{"id":1706,"date":"2014-07-07T00:01:08","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T04:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.simonsaysstampblog.com\/mondaychallenge\/?p=1706"},"modified":"2014-07-06T19:34:43","modified_gmt":"2014-07-06T23:34:43","slug":"challenge-start-from-scratch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simonsaysstampblog.com\/mondaychallenge\/?p=1706","title":{"rendered":"challenge: start from scratch!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anna-Karin suggested a challenge where we make our own flowers. That got me thinking – how about making some project element from scratch? It could be an embellishment with layers, a rosette, a flower, or perhaps you build something or otherwise craft a piece by starting with little more than simple paper or other raw materials. What will you make from scratch?<\/p>\n

Emma’s<\/a> shadowbox and tarnished trophy is a celebration of heroes ~ past and present.<\/p>\n

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I love creating pieces from scratch and this was the perfect challenge for me to make two individual pieces but both with one meaning. I created the box itself from chipboard, topped it with Sizzix Star Cluster<\/a> and then, after adding some texture using Wendy Vecchi’s Embossing Paste<\/a>, I painted the box with Distress Paint<\/a>. I used stamps and Idea-Ology to fill the inside of my box and then made a Tarnished Trophy<\/a> from chipboard, covered with metal tape foil<\/a>, as the perfect accompaniment for a No.1 hero.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hand crafted flowers were the inspiration for Ashli<\/a> this week…<\/p>\n

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I love the look of flowers on a page, but often have trouble using them. For this week’s challenge, I decided to pull some inspiration from last week’s white on white theme to handcraft some subtle flowers of my own. Using plenty of my favorite punches<\/a>, the Martha Stewart Vine Trim<\/a>, and the Clustered Leaves Die from Simon<\/a>, my flowers came together in no time!<\/em><\/p>\n

Dan<\/a> usually makes 5×5 cards using pre-scored cards and envelopes, this time he made his card from scratch.<\/p>\n

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I had a lot of fun making this card and got to use 2 recent purchases, Random Quotes<\/a> and Artful Tools<\/a>. I love the photo of the cute vintage couple in the Custom Fastener<\/a> too and Hero Arts winter trees<\/a> is another new stamp that I using for the first time today.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mona<\/a> was inspired to create a homemade flower to embellish her tag.<\/p>\n

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I enjoy making my own die cut flowers especially roses made using the Tattered Pinecone<\/a> die. I didn’t stop there, I also decorated the tag with a homemade butterfly<\/a> and heart<\/a> embellishment.<\/em><\/p>\n

Andrea<\/a> made a trio of matchbook notes from scratch using some of her favorite paper.<\/p>\n

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One of the most versatile die sets I own is Lifestyle Crafts’ matchbook die set<\/a>. I love to make cute little notes that flip open. For these matchbooks, I used the following fabulous paper collections: Wallflower<\/a>, Madame Payraud<\/a>, and Maritime<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Anna-Karin<\/a> loves to make things from scratch, and made a summer canvas.<\/p>\n

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One of my favourite things to do is to use dies in ways they were not originally intended for and ever since I set eyes on Tim Holtz Sizzix Matchbox <\/a>die, I knew I wanted to use it to make little houses. I even used the die to make the roofs. The background was done by smearing Wendy Vecchi Crackled <\/a>and White Embossing Paste <\/a>on a canvas board, adding paint and stamping <\/a>once it was dry.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tracy<\/a> created her own garden in a bottle for this weeks challenge.<\/p>\n

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My raw materials were an old bottle, Tissue Wrap<\/a>, Wendy Vecchi’s Crackled Texture Paste<\/a>, Gold Embossing Paste,<\/a> Monarch Orange Archival Ink<\/a> and Potting Soil Re-inker<\/a> and a good dose of inspiration! As I look through my craft window it is raining at the time of writing this so what could be better than my own everlasting flowers and vase and no watering needed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Suzz <\/a> is feeling patriotic with the 4th of July celebrations this past week.<\/p>\n

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I was feeling patriotic and wanted to create something to celebrate. The stars stencil<\/a> along with the Ranger Distress Ink Fired Brick<\/a> and Chipped Sapphire<\/a> seemed like a good place to start. I also wanted to try create patriotic bunting from ribbon. After I started with my bunting I decided a rosette would be perfect on the top of my tag.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sandra Mouwen<\/a> is very much into doily’s at the moment
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\nMy doily happiness continues. I can’t help myself, so why not embrace it and make a big bold doiley flower from scratch. In the back is the Documented for the Record<\/a> doily, with on top Doily 1<\/a> stamped on a transparency. The last doily is the Note to Self<\/a>. On the side I used some Jute twine<\/a> to make a bow, so on the inside I can add some more pages.<\/em><\/p>\n

Meihsia<\/a> was inspired to make some handmade flowers to decorate her mixed media canvas.<\/p>\n

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It’s always great to use up the scraps so this week, I gathered my leftover scraps with various colors and patterns to die cut<\/a> and make these handmade flowers. The background of this canvas was covered with Gesso and colored with Izink inks and watercolors. The Tim Holtz Alpha Parts<\/a> and Prima Flowers Free Spirit Wood Icons<\/a> were attached to create the dimension on this canvas.<\/em><\/p>\n

I (May<\/a>) am starting from behind scratch with my watercolor pencils.<\/p>\n

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Christmas in July? You bet! Armed with my Penny Black stamp<\/a> and the water color pencils I don’t use nearly enough I played with color techniques and came up with the first Christmas card of the year. Ahead of the game? Perhaps, but when it comes to the holiday crafting I can’t get started early enough! It always sneaks up on me. <\/p>\n

What do you do when you’ve lost your inspiration and are lacking creative energy? You start from scratch!<\/p>\n

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Check back on Wednesday when Michelle<\/a> will share 5 Practical Ways to Inspire Creative Stamping.<\/p>\n

For more inspiration click on our design team’s blog links so you can see more photos (and full supply lists) for their projects. Leave them a little comment love while you’re there so they know how they’ve inspired you too, if you’re so inclined.<\/p>\n

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As always, Simon Says Stamp<\/a> is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by random generator. To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in (in any way!) with our theme and post it, along with a link back to this challenge, and add a link here. This challenge will end at 11:59pm on Sunday July 13th Eastern time. We will also be choosing some 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.<\/p>\n

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