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
2 comments:
Absolutely gorgeous tags Alison! the backgrounds are absolutely stunning and I love how you made your own washi tape! The colors and whole design are amazing!! LOVE THEM!! :-)
Hope you have a great week!
luv
Lols x x x
Alison, these are such gorgeous and grungy tags! I love the l nature stencils you used to layer them. Fantastic! Have a creative week! Maura
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