MEN ONLY!!!!

Hello bloggers!  It's another Monday and time for a new Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!  Let's hear it for the boys!!  This week's challenge is all about THE MEN!  

Now, the challenge is NOT for "MEN ONLY"...but the challenge pieces need to be masculine.

When I started thinking about what to do for a "MEN ONLY" piece, the first thing that popped into my head was that old song from The Judds; "Grandpa, Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days". (Sorry if that song will be in your head all day now!)  I couldn't shake it so, that was my inspiration for this frame; honoring my Grandfathers.

This is a simple wooden frame that I bought for $1.  It measures 8 x 8 inches.  I painted the frame with Raw Umber Acrylic Paint and let it dry.  Then I covered it with a background paper from the fabulous Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection.  I sanded the edges and distressed them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I wanted to do something different with this frame, so I added a pouch made out of Hero Arts Kraft Paper  (that has been distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink) so that I could put extra pictures and whatever other little "treasures" I wanted to in it.  I just made up the pattern.  It's a simple little pouch that measures 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches.  I scored a 1/4" space in the center of the bottom and folded it.  I rounded the corners with a Fiskars Round N Round Corner Punch.  Next I cut two small pieces of kraft paper, 2 1/2 high x 2 inches wide.  I scored the paper every 1/4" using my Martha Stewart Score Board (love this thing!).  Then I folded it into an accordian and attached one to each inside of my little pouch folder using 1/4" Wonder Tape.  I glued the pouch in place.  (It hangs over the one side of the frame but that was intentional.)  Then I fashioned a strap out of another piece of distressed kraft paper.  I started with a piece of paper that was 1 1/2" wide x 9 inches long.  I scored it at 1/4" and at 1".  Then I folded under the two sides and secured them with Wonder tape.  I used my corner rounder to round off the bottom of the strap.  I distressed the edges of the strap using Black Soot Distress Ink and then I lightly (using my index finger) rubbed Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls powder on the strap to give it just a hint of a shimmer.  I used my Crop-A-Dile (on the largest hole setting) to punch three holes and then affix Antique Gold Grommets that came with the Crop-A-Dile.  I adhered the top of the strap to the top of the frame.  Finally, I attached one set of small round adhesive backed Velcro underneath the strap.  The strap is not only decorative but functional.  The velcro holds my little "treasures" in place in the pouch.  (By the way, the pocket holds pictures of both my husband's and my Grandfathers and my father's military service cards.)

Next, using Plain Grungeboard, I cut out different size gears from Tim Holtz' Gadget Gears die.  I also cut out a few from Tim Holtz' Mini Gadget Gears die.  I even ran a few of them through my Vagabond using Tim Holtz' Collage Texture Fade.  Then I pounced them with Gold and Silver Paint Dabbers for that rough metal effect.  To really scuff them up, I scratched a few of them using my Tim Holtz'  Craft Scratcher Tool before further distressing them with Black Soot Distress Ink.

I cut some clock faces from the Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection, inked the edges with Black Soot and then covered the clock faces with Crackle Accents for a really vintage feel.  After they were dry, I glued them onto the gears and set them aside until I figured out how to place them.

Using a vintage image of a little boy, some Clear UTEE, my Melting Pot and a round cookie cutter, I created this little "medallion" to place on my frame.  Simply grease the inside of a cookie cutter with a liquid embossing ink (to coat the surface and prevent sticking).  Lay the cookie cutter over the image.  Pour the melted clear UTEE into the cookie cutter...just enough to the thickness you want.  It doesn't take much!  Let it set for a few minutes and the remove the cookie cutter.  Pull away the paper underneath and you have your vintage medallion.  I glued it onto one of the die cut gears and set it to the side.

I wanted to use an image of a man on my frame and found the perfect one on yet another sheet of the Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection.  I cut him out, inked the edges with Vintage Photo.  I decided to hang a smaller clock on his hand and have a chain coming from the top of the clock to his pocket, reminiscent of a vintage pocket watch.  He's a great image but he looked a bit small in comparison to all of the "manly" gears.  So, I stacked two of the coordinating papers from the collection and made a large rosette to put behind him.  By stacking the papers, I mean that I cut two strips from Tim Holtz' Flower Strip Paper Rosette die cut.  I had one of the strips about 1/4" beyond the first strip and taped them into place using regular scotch tape.  (That hold the papers in place and also strengthens the pierced folds).  I glued the rosette together using Glossy Accents and let it dry.  Then I distressed it with Black Soot and finally edged it with Platinum Stickles...my favorite Stickles for vintage work.

Finally, it was time to make the very thing that I first envisioned when I started this frame.  I cut pennants from Tim Holtz' Pennants On the Edge die cut and covered them with a coordinating paper from Proper Gentleman.  (I left a small tab on the top of the pennants so that I could fold the paper over the black cording I used to join the pennants and then glue the paper tab in place on the back side of the pennant).  The letters are Tim Holtz' Vintage Market die cut onto cream cardstock and distressed with Platinum Stickles.  Finally, I made a small banner on my computer that says "tell me 'bout the good old days" and printed it out on white cardstock then distressed it with Vintage Photo and Black Soot.  I laid everything out, glued it all into place and now I have a new frame.  The picture in the center....that dapper fellow is my father's father when he was a young man.

Now it's your turn to create something for MEN ONLY and post it to our challenge at SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW!  If you're needing a little more creative food, check out the wonderful designs made especially for you by my design teammates.  Their work is always so inspiring, so unique and off the charts GOOD!!!  Then enter your art into our challenge.  You could be selected as one of our TOP THREE artists for the week.  You could also be the lucky recipient of our sponsor's very generous prize of ...

So, join the fun and YOU could be a lucky winner!!!