April WINNER WINNER chicken dinner

I cannot believe how stinkin' cool all the entries for our April Challenge were!

The winner is...

Kristiina! She's so witty in her use of Mary Vogel Lozinak's Zentangle inspired images... definitely stop by for details creating these leaves from a larger graphic stamp!

And our random winner is... SHERI!

Both ladies just email me @ deedee430@gmail.com with your shipping address and we'll get you a grab bag!

A couple days left to enter MAY'S challenge and don't forget about our DESIGN TEAM CALL!

Animal Farm Housing

Did you ever wonder about the housing in Animal Farm?  No? Me, neither.

But for some reason, when I saw this strip of farm animal stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps! I thought of Animal Farm, and how their houses might look as designed and lived in by animals.  I know--my brain is a wild and woolly place, lol!

Supplies:

VLVS! Images Used--

Farm Animals 1 1/2" Cube Item CB31 Plate 1055

Sakura of America Pigma Micron pen

1 sheet 180 g Garza Papel engraving paper
StazOn Jet Black Inkpad
Strathmore Vellum Envelope Scrap
Gelli Plate
Acrylic Paint-yellow, pink, white
Golden Light Modeling Paste
Miracle Tape
stylus

A while back I used a gelli plate to print on some Strathmore Vellum Envelopes. I wanted to try a parchment effect with the vellum, so I had printed on them with white acrylic, and splashed a bit of yellow and pink here and there for a very light mottled effect.

Although, there are four images here, they all come on one rubber strip, which I stamped on a scrap of the envelope.  I know from past experience that StazOn Jet Black, blends well with the black ink from a Pigma Micron pen, so that is what I used.

I cut each image out, turned it over, and used a stylus to dry emboss each animal into relief.  This particular vellum isn't the best for a parchment effect.  It doesn't turn white, or hold the relief very well, but it did well enough.  

After embossing, I filled the back of the relief images with light modeling paste so they wouldn't totally flatten out.  I used the light paste so that I wouldn't add a lot of weight to the drawing.

With a .03 tipped, Pigma Micron pen, I traced the outline of each image, where I wanted it to fall on the finished piece, and then started drawing.  I had a rough image in my head, and drew on my tangling experience to add detail.  This might look complex, but actually took only about 1/2 hour to do, and with Zentangle® patterns to rely on for detail, the houses almost drew themselves.  The engraving paper is soft with some tooth, so I could build up the values and gets lots of grayscale shading.

When the drawing was finished, and the modeling paste was dry, I attached the stamped images with Miracle tape.

The scan at the top doesn't show the 3D relief, and I had to take a photograph with lots of shadow to pick it up.  I didn't quite get the parchment look I was shooting for, but I'm am pleased with the result.  I love when that happens!  

  

For more of my work with Viva Las VegaStamps!, Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog.   ~ Sandra Strait

Helpful Links: VLVS! Store for all your stamping needs; the  VLVS! Blog for new projects; VLVS! on  FaceBook,  Pinterest, Instagram. and Twitter.  Be sure to check out the Challenges posted each month.

My Little Pockat book

Yes! Pocket + Cats = Pockats!

I received a 9 page pamphlet in the mail.  Don't even remember what it was for.  I promptly gesso'd it, painted the pages with acrylic paint, then taped the pages together with miracle tape to form 4 pockets and used it for the contents of my little Pockatbook.  Each page has a second pocket as well.

Supplies used throughout: gesso, Distress Inkpads-Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Ranger Archival Inkpad-Black, Micron Pen .05, Silk's Acrylic paint-Emperor's Gold, miracle tape, cut up magazine pages sprayed with Fireworks Pear Tart & Cantaloupe, gel medium.

All images were stamped with the Ranger Archival pad.

All of the pages were distressed with inkpads and I used Zentangle®-inspired patterns throughout as embellishment.  Magazine pieces were laid down as a base for each page.  Gel medium was used to glue pieces down.

Supplies for cover

Viva Las VegaStamps! Images used: Tuxedo Cats 15115 

Tim Holtiz Rock Candy Clear Crackle Paint

Grunge Paper

Alcohol Inks-Terra Cotta, Stonewashed, Stream, Copper & Pearl Mixative

Distress Marker-Stormy Sky

Awl & cord

I cut 3 pieces of grunge paper, one approx. 5 x7 for the main cover piece, one at 3 3/4 x 4 1/2 for the cats, and one 1 x 3 3/4 for the title.  I stained the smaller pieces with Terra Cotta, & Copper Mixative alcohol ink, and the main cover with Stream & Stonewashed.  I used the Distress Marker & Micron to write out Pockats, and embellish with Zentangle-Inspired Patterns.

After punching holes in the middle with the awl, I looped and tied a piece of cord that can be used to tie the pockatbook shut, later.

Supplies for Page 1 & 2

Viva Las VegaStamps! Image used: Inquisitive Cat 6791 and Black Cat Silhouette 7185

Sarabinders Small Pocket

Encore Ultimate Blue Metallic Inkpad

Pure & Simple Oatmeal bag

I glued down the Sarabinder Pocket and the Oatmeal Bag (leaving the top unglued so that it became another pocket.  After stamping the cats I added more distress color with the distress inkpads, and more color with the Encore.  Then I tangled patterns all over!

Supplies for Page 3 & 4

Viva Las VegaStamps! Image used:  Serious Cat Face 8673

Coffee Cup sleeve

Sarabinder small pocket

Angelina Fibers ironed to fuse

Flowers previously made from Ice Resin and black cardstock

Stems made from sheet music dipped in Ice Resin

Claudine Hellmuth Studio Acrylic paint-Landscape Green

Inkssentials Enamel Accents

Sakura 3D lacquer/Terri Sproul Mixer-Green Pearl

Color Pencil

I cut off pieces of the coffee cup sleeve.  One piece made me think of an old tub, and the other of a plant holder, so I taped them down.  The long side of the tub was left untaped so it could be used as a side pocket.  I distressed the coffee sleeve with the distress inkpads, then slapped on some acrylic paint.

I glued on the flowery stuff with gel medium.

The splashed water was added with Terri Sproul mixers & dabs of Enamel Accents.

After tangling my patterns, I colored them with color pencils.

Supplies for Page 5 & 6

Viva Las VegaStamps! Images used: Kitties Playing Chess 2114  and Kitten And Mouse In Blanket/Sm 3290

Date Due Library Pocket

Amazon tape

Watered down Gesso

I decided to go with half-pockets on this page, so you can actually see some of the magazine pieces that I used as a base background.  I glued down the library pocket and a piece of tape from a box I received from Amazon.  After doing the distress ink thing, I blobbed on some watery gesso, did a little doodling and called it a day.

Supplies for Page 7 & 8

Viva Las VegaStamps! Images used: Steampunk Cat 17720 and Wheeley Cat 18371 
Sarabinder Small Pocket 

Paper Coaster

Distress Inkpads-Salty Ocean and Picked Raspberry

Gesso

May Arts Ribbon
Ink blending sponge tip

I found a set of paper coasters from Dollar Tree that included this piece of bread and knew it had to become a pocket in my journal.  I glued down the May Arts Ribbon and used the sponge tip to add the colors to the page.  I had a little trouble stamping the Wheeley Cat image because I had used so much gel medium on that page, so I went for a feeling of motion.  After tangling my patterns I added the gesso for the 'mayonnaise'.

Hope you've enjoyed my Pockatbook!

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.

VLVS! ATC/Tag/Envelope Combo Swap

Recently, there was a swap at the Viva Las Vegastamps! Forum requiring an #8 tag and a co-ordinating ATC.  The ATC was to be enclosed in an envelope that was attached to the back of the tag.  Both tag and ATC were required to have a VLVS! stamped image.

I decided I wanted to do something with Zentangle®-inspired art, and with a couple of the tangle inspired images available, but I also wanted to do something 3D--really 3D.

Supplies:
Viva Las Vegastamps!

Zentangle Lover 1 1/4 x 2: Item 18817 Plate 1426

Doily 3 x 2 1/4: Item 18849 Plate 1427 

A Tangle A Day 1 x 1 1/2: Item 18848 Plate 1427

Two #8 Tags-Black Paper
Two #8 Tags-Kraft Paper
Two ATC (3.5 x 2.5 inch) - Black Paper
Two ATC (3.5 x 2.5 inch) - Kraft Paper
Two scraps Black paper approx, 4 x 3 inch & 2 x 2.5 inch
Two scraps Kraft paper approx, 4 x 3 inch & 2 x 2.5 inch

Tim Holtz Distress Inkpad-Vintage Photo
Encore Inkpad-Bronze

May Arts Paper Raffia Ribbon -JP 200y JP16

Sakura Metallic Gel pen: Gold
Pentel White Sunburst Gel Pen

Scissors, Exacto Knife, Self-healing cutting mat, Straight-edge ruler, Miracle Tape, 3D foam dots, velcro closure

To start, I trimmed off about 1/4 inch around the edge of the kraft tag, and then measured and cut out five 1/2 strips from inside.  Then I tangled patterns with gold gel pen on the black tag, and with the white gel pen on the kraft tag.  I used 3D foam dots to attach the kraft on top of the black tag.

On the 4 x 3 inch piece of scrap kraft paper, I stamped the doily image with the Vintage Photo ink, and then cut out the center.  I stamped the 'Tangle a Day' sentiment on the leftover center, and taped both pieces onto the scrap piece of black.  I wanted the tangles beneath to show through, so I used an exacto knife to cut strips out of the center, and taped the medallion onto the tag.

For the ATC, I repeated this process reversing the kraft and black papers, so the black had strips cut out (3 instead of 5).  I used the Zentangle Lover sentiment, switching to the Encore inkpad, because it shows up on black paper.  It wasn't necessary to cut out any strips this time.

To make the envelope I cut the second black tag in half, length-wise.  I turned the second kraft tag length going sideways, and placed the ATC in the center.   I folded one side of the tag over the ATC, and creased at the fold.  Then, I folded and creased the other side.  Taking one half of the cut black tag, I folded and creased from the bottom (the end without a grommet) about 1 inch, and about 2 inches from the top.  Opening the left side of the kraft tag, I taped the bottom inch of the black half to it and taped the other side to middle interior.  The velcro closure was added.

Then I taped the whole envelope to the back of the tag.

I tangled, gold on black, white on kraft, where the envelope showed, and slid the ATC inside, folding the top half of the black over to enclose it.

As it happened, the May Arts paper raffia ribbon I received as part of my DT package was nicely color-coordinated, and made the perfect loop for my tags.

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.

Art Calendar Journal Update!

Happy August 1st everyone! At the beginning of July I shared with you the the creation of my art calendar journal for the Month of July.Follow the link back to that post to learn more about why and how. Today as promised I bring you my July pages completed. The month is officially over and I have tangled and doodled and pondered and practiced. This represents the achievements of the month, thoughts I had been pondering and exactly as I stated, practice for some doodles new and old for future designs. I hope you enjoy my art journal calendar for July!

The process:

As notable things happen through out the month, I doodle or journal those events so that there is some sort of representation, either graphic or written representing the day. Some days are not overly in need of a specific image or words. Some days I've come across a new tangle and simply want to practice it. Other days I've been pondering the world and need to find a statement that represents that thought--this month I was focused quite a bit about freedom and what that means. 

In some squares I used Viva Las Vegastamps to help convey my thoughts. For this post I used:

I hope you enjoyed my art calendar journal page! Thank you for looking! Have a super day!

~leslierahye

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!

Bleedthrumanade with Butterflies and Grottos!

Got lemons?  Make lemonade!
Got the dreaded alcohol marker bleedthru?  Make bleedthrumanade!

Alcohol markers are notorious for bleeding through paper and leaving color on the back of the page.  I decided a while back that this could be a good thing.  I color the front of the page with markers, and then add art of some kind (usually Zentangle®).  When I'm done, I flip the page and make art using the color shows through on the back.

Today, I'm going to share how a bleedthrumanade that started like this:

Front of page                              Back of page

Ended up as a bleedthrumanade that looks like this:

Front-Sunshine & butterflies in the Morning Dew   /Back-Underground Grotto

To get the grayscale bleedthrumanade colorbase

Front of page: I colored the entire page with various Spectrum Noir alcohol markers in Ice Grey colors, and then created streaks by running the blender pen vertically down the page.  At this point, I turned the page, and started working on the back.

Back of page: No further marker color was added.  I stamped my Sabal pattern image three times without re-inking.  The first image was very clear, the second just above it was faded, and the third image at the top barely showed.  Using a Micron Pigma pen, I darkened the corners of the first image, and drew lines to change the second image into a whole new pattern.  I did linework all around the stamped images, and added shading.   This resulted in the Grayscale picture-front & back--that you see at the beginning of this post.

Adding Color

Front of page: For the front, I was looking for a contrast in lighting.  The idea I had in mind was the morning sun evaporating the morning dew.  I chose thin-tipped, hard pointed colored pencils to get a lighter tinted color and chose Distress markers for the deeper sunlit colors.

I colored the entire page with the pencils, then I stamped my Butterfly collage image twice without re-inking.  I didn't want the complete image in either case.  I used Distress markers to deepen the colors on and around the Butterfly image and to eliminate the square edges.  When I was satisfied, I used the white Pentel gel pen to break up the second image--I only wanted it to add a little texture and give the feeling of light refraction.  I used the white gel pen to add the dewdrop bubbles.  The last step was to use the Distress markers to deepen the color on the dewdrops.

Back of page:  On the back, I wanted a different lighting effect--the dim lighting you might find in an underground grotto, where the sun merely glances off the surfaces.  I chose colored pencils with soft, deeply pigmented points to color the page. Then I used the Black Soot Distress Marker to re-darken some of the lines and shadowed areas.

The Black & Gray colorbase gave me tinted shades to work with and a sense of shadows and forms in the background.  This was an experiment from start to finish, and I think I'll be repeating this process.  

Be sure to check out the VLVS! July Newsletter for Product highlights, discounts and new releases!

Supplies

Both Front & Back

Stillman & Birn Epsilon Series Sketchbook

Spectrum Noir Cool Greys Marker set

Spectrum Noir Blender pen

Front of page:

Viva Las Vegastamps! used:

      Butterfly Collage-Item 16099

Stamp Pad ink: Colorbox Cranberry

Primascolor Verithin Colored Pencils-Canary Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Apple Green, Peacock Blue, Light Peach, Ultramarine

Tim Holtz Distress Markers-Fired Brick, Barn Door, Dried Marigold, Crushed Olive, Scattered Straw, Tumbled Glass, Broken China

Pentel White Gel Pen

Back of page:

Viva Las Vegastamps! used:

      Sabal pattern from Plate 1427

Stamp Pad ink: Memories Dye Ink Black

Micron Pigma Pen .05

Lyra Rembrandt Colored Pencils-Pale Geranium Lake, Lemon Cadmium, Apple Green, Light Blue

Tim Holtz Distress Markers-Black Soot

July Calendar Journal

I have challenged myself this year to try to create an art calendar for each month of the year. I have joined a group of artists who do this every month and if you want to know more about that you can check out my post on my personal blog. Basically they create a page for the month, photograph it, and share it with the group. During the month you journal/doodle the occurrences of the month. At the end of the month you have a beautiful accounting of your month and at the end of the year a beautiful memory of the year. It has been difficult working this challenge into my year but I keep trying as when I do work on this project it is VERY satisfying. Today I bring you my July spread and at the beginning of next month I'll check back in and share with you the finished pages.

The Process

for this project you will need:

journal
old book paper
mod podge or favorite adhesive
acrylic paint

cardstock

I am using an old tour book made of upcycled papers as my journal

I began by gluing old book paper to my journal with Mod Podge

Next I dry-brushed some red acrylic paint on to the page.
I brushed red and blue paint onto the doily stamps and
stamped them onto the journal page.

I cut 1½" square pieces of card stock out of red and blue. I
edged the card stock with the red and blue paint.

I stamped M-T-W-T-F-S-S for the days of the week with the
steampunk alphabet and pint. I trimmed out the letters and
edged the squares with blue paint.

  Putting it all together

Once everything was dry, I glued down the calendar pieces and drew chunky letters for the word July and stippled in some color and tangled some patterns in the letters. I will doodle and write in the squares and blank spaces on the journal through out the month. I will return in August to share with you the completed page.

Thank you for looking!

~leslierahye