Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge Begins!

Everyone who loved participating in the first Compendium of Curiosities Challenge (me! me!) was thrilled when Linda announced that with the publication of CC Volume 2 there would be a new series of challenges on her blog.  Finally, that day has come.  Click HERE to get the total scoop from Linda herself.  And, if you don't already own Tim's new book, click HERE to get your own autographed copy.  And just in case you recently returned from a lengthy alien abduction, click HERE to find out more about Tim.

The first challenge is to make a custom foam stamp and then use in on a project.The directions can be found on page 66.  I made a stamp from Tim's Townscape on-the-edge die, and used it to decorate a small unfinished wooded frame.

After a coat of gesso on the unfinished wood dried, I colored it with distress stains.  I used peeled paint and broken china.  I stamped the townscape foam stamp with black paint, then colored in the windows with distress markers (mustard seed and spiced marmalade).

In the tiny opening of the frame you'll see two separate Wendy Vecchi stamps (from her Homemade Art set) that I combined together.  The house is part of a much larger stamp, and in the original has writing inside the house.  Using painter's tape, I masked off the writing and the rest of the stamp, leaving only the house with nothing inside.  In that same set is the sentiment, which fits neatly inside the little house.  Random luck?  I think not.  Wendy is just too good about creating stamps that fit well together for me to believe in coincidences.

I used Ranger's black archival ink for the stamping, and Tim's distress markers for the coloring.  Now, if only someone I know would move into a new home I have the perfect gift.

The generous folks over at Simon Says Stamp are going to be giving away a $25 gift certificate to a randomly chosen participant, so what are you waiting for?  It's time to make a foam stamp.