we've got a new home [reminder!]

Greetings! We wanted to remind those of you who may be following along via a blog reader or other similar source that we have moved our blog.

You'll find all our challenges and posts exclusively over here: http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/ - and at our new home you can sign up for email subscription if you'd like posts coming to your in-box, or you can use our new addy in your favorite blog reader/feed app and be updated that way.

We've got not just a brand new name, but a brand new vintage Simon badge that you can use on your blogs!

 

New badge code:

 <a href="http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u670/simonsaysstamp1/Blinkie%20Graphics/mon-challenge-badge_zps05647c53.png" border="0" alt="Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog"/></a>

Join us every Monday for a new challenge - see you at the Monday Challenge Blog!
 

We've moved!

Simon Says Stamp has grown so much over the years, and we've got exciting changes now happening! All three of Simon's blogs have been moved to www.simonsaysstampblog.com - including this one. Our new home is here: http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

We're now being called the "Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog" - and while it is a new name and home you'll still find us creating vintage inspired goodness each week, sharing our tutorials with you, spotlighting your entries, and basically all the same stuff you've come to know and love here at Stamp and Show.

Starting Monday, you'll find all our challenges and posts exclusively over here: http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

Also new - we've got not just a brand new name, but a brand new vintage Simon badge that you can use on your blogs!

 

New badge code:

 <a href="http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u670/simonsaysstamp1/Blinkie%20Graphics/mon-challenge-badge_zps05647c53.png" border="0" alt="Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog"/></a>

Join us, and our three newest designers on Monday for a challenge to really celebrate our new home.

Note: today's winner and spotlight post can be found on our new blog home. http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/ 

Canvas Tips & Tricks with Tracy

Hi all, Tracy here with a few tips for creating your own mixed media canvas piece.

My canvas board for the Simon Says Stamp and Show green challenge incorporates a mix of elements from torn paper, paper clay, recycled corrugated card and lots of texture. I would like to take this opportunity to share a few tips with you all for creating my mixed media piece.

 

• Add dimensional pieces, embellishments, torn pages or embellishments prior to painting if you would like the pieces to blend into the canvas. Obviously you can add embellishments at the end as a contrast to the painted elements too. There are no rules!
• One thing that always helps me with composition is to lay the pieces out prior to painting, playing around with arrangement and taking a picture each time and then looking back on each one and then decide on which I prefer best.
• If you can not decide on an arrangement, place pieces on the canvas, walk away and then come back a few hours later and then make any decisions.

 

• When adding texture with embossing paste I like to apply an uneven coat rather than smoothing the embossing paste as this adds so much more texture to a piece.
• If you want to apply texture in a different colour you can add acrylic paint to the embossing paste, mix together and then apply. Just ensure that whatever you are mixing with the paste is not too fluid as this will affect the consistency of the paste.
• When applying embossing paste through a stencil it can be helpful to tape the stencil to the canvas to ensure no embossing paste seeps under the stencil.

• Highlighting texture really lifts the canvas, using white or gold or a contrasting colour works beautifully. On my canvas I dry brushed with a gold paint to highlight all the raised areas. To dry brush, simply use a tiny amount of paint and lightly paint over the raised areas. It is important to remove any excess paint from the brush, your brush should be virtually dry when dry brushing.
• To blend the corrugated card into the background I always find a good tip is to add texture paste around the edges of the raised areas and then paint over.
• If you add charcoal around stamped images or around a focal image this really lifts the focal point from the backdrop. 
• Using a white pen to highlight areas also adds dramatic results.

A few other tips I would suggest are:

• If you want to add texture to your canvas without using Embossing Paste try crumpled tissue paper adhered with PVA glue and then painted over with paint, looks fantastic.
• Always remember if you are not happy with the finished result, you can always paint over it again with Gesso and begin again.
• If you use a canvas board rather than a traditional canvas, stamping directly onto the canvas board is much simplified and you will achieve a crisp clear image. Otherwise stamping onto tissue and then applying to a canvas is also another option.
• Painting over a dimensional canvas with black Gesso and rubbing over with wax gives an alternative finish and gives a dramatic finish 
• Experiment with texture and adding a variety of recycled
  elements, they work fabulously when covered with a coat of paint. A few
  examples are metal foil, nuts and bolts, screws and nails, buttons, the
  list is endless.

Thanks for joining me today! If you'd like to see the detailed step-by-step instructions for my ferns canvas board you can find them today over on my blog.

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Thanks to Tracy for these great tips & tricks! Now are you feeling inspired to get green? Join us in this week's challenge! Click here to see the rest of the design team's entries and to enter your creation. For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog.

 

 

Canvas tutorial with Candy Colwell

Hello everyone!  Candy Colwell here and I am so excited to be sharing this step by step tutorial on how to create this very sweet vintage 8x8 canvas.

Our theme this week is "Good To Be Green".
So many things inspired this piece.  When I think of summer, I think of the lush greenery, people with "green thumbs" and the beautiful, fragrant flowers that grace us with their presence in the summertime. 

 So, from that, "Bloom Where You Are Planted" was born.  I hope that this dimensional celebration of summer inspires you to be creative, have fun with your art and not be afraid to try something new!

Step 1:  Begin with a plain 8x8 stretch canvas. 

 

Step 2:  Find a vintage photograph to use in the center of your canvas and
size it to approximately 3"x 5". I found this sweet image on the internet a long time ago and the photo was naturally tinted green - which is perfect for this canvas!

 

Note:  I left about a 1/4" border all the way around to more resemble an old photograph, but that is optional.

 

Step 3:  Brush Matte Multi Medium onto the canvas in the area that you will be attaching the photograph.  Then place the photograph and brush over it with Matte Multi Medium to seal it. Matte Medium dries clear and doesn't have a lot of dimension, which makes it a great glue and sealer.

Step 4:  Add Bundled Sage Distress Paint all over the canvas, including the sides and allow to dry. On a non-stick craft sheet add a spritz of water and some Peeled Paint Distress Paint. Lightly brush this onto the canvas using a paint brush to achieve that streaked effect and let it dry. 

 

Step 5:  Mix a few drops of Fired Brick Reinker into White Embossing Paste.  Mix the color until you achieve the brick color you want, and then lay the brick wall stencil randomly over the canvas and scrape the embossing paste onto the canvas. Be sure to allow it to dry or use a heat tool before adding more bricks.  Repeat this process until you are happy with the placement of your bricks.

Tip: After applying a couple of bricked areas, clean the stencil before applying more to be sure you are not transferring excess paste onto your canvas. 

Step 6:  To dull the red bricks a little and add a bit more of a shabby chic feeling, use a brush to apply some Picket Fence Distress Paint that had been diluted with a little water  over the bricks and around the edges of the photograph.  Once dry, add some Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the edges and randomly on the canvas with an Ink Applicator.

Now that our background is done, let's move on to the embellishments!

Step 7:  Paint chipboard letters "BLOOM" with Pitch Paint Dabber and let dry.  Then ink the letters with Vesamark (or any clear embossing ink) and cover with clear UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel).  Place the letters on your craft sheet and return the left over UTEE to the container.  Heat the letters until the Clear UTEE is melted, leaving a shiny dimensional letter.  

Step 8: Create an 8" picket fence out of a 6" Tim Holtz On The Edge die cut titled On The Fence.  Line up one end of an  8" x 2 1/2" strip out of plain Grungeboard on the edge of the die as you normally would.  Leave about 1/2" at the bottom for a good base to the fence. To extend the fence, take the uncut portion of the Grungeboard and line it up next to the last picket in the fence where they would normally join together with the next picket. 

Lay the Grungeboard between the plastic sandwich pieces and cut it.  You will have an extended 8" piece of fence that is barely noticeable where they were joined together.

Step 9:  Paint the fence with a basecoat of Espresso Adirondak Paint Dabber and let dry.  Next add a thin coat of Paper Artsy's Fresco Finish Crackle Glaze. 

When almost dry, add a light top coat of Fresco Finish Snowflake.  Within 20 seconds (no exaggeration), the fence starts to crackle!  When dry, distress the fence with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

Step 10:  Lightly dry brush little clay pots with the Snowflake paint. Then add a green wire for a "stem" into some moss or other filler and stuff into your pots. To adhere the pots, use hot glue the pots onto the fence and wire them on using a dark wire.

note: I had some tiny clay pots to decorate for this piece, if you don't have any you can always die cut some from paper first.

Step 11:  Create the little roses and daisies/sunflowers from the Susan's Garden Collection Sizzix dies.

For this miniature sunflower, you begin by placing the die cuts (blades up) onto the platform and covering them with cardstock then the plastic cover.

Create dimension on the petals, leaves and calyx using Susan's Tool Kit.  The kit comes with everything you need to create all of her fabulous flower creations.  I also used some brown chalk to color each petal at the base.