Simon Says Stamp and Show Me....Distressing (and WOYWW 97!)

Look, look!  I'm actually creating on my desk! Huzzah! Be warned that this is kinda long so if you are in a hurry, just look at the pretty pictures and then hop over to the fabulous Julia to be whizzed off to other desks.  If you've got some time, get a cuppa and a biscuit (I'm practicing for next week 'cause did I tell you I'm off to London?  And a whirlwind tour of Stratford, Yorkshire, and Edinburgh?)and get ready for some deets.

What I'm creating are journals for me, my Mom, and my Sister for the aforementioned tour (on SATURDAY!!!)  WOO HOO!  I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it...hands up...who's singing along?  I knew you were, my fellow children of the 80's.  So Simon Said to show distress, and distress I did.  Verily and indeedily!  (oh, I'm a lucky crafter indeed because I won at Simon for my last week's entry!!  
Can you say excited?  You bet I could! In a much higher pitch than my normal voice and several squeals to boot... thank you to the lovely people at Simon Says!)  I started with photos taken from the London Eye in 2006.  Stamped with some lurvely Tim stamps and Distress Inks, then distress inked around the edges.  The letters are a random alphabet set that I've had for yeeeaars and I don't know who made 'em.  Brushed over the front and back covers with Ranger's Glue n' Seal (quick tip-don't use Glue n' Seal over SU! Classic inks because they bleed... a lot!)and it doesn't show in the photo but the Glue n' Seal gave it a wonderful vintage look and feel.

The elastic is covered in Distress Stain ...it's awesome!!  one coat soaks through cool, cool, cool!... and attached on the back with the tiny attacher. Grungeboard hinge pieces (just the tops) slathered in Distress Stains and Inks to cover the staples.  Because I am not that bright, I had put the elastic and toppers on before putting on the Glue n' Seal so it darkened  places on the grungeboard, but it looks distressed so it's all good. Slapped on some gears and spinners (because really, why not?) and used the SU! paper distresser on the edges.  Inside the front and back cover I stamped the same Tim stamps and a random London postmark stamp on pieces of card stock so I could cover up all the brad ends from the gears and spinners on front, and then got a little crazy with a front piece.

Stamped a Tattererd Traveler (I think) compass stamp with Distress embossing ink and covered with clear powder.  Then smooshed various colors of SU! Craft ink onto my craft sheet, spritzed with water and dragged the tag through.  I wiped the tag with a paper towel and dipped again, repeated until I got the look I wanted.  Rubbed distress ink on another tag with a sponge, stamped the words with Distress Embossing and covered in black powder.  Torn edges inked with Vintage Photo, more gears and there you have it.  Whew.  If you actually read all my blatherings, thanks and you should get a medal of some sorts for patience.    Off to make matching pens for the journals and oh yeah, PACK!!  -hope I don't forget the camera...HA!  I shall have a sadly neglected desk next week, you should stop by so it will feel loved...