A Very Strict Challenge!

It's Monday, and time for a new challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show, but sadly, we need to clarify some stuff on our challenges to those of you who are just not playing along correctly. It's time for us to be a little more strict with the rules crafters! First of all, APRIL FOOLS!!! (Did I sound mean? Hehehehe! That was hard to do, and I couldn't even go longer than three lines!) We could not do a regular challenge on April Fool’s Day. There is no fun in that! So this week it is absolutely "Anything Goes", and if that includes a joke or two, great!

Wendy Vecchi puts a lot of humorous quotes and sentiments on her stamp sets along with her fabulous images from Stamper's Anonymous. I thought it would be fun to make a birthday card using one of them, which would be perfect for April Fool's Day, but then I had this little canvas journal from Maya Road, so I thought why not make a whole journal type card using several of her funnies and images?!? Tim's Mini Birthday Blueprints worked perfectly here as well, and I've used lots of his Distress Paint by Ranger to color things up. 

I used a jumbo sized #10 Manila tag From Ranger. First, I folded it into the shape I wanted, then came stripes of Distress Paint and water to blend it in for side 1.

Side 2 received a layer of SAntique Linen Distress Stain first then it was pressed into dots of beautiful colors of Distress Paints. I loved the dots so much, that I went back to Side 1 and gave it some dots. It looks like confetti...very party ready!

This was going to be the cover of the card/journal so I wanted it to be tough, so out came the Ink Refresher. I misted both sides liberally.

I waded it up, unfolded it, and gave it a good drying. I love it! The texture is very much like leather, and super soft too!

I coated the spine areas with Glue N Seal just to reinforce them and make sure I wouldn't get any tears along the way. BUT then, I decided I didn't want the fold over cover like I had planned, and I cut the portion off with the tag hole and converted this into pockets for the inside, to be seen further down. I wanted them to hold coupon tickets for the birthday recipient.

I misted the canvas pages with water first and began adding paint and misting. I added more dots to the craft sheet and dipped the journal in. I tried to color each page different, except for one 2 page spread. The paints and the canvas work perfect together.

I sewed on some trim to each page, and then found the center of the journal and stitched it directly onto the cover, right down the middle of the spine.

The Glue N Seal helped to keep this nice and tough...no big holes here.

I was given a package of My Little Yellow Bicycle Canvas Shapes, and I decided to stamp Wendy's images onto them, as well as on the journal for a 3D look. The white makes them pop. I glued them onto the pages to match the images up. I stamped the sentiments and quotes right onto the pages in Jet Black Archival, which I used for the images as well.

I added Blueprint images to the front, first on the cover itself, then the label piece, then the canvas flower piece to match up when I layer them.

I added more color with Distress Markers, in a few choice areas to bring some things to life.

 

Do you like jokes or joking around? Is humor your thing? If not it doesn't matter this April Fool's week, because anything goes! Create any ol' type of Art you wish enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and please visit the other DT member's blogs for some fun, laughs, and entertaining Art!

 

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

12 Tags of 2013 - March

It's almost Easter everyone! Truly, it's a roller coaster of emotions during this week..good thing there is chocolate bunny waiting to be eaten! ;0)

I bring you a quick post with my tag/pop-up card inspired by Tim's most awesome 12 Tags of 2013 for March. Wasn't that bunny genius with the tinsel???  I loved his tag!

 

For my take on Tim's tag, I decided to turn the Mini Ornamental Die into a basket instead and make my die cut of a cross inside of an egg. I also couldn't have an Easter basket without a chocolate bunny, so one pops up when you open the card, even though a bite has been taken out of it...I just couldn't help it!

Using a #10 Jumbo sized Ranger tag as a guide, I cut two pieces of paper into into cards by doubling the tag. I used the Sizzix Pop Up die on the Idea-ology Easter paper for the inside.

More Sizzix die action here. I cut apart the Washer Border to use as a strap and decoration for the basket. Rock Candy Crackle covered the basket, and Weathered Wood Distress Stain highlighted the cracks for a great distressed look. After I colored the seam binding I weaved it through the holes of the Washer Border.

I stamped and cut out the eggs from the Blue Print Easter Sets. I die cut the cross into the larger egg. These were colored with Distress Markers and misted with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist. I freehand cut the toothmarks on the rabbit and covered him with foil.

 

 

 

 

I am also submitting this to Inspiration Emporium's monthly blog challenge for "Add A Little Pop", and Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stamper challenge for "Shiny".

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Relish Simple Pleasures!

Not only is today Monday, and a new challenge for Simon Says Stamp & Show, but Spring has officially sprung Crafters! YAY! This week, our challenge is all about words. From your favorite movie lines, to a sentiment on a stamp you keep meaning to use more, to an inspirational quote,  to something a family member is always saying...this week we challenge you to "Use a Quote" on your craft project!

I love quotes, heart felt sayings, thought provoking phrases, meaningful Scriptures, and stamp sets that contain them. I often cut quotes out from magazine articles and pin them to my corkboard. I even save every fortune from fortune cookies. I really am turning into a hoarder...wow! That is why I have so many stamp sets...I love the words they contain and not just the images. That is a big reason why I love Wendy Vecchi's stamp sets from Stamper's Anonymous. Not only do they have great images, but they always contain great phrases or quotes. I thought this one from her new Sunshine & Art set was perfect to celebrate the delights of the awakenings of the Spring Season on this canvas. 

I've had this gesso'd, and collaged with ephemera and flower canvas for ages with absolutely nothing in mind to do with it (actually have 4 of them), until now. I have it a little more color on the base with Claudine's paint to make a fleshy color.

I stamped this beauty in Jet Black, although she came out a little choppy with all the texture on the canvas. Not to worry though. I used a Sharpie to fill in, but it altered her looks some.

Tim's Distress Paints came next, first with a paint brush. I love using a paint brush and these paints. With their thin consistency, if you make a mistake you can just use your fingernail and easily clean up the mistake. You can't do that with acrylic paints without making a mark. That's a huge selling point for me! 

Next use for them...stencils. I used a Crafter's Workshop Cosmic Swirl Stencil here. But, no squeezing or dabbing, just gently swipe side to side. It side might run under the stencil some, so if you want a crisp image, don't use them, but I didn't need anything precise here, as I was going to be making layers anyway. I used a scrap piece of paper to block off the portions of her face I didn't want covered.

She looks totally different with hair! I used the stencil and a Krylon Gold Leafing Pen to add more detail and highlighting to her hair. I also used more of Claudine's Paints to elongate her neck.

Wendy's Embossing Paste and her Wildflowers & Bird Stencil came next. I wanted her to smell the Spring flowers! I used tape to hold the stencil down. I love this Paste!

More paint brushing and Distress Paint onto the Embossing Paste. It takes it fabulously! I also painted the collaged flower and freehanded background flowers, leaves, and stems. Then, using my finger, and channeling my inner preschooler, I used the Salty Ocean and a little water and colored in the sky portion of the canvas. I love the versatility of these paints! I can still see the lady up in the corner and music notes perfectly, while still having a beautiful blue hue! Perfect!

Using a Walnut Stain Distress Marker I gave her hair a little more contrast and bounce!

A Spring scene needs a sun! Wendy's stamps helped me out with that and the quote! I colored it in with Distress Paint and the face with Distress Marker. I love the way it came out.

 

 

Is there a particular quote or saying that is your favorite of all time? Or maybe there is one that is pertaining to you at this very moment. If so, create an inspirational work of Art and enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and please visit the other DT member's blogs, their inspiration abounds!

 

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!