New Normal...HA!

 It has almost been a year of on and off lock downs and I for one am STRUGGLING!

I created a card inspired by those feeling, hoping that if I got it out in my art it would help.  We will see!

Stamps used:  Chicken Wire, Say New Normal, Sasquatch

The Chicken Wire stamp was the very first Viva Las VegaStamp I purchased and it have been well loved!  Background is Brusho on watercolor paper with a tiny tag and masking tape layered on top.  Then I spritzed Distress Oxide Spray in Rustic Wilderness... OHHH how I love the splatters!!

Mr. Sasquatch is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils.  He is walking on washi designed by Miss DeeDee Catron at Um Wow Studio.

Creating ALWAYS makes me feel better!!!

I hope you are using some of your extra time at home creating too!!

Until next time...get inky!

"Soul" An Encaustic Panel by Jenn Engle

Hey everyone! I am super stoked to share with you how I incorporated some VLVS with my encaustic piece.

STAMPS USED:

Flock of Geese

Wire Bird Cage

If you want to see exactly how I made this, how I incorporated the stamps into encaustic and my inexpensive approach to encaustic be sure to check out the video at the bottom of this post!

STAMPS USED:

Flock of Geese

Wire Bird Cage

OTHER SUPPLIES USED:

R&F Encaustic Medium

Small Crock Pot

Canvas Panel

Vintage Ephemera

Tissue Paper

Staz-On Ink Pad

Mark Making Tools

Golden Heavy Body Acrylic in Raw Umber

UmWowStudio Soul Chipboard

Thanks for looking!

~Jenn

Art Journal Page with Jenn Engle

Hey everyone! I have an art journal page to share with you today. This is a page in my traveler's notebook and showcases a big Buddha stamp.

Stamps Used:

Buddha

Process Video:

Thanks for looking!

~Jenn

January Challenge Inspiration by DeeDee

Hiiii friends! DeeDee Catron here today to share some inspiration for the new monthly challenge! I'm also really excited to show you our first Time 2 Stamp video for 2017.. the design team is working hard on bringing more video tutorials for you to kick back and watch :) So subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date!

We are also introducing a new design team tomorrow... so be back here for that, too!

Now.. this months challenge is as:

Fun right? And my take:

Here's the video followed by closeup shots and supplies:

VLVS! Used:
Deathhead Moth
Find Your Tribe
Waybill/Invoice Background

Others:
UmWowStudio Poppy Pod Skellie
Sizzix / Tim Holtz : #8 Tag Die
Canson Watercolor Paper
Liquited Gesso
Golden Gel Medium
Ranger Ink / Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo & Ground Espresso
Ranger Ink / Tim Holtz Archival Ink in Black Soot
DMC Floss
water, needle, scrap cardstock, paper piercer, heat gun, palette knife, canvas strings, paint brush

Index Card Art by Jenn Engle

Hello! Today I have a pair of index card art cards to share with you. My current favorite stamp is the Wildflowers Silhouette stamp and I just love the different looks you can get with the same stamp just by using different ink! Be sure to check out the stamps I used which are linked directly below as well as a tutorial video at the end of this post.

STAMPS USED:

Wildflowers Silhouette

Mesh Texture

Moon Phases

Flock Of Geese

Butterfly Specimens

STAMPS USED:

Wildflowers Silhouette

Mesh Texture

Moon Phases

Flock Of Geese

Butterfly Specimens

The process video:

Thanks for looking!

~Jenn

Weathered Wood Background

Who doesn't love a weathered wood background???
Michele here to share a quick and easy way to create one.

Start with a piece of cardstock.

I used gel medium and painted randomly on the cardstock using a brush in vertical strokes.

After the gel is completely dry use your scoreboard and with the gel side down score every 1/4 inch.

I used Antique Linen Distress ink, the ink pad directly on the paper, for the first layer of color.

Then with a blender and Vintage Photo Distress Ink I blended the next layer of color.

I added Barn Door DIstress Ink and some stamped caution signs,  Radioactive and Caution Safety Glasses stamped with Staz On.

Here is the complete card.

Banksy Gas Mask Flower Girl is watercolored with Distress Markers adn she is holding a Prima flower.  ALong the bottom is the Wildflower Silhouette with some UmWow Studio flower confetti painted with Distress Paint. The sentiment is created with my Dymo Label Maker.

I was on a roll with my backgrounds so I also created this fun boy card.

This one has a bit less gel and some white drips on the 'fence'
Chevron Banner is stamped in Staz On directly on the fence.  I also used Boy and Dog Looking Up, Wildflower Silhouette and Boys Just Want.

A little watercoloring with Distress Markers.

UmWow Studio flower confetti painted with Distress Paint.

And a tiny bit of May Arts burlap string.

Don't forget about our monthly inspiration challenge and of course join us on our Facebook Fan Page.

Until next time...get inky!!

The Life

A friend of mine at work had been talking a lot about getting a fish for our office so when the new plate came out with the fish bowl I was itching to get it inky!!

I created this tag with a shaker fish bowl. :)

Viva Las VegaStamps!:  Fish bowl, numbers set, harlequin diamond background, whimsical diver and high gloss embossing powder.

Other items used:  UmWow Studio fishy confetti and hashtag banner, Distress Spray in Abandoned Coral and Mermaid Lagoon. Distress Paint in Abandoned Coral, Crushed Pistashio and Fossilized Amber, Distress Ink in Gathered Twigs, Tim Holtz mask, gesso, sequins, seed beads, archival ink and foam tape.

I upcycled some acetate from product packaging for my shaker.

The numbers floating in the water make me happy!!

Swimming around in that bowl, wouldn't it be #thelife!!

If you are looking for more inspiration, to participate in swaps and chat with other VLVS! stampers join us on the Viva Las VegaStamps! Groupies facebook page.

Seek Paradise

Hiya folks!!
Michele here today and if you are anything like me you struggle with Clean and Simple (CAS).  I always want to keep going...and going...and going.
I have been practicing and today I am sharing a CAS card combining stamping and chipboard!

I love the bold stamped image, feather silhouette (Item 19126 Plate 923), and the delicate shape of the chipboard feather from Um Wow Studio.  

I stamped in archival ink.

And popped up the sentiment, seek paradise (Item 19546 Plate 1449).

The card base is Carta Bella and watercolor paper.  I also used Distress Spray (crushed pistashio), Distress Ink (walnut stain), May Arts burlap string and sequins.

So glad you stopped by!!!  See you back again SOON!!

Stamps on ATCs

Hey stampers, DeeDee here :)

Recently I've been joining in on a few ATC swaps. It helps me hone some of my skills to work on a small space. Today I've got two ATCs to share. 

 

The first is a Harvest Moon ATC. I started by coloring some watercolor paper with Clearsnap Smooch Spritz. After it had dried completely I spritzed a StencilGirl stencil with the same spritz an dstamped in the top left corner. My harvest moon is the Full Moon 2 3/4 x 1 3/4 in archival black ink. I finished off the ATC with chipboard bats, some ribbon, and a hand drawn border.

The second ATC was button themed. The base for this card is watercolor paper as well. It has been distressed with Distress Ink and water. I stamped the Weathered Tree in Archival ink black and Be True in Versafine smoky gray. The leaf has been covered in gesso and layered with a metal flower, Amazing Crafting Products resin, Clearsnap glitter, May Arts Ribbon and UmWowStudio chipboard buttons.

I'm much happier with the 2nd than the 1st, but was happy to send both out :)

Time2Stamp {Chunky ATCs + stamping tip}

Hey folks :) I'm not sure if you're aware but every couple of months the VLVS! fans and myself (DeeDee here!) participate in an art swap of some sort. Right now Chunky ATCs are due to be arriving on my desk all week long. You can join our facebook group where all swap info and signups are posted.

Today I'd like to share with you my own Chunky ATC + a video tip on using old fragile / vintage / delicate papers without being in fear of them tearing, breaking or downright disintegrating. lol.

My little Immortal Seeking doll has Bat Wings in archival black. They've been stamped on an old book page, and to reinforce the image so that my wings aren't so delicate I've prepared them accordingly. Please watch the following Time2Stamp video for that info:

I've also used the new Penny Farthing in archival ink.

And the Clockface on the back as a bold statement about time slipping by and seeking the immortal path. The first two stamps were stamped on different kinds of paper, but the clockface has been stamped directly to wood. So grungy and great.

Other supplies : Amazing Crafting Products, UmWowStudio, Ranger Ink Distress Ink and Paint, Michaels Drawer Pulls, coffee, vintage card catalog card, netting, staples, Dymo Label Maker.

Join me on my own blog for more shots and details on the creation process.

Vintage Art Journal Spread

Hi Stampers! DeeDee here again, today. This time sharing a project of my own, using a splattering of old and new stamps!

Did you see this post on Saturday talking about the new Art Journaling classes we're doing? Well I've been wanting to really fill up my new journal with all types of pages.. and so today I have a double spread to share, that really is just sort of all my favorite techniques and styles. 

The page base is a sheet of Nature Walk from 7 Dots Studio, with layers of stamping and gesso, coffee, distress ink and more. 

Up in the top right corner I stamped the Cracked Background in Memento gray flannel. I have tons of ink pads in different colors, but it's tough for me to break out of stamping black. I found this gray was a nice subtle alternative, without losing interest in the rubber stamped image. You can also see, in the very corner, where I stamped the Writing Background in archival ink. At this point I did find it to be a bit heavy for the vintage feel of the page, and so I covered it up a bit with gesso, just letting the stamp peek through. 

Below this tag you can see some more stamping in gray, this time the Color Wheel Lines. Notice in the top left corner... that's the brand new Waybill / Invoice background. It's been stamped in Versafine Toffee and whitewashed with a thin layer of gesso. It helps lighten the stamped image allowing it to blend in a bit to the background. Handy when you don't have a lighter colored ink pad.

On the left hand corner is the new Butterfly Specimens stamp in a nice heavy black Archival ink. It helps balance out the spread. 

And one last final photo here.. I snuck in the 23.24.25 tape measure stamp from Plate1430. It's been stamped in that same gray used earlier in the page. 

There's tons of media mixing going on here, including ink types (Archival by Ranger, Memento, Versafine,) mists (Tattered Angels mixed with coffee,) coffee stain (Which I totally picked up from this post by Natasha, SO COOL,) gesso, patterned paper (7 Dots Studio,) Golden Gel Medium, Tim Holtz tissue tape, Prima flowers, My Minds Eye brads, UmWowStudio chipboard, 7 Dots Studio and Sizzix die cuts, and more.