Dragon Dreamer | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here today with my latest design team project for you. Today I am sharing a page I created my altered book art journal using the Aagar the Emotional (dragon) stamp as a focal point. I have been dying to use this stamp and I figured what better way than to give it an entire page in my journal.

I started my page by giving it a coat of gesso to prime the paper before using some Faber-Castell Gelatos to add colour. I simply scribbled randomly around the page before using a baby wipe to blend the lines out.

Next, I turned my attention to my Aagar the Emotional focal image, which I stamped onto smooth white cardstock before colouring with Faber-Castell watercolour pencils. I then used a water brush to blend the pencil lines out before cutting the image out. Once I had cut around the image, I used the same Gelatos as I had used for the background to colour the small amount of white space around the edges.

Once I had my dragon complete, I followed the same process with the Doodle Frame stamp, and set the pieces aside so I could add them to my page. I also stamped out some hearts with the Scribble Heart stamp, which I also coloured and cut out. 

Next, I turned my attention back to my page. I used the Ethos Shape stamp repeatedly around the page with black ink to add interest to the background before sticking down all the pieces I had prepared.

I used the She Was a Dreamer stamp to add the quote to my page; then Doodle Dots stamp with green ink to add some subtle detail and a Stabilo All pencil to finish off with a bit of shadowing and scribble.

Here's a closer look at the finished page...

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too!

Stamps used:

- Aagar the Emotional

- Doodle Frame 

- Scribble Heart

- Ethos Shape

- She Was a Dreamer

- Doodle Dots

Other materials:

- Colour Blast white heavy gesso

- Faber-Castell Gelatos

- Tsukineko StazOn ink

- Ranger Archival ink

- Faber-Castell watercolour pencils

- smooth white cardstock

- Stabilo All pencil

Butterfly Specimen

I have been really wanting to try encaustic art, so after a bit of hemming and hawing...and a bit of research I did it.  Michele here to share an 8x10 encaustic and stamping piece, I had so much FUN!!
Oh, and thanks to Jen Mattot for the fabulous inspiration.

I taped down a piece of heavy watercolor paper to start.  On some old dictionary pages I stamped the Butterfly Specimens in archival ink.

I used mat gel to attach the stamped dictionary pages, let it dry and then stamped the Waybill/Invoice Bachground and Specimen randomly on the page.

I added some great color with Gelatos and water.

Once everything was dry I painted over the entire page with bees wax, let it set and stamped the Gossamer Butterfly on top of the set wax.

Embellished with the Um Wow Studio chipboard butterfly, Prima flowers, May Arts ribbon, thread and gold leaf.

There is a bit of grass in there too...

I attached some burlap string (May Arts) to the page before I painted on the wax.  It created an awesome texture!!

Stamping under and on top of the wax created a great layer!

And I was quite surprised by how well you could see the color and the stamping under the layer of wax.

Thanks for stopping by!  For more VLVS! inspiration join us on our Facebook page, Viva Las VegaStamps! Groupies.

Until next time, get inky!!

Artist Trading Block - Tutorial

Hi my dear Viva Las Vegastamps! Friends!

It's Susanne here and I have a tutorial for this Artist Trading Block (ATB) for you. I cut the base of the ATB with the Silhouette Cameo. Of course you don't need an e-cutter. You'll find free templates for a cube online or you can use a cutting die.

Here are my instructions:

1. Step: Stamp the Dictionary Page background randomly onto the cube blank.

2. Step: Add a thin layer of gesso on top.

3. Step: Use the Gelato (Cotton Candy) to add some color. Instead of the Gelatos you can also use other watercolor crayons. A plus of the Gelatos is, that you can blend them easily with your fingers.

4. Step: Add a second layer of texture with the Worn Clockface stamp.

5: Step: Take the white Gelato in this step to give the background some more contrast.

6. Step: Now it's time for some structure. I used modeling paste together with a crackle stencil.

7. Step: When the texture paste is dry you can build up the ATB base.

8. Step: Stamp the The Fish in Mini Skirt and the Fat Fish in Heels and cut them out. Add some Twinklings H2O for a shimmery effect (alternatively you can use other shimmery colors). Adhere a wooden spear to the fishes with hot glue. I colored the spears  with Viva Decor Inka Gold. Before you add the fishes to the block, cover the whole top with Gel Medium and glitter.

9. Step: Add glitter to the edges as well. I used chipboard die cutted numbers and letters for the embellishing. The chipboard is painted with different colors of Viva Decor Inka Gold and stamped with the Be adorable stamp to add some texture. Some more embellishments are the Pylon and the One Way Small . Use some silver tinsel to finish it up.

See you soon and happy crafting, Susanne.

Stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps!:

Plate 918:

Worn Clockface

Be adorable

Plate 890:

Dictionary Page

Plate 1338:

The Fish in Mini Skirt

Fat Fish in Heels

Plate 927:

Pylon

One Way Small 

Other supplies:

Gesso

Gel Medium

Modeling Paste

Gelatos: Cotton Candy, Coconut

Viva Decor Inka Gold: Orange, Violett, Silver, Pink, Blue

StazOn Jet Black

Prima Marketing Crackle Stencil

Memento Luxe: Sweet Plum, Love Letter

Twinklings H2Os: Summer Breze

Glitter

Silver Tinsel

Wooden Spears

July Guest Designer {Michele Kosciolek}

I'd like everyone to give a big warm welcome to Michele Kosciolek, our July Guest Designer! 

HI!!  Michele here today and I am sharing my very first art journal, yes I finally took the plunge.  ;)   I am SUPER excited (and a little nervous) to be a guest here on the VLVS! blog...but first a little about me.  I live in the mid-west now, where I was born, but I lived in Los Angeles for over 15 years.   I love to craft, travel and spend as much time as I can with my nieces....that is really about it.  My Blog :

http://stuffbybelle.blogspot.com

 

Now on to my art journal.

For the cover I used a bunch of my favorite supplies, my favorite stamp and my favorite color.  I think it represents me, at least right now, pretty well.
I used the following VLVS! products;

Leaves Blowing From Tree

Wanderlust

Chicken Wire

Butterfly Spotted Wing Small

Butterfly Spotted

Miracle Tape

Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

Other items:

May Arts ribbon and jute, Archival Ink, Momento Ink, Doodlebug washi tape, MME Miss Caroline cardstock and brad, Distress Paint, Tattered Angeles Glimmer Mist, Gelatos

I also did my first page...hey when you have an idea you have to go with it right away or you might loose it.  I decided to leave some white space on my page so I can do some actual journaling along with my creation.

I used the following VLVS! Products:

Be an Adventurer

Children Playing on toy car

One Way Small

Pylon

Brick Background

Chevron Banner

Other items:

Gelatos, UmWowStudio chipboard, Distress Ink-Fired Brick, Distress Paint, Tattered Angeles Glimmer Mist, Glastique, Archival Ink, pop dots

For it being her first I can confidently say Michele has NAILED IT! :) Thanks so much for coming by and sharing today, Michele! We look forward to your next post!