Mixed media card - three wise monkeys

Hey everyone,

February is cold and dull over here, so I thought I'd bring in some bright colors and created this fun mixed media card.

I'm a little addicted to slimline cards right now, so I started on a die cutted piece of paper and cut another slightly larger one from black cardstock. The background looks way more complicated than it is. I just stamped the harlequin background with two shades of Oxide Ink and sprayed it with water until I was happy with the way the colors dissolved. After it was dry, I added some stamped numbers using one of the background colors.

As a focal point I went with the three wise monkeys and Corrie's overlapping squares as I needed something for the chimpanzees to sit on. I stamped everything down, the squares twice, and colored the images with my alcohol markers.

I cut the images and inked the edges with a black marker. From the second image of the squares I cut some clusters. My plan was to have some parts of it raised with foam tape.
 

Then I built up my focal composition and glued everything down. To finifh the card, I just had to add that quote stamp and put my layers together.

Stamps used:
Harlequin Diamond Background (18920)
Numbers Set (19659)
Chimpanzee Set (10202)
Overlapping Squares by Corrie Herriman (19996)
If This Is Reality (19884)

Other material:
- Canson Watercolor paper
- black and white cardstock
- perfect coloring paper
- Spectrum Noir Illustrator alcohol marker
- Distress Oxide Ink (crackling campfire, rusty hinge)
- Crealies slimline die (clcz184)

 

See you soon with a new project!

Courageous Mother Nature - Mixed Media card by Cheetarah

Hey everyone, I'm back this week to show you a Mixed Media card I made inspired by this month's Challenge Inspiration Board.

Beautiful isn't it? I got inspired by the nature elements and the green and purple colors.

To start off I went on building layers to get the background texture you see in the card.

The base of this card is a 6x6 scrapbook paper on which I applied light a coating of gesso and then glued on all the paper scraps I keep on collecting at the edge of my desk into a square / diamond shape. I glued it all with modge podge so it's also sealed well. When I was satisfied with the basic shapes I went on to add more texture with a stencil and modeling paste.

I chose dots for a nice contrast with the square shapes and applied messily and let dry and adding more in various places over the card. It's going to be covered up with paint so it doesn't matter if some paste seeps though or is uneven, because it's about the texture! You can see the process of the base HERE. When I was done with the modeling paste I sealed it with Modge Podge shimmer varnish to smooth it out and have a secure base to get the paint to run.

Then comes the fun part, dabbing distress paint on your textured background and get it all colored up! I started off with lighter colors first, chose the left edge, dabbed ink and sprayed water on to get it to run to the right. Dried each layer with a heating tool to set the colors and to get them to stay crisp. I went on until I was satisfied with the color blend and saturation. 

I chose the whimsical tree lady to be my focal point and I stamped and colored her on tissue paper. Adhered it with soft matte gel medium. Did the same with the "she was courageous" sentiment. Before I adhered these to the card I stamped some more nature themes stamps on the card with Staz-on inks in corresponding colors. 

Mother nature was written with Zig wink of Luna in purple and green. And then with a faber castell pitt artist marker. Also doodled around the edges with these colors. I like how it pops from the card. 

Oh by the way, the sun I made on the top left is done with stamping Doodle Circle stamp inked with mustard seed and carved pumpkin distress paints. I just used a brayer to adhere the ink and stamped until the color was opaque enough. I adhered the piece to a turquoise color double card, rounded the edges and called it done.

Stamps used:

Whimsical Tree Lady Nude 

She was courageous 

Doodle circle 

Doodle flower garden 

Others: 

Modeling paste

Modge Posdge Matte Medium and shimmer varnish 

Distress paints 

Zig Wink of Luna brush pens
Faber Castell pitt artist markers 

Staz-on Inks 

Memento Inks 

Alcohol markers 

Tissue paper
Carabelle Studio and the Crafter's workshop Stencils

Hope this inspired you to play along with this month's challenge :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Wings Are Ready

Hello everyone. Shanna here and I am beyond excited to be a part of the design team and here sharing my first post with you as a design team member. 

Now on to the fun parts right!!!

I had so much fun picking out stamps and your head just pops with so many ideas. The thing I love most about the stamps is that you can color them or leave them plain stamped images. I love doing that as it makes the stamps pop off the project.

So I decided to kick it off with an art journal creation.

First I had some Tim Holtz tissue wrap that I added to my pages with some mate gel medium. After that I gave the pages a white wash with gesso.  Then I added some Dina Wakely Acrylic paint in the color turquoise and magenta. Spraying each color with some water to create paint drips. 

Then I used the stamp Wildflower Silhouette - 19556 (Plate 1451) with a Distress Marker Crushed Olive and stamped it twice at the bottom of the page.

Then I stamped the sentiment Your Time As a Caterpillar -19585 (Plate 1452) using StazOn Ink Jet Black.

Then I thought the Girl with Wings - 19005 (Plate 893) would look perfect for this spread. So I stamped her with the StazOn Ink and fussy cut her out. Although I decided to go ahead and pop her wings up for dimension. 

Then I couldn't help but add some glass bead gel for a little more texture. 

Then I wanted to add some brown and went for my Twinkling H20's, using the colors Cedarwood and Autumn Butternut. 

I tried hard to stick to the January challenge them the mood board is just amazing but I love pink and had to splash some in there. 

Don't forget to enter the challenge HERE!

With Love

Hello! Diana Fisher here with you today to share two cards I made using Viva Las VegaStamps. I have to admit that I made more than two as I was going along. More like four or five. I was trying to get the right color combinations and these two ended up being my favorite. 

To make this card, you would need the feather stamp and the with love stamp. I used a few different colors and kinds of ink to achieve this look, but everything is on one layer, which makes it an easy card to duplicate and customize. 

I used just the top edge of the feather stamp, giving the impression that the ink could have been brushed on (like paint). It is only after looking closely that you can tell it was a feather. 

For the first card, I used VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Thatched Straw), Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Coral), VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Sea Breeze) and Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Teal) for the feathers.

For the words, I used Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Coral), Hero Arts (Pale Tomato), Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Teal) and Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Navy).

The reasons for the shifts in color was the keep the feathering to the side a shade off from the stamping of the words.

For this second card, I used VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Thatched Straw), Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Coral), Hero Arts (Pale Tomato) and VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Red Magic) for the feathers.

For the words, I used a mix of VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Thatched Straw) and Heidi Swapp Dye Ink (Coral) for the first line, then Hero Arts (Pale Tomato) and VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Pixie Dust).

To add a bit of pop to the card, I replaced the 'o' in each of the words 'love' with an enamel dot. It was an easy enough addition and gives the eye something to focus on. 

Thanks for taking a peek at my cards today. I hope I've given you some ideas for fun ways to use color on your cards. 

Pretty Little Houses & Pink Flamingos

Hello my fine feathered friends!

 

Aimee here with not one, not two, but

THREE

projects for you!!!

 

When I saw the house half plate,

I just KNEW I had to have it!

These little houses are so sweet and adorable

and I have so many ideas for them.

 

Want to make these projects?

 

Well, alllllrighty then!

 

What you need:

Recycled cheese container

(this is a Laughing Cow cheese container)

Acrylic paints

Smooch inks

Sandy stuff from Mud Puddles

Foam tape or pop dots

Black ink (I used Pitch Black pigment ink from Ranger)

Other ink colors of your choice

Super Gloss EP from Viva Las Vegastamps!

Scissors

Miracle Tape

Heat gun

A toothpick

Scraps of paper- white, blue, green, patterned papers

Pink Flamingos (the ones we get with our Viva Las Vegastamps orders)

Craft Bond or other stinky glue

Stickles

Stamps

 

 

First things first-

paint the cheese container inside and out...

I painted the outside purple and the  inside blue.

Once the blue was dry, I stippled a lighter blut over it,

then painted some blue Stickles over it.

Stamp houses with black pigment ink and emboss using Super Goss EP.

I did 6 houses.

Repeat with trees.

Stamp some trees in other ink colors.

Stamp the clouds on blue patterened paper using blue ink

(I used Denim Adirondack ink from Ranger)

Color houses and trees with Smooch colors.

Color in clouds with white Smooch.

While the Smooch is drying, start tearing up some green card stock for 'grass'.

*****************************

Once everything is dry, start layering.

Use Miracle Tape to adhere everything...

I started with a couple of clouds, and then added a house.

Add some torn paper 'grass'.

Then add a tree or two.

Add more 'grass' using pop dots or foam tape,

and keep going until you fill the container and like the way it looks.

*****************************

Once your container is layered to your liking,

put some of the Mud Puddles sandy stuff inside.



For your pink flamingos, snip the base off of each one,

put a little stinky glue on the back of each one,

and stick their legs down into the sandy stuff.

 

For the 'whimsy' flag, simply stamp the words onto a scrap of card stock.

Trim with scissors into a flag, put some Miracle Tape on the back and stick the tooth pick to it.

Put a pop dot or some foam tape behind the flag and stick it down,

tucking the toothpick ("flag pole") down in behnd some grass.

I am going to get little clear acrylic easels for these cuties!

 

 

And, here we have an art journal page.

This back ground was already done-

watercolor paints, Gelatos, and some stencils....

Sometimes I just play around in my books making backgrounds.

You'll follow the same process with this as you did

 with the container, minus the pop dots.

Place some clouds, then a house and a tree.

Layer some 'grass', and add another house and tree.

I also added the cool funky fence to the 2nd house.

Layer some more and add the third house.

 

 

I hope you enjoy these projects!

Have a lovely day!!

 



The Daring Adventure of Cirque de Silly with GDer Purnima !!

Today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing Purnima Girouard, a wonderful mixed media artist and card maker. She is a supremely talented artist, a wonderful gracious woman, and someone I look up to very very much. I aspire to be more like Purnima, not just in her free flowing and beautiful art and thought process but also in her every day manner and love for all things. I highly recommend getting to know her if you ever have the chance. Here's a glimpse into Purnima's work through her own words:

 
A BRIEF NOTE ON THE ARTIST
Purnima Girouard comes to you live from Gillette, Wyoming.  She has had artwork that has been published by The Stampers’ Sampler (including covers and Catch Up issues), Take Ten, Stampington Workshop, Vamp Stamp News, and Simply Sentiments.  She has designed stamps for Perfectly Said and Stampington & Company, which features her Storybook Village drawings.  She was formerly on the design teams of Starving Artistamps and Stamp Francisco, and had a monthly feature article in the stamping and scrapbooking e-zine, S. S. Reflections.  Best of all, playing in the art department has provided her with many dear friends out in the Big World who inspire her daily with their very wonderful artwork!
You can see more of Purnima’s artwork at the following websites, so just click!
Stampington
Purnima's Flickr
Purnima's Picture Trail 

Creating a circus scene with Mary Vogel Lozinak’s stamps from VLVS Plate 1401 was a delightfully fun experience!  The quirky character images and versatile background stamp made it easy to get creative.  Prrrreeesenting – the Daring Adventure of Cirque de Silly!  Ready to run off to join the circus?

WHAT YOU’LL NEED…

·        VIVA LAS VEGAS STAMPS!!!  Mary Vogel LozinakPlate 1401

·        Paper:  Watercolor Paper (appr. 7x8”) and scraps, navy cardstock (6x6.5”) and scraps, Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo pad – light blue (7x8”)

·        Mat board mount (7.25x8.25”) and stand (5x5”)

·        Ranger Distress Stains – Worn Lipstick, Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, Rusty Hinge, Mustard Seed

·        Ink Pads:  Ranger Archival Ink – Jet Black, Colorbox Chalk Ink – French Blue

·        Pens:  Ranger Distress Markers, white gel pen, fine point permanent black marker

·        Aleene’s Paper Glaze or other clear dimensional glue

·        Die cut:  Sizzix, Tim Holtz Alterations – Small Stand

·        Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type – red letters for title banners

·        Starched flower embellishment from www.Etsy.com seller UmWowStudio

·        Miscellaneous:  spray bottle of water and waterbrush, sponge, doily, 2 copper brads, 1 yellow brad, 1 pink brad, scissors, mounting foam tape, adhesives, white acrylic paint, colored craft wire (9”), packing bubble wrap, scrap paper or tape for masking, heat embossing tool

 

STEP 1:   Get colorful!

Begin the background by thoroughly misting the watercolor paper with water.  Run amok with splotting colors of Distress Stains into the water, keeping in mind that you’ll want some blue at the top and green at the bottom to give a feeling of earth and sky in your scene.  Some random color here and there just adds to the festive atmosphere.  Dry with a heat gun if you are in a hurry.

STEP 2:  Get gardening!

 

 

Mask the left border (I used removable painters’ masking tape) of the floral background stamp from Plate 1401.  Ink it with the black pad and remove the tape.  Stamp it onto the left side of the prepared paper.  Now mask the right border of the image and stamp it on the right side of the background, making sure to bring the two impressions close together.  Heat set.  **TIP:  The images may not come together perfectly, so just use your black pen to tune things up.**  Use stain inks and Distress Markers to add color to specific flowers and stems.  Cover the larger blossoms in the top half of the background with clear dimensional glue and let dry.

STEP 3:  Get some performers!

 

 

Stamp the unicycle rabbit, unicycle bird, ringmaster, several extra flowers from the bottom of the background stamp, “hello world” and “Yee Haw” with black permanent ink on the smoother side of the watercolor paper.  Heat set.  Draw signs around the words as shown in the picture.  Color the images with Distress Markers.  **TIP:  Layering additional color will add shadows and dimension to the figures.  Tattered Rose makes a great flesh tone.**  Fussy cut the images and touch up the edges with black marker.  Attach the colored brads to the centers of the unicycle wheels.  Apply foam mounting tape to the backs of the images, with the exception of the ringmaster’s hands and the signs’ sticks.

STEP 4:  Get the venue!

Doodle a border around the background in black pen.  Trim the paper in a whimsical manner.  Adhere the background to the navy cardstock panel.  Glue a curved piece of craft wire from border to border of the background as a tight-rope and let set. ** TIP:  Gel superglue works quickly and neatly for this, but clear dimensional glue works as well.**  Mount figures and signs to the background as shown, gluing down the hands of the ringmaster and sticks on the signs.  Take a good look at the design against the white mat board and say, “Blah!  This needs another layer with some color!” 

STEP 5:  Get it together!

 

 

Edge and distress the light blue paper from the Cogsmo pad with ivory acrylic paint.  Dab French Blue Chalk Ink on the bubble wrap and stamp randomly around the perimeter of the blue paper to add texture.  Adhere the paper to the white mat board.  Use copper brads to secure the ends of the wire on the picture panel.  Adhere the picture to the mat board construction.  Use the smaller piece of mat board to die cut a stand.  Glue securely to the back of the project.

Step 6:  Get fancier!

 

Lightly sponge the doily with French Blue Chalk Ink, cut a strip and adhere to the top center of the mat board construction.  Create two banners with navy cardstock scraps and tiny red letters.  Add them to the top and bottom of the blue panel with both foam tape (at center) and glue (on the pointed ends).  **TIP:  A small step fold will add even more dimension to the banners.**  Add touches of white to the figures, flowers and banners with gel pen and Picket Fence Distress Marker.  Embellish the whole shebang with a beautiful starched paper flower!  Yee Haw!!!