You know too much...MAM

Hello again crafty friends!

I'm still on a snarky/sarcastic kick...

Today I'm sharing a card and envelope set made for a friend...

Stamps used:

Ladies smoking cigars

Typeset Scallop

Three Staples

Staple X

These 2 ladies crack me up!

I started by stamping the ladies on the card base and envelope.  

Setting the  card aside for now, I created a mask of the 2 ladies using  scrap book paper. Once the ladies were masked off, I stamped my typeset scallop boarder on the right side of the envelope (yes, I realize that the text is upside down, but I do not care I'm going for an overall look...and if I let silly things like that limit me than my stamps have less uses) 

I added a mask over the boarder than chose a dylusions stencil and lucky clover distress ink to create my background. When I finished stenciling,  I used a black micron pen to roughly trace the shapes made from the stencil. 

Next, I removed the masks and colored everything using blick alcohol markers.
(This is what I used on the card as well)

The card was finished by adding it to the A2 card base, and applying some washi tape along with my snarky quote sticker

August Challenge

Welcome to our AUGUST Challenge!!!

We are inspiring you with words like bold, BRIGHT, intuitive, strong, women, feminine, ARTIST, artsy, splatter, script, polka dots, color blocks, numbers, alphas, pink, teal, lime green, white, black, stencils and more.

Don't forget the rules:

-Create a new project based on our inspiration board (it has to be posted this month, but you can certainly link up to other challenges as well!)

-Use at least one (but certainly more if you want) Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps

(We are now allowing competitors stamps to be on your work, but please make VLVS! the focus of the project, thank you.)

-Post it to your blog with a link back to us

-Upload to our linky using your direct blog post link (You may also upload via facebook, flickr or other gallery)

You could win a Project Spotlight post on our blog + some new rubber of course.

And visit us back here for inspiration!

An InLinkz Link-up

July Challenge - a bit o' vintage!

Half the year is over... HALF THE YEAR! Have you entered many of our challenges? You can't win if you don't enter!! Here is JULY'S CHALLENGE!

We'd like to inspire you with words like BOLD, Stripes, music and music notes, grunge, vintage, lace, ruffles, women, girls, ladies, splatters, paint, distressed, scribbles, black, white, , tan, dark, PINK, off white, tea stain, coffee, toffee colored and more!

Don't forget the rules:

-Create a new project based on our inspiration board

-Use at least one (but certainly more if you want) Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps

(We are now allowing competitors stamps to be on your work, but please make VLVS! the focus of the project, thank you.)

-Post it to your blog with a link back to us

-Upload to our linky using your direct blog post link (You may also upload via facebook, flickr or other gallery)

You could win a Project Spotlight post on our blog + some new rubber of course.

And visit us back here for inspiration!

An InLinkz Link-up

Senior Ladies, Best Friends - A Card For Your BFF

Until this project, I don't think I've ever used a "photo stamp." You know the kind - stamps made from photographs rather than drawings. I've seen many that have interested me, but just didn't know what to do with them or how to use them. That brings me to the pound of rubber I received from Viva Las Vegastamps! For only $25, you can buy one pound of unmounted, deeply etched red rubber stamps. Viva Las Vegastamps! will select, at random, a pound of images and sayings from their collection of over 16,000, mostly "non-cute" stamps. I got a pound and when I sat and went through them I found Senior Ladies 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" (#8671).

Every time I looked at this stamp, a story went through my head. These two woman knew each other for years. They often went to the park together. They fed the birds. They played BINGO. They were best friends.

Given how many times I stopped and looked at this stamp (yes, I go through the pound of rubber over and over again), I knew I had to use it on a project.

I started by covering some glossy photo paper with distress ink. Then I stamped Senior Ladies 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" (#8671) using black dye ink. Once trimmed, the result looked like an old photo!
I picked up some vintage BINGO cards at a flea market this summer and decided to use one as a background for this photo. If you don't have a real BINGO card, you can create your own using Bingo Card 4 3/4 x 5 3/4 (#8431).

For the sentiment, I stamped letters using Scrabble Alphabet Unmounted Regular Size (#1948) on white paper. I applied distress ink, used a Copic marker to color the edges of each tile and then embossed the letters with Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder. Once cut out, they look like real Scrabble tiles.

The card base is made from Designer Paper (DP) that fits the vintage look I was going for.

Now that I've finally used a photo stamp, I know they will become a standard part of my stamping portfolio. I hope you'll give them a try too. In fact, why not challenge yourself? Get a pound of rubber and see how creative you can be with stamps you didn't select. I bet you'll find it as fun as I did!

Check out my blog on Create & Craft for more project ideas.
Happy crafting!
Joe

Simple can be good!

Hey all!! DeeDee here.. and today I have an important message.. "sometimes a stamped image says enough without words!"

In today's project I've used a rather large stamp from VLVS!, large.. but beautiful! I imagine this is me and a friend in the distant future.

I used the Senior Ladies stamp (3.5 x 4.75 inches - only $8.85 Unmounted!!!)

I stamped in Memento black (Find it at VLVS! here) and distress embossed it with Walnut Stain powder from TH. I then attached the image to my background with Miracle Tape - and because it's such a great adhesive I was able to distress the edges right on the piece!! YAY!

About the background: I took the time to use Sakura Hobby's 3D Crystal Lacquer to enhance the background paper I had picked out. After cutting the bottle open and attaching my fine tip I applied lacquer to the dark green spots in my patterned paper! It creates a dazzling 3D glossy sort of embossed effect and compliments our gals nicely!!

To finish it off I wrapped the card with a nice twine --- see what I mean about not always needing a sentiment or words? This would be perfect to give to a best friend :D

DeeDee over n out!