Simon Says and The Artistic Stamper Challenges...I'll have a dabble!

A very good evening to one and all!

Long day away at The Artisan Show. Acquired a bag of goodies - which is upstairs awaiting to be unpacked and given a home! It was a fairly small fair but I was very glad to enjoy some space to meander around and savour all on offer. More another day...and onto the main jist of tonight's blog...

I have spent a lot of time this week making a hanging which I am going to enter into two challenges as it does fit the bill for both. The first being Simon Says Stamp and Show (Your Distressed/Sanded Projects!) and also the new October challenge from The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog which is Layers. The inspiration for my piece is the uber-fabulous Mad Men TV drama series. Have you seen those outfits??? It oozes with retro glamour but also highlights the tough fight the women of that time faced as they tried to break free from the typical "little housewife at home" mold...So I thought these stamps would be just the thing...

 I started by stamping and embossing Tim's lovely lady on an old 1950's magazine page (you can even see the original date!). Tinted using CH studio line paints. I layered it up with two layers of vintage lace and some crumpled brown dress pattern paper - using Vintage Photo DI on the paper edges. I embossed, sanded and inked some grunge paper for the blue background (Stormy sky) and added some stitching and sanded eyelets. I attached the two layers to each other by using head pins. I distressed the edges and set it on a board which I collaged, sanded and inked (vintage photo and fired brick). Then added some extra stamping, sanded sewing ephemera and gingham ribbon detail.  I added some more layering and detail by stamping the text onto a painted and sanded wooden block.

The glasses were stamped and embossed onto blue card and then cut-out. To finish off I used some gold thread and vintage buttons. The hanger is an old tape measure  - also sanded and inked to help it blend in better with the rest - with a little fragment held in a memo pin. Sanded and edged the whole background board again to finish!

I really enjoyed making this and I am very pleased with the end result...don't you just love it when a plan comes together!

Why not have a go yourself! Go on...Head on over to the blogs to read and see lots more (see links above).

Enjoy your Sunday, be inspired and see you all soon,


Love Me xxx