Not everything in black & white makes sense with Josefine

Hello and welcome back to the VLVS! blog. I'm sharing a new page in my zine art journal using a bunch of different stamps - some of which that were in the grab bag that I got just recently. 

The page already had a background. You can see what that looked like in my first post about this journal. I simply added a bit more stamping on top. All in similar colors with a mix of Distress Oxide and Distress Inks. Btw, the tree is not blurry. I stamped it twice, once in a lighter shade of blue and then a second time in a darker shade of blue.

The tree needed someone next to it. I wanted to make sure that the image of the statue is crisp, so I used a stamp block and put a piece of foam underneath the page - both things that help with getting a detailed image.

Since the background was rather busy, I needed a bit more to make the statue stand out. I used the Distress Inks and Oxides as watercolors and colored the statue in. Once that was dry, I went over the stamped lines with a very fine micron pen.

In the end, I added a sentiment to the right and a few more patterns to outline the sentiment.

And to add just a bit more texture, I decided to adhere the postage stamp to the top left. This has been laying on my desk for months now and I finally felt that I found a good spot for it.

If you haven't seen it yet, here is another page in the same journal.

Stamps used:

Measuring Tape Section

Smear/ Smudge

Weathered Tree

Roman Statue

Double Coffee Rings

First Class Mail

Thanks for stopping by and see you next time :)

A page in the zine art journal with Josefine Fouarge

Hi everyone, last time, I showed you how to put together a zine art journal and today I wanted to work on one of the pages. This time I made a video though (yay me :) ).

I stayed in a similar color scheme as the overall journal and played with some more stamps from plate 1512 - Tina Walker's designs. Check it out:

Aren't these sheep just so adorable? I totally fell in love with them!

Also, like the effect the embossing powder for the sentiment.

Here are the stamps I used:

- Plate 1512

- Plate 1455

- You Had the Power Glinda

- Writing Triangles

- I kept these stamps together as one: Six Staples, Staple, Three Staples

- Ethos Knots and Beads

- Ethos Sheep

- Smear/ Smudge

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my art journal page and the journal itself :)

I Hope You Know... | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest VLVS design team project with you. Following on from my previous post a couple of weeks ago when I shared an art journal page inspired by the June Monthly Challenge; I was inspired to create a full 12x12" scrapbook page that incorporated some of the same design elements. (If you missed it, you can see my art journal page here.)

I began my page with a sheet of white cardstock and stamped out my background design using Staz On ink. The first stamp I used was the Tree of Life - Tree with Roots (which is also the main inspiration image from this month's challenge). I added some variety to my "forest" by also using the Weathered Tree stamp. Besides stamping the full image, I used the very tops of the branches in various places to add depth.

For my foreground I used the Smear/Smudge stamp and repeated the image several times. Then it was time to add some colour. 

I wanted to keep the colour soft and subtle, so I used Faber-Castell Gelatos and applied the colour by scribbling onto my messy mat and then I picked the colour up with the tip of a water brush and applied it to my page, blending as I went. I started in the centre of my page and worked my way out towards the edges.

After I had the colour completed, it was time to add some more details to my page. I used the new release I Hope You Know quote stamp in the bottom left corner of my page and balanced it out by adding the Flock of Geese in the top right corner. 

I also added the Tiny Moon from the new release Plate #1500 to the sky.

I added a little more detail to my foreground by lightly stamping with my fave Doodle Dots stamp.

With all of my page background complete; I then added the photo of my children, which I mounted up on some cardboard to help it pop and then adhered to the page using Miracle Tape.

To finish my page I wanted to add a little touch of magic, so I took a sweet image I had pre-stamped onto some tissue paper using the Fairy stamp. I applied the image to some cardstock using gel matte medium, then brushed on a little colour using the Gelatos again. I then trimmed the fairy and adhered the top part of her so that she appeared to be hiding behind the log in the photo, bending her wings up from the page to add a little dimension. I also added some messy white cotton thread for a little texture. 

Don't forget to enter this month's challenge, you can link up your entry via this post HERE before the end of the month. You could win a spotlight on the blog AND some new rubber! 

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

Stamps used:

- Tree of Life - Tree with Roots

- Weathered Tree

- Smear/Smudge

- I Hope You Know

- Flock of Geese

- Tiny Moon

- Doodle Dots

- Fairy

Other materials:

- American Crafts cardstock

- Miracle Tape

- Staz On ink

- Faber-Castell Gelatos

- tissue paper

- gel matte medium

Mail Art Monday with Jenn Engle

Hey guys! It's Mail Art Monday time and I made a standard size envelope with my current favorite Banksy stamp, Mom Preparing Anarchist. I just love this stamp so much!

STAMPS USED:

Banksy Mom Preparing Anarchist

Banksy Sweeping Under Lady

Smear/Smudge

Cross Stitch

I started out by applying Dylusions Paint to my background. I then applied the same paints thru a chevron stencil. I did my stamping and then finished it off with some white paint thru an dots stencil to pull everything together. 

I felt like the back needed a lil somthing, so I stamped this Banksy Sweeping Under Lady. I just love how it looks like she's lifting up part of the envelope. 

Thanks so much for looking!

~Jenn

Mail Art Monday with Susanne

Hi there!

Susanne here and I'm sharing a mail art envelope video tutorial today. Mail art envelopes are awesome! If you don't send it to a penpal you can use it in your art journals or as a gift packaging.

I hope you enjoy the video:

Here are some close-ups:

Thank you for stopping by today,
xx Susanne

Supplies:
Viva Las VegaStamps!
Doodle Leaf
Doodle Flower/ Garden
Row of Chevrons
Doodle Circle
Bubble Wrap Texture
Smear/ Smudge
Color Wheel Lines
Others:
Acrylic Paints
Gesso
Gelli Plate
StazOn Ink
Distress Marker Mermaid Lagoon