Saturday, May 31, 2014

King of Imagination? ~Edgar Allen Poe~

Mixed Media Blog Hop Welcome to the IMAGINE Crafts and Viva Las VegaStamps! Blog Hop. For the next week, our two design teams will be featuring some amazing projects featuring products from both our companies. Amazing stamps require amazing ink, right?

Mixed Media Prize Package

We're proud to announce your chance to win one of three different Mixed Media Prize Packages from IMAGINE Crafts and Viva Las VegaStamps! You have until midnight PST on Sunday, May 31st 2014 to comment on as many of the Design Team Blog Posts from this week as possible. On Monday, June 1st we’ll draw three random blog posts and one comment from each of those posts will win a prize package!

Ready for some inspiration from our artists?

Here's today's posts from IMAGINE Crafts:

And from Viva Las VegaStamps!:

  If you're just joining us on the Mixed Media Blog Hop, here' the links to the previous days posts: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday   ***Blog Hop Hint – if you click on a link that takes you to a page saying something like, “Sorry this page cannot be found” just click on the header at the top of the blog (usually a picture or the blog’s name) and it will take you to that blog’s most recent post. That post *should* be our hop. If not, you can probably scroll down a short way to find the hop post.


Hello Everyone!!! 

Today I am Super Excited to share my Edgar Allen Poe wall hanging that I created for a swap with Viva Las VegaStamps and  Imagine Crafts / Tsukineko
I got really into detail with the picture taking for all the steps of this piece so grab yourself a cup of coffee and get ready for some inspiration!!!


Supplies:
Viva Las VegaStamps: 

Waybill/Invoice Background 4 1/4 x 5 1/4


Imagine Crafts / Tsukineko:
Momento LUXE Black, Momento LUXE Teal Zeal, Momento LUXE Bahama Blue, Momento LUXE Morocco, Momento LUXE Pear Tart, Momento LUXE Dandelion, Momento Neon Electric Blue, Ink Potion #9, IrRESISTable gold texture spray, VersaFine ink in Sepia, Kaleidacolor in Caribbean Sea, Delica Silvery Shimmer Ink (BTW the Best Metallic ink I've seen, it is super metallic and amazing!!), Tsukineko sponge Daubers

Other Products I used:
4x6 photo paper, black cardstock, book pages, UmWow Studio Gears, Tim Holtz Metal Embellishments, Grunge board key, Glossy Accents, Washi Tape, Perfect Pearls (patina set), sewing Machine, Wire, Non-stick craft mat


Start by rounding up all of the colors that inspire you, (yes I played with a lot!! But all of the different Blues, Greens and yellows just play so well together!) 


Starting with at least 2 colors push the ink pad onto your craftmat, then spritz with Ink potion #9

(be sure to leave some room between your colors so you don't contaminate your ink pads) 

Drag your 4x6 glossy photo paper (or whatever you're using) through the misted colors
(note the more Ink potion #9 you spray on the mat the more your colors will run and give you fun marble like effects)

Next heat dry your background and add some irRESISTible texture spray in Gold
(set aside to dry, During this time you can make a few more backgrounds to play with..I did too!)

It should only take a few minutes to dry then back to playing!! 
Next I added 2 more colors using the same process as above

Here you can see how beautiful it's coming together!! 
I gave my piece a more weathered look by sponging on some VersaFine ink in Sepia in various places

Next I sprayed more Gold irRESISTable and quickly sprayed teh ink Potion #9 to get a fun runny effect

(While this was still wet, i dropped globs if patina Perfect Pearls on the piece to give more of a weathered metal look, and sprayed the with the ink potion #9 to really set them in place)

After Hear drying I added some of the Kaleidacolor in Caribbean Sea 
(this is SOOO pretty with this effect, and it resist the gold!!!!)

(in order to stamp the Kaleidacolor in Caribbean Sea in my craft mat i pulled it to the edge of the table so the adjuster know would be off of the table, this allows the pad to set flat on the craftmat)

Ok, If you are like me and you made more than one background pick your favorite and begin stamping!!! 
I stamped the Waybill/Invoice, then stamped the Butterfly Specimens in Momento Luxe Black
I also added some Washi Tape for visual interest

Next I stamped Poe in Momento Luxe Black, and used the corner of the Pad to "draw in" his shoulders 
(you could also use a sponge for this)
you may also notice that I have cit my Poe stamp from the way he comes originally, fear not I kept both pieces so he can also be used with his original frame! :-)

Next I stamped the Pen Tips with Delica Silvery Shimmer Ink, and sponged over them with VersaFine Sepia (and you can see how super Metallic and reflective its here)

next I fussy cut all of the ones I stamped so I could see which I liked best 
(I'm also showing you the backs so you can see it is really paper!! I just bent them into shape by hand)

Here you can see me playing around with the layout 
(I think I like it just like this!)

I inked and colored the Gears, then added some wire for looks, To set everything in place I filled the gears with Glossy Accents and let dry on my craft mat overnight 

While that drys I ripped the edges of my paper and distressed with the VersaFine in Sepia, and my sponge Dauber

I repeated this process with the book page and the black card stock backing
(I found It helps to adhere the book page with Miracle tape to the back of your project before distressing. Also only place the tape in the center if you intend to sew around the edges like I did, so it won't hurt your sewing Machine)

I stitched around my piece, glued the crown, wings, key and gear embellishments in place with Glossy Accents 
(allowing to dry over night)

Here you can see the rich colors and how nicely the texture sprays resisted the water based inks 


(Another Detail shot)


Thank you all for joining me!!! 
I hope this inspires you to get out your inks and stamps and play today!


Friday, May 23, 2014

Viva Las VegaStamps! DT Tryout

   Wow, it's I can't believe it's that time again! I am both super excited, and super nervous! I have loved my 1st term with the VLVS design team and would love to selected for a second term. Everyone has been so friendly and inspiring!  (If any of you see me in public, I will probably look like a kid waiting to find out if my test grades are in until the results are out...lol)  I would love to return to the VLVS design team for another term because I truly enjoy creating with your product and being able to share with your fans. I also enjoy the family like environment of the team that is so encouraging to me! 

Ok, It is so hard to decide what my 3 favorite stamped projects were/are!!! 
(I love stamping, how can I only have 3!?! Although It was hard I think I have narrowed it down though I've gone back and forth on this many times!!)
(in no particular order)

Ok, My 1st of my Favorite Pieces can only be a "sneak Peek" for my piece that goes live on the 31st HERE for the blog Hop with VLVS and Imagine Crafts... I hope you'll join us on the Hop starting on the Viva blog starting May 24th-31st

Ok, my 2nd piece is my art journal piece using VLVS you can find the tutorial HERE

And Finally Another of my favorite things to make...MAIL ART
Many of you know I am addicted to Mail Art so I don't know if I can pick just one favorite, but this set is one of my many favorites!

Ok, this was really tough to narrow down, but I'm happy to have so many favorite pieces to choose from! 
Thank you all for visiting, and Good Luck to everyone who's applying!!!





Thursday, May 15, 2014

PANPASTELs for easy backgrounds

Hello again Everyone!
Today I want to share a fun mini album I created using PANPASTELS for my background


To start I sized up the stamps tat I wanted to use on my 4x4 Mini 
I used: 

Stamps:

Diver In Suit 1 1/2 x 3

PANPASTELs in: 
560.1 Phthalo Blue Ex.Dark
921.5 Pewter


Next I stamped the Diver In Suit 1 1/2 x 3 on the left side and prepared a "mask" of him that I will use to cover the areas I don't want to overlap

After the mask was placed I stamped the Sunken Anchor 2 x 1 1/2 slightly overlapping the "mask" of the Diver
  

Next I sponged the PANPASTEL in  Phthalo Blue Ex.Dark over the front of the album as well as along the spine


Next,  I colored the Diver with my gray marker, then sponged PANPASTEL over the top to add a beautiful shade and shimmer. I also colored the stone and grass with markers to help them pop


Stamp the quote "Not all who WANDER are LOST."  on a separate piece of card stock then cut out


Use the Blue PANPASTEL to edge all of the cut out pieces so that they stand out from the background


Use your favorite adhesive to glue the quote to the cover.


Finish off with eyelets and your favorite cord 


Enjoy your finished piece!!! 

Monday, May 5, 2014

Waiting on the train Postcard

Hello again fellow crafty addicts!!!!
Today I'm sharing a piece I created for the VLVS Blog.
(the full tutorial can be found on Viva's blog)
This is the last one of my monochromatic post-card create-a-thon from last week
I love the look of vintage postcards, I hope you all enjoy this piece as much as i do!
Stamps Used:

Coffee Ring Stain 2 3/4 x 2 1/4

Paris Address 1 1/2 x 3 1/4

Waybill / Invoice background

Buisnessman
Man with Pipe
Train

I used VersaFine ink in Sepia

I hope this has inspired you to create something fun today!!
Happy Stamping!

Friday, May 2, 2014

Mail Art Post Card Mania and Stamp Convention

Hello friends!! 
Today I want to share some postcards I created last week after going to the Adventures in stamping Convention. Which I have to say was a lot of fun! I got to meet with friends both old and new as well as browse through lots of fun stamps! Before sharing the postcards I want to share a few photos from the convention.

First I'll start with a photo of my mom and I since we went together... Yep stamp sharing = double the stamps!!! (can we say I'm addicted to stamps? Yes... Yes... we can...but so is she! lol)
You can check out her crafty blog HERE to see her work



Next I met up with a new friend Vicki at the convention, she's also a stamp and Mail Art Addict too!
 Below is a picture of all 3 of us 


And Here is on of her and I 


 Later I met up with an old friend 
(Whom I completely blame for my stamping Addiction!!!!)

Here's my Mom's Favorite part of the convention... 
Yep it's Dyan from Dylusions!
My mom was beyond excited!!! Sorry some of these are blurry mom's phone was acting up...


 Ok, now for the Post Cards!!!






Ok well I hope you've all enjoyed these new pieces and pictures from the convention
Stop back on May 5th for one last Postcard from the set that I created for Viva Las VegaStamps