MORE TEA VICAR? - by Fran Chalmers

 Hi everyone!

Today I've made a quirky card for you, with a bit of humour (which may be British, not sure)!

First of all I smooshed a background with  distress inks in Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade.

I added a couple of stamps for some interest in the background.

I stamped the main image on thick paper and coloured it in with copic pens.

I cut out and stuck the image on the card, and then printed out the sentiment, edged it and stuck it on the card.

I edged the card in Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade to bring it all together.

I hope you like it!

Stamps Used:

Numbers Set 19659

Double coffee rings 19568

Coffee cups lady 18499

Other Items Used:

Distress inks in Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade

Memento ink in Tuxedo Black

Copic pens

Every New Year's

Hi everyone - and Happy New Year!

Today I have made a card which is just a bit of fun! I hope you like it....

First of all I made my background using Versafine Clair inks and the Color Wheel Lines stamp.

I then made some masks and added some numbers with the Numbers SetColor Wheel Lines 19338 stamp.

I coloured in some of the tiny squares with pens to add a bit of interest.

 I stamped the main image on some thick paper, and coloured it in with Copic Pens. I stuck it on the main card and then went round the card with a blue Sharpie pen.

I added the sentiment after printing it off on my computer and cutting it up.  I went round the edge with a blue pencil to highlight it.

Stamps Used:

Numbers Set 19659

Aghast Lady 18766

Color Wheel Lines 19338

Other Items Used:

Versafine Clair inks in Paradise, Purple Delight and Bali Blue

Kuratake pens

Copic Pens

Blue Sharpie pen

Coloured pencils

Mixed media tag - Where is my mind?

Hi everyone,

Here's another project that I want to share with you. It's a softly colored tag with some vintage elements and Banksy stamps.

The background is a simple collage of torn old paper with a thin coat of heavy gesso. I used a stamping platform to stamp the jar on top, added a little more gesso to the inside of it and stamped it again to make the lines reappear that I accidentally painted over.
 

Then I stamped the girl on a swing in the jar and added some light touches of color and a shadow underneath the jar with some scribble sticks. I added the quote as well as some stamped numbers (barely visible as I used a very light ink) and darkened the edges with a blending tool. Then I finished the tag with some sewing accents and some ribbons.

 

Stamps used:
Bell Jar (19660)
Numbers Set (19659)
Banksy Swing Girl (19425)
Where Is My Mind? (19424)

Other material:
- tag 3.5 x 6 inch
- vintage paper
- heavy gesso
- archival ink (jet black, pebble beach)
- Dina Wakley scribble sticks
- sewing machine
- ribbon

See you soon!

Mixed media card - three wise monkeys

Hey everyone,

February is cold and dull over here, so I thought I'd bring in some bright colors and created this fun mixed media card.

I'm a little addicted to slimline cards right now, so I started on a die cutted piece of paper and cut another slightly larger one from black cardstock. The background looks way more complicated than it is. I just stamped the harlequin background with two shades of Oxide Ink and sprayed it with water until I was happy with the way the colors dissolved. After it was dry, I added some stamped numbers using one of the background colors.

As a focal point I went with the three wise monkeys and Corrie's overlapping squares as I needed something for the chimpanzees to sit on. I stamped everything down, the squares twice, and colored the images with my alcohol markers.

I cut the images and inked the edges with a black marker. From the second image of the squares I cut some clusters. My plan was to have some parts of it raised with foam tape.
 

Then I built up my focal composition and glued everything down. To finifh the card, I just had to add that quote stamp and put my layers together.

Stamps used:
Harlequin Diamond Background (18920)
Numbers Set (19659)
Chimpanzee Set (10202)
Overlapping Squares by Corrie Herriman (19996)
If This Is Reality (19884)

Other material:
- Canson Watercolor paper
- black and white cardstock
- perfect coloring paper
- Spectrum Noir Illustrator alcohol marker
- Distress Oxide Ink (crackling campfire, rusty hinge)
- Crealies slimline die (clcz184)

 

See you soon with a new project!

Mixed Media Tag by Elisa Ablett

Hi everyone,

Elisa here from the design team with my latest VLVStamps inspiration for you.

I ordered the Tina Walker Scribble Girl plate a little while ago and couldn't wait to try them out with a lovely colourful background.

I started with a gel plate print on my tag and added layer of inks, stenciling and stamping in tropical colours.

I then stamped Scribble Girl with Earrings stamp on deli paper, fussy cut the image out and added a smidge of colour to her earrings and cheeks using a fine paint brush. 

To finish off the tag I added black water soluble crayon to the edges of the deli paper image and added some water to smudge the edging creating shadows and depth. 

Let's take a look at the products used from Viva Las VegaStamps website:-

 

scribble-girl-with earrings

https://vlvstamps.com/scribble-that-shit-out

https://vlvstamps.com/sheet-music-background

https://vlvstamps.com/melanthium-vulgare-2-1-4-x-4-1-4.html

https://vlvstamps.com/numbers-set-2-1-2-x-2.html

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, I hope this inspires you to grab a set of the Scribble Girls and start your own colourful tags or bookmarks!

Hugs

Elisa x

Valley of the Blind - Art Journal spread by Cheetarah

Hi VLVS! fans, hope you all are doing great! It's Cheetarah here and I have a art journal spread to share with you made in my pocket watercolor journal. The stamps I used are listed at the end of the post. 

In my Hanemuhle pocket watercolor journal I stamped the whimsical Cyclops and Banksy line of punks with memento Tuxedo black on the pages. It didn't matter that the imprint wasn't as solid black because I am going to use watercolors over it. 

I really love the design of this cyclops, the eye is so wonderfully pronounced. Started with the face and just slowly built up layers as you do with watercolors. 

When I was satisfied with the look of the face I made a mask by stamping the image on post it paper and stuck it to the colored image before I went to do the background. 

Made sun rays by using a stencil and yellow, orange and gold watercolors. I extended the rays to the other page and darkened the 'punks' by using an indigo color mixed with a little bit of magenta to make it a little purple. 

To finish the page I stamped big and small numbers plus some dandelion seeds in orange to pull the pages together. The wrote the quote "In the valley of the blind, the One-Eyed person is King" with a Tombow fudenosuke lettering pen. 

Stamps used: 

Whimsical Cyclops 

Banksey Line of Punks 

Numbers set 

Row of Numbers 

Blowing dandelion and extra seed 

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Your Compass by Cheetarah

Hi VLVS! lovers, it's Cheetarah here and I'm thrilled to be back as a guest designer this term. I hope the new year has started off well for you.

Today I would like to share an art journal page. It's inspired by this wonderful quote from Cat Kerr which is a stamp in the awesome VLVS! quotes range. It says "let fear be your compass, if it scares you, move forward." I think it's a bad-ass bold statement and definitely aligns with my new year's intention not to back away from new things even though they might scare me at first.

I have a washi tape that suits this theme also perfectly which says "you are here" and the dancing lady on top of it is moving towards unknown scary territories. The background has yummy mixed media stamps which is embossed gold over a black background. When you move the page in the light though, you get some interesting effects.

You can see an array of color (possibilities) when you shift the page into the light, which is made with the use of interference paints. While I was making this page I had the camera on so you can see the process of it in the video below.

Hope this inspired you to take out your VLVS! stamps and do a bit of art journaling.

Have an awesome day.

xo Cheetarah _____

VLVS! Supplies:

Dancing Lady SKU19183

Let Fear be your Compass SKU 20029

Writing Circles Background SKU19567

Scribble Circle SKU20166

Numbers set SKU19659 Miracle Tape 1/8th inch Other Supplies: Deco art media black gesso

gold dye ink pad

Honey Pearl Embossing powder

Mail Art from the Great Unknown

Hello Crafty Friends! 

Happy Mail Art Monday
and Columbus Day if you are here in the USA.

Now, Time for some explorer themed mail art... (with a hint of steam punk)

Stamps Used:

numbers set

the great unknown

Waybill/invoice

steampunk balloon

men in balloon basket

punchinella/sequin waste

I started by using an A2 envelope. I stamped my 2 foreground stamps and traced my mini playing card (address label block).  

Next I created a "cloud" background with scarp paper and ink in weathered wood, hickory smoke,  and broken china distress ink. 

Next, I used my waybill/ledger stamp to add random texture and detail to the background with cornflower blue archival ink.

I also stamped my numbers randomly in watering can archival ink.  Across the top, I also added a bit of texture with my punchinella stamp. (below you can see a close up of some detail for the numbers, ledger, and texture)... you can also see I added a few flecks of black stain, and glitter spray.... I also added white dots with a white gel pen. 

Below you can see the whole picture, I added color detail, and bits of washi tape, and glitter. 

More detail...

And even more details... 

I hope you have all enjoyed this explorer themed envelope.