Celebrate FREEDOM

 Well here we are...6 months into 2021 and where I am from we just had all COVID restrictions lifted.  We are inching closer and closer to getting back to it.  AND here in the states we are very close to our Independence Day holiday.  These two things are what inspired my card today.

Stamps used:  Grunge American Flag, Banksy Peace Symbol

I mean...GRUNGE is my jam!!

I used Distress Heavy White Cardstock and Distress Ink (Speckled Egg) and Distress Spray (Pumice Stone) to start my background.  Then stamped the peace sign in Distress Ink (Speckled Egg) for some pattern.

The flag is stamped in Archival Ink and then with Distress Crayons (Festive Berries and Midnight Sketch) I did more grunging to the grunge flag.  My heart was HAPPY.

It is hard to see but of course a little sparkle on the star with stickles!!  I also used my paper distresser on the edges of the flag which is popped up for ATTENTION.

I am celebrating my freedom and the freedom of my country and remembering where it all came from.

Until next time...get inky!!

December 25

 We are a week away from my FAVORITE holiday!!!  I just love Christmas, the decorations, the lights, the spirit of giving...all of it!

Today I am sharing one last holiday card for this year.  Next time it will be 2021 and the start of a new and BETTER year.

For this card I use some of the new Distress Crayon colors.

Stamps Used: Holly Large, December 25, Keep Calm and Unwrap

I really love coloring with Distress Crayons, putting down some color and just smearing it out...I don't even mind if it goes out of the lines.  This is Rustin Wilderness, Speckled Egg and Festive Berries.  Of course there was fussy cutting for layers!!

Simple sentiment created from one and a half stamps...I only used the present from the Keep Calm stamp.

This card is an A6 size using the new PhotoPlay Paper card base of that size.

I hope everyone has a VERY Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and may ringing in 2021 bring all the good things we missed in 2020.

Until next time...get inky 

A quick tag

Hello everyone,

and welcome to my first blogpost for May. I have made a tag and it wasn't without problems... lol. Sometimes you have something in your head and it just doesn't work out that way so this tag is actually my second attempt !

and.. in the end I still added the washitape and the ribbon. I didn't film this as I thought it was finished but I kept looking at it and thought it needed something else. 

Here's the video:

I have used the following stamps: 

20170 - Rows of numbers

20165 - Crossmark background

10599 - Spiral

19487 - Banksy sweeping under lady

18567 - Is it wine o'clock yet

Thank you so much for stopping by today ! 

Beautiful Souls

This year is zipping right by!!!  Can you believe it is already March??!
Michele here today with an art journal page...
Are you surprised??  I suddenly decided I wanted to do journal pages again so here we go.

This Sun Background stamp is the newest addition to my Viva Las VegaStamps! ever growing collection.  Perfect for art journaling!

After I stamped the image in Archival Ink I colored with Distress Crayons.

Lots of doodling with my Fudeball, Sharpie, Motolo and Signo pens.  Then a little background stamping with Cross Marks Background and Carved X's.

I finished up with Distress Ink around the edges.
So much fun, I am glad to be journaling again!!
Until next time...get inky!

Drips and Distress Tag

Hello Again!

Today I want to share a fun tag I created using Viva Las Vegastamps to play along with the 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. The theme was "Tag it"

Join the Challenge HERE

 This also goes with the Mixed Media mood boards challenge(on Facebook)

My inspiration for this tag came from Dee Dee Catron (you really need to check out her YouTube) 

The video that inspired this background can be found HERE. I pretty much followed her technique with my own twist (and w/o the amazing transfer she did... **swoon**) 

Stamps Used: 
Deathhead Moth
Cross Marks Background
Scribble Circle
Row of distressed lines 3
(Or get the whole yummy art journaly plate HERE)

Other Products:
Distress collage medium, distress crayons, gesso, Wendy Vecchi crackle paste, yellow paint, Prima rusting pastes, Tim Holtz remnant rubs, micha pieces, string, Tim Holtz tiny attatcher, StaZon Ink, distress stains

You can see my step by step pictures below, but I HIGHLY encourage you check out that video, It totally inspired me!! 

What I started with...

After Collage

Rust medium added

Stamping and more layers...

Finished :D

(detail shots below)

Thank you for visiting!! 

stay inky!!

Her Sparkly Star Shaped Self - August Challenge Inspiration

Hi all, it's Cheetarah here and I've made a little something for you to inspire you for our August Challenge. I have made an index sized art card inspired by the colors and imagery from our mood board below

Isn't it gorgeous and don't you just long for a summer sunset at the beach? 

It has inspired me to make the following

I am just absolutely in love with that Fancy Mermaid, the large moon and all the mixed media journaling stamps from the latest release. I've mixed a few oldies too, like the sentiment which is is a part of Tired of trying to cram stamp, which I LOVE! A full list of stamps and materials used is below. 

I also have a filmed the process which you can watch here:

Hope you enjoyed that and inspired you to play along with our monthly challenge :)

List of stamps used:

Fancy Mermaid 

The Moon 

Typeset Scallop 

Rows of numbers 

Row of distressed lines 

Stars 

Tired of trying to cram 

Other materials:

Gelli printed papers of which you can see the process HERE 

alcohol markers 

Staz-On inks store grey, midnight blue, azure

distress crayons 

liquitex titanium white INKS

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Always remember you are beautiful - by Cheetarah

Hi everyone! It's Cheetarah here and I've got a little mixed media piece I wanted to share with you today.

The really fun Whimsical Jester stamp and You are Beautiful phrase are my focal points. I have used some pigment powders, modeling paste, gelli printed deli papers and home made stencil for this piece. A full list of the stamps and materials used are listed below. I also have recorded the process video for this which you can see here on our Time2Stamp channel: 

 

So what I didn't film was the piece it started on. It was a huge cardboard piece which was mixed with collage elements and left over stamped images which I then toned down with gesso and cut up into smaller pieces to work on. On this piece I also used the papers the VLVS! unmounted rubber comes with, like the Birds on the wire. In the end I didn't use that stamp, but the paper element of it was there. I quite like how this piece turned out :) 

Here are some more close up's:

Stamps used: 

Whimsical Jester 

You are Beautiful 

Numbers set

Butterfly Specimen 

Doodle Dots 

Others:

Staz-On jet black, midnight blue, vibrant violet, black cherry, royal purple 

Color Bursts mustard, merlot, indigo 

Lindy'magical shaker oompah loompah pink 

Liquitex modeling paste and INKS! in white and gold

Art medium glue 

Tissue papers 

Random collage papers and gelli printed deli papers 

Tim Holtz Sizzix mixed media die cut for my stencil 

Black pearl rub on

Black soot distress crayon. 

Hope you enjoyed this :) Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend!

Nevertheless, she persisted - Art postcard by Cheetarah

Hey all, it's Cheetarah here and I've recently received some of the gorgeous newly released stamps and my absolute fave among them is this gorgeous whimsical leaf lady by Mary Vogel Lozinak. I created a postcard using one of my gelli printed book pages that had a leaf design on it and some other great stamps that goes well with the whimsy of this stamp. List of stamps and materials used is at the bottom of the post. 

I colored the lady in with alcohol markers and it was stamped on Neenah classic card stock, cut her out and adhered her to the page. The butterflies were stamped with Stazon Midnight blue, as well as the sentiment "finding my way" - thought these two sentiments went great together. They are in the same lettertype as well which is great!  I edged the leafs with ZIG wink of Luna in green and the sentence "nevertheless, she persisted" with ZIG wink of Stella in light green. For the edges of the postcard I used chipped sapphire and twisted citron and blended those together with my fingers. I kept a blue green color scheme going, as we have in our current monthly challenge. You still have a couple of days to join in!

We're all trying to find our way in this world, and it's important that you keep on persisting esp. when you encounter defeat. This sentience is such a powerful one, it encourages to never give up. 

VLVS! used:

Whimsical Leaf Lady 

Nevertheless, she persisted 

Finding my way 

Whimsical leaf 

Butterfly Specimens 

Doodle dots 

Others: 

Alcohol markers (Letraset promarkers) 

Amsterdam Acrylic paint

Pronty leaf stencil 

gelli plate 

Zig wink of stella markers 

Zig wink of Luna markers

Distress crayons 

Staz-on midnight blue, teal, jet black

Liquitex INKS in gold and white

Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!

...incrediblerer

Michele here with some April Challenge Inspiration.

This months challenge shouts SPRING to me and I was inspired by the colors. the banners and the field of flowers.
I created a birthday card for my stash of cards.

Stamps used:  Whimsical Triangle Banner, Fairy Girl by Cat Kerr, Present by Tera Callihan, Whimsical Candy, A Whole Year.

I used presents instead of the flowers and the layers of gifts around the fairy girls feet are so fun!!

I just love all the whimsy in this combination of stamps.

I hope you are inspired and will join us this month for a chance to win some amazing pink rubber! Find our challenge post on the blog.

Until next time...get inky!!

Faceoff

Hello friends!!
Michele here today and I am sharing a little peek at a collaboration project I am working on with my good friend Tina.  We are making 4"x4" books all about...you guessed it, FACES.
Today I would like to share 2 of the pages of my 10 page book that I created using some fantastic Viva Las VegaStamps! images.

Here is the first one:

Girls Face by Cat Kerr

Writing Background

I stamped the face on tissue and applied to my stamped and painted background with gel medium.

She is colored with watercolor pencils and distress crayons.

I drew and paintd hair around the face with a stabilo pencil, distress crayon and watercolor pencil.

And now the second page:

Writing Triangles

Whimsical Ladies Face with Tears

Mesh Texture

The faces stamp is embossed with Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder.

The background is distress oxide ink.

A little color on the lips with distress crayons.

I hope you enjoyed my little peek and are inspired to use stamping as a start to a drawing or painting yourself.  It is the perfect jumping off point!

Until next time...get inky!!

she spread her wings...

Hi everyone!!  Michele here today with a vision of spring...
Where I am it is cold and dreary and I am having visions of spring already!  I am longing for the sun to shine and the flowers to bloom.
With that in mind I created a small canvas inspired by those visions.

I started with a 5" square piece of chipboard, painted a thin coat of white gesso and then added a heavy layer of art basics light paste.

I let the paste set and dry a bit and then stamped the Clockface right in the paste.  The background color is created with Distress Stain and Ink

I stamped Fairy Girl by Cat Kerr and 2 sets of Pair of Butterfly Wings on heavy white cardstock. These are colored with Distress Crayons, cut out and layered.

The double wings bring so much texture to the canvas.

The sentiment, She Spread Her Wings, is stamped on a strip of metal and attached with some Ideology Hitch Fasteners.

I finished up with Prima flowers, art bascis glass glitter and some black thread.
Are you dreaming of spring now too??

Until next time...get inky!