DeStress with Distress...Simon Says Stamp & Show.

Hello there!
Hope you are all wide awake and raring to go...Maybe you're at home, sneaking a peek from the office or on the go with an i-just-have-to-blog-pad. In any case, I'm starting the week with a good dose of distressing. That's the new challenge theme over at Simon Says Stamp & Show. A bit of paper-tearing and inking is good for the soul, so do join in with the challenge and show me what you got!!! Here is my new piece for the Design Team to make you go "Aaaw, how sweet..." and inspire you into creating your own piece of loveliness. Sweet, not cute. Just for the record.

It is real vintage affair today...browns and neutrals, shabby layers, polka dots and flowers. It's all happening in my shadow-box. My starting point was my new stamp from Hero Arts called, "It's a Parade!" Fell for both its charm and simplicity. I didn't plan to use a box but as the layering continued it seemed the right way to go...except I hadn't got one. Old school and cardboard it was then. After a couple of hours measuring, slicing, jiggling and glue - job done - and quite chuffed I am too. A couple of coats of mushroom paint and Vintage Photo Distress ink brought it to life

 Also trying out the Glassine paper from Mr. Tim. I've used it in the layers and for the flowers. You just have to scrunch it up to get all the great textures and wrinkles...it was great for machine-stitching on too. If you're going to die-cut or punch something, do that first for a clean cut, scrunch afterwards.

 I stamped the image onto my dotty paper with White Stazon, dried it with my heat gun and then applied a good dose of Brushed Corduroy ink with some blending foam. The Stazon will resist the ink well but a gentle buff with some kitchen paper will make it pop even more. I've layered it up with a book page and stamped muslin, all distressed and inked.

I used the Tattered Florals die and a punch on the same papers to make my flowers,  lightly inking the edges.
I've shaped the flowers by hand to give more dimension and movement, otherwise they lie too flat.

 I just love little gatherings of snippets. So here in the corner I made a stitched paper frill and piled on a bit of this and that. I finished off with by stamping "good times". I like the petite and subtle sentiment. There are also a few of my well-known button and thread antics going on!

Playing with these wonderful tones and the glorious sunshine streaming into my craft room made for a perfect day. Can't they all be like this?

I do hope you feel inspired...maybe just by the colours or the layers. Distressing works on so many projects...Still wondering? See more really great ideas from the rest of the Simon Says Design team here. I hope to see lots of you there and remember you could win a $50 spree or make the Top Three! So De-stress and Distress because both prizes sound just fine to me...

Wishing you a great week in all you do. Thanks for calling by...would love to hear from you!

Back soon...

Sarah.