Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Your Favorite Technique

Welcome!

I am honored to be part of the Design Team for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for the month of August. This week, the theme is Your Favorite Technique. The most challenging part of this challenge is finding only one technique to call a “favorite”. I might as well pick a favorite cat, or child (LOL). It makes this challenge a tad difficult since there are probably a number of go-to techniques and favorites in your book. I ended up narrowing it down to a technique I absolutely adore. As a mixed-media artist, I love to layer. I also have an affinity for the Steampunk style. So I shall call this the “Layered Steampunk” technique.

Layered Steampunk Technique

This was an absolute blast to make. Not only was I able to create a tag using the techniques I love, but I was also able to included “found” materials such as a cardboard, donated jewelry, bottle caps, donated beads, and left over paper scraps. Upcycling is huge in my book. Don’t throw it away… make art out of it! My process for this fun tag is below.

I first cut a background tag out of cardboard. I used the large tag die from the Tim Holtz Framelits Tag Collection. Once cut, I added some modeling paste and used the Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Oberservations stencil from the pack. To top it off, I began adding in die cut gears from the Tim Holtz Gearhead die set.

Although much of the Layered Steampunk style is in the background, I needed a focal point. This little cutie fit the bill. From the Time Warp stamp set from AALL & Create, I stamped her out and then colored her in using the Spectrum Noir TriBlend Brush Market Set.

A Lisa Jones die set coupled with an older Bigz die helped to create the flowers. Bottlecaps filled with donated beads created additional Steampunk-inspired accents, and then ALL of it was given a good coat of Golden white gesso!

Now for the fun. I began inking with some amazing Cracked Pistatacio and Vintage Photo Distress Ink (and a few other color accents) on the background, flowers, and bottlecaps. An older Stampers Anonymous stamp and some Memento black ink helped with accents. Then it was all topped off with some amazing Prima Alchemy Wax in Pearl White and Emerald. If you haven’t used any waxes before, I highly recommend it. Finally, some stamped sentiments from some of the sets above as well as some I have in my collection helped complete the main tag. The leather flower was cut from a Bigz die and wrapped in silver wire with a piece of bling I had laying around. And there you have it! Layered Steampunk!

As an artist and designer, mixed-media is my style of choice. Layering produces such amazing depth, bringing life to my art and craft creations. It’s fun. It’s messy. I LOVE it!!

Enjoy a few closeups and check out some of the details. I adore this little gal and the entire tag!

Now it’s your turn! What is your favorite technique? I would love to see what everyone comes up with.  Upload your creation to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. You can submit up to 5 submissions giving you 5 chances to win a special $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Stay Creative!