That's Life: Rock Lobster....

Hello everyone and Happy Monday...

Today on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog, we are getting ready for summer with our brand new challenge with is all about being AT THE BEACH and we hope you will join us and play along!

For my make, I was inspired by the new SSS Co-Ordinating dies and stamp sets by Tim Holtz and used the beautiful Sea Life set as the starting point for my card, which I combined with various other products from Tim, Stampers Anonymous and Sizzix. In the past, I've always used the octopus from this set but I challenged myself to try one of the other stamps for this make, and thought the lobster would be the perfect fit for my make...

So, let's get started, it's time to create!

To begin with I created an 'Emma sized card" measuring 15 x 20cm tent fold card blank using white card.

OUTER CARD LAYERS

This card has multiple layers to frame the focal point, and I began by creating the red stripy background.

I cut a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card, 12 x 17cm and after a light misting of water, I spritzed the card with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain to knock back the brightness of the card.

Using a paper towel, I dabbed away any excess stain before heat drying the card surface.

Next I stamped the red stripes onto the background using the Ticking and Grain stamp set which I inked with Fired Brick Archival Ink before stamping the stripes, horizontally across the card panel. You will need to re-ink and line the stamp up with the previous stripes to create the repeat pattern.

After inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I added some splatters of Frayed Burlap Distress Ink, before completing the panel with a machine stitched border around the outside edge.

I matted the background panel onto a piece of blue card from the Cool Kraft Cardstock pack and sanded the edges of this card layer, followed by a layer of ivory card.

I then cut a second layer of ivory card, 13.5 x 18.5cm and applied the scalloped edge Design Tape around the four sides before matting the background layers onto this piece.

Once I'd mounted these layers onto the card base, I added some strips of Cello Sticker Tape around the edges, before setting the card base to one side to move onto the focal point.

INNER CARD LAYERS

For the smaller layers on the front of the card, I cut a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card 9 x 12cm and once again, I misted the card with water, followed by Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain.

This time, I inked the Ticking and Grain stamp with Speckled Egg Oxide Ink and stamped this vertically onto the card panel.

After inking the edges with Walnut Stain and adding a few Frayed Burlap splatters, I stamped the Postcard mark across the top of the panel in Black Soot Archival Ink and then machine stitched a border around the outside.

I matted this panel onto a piece of Kraft card, followed by red card from the Warm Kraft Cardstock pack and then a piece of the blue card from the Cool Kraft Pack. Each time sanding the edges for a more distressed look.

After wrapping some rope around the centre of the panel, and tying a knot onto either side...

...I mounted this panel onto the card front using foam pads and used an idea-ology Tiny Clip, painted red with Candied Apple Distress Paint, which I then clip to the top left hand corner.

LOBSTER AND CIRCLE

To create the circle that the lobster is sitting on, I used the SSS Basic Circles Die Set and used the 7cm diameter die and placed the 5.5cm die set in the centre, to cut four layers of Mixed Media Heavystock card. I layered the circles over one another to form one solid piece and then painted the circle with Uncharted Mariner Distress Paint.

I then cut a 7cm circle of gold metallic card, followed by a 5cm circle of mixed media card which I matted in the centre before attaching the circular die cut frame over the top.

Mount the frame onto the card using foam pads.

In the centre of the frame, I attached the lobster. This is stamped onto watercolour cardstock using the stamp from the Sea Life Set, watercolored with Distress Watercolour Pencils and then die cut with the co-ordinating SSS Sea Life Dies.

I inked the edges of the die cut with Antique Linen Distress Ink before using foam pads to attach the lobster to the centre of my circular frame, placing it on top of a bed of shredded Mummy Cloth that I had left over from a previous project.

To complete the frame, I attached gold metallic droplets around the edge.

DIE CUT WORDING

For the wording, I used the alpha dies from Tim's Vault World Travel die set by Sizzix.

I used Kraft Card for both sets of lettering and cut "Sea Life" from red card and "At The Beach" from black card.

I had a small strip of the blue striped background card that I trimmed away from the main piece and I mounted this onto a strip of blue Kraft card before attaching the lettering to the strip, slightly overlapping the top of the strip.

I then mounted the lettering strip onto the card front using foam pads and adhered a Screw Head to either side. I altered the metal of the screw heads with a combination of Distress Paints; Black Soot, Crackling Campfire, Antique Bronze.

Finally, I added "At The Beach" placing it below the main focal point.

So that's my card complete and I hope you love the card 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....