The Loveliest Things

Hello and welcome! Simon Says Stamp's current challenge is Life On The Ocean Waves, and I couldn't help but play along. The Elegant 3D Texture Fade just screams ocean waves to me, so I used it to embosse an oxide background. 

After inking, embossing and inking again, I swiped the raised portions of the swirls randomly and heat embossed with Seth Apter's White Cloud Baked Velvet. I splashed with watery Faded Jeans oxide. Can you spot the fish tail? I stamped the fish from Tim Holtz Sealife on Plain Collage Paper using a light touch of Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint Distress Archival inks, and colored on the opposite side with Celestial Alcohol Pearls. I tore the edges of the image and adhered it to the background with collage medium. I also did the fish head on the opposite side, but I made a real mess out of it. It's covered with 'kelp' (cheesecloth dyed with Peeled Paint spray oxide and Walnut Stain oxide).

I love this propeller from the Steampunk Parts Bigz die. I gave it an old crusty tarnished and worn brass look with a variety of products. Look out Mr. Seahorse; you might be cruising for a flat top!

The seahorse is from the Sealife stamp set, too, inked with Ground Espresso archival and clear embossed over an old failed alcohol ink lift technique panel (before the miraculous Alcohol Lift ink).

And there's the Seashells Bigz die cut given a crusty look with a variety of products. You can see a tutorial I did with tips on making seashells HERE. Grit paste, art stones and Seth Apter's Deep Sand Baked Texture, a brass starfish from my stash, a Clippings Sticker and some Funky Floral die cuts finish it off.

I hope you're finding time to create among these busy summer days. I find my crafting time is rare, but this came together in no time. Thank you for stopping by! Hugs and Blessings! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Life On The Ocean Waves

SanDee&amelie's 2019 Steampunk Summer Special Challenge I looked at DaRules again, and I thing this fits with the vintage part of industrial/vintage, with a tiny lean toward the industrial.


Scrapy Land Challenge #117 Anything Goes I used 4 Sizzix dies.
Challenge #7 - Anything Goes Mixed Media Creative Challenge at We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles
Country View Challenges July 2019 - Blues & Greens

One Last Beach Day - Shabby Card For A Vintage Journey

Hello friends! It's time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and our lovely hostess, Jennie, has chosen Back to Nature as her theme. 

Jennie says: This month we are asking you to celebrate natural elements in your project. Think real nature in terms of twigs, dried flowers, shells or pebbles or perhaps stamps and stencils depicting these wonderful elements. Immerse yourself in the colours of the seasons whether they be bright or muted and create a project in our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I had a lot of fun choosing my natural element and everything that went along with it. I wanted to make a beach themed card, but didn't want the bulk of a seashell. I had some dried starfish in my stash which are perfect to layer over a Seashells die cut I had left over from another project.

I colored watercolor paper with Distress oxides in blue for my background and even added a little stamping with the script from Tim Holtz' very popular Entomology set. I left the waste end of the paper on, to give a nod to the waves lapping at the shoreline.

The girl was chosen especially to go with the Snarky Small Talk sticker I chose just for this project. She is fussy cut from a Found Relatives Occasions card and colored with Distress markers. It looks like she forgot to use her sunscreen!

I've hoarded those spiky die cuts since this spring. I colored them with DOX to match the shell. Autumn and I traded dies at the lake, and I went home with a year's supply of die cuts and die-cutter's elbow. Thanks for sharing and a wonderful weekend, Autumn! You're the best!

I made a frame using Tim's Postage Stamp die and Rectangles Movers and Shapers. I cut it from card I covered with strips of waste packaging paper to give extra texture. I used DecoArt crackle medium and chalky paints, Distress oxides, inks, and paints. I also used the script stamp here. While the stamp was inked up from stamping the background, I kept adding more spritzes of water and stamping again until there was no more color to stamp with.  I blended all the edges of the frame in Ground Espresso ink.

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I had to have a sandy beach for my girl to stand on, and this was made with Dirty Sand Baked Texture, unheated. I die cut some Funkie Florals 3 greenery to add interest and contrast. I sponged the starfish with white chalky paint.

And here's the Snarky Small Talk sticker that inspired my entire card. After Labor Day, the locals can really enjoy the empty peaceful beaches. I probably won't run into anyone on the beach today, so I can wear this suit again tomorrow! Ha! Ha!

Everything is layered on a panel of kraft embossed with Tim's Lumber 3D Texture Fade . I spread DecoArt Crackle paint just around the edges in random thicknesses and when dry, embossed it. To get the extra large panel, I simply folded the card in half and embossed the 2 layers together. I smeared on Ground Espresso Distress stain and heat dried.

That's all for me today, but if you pop over to A Vintage Journey, you will be delighted by what my fellow Creative Guides have made especially for you using nature as their inspiration. Then, it's over to you! We invite you to play along in our 'Back to Nature' challenge. I can't wait to see  what you create!

At the end of the challenge the Creative Guides will choose 3 Pinworthy winners who are each awarded a Pinworthy badge for their blog, and their winning projects are pinned to our pinterest board. 

Thank you for stopping by and for all your wonderful, inspiring comments! 

Hugs and Blessings!

Sara Emily

CHALLENGE SHARES:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Stamp It On I used 1 stamp-Entomology
Cropstop September Link Party - #43
Love 2 Create Challenge #12, Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes
Scrapy Land Challenge #97 Anything Goes I used 4 Sizzix dies.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Stamp On It I used 1 stamp-Entomology

These products were used and are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

(MAY PRE-ORDER) Sizzix 3-D Texture Fades Embossing Folder - Lumber	Tim Holtz Postage Stamp Frame Sizzix Alterations Movers and Shapers Die	Tim Holtz Sized Rectangles Sizzix Alterations Movers and Shapers Dies	(APRIL PRE-ORDER) Sizzix Bigz Die w/Texture Fades - Seashells by Tim Holtz	(APRIL PRE-ORDER) Sizzix Thinlits Set - Funky Floral #3 by Tim Holtz
(EARLY FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Entomology	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Found Relatives - Occasions	(FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk - Snarky	(MID-JANUARY PRE-ORDER) Seth Apter Baked Texture - Dirty Sand	(MAY PRE-ORDER) Wendy Vecchi Make Art Blendable Dye Ink Pad - Acron
Ranger ADHESIVE - WHITE FOAM ROLL 1/2" X 1/16"x 2.1 YDS.	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte TDAK47933 (February Pre-Order)	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Faded Jeans	(JULY PRE-ORDER) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Antique Linen	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Worn Lipstick
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap	Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Ink Pad	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Markers - Set of 37	Ranger Tim Holtz Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Stain