A Place for Creative Ideas...

Hello everyone! Susan here with a special project combining Viva Las VegaStamps! with Art Anthology. All week we have teamed up with Art Anthology to bring you tons of inspirational creations. Have you been checking in each day to see all the artsy goodness?

So you don't miss anything please be sure you check out these links:

For Viva Las VegaStamps!

Website: http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vlvstamps

Blog: http://vivalas.blogspot.com/

For Art Anthology

Art Anthology's Website: www.artanthologyinc.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Anthology/392413134139071

Blog: www.artanthologyinc.com/blog

Since Earth Day is this week, I have decided to decorate this journal that came to my husband as a goodie from the car dealership. It's a blank book, with lined pages – perfect for jotting down ideas and things to remember... BUT it's not me. Enter Art Anthology Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint in Emerald and Flourite and Colorations Spray in Wild Orchid along with my stash of VLVS! to decorate this journal in my favorite color PURPLE and also to disguise it from the hubs {so he doesn't realize I swiped this out of the recycling bin - LOL}.

In the process of creating my monoprinted backgrounds - I discovered the Art Anthology Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint works great for a resist technique. Here's what I did...

I started with my Amazing DIY No-Gelatin Printing Plate and set out to make some monoprinted backgrounds using the Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint. I went with the Emerald first and placed some onto my surface and spread out evenly with a brayer. **A note** When monoprinting you have to work quickly with this paint as it dries quickly. I pressed the "Harlequin Diamond Background #18920" stamp into the wet paint and pulled back making a reverse image. I quickly placed the stamp onto another paper to remove the paint and pressed a paper onto my rubber slab to pick up the design.

This is my first pull from the Art Anthology Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint in Emerald.

 

There was some leftover paint that dried on the plate, but that's OK. I then sprayed the Art Anthology Colorations Spray in Wild Orchid and swiped the print into the beads of color. I blotted away any excess spray from the green painted areas with a paper towel. 

 

Photo on left is full resist background and on right is an up-close detail.

The texture and color is yummy!

How about another! I blotted off the remaining mist onto a blank paper {nothing goes to waste} and applied some of the Art Anthology Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint in Flourite and spread out with my brayer, then repeated my steps. 

 

This one is even better!!! Some of the Emerald that was dried on the plate was picked up in this second pulled print. I love the contrast of the monochromatic resist - this will be for the front of my notebook.

I trimmed each to fit and adhered to my cover using Miracle Sheets - makes altering notebooks quick and easy. Using a small paintbrush I added some of the Flourite around the edges to distress and get rid of the white edges... really I just wanted to get my fingers all purple. Now I'm ready for a little inky embellishing with some fun stamps!

"A Place for Creative Ideas"

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Harlequin Diamond Background" #18920

"Pure Imagination" #19041

"Ferris Wheel" #16038

"Bee Hung Up" #19164

"London Skyline" #10597

"Triangle Banner" #19043

"Chevron Banner" #19042

Miracle Sheets

StazOn Jet Black Ink

From Art Anthology:

Gemstones ~ Dimensional Paint in Emerald and Flourite

Colorations Spray in Wild Orchid

Other Supplies: white cardstock; recycled notebook; scissors; paper trimmer; small paintbrush; Sakura of America Gelly Roll® Stardust® Pen; and pencil.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! Don't forget about the April inspiration board... there's still time to join us and play along with the April inspiration challenge {CLICK HERE for details}. Just make a creation using the inspiration above and your stash of VLVS! stamps... you could win more RUBBER!

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

Love Is A Work Of Heart

Hello its me Tera Again!

Happy Early Valentines Day to all of you! 

For my piece today I want to share a special layout that I made for my brother and his girlfriend. 

(Shhh... This is a surprise so don't tell them yet hehe...)

For this Layout I wanted to use depth and color to highlight the focal images. I chose to use corrugated board and my favorite kiwi colored tattered angels spray (over a layer of Gesso to keep it's truest color). Since this will be placed in a shadow box frame, I wasn't worried about the thickness of the embellishments. 

Stamps Used here: 

Love Is A Work 2 x 2

Large Lightbulb 2 x 3

Large Arrow Heart 2 x 1 3/4

Eyes Looking Left 1 x 3 (which I didn't end up using in the final piece)

I started by inking the stamped images that I thought I would use, and cutting them out. 

I then arranged them around the photo and adhered them with miracle tape. 

I also decided to really spruce things up but adding some fun UmWow Studio Chipboard Star Confetti

 and the inside of the UmWow Chipboard Contoured Feather! 

Now that you've seen this super simple layout, Who's ready to get stamping!?!

Don't forget about the ongoing February challenge and that you can also share your creations on the Viva Las VegaStamps! Groupies Facebook page too!!  

Doing My Part to Creatively Save the Planet... with my Stash of Viva Las VegaStamps!

Welcome to Viva Las Vegastamps! Susan here today to bring you some inspiration using September's Challenge Inspiration Board. I am all about recycling and greencrafting so this was right up my alley... and my crazy "one touch rule" decided to tag along also.

In gathering up goodies to create with I came across an Altoid tin... so this project is also inspiration for the current Viva Las VegaStamps! Altoid Tin Swap {CLICK HERE for swap details}.

I have these scraps of book pages that are leftover from cutting out a niche in an altered book which is a perfect size for ATCs... and for today's project... papering the inside of an Altoid Tin. I put down a base layer of gesso, then overlaid Peeled Paint, Old Paper and Antique Linen Ranger Distress Stains. This made a nice background for scene stamping on top of.

I hammered the lid of the tin to flatten out the raised embossed letters - and it left a nice bumpy texture and rounded convex finish to the lid.

Inside the tin, I primed with a mixture of gesso and Peeled Paint Distress Stain. I mounted and prepared my stamps; "Panda Eating" #963 and "Flower Background" #18369. I stamped the panda onto white cardstock using Staz-On Black ink and added touches of color using my Ranger Distress Markers and waterbrush.

I stamped the flower background onto my painted paper using Frayed Burlap and Peeled Paint Distress Inks; then overstamped with Staz-On Black ink to give the effect of depth in the foilage.

Now to add some color and "POP" with my Sakura of America Gelly Roll® Stardust® Glitter Pens and also Souffle® 3-D Opaque pens. The colors of the Souffle pens are opaque and dry a little raised, and the Stardust pens are translucent and give that touch of glittery shimmer. I really love smudging the color of the Stardust pens around to get subtle color with a little bling.

I finished off with some buttons, a knot of natural raffia and painted corrugated around the outside of the tin – all in the flavor the inspiration above. Built the scene with layers of texture and various chipboard details - a disassembled UmWowStudio Cattails and a balanced in the opposite corner with a decorative flourish; each painted in the same fashion as the book page base. To add that final bit of detail, I ran a bead of Diamond Glaze around the edge of each side and dropped in some pale green iridescent glitter... one can never have enough glittery goodness!

Doing My Part to Creatively Save the Planet...

I hope you are INSPIRED and will link up your creation to this month's Challenge.

Left side detail... with a field of button florals and glittery goodness.



Right side detail with the panda nestled amongst the foliage.

•••••••••••

Supplies used: STAMPS - "Panda Eating" #963 and "Flower Background" #18369. Other supplies: white cardstock; recycled book pages and Altoid Tin; gesso; Staz-On Black ink; Miracle Tape; Ranger Distress Markers; Sakura of America Gelly Roll® Stardust® Glitter Pens; Sakura of America Souffle® 3-D Opaque; Ranger Distress Stains - Peeled Paint, Old Paper, and Antique Linen; water brush; Peeled Paint and Frayed Burlap Ranger Distress Inks; Cattails Chipboard from UmWowStudio; buttons; glitter; Diamond Glaze; and natural raffia.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I invite you to play along with the monthly challenge - make a creation using the inspiration and your stash of VLVS! stamps... you could win! CLICK HERE for challenge details. Also, did you receive the latest Viva Las VegaStamps! newsletter??? If not - you may have missed the LABOR DAY SALE and the Altoid Tin Swap info. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to be IN THE KNOW of everything going on at the Viva Las Vegastamps!. 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. I'll be back soon with another stamping adventure!  Sb

Upcycling Packing Tape Spools and Celebrating Earth Day

Welcome to Viva Las VegaStamps! and Happy Earth Day! Today we are proudly participating in LeslieRahye's Second Annual EARTH DAY Bloghop. Susan here to bring you my regularly scheduled "INKY" inspiration - with a RECYCLING twist for Earth Day! What do you do with the cardboard core from clear packing tape??? Stamp, ink and alter them and turn them into a fashion statement of course!!!

I've made a CHIC artistic bangle out of a recycled cardboard packing tape spool that I have collaged with hand-stamped paper misted with an iridescent shimmer mist, then adhered and sealed using Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer. The feature of my bangle is a fortune that I saved from a fortune cookie and a couple other stamps to create a decorative texture.

I cut a section away from the tube and cut the edges rounded.
I sanded the edges with an emery board.

On a strip of scrap patterned paper, I stamped I used Viva Las Vegastamps! patent stamp #1687 with waterproof royal blue ink.

I misted paper lightly with water to moisten.

Gently crumple the paper to break up fibers to that it is not so stiff - AND - it will give a nice suede texture.

I also misted with some bronze and also an iridescent mist to add extra shimmer and to bring out detail of distressed paper. I set aside to dry. 

I painted base layer of antique gold acrylic paint to the bangle.

Completed painted cardboard bangle - which looks lovely just like this! But this is just a starting off point...I want to make it more "ME". So I'm going to make it all painted and inky, too! 

Now I adhere the stamped and painted paper I prepared in the beginning. I cut lines into the paper around the rounded sides to get a smooth wrap-around. I mounted my fortune to a rectangle of chipboard and adhered to bangle with Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer. 

I finished off by painting entire bangle in a nice coat of Crystal Lacquer and stamped punched and mounted a couple of accent detail stamps; "Leaf Background #4366" and "Tribal Mask #15962". 

My "Art-cycled" CHIC Bangle

My bangle is all artsy and recycled! It looks lovely...and is the perfect home for my GOOD FORTUNE "You feed your body every day. You must also feed your mind".

Thanks so much for dropping by. HAVE YOU HEARD??? Receive FREE SHIPPING now on your order at the Viva Las Vegastamps! store by using the coupon code "FREESHIPPING". If you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE.

Please scroll down to click on the squares below to continue to all the fantastic artists on the hop...and remember, please Think GREEN! Sb

 

Asian New Years - Recycle Projects

Just passed, the Chinese New Years.  I love Asian and Egyptian motifs.  This project is recycling a project I made in the late 90's, updating it with Viva Las VegaStamps images.

I used to partake in the Art Continuum back in the day and I wanted to hone in my book making skills.  I learned Stab Binding and Coptic Binding.  The book you see, is my stab-bound book done in Washi papers.

See the binding on the book?

VLVS Images:

9842 - Child With Bird
(Komodo Asian Writing sold in store, Discontinued All Night Media flower sold in store)


1.  Cut a square piece of cardstock and paint with Gold Perfect Pigment Paint by USArtQuest.  Stamp images in Black Memento ink.

2.  Use Distressed Inks by Ranger and distress the Asian writing and rip.  Set aside for now.

3.  Accent girl with metallic gel pen and Copics.

4.  Adhere to book with Miracle Tape and adhere ripped writing.  Tie Asian Charm to corner of stab binding.

She is such a sweet girl.  The buttons match the color in the design of the Washi paper.

Think of a theme, find old projects without stamping and add a stamped motif to spruce up the project!  This bound book is now ready for me to journal in.  I will stamp and collage Asian motifs on every page to go with my journaling.


Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

Time FLIES When It Comes to Greencrafting...

Happy Monday and Welcome to Viva Las Vegastamps!!! It's only 15 days until Christmas and I'm going to give you a break from the HOLIDAY extravaganza. Today I am sharing a greencrafted creation that I created for the Anything But A Card Challenges a few weeks back.

I needed to create a "TIME" themed project for the challenge. I knew I wanted to use the new flying watch stamp, but I didn't know what I was going to create. As I muddled about, my "ONE TOUCH RULE" began to take effect. You ask, what is a "ONE TOUCH RULE"??? I set this up for myself because I am really bad about putting my craft stuff away and it's pretty simple: if I pick up something in order to get something else needed for a project - IT'S getting used in TODAY'S PROJECT. This collage utilized many leftover items taking up residence on my craft table - resulting in a gorgeous green-crafted transformation of an empty holiday card carton.

       

Stamps used: Girl with Wings #19005 and Flying Watch #19004.

This project began as an empty carton that a set of holiday cards come in - REALLY!!! I've transformed this gem into a shadow box with some clear gesso, leftover painted paper and textured paper scraps, silver cellophane tissue, an empty perfume mini, a broken skeleton key, loads of miracle tape, some May Arts stitched grosgrain trim, and a trio of stamps from Plate #893 from Viva Las VegaStamps!. Using Helmar 450 adhesive, I finished off edges with ribbon edging, and some swirly metal photo corners.

After priming the box base with clear gesso, I covered all sides and edges with Miracle Tape and adhered crumpled silver cellophane for a textural base. Then I applied more miracle tape to line the walls of box with textural paper scraps rubbed with black and silver inks. I mounted a section of collaged paper into the background to complete the box. Miracle tape made assembly quick and easy...and best part - it's INSTANTLY DRY!

The secret of this project is that I stamped using Black Staz-on ink onto acetate. This reason was two-fold: first my collaged background is quite textured with paint and handmade paper so this is difficult to get a clear stamped image onto; and second, this is how I was able to get my Girl standing perfectly atop the bottle. I placed the bottle in position on top of the acetate, placed down a post-it note to mark the placement of bottle top, then aligned my stamp accordingly. **A TIP** I also made my acetate slightly larger than the inside of my box and trimmed it to fit when ready to assemble.

Presenting my Altered Collage Card Box!

Don't forget about the Viva Las VegaStamps! new release plates that are on pre-order for 20% off for only a few more days. The two plates below have one image on each {highlighted in purple} that were illustrated by yours truly. On the left is plate #909 ; and on the right is plate #918. CLICK HERE to see  all of the new plates for you to "ink, drink and be merry"!

Thanks so much for dropping by today! Hang around a little while and check out what the rest of the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team has been up to. Don't forget to visit the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - for all your stamping needs and for every occasion...and MIRACLE TAPE, too!

If you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. I'll be back with another stamping adventure real soon! Hope you have an inky day! Sb