Simon Says Stamp Designer Spotlight - Week 3

 Hello Friends

I hope you are keeping safe and well.  I am back this week with another project in the Designer Spotlight at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ....

The challenge this week is GRUNGE IT UP.

Having recently bought a vintage typewriter I was inspired to make my Grunge It Up project using Tim Holtz's Vintage Typewriter die along with his Idea-ology Vignette Divided Drawer set.

I started with a Tim Holtz Ideaology Vignette Divided Drawer, taking out one of the compartment sides.  I cut this down because I wanted to use it as a shelf later on.  I love this Vignette box with its flexible elements.

 I covered the inside and outside of the Vignette with Tim Holtz papers from my stash, including the piece I would use for my shelf.

The shelf was added and I created a drawer to fit.  I die cut and assembled the typewriter, painting parts with Brush Pewter Distress Paint, before adding it to the Vignette.

The drawer was covered in paper and I applied some Rock Candy Crackle Glaze to the edges of the drawer and the edges of the whole Vignette.  Once dry I used Distress Crayon to age the painted elements.

I then created a small book and some old papers and miniature envelopes to sit on the shelf.

Next came the fun part, gathering my Ideaology bits and bobs to add to the Vignette.  I created a small wire basket from some rusty wire in my stash, to hold tiny stamps and then attached the other elements, finally adding the word Curiosities to the front.

Finally, I added the Curio Knob to the top and the Mini Foundation feet to the base of the Vignette.

I fully intended to add some typed words to my little typewriter but sadly, I had to send my real vintage typewriter off to be serviced, to bring it up to useable condition....

Please do come and join in the fun Grunge It Up challenge this week here:

One lucky entrant will win a $25 Gift Voucher...

....to spend at Simon Says Stamp - you have got to be in it to win it!

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate it.  I hope to see you again soon but in the meantime please stay safe and well.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Products Used:

Tim Holtz Ideaology Vignette Divided Drawers

Tim Holtz Retro Type Bigz die

Tim Holtz Ideaology Paper Stash 12 x 12

Tim Holtz Ideaology Curio Knobs

Tim Holtz Ideaology Pocket Watch

Tim Holtz Ideaology Decorative Domes Findings

Tim Holtz Ideaology Pen Nibs

Tim Holtz Ideaology Mini Foundations Findings

Tim Holtz Ideaology Mini Hardware Pulls

Tim Holtz Ranger Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint

Tim Holtz Ideaology Ephemera Thrift Shop

Tim Holtz Ranger Brushed Pewter Distress Paint

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Gathered Twigs

Tim Holtz Distress Crayon - Vintage Photo

Simon Says Stamp Designer Spotlight - Week 1

Hello Friends

I am hugely honoured and delighted to have been asked, again, to be in the designer spotlight for the month of August, for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!

This week the theme is Happy Birthday!  It is a very special one, Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog is 10 years old!  Happy Birthday!  The design team is also featuring Stampers Anonymous Products this week.

I have chosen to celebrate the birthday by using 10 different sets of my beloved Tim Holtz stamp sets, by Stampers Anonymous, to create my accordion book project.

I started by creating the covers, using mount board measuring 5.1/2" x 4.1/4".  I used Tim Holtz's  wrinkle free technique to colour the front and back, using Antique Linen, Speckled Egg and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks.  Once dried I stamped the beautiful Baroque stamp set by Tim Holtz, using a Ranger Distress Embossing Dabber and applying Rusty Hinge Embossing Glaze.  I heat set the covers and set them aside.

The accordion element is 24" x 5.3/8 and scored at 4" intervals along the long side.  I cut this from plain white card and used Gathered Twigs Distress Oxide to darken all of the edges.  I attached this to the front and back covers.  This gave me 10 separate surfaces to work on.  I then cut 10 pieces of Mixed Media card to 5.1/4" x 3.3/4" for my mats.  I used the Tim Holtz wrinkle free technique on all of the mats, using a variety of Distress Ink and Oxides, with the intention of creating a vintage look background.

I turned my attention to the images for the mats.  I stamped the script images from Tim's Faded Type stamp set, using Coffee Archival Ink.  The butterfly was stamped separately onto white card, again in Potting Soil and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The butterfly (stamp set Perspective) was coloured with Speckled Egg Distress Ink.  I fussy cut the butterfly, cut it in half and added it across the two pages.

For the next set of pages I stamped the insects from Tim's Entomology stamp set, coloured with Distress Ink, fussy cut and attached this to the mat.  Likewise, the camera from Tim's Inventor 8 stamp set was coloured, fussy cut and applied.  I added some Idea-ology filmstrip to the pages to add another layer of texture.

For the next two pages I stamped  images from Tim's Flower Shop stamp set, and simply coloured with Distress Ink.

The next two pages use stamps from Tim's Inventor 9 stamp set.  I stamped the images onto Mixed Media card, coloured them with Distress Ink, fussy cut them and added them to the pages.  I added a couple of Idea-ology arrows, for interest.

My last pages (but by no means least!) feature two stamp sets, Tim's Glitch 1 and my favourite Professor stamp set, (The Professor 2) again coloured with Distress Ink.  I added the Idea-ology Optical Lens to add some detail.

To complete my accordion book I used Rusty Hinge Distress Glaze to coat an Idea-ology Hinge Clip and attached an Idea-ology Swivel Clasp and Monocle with numbers from my stash, to represent the special birthday and also my use of 10 stamp sets.  To complete the look I dyed some ribbon with Rusty Hinge Distress Stain and wrapped the book as my closure.

Here is a view of the finished pages in situ.

A final view of the front and back.  I added a sentiment from Tim's Perspective stamp set, attaching it with an Idea-ology Label Frame.  I also added an Idea-ology Salvaged tag to the back, to hold the ribbon in place.

I hope you will join the challenge this - Happy Birthday is the theme.


To celebrate the special birthday, if you enter the challenge you will have the opportunity to win a $50 voucher to spend!


All of the products I have used that are listed below are available from:



I am looking forward to next week's project already.  I hope you will join me!  As always, thanks so much for your visit.

Keep safe and well.  Hugs, Anne xxx


List of products used:

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink  

Antique Linen,  Speckled Egg, Broken China, Tea Dye, Gathered Twigs, Rusty Hinge, 

Chipped Sapphire

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain

Speckled Egg, Antique Linen, Rusty Hinge

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze - Rusty Hinge

Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black

Ranger Archival Ink - Coffee

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Perspective

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Ledger Script

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Entomology

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Inventor 8

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - The Professor 2

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Field Notes

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Baroque

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Flower Shop

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Glitch 1

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Inventor 9

Tim Holtz Ideaology - Label Frames

Tim Holtz Ideaology - Large  Hinge Clips

Tim Holtz Ideaology - Optical Lens

Tim Holtz Ideaology - Arrows Adornments

Tim Holtz Ideaology - Swivel Clasps
Ranger Tim Holtz Embossing Dabber
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Salvaged Tags Embellishments
Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon