Monthly Challenge and BIG Farewell

This Month's challenge for the Viva Las Vegastamps!  Blog.

Each month we will pick a new theme and we hope you play along with us. At the beginning of the next month, we will pick a winner and that card will be featured on our Blog and the winner will receive a $25.00 Gift Certificate to our online store or if you are visiting Las Vegas, stop by our Retail Store to use your Gift Certificate.

October's Theme

"Halloween"

The Viva Las Vegastamps! online store has lots of Halloween stamps to choose from
CLICK HERE

How to enter:
1) Must be a follower of the Viva Las Vegastamps! Blog - I will check
2) Post a card/project  on the Viva Las Vegastamps! facebook page using the Theme by Oct 31, 2011 11:59PM Pacific Time
3) Card MUST use a stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps!
4) Winner will have their Card featured on our Blog - how exciting it that! - and get a $25 online store credit.

We will pick a winner the first week of October and post the next month's Challenge on the 1st of each month. We hope you play with us...

Now for a Farewell to our Design Team

As the leader for the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design team, I am so proud of each of them and I so enjoyed working with each of them.  Our first Viva Las Vegastamps! Design team has come to an end. We have a  new team starting in October for the next 6 months..  I hope you checked them all out when we introduce them a while back...  The first team was just amazing and we here at Viva Las Vegastamps! are so blessed to have each of them as part of the team..  

I am going to post each of the old team Names and Link to their blogs - as we will continue to support them and hope they will continue to support us...  You will notice we did keep two member from the last team..  

Chris Hurley:  we love the way she always made us LOL on her posts, she is amazing card maker.  thanks so much for all your hard work. 

Kim Prince:  We love the way that Kim would be able to show us the same stamp in so many different ways. Make your money go far!  thanks for all your hard work. 

Rebecca Parsons:  we can't thank Rebecca enough for the extra work she did helping us out on our ads for RubberstampsMadness.  Her digital work is amazing.  Thanks for all your hard work. 

Jennifer Bliss:  another amazing card artist, she always inspired me to go purchase the stamps she using in her post.  Hope she did the same for you.  Thanks for all your hard work...

Now here are the two that we kept for this term:  

Joe Morgan:  His cards are so funny - what a "Sense of Humor".  Viva Las Vegastamps! is so happy to have him back with us for this term.  Thanks for all your hard work...

DeeDee Catron:  If her work did not inspire you, I don't know whose work would.  She does amazing stuff with the Viva Las Vegastamps!  We are so happy to have her back on the team with us.  Thanks for all your hard work.  

Well that is the end of the first term for our amazing team..  We are so proud to have worked with each of them and hope you continue to follow their blogs and see what amazing stuff they are creating.  

Thanks for all the support we get from each of YOU!  

Now I would like to take a minute and give a special thanks to the first team and all of you for all the support you have give us here at Viva Las Vegastamps!  We can't do this without all of you.  Team Leader:  Terri Sproul 

Journey to a far away land

Morning everyone!! DeeDee here for my bi weekly contribution.. I've taken a lot of the time over the last six months to show you (or what I think is showing you) various uses for stamping with rubber... well today I've sort of done a farewell to previous team as the VLVS! DT's 1st term is ending and the 2nd term will be starting soon with almost all new contributors! I straight forwardly stamped my image in a distress ink and embossed with the Ultra High Gloss embossing powder by VLVS!

So.. Farewell to the previous team... may your journeys take you beyond your wildest dreams!

Here is my card:

I used this stamp HERE and here is a close up of it:

It's 2" x 4.25" and is $10.50

Other products used: distress stain in walnut and tattered rose, a kraft base, MME paper, grungeboard, a label maker, rayon seam binding and diamond glaze.

See you all in a couple of weeks!! Goodbye once again to our leaving team and HELLO to the new group!!! -DeeDee

The Moon & Stars

Moon & Stars Card

For this week’s project I wanted to use a couple of stamps that I have had for a while. The sentiment that I used was one of the very first stamps I bought from Viva Las Vegastamps! It reads, “We already have the moon. Let’s not ask for the stars.” It has always made me think of something from an old black and white movie, so I paired it with a stamp called Moon Lovers that shows a man and a woman embracing on a crescent moon.

To further add to my theme, I used a Tim Holtz filmstrip ribbon with my stamped image behind each cell. I wanted my card to look like a scene from the filmstrip coming to life. For my sentiment, I stamped with Versafine Ink on vellum so that you could see the starry background behind it. I put some Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder over it to make it stand out.

Please visit the Create & Craft blog where you can see my other projects and feel free to leave a comment to say hello. Thanks for stopping by!

Follow Your Dreams

My time with the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team is coming to an end after today.  I will surely miss the team and the company!  I enjoyed it very much and wish the new team members the very best!

From my Pound O Rubber from the beginning of my time with the team I am using this Asian Symbol Cat.  I then used embossing ink and covered it with Perfect Pearls and brushed away the extras.  I added the to a scalloped punch out and added ribbon under that.  On top of the ribbon you will see a fabric phrase embelly and under that a few other designer papers and border stickers, too!

I have been using my Miracle Tape, too!  Amazing stuff!!!  Swing by my blog because I have this and other projects posting in the next 3 days using the Miracle Tape available at stampo.com - Viva Las Vegastamps! ROCK!

Memories

Hello again,

As you all have probably heard, there will be a new Design Team announced, and this will be the last post from me as a Design Team member. I would like to wish the new team the best of luck, and thank Wayne and Terri for having me. It was truly a pleasure to be part of the team!

Now onto my card...When I saw this couple, called Armchair Lovers, I knew I had to have this stamp. I wanted to make something a bit vintage and romantic. I started out by stamping the couple on white cardstock, then stamping them again on a patterned paper. I die cut the white cs so the couple was centered in the circle, then cut the chair out of the patterned paper, and attached it over top of the white chair. I then coloured in the couple with Copic Markers. I used a die to cut the doily out, and punches for the flowers and hearts. Everything is quite heavily distressed to give it a more vintage effect. The sentiment is a rub-on.

Again, thank you so much for letting me share some of my work with you all. 

Thank you,

Kim Prince

old fart...

You know those old people you see and you wonder if they meant to dress like that. Checks, plaids, dots, stripes, one blue sock, one green sock. LOL

This card is for them:

I can't wait to get to that age when I can wear what I want and say what I want and it's ok because "I'm old".

The image and saying are both stamped in black stazon. I used scrap papers for my back ground. Just added a brad to some flowers for my finishing touch.

Make sure you head over to Viva Las Vegastamps and get your self some new stamps. There are more stamps there then one person could ever use!!

Our New Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team

I am so excited to introduce you to our new Design Team for the next 6 months..  This team will be post projects here on our blog on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays..  We hope you stop by here and leave comments.

Terri Sproul 

Team Leader

Terri Sproul  is a diverse and experienced designer, design team leader  and instructor for multiple companies in the paper craft world including “Glue Dots®”, “Stewart Superior”, “Robin Nest”, “Sakura Hobby Craft” and “Viva Las Vegastamps!” to name a few.  Terri and her husband Marc have the pleasure of living in San Diego County On top Of Palomar Mountain. She has received a Bachelor of Scrapbooking Arts from Creating Keepsakes and Bachelor of Scrapbooking Education from EK Success. Terri’s passion is teaching fellow Scrapbooker’s and Stamper’s new techniques and to think ‘out of the box’ and ‘off the Page.’  Visit her website and blog to see all the exciting stuff she does at http://www.terrisproul.com – link to blog is also there. 

Aimee Fleck

I've always been a crafty girl. Having two artistic and crafty parents
certainly helped to push me in that direction! In Junior High school, I entered
art competitions with drawings. About 13 years ago I discovered rubber stamping
and scrapbooking. What a wonderful way to both get your creative groove on AND
do something wonderful for your family. I know my kids' families will
appreciate their scrapbooks when they are all grown up and married! I worked at
our local scrap book store for almost 3 years, and continued to teach there
until it closed May 2011. I still teach at other area stores and am a Ranger
Certified Educator. If it's messy, I can probably tell you what to do with it!

Lyneen Jesse 

Lyneen Jesse lives in Bremerton, WA with her wonderful husband of eleven years and their absolutely spoiled schnauzer Daisy.  Working full-time she also teaches classes at the local scrapbook store and creates in her home studio.  She enjoys stamping, scrapbooking, altered art, collecting vintage treasures and photography. 

She started creating at a very young age following in her mothers footsteps. Rubber stamping has been a love of hers before rubber stamping was popular.  People have been know to call her “the MacGyver” of paper, since she can create just about anything from paper.  Lyneen is the proud owner of thousands of rubber stamps and tons of pattern paper.  Like many her style has evolved over time.  Vintage has become her all time favorite.

Lyneen has been published in Rubber StampMadness, Take Ten, Stampers Sampler, West Sound Home&Garden and most recently in The Best of Stampington & Company HandCrafted Vol.7

Joe Morgan

Joe Morgan has always been fond of crafting. His favorite holiday is Halloween and, perhaps instinctively, his black cat is named Elphaba (after the wicked witch in Wicked). Joe enjoys stamping, embossing, card making, learning new techniques and some scrapbooking, along with paper crafting home décor items – like garden lanterns with paper silhouettes and an antique finish. He also loves going to yard sales and flea markets where he likes to look for things that are cool or unusual as well as things that he and his partner can use in their craft projects! Joe lives is Columbus, OH with his partner and his pet cat. He is currently on the design team for Create & Craft, where he enjoys developing new class ideas and teaching occasional card and/or technique classes at local stores or exhibitions. He is also on the design team for Viva Las Vegastamps! where he gets to have fun making new projects, and then he gets to blog about them.

 Joe Rotella

Joe has been crafting for since he was little. He loves detail and 3D work and paper piecing is his specialty. Joe’s work has appeared in Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine. He’s filmed a segment of Crafting at the Spotted Canary with Joy Macdonell (airs on PBS Fall 2011) and has won Archiver’s One-of-a-Kind Wall Art contest (Ohio, August 2011). When he’s not designing paper art projects, he works as CTO at Delphia Consulting.

Susan Brown

I am a graphic artist by trade in the fast-paced printing industry by day... which supports my creative muse at night...under the web handle sbartist. I am a native of Chicago, and have lived in Florida most of my life. I currently reside in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with my husband of 19 years. I have been crafting from a very young age and was encouraged to be creative as I was growing up. I am a painter at heart, and I love to learn new things; making collage or assemblage, dabbling in photography, sewing, stamping, mixing it all up. There is a method to my madness, altered, collage-like and experimental. Several years ago I found out about stamping at Stamping Wild {a stamp store in South FL which has since closed}, which led me to the scrapbooking store. In turn I learned all about these things which led me into my latest passion – ALTERED ARTS. I love to make dimensional things, something that pops-up, not just flat on the page…whatever tickles my fancy at that moment. I love to make "Throw-away" collages - making things from scraps and leftovers of other projects. I am also enjoy the practice of Greencrafting and repurposing everyday items into my creations. I'm currently a member of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team, and I am so excited to be a part of the Viva Las Vegas Stamps Design Team.

 Dee Dee Calton

DeeDee is a 24 year old part time stay at home mommy, part time nanny and
full time artist. She's married to the perfect man for her... one who never
stifles her creativity. She loves all materials; paper, plastic, wood, metal
and fibers.. and loves all the different finishes that each one can manage..
and some they can't! She's a risk taker and an experimenter.. a hands on do
it yourselfer." 

Lea Cioci

Lea Cioci CPD CPT is a freelance designer and serves as a demo artist, instructor, and design consultant to several companies in the hobby industry.  Lea's work has been published in many paper arts magazines, C&T publication books, Design Original books, and contributions to other published arts and crafting books. Lea has worked as a demonstrator and educator for Plaid Enterprises as well as a USAQ Pro.  Currently, Lea is also a Ranger Ink Educator and Certified Copic Designer.   Lea's journey led her to the creation of stamp images to give the artist the freedom to create a very personal self-expression.  Lea’s recent works for C&T Publishing include Scrap Your Stuff, Board Book Play, and Creative Art Concepts for Papercrafts -Lea’s own book: Creative Art Concepts for Papercrafts, launched Feb., 2007.  In 2009, several art pieces were highlighted in 1000 Handmade Greetings, and additional work in Somerset Memories with new work in Somerset Digital in the fall issue  of 2010.  

We hope you stop by each of their blogs and congratulate them.  Each of their name under their photo is a link to their blogs...  

Have You Started Making Christmas Cards Yet?

I am busy here thinking forward....for once. I am getting a jump start on my holiday prep with my cards. I have created these cuties digitally with Viva Las VegaStamps! Love those VLV stamps!

this one is called "blue dog"

this one is called "Holiday Cheer"

I have a BIGGGG sense of humor and the VLV stamps play right into that. Check out their Christmas and Holiday stamps...and start your own prep. They have a super deal (see post below this one) going on right now so grab them while you can!!!

I used...

12219

10689

10879

10103

That Darned Owl...

I have quite a bit to share today .. three projects in fact.. but I'm /sort of cheating/ because 2 of them I did for the reapply of the Viva Las Vegastamps! design team --- I can't believe how close we are to a term ending!!

Anyways the three projects are all featuring the same stamp.. this here:

<a href="http://www.vlvstamps.com/horned-owl-1-3-4-x-2-1-2.html"><img src="http://www.vlvstamps.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/6/16704.jpg"> <br> Horned Owl - $8.25 </a>

Isn't it FAB??? here are the projects!

This one is a 12x12 Layout where Mr. Owl just fit so nicely as a little henchman!

I used Basic Grey's Eerie collection, cut a circle and glued it down.. most of the stickers are from the collection.. I did hand stitch the circle spots as well as distress the circle with my fingernail. The cheesecloth is dyed with Distress Ink and the flower is made from satin and a handmade cabochon. The owl was stamped on white cardstock with Memento Ink (find it HERE @ VLVS!)

here is a Christmas card (which will be featured in the Holiday issue of RSM!! AHH!) in which I also used the NOEL stamp found HERE. I had dyed the muslin for the flower with Distress Ink. The owl is embossed with a smooth black embossing powder and fussy cut, and the NOEL was stamped in clear and embossed with smooth red on kraft paper.. then I cut the letters apart to give them a bit of whimsy!

And in this piece Mr. Owl becomes a Miss.. a QUEEN in fact! This is titled "Queen Owl has a Visitor" and it's an eclectic little mixture of handmade and filled embellishments.

Queen Owl herself was stamped with Momento Ink and Embossed with Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder!! 

--Thanks for stopping by today!! -DeeDee

Trick or Treat! Gift Tag

October will be here soon! So, I decided to make something for Halloween this week since it is my favorite time of the year. For this week’s post, I made a tag that I can attach to a small gift bag of Halloween treats.

I started out by stamping the Surprised Kitty stamp on white cardstock. I colored her with Copic markers. I wanted her to look like a black cat for Halloween and also so that she would look like my own cat, Elphaba. The stamp does have quite a bit of detail, so it would look great in any color! For her eyes, I went over the green with a Versamark pen and then added Viva Las Vegastamps! own Ultra High Gloss Clear Embossing Powder and then heated. After that, I cut out the cat, cut the head off of the neck, and then inked my edges.

For the tag, I stamped the Trick or Treat! saying and then colored green with a Copic marker. I tinted the whole tag with Dusty Concord Distress ink and then misted with Ritzy Ditzy Glitz from PK Glitz to give a nice green shimmer to the tag. I like it because it contains alcohol to dry super fast without any spots. I distressed and inked my edges to make the tag look heavier like canvas.

I used a Spellbinders die to make the orange and black circles, and the attached the cat’s head with black popdots to the orange circle and then I glued his neck right under his chin, but flat on the paper. I wanted him to have a neck, but I wanted the head to pop out in front of it. After that, I attached some coordinating ribbons and I was done!

That’s it for this week! Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to stop by my own blog where you can see my other projects all in one place.

Cards! Cards! Everywhere are Cards!

 Jennifer here for another week at Viva Las Vegasstamps!  I only have one more post left after today as a member of the design team.  I will surely miss the products, projects, and creators!

I have two cards for you today!  The one above is a funky little dance number.  I used some Craft Markers, paper from my stash, Prima Flowers, BG Brads, and a neat little sticker border.  AND...THIS STAMP from stampo.com!

And here we have some digital papers, Bazzill Cardstock, Martha Stewart Ribbon, scraps from my stash, gems from Darice, Craft Markers, and THIS awesome fluffer cat from VLVS!  This cat has attitude!  I like that!  I got it from August's featured Plate!  Woot!

Don't forget to swing by my blog today - I have been hella busy lately and have been a blogging FOOL!

Enjoy your day!

Gingersnap Challenge

Viva Las Vegastamp! is sponsoring this month's Challenge for Gingersnap Creations... be sure to check out the great cards that will be posted there all month.  Click on Title or use this URL...  http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/2011/09/gc117-chestnut-theme-challenge-gal-pals.html?spref=fb

Naughty is the new Nice

Hi Everyone,

It's Kim here with a tag I made tonight. I used a huge amount of Glimmer Mists and Distress Inks on a cuttlebugged piece of white cardstock to create the background.   Then I used 2 stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! The woman image, Lady with Fan, as well as the sentiment, Naughty is the new nice. Both are stamped with Ancient Page coal black ink, then distressed. After this was done I sprayed some lace and ribbon flowers with more glimmer mists, then adhered to the tag. I decided to cut the sentiment apart so I could use a part of it on top and at the bottom of the tag.

If you love stamping, you will so enjoy the website at  Viva Las Vegastamps
You should check it out and see all there is!

Thank you for stopping by,

Kim

life is short...

Life is short. Make fun of it. Love this saying. I found it in my pound of rubber grab bag. Love the pound of rubber grab bags. I have 100's of Viva Las Vegastamps now!!







I made this card the other day and shared it on my blog. I liked it so much I thought I would share it again here.
I stitched around my image and my background papers. I used an old shoe lace for my ribbon. Then I just added some flowers and a dragonfly charm. Easy-peasy!

Make sure you check out Viva Las Vegastamps. I think you really need to buy some more stamps and trust me they have something for everyone!!

wish you were here...

Here is my end of summer card for my friends created with my very favorite VLV stamp...living at the beach, I get to invite friends from all over the world to visit. This year I will use this card as an invitation to my 60th birthday bash!!!

Don't forget to stop on over at Viva Las Vegastamps, they literally have something for everyone!