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