Sunday, January 18, 2015

My Other Creations: Polka Dotty Notebook

This week's theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is Winter Stamping.  I decided to deconstruct one of my favorite dies, Tim Holtz's Snowman, and turn those fluffy white snowman circles into stamped-on polka dots for the cover of my notebook.


Using white watercolor paper, I started by cutting out two sets of snowman circles.  I love the asymmetry of these! 


Next I used Ranger Jet Black Archival ink to stamp some of my favorite text patterns onto the circles.


Out came the Distress Inks, which I rubbed onto the circles with a sponge (though a mini ink blending tool also works great).  I got out my black Gesso and a brush and I outlined the circles after I'd inked them.


I prepared my notebook cover by painting it, inking it, stamping on it and drizzling Distress Paint down it.


I decided to add a thicker layer of black Gesso around my circles, then I attached them to my notebook cover and wah-la!  Snowman re-purposed!  


To make the notebook, I used the Lifestyle Crafts Pocket Scrap Starter Die set to cut out what felt like eighty million sheets of white paper (not for those who fear monotony)!  I used the Cinch machine and a Cinch wire spiral to bind it all together.

Another fun element that I played with on this project was Dyan Reaveley's "Say it How it Is" stamp set.  The sentiment I put on the front of the notebook doesn't exist, but I took words from her other sentiments and invented my own sentence.  My nerdy English side loves to mix and switch words around.

You can make your own notebooks and snowman polka dots if you have these supplies, which are readily available from Simon Says Stamp:



I can't wait to see your interpretation of our theme!  Just upload your masterpiece to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog to inspire the rest of us and to enter yourself into the drawing for a $50 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.


http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/