SEEING STARS

Greetings Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Fans! 

It's time for another new challenge! This week, it's all about STARS!  Stop by the challenge blog and check out the "out of this world" projects that the Design Team has waiting for you!

Since I am a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe, I took the opportunity to combine literal stars with her Hollywood Stardom. 

I created this 6x6 chipboard piece, celebrating her life and featuring STARS.

I began with this 6x6 chipboard covered in a wonderful image from Graphic 45's Communique paper.  I inked the edges with Black Soot and then gave the paper a light spritz with Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist.

Next, I die cut the stars (from Sizzix Bigz Stars) and medium gear (from Tim Holtz Gadget Gears) out of plain Grungeboard. I cut the little tabs off of the gears and then dabbed first a Silver and then Gold Paint Dabber over all to create a grungy metallic effect.  Then I backed the stars with black cardstock that had been lightly swiped with the Gold Paint Dabber.  I added a little "bling" to the centers of the stars.

Here is a closeup of the finished stars.

The large filmstrip is cut from Vellum and then from manila cardstock.  I alcohol inked the vellum with Caramel and Ginger Alcohol Inks to create the really cool mottled effect.  Those are great vintage colors! Then I distressed the manila cardstock with Gathered Twigs and glued the vellum on top of the cardstock using Glossy Accents.  Next, I inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.  Finally, I added the two lovely pictures of Marilyn I found on the internet and sized to fit the frames of my filmstrip.

Next came the film reel.  The medium Gadget Gears was the perfect size for this piece! After painting the Grungeboard, I rolled a piece of manila cardstock cut into a 3/4" strip until it fit the holes of the gears.  Then I glued the ends together with Glossy Accents and painted what would be the "shaft" for my film reel.  Then I hot glued the shaft into place between the "reels".  Next, I hot glued one end of a piece of Tim Holtz' wonderful Filmstrip Ribbon to the shaft.  I left a long tail of film so that I could later intertwine it among the stars and camera.

I found another wonderful picture of Marilyn posing and thought she'd be perfect sitting atop my film reel ... and she is! I sized her to fit, backed her with cardstock and then cut her out.  I inked her edges with a black cats eye ink pad and hot glued her "tush" in place sitting on the film reel.  I wish you could actually see this piece in person.  The dimensionality of her sitting on that film reel is really neat!

Stars are always having to put up with the paparazzi.  I decided to add Tim Holtz' Mini Vintage Camera to this piece.  I started with a piece of Grungeboard and covered it with a piece of black cardstock that was swiped with the Silver and Gold Paint Dabbers.  I popped the lens with a couple of pop dots so that it would stick out.  I added a scrap of Metal Foil Sheet around a large "bling" rhinestone in hopes of created a camera flash effect; like the old cameras used to produce.  Finally, I tucked the other end of Tim Holtz' film strip ribbon into the camera after it winded its way through the stars.

So, here it is again.  Do you see the filmstrip winding its way from the film reels, through the stars and to the camera?

Now it's YOUR turn to create something wonderful using stars.  Then post it to our challenge and YOU could be our lucky weekly winner of our generous sponsor's 

$50.00 credit voucher! You could also be named as one of our TOP THREE works of art for the week! Have fun with this one! I can't wait to see what you create!  Have a great week!

Here are all of the products available at Simon Says Stamp and Show used on this piece:

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WHAT I'M KNOWN FOR ...

Hello friends and welcome to my blog!  This week's Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge was a bit of a challenge for me!

The theme is "What I'm known for ... ".  You would think that might be easy but when you really stop to think about it, it's kind of tough to define yourself.  I would like to think that, at least in the art community, I'm known as someone who tries to be different all the time; not defining myself by one particular style.  I love all things vintage.  I love Tim Holtz' style.  I love dimensional pieces and I love lots of detail.  So, I guess that defines me better than anything.  But, as I said, I also try to create things that are different and share not only what I did but how I did it with you.  That is why, when I came up with my piece for this week, I even surprised myself.  I attempted an easel card with a drawer!  My first EVER!

I am not a card maker.  I think I have made one or two cards my entire life.  I love cards and I have seen some of THE MOST beautiful cards I've ever seen made by people posting to the challenges at Simon Says Stamp and Show.  But, for some reason, I think I'm intimated by cards! (smile)

Anyway, in the interest of staying true to being different, doing vintage, having dimension and lots of detail, I decided to be totally different and create this easel card with a drawer!

I was inspired by one of our challenge posts a few weeks ago....Shea Marshall's entry that was a easel card with a drawer.  Check out her blog and there is a video link to show you the basic construction of this easel card with a drawer.

  

See, you guys inspire ME as much as I hope that I inspire YOU!

I began with papers from Pink Paislee's beautiful London Market 12"x12" paper pad. 

1. Begin with a 6x6 square out of solid cardstock (I used the dark brown patterned paper) for the basic drawer. 

2. Score it at 1" on each side, using the Martha Stewart Score Board.  Then cut along one of the score lines on each side (to tuck that tab inside when creating the corners for the drawer).   

3. Use 1/4" Scor Tape or glue to glue the corner tabs to the inside of the drawer.  

4. Using patterned paper, cut eight strips measuring 3/4" x 4".  Then cut two pieces 4"x4". These pieces are used to decorate the outside and inside of the drawer. Ink all of the edges of all of the cut paper with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  Decorate the outside of the drawer now.

5. Cut a handle measuring 1/2"x4" out of plain cardstock.  Score each end at 1/2".  (I also lightly swiped the brown cardstock with a Gold Paint Dabber for a metallic look.)

6. Punch a hole in either end of the handle.

7. Measure in 1/2" from either end of the drawer front and punch a small hold.  

8. Line up the hole on the drawer front with the hole in the handle and put in place using a brad.

9. Now decorate the interior of the drawer with the remaining cut patterned paper. 

   Here is the finished drawer....

 The cardstock used to decorate the drawer not only is pretty but it adds strength to the drawer.

 

Next you are going to create the band that the drawer will slide into.  This will also be the base for the easel card.

1. Cut a piece of solid cardstock 4 1/8" x 11".  Score the band at 1 1/8", 5 1/4", 6 3/8" and 10 1/2". 

2. Cut two pieces of patterned papers 4 1/8" x 4 1/8".  These will go on the two outer sides of the band.  Be sure to ink all of the edges with Gathered Twigs.  I also stamped "DREAM" and the butterflies on either side of the side panels.  DREAM is from Tim Holtz' Stuff to Say Stamp set and the top butterfly in the row of four butterflies from Attic Treasures. I used Coffee Archival Ink.

3. Decorate each panel of the band.

4. Glue or Scor Tape the band together.  The drawer will slide into the band.

      

This is the finished base and drawer assembly.

Now you will create the easel portion of the card.

1. Cut a piece of 4 1/8" x 8 1/4" out of plain cardstock.  Score this piece at 4 1/8" and 6 1/4".  The 4 1/8" square will glue to the top of the drawer.  The other end will create the easel.

2. Cut a piece of patterned paper 4 1/8" x 4 1/8".  Glue this square to the inside of the top flap that was created from the scoring.

3. Cut pieces of patterned paper to decorate the easel portion of the card, both back and front sides. 

Now your easel card should look like this ...

Then embellish your card and it is finished!

I began my embellishing by die cutting these pieces from the dark brown patterned paper that I used to create my basic card.  I swiped the pieces with both Gold and Juniper Paint Dabbers to create a shabby metallic appearance.  These die cuts are Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Accents.  I added some bling to the flourish corners.

I also embellished the medallion pieces...one with a sentiment from Tim Holtz and the other with a metal gold frame and a metal butterfly than has been touched with the Juniper Paint Dabber.

Here is the medallion on the top of the card, popped over a partial distressed doily and a paper strip from the London Market papers.  Next to the medallion is another butterfly.  It is from Tim Holtz' Mini Blueprints 2 stamp set.  It is stamped on an almost kraft cardstock and colorized with a Detailer Water Brush and Tattered Rose and Bundled Sage Distress Inks.  I hot glued a little dimensional copper crown with bling at the top. The butterfly flutters among a Tattered Rose colored ribbon and trailing Prima Avon Roses.

Here is my easel card top.

  

My cardstock medallion on the bottom of the card is backed with Melissa Frances' cream tulle ribbon.  I love all of her stuff...so vintage and shabby!

  

Here is the bottom of my easel card....flourish bling in the corner, beautiful sentiment medallion, little copper butterly popped on the upper corner and the Avon Roses trailing onto the bottom of the card.

  

 Really fun vintage style project!  Fill the drawer will little candies, a gift card; whatever your heart desires...that will fit in the drawer! (smile)

Now it's YOUR turn to create something that defines YOU and enter it to our challenge. You could be the lucky winner of Simon Says Stamp's 

$50.00 credit voucher! A very nice prize! And...you could be named as one of the TOP THREE PICKS for this week's challenge.  Good luck!  I can't wait to see what you're known for!

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

  

 

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