Flaky Cards!

Hi all!

It's Christmas crunch time!  I have reached the point where things I wanted to do for Christmas start falling off my list as I realize I do NOT have enough time to do it all if I also want to sleep between now and Christmas day!  We did manage to get the tree up but only 1 big tree and Pezza's little mini tree "forest".  Less to take down and put away later right?  With hubby being in fire school 2 nights a week plus Saturdays AND duty crew AND working the fire dept.'s Christmas tree lot plus a Trevor and Jess's baby on the way, Hollyn's gymnastics and girl scouts, my PTO and other school related duties and my constant state of exhaustion for no reason whatsoever some things had to give.  However, I HAVE enjoyed making some Christmas cards though and have another set for y'all today.

Did y'all see the tutorial on stamping with Twinks & Silks HERE?  It's a great way to create stunning pieces quickly and easily.

I used the same stamps & techniques for these 2 sets of cards as I did for the tags in the tutorial.

Here are some close ups.

The subtle shimmer is gorgeous

Pairing Twinks & Silks with your red rubber stamps is a perfect match!  I will have another tutorial up for you tomorrow for more gift tags.  This one will feature my most favorite of the shimmery ColourArte products - Primary Elements Artist pigments.

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I am entering the following challenges:

• Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Christmas
• Craft for the Craic - Favorite Christmas Colors
• Crafts 4 Eternity - Christmas
• Crafty Catz - Last minute Christmas
• Addicted to Stamps - Snowflakes
• Pile It On - Anything Goes Christmas

Tutorial Time! Shimmering Snowflake Tags

Hi all!

Pezza is in gymnastics twice a week, there is a small waiting area lined with chairs for parents & siblings.  I am sitting there and there is another mom whose daughter is in Pezza's class who sits down with her older son.  She proceeds to have him take off his shoes and socks and begins checking him while telling him she is checking him for hand foot & mouth disease because his cousins have it and she is sure he does too. WTF!!!???!!  So as soon as class is over and we are in the car I tell Pez she needs to take a shower immediately.  She wants to know how the disease could be spread and I explain it is transmitted through body fluid so if the girl laughed and got spit on the mat and Pez put her hand in it and touched her eye it could be transmitted.  She was quiet for a few minutes and then I hear eveil laughter and she says Well!  One good thing that would come of getting the disease.  I could just walk up and cough on my enemies and BOOM they're out of school!  UMMMMM....seriously?  We went straight to bio-terrorism?  At the age of 8?  Scary girl this one.....

Anyway, I am back with another tutorial for you today!  They were inspired by the following challenges:

• Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Christmas
• Craft for the Craic - Favorite Christmas Colors
• Crafts 4 Eternity - Christmas
• Fussy & Fancy - Snowflakes & Ribbon

Aren't these tags pretty?  Well they're quick & easy too!

You just need a few items - your tags, 2 stamps (need to be red rubber - clear won't work), Twinkling H2Os, Silks Acrylic Glaze, paint brush and die cuts.  It is helpful to pick out the Twink color first and add a bit of clean water to begin softening the paint.

We are going to begin by stamping with the larger stamp using the Twinks.  Notice how thick the paint is in the picture above.  You want it nice and thick BUT don't load that much paint on the brush when you paint it onto the stamp.  You want to brush the Twinks onto the stamp thinly - try to avoid pooling the paint.  You almost won't be able to see the paint.  Work quickly but you don't need to feel panicky!  After you brush on the Twinks hold the stamp at a distance and mist lightly, then stamp onto your paper.

This technique can be tricky - some stamps work better than others.  I suggest testing it out on a scrap paper first.  Also you can "ghost stamp - if you mist the stamp again you can stamp it again and get a slightly different effect.

Next we are going to use the second stamp with the Silks.  Stamping with Silks is a bit different.

 Spread a small amount of Silks onto a non-stick surface in a thin layer.  Dab your stamp into the paint a few times and stamp onto your paper.

Add a few die cuts or embellishments to finish off the piece.  I love the way the 2 different paints shimmer in different ways - this adds interest to the overall piece.

Grab a set of each and start playing!  The best part?  You can stock up on Twinks RIGHT NOW for 25% off in this weekends flash sale!  This means the Twinks are only $3.23 each!!!  Grab a bunch on ColourArte while you can - the flash sale ends tomorrow!

All that shimmers...!

Hi all!

Long time no see!  We've been having nothing but fun over here!  After a rough start in school Pezza seems to have settled in and we have a grandbaby due in a month!  Trevor, his girlfriend Jess and the baby will all be staying with us.  EGADS!!!

Since last minute is my favorite way to do things I thought HEY I think I'll make all my Christmas cards this year...RIGHT before Thanksgiving.....Gotta keep things exciting!

The following challenges inspired me:

SCS - Sketch challenge
4 Crafty Chicks - Make It Sparkle
Time Out Challenge - Embossing with sparkle

Since I have to make more cards than I have even figured out yet I wanted to keep it simple and repeatable but I still want some pizzazz so I reached for my jars of gorgeous shimmering Silks Acrylic Glaze.

I started with a white piece of cardstock and just swiped over it with Moss Green for the green cards and Carribean Mist for the blue ones.

The sparkle really comes through at the slightest tilt!

I stamped the background images in black Archival Ink.  I stamped the focal image in VersMark and used white embossing powder.  I wish the camera could adequately capture the amazing sparkle of the Silks!

Here is the whole collection for this batch - just 6 or 7 more batches to go!

Have you tried the Silks Acrylic Glazes??? A wonderfully sparkling, versatile, easy to use paint - check them out!

Keeping it Clean & Simple

Hi all!

A new card for today - and a new genre for me - Clean & Simple style.  I did it for the CAS challenge on Splitcoast Stampers - we were to case a card from the featured stampers gallery.  I am also submitting this to the following challenges:

• Gem of a challenge - Embossing
• Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - 1 Layer

I began by masking off a diagonal strip on the white card front using post it notes.  Then I laid a stencil over it and sponged on Moss Green ColourArte Silks Acrylic Glaze - love that shimmer!  I accented the diagonal stenciling with 2 lines of embossing on either side using my Scor-Pal.

 I finished it up with a layered embellishment - I cut felt with a Spellbinders die and then added a flower I made using clay and a silicone mold from Etsy.  Before baking it I lightly brushed it with ColourArte Primary Elements shimmering powder.  I stamped a Studio G $1 sentiment and added purple sparkly Pez-A-Bling on each side.

Thanks for stopping by!

A traveling journal page!

Hi all!

I have finished up the last two traveling journals I have been working on this year with a group of friends from Ireland - this means mine should be making it's return to me soon!

The focus of this journal is the color yellow.  I began similar to a previous post and used sequin waste as a stencil with a Viva Decor product called crystal gel - it is a shimmering gel with iridescent flakes in it.  I also sponged on Oyster Silks through a plant - like stencil.

Next I mixed up some shimmering mists - I prefer to make my own using Luminarte Primary Elements Artist Pigment Powders.  I like the ease of choosing my colors on a whim and the fact that is less expensive to buy the color & shimmer ONCE in the form of a powder and then use that to make a variety of different mediums.  For this piece I mmixed up a yellow of course and then I also used a blue.  You can see the way the two different stenciled designs show through by resisting the spray and making it pool around the designs.

I wanted to add a bit more to it so I took the same plant-like stencil and sponged on one of the newest Silks colors - Moss Green.  I like to mimic and repeat colors and elements to bring some of the chaos together - since I get a little chaotic - in art AND in life!  I felt like it needed a bit of a punch at the end so I grabbed my Heavy Gel Medium and some Apple Blossom Primary Elements and mixed well (see what I mean folks?  This stuff is so versatile!)  I smoothed it on through another stencil - the Harlequin - in a few spots.  The stencils I used here are from Crafter's Workshop.

Just look at that shimmer - the Apple Blossom gel medium GLOWS and the shimmering mists I used as my base just shimmer along with the Moss Green Silks plant stenciled on.  LOVE this stuff.

Stencils are one of my favorite things - I am toying with making some of my own but I am also really coveting Stencil Girl stencils right now.  I swear I could probably easily spend $100 or more!  Great stuff!  Y'all need to check them out!

Giving thanks....new Cut It Up challenge

Hi all!

I hope y'all all had a scary night of trick or treating!  We had some friends over for pizza and then headed out.  Each year Pezza covers a little more ground.  Eventually we'll be doing the whole neighborhood!

She had a blast but she was tired this morning!  She usually gets up on her own but today I had to go in and wake her up.  When I went in to her room I said Pezza....and she said NO!  But we managed to get ready in time and then we went to the door to leave and it was pitch black outside!  I had to check the clock 3 times to make sure we had the time right!

Today kicks off a new challenge over on Cut It Up - the challenge is to do a Thanksgiving project and of course you must use a die cut.  The prize up for grabs - Stampin' Up! goodies from Norma Pimentel.  I have been using this design team position to do some scrapbooking - it's been a great motivator for me but I paused on this challenge - you can only have so many layouts of a turkey dinner KWIM?  And then I had an idea and came up with this instead:

I decided to do a snapshot of what we are all thankful for right now.  I had Pezza write hers out and the rest of us typed ours up.  It's so cute to look back on little kid hand writing and how they lay things out!

I got my cut files from Designs on Cloud Nine - they are part of a set that includes some ADORABLE owls I am hoping to have time for soon!  I cut it all out on my Black Cat using Make the Cut software.

 I gave my acorns some texture with an embossing folder and ink.  Then I wanted to give my leaves some pizzazz and I knew the new Silks Acrylic Glaze colors would be perfect!  Especially if I applied it using Saran Wrap.

You can see the shimmer here - the orange leaves have Chestnut Brown, the yellow leaves have one of my all time FAVE Luminarte colors, Golden Monarch, and the burgandy leaves have one of the amazing new Iridescents, Copper. 

I hope y'all can join us for the challenge on Cut It Up!  Head over to the blog and check out the rest of the Design Team's projects!

Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week

hey y'all!

I am in recovery mode after an incredibly huge amount of shenanigans and hilarity resulting from a weekend visit from Catherine (AKA Silly Skittles) and Ann along with both of their significant others.

We packed in as much as we could and laughed until we cried - literally tears.  Good for the soul!  The slide show below includes more of our antics...



Yes, we were skipping down the aisles of Target...that's how we ROLL!

We are a perfect little group really - our hubbies get along well too.  I see MANY more gatherings in our long futures - next up, a 5K.  We are still trying to decide between the Warrior Dash and the Run For Your Life Zombie Run....

I have been wanting to do more "Series" type work lately so I decided to start with some flowers I really like creating:

I have posted the ones laying down previously though I can't remember if it was here or on the Luminarte blog...I should check....

I can't find them so maybe not....

ANYWHOO, The larger back two were done for FaveCrafts and you can see the full tutorial HERE.

I created these 2 for Pezza's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week - the theme was "You help me grow" so I thought they would be perfect - flowers that don't die!

I began with MDF board of course - my favorite surface.  I covered it with a piece of scrapbook paper and then added layers of white Gesso and acrylic paints to soften the patterns on the paper but not completely cover them. 

Then I gave them some sparkle using Luminart Silks - the orange is put in with a plastic pallette knife and then I sponged on the green and pink through a piece of sequin waste to get the dotted patterns.  Next I stamped on the Butterfly from the Dreamy Daisies Stamp It Australia Set from Crafter's Companion.

The flowers are cut from more scrapbook paper using my Cricut.  I inked the edges and then adhered them in place.  For the centers I mixed Gel Medium and Luminarte Primary Elements Artist Pigment Powder.  I piled it on to the flower centers, added the buttons and Pezza sprinkled on the beads.  Doodling around the outer edges and Silks around the sides of the boards finished everything up!

What would YOU embed in the Gel Medium shimmer mixture???

My Stamps...a completed piece!

Hi all!

Geez where the heck have I been???  I don't even know!   Time flies when you're having fun so I guess I must be having a blast!  hahahah!

A bit of spring fever has been setting in me thinks starting with the clean out of my pantry.  Moving on to some re-painting and cleaning things out.  I have a kids consignment sale I am participating in soon too so that is a good way to light a fire under the clean out and purge process!  I am also going to bring ALL of my patterned paper to a crop for the swap table and START OVER!  I have not bought any patterned paper in several years but I am tired of what I have!  I have been trying to pick out a new paint color for my family room but I am having a terrible time deciding!  I look at the paint chips and I love them ALL!

I am FINALLY getting around to posting the first piece I used my hand carved stamps on!  If you missed those check it out here - Hand Carved Stamps.  I did something completely different from my usual:

I worked on watercolor paper and used Twinkling H2Os for a washed shimmering background.

Next I stamped using Luminarte Silks paints.  I had a spot for each stamp so i could get a look at them all (well except Pezza's Cat).

I am loving how they turned out and can't wait to use them on more things! 

I Brake for Leaf Flourishes!

hello all! 

my post will be quick as I have a date with my pantry - it is in desperate need of an emptying out and re-orginization!  fun and exciting life that i lead....

i have an art journal page to share with you today and it is in my brand spankin' new Stillman & Birn Beta Series journal - wowza!!!  BEST journal i have come across yet for handling loads of wetness - JUST what i needed!  the best part - they are releasing a Zeta Series which will be even better later this month!  i have done several pages in this journal over the last couple days and i am just stunned how different it is than any of the other ones i have.  grnated all my other ones came from Michaels but they SAID mixed media on them.  these pages don't bulk or warp or seep.  LOVE IT!

that being said - here is my first page:

I took a bit of a different approach with my background and began with black gesso instead of white.  Starting with a black base will give your paints and anything you put on it a very different look.

I sponged across the black with Luminarte Silks in pink and coral.  Next I stamped the Leaf Flourish LG image onto a white gesso page using the same pink Luminarte Silk paint.  I cut it into 1.5" squares.

Next I stamped the Leaf Flourish LG and the Leaf Flourish XLG using white chalk ink.  I finished the page off with a saying.  then i added a stenciled key using viva decor crystal gel and some viva decor gel pen dots. 

The detail and fanciful look of these two flourishes are just fantastic!  What would YOU create with them???  Grab them both and get 10% off with my code SAVE10MARTI!