Fragile ~ Handle With Care

Hello friends...

Where has February gone? I swear that this year is going quicker than last, and that's saying something ~ it is flying! Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and you're ready for a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which this week is all about THINGS WITH WINGS!

Now there are many interpretations for this theme, from birds and butterflies to angels and airplanes and we can't wait to see what you create and hope you'll join us and play along.

For my make, I decided to go with insects, and I created some specimen pockets using the Entomology Adornments as the focal point and I also had a play with Lost Shadow for the first time. My parcel went on an around the world trip, so it's a little late arriving but this colour is stunning, so it's better late than never! I've had so much fun making these and I'm really hoping to build upon them as the week's go by and create a collection that I will then store in a file box. Keep watching this space, to see the next instalment.

So back to this week, and here's how I created this set of specimen pockets...

ENVELOPE POCKETS and SLIDE FOLDERS

To begin with I made the envelopes and for this I used the Collector and Specimen Thinlits Die Sets to create my bases I cut each of the 3 envelopes and the slide folder from Mixed Media Heavystock Card and once I had all three cut, I then started to add my colour. I used the following Distress Spray Stains and Oxide Sprays:

DISTRESS SPRAY STAIN: Lost Shadow, Speckled Egg, Frayed Burlap

DISTRESS OXIDE SPRAY: Lost Shadow

I spritzed each envelope with the sprays and then misted them with water to create a blend that I was happy with. I then heat dried each piece and assembled my pocket envelopes and slide folder.

After inking the edges of each of them, I put them to one side to move onto the next stage, the insects and optical lenses.

INSECTS and OPTICAL LENSES

I used four of the insects from the pack and painted each of them with Alcohol Inks, Smolder, Tranquil, Envy and Intense. I also applied a hint of Mushroom alcohol ink over the top for more of a vintage feel to the metal.

For the optical lenses, I used a combination of Mushroom, Rust and Pitch Black alcohol inks to alter the metal and create a rusty appearance. Over the top of the inks, I applied a small amount of Statue Foundry Wax, literally just lightly touching the metal, not adding a solid coverage.

I then heat set the wax with a heat gun. Finally, I added drops of Mushroom alcohol ink to the glass, dabbing away any excess ink and just leaving a slight aged appearance.

Behind each lens, I cut a circle of paper, which is from the Backdrops Vol 1 pack and after inking the paper and creating foxing to each circle, I attached them to my lens by adding a small amount of Matte Collage Medium around the edge to seal the paper.

We're now ready to build those pockets and slide folder.

POCKET ENVELOPE 1

For the panel on the front of this envelope, I cut a piece of Mixed Media Heavystock slightly smaller in size than the envelope and then using the target from the Inquisitive Stamp Set, I stamped it onto the centre of the card panel using a combination of Barn Door and Black Soot Archival Inks. I always stamp using Tim's Stamp Platform and this allows me to use two colours on one image. Just ink up the image with Barn Door, stamp and then re-ink very lightly, not a complete coverage, with Black Soot and stamp again.

I then spritzed the card with Frayed Burlap and Lost Shadow before I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. After machine stitching my card, I matted it onto silver metallic kraft stash and mounted it onto my envelope.

After tying a piece of twine around the handle of the lens, I attached it in the centre of the target and then adhered the insect to the glass, all using Matte Collage Medium. 

In the top right hand corner, I adhered a Curator Snippets ephemera piece.

The final touch for this envelope is a plaque that sits beneath the lens. I cut my layers from metallic kraft stash using the Specimen Die Set and adhered each layer over the top of one another to create the plaque and a frame to sit around it.

I then cut the "Filed" lettering from the same silver card and adhered this to my plaque. To age the plaque, I applied a coat of Black Soot Distress Paint over the top and wiped away the excess. I then added a small amount of Crackling Campfire paint, followed by Ground espresso and finally Antiqued Bronze.

After attaching the completed plaque to the envelope, I added Hardware Heads to either end and again altered the metal with the paints.

ENVELOPE 2

Using Lost Shadow, Ground Espresso, Speckled Egg and Frayed Burlap Distress Sprays, I spritzed a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card  and then added a final spritz of Lost Shadow Oxide.

This background has crackle paste applied through the Plus Layering Stencil, and once dry, I machine stitched around the edge, matted it onto silver Metallic Kraft card and mounted it on my envelope.

On this envelope, I attached the lens over the top of a circle of silver card and then added the metallic plaque, which I made exactly the same as the previous envelope, but this time added numbers.

ENVELOPE 3

For the final envelope, I used the same spray stains and oxides as I used on the background and once dry, I used stamps...Faded Type and Mini Glitch, to stamp the layers on the inked background.

I attached the lens and insect to the envelope and then hung a Hook Clasp from the handle of the lens.

After adding a Curator Snippet in the top left hand corner, I applied a 'Fragile' Remnant Rub in the top right corner....

...and the No.3 in the bottom right hand corner.

SLIDE FOLDER

I placed a piece of the same Backdrop paper as I used on the lens, and placed this in the window aperture of the slide folder. I then attached a Numbers Snippet, No.1040, along the bottom edge of the folder.

I adhered a piece of mica sheet to the slide, placed some linen from my stash over the top and then attached the insect. Finally I added a clip to the top and four mini fasteners to each corner.

So that's it from me for today and I hope you're inspired by my makes and love what I've created.

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....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today...see you all again very soon!

Love Emma xx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous: Inquisitive, Faded Type, Mini Glitch, Plus Layering Stencil

Tim Holtz for Sizzix: Collector Thinlits Dies, Specimen Die Set, Tim Holtz/Sizzix Big Shot Foldaway

Distress Spray Stain: Lost Shadow, Speckled Egg, Frayed Burlap

Oxide Spray: Speckled Egg

Distress Inks: Walnut Stain

Distress Paint: 

Alcohol Pearl Inks: Smolder, Tranquil, Envy and Intense

Alcohol Inks: Mushroom, Rust, Pitch Black

Archival Ink

Foundry Wax

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Entomology Adornments, Mini Fasteners, Optical Lens, Hardware Heads, Hook Clasp, Remnant Rubs, Tiny Clips, Curator Snippets, Backdrops Vol 1

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Sizzix Adhesive Sheets, Crackle Paste

Surfaces: Mixed Media Heavystock, Metallic Kraft Stash, 

Twine

Glass Media Mat

Blending Tool

Tim Holtz Paper Trimmer

Heat Gun

Stamp Platform

Mica Sheet and linen from my own stash