School Days....

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!

This week our theme is BACK TO SCHOOL and we'd love for you to join us and play along and create a project inspired by anything that is school related.

For my make, I used an idea-ology square vignette box to create my project and packed it full of everything I could find that had anything to do with this theme, from backdrop papers and rulers, to ephemera to paper dolls ~ it all came together perfectly to tell the story of one little girl who's favourite lesson was art...so, ring the bell, because it's time for class and here's how I made my vignette box...

VIGNETTE BOX

To begin with I covered the square vignette box, and this is the largest sized box of the set of 3. I cut a panel of backdrop paper, from Vol. 1 and cut the top section showing the Lestershire Public Schools heading.

I ripped and tore the edges of the paper, before machine stitching a border and adhering the panel onto the box which I flipped over to show the flat side uppermost. 

On the sides of the box, I chose another piece of paper, this time from Backdrops Vol. 3 and this showed a classroom of kids and their teacher. I'd used the reverse side on a previous project, so only had a portion of this paper left but it fit the sides and bottom edge of my box perfectly.

I adhered each of the panels into place, across the bottom...

This is the right hand side of the box....

...and this is the left.

On the top of the box, I used another strip of the Lestershire Public School paper. After applying a coat of Matte Collage Medium over the top of all the papers to seal them, I ran the Gathered Twigs Distress Crayon around the edges, and blended out any harsh lines before I splattered a little Black Soot Distress Paint over the top and front, and set it to one side to allow it to dry thoroughly.

With my box covered, I moved onto the next stage...the collage section on the front.

COLLAGE

As I mentioned, I sorted out all my school related idea-ology pieces and then just played with them to create the focal point.

I started with the stencil card that sits behind my image, and for this I used a stencil card. I roughly tore the bottom section of the card, to reveal a raggedy edge and then I applied a little bit of Sterling Foundry Wax over the surface, concentrating on the edges. After heat setting the wax, I flicked some Speckled Egg Oxide Spray across the surface, heat dried the droplets before using a blending tool to apply Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I then misted the card with water, dabbing away the excess.

I matted my stencil card over the top of some Worn Wallpaper and then mounted this onto the front of my box, placing it on the left hand side.

Next comes the rulers and the ephemera pieces...

I broke two rulers into pieces, and coloured them by swiping a Walnut stain Distress Ink pad across the surface. I then blended the ink with a baby wipe before I arranged them across the box, together with some Snippets Ephemera pieces that I placed at the top and bottom of the arrangement. All the ephemera is inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink to add more of a vintage feel to the paper.

Now for the star of the school and I used my favourite Portrait Paper doll ~ I just think she is adorable and I've been waiting for the right project to use this one.

I applied colour to the paper doll by first adding a layer of clear gesso over the surface and then once dry, I watercolored the image with Distress Crayons and a water brush.

I then mounted the paper doll over the top of the rulers using foam pads to add a little more dimension to the piece and placed some threads of Mummy Cloth around the base of the image.

You can see the dimension in the photo below.

Together with a piece of torn design tape, I added a final ephemera piece to the background ~ placing the enclosure sticker just behind her head.

On the opposite side, I adhered a Numbers Strip, Form 153. Once again I inked these with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then smeared a little Prima Burnt Sienna Liquid Acrylic Paint over the top. To complete this section, I added the "red swoosh" which is a die cut from the Postale Thinlits Die Set. I already had this cut and it was on my desk, and it was the perfect finishing touch to the collage.

To the left of the portrait, I added a gold star. I altered the largest sized Star Adornment with Gilded Foundry Wax and once I'd heat set the wax, I attached it to my ruler and then just beneath the ruler, I applied a Labeled remnant rub, #95 Level.

To complete the collage, I added a Metallic Sticker Quote "Create Art" and placed this on a piece of linen, before attaching it across the bottom of my portrait.

We're nearly there and all that's left is the finishing touches...

DETAILS

I placed a pen nib in the bottom right hand corner of the box, which I altered with white gesso and a little Mushroom alcohol ink and adhered with matte collage medium. I placed a memo pin above, sticking it into one of the foam pads to secure it into place.

Finally, I added the Mini Hardware knob on the top of my box. Again this is altered with gesso and Mushroom Alcohol Ink and attached to my box, together with Hardware Heads either side.

I completed the box by wrapping some twine around the neck of the knob and hanging a story stick.

So that's my project finished for this week and I hope you've loved what I've made and been inspired by the ideas.

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 and if sometimes I miss it ~ just keep nudging me!

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....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today ~ stay safe and keep well.

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Sizzix: Big Shot Foldway, Postale Thinlits Die Set

Distress Spray Stain

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Distress Crayons

Tim Holtz idea-ology: Backdrops Vol 1, Backdrops Vol 3, Numbers Strips Ephemera, Stencil Cards, Snippets Ephemera, Labeled Remnant Rubs, Metallic Sticker Book, Paper Dolls, Mummy cloth, Star Adornments, Mini Hardware, Odds and Ends, Hardware Heads, Memo Pin, Story Stick, Worn Wallpaper, square vignette boxes, Portrait Paper Dolls

Mediums: Burnt Sienna Liquid Acrylic Paint, Matte Collage Medium, Foam Pads, White Gesso, Gilded Foundry Wax, 

Tools: Glass Media Mat, Blending Tool, Tim Holtz Paper Trimmer, Heat Gun, Collage Brush, Waterbrush