Speckled Egg Distress Inks for the various flowers, adding black centres to the flowers on the left. The foliage is inked with Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage. I assembled the flowers and then added tiny details of black and white dots before I layered them around my photograph, arranging them on both sides. The smaller flowers on the left...
...the larger flowers on the right.
To add more dimension to the flowers, I did place very thin foam pads behind. You don't want too much thickness as the book needs to close but this just lifts them slightly.
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
To complete the right hand page, I added the date, September the Fifteenth. This is from the Snippets Numbers Ephemera, a little pack of wonderful embellishments which can be used on every single make you will ever create!
I attached mine to another piece of calico and then adhered it into position using Collage Medium and placing it in the top left hand corner.
On the left hand side of the book, I added some little clusters of embellishments.
I began with a cluster in the top right corner, and used a Flash Card, xoxo and after distressing and inking the edges, I attached it to the page, adding some strips of design tape and a postal mark Remnant Rub from the Specimen Set. To complete this arrangement, I added some more crackle paste, applied with a palette knife and just lightly dragged onto the surface and once this was dry, I added more of the walnut satin crayon over the top.
With the flash card and tape in place, I wrapped some twine around the page, securing it with staples top and bottom.
We're nearly there and all that's left is the quote...
"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" - Emily Bronte
This is from Dina Wakley's Media Ledgers Set 2 and after I trimmed the quote down to size, I adhered it to my journal page with Matte Collage Medium and then ran a charcoal pencil around the outside, smudging it with my finger.
I then used the Stacked Hearts Thinlits Die set to cut two of the smallest sized hearts from red inky card, that I had in my stash and adhered these into place with the quote.
So, that's my layout complete and I hope you love what I've created and will be inspired by the techniques...
As always, if you make anything, or if you've been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look!
Don't forget that 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 next Monday at 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....
Recipe for project:
I love how you added the whole dits to the flower centers - that I such a good idea! Beautiful layout!
ReplyDeleteA layering masterpiece. Your layouts always hold so many little details to be discovered. Layered to perfection. I have yet to try my hand at a journal layout...maybe I will this time....love it!!!
ReplyDelete