Make this Journey Your Own

Hello friends, 

Just a quick pop-in today to share a small project that reminded me of an important lesson: creating a collage doesn't have to be a mountain to climb. It can simply be a collection of things that tell a story.

I gathered some favorite pieces from various idea-ology packs—like Vintage Flair, Layers Remnants, and Memoir Ephemera. It’s the little details, like a scrap of Cello Sticker Tape, a Remnant Rub, or a well-placed Clipping Sticker, that really finish the look. Sometimes we get so caught up in making a "masterpiece" that we forget the joy of just putting pieces together.

Paint the sides of the largest Square Vignette box with Black Soot Distress Paint. 

After the paint is dry, sand to smooth the painted surface then add a coat of Collage Medium to seal the paint and give the box a more finished appearance.

Cut a piece of Backdrop paper to fit the top of the square Vignette. If you are a sewer, use a ruler to mark a 1/4" line on the edge of the paper. Using the pencil line as a guide, stitch around the edges (I went around twice). 

Tear, smoosh, roll, and bend the edges of the paper. I also inked the edges then spritzed with water to make the paper malleable. If you so use water, just dry it with a heat tool before adding the paper to the Vignette.

Make a ink puddle, then splatter the paper with ink. Once dry, it won't look as dark as it does when wet.

I added Scor-tape along the seam on the box so the paper edges will NOT be glued to the box and the black painted edges will be seen. I added Collage Medium to the center before adding the paper.

Once the paper is secure you can manipulate the edges of the paper as much as you want. I smashed and ripped it just a little bit more and it looked better. I do love the ink splatter on the paper - I think that helped bring the ink from the edges into the center.

Choose a Photomatic image from the pack. I chose this guy because I just loved his hat! 

I used Distress Crayon to tint the Photomatic. Vintage Photo for his jacket, Chipped Sapphire for the background, Aged Mahogany for his cheeks.

I added three layers of Gunmetal Mixative to the Photo Frame (drying in between). Once dry, I added Ground Espresso Distress Crayon to the metal frame and rubbed it in.

I also added a piece of Cello Sticker Tape and a rubbing from the Specimen Remnant Rub sheet. 

Use Picket Fence Distress Crayon to fill in the back ground of the Large Word Plaque. Rub with your thumbs to heat up the crayon so it melts into place in the background.

Gather the things you have created, along with a postcard from the Remnants Layers pack and a flair button from the Vintage Flair pack.

Create a collage with the pieces.

Use Tack Nails to secure the Large Word Band.

Add a Clippings sticker to the Photomatic.

And some string for texture

And some ephemera...really, anything goes.

Don’t feel pressured to create a Magnum Opus every time the creative bug strikes; sometimes, keeping it simple is the best way to play.

Now carry on,

paula

Hope Panel

Hello Friends,

I was listening to a podcast recently where the speaker shared a simple observation: she loved seeing tiny flowers growing in the cracks of a sidewalk. To her, those stubborn little blooms were a visual definition of hope. 

When I sat down to create this project, I found myself staring at a sheet of cracked-pattern paper from the Palette Yellow collection. Immediately, her words flashed back to me. I wanted to create a piece that mirrored that exact feeling—the idea that even in the fractured, "broken" places, there is space for something bright to grow. This project is my version of that sidewalk flower: a reminder that hope always finds a way through.

The inspiration paper from the Palette Yellow Collection!

If you'd liked to see the step-out tutorial for this project, you will find it HERE on the Simon Says Stamp Blog. It's an easy project and most relaxing with easy to color florals and the beautiful Palette paper. The Palette Yellow Collection really shines!

Now carry on,

paula

Do All the Good You Can

Hello friends,

Stopping by with another Vignette project this week. I dug out an old SKU called Baseboard Junk Drawer for this one. I have always loved that SKU but only used pieces here and there over the years. Well today is different because I have use 7 pieces from the pack! Can you find them all before we get started?

Cover the small Vignette Tray with Palette Neutral Paper. This is one of my favorite packs because I truely love all the prints that come in the pack. I chose the Collage paper and the Map paper for the inside of the Tray. 

NOTE: the tape on the lip edge is from Design Tape Trims.

I chose the black gears paper for the sides and most of the back.

I created my own patchwork on the back to show off some of the other prints.

Once the Collage Medium over the paper was dry, I was able to add Walnut Stain Crayon over the seams between the paper inside the Tray.

I also painted two Vignette Boxes in Black Soot. At this point I wasn't sure how I would use them so I just painted the entire box. NOTE: these are the two smallest boxes from the Vignette Boxes pack.

Then sanded the edges with a Blending Tool with an added Sanding Disk.

So now that I have had some thinking time, I decided to add paper to the inside of the larger box and the "back" of the smaller box.

I used Collage Medium to glue the Vignette Boxes into the Tray. There are more way you could add them but this seemed like a good configuration for my purposes. Set aside to dry.

This little by will be my focal point. He is from the Photobooth pack.

I added the boy to a piece from the Baseboards Junk Drawer pack that fit nicely inside the larger box. A Clippings sticker was added to the bottom. 

Before I placed him in the Vignette Box, I added a bingo chip to the back so he sits forward in the box.

Now let me show you how I added all the other elements that make up this piece. There are SEVEN pieces from the Baseboards Junk Drawer pack (including the piece behind the boy). The others are: the elephant, the universal dominos, 65 tag, the black ruler piece, red star in a circle and the pencil case. 

I had the idea to have the elephant look as if he is turning the wheel with his head to raise the chain to bring the star up to him. I hope you can visualize it too!

Another pack that I used three pieces is: Odds and Ends. That includes the wheel, the porthole at the bottom and the metal Transfer Button on the Dominos Baseboard piece.

The 65 tag was added with Collage Medium then two Screw Heads were added to appear as if the tag is screwed into the box.

The strip of paper is from the snippets pack - Number Strips. I added some Cello Tape to the top of the strip.

The star is painted Candied Apple and is from the first Figure Stands pack. Again, the wheel that I painted bloc is from the Odds and Ends pack.

The bottom half is simple.

The jumble in the right corner is just that, a jumble. I cut the pencil case shorter so it would fit in the box. The key was just scribbled on with Distress Crayon and the string wrapped multiple times around the neck and tied in a bow. I glued the red star to the metal "porthole" that also had scribbled on with crayon. Then with decent amount of Collage Medium I piled everything together and just let it dry. Could not be any easier than that!

For the little boy I added the ruler at the back and some paper at the bottom for more interest. I might go back an add something else here, but for now I can't seem to thing of what. Maybe something from my vintage stash? I guess it's going to the be a work in progress.

Now Carry on,

paula

 

Rock Candy Sugar Egg

Hello friends,

I had an idea I wanted try. It was really only meant for a post on Instagram, but then I decided to photograph all the steps...so here we are.
As a kid, I was always enamored with Easter sugar eggs. You know the ones—with hole on one end and a tiny, magical scene tucked inside. I remember being given one as a child and loving it so much that it lived on my bedroom shelf until the day I left for college. Today, I’m finally bringing that bit of childhood magic back, but with a crafty twist! I’m creating my own 'everlasting' version using a paper mache egg from Hobby Lobby and a custom blend of Rock Candy Mix (regular and chunky) for that perfect crystalline look.

Here are some of the supplies I gathered before I started. 

This includes eggs (in the dish) that I colored with Speckled Egg paint earlier in the month for another project.

I went to Hobby Lobby to find paper mache eggs. I found exactly one left in the paper mache section of the store. This was not in the Easter Section.

I wanted the hole to be larger so I cut it. It would probably be wise to draw a pattern first but I just went for it! Because the paper covering separates when you cut into the egg, I needed to wrap something over the edge. 

I chose to use Teabag Paper (purchased on Amazon). I tore it into a few small pieces and used Collage Medium to apply it to the egg, then wrapped each piece to the inside. I set the egg aside to dry completely before painting.

Here it is painted - my new edge worked! I know the pink on the inside looks bold pink but that is just the shadow. In person, it is not so bold!

Cut a small piece of heavy chipboard for the "floor".

Then use hot glue to secure it to the egg.

Add your painted Salvaged Rabbit.

I made a mix of Rock Candy to cover the outside of the egg.

You could use it as is or color the Rock Candy with Alcohol Ink (I used Aqua).  Just a few drops and strir with a craft stick.

Pour it out onto a deli sheet to dry.

Once dry, I returned it to the cup. On a separate deli sheet I squeezed out a quarter sized puddle of Glossy Accents. I used my finger to spread the Glossy Accents onto the egg, then used the cup to shake the Rock Candy mix onto the glue. NOTE: I covered all of the egg except for the small part on the back where the egg would rest while drying. Once dry, I turned the egg over and added more Glossy Accents and Rock Candy to the "bald spot". 

I added a bit of COllage Medium to the chipboard base then added vintage easter grass. Set aside to dry.

Working on my Studio Mat + silicone mat, I created a few cards with Distress Ink and water.

Then I cut leaves using a favorite die - Skeleton Leaves.

I added a bit of more Glossy Accents to random places on the leaves and sprinkled Chunky Rock Candy over the top. 

I added a few of the leave to the egg with hot glue. I also added a bow to the top. The tails of the bow will be folded and tucked under (as you will see in the main photo at the end).

Remember the eggs? This is how I colored them. I put eggs into a small snack size bag then squirted some Speckled Egg Distress Paint into the bag and squished it around until coated. I squeezed the eggs out onto a paper plate (so they don't roll away) to dry. Once dry, splatter with Scorched Timber.

I also made the little adornment with a Memo Pin + Quote Flair + wood plug. Make the hole in the wood plug with an awl, then push the memo pin into the hole (with a dot of hot glue). Add the Quote Flair to the top of the Memo Pin.

Add the Eggs and the Quote Flair to the egg.

I made the flowers in the background using the end of a small paintbrush.

Add the vintage trim with Collage Medium. 

The vintage flowers at the top were added with hot glue.

Hope this inspires you to make something for Easter. I love that this can be enjoyed year after year, just like the sugar egg I had as a child.

Now carry on,

paula