Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Thank you for joining us for the Take A Leap Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

Please scroll down to see who is the winner and who are in the spotlight for the Take A Leap Challenge

This week we are challenging you to

MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND 

There are so many different techniques and products we can use to create our own one of a kind backgrounds! From Stencilling to Gelli Printing, Embossing and Stamping, the list is endless and we will be looking forward to seeing what products and techniques YOU decide to use!

We are showcasing Darkroom Door Products this week, you don’t have to use them to join in, but if you have them we would love to see them used on your projects!

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

Remember to click on the person’s name to see all of the details of how we made these creations and leave these wonderful girls some comment love

This week we are welcoming the lovely and super talented Amber Sheaves into the Designer Spotlight. If you haven’t visited her blog then you are in for a real treat. Please pop by to say ‘Hi’!

  Amber made a sunny background for a card and used a ‘Happy Quote Cling Stamp’

I started by blending blue, yellow and green Distress Crayons on white cardstock. Then I placed the Tim Holtz Rays Stencil on top and rubbed a baby wipe through the design, removing the crayon so that  the rays showed. To give it a bit more definition, I outlined the rays with gray distress crayon and blended it. Then I stamped the Darkroom Door Happy Quote  Stamp with Stazon ink. For an embellishment, I strung small black beads on black twine and stapled it on with my tiny attacher. Then finally mounted the panel on Audrey Blue  Simon Says Stamp Cardstock.

Andrea made her background out of a paper towel and used a Robin Cling Stamp

Whenever I wipe water and ink off my nonstick craft sheet, I love how the smudges of color look on my paper towel.  I decided to embrace this phenomenon and made a colorful collage on a paper towel.  I made the background circles using water, Distress Ink and a Vinyl Record stamp by Darkroom Door.  I sewed on some Tim Holtz Symphony tissue tape and used Darkroom Door’s Robin stamp to add a cute little birdie to my piece.

Anna-Karin loves the Darkroom Door Photo Stamps and used a whole bunch.

I couldn’t pick which Photo Stamp to use, and instead I decided to use six of them to make a background for my layout. The layout itself was inspired by the Adventure Quote Stamp, which fit very well together with my son and all his fun ideas. The images were stamped with Jet Black ink on glossy cardstock and coloured with dye inks.

Barbara is already looking forward to spring and used a ‘Roses Photo‘ Cling Stamp to create her backgrounds

Spring is just around the corner and I feel already its scent and the warm air! Roses are  beautiful flowers, typical of this season and Darkroom Door ‘Roses Photo‘ stamp  is perfect for creating different backgrounds. My tags are cut with Ranger Black Cardstock and Ranger Watercolor Paper. I made the background using the stamp together Distress Ink Pads misted with water to create a shaded effect!

Cathie Is preparing for Easter and used a Postcard Cling Stamp to make her background.

I had so much fun creating my own background that I created two for this canvas! I used the Darkroom Door Postcard stamp on my first background and the Flourish stamp on my second background. Springtime reminds me of bright colors and the new Distress Crayons were the perfect fit. Flowers blooming, butterflies fluttering…..nothing shouts SPRING to me more than that!

Cheiron painted and stenciled a background on her envelope to create some fun mail art using a  Mail Art Stamp Set

I had this old receipt envelope and these fun stamps sitting in my drawer forever waiting to create some mail art. I used lots of my favorite Tim Holtz stencils including Hearts, Plus and Bubble along with Dina Wakley paints. I decorated the envelope with some fun stamps from the Darkroom Door Mail Art set and some beautiful Sophisticated Script letters from Concord & 9th.

Emma was in her element getting messy with paint and used a Beauty Quote as the focal point.

I love creating my own backgrounds, so this was my perfect challenge for me and I loved creating this background using a blend of gesso, Mermaid Lagoon and Picked Raspberry Distress Paints, which look so vibrant against the black card before adding texture using texture paste through my favourite Dot Fade Layering Stencil. I stamped the wonderful Darkroom Door Beauty Quote as my focal point and added some fun elements, the paintbrush and bottle of paint to complete the project.

Kath has been dipping her toes into Art Journalling and used an ‘Under The Sea’ Stamp Set.

I love making my own backgrounds and for this “Which Way To The Beach” adventure which I made using a Darkroom Door  ‘Under The Sea’ stamp set.  I used Gesso with Mermaid Lagoon Broken China and Picket Fence Distress Paints with a final spritz of Ranger Perfect Pearls to create some shimmer

Lols is ready for the lovely days of Spring and used a Carved Birds Vol 2 Stamp Set 

I have been buying quite a few bird stamps lately and I just couldn’t resist adding this cute Carved Birds Vol 2 Stamp Set to my collection! I inked some Watercolor Paper with Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn and Stormy Sky Distress Inks and then used a Hero Arts Polka Dot Background Stamp, inked with the same inks to add some more interest. When that was completely dry I used a Simon Says Stamp Leaves Background Stamp and White Embossing Powder to add another layer. I colored the birds with Distress Inks and fussy cut them out, popping them on the front with 3D foam.

Macarena made an Art Journal page and used a Polka Dots Cling Stamp

I have made a rocky background as a playground for my Crazy Cats family. They are so happy about it. Just take a look at  them… I’m totally in love with these amazing stamps, as for a cat lover, there couldn’t be anything sweeter than that. First I covered some part of my watercolor paper with Crackled Paste. Afer that I melt the Embossing Paste with the Black and Smoke Distress Inks. I put the mixture through the Rocky Template. Then I lightly add some background sky and ground colors. I stamped randomly Polka Dots Rubber Stamp by Darkroom Door .

Maura went a little stamp crazy with her tag and used a Happy Quote Cling Stamp

Honestly, I couldn’t stop with one! Sometimes all it takes is one stamp to get your mojo started, and this quote “Do more of what makes you happy” by Darkroom Door got me creating and thinking of painting, so the paint tube stamp was a must. I used a lot of lovely Simon Says Stamp Inks Pads with my tag, like the Pigment White and High Dive, and I have to say again how much I love these inks. Finished it up by getting very messy making my paintbrush dipped in Dylusions Bubblegum Pink paint.

Meihsia created the background of her art journal page using a Paint Tubes Cling Stamp Set

It’s always fun to me to create colorful background for my mixed media project. This week, I made this page with Sakura Koi watercolors and Distress Paints. I stamped the Paint Tubes with Darkroom Door stamp and colored them using watercolors. Some metal embellishments were attached as the final touch.

Sandra made her own background with the Darkroom Door Buttons stamp

I love creating my own backgrounds. Normally, I don’t make such busy ones with a background stamp. But this gorgeous stamp from Darkroom Door simply inspired me to be bold. Some of the buttons I colored lightly with the Prima Marketing Watercolor Pencils and a Water Brush. I used my sewing machine for some interest on the edges.

Zoey made a card with Darkroom Door Postcard Frame and Fun & Games.

I love mixing Distress Inks and Distress Markers to add color to my stamped images! The Darkroom Door stamps add so much fun and the Tim Holtz Rubber Stamp Dream a Little matches perfectly!

So now it’s YOUR turn to get out your inks, paints and all things arty and start creating! We are looking forward to seeing what you make!

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven’t subscribed by email you may want to so you don’t miss out

You have until Monday  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

We will also be choosing 3 of our entries to put in the spotlight – a special honor where we talk about why we loved that entry in particular and award a special badge too! For the full rules, read the “challenge rules” posted in the side-bar here on our blog.