Monthly Challenge and BLOG HOP

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.

December's Theme

"Christmas"

The Viva Las Vegastamps! online store has lots of  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 Dec 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 January , 2012 and post the next month's Challenge on the 1st of each month. We hope you play with us...

Some of the members of the Viva Las Vegastamps Design Team

are doing a blog hop starting today!

  and they are giving BLOG CANDY!  Yes, blog candy. 

  So good check them out. 

click here to start

Flamingo Chillin' in Paradise

Happy Wednesday...Susan here! Down here in South Florida, Summer is still in full swing! Though we are being teased with chance of a cold snap coming tomorrow {wink...wink - we know these are very rare}. So to warm everyone up, I have created a card featuring this cool "Flamingo Chillin' in Paradise".

This tropical card begins with this Flamingo in Hammock #5327 and the layered stylized sun #5329 from Viva Las Vegastamps!

Here's the details: I stamped it in orange on yellow stock, cut out and layered yellow and orange papers. The sun has a face, but I masked over it with a piece of cardstock, so it didn't take away from the flamingo. I edged with my favorite antique gold dew drop ink. 

I hand colored the flamingo with my watercolor pencils, then added some twinkle with liquid "Shimmerz Bling" in Under the Sea and Gold Shimmer. The flowers are Prima layered on a recycled tag from a totebag. This tag was the shape of a pretty flower, so it was perfect. I covered up text with acrylic paint, then added color back to fill in with my Caran D'ache water crayons and rubbed edges with antique gold. I pinched the corners to add dimension and adhered the prima flowers with a gem brad and popped up with some 3-D dots.

All of the paper layers are being held together with "MIRACLE Tape".

Now it's time to make some MAGIC happen! It looks great as it is, right? I think it needs a little something else. I am going back to add some dimension with Sakura Crystal Lacquer to really add some BAM!!!

I started by adding clear Crystal Lacquer to the sunglasses, beak and drink.

Next I added green and orange colored Crystal Lacquer to palm leaves, book cover, legs and shells.

 ...and a DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

 

Here is the NEW and IMPROVED piece. Can you see the difference??? I realize it's hard to see from the photos, but the following photo show an extreme close-up. The Crystal Lacquer really makes the color pop! And the colored crystal lacquer adds extra depth as it retains it's transparent qualities. I can still see my coloring through it. Water can look like water, the beak and glass look like they are really 3-D. Very quick and easy and the results are fabulous!

Today is the last day to enter your creation for the 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! December's Theme is "Christmas" and we will be celebrating with a Twelve Tags of Christmas Bloghop starting tomorrow December 1st!

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 : )

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I Like Cats Too!

First of all, I have to say that no cats were harmed in the making of this card! Secondly, I love cats and would never eat them!

I was looking through all the stamps that I got in my pound of rubber from Viva Las Vegastamps! and spotted this sentiment about exchanging cat recipes. I thought to myself that I would never use such a thing! But then, I saw this wonderful chef stamp, and my evil wheels started turning! For the little cat heads, I used a stamp of two cats playing leap frog and just used their heads.

After putting the stamps together in my head, I wasn't sure if I would like a card using cats in such a manner, so then I started looking for other ideas, and I found this cute stamp of a dog with a chef hat! So then it didn't seem so bad. I think the Chef leans toward weird, but then the dog balances that out by leaning toward cute since that is the type of behavior we can expect from dogs. At least in cartoons anyway.



For both cards, I stamped my images on white cardstock, and colored with Copic markers. I used pattern paper for my backgrounds and inked my edges and then glued my pieces in place.

Please feel free to stop by my blog to say hello and see my other Viva Las Vegastamps! projects! Thanks for stopping by!

Sparkley Santa Ornament

Oh boy!

I love Christmas!!

I got the totally awesome Santa plate from Viva a couple of weeks ago and have been playing with it almost every day. I am soooo excited for Christmas!!

I make ornaments for my family members almost every year.

I say *almost* because while I have the best intentions of making them every year, there have been times that I haven't gotten them done (like last year)...

But this year, I've got a good start already. 

I really love making them for my kids and my nieces and nephews. 

They will all have an ornament collection when they grow up and have families of their own.

So, here's a super easy ornament. 

It's inexpensive to make, not a lot of work, and looks soooo pretty!!

Get your supplies:

Creative Paperclay

Brown ink (I used Ranger's Archival Ink in Coffee)

Red acrylic paint (I used Ranger paint)

Tacky Glue

Tan or beige paint (I used Ranger paint)

Stickles (I used Crystal)

Red glitter (I used Martha Stewart)

Beads and wire

Craft Knife

Something to roll the clay out with (I used a paint bottle)

Liquid Applique

Heat gun

Paint brush

Emery board

Krylon spray sealer

Santa stamp

 Roll out some Creative Paperclay to about 1/4" thick. 

Ink up Santa with permanent ink and stamp onto clay.

 Cut out gently with craft knife. Set aside to dry. I let mine sit overnight.

Once it's good and dry, gently smooth any rough edges with the emery board.

Now string some wire with beads and twist the ends to create a loop.

Put a little Tacky Glue on the back of the ornament, near the top.

Put a little piece of Paperclay on the back of the ornament over the Tacky Glue.

Place the twisted wire on the wet clay, and smoosh the clay up over the wire.

 Place another small piece of clay over the wet clay and wire. 

Smooth it down.

Set aside and let dry.

 Now, paint Santa's hat red.

While the paint is wet, dump red glitter on it. 

Let sit a couple of minutes and tap off the excess.

 Use Liquid Applique to coat the trim and fuzzball on Santa's hat.

Heat with the heat gun to dry it and make it puff up.

Water down some tan paint and use your finger to rub lightly onto Santa's face.

Use Crystal Stickles and rub over Santa's beard, eyebrows, and hair with your finger.

Let it all dry, and spray with some clear sealer.

Here's your wiener Sam saying

"I've been good this year Santa!!"

Fall ATC

Heya Folks!! Looks like us on the Viva Las Vegastamps! DT have ATCs on the brain...

Today I'm sharing a fall inspired ATC made using the

Reindeer stamp

2.75 x 2.5 - $9.75 mounted

I started off with a small piece of white cardstock... I used Walnut Stain and Spiced Marmalade distress inks to foam the background... then when all the white was covered with some thickness of ink I spritzed water over it.. giving it the sort of dappled water droplet effect! 

After drying it with a heat gun I pulled out my trusty http://www.vlvstamps.com/memento-dye-ink-pad-tuxedo-black.html and stamped my reindeer.... while the ink was still wet I poured over some Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder from VLVS! and viola --- a nice standy-outish reindeer on a darling background.

I then inked some rayon seam binding with walnut ink and dried it with a heat gun. To insure my binding stayed where I wanted it.. I "guided" it with a piece of Miracle tape (my personal testimony goes as is.. "NOTHING beats Miracle Tape!!!!") on the back! Tie a knot, cut a tiny pinecone in half and there's my finished piece!!!

Enjoy your cool days this Autumn!!!! -DeeDee

Bowling Ball Spinner Card (with pattern to download)

Sometimes when I browse a collection of stamps, I look for stamps that will work well together to create a scene. When I found these three bowling stamps at Viva Las Vegastamps! I knew there had to be a fun way to combine them. It wasn't too long before I realized a spinner card might be just the right technique to make the card feel like you're at the lanes again!

While assembling the card, I remembered Fiesta Lanes - the bowling alley on Lane Avenue in Upper Arlington, OH. When I moved to there in 1989, I passed Fiesta Lanes, and saw it's bright neon sign, almost every day. The bowling alley is long gone, replaced by a commercial strip, but the sign remains in the lobby of an office located in the strip. I tried to recreate it in paper to always remind me of Fiesta Lanes. You can see a photo of the original sign on Flickr.

The three stamps featured in this card are:

• Bowling Man 1 1/4 x 2 (#15430)
• Bowling Ball 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 (#8213)
• Bowling Pin 1 x 2 1/2 (#12073)

I created a bowling lane with some perspective as a background for the stamps to help enhance the feeling that the bowling ball was rolling towards the pins and the reader. You can download a PDF of the background and use it to make your own bowling ball spinner card.

Check out my YouTube video for tips on making a spinner card. I'll warn you in advance, there are a couple of typos in the video, as it was late when I produced it.

Keep your eyes out for the Viva Las Vegastamps! Tag Blog Hop in December. Members of the design team (DT) will be creating tags for the 12 days of Christmas. Each day the DT members will treat you to many tag ideas using Christmas Stamp Sheet 1363. There will be a link at the end of each blog post which will link you to another DT's blog. Leave a comment each day, and you can win sheet 1363 to recreate the tags!

Check out my other projects on my blog at Create & Craft.

Happy stamping and Happy Thanksgiving!

Joe R.

Giving Thanks...Part Deux II

*As a Special Request from our DT Leader Terri I am continuing Part Deux II of the Leaf Techniques with 1 stamp *


Hope you all have had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving dinner and now on Black Friday everyone is either relaxing with family or shopping all the Black Friday deals!  This is the second part of using 1 stamp, and how different techniques can give a variety of looks. 

Above is the maple leaf stamp using metallic inks.  Dew Drops are smaller ink pads so you can do DTR, direct to rubber, and stamp various areas with different colored inks.  When you stamp the leaf, it shows all the colors brilliantly!  This project is perfect for a bookmark.

To create this soft background, stamp the maple leaf on glossy cardstock using a "resist" ink.  Follow the directions of stamping and heat setting lightly.  Use a sponge and dye based ink and rub a few colors over the whole surface.  You notice where the resist was stamped you see a ghosting of the image.  I used a vinyl- clear sticker over the stamped background.

This is not a maple leaf, but can be done with the maple leaf.  VLVS has many leaf stamps.  Go to the site and key in "leaf" into the search and find a plethora of many leaf images.  Alcohol ink is the way to go on glossy cardstock.  Use many different colors and overlap to create falling leaves.  The top leaf is stamped on vellum, cut out and attached over the background.

Use an applicator with felt on it (note in the picture the felt is not there).  To make your own, find a scrap piece of wood or a wood mount without a stamp.  Use the loop of Velcro hook and loop and glue to the block of wood.  Viola', now you just put felt on that.  To add the alcohol ink to the applicator, bring the bottle to the felt (instead of holding it in the air and squirting ink) and squeeze 3 drops onto the felt.  Change the felt for each color unless you want them to mix (which can have cool results).  This is the simpliest way to use alcohol ink - there are more complex ways.

Foiled leaf is done with a double-tack glue.  Use Ranger's Cut n' Dry and squeeze some of the double-tack glue on the Cut n' Dry.  Stamp the image onto the Cut n' Dry, and stamp on the cardstock.  IMMEDIATELY wash your stamp so there is no glue residue.  The glue will go on white or slightly clear.  Wait until the image is totally clear before adding the foil leafing.

This shows what the card looks like once you press different color of leafing onto the card.  To the left is the piece of Cut n' Dry I used with double-tack glue.  I wash the pad after I use it.  Above is a texture sponge to burnish the leafing onto the card surface.  Let the extra leafing fall back into the container because you can use it again!!

Here is another DTR - direct to rubber technique but using dye based ink or even watercolor markers.  Once you add all your inks or markers to the stamp image, "huff" on it with your breath to reactivate the ink (moisture) and stamp.  I like to use altered books as a type of journal or scrapbook.  Here my son is carving pumpkins with his girlfriend.  

Another way to do the above technique is to "swipe" Distressed Ink on a craft sheet.  Do Not spritz water, you want the colors full strength.  Tap the stamp onto the craft sheet and then stamp on surface.

There is so much you can do with one stamp, the choice is just the technique you decide to use!  YES, I love techniques and have been involved with them so much lately.

Maple Leaf Stamp

Other Leaf Stamps

Miracle Tape

Be watching for VLVS's Tag Blog Hop!  Members of the DT will be doing TAGs for the 12 days of Christmas.  Each day the DT members will treat you to many tag ideas using Christmas Stamp Sheet 1363.  There will be a link at the end of each blog post which will link you to another DT's blog.  Leave a comment each day, and you can WIN sheet 1363 to recreate the tags!  I will be using 3-D Crystal Lacquer in a few of my tags!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, join in the monthly swap, and be watching for the Tag Blog Hop!!!

Blessings to you all, Lea

Making a Scene with Terri Sproul

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I want to wish all our Viva Las Vegastamps! followers a Happy Thanksgiving, this is my last chance as my next post will be in December!  Today I will be using the Dog & Cat Pilgrims on Pumpkin and Happy Thanksgiving stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! to create a dimensional Thanksgiving card.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

First, stamp image four times on white card stock and once on an orange panel. The orange panel will be the base panel of the card.  Heat Emboss all stamped images with the Viva Las Vegastamps! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder.

On the orange panel use the Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer and fill in every other section of the pumpkin and allow to start drying.  After it has dried about an hour or two  fill in the other sections, this will give an allusion of a dimensional pumpkin.  

Fussy cut the first three images stamped on the white card stock as pictured.  Full image of the dog and cat, half image of the dog and cat and feather headdress only.

Use the fourth image to plan a color strategy for coloring images with PrismaColor Pencils.  Once you have an idea of the color pallet color the images for the card.  To give the buckle on the top hat a little pop use a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen.

After the images are colored use the Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer and cover the feather, top, collar and cuffs on the cat and the top shirt on the dog. Set aside to dry, best if left over night.

Using the base orange panel as a guide, cut pattern paper and black card stock to desired sizes.  Adhere the panels with Viva Las Vegastamps! Miracle Tape and adhere to card base. Add the full image of the dog and cat to the card with VLVS! Miracle Tape.  Using foam tape add the half image to the card and the feather headdress. Stamp Happy Thanksgiving on card stock adhere to a black panel add a toothpick to the back using VLVS! Miracle Tape.  Add the leaves as the final touch with VLVS! Miracle Tape!

Supplies:

Viva Las Vegastamps! & Cat Pilgrims on Pumpkin 

Viva Las Vegastamps! Thanksgiving  

Viva Las Vegastamps! High Gloss Embossing Powder

Viva Las Vegastamps! Miracle Tape

Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer

Gelly Roll Clear Star

PrismaColor Pencils

Confetti Leaves

Foam tape

Tooth pick

Card base

Pattern Paper

Orange Card stock

Black Card stock

Scissors

Paper Cutter

My favorite adhesive is Viva Las Vegastamps! Miracle Tape 

check out the VLVS! Miracle Tape Sampler at $39.99 a savings of $12.52.  

Miracle Tape 1/8”x55 yds (165 feet)                           $4.99       

Miracle Tape 1/4”x55 yds (165 feet)                           $5.49       

Miracle Tape 3/8”x55 yds (165 feet)                           $5.99

Miracle Tape 1/2”x55 yds (165 feet)                           $6.99       

Miracle Tape 3/4”x55 yds (165 feet)                            $8.49

Miracle Tape 1"x55 yds (165 feet)                               $9.99

2 Miracle Tape Dispensers                                           $3.58

Miracle Sheets/3-Pack 8 1/2" x 11"                              $6.99

Total                                                                          $52.51

Special Price Just                                                       $39.99

November Monthly Challenge 

Theme is “THANKS”

Be sure to submit an entry

for your chance to win a $25 online store credit.

Click HERE to find out how to enter!!!

FREE RUBBER 

Just post the Viva Las Vegastamps! Blinkie

on your Blog or Website and 

get a FREE Grab Bag of Unmounted Rubber...  

details at the top of the blog sidebar!

Until DECEMBER, 

Here’s wishing you 

many hours of HAPPY STAMPING!

Lyneen

Merry Christmoose!

For this week's project, I wanted to make something with Sakura Crystal Lacquer. One of the things I really like about Crytstal Lacquer is that when it dries, it's not just clear and glossy, it's also flexible. So, unlike similar products, it won't crack or break off of something if you bend it.

I recently spent a weekend at a retreat held by PK Glitz in Rocky Hill, KY. For three whole days, we got to make all sorts of things with their wonderful glitter! This is one of the techniques I learned there.

To start out, I stamped this Framed Moose stamp on a piece of clear acetate using black Stazon ink. The, using the fine tip that comes with each bottle of Crystal Lacquer, I started filling in one small area at a time. Each time I filled in an area, I stopped and covered it with glitter. After about 10 seconds, I turned it over, tapped off the excess glitter and moved on to the next color. On the shrubs and mountains, I shaded with two colors by lightly tapping my lighter color over the top of the area, tapping off excess, and the covered the whole area with the darker color.

For my sentiment, I used the Merry Christmoose stamp, and heat embossed it with a glittery green color.

For the glittered border, I used 1/8 Miracle Tape to make my outer line first by adhering the tape to the edges of my card and going all the way around. Them I peeled of the paper and I covered with the double sided sticky tape with brown glitter. I repeated the process with the green glitter to make a fantastic border. It comes in several widths for lots of uses.

Be sure to come back here every Monday, Wednesday & Friday for new projects and ideas! Please feel free to stop by my blog anytime to see all my Viva Las Vegastamps! projects in one place. Also, feel free to stop by the Sakura Crystal Lacquer blog for other great ideas! Thanks for stopping by!

Playing with Viva Las Vegas & Crystal Lacquer

Hello again!

Aimee here with some fun stuff to show ya!

The Design Team was fortunate to receive some super duper Crystal Lacquer to play with. 

I gotta say, I LOVE the stuff- especially the colored lacquers.

This first project is a "Tim sized" tag.

And I bet you're not surprised to see a dog, are ya? 

To start off, I inked the tag using Distress Inks: 

Tumbled Glass, Scattered Straw, Worn Lipstick, Vintage Photo, and Black Soot.

Flicked some water onto the inked tag.

Sprayed inked tag with Iridescent Memories Mist (ummm, new addiction here people!).

 Stamp the adorable little bulldog using permanent ink, and color in with markers.

Cut him out and adhere to tag.

Stamp the sundae on a scrap of paper, color with markers, and add Crystal Lacquer to the glass and the cherry on top. Let dry, cut out, and adhere.

 Stamp sentiment under bulldog.

Add a strip of decorative tape at the bottom of the tag.

 THEN, take your purple Crystal Lacquer and doodle a border around the tag.

Take the blue Crystal Lacquer and do some dots in your doodles.

Set aside to dry.

 Isn't it fun!!

This card I am OH SO pleased with!!

I just ADORE this butterfly. I use her ALL.THE.TIME.

Love her.

 So I 'won' a package of note cards at a direct sales party a few months ago.

Yeah they are OK but boring!

So, I spruced them up a bit.

Using one card for the base, I took another card and cut the front off, and made a wide strip from it.

Mat the wide strip with card stock, and adhere this to the front of the base card.

Stamp your butterfly using Twinkling H2Os onto white card stock and let dry.

Once dry, ink the edges, mat onto card stock and adhere to card.

 Now I used blue and green Twinks to stamp my butterfly, so....

Use green Crystal Lacquer over some of the green parts of the butterfly.

Use blue lacquer on some of the blue parts of the butterfly.

Let dry.

Once dry, go over the ENTIRE butterfly with clear Crystal Lacquer, and let it dry.

Then, go over the blue and green parts again with the colored lacquers. 

Sprinkle some clear glitter onto the colored parts while still wet.

Set aside to dry.

How pretty is that butterfly!!!

(PS- the butterfly comes in two sizes!!!)

And, here's your wiener of the day....

My sweet little Daisy Dog saying "What's up!"