Tips From a Stamp Hoarder: VLVS Stamp Storage...and Some other Tricks I've Picked Up Along the Way!

It's Sunday at Viva Las Vegastamps!!! Susan here to share some tips on storing my stash of Viva Las Vegastamps! and a few other tips I have picked up along my travels. And as a special treat...I am coming to you via the magic of Ustream!!! Please grab your morning coffee and watch... I hope you enjoy!

Some of the things I am discussing: labeling and storing unmounted Viva Las Vegastamps! rubber; cleaning stamps, stamping on my secret weapon or mousepad; cheap and easy watercolor, making a mist using Sakura 3d Crystal Lacquer and Terri Sproul Mixers;

 

and how do I mount my VLVS stamps?

 

The top portion of this card is hand-misted black cardstock using a mist made of Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer and Bronze Terri Sproul Mixers!

  

Thanks so much for dropping by today! If you haven't subscribed to the VLVS Blog - you want to because Viva Las Vegastamps! now has creative posts every day!!! Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - new stamp releases have just been added. 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 on July 2nd. Have an inky Sunday! Sb

2 cards with 1 stamp

This week I made two cards using one main image. I got the stamped image of the Senior Ladies in my pound of rubber. Love them. So many sentiments you can use with them! I made 2 cards with them! I already had the card bases done a long time ago. 

I stamped these lovely ladies on white cardstock with Black versafine ink pad. My versafine ink pad is so juicy that I was able to pour the Ultra high gloss clear embossing powder on them and have it stick. Took the heat gun to it. I used Prismacolor pencils to colored them in I know you can't really see it in the pictures, because of the lighting, but my youtube video I did it shows a little better.

 After I colored them I took a Qtip and Goo Gone and blended all the coloring. Its a cheap way to blend if you can't afford or get mineral spirits. I got two bottles that are 3 ounces at Dollar Tree a long time ago. It last a really long time. I don't think I'm a quarter into the bottle. You just take your Qtip and dip into the bottle and just brush it on where you colored. 

This card I use the Sentiment "All my life I've wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific". Like I said I did the card bases months and months ago.  Its a white cardstock base. On a piece of scrap black cardstock I then took some scraps of basic Gray out of print collection and put that over the black.  Attached to the white card base. Stamped the sentiment on white and attached everything with Miracle tape

This card is a Kraft cardstock base and a scrap of Retro Mod stack from DCWV. The sentiment I used for this one is  "A new body for $1.87. Who wants a new body for an old one."

Products used:

craft cardstock

white cardstock

black cardstock

decorative scrapbook papers

black versafine ink pad

Ultra High gloss embossing powder

Miracle Tape

Stamps:

Senior Ladies

"all my Life..."

"a new body for $1.87" 

Enough is enough......

NEVER!!!!

That's exactly what I say about any and all of my crafting supplies.

Especially my rubber stamps.

The place to shop for rubber stamps is

Viva Las Vegastamps!!!

They have some of the most awesome and unusual you will ever come across.

Click on the link and check them out....

Meanwhile, back at the studio I have created a little masterpiece....

This is like seeing double for me....

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

I had this framed mirror that was a purchase from Ikea.  It was solid black and I wanted to give it more pizzazz.  I painted chevron stripes with acrylic paint.....

Here's a tip on how to get perfect chevron stripes.

while it was drying I stamped the Topsy glasses lady (#4651), bursting through (#3108), and the 'too many stamps' sentiment (#3903) on white cardstock.

I colored them using colored pencils and OMS (odorless mineral spirits) blended with a paper stump. I also added some crystal lacquer to her glasses.

I then cut out the center of the 'bursting through' stamp and placed the topsy glasses lady in  the bottom half to look like she's 'bursting' with craziness for more rubbah!!!!

Matting the sentiment with some black cardstock and placing them catty corner of each other.  I also added a few stick-on jewels. and ta--daaaaaa!!!

These are the colors of my studio....I'll hang this near my rubber stamp shelf.  Well, until I have to make the shelf bigger to add more 'rubbah'.......

Until later, rubbah enthusiasts.......Gotta straighten my glasses split.....TFL!!!!!!

Easy Masking Technique to Create a Painting using Viva Las Vegastamps!

Wow it's the end of March already!!! Susan here with my last post for my term on the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team and I have pulled a rabbit out of my hat for my last project!

Did you know you can paint with stamps??? You can build up beautiful scenery with many individual stamps. I know it sounds daunting but it's pretty easy and I'm going to show you how! I recently received the new Easter Plate #1372 of stamps and there is this adorable Bunny Artist #18115 in a painter's smock and I knew exactly what I wanted to create...a painting using stamped images.

I recently treated myself a set of Derwent Inktense Pencils that I have been pining for since I saw a project made using these pencils by Lisa Fulmer. Now I can finally paint on fabric and get a watercolor effect -AND- it's permanent.

I needed to go through my stash of VLVS stamps to grab some of my floral stamps.

I am building up a large floral scape by masking with paper masks and multiple stamping using Bouquet #9680, Hyacinth and Leaves #10301, and Sunflowers #9918 - and the Bunny Artiste will be painting them.

For this project I am stamping onto a cotton muslin. I first begin by stamping my florals multiple times on plain paper and trimming them out to make individual masks. I would have used post-it notes, but I didn't have any within reach. Start by stamping an image, then place mask over and then stamp again, slightly overlapping. I repeated stamping florals multiple times to build up a large floral scape. This required several masks {one mask for each stamped image in layering process} so the additional prep time of fussy cutting is well worth the reward of a beautiful piece in the end.

Please see accompanying image number to go along with written instruction/description.

Photo #1: Bunny Artiste stamped on muslin in brown Staz-On ink off to the right side of my fabric. Photo #2. Next I stamped one Hyancinth, placed a mask over and stamped another to the left. Then placed a mask over the second Hyacinth also. Photo #3: I repeated by adding Sunflower image stamped three times; applying a handcut mask after each stamping. Photo #4: Detail stamped images covered by my paper masks. Photo #5: After completing Sunflowers and masking, I stamped the Bouquet three times slightly angling around the other flowers. I started in the center, then reinked and rotated to stamp left and right sides. Photo #6: Remove the masks to see the full layered image as one scene. Now the completed image is complete and ready for coloring.

 Now I begin painting my scene with the Inktense pencils
and build up layers of color.

Then to get a softer, watercolor look, I used a waterbrush to blend out some of the color. This really brightened and intensifed the colors. I continued building up and blending the color with the water brush until I reached a point I was happy with. For a finishing touch - I added some white gel pen to add back in some highlight areas. Some of these were lost from bleed out when blending out the colors. Not a problem. The really nice thing about these Inktense pencils - after the first time you wet the colors, when dry - they are permanent. If you re-wet - they do not blend out any further. These will be fun to play with more on other projects.

HERE IS THE FINISHED MASTERPIECE!

I showed this to my pals at my local monthly Altered Book Club meeting and they thought I had painted this from scratch. They were shocked to hear that it was all stamped images. So this project is a definitely a winner! Off to create some more : )

I hope you have enjoyed my projects as much as I have enjoyed creating for the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team over the past six months...it's amazing how fast the time has flown by. Beginning in just two days there is a brand new design team starting and I am just as excited as you are to see what the new team will create. I won't be far away. You can keep up with me by visiting my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. 

One day left to enter the VLVS Theme Challenge for March! We are doing this just a little different this month. Trying something new. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. inLinkz your "BIRTHDAY" wishes for Terri Sproul creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store.

Stick around a while and see what our talented Design Team has been up to...thanks so much for visiting.

Have a crafty day! Sb

TH Inspired Tag using VLVS! Swirls

Hey Everybody!! DeeDee here!! Have you seen the 12 tags of 2012 TH is now doing?? 

well I wanted to participate.. but As a design team member for VLVS! it is our duty to promote as much VLVS! as possible, and it's QUITE easy when you love a company as much as I do VLVS! The images that Wayne and CO produce are just ... the best. so I took on TH's tag challenge.. but with a VLVS! twist.. 

First.. Pick a background! 

I chose a combination of three stamps:

  Swirl 2 1/2 x 3 1/4 - $10.25

Swirl 3/4 x 1 1/4 - $5.00

  Swirl 3/4 x 1 - $4.50

Then.. grab your tag and stamp them in WHITE ACRYLIC PAINT. I stamped them sort of haphazard all over.. and I wasn't careful about covering the entire stamp in paint either.. it sort of made this.. fun swirly collage with an almost foliage resemblance! 

Give the paint ample time to dry and then ink your tag. I used Spun Sugar Distress Stain.. and sponged some Festive Berries and Brushed Corduroy ink over it. spritz with water.. and wipe the ink off of the painted parts!! Background CHECK!

(here's a closeup of the background)

I then embellished with a 3D heart made from punched hearts that I folded in half and glued sides together. There's a bit of old pattern wrinkled up underneath the heart.. and I used some vintage lace and snug hug for my trim embellishes! 

The Cupid was hand cut, inked and crackled! What do you think?? Aren't the VLVS! Stamps just SUPERB! they do the same thing as tim's giant stamp, but only BETTER!! 

Let me know what you thiiiiiiiiink!! -DeeDee

My Favorite Fruitcake Recipe!

For my Viva Las Vegastamps! design team post this time, I wanted to use this funny fruitcake recipe stamp that I have admired for a while now. I used Spellbinders dies for the mat, recipe card, and cake platter that my fruitcake is on. I used a Sizzix embossing folder to add the dot texture to my mat and then used Colored Sakura Crystal Lacquer to highlight some of the dots so that they would accent the pieces of fruit in the fruitcake.

Now here is the fun part! This month, we got to try out a product called Creative Paperclay. I used the paperclay to make my fruitcake and I was surprised at how much like regular clay it is. I expected it to be more like paper pulp, but it was very easy to use, like real clay. Here is how I made the fruitcake:

First, I drew a circle on a piece of waxed paper. Then I put red, green, yellow and orange rhinestones all over my circle. After that, I started putting small pieces of clay over the stones and I pressed the clay down until I could feel the stones. Once I covered all of the stones, I rubbed them to get the clay off the tops of them. Then I trimmed off the excess clay, while also trimming the waxed paper at the same time with a craft knife. I shaped and evened it out to my liking and then put it away to dry over night. The next day, the edges had curled up a little, but it was still a little wet. I gently pressed it flat and smoothed out any tiny cracks with a wet paintbrush. The next day, I painted it with some watered down brown acrylic paint to give it that "bake until golden brown" look. Normally I wouldn't recommend using the waxed paper, but in this project, it gave the bling something to stick to, and also added strength since my project was very thin. Other embellishments you could make this way, could be things like pizza, cookies or a wreath. You can see other projects for Creative Paperclay on their blog by clicking here.

Feel free to stop by the Create & Craft blog to see all of my Viva Las Vegastamps! posts in one place as well as projects from the rest of our team. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to come back every Monday, Wednesday & Friday to see the newest posts!

Season's Greetings Side Step Card

I participate in a card swap at Red Letter Journals. On the first Sunday of every month, about two dozen card makers get together to learn a new technique and trade cards using the technique they learned the previous month. It’s a great way to learn new things, have fun and get some great cards!

Today at the card swap our friend Nancy shared a “side step card” that really impressed me. As soon as I got home, I put the project I had ready to post on the back burner and created this card using two stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! ; Waving Santa 2 ¾ x 2 ¾ #4820 and Seasons Greetings Square 1 ¾ x 2 ¼ #10110.

The stamps were stamped on white cardstock using black dye ink and then colored using Copic markers. To highlight the images, glitter was applied using Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer as an adhesive. The fine tip made it easy to get in to the tiniest parts of the stamped image. Since the Crystal Lacquer dries completely clear, you can still see the stamped image under the glitter.

I created the “HO! HO! HO!” banner on the computer, punched out a gift box using the Martha Stewart present punch and cut out a Christmas tree using Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL).

I cut out the card base using a side step card pattern I found at Carson’s Creations.

Check out the 12 Tags of Christmas Blog Hop that's going on at Viva Las Vegastamps! The tags look fantastic!

You can see my other projects on my blog on Create & Craft.

Happy Crafting!

Joe Rotella

Ho...Ho...WHOA!!!

Happy Saturday and welcome to December!!! It's Susan (again) with my regularly scheduled Saturday top of the month project. Today's project also features a fun product called Creative Paperclay® now available for sale over at Viva Las Vegastamps! This is my first time working with this and I'm so happy with the results.

Can't believe Christmas is just a couple weeks away. Have you seen our 12 Tags of Christmas Bloghop? This project will certainly get you in the Christmas spirit!

A sneek peek!

This piece begins with this Santa Foot through Ceiling #5395 and the unmounted Christmas alphabet #7560 from Viva Las Vegastamps! As soon as I saw this stamp I knew what I wanted to make.

For the background wall, I rolled out some Creative Paperclay and sandwiched it in my T!m Holtz distressed brick embossing folder. This took a little over a day to dry. I made sure that I could get it out of the folder before I let it dry completely. **Make sure to dust embossing folder with powder or rub with versamark or something similar to help clay release - I forgot to do that.**

Creative Paperclay® after pressed and dried in embossing folder.

Bricks colored with distress inks and mounted to patterned paper
backing with miracle tape.

Stamped image colored in on cardstock.

Santa foot stamped on clear acetate.

CLOSE UP of finished boot mounted in box.

Here's the details: The box is the base of a box of blank cards with envelopes. I try to upcyle things into art pieces whenever possible. I stamped the Santa Foot with Stazon onto white cardstock and also onto clear acetate. I painted in broken pieces with white gesso on transparency and cut out. I left about 1" above image to use as a glue flap when mounting in shadow box. The foot stamped on paper I colored in and then embossed the boot with clear embossing powder. The white fuzzy part is embossed with a Ranger white puff powder. This really didn't puff up how I expected. I cleaned up all the edges with a black zig pen. I mounted all of the pieces in the box and I stamped my sentiment in red ink with the candy cane letters. I love these letters! I finished off scene with some tinsel trim and a Jolee's Christmas tree embellishment. 

Santa might want to lay off the cookies...

It's December which means there is a new VLVS Theme Challenge. Submit your "CHRISTMAS" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps! for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - there is something for every occasion and more! December's Theme is "Christmas" and we will be celebrating with a Twelve Tags of Christmas Bloghop December 1st thru December 12th CLICK HERE to check it out!

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Have a great weekend! : )

Flamingo Chillin' in Paradise

Happy Wednesday...Susan here! Down here in South Florida, Summer is still in full swing! Though we are being teased with chance of a cold snap coming tomorrow {wink...wink - we know these are very rare}. So to warm everyone up, I have created a card featuring this cool "Flamingo Chillin' in Paradise".

This tropical card begins with this Flamingo in Hammock #5327 and the layered stylized sun #5329 from Viva Las Vegastamps!

Here's the details: I stamped it in orange on yellow stock, cut out and layered yellow and orange papers. The sun has a face, but I masked over it with a piece of cardstock, so it didn't take away from the flamingo. I edged with my favorite antique gold dew drop ink. 

I hand colored the flamingo with my watercolor pencils, then added some twinkle with liquid "Shimmerz Bling" in Under the Sea and Gold Shimmer. The flowers are Prima layered on a recycled tag from a totebag. This tag was the shape of a pretty flower, so it was perfect. I covered up text with acrylic paint, then added color back to fill in with my Caran D'ache water crayons and rubbed edges with antique gold. I pinched the corners to add dimension and adhered the prima flowers with a gem brad and popped up with some 3-D dots.

All of the paper layers are being held together with "MIRACLE Tape".

Now it's time to make some MAGIC happen! It looks great as it is, right? I think it needs a little something else. I am going back to add some dimension with Sakura Crystal Lacquer to really add some BAM!!!

I started by adding clear Crystal Lacquer to the sunglasses, beak and drink.

Next I added green and orange colored Crystal Lacquer to palm leaves, book cover, legs and shells.

 ...and a DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

 

Here is the NEW and IMPROVED piece. Can you see the difference??? I realize it's hard to see from the photos, but the following photo show an extreme close-up. The Crystal Lacquer really makes the color pop! And the colored crystal lacquer adds extra depth as it retains it's transparent qualities. I can still see my coloring through it. Water can look like water, the beak and glass look like they are really 3-D. Very quick and easy and the results are fabulous!

Today is the last day to enter your creation for the VLVS Theme Challenge for November. Submit your "THANKS" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store - there is something for every occasion and more! December's Theme is "Christmas" and we will be celebrating with a Twelve Tags of Christmas Bloghop starting tomorrow December 1st!

Thanks so much for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Enjoy the rest of your week : )

I Like Cats Too!

First of all, I have to say that no cats were harmed in the making of this card! Secondly, I love cats and would never eat them!

I was looking through all the stamps that I got in my pound of rubber from Viva Las Vegastamps! and spotted this sentiment about exchanging cat recipes. I thought to myself that I would never use such a thing! But then, I saw this wonderful chef stamp, and my evil wheels started turning! For the little cat heads, I used a stamp of two cats playing leap frog and just used their heads.

After putting the stamps together in my head, I wasn't sure if I would like a card using cats in such a manner, so then I started looking for other ideas, and I found this cute stamp of a dog with a chef hat! So then it didn't seem so bad. I think the Chef leans toward weird, but then the dog balances that out by leaning toward cute since that is the type of behavior we can expect from dogs. At least in cartoons anyway.



For both cards, I stamped my images on white cardstock, and colored with Copic markers. I used pattern paper for my backgrounds and inked my edges and then glued my pieces in place.

Please feel free to stop by my blog to say hello and see my other Viva Las Vegastamps! projects! Thanks for stopping by!

"Thanks a Lot" from Grandma's Kitchen

Hello - its Susan and I'm bringing you a special Saturday post! This lovely card reminiscent of Grandma's kitchen features Viva Las Vegastamps! Blender #1571 and "Thanks a Lot" #587 stamps. 

I stamped the blender with Black Memories Dye ink. Let me say that it says this is a waterproof, permanent dye ink - and I put it to the test with this image. I am quite suprised and impressed that after all of the hand coloring and crystal lacquer, the image is still crisp and clean with no bleeding. 

Here's how I made the two-tone blender. First, I stamped it on white and then again on blue cardstock. I cut each blender out and paper pieced it back together, in a retro color style, two-tone blue and clear. Then I colored in accents to give it dimensions with my Marvy markers and water brush. I really like the effect of blending with the water brush opposed to the blender pen. 

Detail after handcoloring with markers and water brush.

I layered the stamped pieced blender onto BoBunny patterned paper, then double matted circles placed on top of a paper doily. The background papers are scraps of BoBunny papers, too. Of course, I adhered it all down with Miracle Tape. This came out so beautifully - just like in Grandma's retro kitchen.

Here is how the card looks before I added some magic...Crystal Lacquer. I filled in the blue areas and the knobs and a few details in the pitcher of the blender with blue Crystal Lacquer. The blue Crystal Lacquer gave the blue paper a "POP" and the illusion of dimension. The rest of the blender, the cord, and switchplate I layered in clear Crystal Lacquer. And "BAM!!!!" Here is the shiny new blender in all it's 3-D splendor. Just like one of those high-priced epoxy stickers...but better - because I made it myself!!!

Detail after adding Crystal Lacquer to blender.

I needed a sentiment to finish off this card so I stamped the "Thanks a Lot" with "Madonna Blue" Memories pigment ink and embossed with VLVS Ultra High Gloss embossing powder. Double matted and adhered with Miracle Tape, the card is complete. I hope you like it and invite you to play along with November's challenge "THANKS".

This is a new month and there is a new VLVS Theme Challenge for November. Submit your "THANKS" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps store - there is something for every occasion and more! 

"Thanks a Lot" for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Have a great weekend : )