Celebrating Your Day with a Card and Matching Gift Box using Viva Las Vegastamps!

Happy Saturday Everybody! It's March and it's Susan here with my top of the month project to share. We have a BIRTHDAY GIRL this month...You all know and love her...Terri Sproul of Terri Sproul Mixers by Sakura Hobby Crafts that are NOW AVAILABLE at Viva Las Vegastamps! I got to meet our Fairy Craftmother at CHA in California and I was so inspired by her creativity and enthusiasm.

For the March theme challenge "Birthday"...we are to play along by making our "QUEEN BEE" a birthday greeting and follow the game rules here for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Viva Las Vegastamps! online store.

This is Terri and I at CHA!

For today's project I used two stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! Birthday #6835 and Celebrate #12390. I started off with a sheet of white gloss cardstock and I stamped both images with a Stuart Superior chalk inks in bright pink and blue. I am trying out a technique called Chalk Ink resist. This is achieved by stamping image with chalk ink on gloss paper, blotting excess ink and then let dry. Then go over original stamped image with another chalk ink color and the previous image resists the color - but - it keeps the original color. This was fun to play around with and I made two samples. One with pink down first and blue over and the other vice-versa. Then I spritzed each with a shimmer mist to give some pizazz. I finished the pink version into a birthday card and the blue version was scored and folded into a quick and easy gift box. A perfect matching set - that looks like it came from the store - AND - I made it myself!

Both backgrounds I created before making final projects.
The shimmer is hard to see in photo, but the colors are bright
and the gloss paper makes the shimmer spray pop.

Completed gift box - the shimmer spray really makes
it look like its a printed box.

A reminder...it's a new month which means a new VLVS Theme Challenge for March! We are doing this just a little different this month. Trying something new. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. inLinkz your "BIRTHDAY" wishes for Terri Sproul creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store.

Have you seen what our talented Design Team has been up to...stick around a while, browse around and I promise you'll have a chuckle...or two!

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Happy Saturday : )

HAPPY LEAP DAY!!! Spending it playing with Viva Las Vegastamps!

Hi everybody! It's Susan bringing you my end of the month post. I am so excited for getting today as  my project day because it's LEAP DAY!!! So of course, I had to create something extra special for the occasion...complete with lots of leaping frogs! This project has been in my head for months, too. I have been collecting stamps through a couple orders of pounds of rubber grab bags from Viva Las Vegastamps! These are so fun and you never know what you are going to get for your creating pleasure...PLUS it's a whole pound of RUBBER STAMPS {it's a whole lot}!!!

In these I got these two awesome stamps...

I used three Viva Las Vegastamps!: Frog Bottom #1546; Frog Background #6025bbi; and Celebrate #12390. I started off with a gloss piece of cardstock that I stamped in Stewart Superior Palette Hybrid "Giverny Green" a very bright and springy green. This ink is all-purpose and can be used with embossing powders.  So I created a large background paper by stamping frog background four times and embossed using VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. Then I applied three different green Distress Inks with a blending tool to make a soft modeled background. I have this stash of letter stickers - where I rummaged through and came across this package of "Sticky Face™" double sided letter stickers. PERFECT!! I have this jar of glittery green felted stuff I picked up on my trip to the stamp store to get my "Rubber Stamp Madeness" magazine. So I applied the letters, burnished them down and exposed the adhesive. I dumped on the felted powder and gently patted in and tapped off excess. This is a messy yet fun way to add texture. On another piece of gloss cardstock, I used the blending tool to apply three colors of green Distress Inks and spritzed with water to add texture. I heat set this then stamped "Celebrate" and the Frog in "Madonna Blue" Stewart Superior Memories Pigment ink and embossed with VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. I fussy cut these out and applied 3-D pop dots. Finished assembled piece is mounted on a navy blue card stock.

Detail showing embossing and texture of glittered felting on letters.

Today is the last day to submit your creations for the VLVS Theme Challenge for February! Submit your "LOVE" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store.

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. I hope you enjoy your EXTRA Day STAMPING!!!

Happily Divorced!

Hello everyone! While travelling last year, I saw this funny sentiment on something at a souvenir shop. Since Viva Las Vegastamps! has hundreds of stamps featuring women’s faces and funny expressions, I really wanted to use it for one of my blog posts. I asked Wayne, the owner of Viva Las Vegastamps! to put these words on a stamp, and he did! So here it is, with one of my favorite face stamps. You can find the sentiment by clicking here, and you can find the Lady with Pearls by clicking here.

To make this card, I stamped the Lady With Pearls stamp on smooth white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The stamp does show her with a pearl necklace, but I added some small sticky pearls from Want To Scrap to bling it up a little. I cut her out and adhered her to a piece of background paper, and stamped the sentiment directly on the background paper below her.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to return often to see what’s new, and feel free to leave a comment because we love to hear from you and find your words encouraging. If you want to see more of my Viva Las Vegastamps! projects, visit my blog by clicking here.

"Giving a Basket of Amore" using Viva Las Vegastamps! and new Sakura Terri Sproul Mixers

Happy Saturday Everybody! It's Susan here with my top of the month project to share. Love is in the air and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. So I am sharing a "Basket of Hearts" Amore card I've created using Viva Las Vegastamps!...AND...the brand new Terri Sproul Mixers by Sakura Hobby Crafts. These are powders and glittery goodness to be added to Sakura Crystal Lacquer.


And guess what??? Viva Las Vegastamps! will be the very first retailer to carry Terri's new line. I got to meet our Fairy Craftmother last weekend at CHA in California...she is fun and fabulous - just like in her videos! So keep a lookout for these SUPER NEW products in the VLVS Online Store soon!!

This is Terri and I just prior to the CharityWings.org Flash Mob!

For today's project I used two stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! Basket of Hearts #405 and Woven Thatch Background #10153. I started off with a sheet of wine colored cardstock and I stamped both images with Stewart Superior Memories Regal Burgundy Pigment ink and embossed using VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. I also stamped the section of the hearts in basket onto lavender and pink cardstock and embossed. Then I gave it detail with Sakura Terri Sproul Mixers!!! For the woven thatched background of the basket and the handle, too, I mixed some of the Yellow Pearl Jewel Effects Mixer with Crystal Lacquer. It went right over the embossed stamped image and kept the detail. Then I mixed up Red Pearl Jewel Effects Mixer and painted in hearts on the pink and lavender paper. One color takes on an entirely different life when painted on different colored papers - especially dark papers.

The mixers stay transparent while adding shimmer and a touch of color. You have total control of the intensity of the Mixers color, by adding a little or a lot of the powders to Crystal Lacquer. AND it dries quickly, too!!! I for one am the queen of Stickles {glitter adhesives} and really don't use them for most projects because of length of drying time. Now that I've played with the new Sakura Terri Sproul Mixers...I can't see why I would ever use them {Stickles} again. I am totally hooked! Did I mention there are 30 different colors and additives in the Mixers line. I had this piece of scrap paper with a heart and the word "Amore" that I also accented by layering strokes of yellow and red Mixers with a paintbrush. This really made the sentiment "POP". I fussy cut and paper pieced the hearts in the basket and finished assembly of card with coordinating patterned paper scraps and a sheer organza bow. I now have a lovely Valentine for my special someone!

It's a new month which means a new VLVS Theme Challenge for February! Submit your "LOVE" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store.

Don't forget to browse around a little while to see what our talented Design Team has been up to.

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Happy Saturday : )

Aunt Ethel is the Life of what Party???

Happy New Year!!! It's Susan here with the top of the month Saturday post and today I'm feeling a little quirky. I am sharing two cards with you today. The first one falls into January's Theme Challenge of "Celebration". This kooky gal is dressed to the nine {NOT} and she's ready to P-A-R-T-Y!!!

Isn't Aunt Ethel the life of the party???

This card uses Party Lady #15176, Design Solid Ovals #9817 and the phrase "I'm Retired..." #15408 from Viva Las Vegastamps!

 

Here's the details: I started with a plain piece of matte finish cardstock that is painted with my special mix of gesso shimmer primer. Sounds fancy but it's a mixture of gesso and glazing medium with a small amount of gold shimmer, pale green and creme acrylic paint. It makes a nice buttery background that has a little texture. I mix this up so often I made a whole bottle of it complete with a dauber top.

Now to the fun part...stamping. I used Stewart Superior Memories Black Dye ink and stamped the image on the base layer. I love this ink! Especially for stamping images that I'm going to do a lot of coloring...there's no bleeding or smudging. Then using the ovals, I stamped a patterned floor using peeled paint distress ink. The gesso in the background tones down the intensity of the distress ink. I use my marvy dye markers and my  water brush to paint in her skin, hair and lips. With a makeup sponge, I used old paper distress ink to darken the background around her.

Now to dress her up! I have these metallic textured papers from an altered book club goody bag and have been saving these for something special {hehe}. I had a matching purple and pink paper with a wavy modeled texture like wallpaper that I stamped the image on with black staz-on. Then I stamped it again on a royal blue foil paper for just the balloon. I cut out the balloon, hat, dress, shoes and socks and paper pieced this doll back together. I added some finishing touches with a white opaque pen and my favorite gelly stardust pen. I stamped the quote on a piece of the same painted paper, matted with the textured pink metallic and VOILA..."A Party Queen"! These stamps just bring out the kid in me : )

Now for the second card...

I did a little bit of extra work here. I started out with a piece of crumpled hand-painted brown packing paper {like a brown paper bag}. I had made a couple huge sheets of it to make mini book covers. This is painted with a purple/bronzy shimmer spray and purple & brown acrylic paints with glazing medium. The top half of the card is the front of the paper. For contrast, and because it was pretty too, I used the backside of the same paper for the bottom left and right panels. The center panel is the same painted paper overstamped in black with a Texture/Chevron #9771, a natural pattern stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps! The quirky Birdhead #4026 is also from VLVS and is stamped in brown ink and embossed with clear embossing powder on tan cardstock. I trimmed around the image, sponged a little yellow ochre on the beak, added white to the eyes and raised with 3D dots. I finished off with an acrylic bezel word from SEI, burlap cording from May Arts and this silly quote #14908 in cardstock ovals to make a thought bubble. I love this monochromatic card - it is just so irresistably cute!

Thanks for dropping by and staying until the end. I invite and encourage you to submit your creations for the VLVS Theme Challenge for January! Submit your "CELEBRATION" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - there is something for every occasion and everything from breakfast to weiner dogs! Don't forget to hang out a little while to see what our talented Design Team has been up to.

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Enjoy the rest of your week : )

Peace...Love...and Naked Men!

Wow it's the end of December!!! It's Susan (again) with my end of the month project. Today's project also features a fun product called Creative Paperclay® now available for sale over at Viva Las Vegastamps! 

This project is using four stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! This piece begins with Angel Blowing Horn #6303. I also used "I Wish For A World" #1541, Patriotic Shirt Man #18119 and Leafy Border #6292.

 

I started with a sheet of paper that was previously business cards that has been painted over with gesso and other acrylic paint. I make these when I have paint leftover that I've mixed up for a project so it doesn't go to waste. The business cards were on this gunmetal parchment, which on the backside is lovely, but for this I used the painted side. It is a nice base and has a nice texture from the gesso. I stamped the Angel, the leafy border and my naked man with Stewart Superior Memories Regal Burgundy Pigment ink and embossed using VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. Before stamping the man, I rubbed the area with Stewart Superior "New Canvas" Palette hybrid ink {this is white}. I used the ink pad directly to paper in a circular motion and blended out the edges with a paper towel. This made a nice highlighted area for my guy. After stamping, I added some color with watercolor pencils and waterbrush. I added some coloring with CaranD'Ache watercolor crayons, but left them as pastel state {I didn't blend with water}. I finished off by stamping sentiment in Stewart Superior Memories Black Dye ink and mounting on burgundy cardstock.

For the corner embellishments I used the Creative Paperclay® in a small embossing folder. I rubbed the embossing folder with clear ink before pressing clay into it to help ease release. I gently pulled it out and accelerated the drying process by placing in a pan in the toaster oven on one medium toast cycle. Then I cut it apart, sanded edges then inked with chalk inks.

Detail of the Half-naked man colored with watercolor pencils.

Detail of Corner Embellishment made with Creative Paperclay® in embossing folder.

Today is December 30th which means there's only two days left to enter the monthly VLVS Theme Challenge. Submit your "CHRISTMAS" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - there is something for every occasion and more! Please drop by on Sunday for a special New Year's Celebration with the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team Bloghop with a chance to win by commenting on every stop on the hop.

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Happy NEW YEAR!!! : )

It's Fruitcake Time!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! For my last post of 2011, I wanted to make a card that I have had planned out in my head for quite a while. I know it's the day after Christmas, but it's funny, so here it is. I am sure everyone will get a late card or two in the mail this week and I am sure that if you had a fruitcake in your house yesterday, then more than likely, it's still there today. Anyway, back to my project. I am known for my unconventional sense of humor, and this card supports that. People will know who made this as soon as they see it.

I used the following four Viva Las Vegastamps! to make this card:

Handsome Man

Man With Bottle

Santa Hat (reversed)

Fruitcake Time! sentiment

First I stamped all of my stamps on white card stock using a black Memories dye ink pad from Stewart Superior. I wanted the Santa hat to go in the opposite direction, so I stamped it on the smooth backside of another unmounted rubber stamp, and then pressed that image onto the paper to get my reversed image. Then, I colored all my images and cut them out. I embossed the green background sheet with a holly embossing folder. I used a punch for some additonal holly leaves and berries. For the lights, I used a spool of embellishment lights arranged the way I wanted them, and put a drop of glue under each bulb. I let that dry for a few minutes, and then put a drop of glue under the strings to hold them where I wanted them.

I assembled the rest of the card as you see in the finished picture. I put the Man with Bottle behind a holly leaf so he would not be floating in space. I put the Handsome Man on pop dots to bring him to the front of the scene and to show that the guy with the bottle of tanning oil (it's my card, so that is what I have decided it is) is in the background. Of course, the sentiment means it's Christmastime, but I like to think that the man is happy for a lot of reasons.

Visit my blog on the Create & Craft site to see my other fun projects. Happy New Year!

My Favorite Fruitcake Recipe!

For my Viva Las Vegastamps! design team post this time, I wanted to use this funny fruitcake recipe stamp that I have admired for a while now. I used Spellbinders dies for the mat, recipe card, and cake platter that my fruitcake is on. I used a Sizzix embossing folder to add the dot texture to my mat and then used Colored Sakura Crystal Lacquer to highlight some of the dots so that they would accent the pieces of fruit in the fruitcake.

Now here is the fun part! This month, we got to try out a product called Creative Paperclay. I used the paperclay to make my fruitcake and I was surprised at how much like regular clay it is. I expected it to be more like paper pulp, but it was very easy to use, like real clay. Here is how I made the fruitcake:

First, I drew a circle on a piece of waxed paper. Then I put red, green, yellow and orange rhinestones all over my circle. After that, I started putting small pieces of clay over the stones and I pressed the clay down until I could feel the stones. Once I covered all of the stones, I rubbed them to get the clay off the tops of them. Then I trimmed off the excess clay, while also trimming the waxed paper at the same time with a craft knife. I shaped and evened it out to my liking and then put it away to dry over night. The next day, the edges had curled up a little, but it was still a little wet. I gently pressed it flat and smoothed out any tiny cracks with a wet paintbrush. The next day, I painted it with some watered down brown acrylic paint to give it that "bake until golden brown" look. Normally I wouldn't recommend using the waxed paper, but in this project, it gave the bling something to stick to, and also added strength since my project was very thin. Other embellishments you could make this way, could be things like pizza, cookies or a wreath. You can see other projects for Creative Paperclay on their blog by clicking here.

Feel free to stop by the Create & Craft blog to see all of my Viva Las Vegastamps! posts in one place as well as projects from the rest of our team. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to come back every Monday, Wednesday & Friday to see the newest posts!

"Thanks a Lot" from Grandma's Kitchen

Hello - its Susan and I'm bringing you a special Saturday post! This lovely card reminiscent of Grandma's kitchen features Viva Las Vegastamps! Blender #1571 and "Thanks a Lot" #587 stamps. 

I stamped the blender with Black Memories Dye ink. Let me say that it says this is a waterproof, permanent dye ink - and I put it to the test with this image. I am quite suprised and impressed that after all of the hand coloring and crystal lacquer, the image is still crisp and clean with no bleeding. 

Here's how I made the two-tone blender. First, I stamped it on white and then again on blue cardstock. I cut each blender out and paper pieced it back together, in a retro color style, two-tone blue and clear. Then I colored in accents to give it dimensions with my Marvy markers and water brush. I really like the effect of blending with the water brush opposed to the blender pen. 

Detail after handcoloring with markers and water brush.

I layered the stamped pieced blender onto BoBunny patterned paper, then double matted circles placed on top of a paper doily. The background papers are scraps of BoBunny papers, too. Of course, I adhered it all down with Miracle Tape. This came out so beautifully - just like in Grandma's retro kitchen.

Here is how the card looks before I added some magic...Crystal Lacquer. I filled in the blue areas and the knobs and a few details in the pitcher of the blender with blue Crystal Lacquer. The blue Crystal Lacquer gave the blue paper a "POP" and the illusion of dimension. The rest of the blender, the cord, and switchplate I layered in clear Crystal Lacquer. And "BAM!!!!" Here is the shiny new blender in all it's 3-D splendor. Just like one of those high-priced epoxy stickers...but better - because I made it myself!!!

Detail after adding Crystal Lacquer to blender.

I needed a sentiment to finish off this card so I stamped the "Thanks a Lot" with "Madonna Blue" Memories pigment ink and embossed with VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. Double matted and adhered with Miracle Tape, the card is complete. I hope you like it and invite you to play along with November's challenge "THANKS".

This is a new month and there is a new VLVS Theme Challenge for November. Submit your "THANKS" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps store - there is something for every occasion and more! 

"Thanks a Lot" for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Have a great weekend : )