That's Life: Happiness Is A Butterfly....

Hello friends and welcome to a brand new week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

This week, the DT are showcasing products from Studio Light and combining it with our theme, TAG IT! We'd love for you to join us and of course, unless you want to ~ you don't have to use Studio Light products within your makes.

For my project, I chose to create a Size 8 Etcetera Tag and combined some Studio Light Ephemera with Tim Holtz products.

So, let's get started and here's how I created this tag!

To begin with I used a Size 8 Etcetera Tag, and a Size 8 Mixed Media Heavystock tag.

TAG

Using the Mixed Media Heavystock tag, I chose to add colour with Distress Spray Stains, Oxide Sprays and Mica Spray in the following colours:

DISTRESS SPRAY STAINS: Ground Espresso, Uncharted Mariner, Speckled Egg

OXIDE SPRAYS: Speckled Egg

MICA SPRAYS: Crooked Broomstick

After spritzing the tag with a light misting of water, I then spritzed each of the Distress Spray Stains, and the Oxide Sprays to add colour to the tag. Once I was happy with the blend, I heat dried the inks and then flicked some Crooked Broomstick Mica Spray across the surface to create the splatters. Once again, I heat dried the tag.

Across the bottom section of the tag, I added a separate piece of card, spritzed with the same colours and cut to approx 1". I stamped a border in clear embossing ink, using one of the Ornate Trims from the Stampers Anonymous stamp set and after sprinkling gold embossing powder over the ink, I heat embossed the powder until molten. I then attached the border strip, and machine stitched around the edge of the tag, and along the edges of the strip. I then adhered the tag to the Etcetera Tag using Matte Collage Medium. I did add some stamping to the tag, but in the finished version, it got hidden behind the ephemera...so, just ignore that!

My background is now complete, and is ready to add some embellishments...

STUDIO LIGHT EPHEMERA and RULER PIECE

I began building the scene by snapping a ruler piece into two. Using one half of the ruler, I inked the surface with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then attached it across my tag.

I then chose a selection of the ephemera pieces from the Studio Light Paper Elements People and Botanics Grunge Collection pack, including the little girl, the butterflies and the foliage. I loved the colour tones and the white butterflies from this pack and apart from the little girl, which I colour tinted using Distress Crayons, I left the other pieces as they were.

I attached the foliage piece directly onto the tag using foam pads, which I splattered very lightly with Picket Fence Distress Paint. I then layered the Milk Cap over the top, which once again I gave a light splattering of white paint.

Finally, I added the little girl which I had colour tinted with Distress Crayons. I placed a butterfly behind her and lifted the wings to add dimension.

In the photo below you can see the dimension of this piece...

FLOURISHES

In this arrangement, I added two of the idea-ology metal Flourishes. To add colour to the metal idea-ology Flourishes, I used Statue and Sterling Foundry Wax on each of these pieces, applying one layer of wax at a time and then adding the second layer over the top, but not giving the metal a complete coverage. This will allow the layer of wax underneath to show through and create the variation of colour to the metal.

After I'd heat set the wax on all the pieces, I applied some dribbles of Mushroom alcohol ink over the metal to add more of a vintage feel to the pieces. I then rubbed some Black Soot and Crackling Campfire Distress paint over the surface, making sure it settled into all the recesses and the detail, before wiping away the excess paint and polishing the metal with a soft cloth to bring back the shine from the waxes.

I attached each flourish to the tag with Matte Collage Medium.

FINISHING DETAILS

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

So that the little girl is grounded, I added some moss around the base of her feet and along the top edge of the ruler piece.

I also added some dried seed heads from my stash...

...and a few Tim Holtz Bouquet Findings, coloured with Wild Honey Distress Spray Stain.

As the finishing touch to the arrangement, I placed two of the smallest butterflies from the Studio Light pack onto this piece.

To complete the tag, I added some Word Clippings ~ "my beautiful butterfly" taken from Tim's Clippings Stickers. I cut the sentiment into three separate words before attaching them to my tag and adding some pencil shading around each.

That's completes my project for this week and I hope you love the piece I've made...

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....