Sparkle and Shine!

 

 Hello Monday, my friends! And welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Thank you for joining us for the  HAPPY BIRTHDAY  Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is: SPARKLE AND SHINE

So, inspired by a stamp, I went off in a wonderfully weird direction. As a retired science teacher, I think I can say that we are all a little weird in our own ways. I thought I would put together this fun folio album for a fellow science teacher. 

SCIENCE - a little bit wonderfully weird...

It all began with some stamping... 

Then, I began layering and smooshing ink over the stamping. I blended more Mandarin ink in some areas.

I felt like I wanted to lighten it up, so added some bright yellow with a scribble stick. Dip your scribble stick in water and then use to get a lovely flow.

I forgot to take a photo, but after I had this the way I wanted, I went over it with a wash of gold gouache. Metallic watercolor would work too for some shine.

On the smaller folio, I brushed gold gouache onto the cardboard and stamped with it to create lines for journaling. 

I stencil the folio with the Simon Fanfare stencil and Mandarin and Ocean inks, then added drops of gold

I smooshed the smaller folio over it and dragged to add some gold.

Journaling area...

Lots of space for a few pics or notes..

My inspiration for the make...a bit of sparkle and shine with gold and drops.

I added the old photo, and had fun adding goggles and ephemera. I used Gossy Accents to make the godless look shiny. 

The fun little images throughout are from AALL and Create and Studio Light. I think they add a fun and whimsically weird touch.

I was trying to get the sheen from the gold gouache...

BACK...why not a mermaid and science sticker? I tied the two folios together with a strip of Tim Holtz Colorblock fabric. 

FRONT...and yes, science is a bit wonderfully weird!

 

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a $25 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store 

Supplies:

Simon Says Stamp Old Letter Clear stamp

Paper Artsy Jofy JM 70 stamp

Lavinia Stamps Goggles stamp

AALL & Create Matter of Dee stamp

Simon Says Stamp Intense Black ink

Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Saturated inks - Ocean, Mandarin, Mocha

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Folio Folders 

AALL & Create Mad Scientist Ephemera

Simon Says Stamp Fanfare stencil

Studio Light Art by Marlene Paper Elements Edition 2

Tim Holtz Colorblock fabric

Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks 

Simon Says Stamp Rainbow Splash Drops

Simon Says Stamp Small Blending Brushes

Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail Scissors

Canson Watercolor paper

Simon Says Stamp Foam Squares

Ranger Glossy Accents

Photo Playing Card 

Bearly Art Precion Glues 

Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer

Watercolor Brush

Tombow Markers

Gold Gouache  or similar

Black Pen

Corrugated Cardboard

So now it's YOUR turn, Happy Crafting! Maura

Follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in .

Best Friends

 

 

 Hello Monday, my friends! And welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Thank you for joining us for the  FEMININE  Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

Please join me in welcoming Wanda Hentges  as our guest designer for the month of May! We are looking forward to your amazing makes this month,  Wanda, and welcome!

Since this is the first post of May, we are showcasing the amazing array of products from Studio Light. If you have their products, we would love to see them in your makes!

This week the challenge is: LIGHT AND AIRY (PASTELS)

I went for cute this week with my tag about friends. I love the quirky creativity of Art by Marlene with Studio Light, and added that to my pastel background.  

BEST FRIENDS

I started with watercolor and gouache for my background.  

By mixing white gouache with watercolor, you create a more opaque, pastel version of that color.  

 I brushed on several mixed colors over the tag in a random fashion.

Then, I scrunched up and pressed a plastic bag onto the surface. Leave it in place until the paint dries, then lift. Where the paint was wet when this was applied, you will  get these beautiful textural patterns. 

For the flat areas, I went in with a dot stencil and white gouache to add some lively polka dots.  

Detail... 

Next, I chose my paper cut outs and figured their placement on the tag.  

I adhered them in place and added a few sparkling gems. 

Why not offer your heart to your best friend? 

I hand lettered "Friends...Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves..." 

Final touch - a yellow hand dyed ribbon. 

This week was a bit of a challenge for me. I don't often work in pastel colors and cuteness, but maybe I was channeling Easter and Spring here. 

Best Friends 

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a $25 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store 

Supplies:

Studio Light  Art by Marlene So Fish-ticated Paper Elements

Studio Light  Art by Marlene  Funny die cut tag 

Simon Says Stamp Medium Dots stencil 

Winsor Newton Permanent White Gouache

Daniel Smith Watercolors - Phthalo Turquoise, Quinacridone Coral, Quinacridone Violet, Permanent Orange

Watercolor Palette

Watercolor brush

Simon Says Stamp Dazzling Clear Gems

Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail Scissors

Bearly Art Precision Glue

Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress ink

Ranger Round Ink Blending Tool

Ranger Heat It tool

Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer

Black Pen

plastic bag

So now it's YOUR turn, Happy Crafting! Maura

Follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in .

Rainbow Tag Book

 

 Hello Monday, my friends! And welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Thank you for joining us for the  THANKS/THANKSGIVING Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is: TAG IT!

I had fun creating a rainbow tag book full of bright colors and bold designs. I've used a number of Darkroom Door stamps in honor of Rachel Greig,who sadly passed away this August...she is deeply missed in our creative community.  

I used my lovely Pawsitively Saturated Inks from Simon Says Stamp in a rainbow of colors.

I love these funky tags from Studio Light, and ink smooshed each side with a color.

Then, I stamped the background of each tag in the same color to get a tone on tone design.

For my cover tag, I inked the stamp up with cool colors, then warm colors and stamped it onto the natural tag.

I cut some additional tiny tags, colored them with ink smooshing, and stamped the background in black ink.

Meanwhile, I stamped flowers on watercolor paper and blended the inks over the stamped image. These small blending brushes are a favorite of mine, as well as this cool holder fro them, all from Simon Says Stamp.

Add a bit of gold with a pen...then fussy cut them out.

On the cover, I put cool tags on the warm color background and added a matching flower.

And warm tags on the cool background...

I added some Big Chat words from Tim Holtz, so my cover would read " create dreams from your heart."

My rainbow tag book filled with inspiring quotes and tied together with some hand dyed ribbons.

I've flipped through each of the tags so you can see them individually.

I hope I've inspired you with my tag book! Make some tags of your own and share them with us this week!

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a $25 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store 

Supplies:

Studio Light Tags - Funny, Funky, Fantasy,Tab 

Carabelle Studio Dans Mon Art Journal

Carabelle Studio Mixed Media Flowers #1

Darkroom Door Quote stamps like Creative People and Shoot for the Moon

Katzelkraft Be Brave stamp

Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Saturated Inks - Orchid, Surf, Fairway, Sweets,Grapefruit, Citrine, 

Simon Says Stamp Small Blending Brushes

Simon Says Stamp Multi Purpose Tool Holder

Simon Says Stamp Black Dye ink

Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail Scissors

Tim Holtz Distress Mister

Tim Holtz Big Chat Stickers

Tim Holtz Paper trimmer

Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat

Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks 1

Neenah Solar White

Heat It tool

Foam Tape

Gold Pen

Hand dyed ribbon

So now it's YOUR turn, Happy Crafting! Maura

Follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in .