If Camels Had Wishes

If Camels Had Wishes...Everyone Would Ride Horses!

I really love this image of a camel's head  from Viva Las VegaStamps!  I've had it for the longest time, but I wasn't sure what he was doing.  Yodeling? Blowing bubbles?  And then I saw the Dandelion stamp and I realized he was making a wish!

Supplies:
VLVS! Images Used--

Camel Head Item 12753 Plate 1140
Camel Item 4995 Plate 493
Camel Running Right Item 1722 Plate 457
Camel Silhouette Item 1766 Plate 457
Blowing Dandelion and Extra Seed by Susan M. Brown Item 19045 Plate 918

Sakura of America Gellyroll-Gold Red Stardust
Faber-Castell ArtGrip Color Pencil-107, 125, 133
Distress Markers-Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, Picket Fence, Crushed Olive, Walnut Stain
Distress Ink pad-Walnut Stain
Exacompta Journal Forum

The challenge with this project was the slope of the pages in the journal.  It's a thick one and impossible to lie completely flat.  I used unmounted stamps and didn't use a stamping block for the images that fell in the crease between the two pages, so the stamps were more flexible.  I practiced a bit on other pages, curving the stamps juuuust a little before touching the page.  White space was inevitable in the crease itself, but it wasn't much, and was easily filled in using the walnut stain marker that matches the inkpad.

I penciled in the words first to be sure they would fit, and then filled them in with Distress Marker.  I outlined them with Gellyroll pens.

Then it was just a matter of coloring the background with the Distress Markers.  I colored the dark areas first, stippling and making rough circles and dots for texture.  Then I used the lighter colors blending them into the darker.  I dotted the white Picket Fence to tone down some of the colors that I felt were too bright and to add more mottling in other areas.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed my art journaling page.

Have you entered Viva Las VegaStamps! August challenge? It's great fun and a chance to share your projects with the world!

Sailing Away on Bleedthrumanade Seas

Sailing Away on Bleedthrumanade Seas

Front of journal page                                                           Back of journal page

Supplies:
VLVS! Stamps used:
Don't Follow You Dreams-Item 19003 Plate 893
Triple Mast Sailing Ship-Item 19026 Plate 890
Graphometre-Item 19017 Plate 890
Dictionary Page-Item 19015 Plate 890
Nautical Collage-Item 19016 Plate 890
Whitelines Hard Cover A5 Notebook (5.8 x 8.25)
StazOn-Jet black, Saddle Brown
Faber-Castell Stampers Big Brush Pen-White
White Gellyroll Pen
Bic Fine-line Alcohol Markers-Tranquil Teal, Hot Aqua, Lime Sorbet, Marquerita Green, Oceanview Blue, Blue Skies Blue, Polynesian Purple, Petal Pink, Pink Flamingo, Lemon Bliss, Yellow Blaze
Scrap of Silk Tissue Paper (mulberry paper)
Golden Soft Gel

Got Lemons? Make lemonade!  Got marker bleed-thru?  Make Bleedthrumanades!

For a long time, I avoided alcohol markers because the color bleeds through to the back of the page, unless you have really heavy or specially-coated paper.  The rare times that I used them, I avoided using the back of the page.

Then one day I had an epiphany (or something hit me in the head, more likely) and I thought, "Why not just use both sides of the paper?  The color will be the same but I can always do something different on both sides."  And thus, the bleedthrumanade was born, lol.  I get to use the scrumptious brilliant colors that alcohol markers have, provide myself with a challenge, and I only have to color once for two pieces!

I've had Plate 890 for a while, and I just love it, but I hadn't settled on a project to use it with yet.

Then recently, I was creating a bleedthrumanade in one of my notebooks (I usually color first before stamping or drawing).  When I finished, the colors looked rather map-like to me, and Plate 890 popped into my head.

The process went something like this:

I colored the front of the notebook page with the alcohol markers.

Except for the ship, I stamped the images, in brown, on both sides of the page.

I stamped the ship's image on the silk tissue paper, and decoupaged it to the front of the page.  When the gel medium was dry, I used a blue Bic marker to color around the ship.

The stamper's big brush pen was used to lighten the areas around the images and to cover up some of the bleed-thru from the brown ink (the stamper's big brush uses India Ink, which won't bleed-thru).  I decided I didn't want to change much about the back--I liked the way it looked.

With the white gel pen, I added a few highlights to the front and picked out smaller areas of the stamped image.  I didn't try to bring out the entire image on all of them.  I definitely left the graphometre looking like a watermark.

I had to laugh--while tangling, I noticed this strange blob, that made me think of an angel or soldier holding a spear, so I highlighted him a bit.  Do you think he's watching over the ship?

Staying with the white gel pen, I added a few Zentangle® -Inspired patterns around the edge of the page, and then decided to call it a day.

Are these pages done?  They feel done to me right now.  But bleedthrumanades are like most art journaling.  Some pages you keep coming back to and never finish, and others are done in one go.  It all depends on the mood of the day.

Check out the VLVS! Store for all your stamping needs and the  VLVS! Blog for new projects and news every day. Follow VLVS! as the VLVS! Forum - VLVS! FB - VLVS! Pinterest - VLVS! Twitter. 

DD Inspiration Day #7

Hello!! Welcome to our week full of inspiration using Plate1430! Today is the last day!!

 

Today's post is by Sandra! Our resident Tangler and drawer! She's put together a collection of "Daily December Beasts: !!!

 While most people are familiar with the Grinch, they are unaware of the Daily December beasts that inhabit the North Pole.  These critturs hibernate all year long, except for one day.  A different beast wakens each day in December, and runs frantically about the workshops and factories, honking or hooting or chirping.  By this means, the elves always know what day of the month it is when they see or hear the Daily beast.

As you might imagine, pictures or photos of the beasts are rare, but I managed to do some sketches of them (don't ask when or how!) and I'm sharing a few with the world at large.

Leave Sandra some love for her beautiful monsters!!! I'll leave comments open until tomorrow (Monday) morning and then I'll draw a winner from all comments posted on each post. The more times you the comment the better your chances at winning! (One comment per day, please)

Zentangle-Inspired Artwork Stamps-Ideas & Giveaway

Recently two really exciting things have happened for me, both related to Viva Las Vegastamps!  The summer edition of Rubber Stamp Madness magazine came out, with two pages of VLVS! advertisements--one based wholly on my artwork, and one page where my artwork was the background.  The second thing is that VLVS! created seven stamps based on my artwork!

I thought I would share some of the ways I've been using these stamps--especially since I'll be giving some of them away! See more about that at the end of this post.

VLVS! stamps shown starting from top, Left to Right:  

Tangle  4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18818 Plate 1425

Tangle 4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18799 Plate 1423

Tangle Design 4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18797 Plate 1424

Tangle Stitched 3 1/2 x 4 1/4-Item 18843 Plate 1427

Zentangle 3 x 4 1/4-Item 18844 Plate 1427

Tangle 3 1/4 x 4 1/4-Item 18812 Plate 1426

Bird Thingie 3 1/2 x 2 3/4-Item 18821 Plate 1425

Used as an underlying background

For the Zentangle®-inspired drawing at the beginning of this post, I used the mandala shaped stamp in the upper center of the stamps pictured.  You would hardly know it would you? I just used the image as a background, and guide for the new patterns that I drew over it. I taped it into a handmade journal I'm making with some Designer tape.

Supplies: Ranger Big & Juicy Waterfall stamp pad; white cardstock; Plike* Swatchbook; Elmer's Repositionable Designer Masking Tape.  Viva Las Vegastamps! Tangle 4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18799 Plate 1423.

*I used Plike paper, but you could use any cardstock to get similar results.

Stamping on McCalls Dress Pattern Paper

In the same Plike Swatchbook, I colored a page using some acrylic paint pens.  The color was fantastic, but I really hated the layout I'd chosen.  I wanted to use the color somehow, and had the idea of stamping on tissue paper and taping it over the Painter penwork.  Unfortunately, I had no tissue paper.  

However, I'd just received a package and the shipper had used an old McCall's dress pattern for protection.  Tissue paper, right?  And the dress pattern and instructions printed on it added a some extra interest.  I just stamped, cut out the image and taped it over the original drawing.  

Supplies: Staz-on Midnight Teal stamp pad; McCall's Dress Pattern paper; Plike Swatchbook; Elmer's Acrylic Paint Pens-Pastel set. Scissors, Miracle Tape, Viva Las Vegastamps! Tangle  4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18818 Plate 1425.

 Cut-outs from McCalls Dress Pattern Paper

I liked this Dress Pattern thing, and had the further idea of cutting out little critturs.  I saw tabby cas in the swirls of the top right stamp--yes, that is how my  brain works.  I saw cats as clearly as if they was meowing at me!

I outlined the cats on a piece of scrap paper with a sharpie marker.  After stamping on the dress pattern paper, I placed the outlined sheet underneath the stamped image, and traced the cats onto the pattern paper with a pencil, then cut them out.  Just to reduce the waste, I cut some circles--cat toys--as well.  I glued them all onto a black page painted with a background of Twinkling H20 watercolors.  My scanner can't pick up the shiny colors, but they are much more sparkly than it looks here.

As a last step, I outlined the cut-outs with a metallic gold gel pen.

Supplies:  Ranger Big & Juicy Waterfall stamp pad;  Plike Swatchbook;McCall's Dress Pattern,Twinkling H20's Carnivale set; Sakura Metallic Gold Gellyroll pen, Scissors, Elmer's All-Purpose Glue,Viva Las Vegastamps! Tangle Design 4 1/2 x 5 3/4-Item 18797 Plate 1424.

Embossing

I've also been using these stamps for embossing.  I haven't finished the swatchbook page, but it's going to be cool.  On the right, I was playing around with a small pocket folder (that I'm turning into an art journal--I seem to be stuck on that theme, lol).  I thought I had picked up my Ancient Copper embossing powder, but got the silver instead.  I think the Copper would have looked better but I'm still happy with the way it turned out.

Supplies: VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad; Judy Kin Embossing Powder-Chablis; Ranger's Embossing Powder-Snow White;Stampendous Embossing Powder-Aged Silver; Plike Swatchbook; Exacompta Basic Pocket Portfolio, Viva Las Vegastamps! Tangle 3 1/4 x 4 1/4-Item 18812 Plate 1426 & Bird Thingie 3 1/2 x 2 3/4-Item 18821 Plate 1425.

The Giveaways 

One winner will be receiving a Set of Seven unmounted VLVS! Stamps based on my Zentangle®-Inspired Artwork..  The other will win a Set of four Wood-mounted VLVS! rubber stamps, 2 of which are based on my Zentangle-inspired artwork, and a signed copy of the Summer Rubber Stamp Madness magazine!

Head over to Life Imitates Doodles for a chance to win!