Sunday, January 15, 2012

SIMON SAYS ANYTHING BUT A CARD

I love SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE this week because it is so open...any subject, any medium, just NOT A CARD!  Check out the blog to see the wonderful ideas that my Design Team buddies have come up with for you.  What a wide range of fantastic!!

I wanted to just be simply artsy this week, so I did something that is easy to do but I think the results are pretty cool. If you're snowbound this week or just wanting to take little time for yourself to "play", try out this simple background technique.  I think you'll like it. 


I used a #8 Manila Tag to create this fun piece.  I love Distress Inks!  I also love the Ink Blending Tools for applying the Distress Inks.  Usually I use a circular motion and "walk" the color onto my project.  But, for this tag, I wanted to create an entirely different background.  So, instead of using the Ink Blending Tool to blend the inks, I used it essentially as a stamp.


I inked up the pad and then pressed it down on to the tag in a random pattern.  The Distress Ink colors I used were:  Wild Honey, Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries, Mustard Seed and Black Soot (around the edges).  When I finished stamping the entire tag with color, I lightly spritzed it with water from my Mister Bottle and let the colors blur just a bit.  That gave it more of a watercolor look rather than clear, deliberate edges.  Then I heat set the colors using my Ranger Heat It Craft Tool.  


This tag features one of my favorite stamp sets from the very talented Wendy VecchiAll of the eyes are from Wendy's appropriately named An Eye For Art stamp set.  All are stamped using Jet Black Archival Ink.  I started at the top right then the bottom left then the center.  I loved the eyes in the circular and square "frames" as well but they wouldn't all fit on the tag.  So, I decided to stamp those two eyes on a separate piece of manila cardstock that was also colorized using the Distress Inks.  Then I cut them out leaving just a little of an edge around the stamp.  I ran a black cats eye ink pad around the edge and it really finished out the circle or square images.  I later pop dotted them on top of the tag.  I really liked the extra dimension they added.


Next I stamped the sentiment, "Art Begins With A Vision".  Boy, isn't that the truth?  Finally I found some little flourishes that would work perfectly on the tag to fill up those blank areas.  They are from Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts stamp set.  I didn't attach them to a block.  I just inked them up and partially stamped them onto the tag, rolling them off of my fingers.

 

Then I did something I've never done before.  I used a White Opaque Pen to add highlights to the tag.  I highlighted the eyes, filled in circles, drew in circles, shadowed letters, added short lines, followed the curves of the flourishes and even added in a zig zag pattern around the square frame.  It was really fun and I can't believe the difference just that little bit of white made!  Finally, I distressed the edge of the tag with just a bit of Black Soot to really bring out the vibrant color and pop the black eyes even more.

I'm anxious to see what you come up with for this week's challenge.  The sky is the limit, as long as it's NOT A CARD!  So, create your piece and add it to the SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE.  You could be the lucky winner of our random weekly drawing 
for a ...


$50.00 gift voucher to our fabulous store!  And...if your design is picked as one of the TOP THREE, you will receive our BLINKE to proudly display on your blog!  So...have fun with this challenge!  Make your project and enter today.  GOOD LUCK!!!

45 comments:

  1. Your tag really jumped out at me on SSSS and I had to come over to see it in full detail. Truly gorgeous - i love your colours, and of course the stamps you used.

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  2. What a cool tag, love the different extras you put on it

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  3. Absolutely stunning love the colour combo used so Eye catching..lol
    hugs judex

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  4. I love this vibrant piece, the background is stunning and very effective and the eye images are a perfect touch. This stamp set is going on my NEED list. Love love the white highlights, makes everything pop. Enjoy your week Candy. Tracy x

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  5. Gorgeous, Candy!

    And thanks for the tuto, is brilliant!

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  6. I couln't stop watching this piece of art....it's so catching!
    Great great job :-)

    greetings, Alie

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  7. Great tag. Love the way the frames in the eyes contrasts with the color blocks in the background

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  8. What a fun and vibrant piece! Love it and I think Wendy will too.

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  9. This is DEFINITELY one of my FAVS! Love, love, love the colors and the white pen accents!

    ~Linda

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  10. Candy! Absolutely brilliant, you stole the show @ Simon Says today! the colors are gorgeously vibrant, the graphics are astounding and your opaque pen is just spot on!! :D

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  11. Beautiful bright tag Candy and love your artsy look. Was wondering who makes these stamps as I love them, x

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  12. Love your tag!! You used all my favorite colors! And yippee for me I have them! Tfs!

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  13. Terrific tag, beautifully created!

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  14. Holy moly woman, you never fail to knock my socks off! Your "simple tag" is actually a gallery of artsy yumminess! This is so cool what you did with the color blocking and Wendy's Eye for Art stamps. Very cool approach and I think your doodling with the white gel pen is totally amazing. You rocked it again this week, my friend!

    Have a great week.

    Hugs,
    Linda

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  15. OMGoodness Candy this is just a beauty!! love those colours, love the use of stamps too, another wonderful masterpiece xxx
    love
    kazxx

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  16. Love, love, love ♥♥♥ your Tag...FAB colours, my favourite. S x

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  17. Holy crap (Pardon my language LOL) I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors, THE EYES my goodness I just love everything on your AMAZING TAG, what fab and rich colors. And those eyes look right through ya...wowwzersss a really AMAZING PIECE OF ARTSYNESS...wohoooo YOU DID IT AGAIN Sweetness, yep You did it again, You completely ROCKED the Challenge wohooooooo and I am soo proud that I can call you my friend. wow...Huge Hugs and love Terry xxxx

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  18. Wow Candy this is so eye catching (pun intended!!), I just had to have a closer look. Love the white pen and the effects it has created.
    Have a great week.
    luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

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  19. I've decided you are like a snake charmer, Candy, and I am the snake. I am SO drawn to the white pen and have been commenting a lot recently on peoples' use of it... then here I come for an Anything Goes challenge and you wow me at the difference the mist makes to the ink/tool blotting, and then... this. Seriously COOL.

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  20. WOW!!! not much more to be said...

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  21. You've done a lot of beautiful things but this is now my favorite!!! Absolutely over the top stunning!!! This is ART...it should be framed!!! I will have to use that background technique and give you all the credit!!! Show this to Wendy!!!

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  22. Oh...and your blog looks fantastic...love the new look!!!

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  23. this is so completely stunning!!!

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  24. Candy, I LOVE your tag!!! All the bright colors and the doodling are fantastic!!!!

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  25. Absolutely gorgeous Candy! Love the bright colors, and doesn't that white pen make all the difference? It's fantastic, and really makes the images pop.

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  26. What a super gorgeous tag, Candy! I really like the technique of using your blender to make a stained glass effect! Very pretty!! And the stamps by Wendy are perfectly arranged!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp

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  27. Absolutely blown away by the vibrancy of this tag, just bought these stamps last week so off to play!

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  28. This is AMAZING Candy. The colours really blow your socks off, and those images and white pen work -just brilliant x

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  29. There is beauty in purity and this is it! Fabulous vibrant colours, striking images and genius highlights. It's a wonderful combination and most definitely arty - I love it!

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  30. I love this. The colours are wonderful, the stamps superb and your layout is perfect! The white pen adds so much depth, I especially like the white bits in the large central frame. Thanks for sharing. Maddy x

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  31. Wow, Wow, Wow, erm... Wow! I like it... I like it a lot! This is so stunning x

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  32. totally adore the colour and the white pen work

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  33. A stunning tag ,the colours just sing! thanks for telling the technique.

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  34. This is fab!!!!love the vibrant colours and he White is the perfect touch!!fab, hugs trace x

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  35. Hey Candy, meant to stop by earlier, how coolio is this bold/dramatic tag, love all the blending of Distress Inks, and the stamps ... what's not to LOVE! xx

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  36. This is simply stunning! I saw it on the Simon Says Stamp site and had to come over for the details! Thanx so much for sharing. Cannot wait to give this technique a try!

    KimMJ
    bast830@comcast.net

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  37. Oh wow, I just thought that the idea for the 3D umbrella using the rosette was pure genius! Congratulations on being chosen to make some samples for him. Wow again, you must be good! Thanks for popping by my blog.

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  38. you are SO not cheating babes... cos... I was inspired by this very tag to have eyes as the theme for the Sunday Stamper... so.. thank YOU!!! xxx

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  39. This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! I LOVE this tag so much. It us gorgeous! Fantastic work.

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  40. Absolutely, positively STUNNING piece of artwork.

    Thanks for the instructions. There are so many techniques I'd love to try!

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  41. Hi CAndy, popped over from Eileen G's site as she linked into you because of such a stunning tag, and I absolutely agree, I'll have to try this as I also love vintage and TH distressing. Please pop over to my blog if you get 2 mins. Dee xxx (UK)

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  42. I loved your tag it jumps off the tag..............the eyes!!
    MaryR

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