Wrinkle Free Distress Oxides Challenge Response

 This is for the tenth and final technique from the Beyond The Blue DT challenge. 

The technique was to use distress oxides to create a background, but not in the traditional way.  The oxides are stamped onto another surface before placing the white paper against that surface to transfer the ink in layers.  The resultant background has a somewhat random mixture of the colors spread throughout, making for a very artistic design.

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Here is my finished card:

I used some black soot and pickled raspberry distress oxide inks to create a space-like background, and completed the card with a cutout moon and robot.  The background just works so well for creating these space cards!  I absolutely love the technique, and I have used it many times.  It is so versatile and easy to use, and the designs always turn out fantastic.

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Until next time!

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Abstract Folded Landscapes Challenge Response

This is for the third technique from the Beyond The Blue DT challenge. 

The technique was to use acrylic paints on my big Gelli plate.  It uses two (or more!) different colors, one on the top of the Gelli plate and one on the bottom, and then you spritz some rubbing alcohol and actually fold the Gelli plate to create the interesting design in the middle.  The resulting design will depend on where you press down on the Gelli plate, with your fingers creating "mountains" on the horizon created by the technique.

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Here is my finished card:

I used some aqua blue for the bottom and a combination of pink and yellow for the top.  The result is an image of a sunset over the ocean that I absolutely love.  Complete with a quote that says "Heaven seems a little closer at the Beach" (which couldn't be more true, right???) and layered on kraft paper, this card came out to be a very pretty design.  Plus, the technique was so much fun.  I will definitely be making more cards like this in the future, and I also plan on using the technique to make a full 8x10 art piece for my craft room.

I will say that you don't need to use the Open paints.  It can be done on a budget with acrylic paints bought at Michaels or other craft or art stores.  However, if you use those acrylic paints, like I did, it works better if you use a thin layer of Matte Gel Medium on the Gelli plate before applying the paint.  This helps keep the paint layer thinner so the technique works as it should.  It's great to know that sometimes there are ways like this to use what you already have in order to avoid buying new supplies.

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Until next time!

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Gel Plate Impressionism Challenge Response

This is for the second technique from the Beyond The Blue DT challenge.  

The technique was to use Distress oxides on my Gelli plate to create a background and then use rubbing alcohol and an image stamp to overlay on top.  I found it works best with a lined image instead of a solid image, because the technique blurs the lines of the stamp slightly.  It also requires a steady hand for the image stamp to center it onto the background design.  This technique is also interesting because it uses both my Misti (love!!!) and an acrylic block for the image stamp, hence the steady hand.

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Here is my finished card:

I love how the light bulb stamp worked on the yellow and orange background created by the technique.  It is almost like the light bulb is actually lighting up the card behind it.

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Until next time!

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Gelli Plate and Dye Reinkers Technique

I joined the Beyond The Blue DT to share some older techniques with a new twist. I'm excited to show off the results of the first technique in the challenge.  

The technique was to use dye reinkers on my Gelli plate. I went a different route and used Distress Oxides by Ranger. The Distress Oxides are a dye and pigment ink combined, and I love how the colors work together. It took quite a bit of the oxide reinkers to do this technique and I combined it with Versamark reinker. 

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Here is my finished card:

I combined bees from Honey Bee Stamps, the jar of jelly beans came from Lawn Fawn, and the stencil is from A Colorful Life Designs. To finish off the card I added glossy accents to the wings on the bee.

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Until next time!

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Warm Winter Wishes

Recently I was asked to make a custom Christmas card order with navy blue and this super cute snowman stamp set. I love everything about this card and I can't wait to do it again. 

Wine Cards

Last night I was inspired to create wine cards. I've been putting it for awhile and I was in a humorous mood. The background is made with watercolor and I stamped on top after it dried.

Picture Heavy Post

Sorry I haven't been posting on here. I've mostly been focusing on my Facebook page and my Instagram account lately. I won't post everything on here, but this was from yesterday. I was inspired by a technique by Laurel Beard and had to pull my supplies out to make a bunch of cards. Once they were posted I also got a message asking to make a birthday card in the yellow spray, so I went to work. I'm waiting on a stamp to arrive for a custom Christmas card order featuring navy blue cardstock, so it's going to be a bit different from what I usually do. 

Rosy Layout

I honestly can't wait to finish this art journal and get into the second one, because this has been so much fun to start. I couldn't find anyone attached to this quote and I found it over Pinterest by typing in "roses" if that helps. I went crazy with my heart punch, washi tape, Dylusions paint, and a couple of stencils.

Digital Stamp Time

I was at a scrapbook retreat last weekend and I honestly enjoyed myself. I learned a ton of techniques, about certain machines if I want to upgrade, and today I'm going to chat about digital stamps! Digital stamps for some reason scare me. I honestly didn't know the best size to print them at or if they'd work with the mediums I use. I made a friend at the event and she explained to me everything to do with digital stamps that just bothered me. Now I'm jumping in hands first! Do you use digital stamps, dislike them, or just plain struggle with them like I did?

Here's the shop that I purchased my digital image from... 

                                           https://www.etsy.com/shop/babycakesdnd

Mixed Media Card

I'm obsessed with mixed media lately and I can't wait to share with you in a future  blog post the happy mail I've got coming my way. I like to switch between my art journal, my handmade cards, and tags with mixed media depending on the amount of time I've got each day. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see crafty hauls on here!

Unbelizeable!

I'm getting close to finishing up my first art journal and I'm thinking about doing a flip through video. The page today was inspired by my trip to Altun HA in Belize. The tour guide kept saying "unbelizeable" and the word has stuck with me for months now. My second art journal and some extra journal supplies arrives today. I'm starting to realize that I've been using my art journal as a use it up journal, a smaller scrapbook, inspiration, and so much more. Everything in it makes me smile and that's the whole point. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Scrapbook Retreat

I got back home from my scrapbook retreat on Sunday afternoon. I left the scrapbook retreat early to have lunch with my husband and to buy my dog Zoe a special dog treat. Over the next few days or so you'll be seeing handmade cards, scrapbook layouts, my art journal pages, and other side projects that I did.Below is one of my favorite stamp sets from Visible Image and I enjoy creating the cracked glass cards in a variety of colors.

I won this paper pack at the retreat in one of the drawings and I can't wait to use it! I'm paper obsessed. Does anyone else love paper? It doesn't have to be patterned paper it could be solid paper, textured paper, and anything else that you can think of. I'm the same with pens, stationery, and art supplies in  general. 

Bags are Packed

I've been working out of this tote for a few weeks now, because I've packed up my art journal, some stamps, lots of ink, stencils, my art journal, pictures, loads of scrapbook paper, art journal, loads of cardstock, adhesive, and the list is endless. The middle pocket is filled to the brim for the retreat this week. It's been years, since I've been to a scrapbook retreat!! Hopefully I meet people and make new friends. The last thing to pack will be snacks, drinks, and the power strip. I need something to keep my phone charged. How often do you do scrapbook retreats? Do you bring anything other than stuff to scrapbook?

World Cardmaking Day

It's World Cardmaking Day!I didn't know what to create today and my husband mentioned creating some Halloween cards. He took me to Hobby Lobby, so I could buy some supplies to make these cards. Hopefully my nieces and nephews like them. The googly eyed spider make me smile. Did you do anything to celebrate World Cardmaking Day? Did you get any craft projects that were sitting around completed?

Decorative Tag

Two things! First, I created and photographed this tag on my new Heidi Swapp mat. It's the first project on this mat, since it arrived yesterday. Currently I'm trying to flatten out the edges, but other than that I love it. Please let me know if you have the mat! Next I had to use this cute panda set again, because there are so many cute ideas! I can't get enough of this stamp set and I love being a guest designer all month long. I've been stamping for years, but it's my first time as a guest designer for a company, so you'll find me screaming with joy all month long. If you aren't following my blog please do so, because there are some amazing crafty events going on this month that I'll be sharing projects from.

Supplies:
Heidi Swapp mat
Cuddle Like Panda Stamp Set
Brutus Monroe Embossing Powder
Gina K. Designs Decorative Tag Dies
Copics
Distress Ink
Archival Ink
Splatter Stamp
Twine
Ribbon

Panda Love

Happy October everyone! I'm a guest designer for Beth Duff Designs this month and can't wait to show you what I did with her "Cuddle Like a Panda" stamp set. I adore this set, because it's so versatile! I embossed three of the panels and left one for someone to write a note on to a friend or a loved one. I added the shadow behind him with a Micron pen to ground the panda. I didn't want him to appear to be floating in thin air on the square panel.

Beth Duff Designs is a new stamp company based in Georgia and she has a variety of photopolymer stamps that everyone would love. The quality of the stamps are amazing and made the USA. If you follow her on her Facebook page you'll get to watch live videos during the week and hear announcements of when she goes live on YouTube. She shares techniques and loves to interact with her customers. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and I hope that you return for more amazing projects coming up later this month.