Back to School

Hello Monday my friends and welcome to our newest challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - BACK TO SCHOOL. 

Can you hear the students groaning and the parents celebrating that summer is ending and school beginning? I have a whole new August vibe now that I am retired from teaching. In the past, this was the month I would head in to school to get my classroom prepared, unpack supplies, set up plans, get things copied...in other words live at school for a couple of weeks. Now, I really enjoy August and look forward to September and observing the transition to fall. Don't get me wrong, I did it while I was teaching, but now I get to set my own non-frantic pace.

I decided to make teacher bookmarks for friends, and will give them out for the new school year.

I decided to use an entire sheet of watercolor paper and make a background before I cut out the bookmarks. I stamped on words and calculus equations as a base layer.

Next, I stenciled on numbers and letters.

Then, I used the grid stencil with Lime green paint.

Final paint layer is a dot stencil and Blushing paint.

I just had to use my newest Distress oxides, and blended the four colors onto the sheet and misted the paper with water. 

Yes, I am liking this! Now that I have my background, I cut the sheet into 8 bookmarks.

On some of these, I smudged on white paint with my finger to make the images pop more.

Then, I had to do a bit of doodling in black and white...hmm, just like I used to do in my notebooks at school.

I wanted to create a variety of bookmarks, and the Altenew Teachers Rule, Tim Holtz mini blueprints Schoolhouse, and Simon's Game Tile Letters are great for these. I colored the images in a bit with Distress Crayons and just smudged them a bit with my finger to blend them in.

Final steps were to edge the bookmarks with black ink, punch a hole at the top, and add leather strips, fibers or cloth to finish them off.

Do you have a favorite? There are so many things you can make for Back to School, from gifts for your child's teacher, to planners, to handmade goodies to tuck into your child's lunchbox. I'd love to see you play along with us this week, and one lucky participant will be chosen at random for a $50 shopping voucher from our generous friends at Simon Says Stamp!

SUPPLIES:

                                        

                                                    

 

Tim Holtz Mini Blueprints Strip SCHOOLHOUSE

 

Altenew Teachers Rule clear stamp set

 

Simon Says Clear Stamps GAME TILE LETTERS sss101518 The Color of Fun

 

IndigoBlu Calculus Stamp

 

Simon Says Cling Rubber Stamp GOOD READING BACKGROUND

 

Dyan Reavely Old School Alpha stencil

 

Dyan Reaveley Stencil 5 x 8 OLD SCHOOL NUMBERS Dylusions DYS55648

 

Simon Says Stamp Stencil GRID

 

simon says stamp medium dots stencil

 

Tim-Holtz-Distress-Oxide-Ink-Pad-MUSTARD-SEED

 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ripe Persimmon

 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ground Espresso

 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink Crushed Olive

 

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons Set 6 Ranger

 

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons set 4

 

Dina Wakley OCEAN heavy body acrylic paints

 

Dina Wakley Ranger WHITE Media Heavy Body Acrylic Paints

 

Dina Wakley TANGERINE Heavy Body Acrylic Paints

 

Dina Wakley LIME Heavy Body Acrylic Paints

 

Dina Wakley heavy body acrylic  Blushing

 

Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Black

 

Canson  Watercolor Paper

 

ranger mister bottle

 

ranger mini round ink blender

 

Faber-Castell BLACK ESSENTIAL PITT Artist Pens 770075

 

Sakura CLASSIC WHITE Bold Line 10 Gelly Roll Pen

 

Ranger HEAT IT CRAFT TOOL

 

Tim Holtz Tonic Craft Stamp Platform

 

Tim Holtz Grid Acrylic Blocks

                                        

A great place to shop!!

Simon is on Instagram - use #sssmchallenge

Our design team has been busy working on back to school inspiration for you, so be sure to head on over and see what they've made!