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!!

Brilliant Banksy!

I just love Banksy street art so it was a no brainer that when the Viva Las VegaStamps! Banksy stamps were released I just had to have them!!  Banksy is an English graffiti artist,  political activist, film director, and painter.  His street art usually contains dark humour and graffiti and is usually done using a stenciling technique. Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces.   I find that these stamps are perfect for art journaling and ATC's and it's fun to try to create a background that showcases the images. 

I made 3 ATC's using the Banksy stamps, here is the first one

 using Banksy shopping Jesus on cross, crime scene tape, french writing background and the bubblewrap texture stamp.

Here is the next ATC

and I tried to make a more grungy street style background, almost like concrete.  I used the Banksy swinging girl, one way small, radioactive and biohazard.

Last but not least I had a lot of fun with this one

I used eat the rich, Banksy winged mohawk guy, apocalypse and pin through paper.

I hope you enjoyed my trio of Banksy ATC's and thanks for stopping by!

Wonderland Tag

Hello everyone! Shanna here again to share and amazing creation with you all! 

I am just in love with Alice in Wonderland and thought to create a tag based on that theme!

I loved creating this tag using a variety of stamps and mixed media techniques. 

I used Alice Reaching - 12681 (Plate 1161) and Mason Jar - 18957 (Plate 827) for the main part of the tag. I used lots of Distress Inks to really grunge the tag up. I also used a Twinkling H2o to add some shimmer as well. 

Then I stamped the Butterfly Specimens - 19415 (Plate 1440) using a light colored ink and Wonderland - 19580 (Plate 1452) to make this tag a Wonderland of an idea to add for a tag collection. 

If you interested in watching a video on how I created this tutorial check it out below. 

December Challenge WINNER

In December we inspired you to create an ornament based project and the entries were GREAT!

Voted on by our Design Team the winner is Kristiina! with this beauty:

She's used our ever so popular Girl In Princess Costume.

Please feel free to celebrate your win by displaying the following graphic on your blog :)

And chosen by random.org the second winner of December is #3 Gerda! 

Both ladies please feel free to email me @ deedee430@gmail.com and we'll get you a grab bag! CONGRATS!!

Guest Designer : Georgia Heald x2

We're back today with a 2nd and final post from the super talented Georgia Heald! Learn a bit about her here on her first Guest post. She's joining us today with a 12x12 layout.

Introvert Layout

Quite different to my normal style, the style of this layout was inspired by VLV's amazing range of circle stamps. I really wanted to create an eclectic graphic design inspired look. I have used the Solid Color Wheel stamp and Large Bird Stamp behind my photo to draw the eye to the center of the page. 

 

And then layered the Color Wheel Lines Stamp and Bulls Eye Stamp amount my paper layers and paint to create extra detail and interest.

Product List
Solid Color Wheel Stamp
Seek Paradise Stamp
Large Bird Flying Left Stamp
Color Wheel Lines Stamp
Bulls Eye Target Open Stamp
Heidi Swapp, Kaisercraft, Lemon Owl & Studio Calico Papers, American Crafts Cardstock - White, Heidi Swapp Rub-Ons, The Crafter's Workshop Stencil, Ranger Dylusions Mists in Fresh Lime & London Blue, Higgins India Ink, Ranger Archival Ink in Black and Watering Can, Hero Arts Ink in Mint Julep and Tide Pool, Prima Marketing Quick Dry Fluid Chalk Ink in Blue Jay, Fude Ball Pen, Staples, Thread

WOW... It's Chilly Outside!

Welcome to Viva Las VegaStamps! Susan here today and I'm so overwhelmed by my ever growing stash of VLVS! stamps – I can't decide what to stamp or create. So what's a gal to do??? Scroll through the hundreds of emails in my yahoo box from blogs I subscribe and see what's shakin'!

I found a winner... a cool challenge over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers. SOSS #25 - W is for WOW it's Cold. Winner winner chicken dinner! I'm off and running and I know exactly what I'm going to use to make a couple ATC's to enter in the challenge.

I started out with a leftover section of marbelized paper using T!m's technique with Ranger Distress Paint Daubers, in wintery colors. Then I made some quick trimming to get my ATC blanks ready to stamp. I stamped my images using black waterproof ink and created a quickie mask of each with post-it notes so that I can layer in some scenery.

After stamping, I hand colored with my waterbrush and Sakura Color of America Gelly Roll Starburst and Soufflé Pens – this really gave the characters a fun "POP" of shimmery color. I added some layers of torn handmade paper at the bottom of each for snowbanks using Miracle Tape. EASY PEASY! I finished off with labelmaker stamped words and a smudging with Tsukineko Antique Gold Dewdrop ink around the edges. Totally chilly and fun!

WOW it's COLD!!!

Snow Much Fun!

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Flamingo Skiing" #5090

"Chicken/Rooster in Winter Parka" #10983

"Barb Wire Fence" #14021

"Christmas Trees Large" #18942

"Christmas Trees Small" #18941

Miracle Tape

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by. Don't forget about the January inspiration challenge. Just make a creation using the inspiration above and your stash of VLVS! stamps... you could win more RUBBER! CLICK HERE for challenge details. Also, you definitely want to subscribe to the blog feed and to the Viva Las VegaStamps! newsletter to be IN THE KNOW of everything going on at the Viva Las Vegastamps! store. There's so much amazing inky inspiration to see!

If you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Hope you have a fabulous day!!  Sb

Puzzled

Hi Hermine here,

This time I played around with some puzzle pieces and some Brusho's.

step 1: pull all parts apart and start with the middle one, the puzzle shped one. Spray with water and use some Brusho. leave to dry

step 2: take the outside part and colour with some distress ink tea dye. Stamp with Stazon Black  Sheet Music Background 19557, do this on your left hand side and don't push to hard because you want to achive a distressed look. Then stamp with Distress Tea Dye  the grunge circles 19563 on the right hand side.Sponge the edges with a Stazon Black. Leave to dry

step 3: take the middle part, colour with distress inks and a bit of brusho. Stamp with Stazon Black Do all things with love 19545. Make some white accents with a sharpie. Punch a hole and tie a string. put all the pieces together again except for the middle piece. Colour the edges with a sponge and Stazon Black

step 4: take a double squared card and layer down the card and mark the inner space of the little rectangle with pencil ( so you can erase it later). Put aside the puzzle pieces and stamp directly on the card the bird in Mask 19160 with Stazon and colour in with Lyra crayons and a water brush.

step 4: assemble the puzzle parts and glue onto the card. Then punch some hinches (I used the Quickutz), glue on the left hand side of the card, half on the puzzle piece, and the other half on the rectangled middle piece, so it acts like a little door.

Hope you like this card.

Warmly Hermine

Used materials:

Sheet Music Background 19557

grunge circles 19563

Do all things with Love 19545

Bird in mask 19160

Stazon 

Road trip

Hello everyone !

Today it is my second posting as a DT member and I am still very excited to be on the team... I have chosen to make a postcard for today's posting and I have explained how I made it.

It is going to be a long one so get a cup of coffee and join me !

This is the end result :

Let's get started ! 

Start with a postcard cut from white card stock and colour with Distress Inks and a blending tool. I used : Tumbled glass, Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire.

Start building your background starting light at the bottom and darkest at the top, go back the other way to blend it all together. Drip some water over it; Distress Inks react with water so you get some nice lighter spots. Next tear some patterned paper (I used Kaiserkraft "Now Boarding") and adhere to the bottom of the card. Add some sewing around this piece. 

Pull the ends of the threads through and secure on the back of the card. 

Next stamp the background randomly (sorry forgot photo, but you can see it in the photo underneath). 

I used the following stamps for the background :

19567 Writing circles background

19568 Double coffee rings

19569 Mesh Texture

Next I rubbed my Archival ink pad around the edges of the card. 

Stamp the sign on patterned paper (the same I used for the bottom) and cut out. Set aside.

Stamps main image on white card stock and also on the card. That way you have all the details of the stamp without having to cut them all out. I also stamped the sentiment at the bottom of the card saying 'road trip'.

Stamps:

19171 One way

5093 Atilla driving car

19174 Road trip

 Now the fun part begins: Colouring the image. I used Memento Tuxedo black ink for stamping as I was going to use my Copic Markers. This ink works very well with these markers. 

Get 3 or 4 shades of brown ready and start with a base colour which is the lightest. Next start adding a darker colour in the areas where the shadows are. VLVS! stamps are very good for colouring as many of them have the shadow areas already. Repeat with an even darker colour but don't go all the way over the medium colour. Next go back the other way, so medium to light, blending the colours together. Keep repeating until you are happy with the result. Finish colouring the whole image this way doing little bits at a time. 

This is the finished result of colouring the dog...

I coloured the little car in the same way. I used 3 shades of red.

Next, cut out the image. All the white edges will be gone when you go around the cut edges with a black marker. So it doesn't matter if you don't cut it out perfectly.

The finished, cut out image, isn't he cute !!! 

Now put all the elements together on the card and see if you are happy with the end result. I wasn't and added some more white stamping with the Coffee Rings.

 Here is another look at the finished result. 

Thank you so much for visiting today, I hope I gave you some inspiration to dust of those stamps and get crafting !

Until next time, 

Corrie x

Live Like There's No Midnight

Happy 2015!!  I am so happy to be sharing with you as a Viva Las VegaStamps! design team member for the first time today!!
Since we were all just ringing in the new year I selected some stamps for just such an occasion.
But first I would like to show you a super awesome bokeh technique using watercolor paint and gesso.

You will need watercolor paper, watercolor paint, a paint brush, gesso, washi tape, circle stencil, water, your stamp and archival ink to get started.

I used my heat gun to speed up the drying!  I am NOT a very patient person...  :)

This is the clockface stamp (item 19468 plate 1444).

I used a Prima stencil and clear Wink of Stella pen.

I framed the bokeh image with black cardstock from my stash, tied some pretty May Arts ribbon around and stamped the Live like there's no Midnight (Item 18966 Plate 880) image directly on the ribbon.  The card base is Bazzill and the finishing touch was a couple of sequins.

Thanks for spending a bit of your day with us here and joining me for my very first design team post!!

                                                      

Oh and let me mention...I took some inspiration from this month's challenge, color combination and circles. 

This inspiration board is a great start to ANY project.  I hope to see what you create linked up for your chance to win some GORGEOUS pink rubbah!

Art journal therapy

Last year was a very dificult year as we had to say goodbye to both of our "boys", Sam was 17 and Skyler was 16 1/2.  They had good long lives but for anyone who loses their heart to a pet (family member really!) it is never long enough and I miss them dearly.

One thing I love about art journaling is that I can chronicle or put down on paper what I'm feeling so for this art journal spread I dedicated it to our boys.  Here is my journal spread and then I will show you how I made it!

I started out with two pages that I had cleaned my Gelli plate off of as well as different Viva Las VegaStamps! stamps stamps (looks nothing like the journal spread above right??) and I appologize for the blurry pic but I took it at night and didn't realize it was so blurry...

 Then I took a stencil and used blue paint to create the design over the two pages and then poured some orange paint in a line and used a trowel to spread it

leaving it now looking like this

I sat there looking at it and didn't care for the in your face colors... so I took the same stencil and used cream colored paint and "bumped" the stencil, leaving it now looking like this (amazing how different it now looks right?)

much better! I now added some turquoise and pink paint and words as well as a bunch of stamps (can you spot them all?) and then glued a picture of my cherished boys on as well.

Once again here is the finished journal spread

 I used the line of chevrons stamp, the You are here stamp, Waybill/invoice background, the design open circles, solid star in circle, smear/smudge, writing triangles, tape, double coffee rings and last but not least the bubble wrap texture!

Here are some close ups of the different stamps

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my project!