This week the challenge at the Monday Challenge blog is to use a Simon Says Stamp exclusive product (it could be a stamp, sticker – whatever!) and share. Simon is, as always, offering a generous $50 voucher that will be randomly drawn from the eligible entries each week. For your chance to win a $50 voucher you should hop on over and join in the challenge here.
Of course this week we’re mixing things up – and to see all the projects that we’ve created you’ll have to hop around to the design team’s blogs. We’re all using the new Shari Carroll Art Journaling kit (you can get yours here in the shop) and you’ll want to see all of the creative things the team has come up with this week. First though, I’ll share my entry and to kick off my post here is a video made by Shari, so you can see what she has to say about the kit and see all of the contents:
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What I’m going to do here today is show you how I took a beautiful, pristine, just out of the package art journal and got it all junked up and ready to party!

First thing… I decided to cut off the elastic band that would hold this closed. It was in the way of my master plan. Off it goes!

Next up: matte medium from the kit applied liberally under AND over the dictionary paper (also from kit). Let it dry, then sand those edges!

Now that we have a base, it’s time for gesso + stencil.

I liked using the scraper tool – and again to this point EVERYTHING I’ve used is from the kit – to apply the gesso. This will add a nice texture and I like this pattern as a base design.


Once that dries, it’s decorating time! I am pulling out the stamps from the kit (I had a pattern and a butterfly), and I’m using some Memento Luxe ink (not in kit) to stamp.

I think I’ll also get out some of that blue paint from the kit, apply it, and mist it down with water! (Why not?!)

Eh… maybe wipe it around a bit. Can you tell how specific and exact this science is?

That was fun, let’s get out the orange paint!

Scraped up fun.

I took that pink ink pad (that I used with the butterflies) and applied a bit at the edge as well as a few mists of water to make it bleed.

Then it’s just about finishing time! Adding in a tile, flower and letters from the kit (adhered with multi-medium)

And I think stamping a bit with the other texture stamp I had in the kit – loving the crackle look!

Guess what? The cover is now all funky and ready to hold my random doodles, ideas, and more!

I love how this turned out, and that I really didn’t add much at all to the kit. These little journals are FANTASTIC – I want to get a few more actually! You can find just the small journal here in the Simon shop. And again, here’s a link to the kit if you want to check it out for yourself. I love that they all come with different stamps!
Now that I’ve shared my creation, it’s time to “hop” on over to the next team member if you’re so inclined! The always creative Meihsia is up next, so pop over to her blog and see what she’s dreamed up.
Oh, and of course remember to head back to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog to enter in the fun if you’d like to join in this week’s challenge.
Simon Says Stamp was founded in 2002 with an interest in exclusively selling rubber stamps. It didn’t take long until we realized we couldn’t stop there. During the past 11 years we celebrate rubber stamping in its full glory by giving access to people around the world to a one stop shop. Rubber stamps still remain the heart of our business and we are celebrating by hosting a STAMPtember® event intended to inspire, educate, and celebrate the greatness of rubber stamping. Part of the enticement of rubber stamping is that stamps can be used in creating or complementing ANYTHING! From stamping dates on bank documents and postage parcels in the early 18th century, rubber stamping has dramatically expanded to include card making, scrapbooking, mixed media, life documenting, art journaling, and many forms of altering and expressing art.
















