Designer Spotlight Guest Designer for the April Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges Week 1: Add Some Texture: Stamperia

Welcome to my creative space!



I have been invited to be the Spotlight Designer for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges during the Month of April. I am so delighted and honored to be guest designing for them this month!



This week's theme is:

Add Some Texture!

As it’s the first Monday of the month we are showcasing a brand/company. This week we are all using some fabulous products from Stamperia! You don’t have to use them to join in with the challenge but if you have them we would love to see them used.

Be sure to hop on over to the Simon Says Stamp blog HERE for all the details and to be inspired by the gorgeous design team projects.

I really enjoyed this challenge. I adore texture and this was the perfect excuse to try out Stamperia products for the first time. I have been eager to create something with their amazing Sea World designs and this collection was fantastic to work with. You can see several different ways texture is used on the canvas in my Tips and Techniques section below.

So many of us across the world are on stay at home orders to stay safe from COVID-19. It's an opportunity to embrace family and carve out time to find peace and comfort in being creative. I thought this sentiment was perfect for the situation we are in with the virus as well as pairing so wonderfully with the ocean themed canvas. "When a wave comes, go deep." We are all making sacrifices to help save lives particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

Tips and Techniques

The first thing I did was to trace my oval canvas shape onto the fabulous Stamperia Sea World paper, cut it out and adhered it to the canvas using matte soft gel medium. I also brushed over the paper with a coat of the soft gel medium to seal the paper to help protect it from the wet mediums I am using on the project. After the gel medium was dry, I sanded around the edges to get the paper even with the canvas. The edge of the canvas is painted with copper metalic paint and rubbed with charcoal black art wax. I also rubbed some of the charcoal wax around the edges of the paper to add depth.

I used resin in the Stamperia Sea World Soft Mold to create this amazing steampunk seahorse. I brushed it with white gesso then painted with metallic paints. After the paint had a chance to dry, Iit  rubbed with art waxes to highlight the fabulous textures. The gear on the back of the seahorse is painted with Prima Finnabair Rust Effect Paste. I added a couple Prima Finnabair gears - one over the eye, and another on the gear. For a little steampunk whimsy, I added a wing behind the gear. 

I layered the seahorse over a piece of fish netting from my stash. The net was black, and I highlighted the texture by rubbing with Prima art waxes. I stamped the seaweed and sea flowers from the Stamperia Seahorse Cling Stamp set onto Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock and colored with Distress Oxide Inks, then fussy cut them to add a pops of color around the seahorse, starfish, and gears.

This sentiment is from the Prima Finnabair Art Daily Sentiments Stickers pack and embellished with a piece from the Prima Finnabair Rusty Knobs Mechanicals set. I colored the sentiment with Distress Ink. Texture is added to the background with black lava embossing paste using the Stamperia Mixed Media Layout Stencil. 

These three base gears are created with resin using the Sea World Soft Mold and topped with a couple Finnabair Mechanicals Metal Gears The resin gears are painted with metallic paint then rubbed with art wax. I added aqua prills and metallic microbeads with matte soft gel medium for added texture. 

More of the molded and metal gears.

The starfish is another resin piece from the Sea World Soft Mold. I applied Rust and Patina Effect Pastes then rubbed with copper art wax. For more texture I added a small seashell from my stash tucked onto a bit of moss. I painted the moss to coordinate.

Another starfish from the Sea World Soft Mold. This one is painted with metallic paint and rubbed with art wax to highlight the textures.


A close-up of some of the seaweed stamped with the Sea World Seahorse Cling Stamps set and colored with distress oxide inks.



As you may know, the  Simon Says Stamp Store is accepting new orders, but have longer shipping times for the moment due to the coronavirus. With this in mind we have made the difficult decision to suspend the $50 voucher for this challenge.

We know that many people are staying safe at home and we would love it if you would continue to enter the challenges and have fun! We are all in this together! You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in. The challenge can be found HERE.

Supply List

Stamperia Sea World 12x12 Paper

Stamperia Sea World Soft Mold

Stamperia Sea World Seahorse Cling Stamps

Stamperia Mixed Media Layout Stencil

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Black Soot Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Peacock Feathers Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Mermaid Lagoon Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Vintage Photo Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Paint Brushed Pewter Ranger Metallic

Tim Holtz Distress Paint Black Soot Ranger

Tim Holtz 8.5 x 11 Distress Watercolor Cardstock Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Collage Brush Set

Tim Holtz Tonic 5 Inch Haberdashery Scissors

Ranger US Heat It Craft Tool 

Prima Marketing Rusty Knobs Finnabair Mechanicals

Prima Marketing Machine Parts Finnabair Mechanicals

Prima Marketing Steampunk Blades Mechanicals

Prima Marketing Winged Mechanicals

Prima Marketing: Finnabair Art Daily Sentiments Stickers

Prima Marketing White Heavy Gesso 8.5 oz. Art Basics

Prima Marketing Black Heavy Gesso 8.5 oz. Art Basics

Prima Marketing Soft Gel in Matte 8.5 oz. Art Basics

Prima Marketing 3D Matte Gel 8.5 oz Art Basics

Prima Marketing: Finnabair Art Basics Heavy Body Gel

Prima Marketing Old White Finnabair Wax

Prima Marketing Patina Green Finnabair Wax Paste

Prima Marketing Charcoal Black Finnabair Wax Paste

Prima Marketing Rusty Brown Finnabair Wax Paste

Prima Marketing Rusty Red Finnabair Wax Paste

Prima Marketing Peacock Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing Old Silver Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing Firebird Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing White Gold Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing Rich Copper Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing White Gold Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing Brushed Iron Art Alchemy Metallique Wax

Prima Marketing Rust Effect Paste Art Extravagance - Brown Rust, Gold Rust, Red Rust

Prima Marketing Patina Effect Paste Art Extravagance - Brass

Prima Marketing Tiger Orange Art Alchemy Liquid Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Sparks Night Shadow Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Sparks Raven Black Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Sparks Unicorn's Hair Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Metallique Emerald Green Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Metallique Steampunk Copper Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

Prima Marketing Micro Beads Bronze

Prima Marketing Micro Beads Black

Prima Marketing Mixed Media 2 Inch Silicone Brush Art Basics

Prima Marketing Art Basics Brush Set Finnabair

Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black Ink Pad

The Moss Collection Variety Pack Embellishment

Ranger Mini Round Ink Blending Tools
Little Birdie Crafts Tinted Metallic Paint - Silver Charm
Amazing Casting Resin - White
Art Anthology Stone Effects Lava
USArtquest Mini Prills Aqua Net
Decorative Fish Netting
Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

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~ Blessings ~