SDC 278 Use Some Kind Of Tape

Or, as I like to call them, WASHI TAPE WONDERS! Seriously. I have half a dresser drawer of washi tape that doesn't get used nearly enough anymore. SOOO, I am in love with this challenge. Did you know we also had a new release this month over at Stampotique? This has to be one of my FAVE releases. So many wonderful pieces of art to play with!

It is a bit more busy than anticipated but it is sooo sweet so how can you be upset, right? I used 4 different kinds of washi tape and then stamped our new hastag stamps over a stenciled background.This new little angel girl is also one of our latest release stamps. I colored her with soft colored pencils. Wanted it to be soft and sweet, just like the image. 

I really hope the recipient of this envelope is happy. It is to make her happy. I love having a few pen pals now. Pen pals are awesome! Annnnnd having a pen pal gives you a reason to create MAIL ART!!! See how that works together? ;)

Please make sure to check out the other design team members for their wonderful creations and break out some Washi tape of your own!! We want to see how creative you can be! Happy taping!

Ingredients:

Angel Girl (Stampotique)
Hashtags (Stampotique)
Hanging Hearts (Stampotique)
Americana Acrylic Paint
Color Box Black Ink
Various Washi Tape
Crayola Colored Pencils
Star Stencil

Word Up!

Its that time again! Starting to really, really enjoy these word up weekends over at Stampotique. It gives me a chance to showcase some of our most snarky (as well as sweet) sentiments. Stampotique has quite a wide range sentiments.

This week I chose one of our new snarky sentiments from our latest sentiment cube. This particular sentiment is the partner to the saying, "Aren't you a little ray of sunshine" and takes it one step further. Love it!!

I also used this adorable Cooee, another of our newest April release. I used my gelatos to watercolor him. I really liked the way he turned out. I used stencils and paint as well as some  crackle paint to create the background for the base. Of course I used my ray stencil with the black crackle paint to create the rays of black. 

At first I was a bit unsure of the black with the orange, teal and green...I didn't want it to end up too Halloween-y but in the end, I feel like it all came together well and that the idea was put across well. 

Now, to update my eyeglasses prescription so I can sit and read for long periods of time again. 

Ingredients:

Cooee: Stampotique

Phrase Cube 2: Stampotique

Dina Wakely Acrylic Paint

Americana Acrylic Paint

Color Box Ink

Lindy's Stamp Gang Black Forest Black Magical Shaker

Faber Castell Gelato

Posca White Paint Pen

Ranger Crackle Paint

American Crafts 

Balzar Designs Number Stencil

Tim Holtz Ray Stencil

Bakers Twine

Micro Fine Glitter

A Little Something Extra

So, back a month or two ago I found these cool gear drink containers at Walmart on clearance. One was a warm beverage tumbler and one was a cold beverage tumbler. They had coloring sheets that slip inside the tumbler. Of course, I wasn't thinking of the coloring sheets....I wanted to create something with the latest Stampotique release....so that is exactly what I did.

What I did not anticipate was how difficult it would be to get a good PHOTO of the tumbler when I was done! Yeesh! Finally, the sun came out and that, of course, did help. So, hang onto your hats, this is going to be a photo heavy post.

So this month we had a new release at Stampotique and I was excited to see that there was a merMAN in the bunch to round out the mer-collection. Of course, I wanted to do an underwater scene like, ASAP....so that is exactly what I did here.

I started with a background using Bristol smooth surface paper and Dylusions ink sprays mixed with Heidi Swapp Color Shine ink sprays to create an underwater look. I used Americana acrylic Paint to create colored bubbles and then stamped circles (from Stampotique) to create even more bubbles. The squiggles are also Stampotique. ;) I loaded up with the stamps on this project!

Then, enter the merpeeps and octo-pet. I water-colored the images using Fabre Castell gelatos. I have had a lot of fun using these for water-coloring recently as they fill the gaps left by my watercolor pencils where I am short on certain colors.

I decided to outline the images more boldly with a permanent black marker to make them pop better. One downfall to creating something with a specific color story is realizing it all blends together.

I love how the images, when put all together created a sense of motion and a sense that they were, indeed, underwater! I was very excited to see this project come together. 

I can say this. Using a thick paper has its drawbacks when you are trying to shove it into a thin space. I had a hard time getting everything to fit since the images created, essentially, a second layer. That being said, once it was in the tumbler it came to life for me all over again.

My son keeps threatening to steal this tumbler from me. He loves the images and he loves that it is so colorful. I have to hide my tumbler from my child, haha!

I am so excited with the way this project turned out. I just have it sitting on the shelf so I can look at it. I have a color beverage tumbler too and cannot wait to get going on a story for it as well, so be sure to check back here soon!

Ingredients:

Smushasha: Stampotique
Snuhubala: Sampotique
Octopet: Stampotique
Circles Cube: Stampotique
Squiggle Arms: Stampotique
Bristol Smooth Surface Paper
Dylusions Ink Sprays
Heidi Swapp Color Shine
Americana Acrylic Paint
Fabre Castell Gelatos
Mod Podge
Cool Gear Tumbler
Clear Snap Black Ink
Ranger Archival Black Ink

ATC DIY Stamping!

Do you ever look at your mixed media projects and wish you had a different way to add pattern or texture? Or, are you on a budget like I am and don't want to spend money on a fancy background stamp? Yeah. Been there.

So....this is what I do....I create something using whatever I have lying around.

For this I used jute twine and bubble wrap. Both subtle, but exactly what I needed to create a fun pattern for my ATCs. I used Americana acrylic paint in lieu of ink.

The houses are Stampotique, of course, and this time I broke out my Copic markers as well as my Prima markers. They blend well together, which is awesome! I love the whimsy of these houses and had a lot of fun imagining a color scheme for them. 

I added some doodled boarders and a couple of cute sentiment stickers to round off the whimsy. I am excited to swap these, but kind of sad to see them go as well. It is always hard to swap away something you like, but if you like it, then you know your partner will appreciate it as well. 

Did you know Stampotique also carries an ATC stamp for the back of all of your ATCs and it is delightful with its webs and skull spiders. Be sure to check it out! 

Ingredients:

Stitched Houses

Bubble Wrap

Jute Twine

Americana Acrylic Paint

Teresa Collins Sticker Sentiment

Copic Markers

Mail, Mail, Here Is The Mail

Congratulations! If you have ever watched Blue's Clues you now have an obnoxious preschool song stuck in your head....

ANNNND now you have a Jefferey Dallas song stuck in your head. Muahahaha. Did I mention I am kind of manic lately? Yeah. Lots of stuff going on, so now I am being dorky. Hope that's okay.

So, recently I reconnected with a dear friend of mine and, like myself, she loves to color and with the new "fad" that has finally caught up to the both of us I wanted to print some free coloring pages and send them to her.

Years ago now, probably at least 5 years? She sent me this amazing box with glitter, paint and washi tape ALL over it. I swear this is STILL glitter in my dining room from that box. I wanted to create something just as special for her that she could keep or hang (or toss, whatever) but make it also be meaningful and make her smile.

I started with a manila envelope (size, 10 x 13...YIKES) and laid down a generous layer of Gesso. I didn't want the colors to mute or get muddy. I also didn't want the watercolors seeping through the paper and creating a ripped up mess either. 

Once that dried, I used my favorite technique of watering down my Dylusions spray inks and creating a beautiful piece of art. I just love this technique and was SO happy with the outcome this time!! I used some stencils and paint to add some more pattern/interest and, of course, used my faber castell black pen and my posca pen (white) to doodle like mad. 

I tried something different too. I decided to stamp these girls on label paper, like, what you would get at staples? Colored them with colored pencil and cut them out with my fussy scissors. It was perfect! No way these gals are coming off in the mail! No worry about how to affix them or masking them off. It worked so well! 

I really can't wait to take this to the post office tomorrow and send it on its way. REALLY can't wait for the recipient to get it though! I hope she loves it! 

Ingredients:

Stampotique Stamps:

Marsha

Sargent

Hanging Hearts

Just Keep On 

Stencil Girl Circles 

Dylusions Circle Stencil

Dylusions Ink Sprays

Ranger Gesso

Posca White Pen

Faber Castell Black Pen

Ranger Archival Black Ink

Folk Art Acrylic Paints

Americana Acrylic Paints

Label Paper

Colored Pencils