Clowning Around with Mail Art

Hello Crafty Friends! 

Welcome Back to another
Mail Art Monday!

Stamps Used:

Creepy Clown On Unicycle

Typeset Scallop

Grunge Circles

I started with an A2 sized envelope. The 1st stamp I stamped was the creepy clown.  Once the clown was stamped, I stamped it again on scrap paper to create a mask. 

Next, I created the address block by tracing a mini playing card. (I left this in place as a mask also.)

I chose the typeset scallop to use as a banner.

 (You know banners are fun right?!)

Once the banner and all of the foreground pieces were masked off, I started on my background.  I used distress oxide ink in cracked pistachio to color my base color. Next, I stamped my grungy circles in the same cracked pistachio color.

At this point you can remove all of your masks.  I used Blick alcohol ink markers to add all my base colors.  I added a bit of blue watercolor colored pencil around the banner too. I added extra details with a white gelly roll pen.

Love Banner

February, the LOVE month...and Valentines Day is right around the corner.
Michele here today sharing a mixed media banner inspired by the colors of love.

I started with some canvas banners, did some random samping with archival ink and sprayed with Distress Spray Stain in Wild Raspberry, Abandoned Coral and Fossilized Amber.  The stamps I used were:  Writing Circles Background, Writing Triangles, Coffee Ring Stain, Numbers Set, Bubble Wrap Texture and Stitching.

I covered some chipboard letters with gesso, stamped with Writing Circles Background and Coffee Ring Stain then sprayed with the Wild Raspberry spray and water.

I also stamped a couple of white flowers with Numbers Set and cut out some Writing Triangles.  Then the fun began...

Yep! The embellishing, I also had to have some Prima flowers too!!

I put the banners on a wooden dowl that I painted white and finished with some scrumptious May Arts Ribbons.

Now, how am I going to hang my LOVE banner??  Any ideas?  Let me know what you think.

Until next time, get inky!!

Merry Merry : A Christmas Card

Hello stamping friends :) Yesterday we had a giant delicious blog hop full of Christmas Cards by our Design Team. Please stop by if you didn't get a chance to see everything. We had a fun giveaway and now we have a winner to announce!!!

the winner is......

Julie Steed said...

Er... no, I haven't started them yet. But I've been THINKING about it!

Congrats Julie!! Please email me @ deedee430@gmail.com with your shipping address and we'll get you a LB o' rubber and a Christmas grab bag!

Also -- Sometimes things don't go as planned and we had a little hiccup -- so today I'm sharing the deliciously whimsical card by Amy Lassiter here on our blog that was missed yesterday. Her original post was here. Check out the her card, leave her some love here on our blog, and we'll give away one more Christmas themed grab bag to a sweet comment left for Amy.

Plucked directly from Amy's Blog:

"I have created a fun little card to shine with Christmas spirit, without a single Christmas specific image! Today I am giving a shout out to Dr. Who…and thinking of how the TARDIS would look, sailing across a sky of Christmas stars, sending a Christmas greeting.

The background of my card was created by adding many colors of blue on my Gelli Plate, and then spreading with a brayer. When this was dry, giving splatters of white ink from 13 Arts, gave me a nice night sky to work with.

 

I painted the watercolored pine trees, fussy cut them out, and added them in layers. Each tree is topped with a star from the Stars 2 x 2 1/4, using gold ink from Imagine Crafts.

 

The Whimsical flying police box stamp is focus of this card, obviously. I decided to stamp it in several colors of blue, and then color with Sakura Gelly Roll pens, Faber Castell Design Memory Craft big brush pens, and fine line Sharpies; for pops of color. I wanted the TARDIS to be flying the Union Jack, so I stamped it using the Union jack silhouette, and added it and the Chevron banner stamp, using shimmering gold heavy embroidery thread….like they were being flown. The entire card was added in a layer to another white plain 4×6 card, which was watercolored to give a lighter background pop of color."

Proud To Be An American

 

 

Happy 4th of July - Let Freedom Ring ! 

Mary Vogel Lozinak has images put out by Viva Las Vegastamps that can morph into whatever theme you are doing.  This lovely lady reminded me of the Statue of Liberty.  She was perfect for my design!
 
VLVS Images:
Star in Solid Circle - 18998
Alphabets
Chevron Banner - 19042
Spikes on Head/ Mary Vogel Lozinak - 18507

VLVS Partners:
Sakura of America:  Expressionist Cray Pas/Oil Pastels, Gelly Roll Standard, Souffle Pen
UMWow Studios:  Chipboard arrow cut to fit theme
May Arts Ribbon

Below you will find photos that take you through the progression of how I worked with the oil pastels.  These oil pastels are richly pigmented and creamy and move with the oils of your fingers.  I do two blending techniques, this is one.

NOTE:  In order to be successful in stamping on top of the blended oil pastel, use mica powder in a sheer gold.  That sticks to the pastels and leaves a substrate you can stamp on.  Permanent ink works best, and letting wetness disapate in the air for a few minutes will allow coloring enhancement.

 

 

 

Brush with sheer gold mica powder so you can stamp on it.



Red stars with Gelly Roll Standard - Red.  White Stars with Souffle Pen - white.

Alphabet, chipboard, and stamped banner accent.

 

In addition to celebrating our country, the 4th of July is my Anniversary!!!  I have been married to my honey 38 years!!!  Yep, I was 19 and he was 18 when we were married.  No shotguns needed but fireworks indeed ;-D

For more information on working with oil pastels, pastels, mica powders, and other media, check out my book:  Creative Art Concepts for Papercrafts put out by C&T Publishing. 

Have a great 4th!!!

Cre8tively Yours - Lea

Imagine Spring

Missouri doesn't really have a spring, it is winter, rain, then summer!!  It jumps from 40-50 degrees to 80-110!

(Note picture taken from above on a slant)

Decorative paper was used in this design, but the butterflies were stamped right on top and enhanced with gel pens!

The banner I stamped, colored and cut so it looks like it wasn't even stamped at all.

Of course the flowers you can tell are a stamped image.  I bought many flower images to fill my stamp file.

VLVS Images:
6038 - Butterfly
19042- Chevron Banner
899- Plate  15752 - Gladiola's

Paper by Bo Bunny Press.  Hand-dyed May Arts Ribbon with Smooch sprays.

Painted colors to bring out texture and color with inks and gel pens.

My garden up by the front door has many greens and buds waiting to bloom.  I can't wait to have lots of color in my yard!

Stamp, layer, color, enhance!  Use elements and embellishments to finish your art.

HAPPY SPRING!

Cre8tiveLea Yours - Lea

Guest Designer Pauline!

Good morning stampers :)

Today I'm introducing our February Guest Designer.. PAULINE!

Here's a little introduction by Pauline herself.. Hi, I'm Pauline Butcher, I live in historical Warwick, England, with my partner Robin, and have three grown up sons, one of which is still home with us. I have my own craft room (my haven), where I can often be found getting quite messy, lolI have been crafting, in one way or another for most of my life, (dressmaking, drawing, sewing, sugar craft and cake making) but discovered a passion for sticking bits of coloured card and paper together, twelve years ago. My addiction to stamps, stamping, and everything inky, became apparent 3 years ago, there is nothing more rewarding than making something beautiful, out of a few scraps of inked paper and card, for people to enjoy.

And now I have two awesome pieces to share of hers!

6"x 6" white card. Rose background stamped twice in 'Momento ink' in 'London Fog'.

One image left plain, one image coloured using  'Promarkers',   Rose Pink, Pastel Pink and Blossom. Girl In Polka Dot Dress, stamped in 'Momento ink' in 'Tuxedo Black'. and coloured using 'Promarkers', Rose Pink, Blossom, Pastel Pink, Satin, Putty, Sunkissed Pink, Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 2. Chevron Banner and Be Adorable, stamped using 'Tim Holtz Distress Ink' in Pickled Raspberry. I also used a 'Tonic Border punch' for the lace, and added a few gems.

Garland Heart stamped using Momento ink Tuxedo Black and coloured using 'Promarkers' in Berry Red, Cocktail Pink, Antique Pink, Arctic Blue, Pastel Blue, Soft Green, Bright Green, Buttercup, Canary, Caramel, Cinnamon, Cocoa. Retired Couple stamped and aged using 'Tim Holtz Distress ink in Vintage Photo'. Large heart was cut using an 'X-cut' die, and coloured using 'Tim Holtz Distress ink' in .Squeezed Lemonade', spritzed with 'Perfect Pearl mist' in Forever Blue. Also used, 'Bazzill Basics Paper - Antique script, American Seam Binding, 'Tim holtz, Chit chat stickers' and a gem.

Thanks so much for sharing your work Pauline!
Check back in two weeks to see more beautiful work by her :)