Two Bird Cards by Fran

Hi all!

Today I have made two small (4" x 4") cards which can be used for any occasion, like a thank you, birthday, best wishes, hello, etc.

 I made the backgrounds by smooshing distress inks with water onto my mat and putting the card into the ink.

For the first card, I stamped the wire fence on each side of the card

I then stamped the main image onto the card, and again onto some heavyweight paper so I could colour and cut it out

I edged the card with a Lucky Clover and Black Soot to frame the main image.  I then added a cut out question mark to my final card (a personal touch to send to a friend of mine)

  

For the second card, I stamped a moon onto the background with a darker blue, and edged the card with silver embossing powder

I stamped the bird image separately and coloured and cut it out before sticking it on the card

Stamps Used:

Jagged chain link fence 19140 

Screaming Ostrich 727

The Moon 20157

Whimsical Feathered Bird 19911

Other items used:

Distress inks in Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Blueprint Sketch and Black Soot

Versafine Clair in Nocturn and Paradise

Memento in Tuxedo Black

Copic pens

Silver embossing powder

Versamark

Enjoy!

HALLOWEEN CARDS by Fran

Hi everyone! Today I made a couple of cards for Halloween.  I'm not really a great fan of Halloween but seeing the great spooky work that others were doing, I was inspired!

 For the first card, I put a small moon mask on the top right of my piece of card and smooshed distress inks in Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves and Chipped Sapphire with water.

I went round the moon mask with the darkest colour, then added more colour with blending brushes.

I stamped the cemetary stamp a little way up from the bottom in black.

For a bit of added interest I stamped branches across the moon and round the top and sides of the card using the top of a tree stamp.

After stamping the skeleton, I darkened the ground in front of the gravestones with black distress ink then used a white gel pen to highlight the skelly's bones, and the tops of the graves where I thought the moonlight would hit them.

And where there is light, there are shadows, so I coloured in some shadows with a black charcoal pencil.

To finish off this card, I mounted it on a white mat before putting onto a black card.

For the second card, I started by stamping the main image on white card, and also cut out a mask so that I could use Wilted Violet and Chipped Sapphire distress inks over it.

After removing the mask, I inked around the edge of the card with Carved Pumpkin distress ink, making the corners darker.

With a small brush, I infilled the bits that the mask covered that needed to be purple.

I then coloured the main image with Polychromos pencils

To finish the card off, I mounted it on a black card and drew round the edges with a black fine liner pen. I don't have any Halloween sentiments, so I had drew a spider hanging down (and actually wished I hadn't afterwards, haha!)

Hope you like these cards!  See you next time :)

Stamps Used:

Card 1:

Skeleton Dancing 10373 Plate 970

Cemetery 18907 Plates 1433 and 1004

Weathered Tree 19467 Plate 1444

Card 2:

Victorian Witch Costume Girl 20132 Plate 1492

Other items used:

Distress inks Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves, Chipped Sapphire, Carved Pumpkin, Black Soot

Versafine Clair ink in Nocturn

White Gel Pen

Black fine liner pen

Moon mask

Polychromos pencils

Black Charcoal pencil

Haunted AJ page by Arwen

 Hi VLVS fans ❤

Today, it's my turn to share a project with you.

I created this Art Journal page and you can have a look on the single steps below.

Close-ups:

 The single steps - I choose some Design paper and stick some other DP on it.

 After adding a little "Month" sticker and stiching some parts by hand, I used Lindy's colorspray and some splatters of Dylusions spray.

As next step, I stamped two different images as a background.

Close-up:

At last, I choose my images, I want to use for this page, colored them, cut them and stick them onto my page.

all stamps, I used: 

- Vampire Boy 15165

- Dressform 19641

- Eye Ball 10398

- Haunted Board 19734

- Bat Skeleton 19742

- Writing Chevron 19824

 

other materials:

- Design paper

- Lindy's spray

- Dylusions spray

- Alcohol Inks

- Staz on

- ColorBox

- Distress Reinker

- Brads

- Yarn

- Sticker

 

See ya soon 

xx

Mixed Media Tag - Boy on swing

Hey everyone,

Today I'm sharing this vintage mixed media tag and a super fun stamping technique with you.

 

I cut my tag from a piece of watercolor paper to a size of 6 x 3,5 inch and simply added some stamping. 

Next, I spread some texture paste with a palette knife in various spots of the tag. The paste I used is quite thick (an older one, already starting to dry in its container). I would recommend using a heavy body paste or gesso for this technique, but honestly I haven't tried out a thinner one. Now comes the fun part: I took a stamp and stamped right into the paste before it's dry. You will lose some detail, so the stamp shouldn't be too delicate, but even the numbers that I picked worked well.
Make sure to clean your stamp immediately with water. A stiff brush can also be helpful. You really don't want that texture paste to ruin your stamp, right?

After the paste was dry, I started building some layers of color with some Lindy's Gang Moonshadow Mists.

I added some more stamping with the numbers, but this time in a more common way. For a little color pop I sprinkled acrylic spray over the tag.

After browsing through my stamps I chose this guy on a swing as a focal image, stamped him dirctly on the tag (no fussy-cutting this time) and added a little color with some ZIG brush pens. I also darkened up the edges with some Oxide Ink and Archival Ink. 

I added the little die cut birds and a quote, embossed in gold onto black cardstock. To finalize my tag I adhered it to some cardstock and added a bow.

Stamps used:
Vintage Boy on Swing (19729)
Numbers Set (19659)
Writing Circles Background (19567)
Don't Waste A Moment (19786)

Other material:
- Canson watercolor paper
- Black cardstock
- Archival Ink (jet black, pebble beach, seafarer)
- Versafine Ink (onyx black)
- Versamark Ink
- Distress Oxide Ink (ground espresso)
- texture paste (heavy body)
- Lindy's Gang Moonshadow Mist (treasure island aqua, van dyke sepia, buccaneer bay blue)
- ZIG real brush pens
- embossing powder (Altenew - antique gold)
- die (Memory Box - small flock of doves #99015)
 

Hope you're giving this technique a try and that you found some inspiration here.

See you soon,

Trust your own wings

Hello everybody,

there is still some time left to join the STRENGTH themed challenge over in the VLVS Facebook group. You need a little creative kickstart? Here we go! I went for an art journal page about self-confidence.

I started my page by applying water with a big watercolor brush in the shape of a big circle. Then I added some Starburst sprays from Lindy's. I used the sprays more as a watercolor.
To create more depth I worked with various layers - adding water (by spraying or flicking or with a brush), adding the spray paint, drying, continuing with another layer. It was so much fun!
As a final touch I drew a few scribbely lines around the circle.

For some background texture I chose two stamps, a nature collage and the waybill/invoice, which I stamped with black Versafine ink.

As a focal image I used the flying bird. I stamped it and got out my watercolors. Somehow I was able to blend the red from the bird's body into the turquoise of its wings without getting a muddy shade. After it had dried, I did some fussy cutting and inked the cutting edges with a black marker. This way the image blends better into the background.
I also cut the sentiment from a sheet of scrapbooking paper, glued it down and added some thin black lines around it.

Here are some more photos:

Stamps used:
Nature Collage by Cat Kerr (20036)
Waybill/Invoice Background (19416)
Large Bird Flying Left (19001) 


Other materials:
- art journal (mine is a handbound one, 7.5 x 7.5 inch)
- Lindy's Gang Starburst Sprays (Tibetan Poppy Teal, Sea Mint Green, Sea Grass Green and Whale Watch Blue)
- watercolor
- Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
- marker (fine tip and brush nib)
- scrapbooking paper ("Letters to you" from ABstudio)


Hope to see your entry to the challenge! 

See you soon,

2020 Design Team Call

Design Team CALL!!!!

SaveSave

We’re looking for all types of artists and welcome anyone who has a passion for rubber stamping to apply! Bring on the Mixed Media Artists, the Card Makers, the Scrapbookers, the Altered Artists, the Scene Stampers… we want you ALL!! International applicants welcome to apply, too.

SaveSave

Our terms last six months. This term will run from January 1^st – June 30th. 

Design Team requirements during your six month term are as follows:

1) Regularly promote VLVS! through:

a. online galleries

b. your blog

c. social media like facebook, twitter, youtube, instagram and pinterest

d. and by submitting to publications. 

2) Participate in our public VLVS! dedicated Facebook group.

3) Complete a minimum of two (2) projects per month to be posted on the VLVS! blog, always using only Viva Las VegaStamps! images; 1 tutorial & 1 inspiration post. Details for projects provided to team members.

4) Participate in the online private facebook group for the team. Important information like schedules, future hops, logos, links and contact information are all kept in the group. I run a lot of ideas by the team and value their honest opinions. 

5) Participate in blog hops and/or product swaps. (Some may be on a volunteer basis only) 

6) Mail two (2) completed projects to the store for display. This is out of your whole six month term. We love having projects posted all around the store for people to ogle as they peruse through our stamps.

SaveSave

In return VLVS! will: 

1) Provide you with regular shipments to keep you fully stocked on supplies, including but not limited to VLVS! Stamps, Miracle Tape, Embossing powder, and any product swap goods. 

2) Provide you with a detailed schedule at least 2 weeks in advance. 

3) Compensate you for extra work outside of the regular schedule. This will be based upon volunteer projects and any extra hops or swaps outside of said schedule. 

4) Regularly promote you and your projects through online social medias, as well as display you and your personal blog address on our company blog.

SaveSave

How to apply:

Please email me the following information:

- your name

- a brief bio.. Who are you? Why do you create? That type of stuff!

- attachments including three (3) of your best stamped pieces. (could be cards, layouts, tags, jewelry, anything using rubber stamps -- VLVS! not required but appreciated)- let us know -- can you provide videos for your tutorial posts?

- the link to your facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube and/or other accounts

- the link to any and all online galleries you regularly upload to

- any other important links you think I’d like to see

- a list of current and past design teams you have been on. (no previous experience necessary)

- and last please also include in your post why you want to be on the VLVS! DT.

Email to deedee430@gmail.com with subject line “VLVS! DT CALL -YOUR NAME-” due by 12/31 (December 31st) at midnight pacific standard time.

Applicants joining the team will be notified by January 4th.