Here Comes Summer...

Hello friends...

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and Happy Monday! As always, the start of a brand new week means that we have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week, our theme is all about VACATION and however you choose to interpret this challenge, we hope you'll join us and play along!

For my make, I chose to create a vintage style tag all about friendship, sea and sand and was inspired by a photo from Tim Holtz's Snapshots pack and I just thought it incapsulated everything about going on vacation and creating wonderful, happy memories that can be treasured for many years to come.

So, it's time to fasten your seatbelts, we're going on vacation and here's how I created this project....

For this make, I used a Mini Etcetera Tag as my base...

COVERING THE TAG SURFACE

I began by applying Design Tape around the edge of my tag before cutting a panel of paper from the Backdrops Vol 2 that measures the same size as the tag itself, and then inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I then ripped and tore the edges of the paper, scrunching up the corners to create folds before I machine stitched a border around the edge.

I adhered the paper in place using Matte Collage Medium, applying a coat of the medium over the surface to seal the paper.

I then ran the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the edges to add the 'oldy worldy' vintage finish to this piece.

To complete the tag, I applied some crackle paste to the hole reinforcer piece and once the paste was dry, I accentuated the crackle with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon, and then fixed it into position.

The final detail was to add some script to the top left hand corner and I used a torn piece of Photographic Collage Paper, and just adhered it into position using Matte Collage Medium before I threaded some rope through the hole itself.

EMBOSSED PANEL

For the next layer, I used the Swirls Embossing Folder to emboss a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card. I always spritz the card with a light mist of water before running it through the machine as this will break down the fibres of the paper causing less cracking to the surface.

Once embossed, I added the colour and used the following Distress Spray Stains and Oxide Sprays:

Spray Stains: Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Faded Jeans

Oxide Sprays: Speckled Egg

I spritzed the cardstock with the sprays before adding a mist of water to blend them and create the colours of the ocean.

I cut the panel down to size to fit onto my tag, and mounted it onto burlap before attaching it to the tag using foam pads and then added a Remnant Rub from the Labeled set, placing it in the top left hand corner.

PAPER ROLLS

Now to start bringing the scene to life and we'll begin with the paper rolls.

These rolls are various lengths and are all made using offcuts of papers from the Backdrops Packs and I just selected a few that would be the perfect colour match.

I took each piece of paper, and tightly rolled them around a pencil, securing them with a line of red line tape to hold them in position. I ripped and distressed the ends of each paper roll, before I applied some crackle paste to add texture. Once the paste was dry, I just ran the Hickory Smoke Distress Crayon over the surface, blending out the medium with a damp brush.

I then placed each roll side by side, attaching them with Matte Collage Medium before wrapping string around either side.

I attached the rolls across the embossed panel on my tag.

PHOTO

There was never a doubt which photo I would use for this make, I just love this one but wanted to create more of a vintage vibe. So to do this, I began by applying a coat of Matte Collage Medium over the surface to seal the photo and then cut the edges using Tim's Deckle Edge paper trimmer. I then added small tears before inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The photo itself was colour tinted using Distress Crayons, applied directly to the image with a waterbrush.

Once I was happy, I mounted the photo onto some mountboard to create more stability before I added a small Remnant Rub, 'Jul 9', in the bottom right hand corner. I attached the photo over a piece of Mica Tile and then adhered it over the top of the paper rolls and added a Tiny Clip to the top left hand corner.

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE

For the flowers, I used a selection of Floral Adornments and to create the enamelled effect, I applied the Embossing Dabber to each flower and then sprinkled Distress Glazes over the top to add the colour. I used Kitsch Flamingo for the larger flowers and Fossilized Amber for the smaller ones and heat embossed each piece until the glaze became molten and shiny.

Be careful when heat embossing metal as it will become very hot!

I layered the smaller flowers in the centres of the large ones and then added a pearl to each before setting them to one side so the adhesive would set.

The leaves and foliage are all cut from Mixed Media Heavystock card using dies from the Large Funky Florals dies set. The card panels are coloured with Rustic Wilderness and Peeled Paint Spray Stains, and once dry, I cut each leaf before blending Forest Moss around the edges. I shaped each leaf and then arranged them together with the flowers, placing them onto the paper rolls and around the photo.

To add some more texture, I placed curly moss into the arrangement. This moss is from my stash but can be bought from many craft stores.

To complete this arrangement, I added a small ephemera piece underneath the photo and then placed a Mini Flair Pin, '54' onto the right hand side.

FINISHING DETAILS

Underneath the photo arrangement, I added a quote. I place a quote chip label inside a label frame and attached it over the top of a ruler ephemera piece, taken from the Memoir Ephemera set.

Finally, I attached a Hook Clasp complete with a Thought Token to the left hand side of the tag by looping the chain around the tag and attaching the ring fastener through the chain to secure it into position.

The thought token is coloured with Black Soot, Antiqued Bronze, Ground Espresso, Crackling Campfire Distress Paints and then I applied Picket Fence Distress Crayon to accentuate the wording.

So that's my project complete for this week and I hope I've inspired you with this make and you've enjoyed your time by the beach...

As always, if you are inspired by anything you see on my blog, don't hesitate to message me or tag me on any social media platforms or leave me a message here and I'll pop by to take a look ~ I'm always so humbled and honoured to see what you've been making after visiting my blog.

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

Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous: Mini Etcetera Tag

Sizzix/Tim Holtz: Swirls Texture Fade Embossing Folder, Funky Florals Large

Distress Spray Stain: Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Faded Jeans, Rustic Wilderness and Peeled Paint

Distress Oxide Sprays: Speckled Egg

Distress Crayons: Walnut Stain, Hickory Smoke

Distress Inks: Walnut Stain

Distress Glaze: Kitsch Flamingo, Fossilized Amber

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Antiqued Bronze, Ground Espresso, Crackling Campfire

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Snapshots 2, Mini Flair Embellishments, Backdrops Vol 2,  Hook clasp, Thought Tokens, Memoirs Ephemera, Quote Chip Labels, Label Frames, Floral Adornments, Labeled Remnant Rubs

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Foam Pads. Crackle Paste

Surfaces: Mixed Media Heavystock

Glass Media Mat

Blending Tool

Tim Holtz Paper Trimmer

Tim Holtz Deckle Edge Trimmer

Heat Gun

Rope and moss from my own stash