The road not taken ► Majo

Hello, my dear friends ♥

 I just bought a few spiral books in different sizes. I create a new cover and give them away as little presents.

 I used watercolor paper and inked my background using a lot of water.

 After stamping the legs and the heart, I stamped and cut the heart on a piece of the same paper and used more of the “Victorian Velvet” to color it. I also used the solid bubbles for more interest. Same thing with the wings.

 I used the numbers from set 1495 to give the background a bit of texture. The words finished off my panel.

 

 I have used the following stamps:

 Legs and heart from set 1459

Numbers from set 1495

Sentiment

solid bubbles

 

Plese stay safe and always find time to craft, with love ♥

 

 

 

Messy Artist Trading Cards with Josefine

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be up on the Viva Las VegaStamps! blog again. This time with a variety of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) highlighting some of Brian Kesinger's images. 

And - surprise - I had enough time to make a video, showing you how these cards came together. I don't know about you, but I feel that I have less time than normal at the moment, so every time I get the chance to craft, my heart is so happy.

But without further ado, here is my video:

I hope you enjoyed it. Have you ever created ATCs? Combined them to a mini booklet? One of these days I have to do that. 

Check out all the ATCs. I love that I now have some backgrounds that I can use when I have little time to craft. Plus, all these marks are just so fun.

Here are some close ups of the main piece.

 

All the stamps that I've used:

• Bettie Mermaid
• Not in Kansas anymore
• Cross Marks Background
• Row of Distressed Lines
• Grungey Strip of Stars
• Doodle Frame
• Typeset Scallop 2
• Large Star Chart
• Carved X's
• Plate 1495 has a lot of the mark making stamps I used

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please stay healthy!

Nothing means business like...

Hello Crafty friends!!

Happy Early New Year!

Today I have a super fun card and envelope set... I'm on a bit of a sarcastic/snarky kick using the Tim Holtz snarky stickers. 

Stamps used:

Dictionary page

Cross marks background

Color wheel lines

Doodle frame

Boys playing with shopping cart

Rows of Numbers

I started by stamping the kids with the cart on the A2 card and envelope.  Setting the card aside, I traced the playing card to create an address block.  I also added a "mask" of the kids with the cart. 

At the top of the envelope I stamped the scallops banner (aka doodle frame) and makes it off.

With everything masked off, I used weathered wood distress ink to create my base background layer.

Next I randomly stamped my background details: dictionary page, color wheel, x, row of numbers

To finish everything I removed my masks, and used blick alcohol markers to color everything.

I also used white gel pen to add final details.

Thanks for visiting.

Books and Dragons in the mail

Hello Crafty People!

Happy Memorial Day and Mail Art Monday!!!

I hope you are having a wonderful day, and I hope you had an amazing weekend!

Stamps Used: 

(Dragon) Vornii The Bookish

Writing Triangles

Cross Marks Background

Row of Distressed Lines

Row of Chevrons

Punchinella/Sequin Waste

Color Wheel Lines

As I'm sure you know, I love creating mailart... This piece is no exception!

I loved this little dragon stamp, so it was a clear winner when I sat down to play!

(You know how a stamp just calls to you some time, this was the one that called to me when I was pondering what to create.)

Blue and Green combos are always a favorite color combo, so when it came to a dragon envelope, what better color combo to use?! 

I started by stamping the dragon in memento ink. Then I built the rest of my envelope around him. I chose to use a variety of my favorite art journal style stamps.  The edging was colored with distress oxide inks.



I colored with alcohol markers. I also used Wink of Stella clear glitter on the belly of my dragon
(you can see in the GIF below)

I hope you all like this envelope as much as me. :D 

I may have to keep this envelope around for a while! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Mail Art Monday!!!

Hello Again Crafty Friends!!!

Today I am excited to share one of my vary favorite things...
Yes, you guessed right, Mail art!!

Anyone who follows me knows that mail art has a special place in my heart! 

Something about it just makes me giddy!

Today I want to share a fun and kind of silly/whimsical envelope that I just LOVE. 

I love animal/people hybrids so this donkey was instant love for me, but he needed a kind of whimsical envelope to keep him in his own little world.

Maybe a forgotten part of wonderland?

Stamps Used:

Writing Chevron

Typeset Scallop

Horse/Donkey Gentleman

I started with and A2 size envelope and a piece of scrap paper.  On the scarp paper I began by stamping the "typeset scallop", and the "writing chevron".  I also stamped these two on the envelope where I wanted them to be. (*note if you want to "mask" the donkey, rather than cut him out and glue him down he should be stamped on the envelope 1st*, and a mask should also be created). 

On a separate piece of paper I stamped my donkey gentleman so that I could color him and cut him out.

Next, I colored then covered my 2 stamped images with my "masks", this allowed me to lay down a heavy layer of inks and some stenciling.  When the inks dried I added a few flicks of water to add extra depth. 

You can see below I added a label to add an address.  I added a bit of ink around the box for extra depth. (this was before I glued down my awesome donkey gentleman).

Below you can see the finished piece, and the postage stamp that I picked to go with it. 

(I haven't stuck it on yet, just in case I send international)

Thank you stopping by the blog today!!

Art Journal Page by Fiona

Hello my gorgeous VLVS! peeps. Fiona here with you today to share an art journal page I have created using one of the latest release's of stamp plates designed by our champion designer DeeDee Catron (love your work babe)

I really had no idea where this one was going when I started it. I know I wanted to  use the Turquoise and that was about it. So that is where I started.

Then I collaged on some run off paper I had used in a previous print making project that involved the fabulous stamps from plate 1495

Because the colours in this were yellow and red, that's where the page started to go. I love it when my art is influenced by something out of my control.

And then ...... this face appeared. I just love the way it surprised me. That's the best kind of art .... the ones you don't expect.

VLVS! stamps I used include:

Plate 1495

Typeset Scallop

Carved X's

Rows of Numbers

Cross Marks Background

Row of Scribble Squares

Punchinella/Sequin Waste Border

See you all again soon xx

Mermaid Dreamer Mail Art

Hello Everyone!!!

It's me Tera, here with a surprise guest post...

(I'm taking a little time off from my design teams for a bit to re-spark my creativity)

Once again, I want to share some super fun Mail Art envelope using some of the new releases.  For this, I was inspired by this months challenge "Summer"

(Warning Photo Heavy)

Stamps Used:
Plate 1495
(you know you are going to want them all of you are anything like me!)
Row of Scribble Circles
Typeset Scallop
Row of Numbers
Punchinella/Sequin Waste
The Moon
Fancy Mermaid
She was a Dreamer

Start by stamping out your mermaid on the envelope (A2) and on scrap paper for your mask.

Next, Using Momento ink "London Fog" I stamped the moon over the masked mermaid.

Using Memento Black ink I added my base for the mermaid to rest on.

To build the background I stamped the x's as my stars, and inked with Distress Oxide ink "Broken China"

Now to add some contrast, I sponged on 2 of the green inks from my kaleidacolor inks.

Time for the reveal... I love seeing things come together after the mask is removed. 

I also forgot to take a picture before I stamped my 2 pieces in Distress ink "Blueprint sketch" to help frame everything.  I also added a but more color around the edges. 

I also added the numbers along the right side in black Momento ink.

Here you can see where I have started the base colors on my mermaid...

I also stamped my sentiment "she was a dreamer" and outlined it with white gel pen to help it pop off of the page. 

(The left if the finished mermaid. You can see some of the added glitter details from the Wink of Stella pen.  On the right side you can see more of the color building.)

Well, there you have it! I love how this envelope came together. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!!