Queen of Crows by Tracy Blackwolf

 Hello Everyone! Happy spring! Enjoy the blog card today~

I started by stamping the two images- bird and woman. Then I took my craft knife and cut out her hand and a good portion of her forearm. Leaving it attached at the outside edge. I wanted her to be able to hold her crow. I then cut out the crow.

I then painted her with distress spray stains.

While she dried, I got my card layers ready. I stamped the birds on a wire on the piece she was going on, and then stamped the tree several times. The card is almost like a fabric. its very shimmery.

I then layered it onto a larger layer before laying onto my card. it also has sparkles in it. For the crows eye, I used a fishing lure 3D sticker. For the lady's crown I used a small piece of Dresden trim.

I used foam tape on her upper body and double stick tape for the lower. the crow also has foam tape. Its quite dimensional too bad it doesn't translate on the computer.

And that is it! 

Stamps used:

Weathered tree    19467

Birds on a wire    13039

Beautiful retro lady looking up    8280

Raven   1904

Other supplies:

Dresden trim- crown

Distress spray stain:  Tattered rose, Victorian velvet, tea dye, twisted citron, cracked pistachio, saltwater taffy

Black memories ink

Frida - A journal Page by Fiona

Hello my VLVS friends!! Fiona here with you today to share an art journal page I have created dedicated to the gorgeous Frida Kahlo.

Frida was a radical comunist and an artist living in both Mexico and New York in the 1920's and 1930's.

You can read more about here HERE

 In short .... she was mostly disabled due to both Polio she contracted as a child and an horrendous train car accident she was involved in when she was 18. This was what lead to her being a painter, mostly of self portraits depicting the chronic pain she lived in for the rest of her life.

She was one very remarkable woman.

My page depicts one of her most famous quotes 

"Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly"

VLVS Products:

Banksy Frida Kahlo

Wildflowers Silhouette

Birds on Wire Large

I hope my Frida page has inspired you. She most certainly inspires me.

See you all again soon xx

"She Was a Dreamer" a Journal Page by Fiona

Hello my gorgeous VLVS peeps! Fiona here with you today to share a little art journal spread I created using the fabuloso rubber from Viva Las Vegastamps!!

So I have this little journal, well actually I think technically it's a sketch book but I never sketch in it, and it's got some of the most awesome paper in it that I have ever seen. 

It is deliciously soft and absorbent with a very fine roughness to it. Not what you would normally think is the best quality paper for an art journal (cause it's probably not) but what I love about it is the fact that it's not perfect.

I can make the most organic backgrounds in it using some very basic techniques. this one is simply gesso spots and then a tiny amount of pigment powder over the top once it dried and sprayed with water to activate it!

Then I've dressed it up with some of my favourite stamps!

Here is a list of VLVstamps I've used:

Banksy Child Fishing in Paper Boat

Number Strip
She Was a Dreamer
Birds on a Wire 3"

VLVS! and Tags

Hey folks!! DeeDee here :)

Hope your weekend went well! We had some amazing projects over the weekend so if you haven't seen them be sure to go back and look!

Today I'm sharing a set of tags that debuted last week on the May Arts blog. I recently go take a trip to the coast of California and introduce my son to the Pacific Ocean!

He.Loved.IT!

To commemorate the event I made this set of tags:

 I grabbed some of my all time favorite VLVS! images:

18793 – Pointed Pen Tip 

1 x 3.5 - $8
18098 – Birds on a Wire 

1.5 x 6.5 - $11.75

5757 – Chicken Wire 

3.75 x 4.5 - $15.25

16207 – Writing Background 

4x4 - $15.50
All of them were stamped with Ranger Archival Ink straight onto the patterned paper or ribbon.

For the faux ribbon tape on the first tag I used Miracle Tape to give the ribbon adhesion. PERFECT!

Other products used: May Arts: XL09 – Ivory Suede Leaves, 393-25-01 – White flowers, EM02 – Ivory Net, and the Ivory Canvas.Paper: Black cardstock, My Mind’s Eye On The Bright Side. Inks: Ranger’s Archival Black, Distress Stain in Pumice Stone, a Uni-ball pen, Liquid Pearls, Tattered Angels Chalkboard mist in Charcoal. Stamps: Other: Pink Paislee Wooden Alphas, Helmar Quick Dry adhesive, double sided tape, Martha Stewart Punch, pearls, brads.

DIY Washi Tape part II

Hey everybody!! Welcome back :) 

Today the card I'm sharing is a simple beauty using the Washi tape that I made on Sunday! 

If you missed the video click here! Make your own custom washi tape from any stamp with any color!!

Besides adding my tape in a "strategic" way - I did a bit of doodling around the edge. I picked a very graphic background since I didn't want to do much embellishing! This card makes the perfect "Thank you" or small note slipped inside a gift! 

VLVS! Items used:
Memento Black Ink

Miracle Tape

Birds on Wire stamp

Thanks so much everyone!! -DeeDee

DIY Washi Tape!!!

Hi Everyone!! DeeDee here for an extra post this month!!

I kind of stole the opportunity of doing a DIY video for VLVS! on how to make your own Washi Tape with VLVS! Supplies!!!

I used :

Tissue paper

Memento black ink

Miracle Tape

Birds on a Wire

Scissors

Please please.. tell me what you think!!!!

I'll show you a project using this tape on Wednesday so come back!!!! -DeeDee

Celebrate the Every Day

If you haven't heard or haven't been paying attention... VLVS! is hosting a monthly challenge where a selected winner receives a gift certificate to the online store! Very generous of our fearless leader, Wayne! 

This month's theme is "CELEBRATION"

and I made my first piece for January based off the idea.. but with a twist.. I'm a big fan of "the small things" and so I went with "Celebrate the Every Day"

I recently got my little grubbers on two fabulous stamps that are going right in the front of my stash.. 

The Chicken Wire 3 3/4" x 4 1/2"

and the Birds on Wire 1 1/2" x 6 1/2"

I used the chicken wire as a background.. I stamped it in clear embossing ink and then doused it Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder by VLVS! I then smeared, sprayed and spritzed a combination of Broken China distress stain and water all over my tag. Once that was dry I laid newsprint over my tag and ironed out the embossing ink. Then I grabbed the bird stamp, my Memento Ink and a clear block.. some creative placement and VIOLA! the "Sing" "Chatter" and "Spread Joy" were written by hand in black ink on manila to match the rest of the tag. Swipe the edges of the tag with the same ink as the stamp and some creative doodling... And we get....

Thanks for coming by again this week!! Don't forget to enter your own piece into the competition!

-DeeDee