Cards for the MANLY Type... or Just for FUN!!!

Hello everyone! Susan here today to share some fun masculine cards using Viva Las VegaStamps! I was crowned "Queen of Snark" for Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers "C is for Cake" Challenge and I was invited to join them as a guest for the current challenge "SSOS #36 - D is for Dude". With my ever-growing stash of VLVS! images and phrases... I had stamps with fun quips set aside to get five or six cards in the works real quick!

Who doesn't love drinking frogs??! Paired with "How 'bout a beer? Soitenly!" and stamped on a scrap of patterned paper, double matted on a coordinating Basic Grey plaid. I added a bit of color with watercolor pencils {sans water} and I'm done. CHEERS!

This quick make is stamped on a scrap of distressed creme patterned paper, accented with watercolor pencils {again no water}. Get over the Mondays with this fabulous quote "I'm out of bed and dresssed! What more do you want?". Textured blue cardstock mattes and photo corners complete this Groundhog Day special.

This Pig Smoking Pipe just had to go with this scrap of distressed pajama stripe... and he's asking for a cigar – LOL! Stamped on a scrap of patterned paper and colored with watercolor pencils {again no water blending} and set of on layers of grey and creme cardstock mattes. Love the layered look and the photo corners give a nice pop of texture.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Pig Smoking Pipe" #5368

"Has Anyone Seen My Cigar" #9981

"Groundhog Relaxing" #18088

"I'm out of bed and dressed..." #4493

"Frogs Drinking" #6407

"How 'Bout a Beer?" #2136

1/4" Miracle Tape

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! Have you seen the JUNE inspiration board... its AMAZING! CLICK HERE to jump over and view my take on it.  I invite you to join us and play along with the June inspiration challenge {CLICK HERE for details}. Just make a creation using the inspiration above and your stash of VLVS! stamps... linkup and 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. Have a fabulous day!!  Sb

Dare to Dream... and Let your Heart Soar!

Hello everyone! Susan here my take on the Viva Las VegaStamps! June Challenge Inspiration Board. Luscious blues and greens... wings and words... I LOVE it!!! Challenges are a fun way to push yourself to try new things and new styles – and to be perfectly honest – this was way out of my creative box.

I started with a watercolor paper that I monoprinted with a blend of blue and green metallic Ranger Adirondack acrylics. Then I scribbled and smooshed on some blues and green Faber-Castell Gelatos to my liking. Using gel medium I fused a ghost monoprint on deli paper, which glues the layers together while giving translucency to colors below.

I wanted to have a scribbly heart so I made a dribbly heart mask by melting/drizzling Amazing Remelt onto my non-stick craft mat. I waited a few minutes for it to cool and solidify. Then I placed onto my background then sprayed with black Ditto glimmer spray.

I let the spray mostly dry before removing my handmade mask. Look at all the glorious blue and green exposed! I brushed some water at the top where the spray was still a bit wet and let the black color drip down. This was fun and a bit scary... I'm a total newb to the dripping technique.

I gave a blast with the heat gun to dry everything and added a few strokes of Gelatos to the heart. I stamp the butterfly onto a matching painted cardstock using black Versafine ink, then embossed with VLVS! ultra high gloss EP... and BAM!!! Wings that POP! I fussy cut and cut in half. To finish this mini masterpiece, I overstamp the bubble wrap texture and spell out "dare to dream" with Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink {this is the white of all white inks} and heat set.

I gently slide the collage into a Deflecto Acrylic Craft Frame and tucked the wings off each edge giving me a new georgeous piece free-standing art in an instant.

"Let Your Heart Soar..."

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Distressed Alphabet from December Daily Plate #1430"

"Bubble Wrap Texture" #19566

"Butterfly Spotted" #9459

Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

Other Supplies: watercolor paper, white cardstock detail scissors, black Versafine pigment Ink; Hero Arts "Hero Hues" Unicorn {white} pigment ink; various blues/greens Faber-Castell Gelatos; detail scissors; Faber-Castell Gel Medium; drizzle heart mask made with Amazing Remelt; Ditto black shimmer spray; and a Deflecto 3" x 4" Acrylic Craft Frame.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! Have you seen the JUNE inspiration board... its AMAZING!  I invite you to join us and play along with the June inspiration challenge {CLICK HERE for details}. Just make a creation using the inspiration above and your stash of VLVS! stamps... linkup and 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. Have a fabulous day!!  Sb

TOOT your STAMPED Party Horn!

Hello everyone! Susan here with a tutorial using Viva Las VegaStamps! and washi... washi... washi tape – my second obsession. Who needs paper when you've got rolls of colorful goodness??!

I've been on a bit of a washi tape kick lately and I've been having a lot of fun using it for crafty projects. To create this fun birthday card, I have a quick tutorial on how to incorporate stamping with and ON washi tape... including a variation of making DIY washi tape, too! Now I've shared previously how I make DIY tissue tape, but this new way gives a different effect.

The "happy happy happy birthday" background is DIY washi using this white paper bandage tape I found at my favorite place to find crafty goodness... the Dollar Tree. TaDA!!! You have to hunt around the aisle with toiletries and soaps, but it's there folks.

I layered three strips together and spritzed with yellow and lime green mists, then stamped "Happy Happy Happy Birthday" repeatedly to make the background.

   

Then I selected some yellow and blue striped washi to stamp some fun embellishments that I will mount on cardstock and fussy cut. I stamped everything using Royal Purple StazOn ink onto the washi tapes.

I picked a lime green and a blue polka dot tape to be the border and left a yellow at the top to help hold things together so I can transfer it as a whole piece onto white cardstock.

**A HANDY TIP** place removable tape over the seams where tape edges meet and rub down - so you can easily peel this up as one larger piece and mount to your cardstock... and your good to go!

This was super quick and easy to put together – the hardest part was fussy cutting the stamped party horn, streamers and confetti bits and popping them up. This card is so fun and I just I love how the striped washi tape contrasts with the scalloped border trim.

"Toot to your Happy Birthday Horn"

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Happy Happy Happy Birthday" #10479

"Party Streamers" #130

"Party Horn" #8825

1/4" Miracle Tape

Other Supplies: white card blank, white and teal cardstock scraps for matting, detail scissors, various washi tapes; Paper tape from dollar store; Doodlebug "Fancy Frills" scalloped border; Royal Purple StazOn Ink; 3M Scotch Matte Finish removable tape; and 3D foam dots.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! Have you seen the JUNE inspiration board... its AMAZING!  I invite you to join us and play along with the June inspiration challenge {CLICK HERE for details}. Just make a creation using the inspiration above and your stash of VLVS! stamps... linkup and 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

It's Time to Cut the CAKE and your Stamps!!!

Hello everyone! Susan here with a tutorial using Viva Las VegaStamps! and some birthday cardmaking fun! There is a great challenge over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers "C is for Cake" and I just couldn't "resist" playing along - LOL!

I've had this "Chicken Crying" stamp for a while now and I've been dying to use him. Today is the day!!! I inked him up with some Versafine black in and embossed him with VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder. Then while the stamp was still wet, I stamped and cut a quick post-it note mask.

With my quickie mask in place, I repeat the process with the "Cake with Candle" stamp. I also make a quick mask of the cake so I can do something with this plain white background. I don't want to cut out and paste these onto something else... I'm going to work around my grouping and it's pretty easy.

On my craft sheet I smooshed out a few colors of Distress Paint spritzed with a bit of water, then blended with my brayer. With my post-it masks in place, I rolled the color over my images. I picked up more color and reapplied until it was to my liking.

Now to add some music to my background! Using some blue dye ink I stamp the "Sheet Music Background" #19557 over my layers.

Before removing masks, I added one more stamp to ground my scene - the "Smear/Smudge" #19573. Now it's Reveal time!! A little paint got under my mask and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Now it's time for some color with Ranger Distress Markers and a little glittery shimmer!

  

I need to make a quick sentiment and I don't want to cut and paste words together in this case... so I give you a TIP – I'm cutting my stamp, "Happy Birthday from One Old Buzzard to Another!". I gently cut "birthday" and "another" apart from the phrase and lined them up on my block. Don't be afraid this is very liberating!!

I stamped onto the edge of my creation so it matches and give it a kiss of embossing powder for some POP! I made the ... by tapping the back end of a paintbrush into the ink using as a stamp.

I trimmed everything, layered with mats and Miracle Tape and I have a fun birthday card ready to go! This is so going to my sister who's birthday is next week... she's cracking the big 4-0.

"It's My Party and I wanna Cry"

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Chicken Crying" #9464

"Cake with Candle" #5161

"Sheet Music Background" #19557

"Smear/Smudge" #19573

VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

1/4" Miracle Tape

Other Supplies: white, teal and blue cardstocks; Ranger Distress Paint, Ranger Distress Markers; Sakura of America Gelly Roll® Stardust® Pen, paper trimmer; sticky back gems; and May Arts trim.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! It's a holiday weekend and that brings a SALE at the VLVS! store... CLICK HERE for details. Also are you a fellow rubber addict?  Here's your chance to join the design team {CLICK HERE for details} and stamp til your hearts content!

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

I NEED You to Celebrate!!

Hello everyone! Susan here with quick and easy card using Viva Las VegaStamps! with a little bit of humor. Quick doesn't exactly describe my stamping style, so this time I decided to go with fun birthday card using an image that is a bit... OFF.

I made a card using the "Uncle Sam Wants You" #5794 image that is a mess-up. Yes we all have them. This is what happens when the stamp falls off the acrylic block when your Miracle Sheet backer is not quite tacky enough anymore... SAM took a little dive when I went to stamp. I gently peeled the stamp up and remounted, then stamped again right on top.

Do stamped images always have to be perfect??! Absolutely not! I thought this one could be used one day and tossed it into the scrap bin. I really like how it resembles one of those old silk screen posters. To make it look more intentional, I swiped around the edges with Picket Fence Distress Stain.

I stamped my sentiments using the same black dye ink and made the "Celebrate Early..." #9340 stamp look equally messed up by swiping with Picket Fence Distress Stain. My motto – nothing goes to waste and there are no mistakes. After some quick matting with dualing blue cardstocks, I layered the pieces over a Distress Stain Splattered star collage embossed paper and a strip of vellum. The card is finished off with a snarky quip... "Happy Birthday from One Old Buzzard to Another!"

"I Need You to Celebrate!"

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

From Viva Las VegaStamps:

"Uncle Sam Wants You" #5794

"Celebrate Early..." #9340

"Happy Birthday from One..." #8514

1/4" Miracle Tape

Other Supplies: creme, navy and blue cardstock; Picket Fence, Barn Door, Broken China and Faded Jeans Ranger Distress Stains; paper trimmer; star collage embossing folder; and vellum strip.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks so much for dropping by! Have you seen the May inspiration board...  join us and play along with the May 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

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