Transport It: A Layered Mixed Media Tag

Hello Crafters!

This week’s Simon Says Stamp Monday Challange theme is:

Transport It

For this challange Simon Says Stamp kindly offers a $25 gift voucher to shop over Simon Says Stamp!
Simon Says Stamp is also on Instagram! If you would like you can also share your projects there, but don’t forget to use the hashtag #sssmchallenge

I went straight for an old photograph and built the tag around that slightly worn, collected-over-time look.

The vintage car takes care of the transport part. Everything else? Layers. Obviously.

I started with a textured background, using Crackle Paste and Distress Spray Stain to create an uneven, distressed surface. I wanted plenty happening underneath the focal point, even knowing that most of it would eventually disappear under paper and embellishments. Mixed media logic at its finest.

The leaves are the main stamped element of the project. I used Stampers Anonymous stamps with Distress Ink pads, keeping the colors in warm autumn shades, then cut them with the coordinating Simon Says Stamp dies.

Instead of using them as a simple border, I tucked the leaves between the different layers and let some extend outside the tag. This helped break up the rectangular shape of the photograph and connect the focal point back to the background.

The photo sits over several pieces of vintage-style paper and small details, with stitching, fabric and metal-looking elements adding even more texture. I also made the little bolts from resin, then painted them with Distress Paint. Tiny detail, but they work perfectly with the old car and give the project a slightly more industrial edge.

There is quite a lot going on here, so I kept the palette controlled: browns, rusty orange, ochre, black and aged neutrals. That way I could keep adding layers without everything turning into visual soup. Always a risk.

A couple of quick tips: when building this many layers, let some of the background remain visible around the edges. And when using repeated elements like these leaves, vary their position and how much of each one is exposed. It makes the cluster feel much less arranged.