A PEARL OF A GIRL

Hello Everybody and Happy Monday!  It's another week and another challenge at

 Simon Says Stamp and Show.  This week, the theme is "Pearl".  Check out what my Design Teammates have waiting for you.  Such beautiful projects and unique ideas!

I took this week's theme literally and figuratively.  I included pearls on my project as well as working with Perfect Pearls powders in both a powder and liquid form to create my shabby chic style vintage tag.

I also found the loveliest portrait of a beautiful lady in need of a name and a story ... so meet "Pearl".  She was my inspiration for this tag.  According to my story, this lovely lady was an aspiring fashion designer in the early 1930s who dreamed of making gorgeous gowns and costumes for the beautiful actresses of the then new and fabulous talking movies.  

I began this project with a large #10 size Manila Tag.  I love them!  I colored my tag with Broken China Distress and Picket Fence Distress Stains that were scribbled onto a Non Stick Craft Sheet.  I dragged my tag through the color and heat set it.  That gave a really pretty marbled effect.  Next I distressed the edges of the tag Gathered Twig and Black Soot Distress Inks. (My camera messed up on that picture).

Portrait and lace before creating Pearl's portrait.

Then I found "Pearl" online and sized her to fit my tag.  I printed her out onto Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Natural Back Canvas.  I peeled off the sticky backing and backed the photograph onto kraft paper, to give it some extra strength.  I love the texture and the rich photograph appearance that the canvas gives.

Next I dyed some white lace to look old and vintage. I did this with some Raw Umber Liquitex ink and a little water in a bowl.  It only took a couple of minutes to do.  Then I heat set it with my Heat It Craft Tool.  I then gathered the lace on a single thread and placed it around the edge of my photograph; sticking it in place with 1/8" Scor-Tape. 

Pearl's portrait after putting everything together.

I colorized the photograph with Victorian Velvet and Shabby Shutters Distress Markers for the color of the flowers that Pearl is holding.  I swiped the pens onto the Non Stick Craft Sheet and then used a Small Sakura Water to apply the color and blend it.  Then I pulled out Pink Gumball and Sour Apple Perfect Pearls powders and using the water brush, I created a "paint" and brushed over the flowers and leaves to give them shimmering highlights.  Next I wanted to give dimension to the pearl necklace and bracelet that Pearl is wearing.  So, I added Broken China to the pearls with the Small Sakura Water Brush.  Then I dotted Glossy Accents over each pearl.  When it dried, the pearls were colorized and they look and feel like little pearls.  Next, I added just some blush to Pearl's cheeks by lightly brushing over them with Spun Sugar Distress Ink.  

 Close up of colorization using Perfect Pearls.

Finally, I lightly brushed Pink Gumball Perfect Pearls powder onto the canvas background, behind Pearl's head.  Then I set the portrait to the side until I was ready to attach it.  

Button cards before constructing the tag.

I found the vintage button cards online.  I sized them to fit my design, printed them out, backed them on kraft paper and then cut them out.  I edged them with a Chestnut Roan and Black Cats Eye Ink Pads.  Then I gave the top button card (with the buttons) more dimension by adding Glossy Accents over the buttons and let it dry.  It looks like real little buttons on the card! Then I set those to the side.

Button cards after constructing the tag.

Next came Tim's On The Edge Sewing die cut.  I cut it out of Grungeboard and the colorized it with Tim Holtz' new Brushed Pewter Distress Stains.  They are awesome.  They go on so quickly and cover so completely in just one application!  After that dried, I added just a hint of Gold Paint Dabber and then edged it with a black cats eye ink pad.  I added Copper Perfect Pearls to the die cut button and then topped it with Glossy Accents. I love the vintage shiny rose-ish color (not yet completed in this picture).  I wrapped a little string of "pearls" around the spool and left a tail so that I could let them trail off when I put all of the pieces together.

Organza roses before constructing the tag.

To cover the bottom of the die cut and the tag, I sprayed a piece of organza roses from Tim Holtz' Trimmings with a concoction of Worn Lipstick Refill, Forever Red Perfect Pearls Powder and water in a Mini Mister.  I also sprayed the piece of white ribbon at the top of the tag with this spray.  I added a Melissa Frances pearl to each of the centers of the roses with Glossy Accents and let it dry.

 Organza roses after adding the pearl centers and adding to the tag.

 Almost as an afterthought, but so glad I added it, I made little Memo Pins that say "PEARL".  I stamped the letters onto manila cardstock and covered them with the Memo Pins. Then I added Glossy Accents to the openings of the Memo Pins and let it dry.  When dry, I cut away the excess cardstock.

 

Now it was time to put everything together.  I also added a piece of vintage lace down the right side, a portion of Black Pearl Blink (white pearls colored with Pitch Alcohol Ink) and a piece from an old pattern that I stamped with some vintage button images.

Here are the the steps I used to assemble my shabby chic tag:

1.  I glued the old pattern paper across the tag.  
2.  I brushed over parts of the tag with Copper Perfect Pearls Powder.  
3.  I stamped the button images in the upper left corner.
4.  I attached the long piece of vintage lace to the right side of the tag using Tim Holtz' Tiny   Attacher and a piece of 1/4" Scor Tape underneath where the portrait would be placed.  
5.  I attached the black pearls on top of the vintage lace.
6.  I glued Pearl's portrait in place.
7.  I layered and glued the two button cards on top of the portrait and vintage lace.
8.  I added the Sewing die cut at the bottom of the tag.
9.  I hot glued the organza ribbon roses in place.  
10. I glued the string of pearls to the back of the button card and let them trail off through the scissors handle and down into the organza roses.
11. I added the black "bling" and pearl button at the left top of the tag.
12. Finally, I hot glued the "PEARL" Memo Pins in place.  

So, that is my "Pearl" project.  I love the size of the #10 tags!  You can add so much more detail and layers on them over the #8 size tags.  

In case you were wondering what ever happened to Pearl; she lived happily ever after with her handsome movie star husband and a wonderfully successful design company.

Now it's YOUR turn to use your imagination to create something with pearls...be it real pearls or Perfect Pearls or both.  Then enter our challenge.  You could be the winner of our 

$50.00 gift voucher.  You could also be selected as one of our TOP THREE entries for the week.  Not an easy task considering all of the unique and creative pieces we are blessed with each week!  So, come on, join the fun!  I can't wait to see your work!

Here are the products available at Simon Says Stamp that were used on this project:

InLinkz.com