Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Cardboard Panel using Dina Wakley's Pocket Circles Stamp Set

Welcome, welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week we are tasked with making our own background.  I decided to go for a cardboard panel, which turned out like so:

I started by cutting the flap off of a cardboard box and ripping it apart to reveal some of the corrugated interior.  I added some white paint to the cardboard, then sprinkled on Infusions color stain and spritzed it with water.  When the paint is still wet and you add Infusions and water, you can mix the paint and Infusions and come up with all sorts of unexpected colors and shades from the Infusions grains.  And while that was drying, I found a scrap of Dina Wakley Ledger paper that I cut into an arch shape and doodled on with a black pencil.

I set that aside and decided to do some embossing on black paper.  I made some marks with an embossing pen, then shook on some white embossing powder and hit it with a heat gun.  I also stamped and fussy-cut out this dapper gent from Dina Wakley's Pocket Circles stamp set.  I colored around his face with Distress Watercolor Pencils.

I cut a wonky circle frame out of the black embossed paper and also found some pink polka-dotted paper from a previous project that I thought would look good.  And because I can't seem to NOT put pointy hats on people, I made a stripped hat for my guy here, too.

I assembled my elements to the front of the cardboard panel and decided to cut some little dome shapes, too.  I also made a scrap of hole-y (as opposed to holy) paper using a small hole punch.  

I put everything together and wanted to add a sentiment.  I stamped some words from Tim Holtz's Noble Gent stamp set, then cut up the letters and rearranged them so I could spell "Idea Hat," which seemed a fitting final statement for this panel.  I know that I would very much appreciate an Idea Hat that would generate new ideas whenever I put it on and would also retain any good ideas I had before I forgot that I had them!

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

• Dina Wakley Pocket Circles Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Noble Gent Stamp Set
• Infusions Color Stain: Olive Tree and Sleight Blue
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 2
• American Crafts Moxy Embossing Pens
• White Embossing Powder
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Set 4
• Heat Tool
• McGill 1/8" Hole Punch
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Malachite, Stoked, Cheddar, Raspberry
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

I'm excited to see how you make your own backgrounds 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!