Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Barn's Burnt Down Tag using Whimsy Stamps' Boho Rainbow Dies and Tim Holtz Photobooth Image

This week's challenge theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is Sun, Moon, Stars.  I decided to highlight a quote I've always liked ("Barn's burnt down...now I can see the moon"), which I tacked onto the front of my tag.

I started out with a bunch of stuff I'll end up covering anyway, as usual.  In this case, it was some stamping with Tim Holtz stamps (Documented and Faded Type) onto a tag cut out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper.  I stamped the greenish section by smearing paint onto the stamp, which I then spritzed with water, which gives it that watery look when it's stamped onto paper.  The other image of the circular typewriter keys was stamped with Distress Ink (Blueprint Sketch).

I thought I'd add some Infusions into the mix, so I sprinkled on some Rusty Car then sprayed the tag with water and dabbed up the excess with a paper towel.  While the tag was still damp, I flicked on some Dylusions Ink Spray (Cherry Pie and Squeezed Orange).  Then I dabbed some Distress Oxide (Peacock Feathers and Broken China) around the edges of the tag.

It was at this point that I made a bad decision!  I wanted some deep blues on the tag, so I drizzled some Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray onto the tag and spritzed it with water, but it was way more potent than I thought!  I ended up covering a lot more of the tag than I wanted to with the blue color.  I think it turned out all right in the end, but if there was a crafty rewind button (which I have wished for more than once), I would've put less blue on the tag at this point.

To wipe out some of that blue, I painted white over some of it and stenciled on some white stars using Simon's Scattered Stars stencil.  Then it was TOO white (can you see how I drive myself nuts sometimes?) so I scribbled some turquoise dots onto the white space.  I also cut an arch shape out of Dina Wakley ledger paper.  Then I cut another arch with Whimsy Stamps' Boho Rainbow Dies set and painted it in pinks and greens.  I've been really drawn to arch shapes lately because an arch, to me, symbolizes a path forward - like a doorway to potentially good things in the future.

I found a picture in the Tim Holtz Photobooth set of images and made a background for it, then typed out the barn quote using a typewriter.  I glued everything down and used a mini stapler to secure the photo to the tag.  This baby was done!

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper: White
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Whimsy Stamps' Boho Rainbow Dies
• Sizzix Tag Collection Dies
• Infusions: Rusty Car
• Dylusions Ink Spray: Squeezed Orange
• Distress Ink: Blueprint Sketch
• Distress Oxide: Peacock Feathers, Broken China
• Simon Says Stamp Scattered Stars Stencil
• Tim Holtz Documented Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Faded Type Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1
• Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray: Lapis
• Tim Holtz Photobooth Images
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher Stapler
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Turquoise, Olive, Sage, Umber
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Strawberry Daquiri, Cherry Pie

How will you incorporate the sun, moon and/or stars into your projects this week?  We can't wait to see what you come up with!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Watercolor Tags using Poppy Stamps' Twisted Houses Dies and Dina Wakley's Metal Rimmed Tags

Incorporating watercolors is this week's challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  I made some circular tags using Poppy Stamps' Twisted Houses dies and Dina Wakley's Metal Rimmed tags.

I started by cutting some houses out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper using my Sizzix Big Shot and the house dies.  Then I used watercolors to paint them.  Once they dried, I added some white paint.

Next I watercolored onto Dina Wakley's Metal Rimmed Tags and then sprinkled some Infusions on.  I added dots with acrylic paint.

I ended up adding some more acrylic paint to my houses, plus some polka dot washi tape, and outlined them with a black sharpie.  I put some paper scraps in the background that I'd stamped text onto and glued down my houses.  I added dark brown acrylic paint to the metal tag rims and painted the strings on my tags a darker color.  These tags were done!

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Prima Confetti Watercolors
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper: White
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Poppy Stamps Twisted Houses Dies
• Dina Wakley Media Brushes
• Altenew Many Dots Washi Tape
• Infusions: Royal Blood
• Dina Wakley Metal Rimmed Tags
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Turquoise, Umber, Lapis
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Pure Sunshine, Tropical Sangria

We can't wait to see what projects you add a watercolor touch to!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Art Journal Page using Dylusions Small Creative Journal and Tim Holtz's Palette Collage paper

Art Journaling is the theme of the week over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  I whipped out my Dylusions Small Creative Journal and got to work!

To make my background, I started by brushing some white paint onto my paper, then before it dried, I shook on some Infusions Colored Stain (In the Navy and Rusty Car), which I spritzed with water, then dabbed with a baby wipe.  I also added some watercolor paint into the messy mix.

When that dried, I glued down some Tim Holtz Palette Collage paper and blended it in with white paint.

When that dried, I stamped some circles onto the page using Tim Holtz's Halftone and Rings stamp set.  I painted in some of the circles with Dylusions Cherry Pie paint, then decided to sketch a branch image.  Once my image was done, I ripped pieces of patterned paper (from Dina Wakley's Spark books and Simple Stories' Flea Market paper) into leaf-shapes and glued them inside the leaves of my branch sketch.

Once that was done, I did more bending with acrylic paint.  I also added some outlines to the page in blue using Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks.  I did a little more stamping here and there with Tim Holtz's Faded Type stamp set.  I stamped out the "Peace" sentiment using Tim Holtz's Seasonal Scribbles and glued that on.  I did some more doodling and scribbling and this page was done!

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Dylusions Small Creative Journal
• Paper Artsy Infusions: In the Navy and Rusty Car
• Tim Holtz Palette Collage Paper
• Prima Watercolors: Confetti Set
• Dina Wakley Collage Sparks: Book 2 and Book 3
• Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Faded Type Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Seasonal Scribbles Stamp Set
• Simple Stories Flea Market Patterned Paper
• Dylusions Paint: Cherry Pie
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive, Carnation, Turquoise and Ocean

We're excited to see what you come up with for this week's challenge!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Inspired by Music Card using Concord & 9th's Greatest Hits Dies

"Inspired by Music" is this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme.  I love listening to music and playing the piano, so I thought this was a banner theme!  I also like retro things (like vinyl), so I was excited to play with Concord & 9th's Greatest Hits die set.

I started by cutting the album sleeve and the record, both out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper.

I glued some of Dina Wakley's collaged words to the background, then a scrap of a collage I'd made.  I also cut out a section of scallop shapes using Studio Light's Scallop Fun die.  I painted the scallops and added them in.  I also painted the middle of my record, though I kept changing the color of that as I went along.

I thought some pale green might go nicely with this color palette, so I added in some Dylusions Mushy Peas paint, along with some white dots.  I also added turquoise to the center of the record.

I finished off the project by drawing around the polka dots and around the edges of the album sleeve with Nuvo watercolor pencils.  Then I used a typewriter to type out a favorite lyric line from Ben Harper: "We've all got stardust in our bones."  I also added the word "hope" to the record.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Concord & 9th Greatest Hits Dies
• Studio Light Scallop Fun Dies
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper: White and Black
• Dina Wakley Collage Words
• Dina Wakley Paint: Turquoise, White, Sedona, Cheddar, Sage, Marine, Ocean, Syrup
• Dylusions Paint: Mushy Peas
• Nuvo Watercolor Pencils: Midtones

How will you be inspired by music this week?  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Paint It Tag using Dylusions Paint

"Paint It" is this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme and we're also featuring Dylusions products.  It just doesn't get any better for me than using paint!  In fact, if there was a challenge that was to NOT use paint, you'd probably find me curled up in a little ball in the corner of my craft room wondering how I will ever face the universe again!  Yep.  I do love me some paint.

I made a scrappy little book out of a tag folded in half.  I started by mixing water and Dylusions acrylic paint and streaking it down a piece of sketch paper.

Next I doodled some shapes with a pencil, then filled them in with more colors of paint.  I also outlined my shapes with Nuovo watercolor pencils.

While that dried, I stamped some sentiments/text onto newsprint paper using Tim Holtz's Theories stamp set.  I also cut some scallop shapes out of Simple Stories' Flea Market patterned paper and added some paint to those.

Next I got out a black Dylusions tag and folded it in half.  Then I tore my painted collage in half and glued it to the Dylusions tag.  I added white paint, one of the scallop-shapes, and some text up the spine side of the tag book.  I stuck some AALL & Create Mix and Match washi tape to the inside of my paint shapes, doodled some circles on the side, and added some bright orange dots.  I outlined the book with some darker paint and more pencil lines.

For a finishing touch, I stamped out the sentiment "Try" using Whimsy Stamps' Boho Alphabet and added that to the front.

I collected some paper scraps for the inside, folded them in half, and bound them with string to my tag book cover.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Dylusions Journaling Tags: Black
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Balmy Night, Mushy Peas, Calypso Teal, London Blue, Pure Sunshine, Strawberry Daquiri, Tropical Sangria, Island Parrot, Rose Quartz.
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Nuvo Watercolor Pencils: Midtones Set
• ALL & Create Mix and Match Washi Tape
• Simple Stories Flea Market 12x12 Paper
• Whimsy Stamps Boho Alphabet Stamp Set

How will you get painty this week?  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!