Still Becoming

Every year I pick a word or a phrase that helps me to stay focused,helps me to find my way. And when I pick it,I put that word/phrase everywhere. On my fridge,in my car,in my wallet,in my art room...it's everywhere. 

This year,my word has to do with the idea of transformation, of something new,of growing.

My phrase for 2016 is .."Still Becoming"...

and so when I selected the stamps I was going to use in this project

I already knew they had to have something to do with my phrase. 

But instead of creating a physical piece I wanted to use these images to create a new banner for my website. 

I first stamped the images on to white card stock and then took pictures of each one.

I uploaded each image to Photoshop...

I then used the Magic Extractor tool to remove everything but the black image.

I then saved the files as Png's

and headed to the photo editing program Pic Monkey and created assorted banners in the Design Tool.

Here are some of the banners I came up with...

But below is the one I ended up with....

and I decided to go with no background and so 

I turned the banner into a Png File. You can see how it looks on my website here.

I really love the way it came out!

If you want information on "Becoming" a better person, here's a great article! 

http://personalexcellence.co/blog/101-ways-to-be-a-better-person/

Here's to 2016! 

Happy Creating friends! 

Stamps I used in this tutorial:

http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/latest-releases/previous-releases/latest-releases-april-2015/pair-of-butterfly-wings-1-1-4-x-1-1-4-each.html

http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/latest-releases/previous-releases/latest-releases-april-2015/she-was-a-dreamer-3-4-x-2.html

http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/latest-releases/previous-releases/latest-releases-april-2015/she-spread-her-wings-1-x-1-3-4.html

http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/latest-releases/previous-releases/latest-releases-november-2014/cocoon-chrysalis-1-x-2.html

http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/latest-releases-spring-2014/butterfly-specimens-1-1-2-x-4-1-2.html

Dream Big - ATB Tutorial

Hi my dear Viva Las VegaStamps! Friends.
I am totally a mixed media fan and I always incorporate my mood or something I want to say when I am creating. Dream Big is a mixed media Artist Trading Block (ATB) that should visualize my creative mojo. I am full of ideas (see the big head) and this does not stop! It would be great if the day would have 48hours or if I'd have six arms!
The ATB base is cut with the Silhouette Cameo. Of course you don't need a cutting machine to build a cube. You will find templates online to cut one by hand or you can use a die with your cutting machine.
I used the gorgeous Whimsical Moon Face and Whimsical Beetle Man stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps! as my main images.

Here are the step by step instructions:

1. Prepare your stuff. Cut the blank of the block. Emboss some black cardstock with an embossing folder of your choice. Stamp your main images and the acetate with StazOn Jet Black Ink.

2. Add Turquoise Iridescent Creative Medium with a palette knife and a stencil to the side of the cube that will be the top. You can use any other texture paste. I like the shimmer of the Creative Medium.
Tip: Use some washi tape to mask the border and to adhere the stencil to your working surface.

3. Use the Gold Metallic Creative Medium with a make up sponge and rub it onto your embossed cardstock. You can also use PanPastels metallic colors. Cut out four squares which have the same size as an area of your ATB and adhere them to it's sides.

 

4. Color your main images. I used my Memento Luxe inks. You can use any other ink. E.g. Distress Inks or watercolor pencils. Add some highlights with the Irresistible Pico Embellishers. I used them for the bugs feet, the white dots in the moon's face and the stars on it's top.

5. Cut the gears from kraft cardstock and give them some gold glamour with the Gold Metallic Creative Medium.

 

6. Build everything together and add the sentiment. I stamped it with StazOn Jet Black ink and cut it with a banner die. Use a cutter to make two slots to glue in the gears. Adhere the transparency sheet with some Miracle Tape to the back.

Stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps!

Whimsical Moon Face (plate 1448)

Whimsical Beetle Man (plate 1448)

Dream Big (plate 918)

Be adorable (plate 918)
Miracle Tape

Other Supplies

Imagine Crafts Creative Medium (Gold Metallic, Iridescent Turquoise)

Memento Luxe Inks: Teal Zeal, Dandelion, Love Letter, Liclac Posies

StazOn Jet Black

Irresistible Pico Embellisher: Tuxedo Black, Neon Electric Purple, Wedding Dress

StazOn Studio Glase Blue Hawaii

Palette Knife

Cardstock (white, kraft)

Transparency Sheet

Gear Wheel Die (Noor! Design)

Embossing Folder (Sizzix)

Hot Glue

Wooden Spear

Happy Crafting, Susanne!

Art Journaling with Scraps

Hello stampers out there. I recently had some fun with one of Viva Las VegaStamps newest releases. 

I played with the plate 1470. I decided to play with one of my scrap journal pages and a sheet from a mono print from my stash. I made my own gelatin plate and went to town with stencils and Dylusions Paints. I made several several prints talk about a fun night. Next time I want to try it with some deli paper though. 

So here is my art journal page. I stamped the sentiment and the bookmark style stamp on white cardstock and cut them out.  

I used a scrap of the mono print behind the sentiment and you can see the pattern behind in the background was the actual print. 

Everything was adhered down with a matte gel medium so I could use my black PITT Pen and smudge a border around what I wanted a border on. 

The actual background before I added everything had some blue gelato that I had wiped up off my craft sheet. I used a baby wipe and a stencil to take away some color. 

Again I had no clue what I was doing but having fun with some scrap stuff I had laying around and some of the new stamps. 

So grab some and have some fun and don't forget to share your work over at the VLVS Groupies Facebook Page!

Santa!!

Only 17 more sleeps and all the good little boys and girls will find out what Santa is REALLY bringing them this Christmas...Michele here today to share a card with my favorite Santa image.

I was inspired by this months challenge; Santa, red, stripes.

This beautiful stamp is Santa's Face, I just LOVE the detail!!!

Watercolored with Distress markers...look at those rosy cheeks!!

This card has lots of layers.

And texture created with May Arts ribbon.

The sentiment stamp inside is Santa Claus is Coming.

I stamped in Archival ink.  Bazzill Swiss Dots and Echo Park The Story of Christmas papers were perfect for this design!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Until next time...get inky!

Letters to Santa ...MAM Video Tutorial

Hello Again! 

Tera here with another Mail Art Monday video tutorial, and you won't believe how easy it was!!!!

Stamps Used:

Santa Collage 3 1/2 x 4 1/4

Be Filled With Joy 1 1/4 x 2

Writing Triangles 1 1/4 x 3 1.4

Thank you for visiting and I hope you all are enjoying this holiday inspiration!!

Explore your inner Steampunk with VLVS

Hello my dear crafty friends and welcome to my new post for VLVS blog.

This time I am back to what I adore with VLVS: their Steampunk stamps. I sure adore all VLVS stamps, but Steampunk they product is just the best of the best!

So I made this art piece over the thick cardstock with lots of VLVS stamps, lots of home die cuts, some chipboards, metal pieces and even made this clay owl to watch us while we explore this style and to offer us its wisdom.

First I painted this piece with Earth Safe Finishes paints, using a mix of Chalk Up  paints over the cardstock that was primed  with ESF gesso.

 Then I stamped. Lot of VLVS backgrounds and a few of my lovely Steampunk images. 

Then I added a few  touches of ESF Gel Medium with Stencilgirl stencils and as this is clear medium I painted over them with a mix of ESF Iridescents.

The chipboard frame was painted into gold  with a touch of blue patina and glued to frame the main stamped image. I added the chipboard heat embossed word " EXPLORE" and this mold made Makin's Clay own that was also painted over with the same blue paint.

I mix of die cuts made of dark red metal cardstock and some printed Kraft cardstock were glued over the piece with Gel Medium.

 I hope you like my Steampunk art board and VLVS stamps as much as I do.

VLVS stamps used:

Lion face door knocker Item 18428 Plate 1387

Steampunk woman's head Item 18365 Plate 1400 

Steampunk gear hair Item 18594 Plate 1405

Background  

Number strip Item 18924 Plate 1428

Pocket watch  Item 15975 Plate 1271

Washi grid background Item 19074 Plate 917

Dictionary page  Item 19015 Plate 890

Tina Walker - Art Journal Page

Hi...

Welcome to another Guest Design post for Viva LasVegaStamps!

Today, I am sharing an Art Journal page, created with several VLVS stamps.  Stamps are a great way to create wonderful Art Journal pages and are the perfect way to add images and designs when you can't draw - like me!  :)

To create the background for my page, I added a quick layer of gesso, then some spritz's of spray mist, letting the drops settle and pool.

 The focal point of my page was created with several stamps, heat embossed and layered together.

 Stamps used:
Whimsical Letter Man
Whimsical Leaf
Whimsical Moon Face

I added stitching around the stamped image(s) for added texture.

I used the Here Wings Were Made stamp for my journaling.  To play on the words, I added scrap pieces of Alcohol Ink metal pieces to the wings.

To offset the white space on the page, I added more stamping, stitching, and paper pieces to the right edge.

Stamp Used: Whimsical Border

A bit of doodling with black and white pens and done!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

from the heart

Hi hermine here. Again with a photo step by step tutorial. As you probably know by know I love to incorporate the back of my cards into my design.

step 1: make a heart mask and put on the onfolded (but already scored in the middle) card

step 2 : stamp all around the heart except for the spot where you see the girl peeping out, for that see next photo. You can find the stamps I used at the end of this article. I used Stazon the stamp with. Sometimes you mask things, sometimes you can stamp on top of the previous stamp.

step 3: flip the mask over to one side for a minute and stamp the Banksy Swing Girl.

step 4: flip mask back and make a mask for the Banksy swing girl.

step 5: spray with 2 colours Dyllusion spray and remove mask.

step 6: hand draw the lines around the heart twice with a black fine liner and make some red accents with a red fine liner and scribble some zigzag stitches with a black fine liner.

step 7: make some highlights in the windows of the buildings with a white sharpie. Stamp with Stazon black the text She was a dreamer on the inside of the heart. Then fold the card.

 

Hope you like my tutorial. Have fun playing around.

Warmly Hermine

Used materials:

 Wright Brothers walking 19730

 Old house 19741

Tree with Tire swing 19717

Leafless Trees in Field 19719

Fir Trees Silhouette 19723

Clump of rocks.pebbles 19721

Wildflowers Silhouette 19646

Banksy swing girl 19425

She was a dreamer 19635

Stazon

More mailart !

Hello everyone,


It's my turn to try and give you some inspiration for the new Challenge. I have to say that I had a little trouble with this one as red is really not my colour. So this mailart piece you see here is actually my second attempt. The first one ended up being torn up and thrown away... So here it is:

It is based on this inspiration board:

Words to go with this board:  red, stripes, cream, white, christmas, mail, mail art, stamps, letters to santa, glitter, handmade, diy, santa, belts and belt buckles, wishlist, etc. 

I really like this inspiration board but as I said I don't really like using red and I hardly ever do in my crafting. But for this one I took a white envelope, masked off the address area and sponged the red stripes on it with Distress Inks and a blending tool... I used Barndoor and a bit of Fired Brick at the edges. Next I stamped the stitching around the address area and typed the address with my old typewriter. I then looked for a suitable postage stamp and found this one in my stash. Yes, I do collect stamps but only to use in my crafting ! Next I stamped the "Tis the season to be jolly!' around the edges (part of a stamp;  and yes, I cut it up; a full list of stamps used is at the bottom of this post), the deliver to and the staples on/off the postage stamp. The last think I did was stamp the little girl without her crown, drew the Christmas hat on her head, coloured her with Copic Markers, cut her out and adhered her to the envelope. 

I used the following stamps:

10571 - Tis the season

19578 - Six staples 

19562 - Deliver to

19642 - Stitching lines

19536 - Girl in princess costume  

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope you will participate in our challenge this month! 

December Challenge

It's time to break out your very own MAIL ART! Letters to Santa, Christmas outfits, fluffy hats, postoids, red, glitter, black and white, shades of gray, overstretch belt buckles, trikes, kids, Christmas morning, SANTA himself, stripes and anything else you can draw from our mood board.

Don't forget the rules:

-Create a new project based on our inspiration board (it has to be posted this month, but you can certainly link up to other challenges as well!)

-Use at least one (but certainly more if you want) Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps

(We are now allowing competitors stamps to be on your work, but please make VLVS! the focus of the project, thank you.)

-Post it to your blog with a link back to us

-Upload to our linky using your direct blog post link (You may also upload via facebook, flickr or other gallery)

You could win a Project Spotlight post on our blog + some new rubber of course.

And visit us back here for inspiration! 

An InLinkz Link-up