Green

I completely forgot about posting this, but a few weeks ago the Stampotique Designers threw out a green challenge.  One of my fave Stampotique stamps is Spray by Maryse Carrier.  I love that it's unusual.  It reminds of a funky flower, the eyeball of some kind of creature, a sun...  It got lost in my stash for a while, but I've recently resurrected it in a few projects like this ATC.

I stamped the base with Distress Inks (Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn) and then squirted them water.  Smooshed them around in some Distress Stain (Mowed Lawn) and then, after it dried,  stamped the image again over the top with Mowed Lawn.  I like the layered look that resulted.

I'm adding this to the SDC 138.

Cheers!

Inspired by Clare Lloyd

I love PaperArtsy stamps and the designers work some serious magic with them over on the company's blog.  I usually ooh and aah over their creations but have never stepped up to tackle one of their challenges.  I was inspired by the simplicity of Clare Lloyd's ATC book this week though.  Can you see her influence in my ATCs?

Instead of stamping a background on the base I had some stamped tissue paper sitting on my desk that I added to the base.  Gesso through a stencil followed that with some spray inks over the top.  The mushrooms were stamped on paper that I had scraped paint onto (as she did).

I love the Giant Mushroom stamp (Stampotique) and don't use nearly enough.  But I love how it looks against the green background - must be my Pacific NW self envisioning hikes through the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park.  :)  In the following pics you can (hopefully) see the texture created by applying the gesso through the stencil. 

 This one is a little more subtle.

I'm including these in Kay's Stampotique Designers Challenge to create a textured background.

Thanks for taking a peek!

SDC 136 - Monochromatic

Tanja over at Stampotique Designers Challenge has decided the theme this week should be monochromatic.  I needed to make an ATC for a grey color association challenge so these two challenges dovetailed nicely.  :)

The grey color associations that I came up with for this are drudgery, tedious, monotony.  Fortunately I don't always feel this way on my way to work, but some days...

Don't let the twins babysit!

The Stampotique Designers Challenge this week is Perfect Pairs.  I combined this challenge with the ATC swap on Stampotique's Facebook page which has an Outside the Box theme.  I fear my pair may be a bit imperfect, or maybe perfectly evil geniuses.  They are teenage twins babysitting their little brother while mom and dad go out on a date night.  To make him behave they've stuck him in a cardboard box.  Terrible.

  

Enjoy.  ;)

12 Tags of 2014 - February

Hey, it's not even the last day of February and I've got my 'tag' finished!  This month Tim used stencils, embossing, and a faux chalkboard technique on his tag.  See his HERE.  I created an ATC inspired by his tag with mixed results.

 

 

I created my background using a technique similar to his.  I schmeared some Pumice Stone and Walnut Stain Distress Inks on my craft mat and gave them a spritz with water.  Using a base of white cardstock, I dragged it through the inks, dried with a heat gun, and dragged it through the leftover ink again, dried, etc. until all of the ink was used up.  I distressed the edges with scissors and then inked them up with Walnut Stain.

I don't have a heart stencil so opted for a heart border stamp instead.  Using Fired Brick and Barn Door Distress Inks I stamped over the dried cardstock.  I immediately dumped clear embossing powder over the top and then heated it.  The embossing powder didn't stick very well - kind of spotty - but it's a background so no worries.

My chalkboard sentiment failed the first time (since I didn't read directions!).  I used Versamark ink and clear embossing powder on black cardstock and heated it thoroughly.  The chalk didn't stick since it was shiny.  Oops.  I repeated it heating only until it first started melting.  My result is okay, but it's a little hard to read.  Maybe because the font is fine-lined?  Or because I used Versamark and regular embossing powder?  Regardless, it's still legible.

Next, I liked Tim's metallic border but don't have the fancy stickers.  I went with metal tape, an embossing folder and a scallop border die instead.  After I cut the border I dabbed alcohol ink over the top.

 To put it all together and finish it off, I went with an inked up book page ripped into the shape of a heart and some red and brown bakers twine.

I'm still undecided if this is a success or not, but I had never tried embossing with Distress Inks or the faux chalkboard techique before - both of which I'd wanted to try.  So in that sense, it's a success.  Thanks for stopping by and Happy (Belated) Valentines' Day!

Chanelling Eric Carle - Canvases for My Preschool Classroom

I think I've mentioned before that I teach preschool.  We moved locations this school year and when we were setting up the classroom (way back in September) somebody asked me if I could make some art for the walls.  I agreed right away as I love working on canvases.  Lots of ideas swam in my head but I kept coming back to Eric Carle.  Even if you don't recognize his name you will surely recognize some of his books.  They are classics for the younger peeps.

I finally got around to creating them this weekend.  Eric uses painted tissue paper to create his masterpieces.  I had never tried this before but decided to give it a whirl.  What a blast!  Here's a pic of some of the papers I came  up with.

Super easy to do with regular ol' white gift wrapping tissue paper, acrylics and matte medium for gluing.  I used 11 x 14 cheap canvases from Hobby Lobby for the base.

I think they'll look pretty cool hung together since the papers are used throughout the whole batch.
Thanks for stopping by!

12 Tags of 2013 - September

Procrastinate much?  I'm working on my 'closure issues' and trying to finish up the 12 Tags of 2013.  ;)  As I've mentioned before (and I'm sure you've noticed if you've followed along for any amount of time) that I became addicted to ATCs some time around August.  I completely set aside all of my other little obsessions - cards and tags - and went on an ATC-making binge. While I've thoroughly enjoyed making ATCs, it has been bugging me that I didn't finish out 2013 with the tags.  Here goes...

In September Tim made a beautiful tag using Distress Stains, Distress Paint, embossing paste, stencils, etc.  (See his tags here: http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2013-september/)  I borrowed a lot of his ideas for my tag.

Embossing paste through a cityscape stencil

Distress Paints through stencils

I feel like I've lost my tag mojo a bit - something seems to be missing from this - but I'm sure if I keep plugging away at those 2013 tags (only 4 to go!) I'll get it back.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!