In The Meadow ~ Stamps and Stencils~ New Challenge

Hi everybody! We've got a new challenge over on the Stamps and Stencils blog. Rachel is our talented host this month and she has come up with a super challenge that will help to shake away those winter blues!Rachel has called her challenge 'In the Meadow!' This is what Rachel has to say.........

'..........I want to see your interpretation of that theme which could involve lots of grasses, wildlife or whatever you think. Just make sure you use stamps, stencils or both in your project......'.

As an inner city dweller, I'm surrounded by houses and industrial developments, rather than meadows and fields. That's why it's always lovely to get away from it all and take a stroll in the countryside. My project is inspired by one of those wonderful meadows, you see in the height of summer, speckled with colourful wild flowers. I have, however, 'captured' it, and parceled it up into a little box, so that it can sit on my desk and remind me of  what is out there! This is how I got started......

I used a piece of Mixed Media paper and cut out the box template. There are plenty of templates for these folding box cards on the internet. The one I've used, measures around 21.5cm x 13cm. This makes a box which stands around 7.5cm high, with a width of  5cm. I sprayed the paper on both sides with Antique Linen Distress Spray. I spritzed the surface with water to create some drips and puddles, and then dried the paper with a heat tool. I stamped a border of grasses around the sides of the box using Distress Oxide ink pads.

I  used a text stamp on the box flaps and added a few stamped bees, essential for any wild flower meadow! To make the dimensional flowers, I coloured some pieces of Mixed Media paper with Distress Oxide Inks, and once dry, I used Tim Holtz Funky Florals, set 1 Thinlits Dies, and cut out lots of flowers and leaves. I assembled the flowers, and adhered them to  strips of  Mixed Media paper, which I glued to the inside of the box in three tiers.

To complete my wild flower meadow box, I added a little 'fairy', to tip toe through the flowers....

 So now I have my own portable wild flower meadow to remind me of the warm, summer days to come ! If you'd like to join in with this fabulous challenge, hop over to the Stamps and Stencils blog with this link. You'll find some stunning projects by Rachel and the rest of the team, which I'm sure you'll find really inspiring. We'd love to see what you come up with, just remember to use some stamps or stencils or even both. I look forward to seeing you there ! x