Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Monochrome!

I am a little bit in love with this!

I am not very brave. I can sit a five hour science exam and really enjoy it but the thought of entering a card challenge has kept me captive for just a little over 15 weeks- because, well, Aspergers. In that time, I have visited the site and drooled over the other people's entries and planned what I would do.

Monochrome is how I roll.

Then the other day, I looked again and thought to myself, this is it! You can do this and because it is Autumn (my very favourite season), the time just felt right. Another undeniable sign from the cosmos came when I saw that the challenge was monochrome! That means black and white to me.....black and white thinking is how Aspergers is on a day to day basis! Cool huh?!

So here, without (much) further ado, is my submission for the SimonSaysStampMondayChallenge! I hope that you like it and will make one for yourself. In case you want to, I have provided some step by steps for you.

So what do we need-
Most of my items are by Tim Holtz. if that changes, I will put a note beside it to let you know.
-Card blank
-A sheet of white card stock spare (Cut this in half to make two pieces. One exactly the same size as your card and one a bit smaller)
-Plain black card stock
-Ivory pearl card stock
-Washi tape in black and white and also a slight tea dyed colour.
-Distress Oxide inks- antique linen, black soot, hickory smoke and iced spruce
-Distress inks- black soot, tea dye, picket fence

-Harlequin diamond shifter stencil
-Halloween stamp set. I am using Mr Bones (#CMS345)
-Halloween quote chip
-Label letters
-Foliage dies. I am using some of the Funky Foliage (#663087) by Sizzix
-Embossing ink
-Black fine embossing powder
-White Nuvo Drops
-Ideology white roses
-Ideology film strip
-Cream cotton lace
-DecoArt Americana metallic lustre- champagne ice
-Your usual card making needs including a good clear dry glue (I love my Nuvo glue) and I have used a sewing machine to sew the card layers together.

I REALLY need to link with some thumbnails! next time 😁

Well that is quite a list! You can swap things out and almost any foliage will work. The same goes for the embellishments. Some tiny little flat back pearls would work as the white details on the spray. Have a look at what you have handy.

I am always shocked in a good way with Oxide backgrounds. The great thing is that no two are the same and the only drawback is that no two are the same.

So the first step is to get some colour on the smaller of the two pieces of card. I have done this with the oxides, beginning with the antique linen and building up colour, using the black soot least of all.

It is difficult to see the black tape here. In the next photo it is clearer.

On the other piece of spare white card, make a frame from the washi tape. 

It was about now that I fell in love!

Use the shifter stencil to make some Distress Oxide diamonds in the greys and black. Then strengthen the black on the edges by inking that with Distress Ink in black soot and also make a small glow in the centre with Distress Ink in tea dye. You don't need very much.

I like to keep the diamonds quite misty and keep changing the colours.

The next step was to go to the sewing machine and stitch twice around the edge with black thread. Don't be too neat and go around twice. Then carefully roll the edges of the card to stop it being too flat.

The pity of it was that that terrific black bit was destined to be hidden by the skeleton!

Rolling the edges makes them interesting and a little distressed. Careful not to tear!

So far, so good! That is the background basically finished and it is time to think about a focal point. I used a pearl card stock in ivory because I wanted the skull to shine out of the card the way bones do. And I embossed him in fine black which means that there is a texture change with the main focus of the card. It is subtle but it works well against the distressed background.

Loving the sheen and the rich colour.

He needed to be fussy cut next!

Now those of you who are paying close attention will notice that I have made a small border in the last photo.

There is just enough brown on the film strip to pick up the colour of the tea dye ink in the centre of the card and compliment it without stopping the card from being monochrome. It warms it up though.

I started out with the lace and glued that on and then went back to add some film strip (loooove this stuff!). The Nuvo glue was great for this because it dries crystal clear.

This step really brings them to life.

I made a whole lot of foliage next from the black card stock. When it was dry, I picked up a bit of picket fence with my finger (think applying eye shadow) and highlighted the topography of the leaves.

Leave the foliage at the very back unhighlighted. It adds to the depth of the bouquet. 

I did go back in with some metallic lustre and highlight further because it was not quite enough.

I used some dimensional foam dots to bring the skull out and give me some room to add the foliage and embellishments.

The various leaves made a spray of foliage around the skull. I then added the white Nuvo drop dots in singles and groups of three. 

Use hot glue to put the roses on. They need to be really secure.

Finally, some white roses just touched with black finished the picture.

Careful distressing with sandpaper is a game changer!

All that was left to do then was to lightly distress the chosen quote chip with sand paper and add a second line with the label letters.

I love the way that sanding takes the 'brand new' look away from the quote chips.

And there you have it! A spooky enough card for anyone and I am super happy with it. Here goes and fingers crossed!

Layers of detail make these cards

The wand just HAD to make another appearance!

Do join in with the challenge - rich coming for me I know! It is super fun and a great way to focus your card making. I may even make another one!

***********************UPDATE***********************
Before I disappear though - there has been an update after the competition was drawn and although I did not win the main prize, my card was picked by the DT to be put into the Designer Spotlight!

I could not believe my eyes!

And do you know what? I value that so much more than a prize draw! This means the world to me and I am now hooked on this. I reckon that I am in for the long haul!

Happy crafting!
Debbie
xx