Running Like Clockwork…

It’s Sunday and that means new challenge day over at One Stitch At A Time.  This week’s theme is Anything Goes, so it’s a really easy one to play along with!!  This week’s main prize is sponsored by the Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet; the lucky winner will win all the images used by the DT in Challenge 188.  (Don’t forget to be included in the main draw you must use a Stitchy Bear image) There’s also a runner up prize of for an entrant not using an image from the store.

This week, I have used BB Kakes Steampunk 3 Piece Set, which includes the image of the girl alone, a stand alone frame and also a file of the two images combined .  I have to admit to being a little out of my depth when I first received the image as I have never tried anything even vaguely steampunk and I didn’t really know where to start!!  After several false starts, I pulled my thinking hat on and decided to push myself totally out of my comfort zone – after all, that was one of the reasons I wanted to join a DT!  I picked a few “must-try’s” (sepia toning, distress inks and easel card) from my mental list, added steampunk into the mix and this is how it worked out..

Firstly, I recoloured the image to print in brown, then gradually built up the colour in shades of brown.  I found Almond, Putty, Tan, Cinnamon and Burnt Sienna worked best for me, as they gave enough variation in colour to create shading and depth without straying too far from the monochromatic colour scheme.  Next I distressed the background of the image to age the white card, using Tattered Rose and Vintage Paper by Tim Holz.  Colouring the image in this way reminded me of the old photos at my grandparent’s house when I was small – presenting it as an easel card made it seem even more like a portrait of an old family member!

I used the image of girl unframed as I happened to find some small Tim Holz cogs that I wanted to use on the card.  I reproduced a frame from feltmarked white card, then distressed it using Vintage Paper – the combination of distress ink and texture on the card has created some lovely colour variation, which reminds me of a wooden frame.  The little cogs were mounted on the bottom left corner, in the same place as the cogs on the frame that is included in the set.

For the base of the easel card, I found a steampunk DP on StampinDamour, which worked perfectly with my coloured image.  A small sentiment on oval of distressed feltmarked card doubles up as the stopper for card.

Now that it’s completed, I can’t believe I was so worried about trying steampunk – I’ve had a lot of fun with the distress inks, and I have really enjoyed trying something out of my comfort zone!  What will you try for the first time today?  Maybe it will be your next entry over at One Stitch At A Time – I look forward to seeing it!

I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Robyn’s Fetish Challenge – #186 Use Metal

Scribble and Scrap Challenge – Anything Goes

Corrosive Challenges By Janet – Fur and Feathers

Emergency Crafter’s Challenge – Steampunk

Feeling Crafty – Steampunk

Heck Of A Challenge – In The Frame

Chocolate, Coffee, Cards – Monochromatic

Challenges and Candies – Chocolate

Crafty Hands – Vintage

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge – Cream and Brown

Thanks for reading x

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