Paper craft project no. 462: Trendy Christmas Trees

  

Today are having another special stamp release hop for the latest stamp set to join the "trendy" series: Trendy Christmas Trees. This stamp set comes with coordinating CUTplorations dies as well :o) So I hope you'll hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

Here's what I made to showcase this set:

For this card, I also used the Stitched Snow Hills and Be Jolly phrase dies.

For these tags, I also used Luggage Tags nesting dies.

Check out what Julie, Tenia, and Toni created using Trendy Christmas Trees -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until September 27, Trendy Christmas Trees is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 459: Trendy Leaves 2

    

Today we're officially releasing another new STAMPlorations stamp set: Trendy Leaves 2. This stamp set comes with coordinating CUTplorations dies -- yay! :o) We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I made 3 cards:

Card #1: Grateful Beyond Words
Pretty simple one layer card. I stamped the leaves in coffee archival ink all over the card base, leaving a little room for the sentiment (Grateful Beyond Words) and then sponging Distress inks on the top part of the card and through a stencil (Art Splatters).

Card #2: Happy

I admit I got a little too diecut and layer happy with this one ;o) I cut a panel using the largest stitched rectangle die from the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies then stamped the leaves before cutting up the panel using the new Stitched Snow Hill edge dies and then adhering to my card base. Then  diecut and stamped a few leaves, as well as diecut two Happy.

Card #3: Thanks

For this last card, I played with my sticker labels. I stamped the leaves onto a sheet of 4x2 labels (10 in a sheet) watercolored them with Kuretaki Gansai Tambi watercolors. When the sheet was dry, I peeled off two labels and stuck them to my card base. I added some stitching and then hand-lettered the THANKS with a black Sharpie marker.

Check out what Lynne, Carol, Asmah, and MariLynne created using Trendy Leaves 2 -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until September 13, Trendy Leaves 2 is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 444: Big Bloom Factory mixed media projects

  

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing another set I designed: Big Bloom Factory. It coordinates with the ARTplorations Big Bloom Factory Large stencil. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created two projects: a mixed media frame and a monoprint one layer card.

Mixed media frame
Last week, I picked up this rather plain 8x8 Plaid wood frame at Walmart for $0.88. I applied gesso and then white Dylusions paint once the gesso was dry. I also painted the sides of the frame with black Dylusions paint and I wasn't really being careful when painting because I wanted to give the frame a distressed look on the front. Then on my Gelli plate, I brayered my three favorite colors: purple, orange, and yellow. I took 4 of the flowers in the set and stamped them onto the paint to get an impression. Then I simply placed the frame on the Gelli plate, pressed it down a bit, pulled, and taaa-daaa -- a grungy, distressed monoprint...no sanding or anything fancy required to achieve the look ;o) I thought the edges of the frame needed something so I randomly stamped some bricks (Mixed Media Grunge) in black archival ink. I painted the inner edges with yellow to give the frame some sort of border. I sealed the frame with a couple layers of gel matte medium, and I finished with a photo of my little Kathryn -- this one was taken during her first photo session back in September when she was 19 days old. Yes, she was already very alert and could hold up her head when she was barely 3 weeks old! :o)

*****

The world is a canvas monoprint one layer card

I didn't want to waste the paint that was left over on the Gelli plate after monoprinting on the photo frame so I decided to pull a few more prints (actually 3 prints). The print I used on this card is the second print I pulled and didn't really need much so I simply stamped the sentiment (Art Is...) and the card is done :o)

Check out what Susanne, Carol, Tanja, Irit, and Asmah created using the Big Bloom Factory set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until June 15, Big Bloom Factory is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 441: Trendy Birds 2 mixed media projects

  

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a set I designed called Trendy Birds 2. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created two non-card projects: an 8x10 mixed media artwork on gesso board and a mini canvas/magnet on thin balsa wood.

Be Free Canvas

I started by applying yellow Dylusions paint on an 8x10 gesso board. Penciled in the three rectangle blocks and painted each with green, orange, and blue/turquoise paints. Added the black borders using black Dylusions paint. I stamped the newsprint (Mixed Media Grunge) on the yellow background in brown archival ink and the borders (Artsy Border Maker) in black archival ink. Next, I stamped the sentiments on tissue paper and used gel matte medium to apply them onto the board. The birds I stamped on an old book page and then fussy cut before decoupaging onto the board with gel matte medium. I added some faux textures with ARTplorations stencils (Nestled Circles, Old Rose Prints, and Tribal Weave). I sealed the canvas with gel matte medium.

All Your Heart Mini Canvas/Magnet
To create this canvas/magnet, I applied gesso and then yellow Dylusions paint on a 5 1/2 by 2 1/2 thin balsa wood. Then I sponged dark yellow archival ink through an ARTplorations stencil (Bloom Factory). Next I stamped the grungy border (Mixed Media Elements) in black archival ink. I stamped the sentiment (Born to Roam) in sienna archival ink on tissue paper and used gel matte medium to apply it. I stamped the newsprint bird on an old book page, fussy cut it, and used gel medium to apply it. The flying birds I stamped directly onto the balsa wood. I sealed the mini canvas with gel matte medium. I trimmed a couple of adhesive business card size magnet sheets and stuck them to the back.

Check out what Susanne, Carol, Tanja, Irit, and Asmah created using the Trendy Birds 2 set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until June 1, Trendy Birds 2 is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 425: Art marks one layer cards

    

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing another set I designed called Art Marks. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created 3 one layer cards:  

CARD #1: I stamped the grungy film strip several times in black ink, as well as the splatters and distressed stars in white pigment ink. On the bottom third of the card, I did second generation stamping of the different distressed words and stamped one word in red for a pop of color.

CARD #2: I used one of the splatter stamps and the smaller sketchy circle stamp to create the artsy abstract blooms in spring colors. 

CARD #3: I swiped a few HA ink on the card base, stamped the grungy newsprint (from Mixed Media Grunge) and then toned down the colors by swiping white pigment ink all over. Stamped the sentiment and birds (from Trendy Birds) in black and then stamped some more on the background.

Check out what Maria, Shirley, Susanne, and Toni created using the Art Marks set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until March 2, Art Marks is 10% off.

Paper craft project no. 422: Coffee happy one layer cards

   

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a coffee-themed set I designed called Coffee Happy. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created 3 one layer cards: 

CARD #1 is very CAS -- I simply stamped all the elements in black. The grungy border is from Art Marks, another new set I designed that we'll be releasing next week (with another hop, yeah!).

With CARD #2, I decided to go CAS again, but with a touch of grunge/mixed media. I framed the stack of cups and masked the frame and did some layer stamping. (Other stamps are from Floral Bliss and Mixed Media Elements).

That retro coffee pot was just begging to be stamped all over and that's what I did in CARD #3. I stamped it in a light color and then stamped the sentiment in coffee brown ink. I added some splatters (from Art Marks) as well.

Check out what Becca, LauraJane, Lisa, and Vicki created using the Coffee Happy set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could be the winner of this set :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 393: Art is gratitude one layer card

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a sentiment set I designed called Art Is. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created a one layer card with an artsy mixed media grunge feel. I stamped the butterfly (from the Blossom Like a Butterfly set) in red and black. Next I randomly stamped the splatter (from the Mixed Media Elements set) in gray, black, yellow, and orange before stamping the sentiment. I finished the card by stamping the grungy border. Another fast-and-furious stamping OLC card done...it took about 20 minutes and I was chatting up my little Kathryn in her crib while I stamped -- one of those rare times she let me work for a bit without crying and wanting mommy to pick her up! This card got a thumbs up from her ;o)

Check out what Asmah, Irit, Sari, and Shirley created using the Art Is set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could be the winner of this set :o)

Fun challenges:

• Everybody Art Challenge #342 - Stamp
• Simon Says Work It Wednesday - Use a stamp
• Crafting from the Heart #83 - Anything goes
• 613 Avenue Create #147 - Anything goes
• Cupcake Inspirations #333 (I was inspired by the colors)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 389: A trio of one layer Christmas cards

Excited to share that this week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a Christmas set I illustrated called Holiday Expressions: Yuletide Cheer. And we're celebrating with a mini hop too! If you hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post and on the participating designers blogs, you can be the lucky winner of the set :o)

Below is a preview of the stamp set. It's also now available in the shop and until October 7, it's 10% off.

I kept my one layer cards featuring this set pretty simple. With time being a precious commodity for me (my sweet baby Kathryn takes up 99.99% of my time these days), I stuck to plain stamping, masking, and coloring using my Japanese watercolor brush pens. These one layer cards were quick to make, which is another good thing since I can easily mass produce these cards :o)

Check out what Deepti, Lee-Anne, and Tenia created using the Yuletide Cheer set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could be the winner of this set :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)