Add Some Texture - Simon Says Stamp Guest Designer

This may be my favourite theme of all the October posts for which I've been in the Designer Spotlight at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this month... let's Add Some Texture.  And with Halloween fast approaching, my texture definitely has a spooky quality to it!

As always, it's been a delight to be part of the inspiration team at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this month, even as a temporary member!  

I'm so grateful to the team for inviting me, and it's been a joy playing alongside the fabulous creatives and crafters on the regular Design Team, especially this week as we Add Some Texture!

As ever, Simon Says Stamp are sponsoring the challenge, with a lucky prize draw to win a voucher for a shopping spree in their fabulous online store.

I love adding texture to journal pages, especially when I'm working in one of my altered hardback books. 

There aren't really any making-of photos in this post - though of course I'll talk you through what I did with some close-ups... but you'll be able to watch the whole process over on my YouTube channel from Wednesday.  (I'll come back and add a link here when it's live.)

So make a note in your diary, and you'll be able to see the layers of texture building on this page spread in all the detail you could possibly want!

For now, let me share some of the steps and the products I used to achieve them.

It all started with a layer of gesso to soften the book text and prepare the pages for the wet media to come.  I glued in some scraps of my PaperArtsy Printed Tissue PT08, leaving plenty of wrinkles, plus bits hanging over the edges of the page... lots of texture already.

Next, I used the Tim Holtz Shatter stencil to ink some cobwebs into the corners using Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  The little spider comes from the Mini Halloween 3 stamp set - though he had migrated onto my Apothecary set!  And the little bits of script detail are the text stamp from Apothecary, one of my all-time favourite script stamps.

I glued down some frayed linen ribbon and strips of Idea-ology Mummy Cloth next to Shakespeare (!), and used a spatula to add Ranger Distress Opaque Crackle Paste in various places.

Obviously, you need to leave that to crackle and do its thing.  Once it was dry, I added Pumice Stone DI and Distress Crayon over it to highlight the cracks.

Time for some collaging...  I had some snippets left over from the Add Some Text project in week two... typewriter letters made with the large Typewriter Embossing Folder and Black Kraft Stock.  I thought they would be great elements within the collaging, and also add some more dimension and texture.

Otherwise, I grabbed bits and bobs from various packets of Idea-ology Halloween ephemera that I've collected over the years - both paper and metal ephemera.  

I can't say for certain what came from which edition, but you can find this year's collection here (and of course you can also buy the packs individually).

And there's one of the Halloween Paper Dolls too, of course.  (Again, she's from a while back.)

She's the fortune teller who might take a hand in how your fate unfolds by using one of her poisonous potions on you.  You'll hear more about all that in the video when it comes out on Wednesday.

Once again, there are a few of the Curator Snippets labels in the mix... I don't know where I would be without them!

I think that's about your lot!  It's certainly my lot for this month in the Designer Spotlight for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  Head over there to see what the Design Team have got in store for you - it's bound to be inspiring.

They'll pick out a few favourite projects at the end of the week, and one randomly-drawn winner will go shopping at Simon Says Stamp with a prize voucher.  All you need to do is Add Some Texture!

I hope you've enjoyed this spooky little detour into the pages of my altered book journal.  And don't forget to pop back on Wednesday to get the direct link for the process video.  Of course, if you already follow my Words and Pictures YouTube channel, then you'll spot it when it pops up anyway!!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll have a wonderful week adding texture to whatever you are making.  Happy crafting, all!

There are poisons that blind you, and poisons that open your eyes.
August Strindberg

BELLADONNA, n. In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
Ambrose Bierce, from The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

Brand New PaperArtsy Stamps and Stencils

I'm ba-aaack! Two posts in one day... it's just like the good old days!  I'm thrilled to be here for the second time today, because the reason for it is so exciting... I have some new PaperArtsy stamps and stencils to share with you.

These are all about the changing seasons - designs which can work at any time of year.  As always, I've just got a couple of sneak peeks here to whet your appetite.  You can hear all about the ideas behind these new designs, and see lots of sample inspiration over on the PaperArtsy blog. 

As well as checking out the blogpost, I hope you'll join me  over in the PaperArtsy People FB group for an in-person introduction to the new products - three stamp sets and three stencils.

I can't wait to show you these new designs and give you a closer look at what I've been getting up to with them so far.  I hope you'll have as much fun with them as I am!

Thanks so much for stopping by today (maybe twice!), and happy crafting, all.

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.
George Santayana

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised change, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness? Whatever it is, it's welcome.
Kristin Armstrong

Use More Than One Stencil - Simon Says Stamp Guest Designer

This is the first of two posts today.  Yes - TWO posts... it's just like old times here on the blog!!  

What a joyous time I had with the new theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  I'm having such fun in the Designer Spotlight this month!  This week, the invitation is to Use More Than One Stencil... I definitely did that.  Read on to find out more...

I'm always honoured to be invited to guest design for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge... it was one of the main challenges which really got my creative juices flowing when I first started out on this journey.

And creating alongside the fabulous Design Team is such a treat... as ever, you'll find oodles of great inspiration from them over on the blog.

And the usual generous prize is on offer from Simon Says Stamp - one lucky randomly-drawn winner will get to go on a shopping spree!  All you have to do is Use More Than One Stencil.  I've used three in this tag trio.  There's almost nothing I enjoy more than a tag trio!

The backgrounds for these tags use one of my favourite techniques with stencils, a bit of blending, flipping and printing.  I started with Tim Holtz's leafy Autumn stencil, blending Distress Inks in Pumice Stone, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo and Gathered Twigs through the stencil onto a pair of tags.

I then added a hint of PaperArtsy Rusty Car Infusions powder to the inky side of the stencil, spritzed with a little water, and printed the result onto a third tag.

I loved the rusty splotchiness so much that I repositioned the stencil over the original blended tags and flicked a bit of Rusty Car mixed with water onto those inky leaves, as well as flicking the leftovers across all the tags for a bit more inky delight.

I added a bit of detail with the Tim Holtz Field Notes stamps and the text background from Professor 2.

My second stencil came in the form of this decorative tape, made with the Ornate Layering Stencil created as a by-product when I was doing some watercolour stencilling, and used up some leftover paint on the masking tape I had used to hold my stencils in place.  I have a sheet of tapes waiting to be used, and this was the moment for one of the strips! 

(If I remember rightly, I think the paint colour is a mixture of Indigo and Junebug American Journey watercolour paints, but you'd get something similar with Uncharted Mariner or Dina Wakley's Night and Peacock paints. In fact, I used a bit of Uncharted Mariner to add some echoing inking later on.)

I tore nice jagged strips and added them to the tags. I love the detail and texture this gives, and the contrasting blue really zings the tags to life.

Stencil number three comes in the shape of my own design for PaperArtsy - PS471, known in my head as "Grassy".  I blended on both of the grass stems from the stencil at different angles, using Scorched Timber Distress Ink for its really deep dark cool brown magic.

Okay, backgrounds done; three stencils used.  Time for a bit of minimal collaging so as not to lose all those deliciously complex stencilled and stamped inky layers.  The Idea-ology Photobooth snapshots are always perfect when I want a touch of vintage photo magic.  

I love layering them up over the Film Strip Ribbon - that way, you still get to see what's behind the acetate film frames.  The Snippets Curator labels may be my all-time favourite Idea-ology product...

... with the Snippets Number Strips a close second.  I hope they never discontinue them!  And the Small Talk Stickers always seem to have just the right words for me to use.  A little bit of wire adds a twisted, sculptural final touch at the top of each tag.

As you can see, I had a lot of autumnal fun with this tag trio... I love it when the autumn colours come into focus on the craft table.  I hope these tags will inspire you to get out your stencils and play.

If you'd like even more of a nudge, head over to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge to see all the amazing inspiration from the regular Design Team members... I promise you won't regret it.

Play with more than one stencil and you might find yourself in the spotlight as one of the designers' picks.  And if you're the lucky randomly-drawn winner of the prize, you could find yourself heading to the Simon Says Stamp store with a voucher in your pocket!

Watch out later on today when I'll be back with some VERY exciting news...

Happy crafting all!

I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot

Wanderlust Special Offers... including a FREE Taster

Hello all!  I seem to be back on the blog with a vengeance this month... watch out for two posts on Monday - yes, two!!

But I also had to drop in to let you know about the amazing offers available right now for Wanderlust 2026.

From 15th to 26th October, Wanderlust 2026 is available with $90 off.  That's almost half off the regular price of $199 USD for the year. The special offer price is $109, which is about £81 or €93 or $152 CAD.  Use the code SAVE90 when you book through my affiliate link.

You can book here but don't click just yet - there's an even better offer if you read on!!

Would you like to see what Wanderlust is like before joining?  FOR FREE?! Or is that a silly question?

The free Wanderlust Taster runs 20–24 October, with one class from previous Wanderlust courses released each day. It’s your limited-time chance to get a feel for the course - but hurry as Taster registration is only available until 24th October.

And if you want to be first in line as each free class goes live, you'll need to be signed up before 20th October, of course...

Sign up for the FREE Wanderlust Taster here!

Click the link above to sign up for the Wanderlust Taster. If you love it, and decide to sign up for 2026, you can still do it at the offer price, as long as you use code SAVE90 before October 26th.

Don’t miss this chance to join a year-long creative adventure with 48 weekly lessons, 35 inspiring teachers, and 4 themed seasons... all at a huge saving. 

For further temptation, here are a couple of sneak peeks of my Wanderlust 202 class.  I love seeing art supplies laid out, ready to play. In my class, you'll find out how to turn these supplies (or some similar ones)... 

... into a series of multi-layered mixed media panels, full of soulful depth and textural beauty. 

And in the meantime, why not sign up for the Wanderlust Taster in any case?  Five free mixed media lessons... what have you got to lose?!

Sign up for the FREE Wanderlust Taster here!

Or if you don't want any free classes (?!?) you can simply go direct and sign up for Wanderlust 2026 here!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and I'll see you on Monday for double helpings...

Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can, there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.
Sarah Caldwell

Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.
Emily Dickinson

Add Some Text - Simon Says Stamp Guest Designer

Hello all!  I'm back with my second project in the Designer Spotlight for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this month.  The theme invites us to Add Some Text.  Since words are always part of my work, I decided I would really make sure there are textual elements in every possible layer of these panels!  Read on to find out more... 

It's such an honour to be invited to be in the Designer Spotlight for this challenge... the Design Team is one of the best in the business, so to create alongside them is a real treat.

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is sponsored by - you'll never guess! - the Simon Says Stamp store, and as always there's a shopping spree gift voucher on offer for one randomly chosen winner.

This week's Add Some Text theme is obviously right up my street.  After all, I'm known as Words and Pictures for a reason!

In fact, over the course of thirteen years of making, I think I can probably count on one hand the number of projects WITHOUT some text added.  So to make it a proper challenge for myself, I decided I would add text in every possible layer and element that I could!

I started out by gluing some of my PaperArtsy Printed Tissue to some tags handcut out of cheap watercolour paper.  (The paper is irrelevant - it's now covered by tissue.)  I selected an area which focuses on text, rather than on my botanical sketches.  

I then used the PaperArtsy Mattints to create a sunrise/sunset ombre across the two tags.  This is a favourite technique of mine.  The transparent tinted glazes layer up with an exquisite glow.  (You can watch the magic happen in this Rainbow Botanical video over on YouTube if you're interested in the process.)  The colours on the mat are Acid, Glow, Squeezed, Ladybug, The Pink, Jam, Foxglove, Bellflower and River Deep... they're all in the mix!

It was brilliant finally to take my Tim Holtz A5 (large!) Typewriter Embossing Folder out for a spin.  I pressed some of the Kraft Black Stock card with it, and sanded it back to reveal that wonderful kraft core.  It gives the typewriter letters a brilliantly distressed look, and it's so simple to do!

I gathered a few additional bits and bobs that I thought might work well... some vintage book pages (more text!) both gessoed and plain, a few seedheads from the garden and - my main added text - some Idea-ology Quote Chips.

I was really enjoying the neutrals, but things started to look very dramatic when I layered the tinted tags into the panels.  And I love how the seedheads from the garden look against the sunrise/sunset colours.  There are some poppy seedheads and some Aquilegia (a.k.a. Columbine, a.k.a. Granny's Bonnets).

The bunches of stems, tied with twine, needed quite a while for the glue to dry.  Clothes pegs are really useful for holding everything in place in the meantime... including the extra book page trimmings creating definition between the tag and the embossed layer.

It's a slightly unusual look for me (black? shades of red?!) even though it's full of my regular ingredients, but I love how they've turned out.  As usual, I can't quite decide which way round I prefer them - seedhead bouquets together or apart?  See what you think as you scroll through the photos.

Here are a few close-ups to enjoy all that added text... and spot the Idea-ology Hinge Clips adding a touch of metal magic.

I hope that's given you plenty of text-y inspiration to get started.  If you're in search of some further creative nudging, then head over to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and see what the brilliant Design Team have been up to.  At the end of the week, they'll pick out some favourites from your entries.

And, as I mentioned, there's that randomly drawn prize on offer for a spending spree at Simon Says Stamp... and all you have to do is just Add Some Text!  We hope to see you there. 

Thank you so much for stopping by - it's lovely to be here on the blog more regularly this month... and it's not going to be only Simon Says Stamp posts.  Keep your eyes peeled!!

Have a great week, everybody, and happy crafting!

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

Rudyard Kipling

I like good strong words that mean something...

Louisa May Alcott