If Camels Had Wishes

If Camels Had Wishes...Everyone Would Ride Horses!

I really love this image of a camel's head  from Viva Las VegaStamps!  I've had it for the longest time, but I wasn't sure what he was doing.  Yodeling? Blowing bubbles?  And then I saw the Dandelion stamp and I realized he was making a wish!

Supplies:
VLVS! Images Used--

Camel Head Item 12753 Plate 1140
Camel Item 4995 Plate 493
Camel Running Right Item 1722 Plate 457
Camel Silhouette Item 1766 Plate 457
Blowing Dandelion and Extra Seed by Susan M. Brown Item 19045 Plate 918

Sakura of America Gellyroll-Gold Red Stardust
Faber-Castell ArtGrip Color Pencil-107, 125, 133
Distress Markers-Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, Picket Fence, Crushed Olive, Walnut Stain
Distress Ink pad-Walnut Stain
Exacompta Journal Forum

The challenge with this project was the slope of the pages in the journal.  It's a thick one and impossible to lie completely flat.  I used unmounted stamps and didn't use a stamping block for the images that fell in the crease between the two pages, so the stamps were more flexible.  I practiced a bit on other pages, curving the stamps juuuust a little before touching the page.  White space was inevitable in the crease itself, but it wasn't much, and was easily filled in using the walnut stain marker that matches the inkpad.

I penciled in the words first to be sure they would fit, and then filled them in with Distress Marker.  I outlined them with Gellyroll pens.

Then it was just a matter of coloring the background with the Distress Markers.  I colored the dark areas first, stippling and making rough circles and dots for texture.  Then I used the lighter colors blending them into the darker.  I dotted the white Picket Fence to tone down some of the colors that I felt were too bright and to add more mottling in other areas.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed my art journaling page.

Have you entered Viva Las VegaStamps! August challenge? It's great fun and a chance to share your projects with the world!

A Walk Down Memory Lane for the 4th of July

Have you ever come across something that brings back memories from your childhood?

For years my father had one of those free promotional calendars posted on his workshop cork board.  It was open to a 4th of July spread, and he never flipped the pages, presumably because he referenced the phone numbers or notes that had been scrawled on the page.  Or he just got so used to the calendar being there, he didn't even see it anymore.

When I found this fabulous Eagle and Flag stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps! I immediately flashed back to that calendar.  The details of the page were fuzzy, but the image of my father, standing in the garage, sorting his tools was very strong.  Dad's been gone some 30 years now, and I cherish every memory of him. I decided to recreate the calendar as closely as I could . 

VLVS! Stamps Used: 

Eagle And Flag

Other Supplies:
Kromecote A2 Cardstock
Miracle Tape
Molding Paste
Clairefontaine Cold Pressed 300 lb Watercolor Paper
Faber-Castell Gelatos-Red, White & Blue
Star-shaped Punchinella
StazOn Jet Black Inkpad
Distress Inkpads-Old Paper, Tea Dye
Marvy Brush Marker-Navy Blue
AD Marker Bleu Cobalt
Brush, water and Scissors
2B Pencil

I started by stamping my eagle image on Kromecote paper with StazOn and cutting it out, rounding off the corners.  I ran the Tea Dye distress pad over the surface to age it.

Setting the eagle aside, I  lightly traced the punchinella circles and measured off the stripes onto the watercolor paper.  I dipped my gelatos in water and painted the circles blue, and the alternate stripes in red.  I remembered those circles on that calender, but couldn't for the life of me remember what was in them.  I  finally decided to add stars.

I cut my circles from a strip of punchinella stars (you can buy it at Gauche Alchemy), and held each one down, firmly, with one hand while I used a finger from my other hand to cover the circle with molding paste.  I gave it a few seconds to set, just a little, and pulled the punchinella away.  I repeated this for each blue circle, and then did the same thing in random spots over the page.

Miracle tape was used to adhere the eagle to the page, and I used the Old Paper and Tea Dye around the edges of the watercolor paper to distress it.  Something still seemed missing, and I remembered there were lines of some kind on my calendar page.  I also needed something to tie the eagle into the layout, so I added the lines with Marvy and AD Marker.   I ran the Navy Blue marker around the edges as well and scribbled in some fake phone numbers (we were a Mohawk 5 phone number in those days), and a few notes in pencil.

Overall, I'm very happy with this piece--it brings back lovely memories each time I look at it.  The plan is to add matting, and a year-at-a-glance calender at the bottom.  Then I'll put it up in the garage, and I'll celebrate the 4th of July with my father for years to come.

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

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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.

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!