Monday, August 14

Simon Says Nautical




Happy Monday, my crafting friends! Our challenge for you this week is NAUTICAL at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. 

Don't forget our Summer Vacation Kids Challenge this month!


I thought of the ocean when I saw Nautical and headed to my big art journal. I was thinking about the deep ocean and the creatures that live there, that we sometimes find kind of scary. I wanted to make the bottom in dark colors to reflect that, while making it bright and happy closer to the surface.
"Who knows what lurks in the depths?"


I used the same colors to paint my backgrounds, both on the watercolor paper and in the journal. I stenciled in some texture by removing some of the paint with a baby wipe. 


I remembered this great fish fossil stencil and thought it would make a great border, as well as incorporating it into my piece. (Perhaps I remembered it because my son and I had a fossil hunting adventure yesterday...) I mixed the Inky Pool paint and the Texture Paste together to get the dark blue.




Time to pull out the MISTI to get great stamped images.


I used Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks to color. I wanted my deep sea creatures in dark (and kind of ugly) colors.


Time for some fussy cutting...and the octopus was a challenge! 


Laying the papers together...


I added the deep sea creatures with 3D Matte Gel to hold the heavy watercolor paper onto the background. 



Then I added the bright surface mermaid and critters and added some sparkle.


Life can be very different on the ocean's surface than in its depths, I imagine!


I hope you've enjoyed my Nautical take on this week's challenge and are ready to join us in the fun! 

Simon Says Stamp has a $50 gift voucher to share with one of you!

SUPPLIES:

                                       
                                       

A great place to shop!!


Simon is on Instagram, use #sssmchallenge.


Let's head on over to the challenge to see how the rest of the team has interpreted this week's challenge!


13 comments:

  1. Gorgeous journalling Maura :-) the background is fabulous, I love how you made it darker and more scary towards the bottom and the mermaid is beautiful! Love the whole design of this :-)

    luv
    Lols x x x

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  2. What a fun journal page, Maura! I love the deep rich colors you achieved to create a feeling of what lurks in the depths of the sea while keeping the colors brighter where the mermaid enjoys her swim with the fishes. The design is perfect in every way!

    Cathie ♥

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  3. I love your background and this blended change from blue into green. Great job! It really looks like a underwater scene. Hugs, Marzena

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  4. What a fabulous journal page! The colors are gorgeous and love the way you treated the fishes.

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  5. This is such a fun and beautiful journal page, Maura. I love the fabulous background colors and the mermaid is so pretty. :)

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  6. Beautiful stunning page Maura! The background is so stunning...gives really the idea of the unknown sea!!! Love it ❤❤❤ hugs Simona

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  7. Cool, dimensional and wonderfully texture-y, Maura ... you captured the atmosphere of an undersea world brilliantly! Anita :)

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  8. Yes! I'd like to take this in wallpaper size, please! What a great scene and I love how it is bursting with energy. Your vivid imagination is in such evidence here and I adore how this turned out. Another winner piece, my friend! And I also wanted to tell you congrats on such a clever blog name revamp! Blog-naming stresses me out, but you totally nailed it!

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  9. Such a fabulous journal page with so much gorgeous detail and texture, this is just wonderful Maura and I love how you've bought all the elements together to create this beautiful scene! Hugs <3

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  10. amazing page! love how you mixed the different sea creatures and the stencil is fantastic! barbara

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  11. beautiful project Maura...so much detail and amazing background and well done cutting out the octupus with all eight tentacles in tact...hugs kath xxx

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  12. Lovely art journal spread, Maura! The background is fabulous and so are the fishies! Hugs, Sandra

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  13. Beautiful page Maura! I love all those different sea creatures and the sentiment you used. The stencilled border is stunning too.

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it is so appreciated, and I love reading each and every one!

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