Friday, November 30, 2012

Guest Designer Sandy

Today I welcome back Guest Designer Sandy!! 


Sandy has brought us a wonderful gift set, a necklace and coordinating gift box!!



She used the Fly and Einstein's Tongue from plate827 as well as Time Flies and the Wasp from plate893




Sandy says "For project #2, I used the same stamp plates as I did in project #1, but used Albert Einstein from Plate #827 to create a domino necklace in an Xmas theme and "Time flies" and flies from Plate #893 as the stamps on the accompanying pyramid gift box.  Al was stamped on a domino that had been soaked in bleach, dried and then stamped using Ranger Ink's Archival Ink in black.  Image was then dried with a heat tool to set the ink before coloring.  Red tongue and edge of domino was colored with a red permanent Sharpie marker.  A Tim Holtz eye screw was attached to the domino to thread the ball and chain also from Tim Holtz's Idea-ology parts and a little holly berry cluster was glued to Al's forehead using Ranger's "Glossy Accents" dimensional adhesive.  The pyramid box was cut from black card stock using Stampington's "Pyramid Box" template - for template and instructions, go to www.Stampington.com, scroll down to the bottom of the home page, click on "Project How-to's", next click on "Tempting Templates, and last click on "Pyramid Box."  I added four additional triangle pieces cut from green cardstock and stamped sayings and flies using Staz-On's Jet Black solvent ink to complete my gift set.  Very merry, I think"

Thanks so much for being our guest designer Sandy! We had a lot of fun seeing your projects this month♥

Thursday, November 29, 2012

"Look at Santa Glow"


                                                              Viva las Vegastamps

                                                              "Look at Santa Glow"







I have been making lots of
Christmas Ornaments this
year and decided to use those techniques on my card.

Supplies:

  item number 14721
Holly Santa 2 3/4 x 3 3/4  

Holly Santa

Item number 9234

Christmas Ball 2 3/4 x 3 1/4

Christmas ball

Krome chote paper  
 available online at Viva las Vegas stamps
Stazon Jet black ink
Red Foil cup cake liner
a Paper rosette
Micro beads
Crystal lacquer

I adhered the cupcake liner to the center of the card.
I then attached a paper rossette that I had previously made.
I stamped the two stamps on top of each other and then
cut out the Ornament shape.  I covered the beard with
crystal lacquer and added Martha Stewart micro beads.


VLVS! ATC/Tag/Envelope Combo Swap

Recently, there was a swap at the Viva Las Vegastamps! Forum requiring an #8 tag and a co-ordinating ATC.  The ATC was to be enclosed in an envelope that was attached to the back of the tag.  Both tag and ATC were required to have a VLVS! stamped image.

I decided I wanted to do something with Zentangle®-inspired art, and with a couple of the tangle inspired images available, but I also wanted to do something 3D--really 3D.



Supplies:
Viva Las Vegastamps!

Zentangle Lover 1 1/4 x 2: Item 18817 Plate 1426

Doily 3 x 2 1/4: Item 18849 Plate 1427 


Two #8 Tags-Black Paper
Two #8 Tags-Kraft Paper
Two ATC (3.5 x 2.5 inch) - Black Paper
Two ATC (3.5 x 2.5 inch) - Kraft Paper
Two scraps Black paper approx, 4 x 3 inch & 2 x 2.5 inch
Two scraps Kraft paper approx, 4 x 3 inch & 2 x 2.5 inch

Tim Holtz Distress Inkpad-Vintage Photo
Encore Inkpad-Bronze

May Arts Paper Raffia Ribbon -JP 200y JP16

Sakura Metallic Gel pen: Gold
Pentel White Sunburst Gel Pen

Scissors, Exacto Knife, Self-healing cutting mat, Straight-edge ruler, Miracle Tape, 3D foam dots, velcro closure

To start, I trimmed off about 1/4 inch around the edge of the kraft tag, and then measured and cut out five 1/2 strips from inside.  Then I tangled patterns with gold gel pen on the black tag, and with the white gel pen on the kraft tag.  I used 3D foam dots to attach the kraft on top of the black tag.

On the 4 x 3 inch piece of scrap kraft paper, I stamped the doily image with the Vintage Photo ink, and then cut out the center.  I stamped the 'Tangle a Day' sentiment on the leftover center, and taped both pieces onto the scrap piece of black.  I wanted the tangles beneath to show through, so I used an exacto knife to cut strips out of the center, and taped the medallion onto the tag.

For the ATC, I repeated this process reversing the kraft and black papers, so the black had strips cut out (3 instead of 5).  I used the Zentangle Lover sentiment, switching to the Encore inkpad, because it shows up on black paper.  It wasn't necessary to cut out any strips this time.




To make the envelope I cut the second black tag in half, length-wise.  I turned the second kraft tag length going sideways, and placed the ATC in the center.   I folded one side of the tag over the ATC, and creased at the fold.  Then, I folded and creased the other side.  Taking one half of the cut black tag, I folded and creased from the bottom (the end without a grommet) about 1 inch, and about 2 inches from the top.  Opening the left side of the kraft tag, I taped the bottom inch of the black half to it and taped the other side to middle interior.  The velcro closure was added.

Then I taped the whole envelope to the back of the tag.

I tangled, gold on black, white on kraft, where the envelope showed, and slid the ATC inside, folding the top half of the black over to enclose it.

As it happened, the May Arts paper raffia ribbon I received as part of my DT package was nicely color-coordinated, and made the perfect loop for my tags.

Check out the VLVS! Store for all your stamping needs and the  VLVS! Blog for new projects and news every day. Follow VLVS! as the VLVS! Forum - VLVS! FB - VLVS! Pinterest - VLVS! Twitter.








Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Pretty Bird Tags

I love stamps that are very clear and deep. I like them to stamp impressions that are vibrant.

This ELEGANT BIRD STAMP fits the bill. NO pun intended HA HA!

Here is my completed project, two pretty unusual Christmas tags.

I just love decorating my handmade Christmas gifts with Handmade tags, it adds a certain something to the gift.

And as I always say Art does not have to be complicated.

These are SO easy.

1. Stamp your ELEGANT BIRD IMAGE onto a piece of cardstock.
2. Grab your favorite medium, watercolor, markers, paints. Whatever you want to use, i used my trusty Sharpies. YUP, i love Sharpies. The colors are fun and vibrant, and cheap. No, they probably won't be around forever, the colors will fade but it doesn't matter to me, so if this matters to you, plan accordingly.
3. I then paperpunched my borders.
4. Strung some ribbon on them which adds even more elegance to an already elegant stamp.
5. Give gift.

I told you, easy. Do something today, fun and easy, something that just makes your heart hum.

From my humming heart to yours,
ANg

Monday, November 26, 2012

Create your own patterned paper with Guest Designer Birgit Koopsen!

Hi there! Birgit here again for my second post as a guest designer on the VivaLasVegaStamps blog. So nice to be here again! Today I would like to share a layout with you. It's about our family trip to Malta for fall break. My son and youngest daugther had never been on a plane before so it was a whole new and exciting experience for them. But they loved it!
On our way to malta.layout.birgitkoopsen
As a scrapbooker who loves to create her own patterned paper I'm always looking for great (big) background stamps that I can use is severals ways.
For today's layout I used these 2 beauties:
Postal Background 4 1/2 x 4    Hollywood Bowl/The Beatles 2 x 4 1/2
I wanted to create a multi colored background and instead of using several ink pads I crreated my own colored ink pad. I took an old and unusable Versamark ink pad and added several colors of distress ink.
Patterendpaper.howto.VLVS
To create the patterend paper I used the Postal Background stamp.
On our way to malta.detail3.birgitkoopsen
I used the Hollywood/The Beatles stamp to create the orange strip of paper at the right side.
On our way to malta.detail4.birgitkoopsen
To create the kite tail I first "drew" the line using a paper piecer and then embroidered with black embroidery thread. In every 6th stitch I added a little piece of tissue paper to create the little bows.
On our way to malta.detail2.birgitkoopsen
I hope you liked my post!
Wishing you a lovely day! Happy stamping :)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

DD Inspiration Day #7

Hello!! Welcome to our week full of inspiration using Plate1430! Today is the last day!!


Today's post is by Sandra! Our resident Tangler and drawer! She's put together a collection of "Daily December Beasts: !!!


 While most people are familiar with the Grinch, they are unaware of the Daily December beasts that inhabit the North Pole.  These critturs hibernate all year long, except for one day.  A different beast wakens each day in December, and runs frantically about the workshops and factories, honking or hooting or chirping.  By this means, the elves always know what day of the month it is when they see or hear the Daily beast.

As you might imagine, pictures or photos of the beasts are rare, but I managed to do some sketches of them (don't ask when or how!) and I'm sharing a few with the world at large.
Leave Sandra some love for her beautiful monsters!!! I'll leave comments open until tomorrow (Monday) morning and then I'll draw a winner from all comments posted on each post. The more times you the comment the better your chances at winning! (One comment per day, please)

Saturday, November 24, 2012

DD Inspiration Day #6

Hello!! Welcome to our week full of inspiration using Plate1430! Stay tuned all week for some amazing works in which the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team has utilized our "December Daily" plate.


Today I bring you work by HERMINE, and this countdown just screams GLORIOUS.

Besides the December Daily plate, Hermine used:


Hermine has wonderful steps all typed out for each piece, but I have it in PDF form, if you'd like it, just leave a message with your email and I'll shoot it over to you!! Here are the final steps after each "smaller project" is complete : Start this project with the focal point, in this case its the number 25 because that is Christmas day.  Then decorate some of the larger hearts. Don’t over decorate all the hearts but keep at least half of them clean and simple to avoid an overkill. The hardest part is to assemble 31 little projects into one big one.  Start the tie your focal point in the middle and work from there.  Tie the strings with a single knot so you will be able to pull up or lower down the hearts if needed. When you are happy with the layout of all the hearts you tie a double knot in each and everyone. Another advice is to hang your project already at the spot you want the finished project to hang so you see how the layout works out best. 


And a daily mini full of wonders by leslierahye:




For This Project:


Miscellaneous Trims & Ribbons, May Arts Trim, Dollar Tree reindeer ornaments, Dollar Tree Christmas Quiz Card Game, Chipboard, Cardboard, Cardstock, Sheet Protectors, Transparency Sheets and Media, Envelopes, book paper, crepe paper and Memorabalia, Artists Spackle, acryllic paint, Prima roses, Tattered, Angels Mists in Apple and Lobster Red and Glam in Camel, Barn Red, Walnut Stain Distressed Inks, Rangers Black Archival Ink, Assorted circle punches & Word Window Punch, Sizzix and Spellbinders Die Cuts, Bind It All and coils, lined note paper, office supply clips and rings, foam tape, Tombow liquid glue and Sakura Crystal Lacquer




Leave a comment, show them some much deserved love!

Friday, November 23, 2012

DD Inspiration Day #5

Hello!! Welcome to our week full of inspiration using Plate1430! Stay tuned all week for some amazing works in which the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team has utilized our "December Daily" plate.

 First up in line today is JUDY and she's got a super cool altered canvas!



Wrinkle several pages of pale yellow tissue paper and smooth out a little bit. Adhere the pale yellow tissue paper with gel medium as an adhesive to cover front and sides of 8" square canvas. Set aside to dry.
Several Christmas trees from #1431 were inked with Memento bamboo leaves and Archival olive ink on the pale yellow tissue paper, cutout and applied to canvas. Tree tops were used as small tress in foreground.
The left and right ornate images from #1431 were inked with archival olive on the pale yellow tissue paper, cutout and applied to top corners of canvas.
Santa was inked and stamped on white paper and cutout. Small bits of collage was trimmed away from Santa collage. Distress markers and white paint on beard were used to color Santa before applying to canvas. Sharpie pen (gold) was used to color Santa's buckle.
December daily images from #1430 were inked on the pale yellow tissue using archival black ink and cut close before adhering to canvas with gel medium.
Several distress inks were applied to canvas to give a vintage look.
Joy stamped image was inked on Kromecote cardstock, while still wet Ultra High Gloss embossing powder was poured on and off and then heat set. The letters were cutout, stained with distress and applied to canvas.
White glue was added to bottom of canvas, flocking powder was added to resemble snow. White paint was applied to some of the lower branches on Christmas trees.
Use dremel tool with small drill bit to make two sets of holes on top of canvas. Flatten a dinner fork with a hammer. Thread and twist each set of wire all the way through the canvas and into the wood frame to hold the fork on top of canvas.
Several round tags were made with a die. Each tag was stamped with an image from December Daily #1430. Distress inks were used to apply color to tags. Black threads were strung to each numbered tag and laced in and out of the fork tines as a holder. Each tag will represent a December Daily number leading up to Christmas Day.
A coin envelope was attached to back of canvas to house the extra daily numbers.
 
Supplies
#1431:
Memento bamboo leaves ink, Archival Olive and black ink, Distress markers, Distress inks, Golden gel medium, White glue, Flocking powder, Sizzix tag die, Pale yellow tissue paper, White cardstock, 8" canvas, Scissors, Black crochet thread, White acrylic paint, Sharpie pen, Paint brush, Dremel tool with very small drill bit, Thin wire, Dinner fork ($ shop find), Coin envelope
Then up we have SUSAN who's put together this astounding 7gypsies holder!!!

She started with a 7 Gypsies Revolving Clear Stamp Holder that has been saved for this kind of memory project - an Altered Christmas Card spindle. She began by gathering all the saved Christmas cards from over the years {and this project needs a LOT of them}, the December Daily stamp plate, recycled 6x9 envelopes for making pocket pages, tag/label and various paper punches, black and brown dye inks, miracle tape, and misc holiday patterned paper, ribbons, stickers and ephemera....safe to say anything and everything saved for that holiday scrapbook! 

This has been a project Susan has been dreaming about for years and now has brought it to life. She has several of these spindles, with ATCs and technique pages and shares, "this project would not have been possible without the coordinating hand slot punch made for the 7 gypsies spindles." Now for the fun. She punched tons of cards, envelopes and patterned paper pages {over a hundred to fill this all the way around with room to grow} and mounted to the spindle along with the unused vinyl sleeves that came with the spindle. She reserved these for special cards and photos. 

Then she began creating an assortment of embellishments using the VLVS! December Daily stamps by stamping on assorted patterned and misted papers and tags. Punches are so much fun to make quick and easy layered embellishments by punching around the stamped image. **A TIP** turn your punch upside down so that you can see the item you are punching around for a precision placed cut. In no time at all she had a table full of holiday goodness to add to the endless pages of cards and holiday photos to be cherished for years to come. She will be sharing more of this project throughout the month of December on her blog HERE.



The design team is doing SUCH an AMAZING Job! I hope you're getting lots of inspiration from them each day, don't forget to leave them some love and be entered for a chance to win your OWN December Daily Plate!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

DD Inspiration Day #4

Hello!! Welcome to our week full of inspiration using Plate1430! Stay tuned all week for some amazing works in which the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team has utilized our "December Daily" plate.


First today is LYNEEN! She's created this wonderful Christmas Calendar and says "
Each day during the month of December I will feature each ornament along with an idea to do with the family each day... my count down to Christmas Day be sure to stop by my blog http://dreamingofcastles.blogspot.com/ "

 Along with Plate1430 Lyneen used : 
Swirl stamps
 Viva Las VegaStamps! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

Other Supplies:
 Ink VersaFine Black, Tim Holtz Distress, VersaMark, Green Glitter, Sakura Crystal Lacquer, Sand paper and Nail file, Pattern Paper, Tissue Paper Paint (old sewing pattern), Bakers Twine, Paint brush, Scissors, Display - Vintage Window and decorative Snowflakes.



 
1- Paint one side of the chip board ornaments with an off white color - let dry. Figure 1
2- Adhere pattern paper to the back side of the chip board ornaments. With sand paper & file sand them to get crisp clean edges.
3- Stamp December Daily Numbers on tissue paper that has been sprayed with hairspray to keep the ink from bleeding. Heat emboss numbers with VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder. Figure 2
4- Stamp images directly on the back (paper) side of the chip board ornaments. Heat emboss numbers with VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder.
5- Distress with Tim Holtz ink direct from pad to chip board ornaments.
6- Add green glitter to the edge of each ornament. Use Sakura Crystal lacquer as the glue.
7- On the painted side of the chip board ornaments randomly stamp swirls with Tim Holtz Distress ink. Heat emboss numbers with VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder.
8- User VersaMark Pad, directly apply to the swirl side of chip board ornaments, add the tissue paper number and apply VersaMark to the number. Cover with Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder and heat. The ornament almost looks like glass.
9- Tie bakers twine to each chip board ornaments at varying lengths, attach to display. My display is an old window I picked up at a thrift store!



 And 2nd today we have SHERI! This may not be your traidtional book, but Sher loves appreciating the little things and has this beautiful, bright Daily album for December:

 

Other VLVS! Used: Chevrons and Harlequin BG
Other Supplies: The covers are from a recycled book, the papers are Create collection by Recollections and The Snap Shot stack by DWCV. ATG tape, Miracle tape, 3 trims from May Arts, Pink trim s from Recollections, Black flower on cover is from Jolee's, 2 tags made from a manila folder, Bubble gum pink dylusion spray, neon green S.E.I. tumble dye spray, sky blue S.E.I. tumble dye spray, hot pink S.E.I. tumble dye spray, alphabet stencil, butterfly mask, black Memento ink pad, pink vivid ink pad, Salty ocean and Picked Raspberry distress ink pads, crop-a-dile to punch the holes, 3 binder rings
 
Let these gals know what you think of their FABULOUS projects and be entered to win Plate1430 all to yourself! :)