art journaling and summer distress inks

Last month each of theViva LasVegastamps! Design team were each giving a Clairefontaine journals. For the month of August you seen what my fellow Design team members did with their journals. Today is my turn. 

-All month long, twice a week, the VLVS! DT is featuring sketch journals by Clairefontaine.

You can see their products here : http://www.exaclair.com/

brands_clairefontaine.shtml

And check up on all things journal related @ the Rhodia Drive blog:http://rhodiadrive.com/

and on their facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/



http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhodia-Drive/98458096197---

 As part of this month long event...Viva Las Vegastamps! and Clairefontaine are hosting a contest this month--comment on all the Clairefontaine posts throughout the month to get a chance at a free journal and a $15 coupon to the VLVS! online store! Great prize!! Good luck!! Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!!!  So be sure to check out everyone on the DT's journal pages!

The journal is about 12  long by 8 1/2 wide. The cover is clear.It does have a band closure. The paper in the  journal is a drawing paper with a 85lb weight to it. The paper has a good thickness to it, so I was wondering how it will hold up with what I do. I've worked in journals of all sizes. And each one takes a bit to get use to. I'm getting use to this one too.I did 3 pages of the journal. I'm going to show 2 that I completed.

I just got my Summer Distress ink pads when I got the journal. So I took each of the 3 colors and swiped it on a different page. I then took some water and a brushed and applied water on the page to spread the ink.

The last color I did was the Salty Ocean. And that was the first page I worked on. Right after I put water on the page I put some rock salt down on the page. I let it air dried a bit before I used the heat gun to speed up the drying process. I shook the salt off, and got a cool effect. I stamped the Water Drop Background using the same ink pad. I stamped too much of it, to my liking. so I took out the brush with water and brushed the page. And tried it again with the rock salt. I then stamped the Water Drop Background again. and like it much better.

I then stamped some of the 2 of the kayak stamps I have and the 2 girls on boat stamp. Colored them with Prismas color pencils. I wanted a vacation quote, I looked at brainery.com and found one. Went into word and type the quote 3 different fonts. Cut the words out and glued them on the page. I added some more of the blue color to the word to blend in the page. The page needed something else, I used some punchinella as a stencil and some white paint on the page.

Items used:

Salty Ocean Distress ink

white cardstock

prisma color pencils

white craft paint

punchenilla

rock salt

water

Stamps used:

Water drop background

Top view kayak

Man kayaking

two girls on boat

This is the second page I did. This page I used the Picked Raspberry distress ink. I then spritz some sprays on to the page and let it drip down. I then used some of the punchinella from the Gauche Alchemy kit in pink, white and black craft paints. The woman was from the vintage sears catalog that was in my kit. I did color her up a bit with color pencils. I took a piece of Kromecote and brayered  the same ink color that was on the page. I spritz it with some water  for some texture. The stamp I used is I read recpies the same  on black memento inkpad. I cut the words apart and glued them on the page with glossy accents. I did go around the edges with marker.

Items used:

Picked Raspberry distress ink

Black, Pink, and white Craft paints

Various punchinella

pink and black spray

ephermra

Kromecote

water

Stamp used:

I read recipes the same

Kromekote Psychedelic-Do You Feel Lucky?

I am busily creating some Spooky, ghoulish Halloween art, but in the meantime, one more fun piece designed on Kromekote paper.  This glossy, shiny paper makes die inks POP, and other inks like alcohol shine to the extreme!!!!!

 

For this technique I wanted to find an unusually weird image and this dude seemed to fill the spot!  Do you feel lucky???  Stay Calm???  Of course no one's worried...just look at him, the dude will probably shoot himself in the foot (ala' Barney Fife) than to hurt anyone :)  .

 

 

In a previous post I showed how to add alcohol inks to an applicator.  Please refer to the photos if you need information.  For this design, I added a color to the center of the applicator and around it.  When you tap down on the surface, you get this effect!  Fun, isn't it?!!  Practice on scrap Kromekote first if you'd like.

 

The dude was stamped, colored, cut, and adhered with Miracle tape as well as words.

 

 



VLVS Images:

7829 Glasses Man, Legs Spread
7527 Words - Stay Calm!

Kromekote Cardstock
Miracle Tape

Well I guess this can be a scary Halloween image but then again I guess not! ha ha. 

Kromekote without stamped art on it.

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID - HALLOWEEN ART COMING SOON!  eeeeek
Be prepared to get ideas for great cards, invitations, decor, and other creepy stuff for Halloween!  All coming in September and October.

This is the place to be for Fabulous, Creative Ideas!!!


Cre8tiveLea Yours,  Lea

DESIGN TEAM CALL!!!!!

Yup - Uh huh - That's right..

Viva Las VegaStamps! is having a Design Team Call!! We’re looking for all types of artists and welcome anyone who has a passion for rubber stamping to apply! Bring on the Mixed Media Artists, the Card Makers, the Scrapbookers, the Altered Artists, the Scene Stampers… we want you ALL!! International welcome to apply, too!

Our term is usually six months, but we’re going to squeeze in a nine month term to even them out with the calendar year. So be aware that this term will run from October 1st – June 30th.

Design Team requirements during your nine month term are as follows:

1) Regularly promote VLVS! through:

a. online galleries

b. your blog

c. social media like facebook, twitter, and pinterest

d. and by submitting to publications.

2) Complete a minimum of 2 projects per month to be posted on the VLVS! blog, always using only Viva Las VegaStamps! images. Your posts must include at least one over all finished photo, one detail photo, a product list with appropriate working links to our online store and a short description on how you completed the project. Keep in mind occasionally you may be asked to follow certain criteria, ie; using a given product, following a theme, or creating for the season. We may also request an additional post in which case you would only be asked to share a project as inspiration with working links to the appropriate stamps. No need for tutorials or step by steps on inspiration posts.

3) Participate in the online private facebook group for the team. Important information like schedules, future hops, important logos, links and contact information are all kept in the group. I run a lot of ideas by the team and value the honest opinions of the group.

4) Participate in at least two online blog hops and/or one product swap. (Some will be on a volunteer basis only)

5) Mail 3 completed projects to the store for display. This is out of your whole nine month term. We love having projects posted all around the store for people to ogle as they peruse through our stamps.

In return VLVS! will:

1) Provide you with regular shipments to keep you fully stocked on supplies, including but not limited to VLVS! Stamps, Miracle Tape, Embossing powder, and any product swap goods.

2) Provide you with a detailed schedule at least 2 weeks in advance.

3) Compensate you for extra work outside of the regular schedule. This will be based upon volunteer projects and any extra hops or swaps outside of said schedule.

4) Regularly promote you and your projects through online social medias, as well as display you and your personal blog address on our company blog.

How to apply:

Create a new post on your blog with the title “Viva Las VegaStamps! DT Tryout”. Include in your post three stamped projects that best represent you and your style. I’m open to cards, ATCs, tags, scrapbook pages, etc.! Because I want to see your best work I will not limit the stamped pieces to only Viva Las VegaStamps! stamps, but I’d love to see some if you have them!

Then, in an email to me (with a subject of “VLVS! DT CALL”) please include:

- your name

- a brief bio.. Who are you? Why do you create? That type of stuff!

- the link to your direct blog post titled Viva Las VegaStamps! DT Tryout

- the link to your facebook, twitter, and or pinterest accounts

- the link to any and all online galleries you regularly upload to

- any other important links you think I’d like to see

- a list of current and past design teams you have been on. (not necessary to be chosen for VLVS!)

- and last please also include in your post why you want to be on the VLVS! DT.

Email to deedee430@gmail.com with subject line “VLVS! DT CALL” due by 9/15 (September 15th) at midnight pacific standard time.

31 days has December

One of the Viva Las Vegastamps! August 2012 releases 

is the Numbers Plate 1430!  

Yes, 31 days has December...

also... January

March 

May 

July

August

and

October!

The rest of the months are taken care of 

since they have less than 31 days!!!

Think of the fun you could have with the numbers!

Make calendars

Advent Calendar

Create lists of

Favorites 

Ten best

Countdown Days until

Summer

Halloween

Vacation

Retirement

Use them in titles

Birthday cards

Anniversary cards

Pages for youngsters to count

Let your imagination go!

I use journals to try techniques and test my stamps.  On this page of my journal I was playing with texture and numbers to see when stamped what they looked like. I must say I am pleased with my number stamps! In addition to the numbers there is a set of lower case alphas.

Starting with a white page in my Clairfontaine journal I sprayed it with Sandlewood LuminArte Shimmering Mist. With two sizes of Punchinello from Gauche Alchemy stencil the background.  Inks from right to left: ColorBox Fluid Chalk Burnt Sienna, CTMH Red Barn, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Barn Door and ColorBox Fluid Chalk Alabaster. 

On top of the stenciled backgroung randomly stamp the numbers to see how the look.  The journal paper had a little texture and a couple look better on smooth paper so I stamped them on ledger paper and adhered them to the journal page. 

HAVE FUN WITH NUMBRS!!!!

The numbers are sold as PLATE 1430 only.  

You're Invited!

The Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team is putting on a party the last week of September! 

It's a serious party, too!!! We've got a full week of inspiration, blogs, prizes, contests and just general good times planned. 

For one week, each day, you'll hop through the blogs and feast yours eyes on some stamped candy. You're also invited to share your own VLVS! Halloween projects. Grab your favorite stamps and get inky. Don't have Halloween stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps! yet? Better get 'em quick! Because we're having PRIZES, too! Seven days = Seven prizes. Each day will feature a different way to be entered to win a prize, and easy enough a couple of them will be comments, but rest assured some will be project based!

Sneak Peek Pen Nibs and Script!

Hey everybody, DeeDee here today :) 

I have a sneak peek of an upcoming event to share with you! I've been working on a lot of "not for the public's eyes" works... publication submissions, future blog hops, and even some collaborations with other artists! Today I'm sharing a sneak peek of a piece involving three different fabulous companies. Of course I had to be there to represent VLVS! and even though you can't see the whole piece yet, you can still marvel at some of the Viva Las VegaStamps! beauty. 

To create the corner of this work I used the

Pen Tips 2.75 x 2 - $9.00

and the

Writing Background 4 x 4 -$15.50

I stamped the pen tips in adirondak's Archival Black ink. For the script stamp I inked up the rubber with vintage photo distress stain and then misted it lightly with water. This created a sort of rained on old letter feel. I've also splashed some tattered angels charcoal mist and luminarte's solar gold silks. 

I promise you will get to see the rest of this project very soon.. and won't be disappointed!! 

Gifts, presents, etc.....

Its seems like this month its been one party after another.

I've had to make a lot  of gifts or presents, whatever you prefer to call them.

This is the way I have been feeling lately.

But, of course,  I do it to myself. 

I generally make some or all the gifts that we distribute throughout the year. 

I try to personalize each and every one to fit the receiver.  

.......anddddd sometimes I (almost) bite off more than I can chew, but I pull out of my 

hat at the last minute and I satisfied with the end result.....

Now the wrapping is another issue......

Deets:

Supplies are:

Stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps!  

Surprised lady #8856 

All I can find..... sentiment #5890

Brown ink for stamping

Actual old news prints

Pink, Peach, Blue, Yellow polka dot, Kraft cardstock

White ribbon

Dew drops

Miracle tape

I first stamped the lady image on each of the peach, pink, blue and yellow polka dot card stocks separately.

The I fussy cut out the peach one of the whole image.

Then I cut out different pieces to add on top of the main peach layer.

Blue do-rag, pink sleeves, yellow vest and then adhered them with miracle tape.

The rest of the layering is pretty explanatory from the picture. 

Made a tag and crossed out wrapping paper and inserted the word "newspaper" 

Glued on the dew drops and I think it a pretty cute card.

Until later, gift givers, .....Gotta split......TFL!!!!!

On Top of Da Box!



Make a box or get a box and recycle it to send something to someone else.  Sort of a steampunk box with Mary Vogel Lozinak designed stamp as the focal point.  Scraps of decorative papers can be die cut to add texture and dimension to the box background and rub-offs and other die cuts help as well.

 

Remember, keep the stamp image of the focal point (where your eye goes first) to highlight the art or expression of the image.  The words are fun, you could put some makeup in this box or something to match the saying!

 

VLVS Images:

 

18378 Face Collage

  18086 Words:  I'm having a good face day

 

 Miracle Tape

 

 

 

 

No real instructions - follow the illustration or use as a guide to create your own box top art!  I cut the patterned paper with a die cut.  I stamped the face collage and colored in and cut out.  Stamped words and cut out.  Used rub on's in various spots, added a little gear die, and mounted stamps with Miracle Tape.

 

Coming UP - a scary, witching blog hop you should not MISS!!!  New and old Halloween stamp images done to the nines or tens or whatever!!!!  Watch out because if you do not join in this blog hop, the ghouls will get you! :) 

 

Cre8tiveLea Yours -  Lea

 



 

 

August Guest Designer Part II

Welcome back Conny as she shares two more pieces with VLVS! images:

-Her Blog-

She used:
Design Solid Circles

and

Post Card/Fancy

and for this one she used the Accordion Player and Fan

Halloween potion.....

It's almost that time of year again.

I {heart} Halloween.

I always end up at a dress-up party somewhere, so as you can guess

 I go all out and make all of our costumes.

This was me and the hubs last year. 

I'm a huge fan of the Wizard of OZ.  

This is my rendition of what the Wicked Witch of the East would have looked like....

before she was a foundation for a house. 

My flying monkey looks like he would rather be in his cage....

Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Complete with broom with built in seat and 

can't forget that dayum house

that decided use me as a runway.

My daughter as herself.....Bwhahahahahahahahaha.

Just kidding.....she wanted to be a Creepy Doll.

She's such as actress.

She and I try to stay in character the whole time we are in wardrobe. 

This is my first Halloween card for the year. 

I may give this one to the hubs and tell him its LOVE POTION....

Bwahahahahahahahahah!!!

Here are the deets:

 Kraft card stock for the base.

Lime green layer.

Torn layer of a news print paper...inked around the edges. 

Dude! Cricut cart for the water splat.

Pasteurs Death Potion stamp # 18898

Green Dew drops

small tag.

Here's a close up of this beauty....

I stamped it once with brown ink and cut out the label and then

 I stamped it a second time using blue ink.

I wanted it to look like an antique blue bottle. 

Layered the label and then used a white gel pen to give it a few highlights. 

Sharpie on the tag.

Until later, brewers......Gotta split......TFL!!!!!

For a Good Cause

Happy Wednesday everyone!! I want to share a little part of me with you today. Early in life I learned how fulfilling volunteering can be. I learned that by giving someone a part of me--my time, my skill--that not only does the person I help benefit, but so do I. I have volunteered for many things from organizing events, to creating artwork and graphic projects, to leading a community organization. I still love to volunteer and find that as a cardmaker it is very fun to give handmade cards to groups to use to send a special greeting or note to loved ones. Some organizations like Operation Write Home actually have this down to routine complete with a list of deadlines and needs. They send cards to active duty soldiers so that they can write their love ones. One of their highest demanded cards are blank all-occasion cards [note the changes in the directions to make this card for OWH--they have strict rules about things like glitter and shiny sparkly powders that would rub off]. Another fantastic place to donate your cards is the nursing homes and senior centers so that they too have an option for sending greetings to their friends and family members. I hope--if you don't already give--perhaps that you will consider donating handmade cards to such worthy causes--they are truly grateful for our efforts! I hope you enjoy my project! 

 The Method

For this project you will need:

Paris Trunk Ink Black

Versamark Ink

Distress Inks in Old Paper and Walnut Stain

Foam Tape

Soft Brush and cloth

a bit of ribbon

White and Red Bazzill Basics

I began by stamping my split column image on a random piece of paper so that I could make a mask. I cut along the right side of the column. This will protect my image on my project from being over-stamped with the grunge stamp. You can see on the mask how it protected the image below.

I stamped the column, placed my mask down and then stamped my grunge writing background. I trimmed this piece out close to the stamped images. The edges of the card were distressed. Old Paper was then stippled onto the images and the edges were lightly inked with Walnut Stain.

I stamped the red with the two swirl images in versamark all over.

I dusted the stamped swirls with Bronze Mixers and wiped with a soft cloth to remove the excess. For OWH I would instead dust the swirls with High Gloss Embossing Powder or instead stamp the swirls with a color dye ink to keep any possible glitter or sparkle from wiping off the card.

The red card stock was folded in half and edged with Walnut Ink. The stamped focal piece was attached to the card with foam tape and a bow was fashioned with some ribbon and added to the card with Miracle Tape.

Thank you for looking! ~leslierahye

My second Journal posting

I'm continuing to use my Clairefontaine Journal trying different techniques.  This time I intended to compile a collage of 6 different designs, by over lapping them and seeing how they worked together.

All of the stamps used are from Viva las Vegastamps!

Large Eiffel Tower 3"x7" item no. 7880

     Nested gears item no. 18077 

Charles Lindbergh postage stamp Item no. 18622               Spirit of Saint Louis item no. 17408

Spirit of Saint Louis item no. 12498             Party Moon item no. 2090

 After several stampings I choose the items I wanted, the placement and which had to be masked.

These are the pieces I wanted  to cut out  for my card.

Stamped card

Completed card.

These Clairefontaine Journals were provided to our Design Team. Comment on all the Clairefontaine posts throughout the month to get a chance to win a free journal and a $15 coupon to the VLVS! Online store!

Who will get a Pound O' fabulous VLVS! Rubber?!?

Thank you so much for all your suggestions, I've written them all done and will be working on them already this week!! 

Which of course means keep your eyes peeled for new plates available for preorder in the near future!!

And we also have to have a winner for a Pound O' Rubber....

Random.org chose.......

PAULA!!!! 

Please email me (deedee430@gmail.com) with your shipping information and we'll get you a pound o' rubber in the mail!!

Thanks everyone :)

P.S. we are ALWAYS open to suggestion for stamps, they are after all, used by YOU! :) Feel free to comment on our facebook wall with things you'd love to see as stamps!

Ordinary School Supplies transformed into an Underwater Seahorse Fantasy Notebook

Happy Monday - Welcome to Viva Las Vegastamps!!! Susan here with my bottom of the month post. School starts today here in South Florida so I thought I would make something using school supplies...one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Who can't resist a new set of pens, notebooks and HIGHLIGHTERS???

With my new supplies, I feel like a schoolgirl again and I'm off to learn some new things. Today I am sharing a technique I learned from a stamper named Paula Whittaker which is so simple...coloring cardstock with highlighter markers. 

I gathered my new plate of Viva Las Vegastamps! #1268, highlighter pens, a mini composition journal, a sheet of smooth finish creme cardstock, black Staz-On ink, a few distress inks and blending tool, 1/4" Miracle Tape, one Miracle Sheet, and some ribbon and fibers.

From plate #1268, I cut out the Seahorses Facing #16024.

This technique is really easy and this project would be great for kids, too. All you do is color a piece of cardstock with the highlighter marker, completely covering sheet. Instead of just making it plain and solid, I have made wave patterns and bubbles with my strokes. To get variations of color, build up one or two additional strokes of color. This makes a fantastic watery background for my seahorses.

Here's the completed background of just blue highlighter pen.

**A NOTE** I used a smooth natural ivory colored cardstock as my base.

Using my custom stamp handle affixed with blending foam, I applied Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks to give some depth. This really made this watery scene come to life!

Using black Staz-On ink, I stamped the Seahorses into their new home. Then I added some shimmer with my Gelly Hologram glitter pen.

    

Now to cover my mini composition book! I cut out a strip 3 1/2" wide from a Miracle Sheet and applied it to the cover of my book. This makes altering one of these babies a SNAP! With the strip of Miracle Sheet trimmed to the width, I peeled off the backing, lined up to the top and side edges and pressed in place. I trimmed with scissors along the bottom edge and I'm ready to decorate -AND- no gluey mess! I remove the backing to expose adhesive and place my stamped background. After trimming the edges, I add some teal satin ribbon with 1/4" Miracle Tape and tie some fuzzy fibers around the cover spine. Easy-Peasy! 

This mini composition book goes from drab...to FAB!!!

Thanks so much for dropping by today! Pop on over to the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - loads of new stamps have just been added - Halloween, Christmas and many more! GUESS WHAT...The VLVS Miracle Tape Sampler is on Sale for $39.99 {regular price $57.00}!!!! The sampler is 6 rolls of Miracle Tape, two M.T. dispensers and three pack of Miracle Sheets - all the tape you'll ever need and more!!!!

Throughout the month of August, twice a week, the VLVS! Design Team is featuring sketch journals by Clairefontaine. You can see their products HERE. As part of this month long event...Viva Las Vegastamps! and Clairefontaine are hosting a contest this month--comment on all the Clairefontaine posts throughout the month to get a chance at a free journal and a $15 coupon to the VLVS! online store! Great prize!! Good luck!! Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!!!

If you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. I'll be back with another stamping adventure real soon! Hope you have an inky day! Sb