EVER AFTER ...

Welcome to my blog and the first Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge for February!  Can you believe it's February already?

This week's challenge is all about fairy tales and fantasy.

I was quickly taken back to my favorite childhood fairy tale ...

Cinderella! 

I thought she was the most beautiful princess I'd ever seen.  Her story of overcoming her evil step mother and three ugly step sisters to win the heart of the handsome Prince Charming is such a classic! My favorite part is Cinderalla's magical transformation from wearing rags into a gorgeous ball gown and dancing with her prince.  All seemed to be lost at the stroke of midnight when the magic spell was broken but in the end, Cinderella and her Prince lived happily ever after!

As I usually do when creating something, I never really know where the end project will take me.  But, I sort of know what I want to use in creating a piece.  So, I pulled out Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts Artful Shrines, Tim Holtz' Weathered Clock die cut and Kaiser's Iron Gate Wood Flourishes.  That would be my basic elements. 

Because I didn't know how the Artful Shrines would be colored, I gave all of the pieces a basecoat of White Gesso.

I painted the shrine frame with a Black Paint Dabber and let it dry.  Then I pounced the paint dabber in places to create a little more texture.  After that dried, I added some Gold Embossing to the frame by randomly stamping the crackled effect stamp from Tim Holtz' Joyful Song stamp set.  You will see that in later pictures.

I sprayed Dylusions London Blue then a touch of Vibrant Turquiose onto center portion of the white gesso painted shrine; followed by a touch of Stormy Sky Distress Ink.  Then I stenciled Dyan Reaveley's snowflakes from her Let It Snow Stencil onto the background of the blue using a stipple brush and Gold Paint Dabber paint.  I painted around the outside edge of the shrine with a Black Paint Dabber.  Then I lightly added some Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Powder to the surface.  Finally, I painted the Kaiser Wooden Iron Gates with a Gold Paint Dabber and then added Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Powder.  I wanted them to glisten as if covered with fairy dust!  I attached them to the base of the shrine using Tyvek that I had painted with Gold Paint Dabber.

The transformation continues as I hot glued the crackle embossed frame onto the top of the shrine background.  The black squares are pop dots where I would be placing the weathered clock.  I also hot glued the "steps" that had been painted with a Gold Paint Dabber and then distressed with Black Soot Distress Ink.  I kept the center of the weathered clock die cut and covered it with manila cardstock, distressed with Gathered Twigs and edged with Black Soot.  I then stamped part of a saying on Tim Holtz' Fairytale Frenzy stamp set. 

Now I needed to get the weathered clock ready to take it's place at the top of the shrine.

 I cut it out of Plain Grunbeboard and colored it using first a Black Paint Dabber.  Then I decided to try the Tarnished Brass Distress Stain over most of the clock.  I heated it dry and then added some dabs from a Gold Paint Dabber to add texture and also more metallic color. 

Next, I coated the clock in embossing ink and sprinkled Clear UTEE all over the clock and then removed the excess powder.

Then using my Heat It Craft Tool, I melted the Clear UTEE to give the clock a shiny finish and added dimension.

Finally, to really make those roman numerals pop, I added a black cardstock (that had been lightly swiped with Gold Paint Dabber) underneath the numerals.  I glued the cardstock in place with Glossy Accents and then cut out around the weathered clock die.

Here you can see the weathered clock, taking it's place at the top of the shrine.  Then I added a beautiful "castle door" frame from Darkroom Door's Frame Stamp.  It is gold embossed on black cardstock.

For a more romantic fairy tale feeling, I added some green wire (vines) to the castle door and then a few colorful tea roses to the vines.

The final touch to this fairy tale story ... the characters! All were found online and sized to fit my piece.  I backed them all with cardstock and then cut them out, leaving a little tab at their feet to hot glue them onto the steps.  Prince Charming and Cinderella shimmer and sparkle thanks to Waterfall, Stardust and Gold Stickles.

And what story of Cinderella would be complete without Tinkerbell?  Here she is, sparkling with Stardust, Eucalyptus and Gold Stickles, waving her magic wand over the sentiment ... "Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."  Isn't THAT a wonderful thought?  

I'm wishing you a "HAPPILY EVER AFTER" kind of New Year!

Join us at Simon Says Stamp and Show and enter our Ever After challenge.  You would be the lucky winner of our weekly random drawing of a 

 $50.00 credit voucher to shop at Simon Says Stamp!  You could also be recognized as one of the TOP THREE entries for the week!  Be sure to stop by Simon Says Stamp and Show to see the magical fairy tale creations that my Design Teammates have waiting for you!

Have fun with this one and have a wonderfully creative week!

Here are the products available at Simon Says Stamp and Show used in this piece:

InLinkz.com