Idea-ology, Svenska Stylee!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Idea-ology Bonanza".  Embellishments aren't usually a major part of my style, but I'm a big fan of the idea-ology line so was keen to see what I could do with this theme!  I decided to paint the ornate plates white, which (if I have my style references right) gave them an antique Swedish feel.  I embossed the panels to give them the feel of wallpaper, hoping to make the plates seem a little like mirrors.  I'll let you judge how successful I was, but that's what I was going for :)

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

It's a load of Croque, Monsieur!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "London/Paris/New York".  I had planned on making a London-themed piece and set about scanning a £20 note which I was going to print out in super-mini size to include as an element in my composition.  You could have knocked me down with a feather when I got a pop-up message in my graphics program saying something like "Tsk, tsk, that's a bank note, you can't scan it and shame on you for trying"!

Needless to say, that threw me for a loop and I quickly abandoned my London plans and moved to Paris instead.  Come join me, it's lovely here!  The bread is fantastic and if you squint, it's a bit like being in London, if you're in the right part of town :)

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

Heaven Knows... Anything Goes!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "anything goes". I've been in such a "painty" mood lately, I decided to let rip on this card and go all out with Claudine's Studio range of acrylic paints! 
I applied various colours of paint using a Ranger craft scraper (though an old credit or store card would work just as well).  In between layers I let it dry so that the colours wouldn't mix together.  I also stamped various elements between painted layers, so that parts of them showed through the thin layers of paint. The little boy is a Tim Holtz stamp, coloured with Promarkers.
Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

Torn, But Not Forgotten!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is to use a recipe of elements to feature in your project, which is consists of torn edges, distress inks, a button and wings.  As it had been quite some time since I had last made one, I decided to create an art doll for this week's challenge.

She is based around a cylinder of cardstock covered with Graphic 45 paper.  The skirt is the part that includes the torn edges and distress ink (I'm assuming you have already figured out where I used the buttons and wings! lol).

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

King for a Day!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Kings and Queens". I've always loved this Tim Holtz stamp (I think it's an image of Lord Lucan), and thought that his paper crown definitely made him a king! :)

To achieve the ghosting effect of the colours on the men, I stamped him on a range of different patterned papers which were first "knocked back" with a couple of layers of Picket Fence Distress Stain.  


Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

Another Suitcase in Another Hall

The theme over on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog this week is "a song title" - I've always loved Another Suitcase in Another Hall by Barbra Dickson, and I used it as my inspiration for this piece.

I've had this cardboard suitcase for a couple of years or more, always meaning to tackle it but never getting around to it.  I had a lot of fun with it, using paints, distress inks and stamped panels to decorate it.  I painted it with Traditional Tan acrylic paint, applied with a baby wipe so that there weren't any brush marks, just a smooth surface and then aged with with Vintage Photo distress ink.

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

What will I be when I grow up?

#4 - CEO of a multinational corporation

This is part 4 of an occasional series called "What will I be when I grow up?".  I think it pretty much speaks for itself! :)  The theme over on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog this week is "anything but a card", and since this isn't a card I think it qualifies :)

I designed the Grouch Marx disguise on the computer and cut it out on the Cricut, then got busy with Tim Holtz stamps and Claudine Hellmuth paints! :)

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

A Ticket for the Love Train

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Red Letter Day". Valentine's Day will be on us soon, so I chose that as my special day for this project.

I've been feeling in a very "painty" mood lately (not that I can paint mind you, lol).  I started this card by applying a layer of red paint to my white card with a craft scraper, then adding a white layer after that.  I love the texture it's given the card.  The brown paint around the edges was applied with my finger, to give a smudgy rough look.  I used the versamark resist techniqe to give a delicate texture to the 3 hearts and applied them to the card, mounting the centre heart on 3d tape.

The script was stamped with Gathered Twigs distress ink, which I dried with a heat gun (D,I. dries VERY slowly on a painted background!).  The ticket was coloured with Antique Linen DI and mounted on 3d tape.  Finally the whole thing was matted onto a panel from Tim Holtz's Seasonal card stack.


Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

Roll Up! Roll Up! Come See the Main Attraction!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Something Old, Something New". The old thing in my piece is the leftover configurations element I used, and the new was two of Tim Holtz's recent limited edition Distress Ink colours.

I started by covering the frame I was using with a couple of layers of gesso, applied with a baby wipe so that they'd be nice and thin with no brush strokes.  I dried the frame with a heat gun between layers.

Next, I stamped the "rays" with Festive Berries distress ink and then used a yellow Promarker to colour the gaps between them.  I used a blending tool to cover the frame with a generous layer of Gathered Twigs distress ink, and stamped lots of scratches and splodges, also with Gathered Twigs ink.

I cut the circus awning on the Cricut and coloured it with Promarkers, then coloured the configurations box with an Umber Promarker, to tie in with the background panel (from the Tattered Time stack) and the brown I'd used to age the frame.  I lined the inside of the box with black card and stamped, coloured and cut out the clown and fixed him in place.

I really had a lot of fun completely distressing the frame, lol  My hands were good and inky by the end of it, thank goodness for craft scrubbies! :)

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

It's Tag Tim(e)!

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Tim and Tags".  I could have gone with inspiration from Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas, but decided instead to just use a lot of his products on my Christmassy tag!

I decided not to use Promarkers on this card, for a change, and went back to my trusty Koi waterbrush to paint Santa with Distress Stains.  I really enjoyed doing it, will have to do that more often! :)


Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)