Tornado Traveller

Morning Everyone!!

 Karen with you again today.. I've got a little canvas to share with you today. This is the start of a Christmas gift for a  special friend who is just plain special!..

 

It features two of the amazing new Brian Kesinger images that are available on plate 1434

 

 

 

I have used

Not in Kansas anymore Otto

 

and

 

Compass

 

I used the typewrite font that is on plate 1430 to do my "Tornado Traveller"words

 

 

 

 This was a very easy little piece to create...I started off by stamping my image on Tim Holtz water colour paper and colouring with my distress markers. 

 

 I then cut a piece of card stock stamped it with the yellow brick road stamp and inked it using various colours of distress ink ( stormy sky, frayed burlap, iced spruce, wild honey and walnut stain). I then stamped the compass image and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder, added in a stitched border. I then layered my main image of Otto and Victoria on top, added in my stamped  words and a few embillies then stuck it to my burlap panel..

 

 

I'm hoping that she loves this little panel just as much as I do.. until next time..

 

Happy Stamping xxx

 

Be an adventurer

Hello all! Nataliya is here)
Today I want to show you my new love - Walls Notebook. It's simply amazing for stamping work & doodling.

And this is my first project, I just adore new Alice VLVS!

Adventure & dreaming...it's all about our life, isn't it?

How I made it? Stamp+Sakura Micron!

My VLVS! for this project:

Caterpillar 1 x 2 1/2

Butterfly Wing Set (2) Each 1 1/2 x 2 1/4

Pulse Rate 1 1/4 x 3

Alice With Caterpillar 2 1/2 x 3 1/4

Mushroom 1 3/4 x 1 1/2

Small Mushroom 1 1/4 x 1

Tall Mushroom 1 1/4 x 2 1/4

Sunflowers 3 1/2 x 2 1/2

Have an adventurous day ;)

Dressed up for Halloween

Hi Hermine here again. This time I altered a doll I found at a fleamarket, unfortunally I forgot to take a before photo.

step 1: find a little doll to alter. I took this doll apart and painted all the parts with black gesso including the fabric body.
step 2: sponge some white acryllic paints on the head, arms and legs. Not covering the whole parts evenly but let the black gesso shine through. Then make some details with the Sakura of America Micron Pen. Cover the face with cling foil and dipp the hair into the black gesso. Let dry up side down. When dry sponge with some white acryllic paint the hair.
step 3: take the body and stamp with M'xed Media Inx Jasmin the Harlequin Diamond Background 18920 on the front and back of the body, pushing the body onto the stamp instead of the other way around.
step 4: put the doll together again.
step 5: take some skrink plastic and stamp Kids with giant jack-o-lantern 19209, Skeleton family 19206, Halloween tree silhouette 19205,  and Danger skeleton 10363 (5 times) with Stazon Black and cut out, put holes in them and skrink them.
 step 6: make out of wire a skirt by twisting the wire. Hang the skrink plastic in position.
step 7: tie a plastic bat at the back, looking at the front they look like wings. I used a little colourful spider, painting it black and put the danger skeleton on het back with tissue paper as het pet.
step 8: Take a piece of wood, drill a hole in the middle and put a iron bar in it to put the body on. I used black paper and made 4 sides out of it, stamping the Halloween tree silhouette 19205 with M'xed Media Inx Jasmin on all 4 sides. Glue in place and decorate the edges with washi tape. Put some plastic spiders on her skirt and in het hair.

Used materials:
Harlequin Diamond Background 18920
kids with giant jack-o-lantern 19209
Skeleton Family 19206
Halloween tree silhouette 19205
Danger skeleton 10363
Sakura of America micron pens

Haunted Seas

I started with one idea, switched to another and then went back to my original idea.

Together, they add up to Haunted Seas! Jack Sparrow would be right at home.

(Click to see larger! such gorgeous detail!)

Supplies
VLVS Stamps Used:
Skeleton Mermaid - Item 19257 Plate 940
Lighthouse Scene  - Item 19125 Plate 923
Cray-Pas® Expressionist® - Orange , Pale Blue, Yellow, White
Gellyroll Stardust-Lime-Star, Golden Star; Metallic Green, Purple; Standard-White

Masonite Panel
Silk Tissue Paper
Ranger Archival InkPad: Jet Black
StazOn Inkpad: Jet Black
Golden Fluid Acrylic paint: Micaceous Iron Oxide
Golden Soft Gel medium
Golden Self-Leveling Gel
Ranger White Enamel Accents
Clay-shaping tool
Plastic eraser
Hairspray

I prepared my wooden panel by priming it with Micaceous Iron Oxide, an acrylic paint with particles that produce a dark surface with a fine tooth, and sparkle.  It's a good surface for pastels, and light on dark painting.

I used the oil pastels to paint a moonlit ocean.

I sprayed the piece with hairspray to set the pastels, and left it to cure overnight.  Hairspray is not a permanent fixative, but it will help keep the oil pastels from smearing when you put on gel medium for a more permanent seal.

At this point, I started working on another project.  A few days before I had poured some Golden self-leveling gel onto a craft mat and left it to dry into a 'skin'. 

This medium takes quite a while to dry--a good 48 hours here, with the weather we're having.  Others times it dries faster, but I usually plan on at least 24 hours.  The medium dries clear, and peels right off the mat.

I poured out a fairly large amount and stamped several images onto the dried skin.  Including one of a lighthouse.  As I was cutting the images out, I had the thought that the lighthouse would look pretty good on my moonlight ocean.

It did--but the shading was wrong.  Now the skin is clear and I could flip the piece using either side.  That's one of the reasons for stamping onto the dried gel.  You also get some depth.  But when I flipped the image to get the shadows right, it didn't fit properly.  I compromised.  I just placed the lighthouse skin onto my scanner and lay the oil pastel painting on top.  Now I have a scan, incorrect shading and all, but I still have the painting free for my original project, as well as the lighthouse skin for yet another project.

I stamped my skeletal mermaid onto silk tissue paper, colored it with the gel ink pens.  Then I cut it out and used soft gel medium to glue it down onto the oil pastel painting.  I let that dry and then coated the whole piece with more soft gel.

For a last touch I added the seafoam with white enamel accents.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed sailing on Haunted Seas!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 and Twitter

Quoth the Raven........

Hello stampers! It's Amy here today, to share a page from a mixed media mini album I've been working on, featuring Gothic poems. This has been a fun book to work on through the Halloween season.

I started with a Genuinely Jane Studios wood mini album page, shaped like a church window. First, I layered papers, starting with a scrap of 7 Dots Studio messy head paper, and then some vintage book pages. I just adhered them with quick drying adhesive. After the papers were layered up, I painted on a light layer of Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft gesso, just blending to the edges of the papers. After drying the gesso, I stamped the Man In The Moon stamp in the left corner, and added some Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder, and heated it until dry. Then, to blend it into the page, I added another light layer of gesso. Flicks of Plaid Folk Art paint in Metallic Gold, and black Mix'd Media Inx re-inker gave a nice twist....like the drips from a fountain pen....Poe's pen, perhaps?
Next I added some papers from Graphic 45's "Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe" collection....which were perfect for this theme, and stamped the amazing (and my go to stamp for nearly everything)Worn Clockface using Ranger Archival Ink in Coffee; as well as one of my other faves the Coffee Ring Stain stamp, in Momento Tuxedo Black ink. All that remained to be done, was to do a little stampy embellishing. This included using the Moon Circle stamp (stamped in Momento Tuxedo Black, onto a vintage book page)to tuck in front of the larger "mama" moon, and the "Nevermore" stamp onto a library card, which I cut out. I also added a bit of stamping to the UmWowStudio chipboard stars, using the moon stamp on the top left star, and the Star Pin stamp (that fits PERFECTLY) onto the bottom right star. Just a few metal embellishments (random from my stash), and some thread topped it off.
Here's a peek at the cover to this mini, featuring the Poe stamp, among a few other great Viva Las VegaStamps! featured on the page today. I think I ended up with a page Poe would be intrigued by...and hopefully inspired you to grab your stamps, and get to creating! Thanks so much for having a look today, and don't forget we have a SUPER October Challenge up, that you could use some of the stamps featured today on! :) ~Love, Amy www.sparklinggnome.com

Welcome to the MIDWAY!!! Taking a Little Field Trip to the Carnival...

Welcome to Viva Las Vegastamps! Susan here today to bring you take you on a trip to the Carnival. I've spent the last couple weeks taking some workshops in my free time and learning some new things and replenishing my inspiration before heading into the busy holiday crafting season. Today's project uses a couple of fun techniques I picked up at the Creative Chemistry 102 classes last week. I'm totally stuck in all things Halloween - but the current "CARNIVAL" challenge #145 at Drunken Stampers Challenges had me running for the bright bold colors and my new plate #949 of carnival stamps.

Firstly - I took an A2 piece of Kromecote Glossy Cardstock and painted with an assortment of Ranger Alcohol inks and Silver Metallic Mixative using Monoprinting technique. Dripping the metallic along with several colors of ink on the craft mat, then add a little blending solution - then swipe the paper into the colors until it's covered as desired. 

It makes a stunning marbled background. I have a very natural colored variation

also from the ink cleanup... no waste of precious ink here!

The final step is to stamp in the scene using Ranger Black Archival Ink and heatset.

I finished the edges with some Seedless Preserves and Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

For this background paper - I applied the stamping resist technique using Antique Linen Distress Paint. I daubed gently the paint across the stamp, then applied to the patterned paper, then set aside to dry.

Then using an ink blending tool, I blended in several colors of Ranger Distress Inks -

including my hands-down favorite... Seedless Preserves!!!

Lastly, using a damp papertowel - I gently swiped the color off of the painted stamp pattern.

Miracle Tape made this card assemble a snap to showcase these awesome results!

Welcome to the MIDWAY!!!

The finishing touch was to add some Diamond Glaze Dimensional adhesive to the Shoes Hanging from Wire #19194 to make them "POP". I overstamped the Circus Strongman #19189; filling in the missing section of barbell using ink blending tool and seedless preserves ink through a matching sized circle on my circle stencil.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Viva Las Vegastamps! used: Stamps from plate 949 - "The Midway" #19201, Zoltar Machine #19191, Bulls Eye Target Open # 19193, Spinning Swing Ride #19203, Circus Strongman #19189, Shoes Hanging from Wire #19194, Bulls Eye Target Solid #19196; also Triangle Banner #19043; Chevron Banner #19042; and Harlequin Diamond Background #18920. Supplies used: Kromecote cardstock; various Ranger Alcohol inks and silver metallic mixative; various Ranger Distress Inks; Ranger Black Archival Ink; Antique Linen Ranger Distress Paint; Miracle Tape, Diamond Glaze Dimensional adhesive; Circle Stencil and Patterned Cardstock Scraps for card base.

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, you definitely want to subscribe to the blog feed and to the Viva Las VegaStamps! newsletter to be IN THE KNOW of everything going on at the Viva Las Vegastamps! store. 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

Daily struggles

Hi everyone, Glenda here with a new journal prompt from A Year in the life of an art journal and here it is:

PROMPT: My Struggle. What is something you struggle with?
SHOOTERS: Shoot your mug all tied up. Use rope, twine, string...
BOOKERS: Use imagery or journal it. Let's do some misting today! 

I have a few struggles (lucky me right??) and did a 2 page journal spread on them 
 

using these fabulous stamps: the Screaming lady hands on face 

Distressed lady

Lady with ax 
(who hasn't felt like this before am I right??)

 Row of stars

Checkerboard border

You are here

and last but not least the Jagged chain link fence

I hope to see you come on over and play along with us and let us know what your struggle is! Before I go here are a couple of ATC's using the same ladies stamps as above that I made some time ago:

I hope you enjoyed my art journal page and my ATC's! Have a great day!

Favorite Fall Jacket {12x12 by DeeDee}

Hi everyone! DeeDee here today sharing a 12x12 layout that was featured in Paper Haus eMag recently.

 

Even here in Vegas we get to wear jackets in the fall, it does get pretty chilly when the sun goes down during the coldest parts of the year! My kidzilla got to pick out his own jacket last fall, and it quickly became his favorite one. So here's "Favorite Fall Jacket" in layout form! The paper base is Echo Park's chalkboard paper, and the wood grain is by My Mind's Eye.

You can see really well in this photograph the Large Light bulb stamp in Archival ink by Ranger The buttons are also My Mind's Eye, the stars are from an UmWowStudio mask (Star Confetti) using Sakura Of America Microns, and the black drops are Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Charcoal.

I've paired the Sakura of America Microns (Through the UmWowStudio Star Confetti Mask) with the Star Pin stamp and I'm really digging it! Super stark contrast between the pen doodle and the stamped image. The washi tape is from Gauche Alchemy, the chip from UmWowStudio, the black alphas are from Michaels and the wood alphas are American Crafts. Other supplies seen above : May Arts twine, Dymo label maker.

October Guest Designer : Kathy Clayton!

Help us welcome our October Guest Designer Kathy Clayton!

Hi!  Kathy here today and I want to share with you a mixed media layout I did . . .  it is actually the 4th one I have done this month.  I had received a big package of flowers that I had been dying to use, so I finally took the plunge and decided to use them with some VLVS stamps and along with some techniques I learned online a few weeks ago.  I am so excited (and more than a little nervous) to be a Guest Designer here on the VLVS! blog.  I mean, I have seen what VLVS's designers have done . . . and they are so A-W-E-S-O-M-E and so inspirational.  I just hope I don't trip in their shoes. lol 

But first, a little about me.  I live a little town outside of Des Moines, Iowa, with my husband and 17-year old daughter. I am a 2x cancer survivor . . . the 1st time being 17 years ago and the 2nd time 10 years ago.  Being a 2x cancer survivor and dealing with other life-threatening illnesses, I've learned to take chances whether it'd be a new treatment, meeting new friends or trying new techniques/projects (like I did for this project).   What's the worse that can happen if doesn't work? I have to try again?  There are worse things in life.  I love to craft, can, cook, read, garden, quilt . . . well, just about everything working with my hands while being creative.  My blog is http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com

 

Now on to my layout:

For this layout, I got my inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Czekoczyna.  I used a few of my favorite VLVS! stamps along with one of my daughter's favorite colors . . . also a picture she took of herself and sent it to me.

I used the following VLVS! products:

Chicken Wire

Pure imagination

Be an ADVENTURER

Miracle Tape

Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

Other items:

UmWowStudio flair, May Arts lace and jute, black Archival Ink, misc. washi tape, various patterned cardstock from Basic Grey, Prima & Pink Paislee, gesso, Glimmer Glazes & Mists from Tattered Angels,  masks from Prima (dots & checkerboard), assorted flowers; a stick pin (I made this for a swap I was in), rub-ons & a key from Tim Holtz, chicken wire chipboard from Dusty Attics and black drawing ink

Since this was a long process (as least for me), I am only going to highlight the most important parts of what I did.  The very 1st thing I did was use my Miracle Tape and taped some Super Stock behind the cardstock I was using . . . this was to help stiffen it so it wouldn't buckle under the weight of all the embellishments I was going to use. Then I adhered strips and squares of different papers using Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive (it is important to use a liquid adhesive for this first part so the paper doesn't wrinkle as much).  Once I had my paper down in an assortment that worked with the picture I was using, I added some washi tape.  After that, I applied gesso over it using a square piece of plastic (this is to help pull of the papers together) and added small clusters of checkerboard throughout.

I then added my picture using foam tape. (I did cover my photo with a blank piece of cardboard as not to get ink or glue on it . . . I just wanted it there to help with placement of my flowers and such). Then I started adding clusters of flowers, pieces of chicken wire chipboard, lace, and rub-ons.  Then I went to work with my mists and glazes till I was happy with the results.  I added some jute, a stick pin and a key to my clusters of flowers.

Once I was finished with all the adhering and misting, I stamped my VLVS! images here and there.  I added the chicken wire stamp in various places around my photo and lower flower cluster. Stamped "Pure Imagination" below my photo and stamped "Be an ADVENTURER" to the right of my photo . . . I ended up trying to double stamp it, trying to "shadow" it, but it didn't quite work the way I wanted.  But I am happy with it anyway....as I always say, "There are NO mistakes, only creative discoveries . . . nothing is right or wrong."

Added some bling and some droplets of black drawing ink and VOILA! I was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope I was able to inspire at least one person today . . . if I did, my world is complete (well, at least for today it is - lol).   I can hardly wait to share my 2nd project in a couple of weeks.