Time Piece

     I had watched an awesome tutorial by Gabrielle Pollacco where she made a mixed media art journal. Then yesterday my DD and I hit the thrift store 50% off sale and I found a broken clock. She made fun of me for purchasing it, and honestly, I do buy a lot more "to do" projects than I ever accomplish, but I had to make this one if for no other reason than to show her that my $1.50 hadn't gone to waste!  

Here's how it all began....I loved the metal base!

I die cut the gears and cut pieces from dry embossed cs with Pocket Watches and Steampunk ef's.

I painted two coats of Gesso over this. The "metal" piece on the edge is a piece of a coffee can foil lid that I dry embossed.

Ready to start the process (I later moved the arrow)

I painted my grunge board letters with a coat of Gesso and glued them into place (I moved the arrow down)

Starting to mess things up! This is Terra Cotta spray that I then sprayed with water

I added daubed acrylics and some alcohol inks painted on

Here's a close up of the final piece. I added some copper and Verdigris inks then used Versamark and a mix of eps to add some metal. I used black acrylics around this and the embossed foil for more definition. I went back and added some more acrylic paint and chalk inks on the bg too.

Book Pages Forever

The finished card

     I had so much fun putting together this card. Lots of leftover elements went into the card. I started with the idea of book page flowers sponged along the edges and with using a piece of this bg I had created a while back also using book pages.

I layered a bunch of scrap pieces of book pages leftover from a previous project. I painted over them with Gesso then reinkers.

Here's the finished project from another angle

The inside of the card

Lots of fun dimension!

 Stamps: Mixed Greetings, Timber Wheel Paper: Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse, Book Pages Paper Size: A2 Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Baked Brown Sugar Accessories: Nestabilities Circles, Cheery Lynn-Fanciful Flourish, Distressed Texturz Plate, Birds and Blooms dies, Gesso, Reinkers, Brads, Piercing tool, Sponge, ModPodge, Gesso, glue dots Techniques: Sponging in the Die, Sponging, Distressing, Dry Embossing                                                     Read more:   http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2499848#ixzz2wcRFDL7b

Using the Reverse

I had to make a couple more cards inspired by Loll's gallery of goodies. I saw a few CASEs of the pretty card below and thought I could make a quick rendition last night incorporating fringe for the Technique Challenge. I didn't keep it quite as CAS as the original card. 

Loll's beautiful card

My version-a bit grunged up and with the fringe on the left.Stamps: Timber Wheel, Gorgeous Grunge, So Many Sayings Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla Paper Size: A2 Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso Accessories: Secret Garden Framelits, Cork Sheet, Early Espresso Marker and ep, Versamarker, Sponge, Crimper Techniques: Sponging, Omitting With Markers

Read more: 
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2498528#ixzz2wKR6p3dW
I purposely cut my cork from a large piece so that I could use the reverse on a 2nd card. I had originally thought to use the same layout, but drifted a bit from that original plan ;)

Here's the final result. I had cut a piece of dp intending to lay my cork piece to create the split panel as in the first card, but liked the way it looked centered. I then added my sentiment tab backed with a piece of fringed burlap.Stamps: Hampton Arts sentiment Paper: Kraft, Early Espresso Core paper, Neutral pattern pack dp Paper Size: A2 Ink: Crumb Cake Accessories: Tim Holtz Woodgrain ef, stapler, sanding block, Earl Espresso marker, Designer Label Punch, Burlap, Buttons, Cork Sheet, Sponge, Burlap String, Foam squares Techniques: Reverse Die Cut, Sponging, Dry Embossing, Sanding, Sponging, Omitting With Marker
Read more:
 http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2498530#ixzz2wKSMdhrp

Cherry Blossoms for Loll

Today's CAS challenge is a featured stamper challenge to CASE a card from the amazing Loll Thompson's gallery. Loll is one of my CAS heroes-she manages to make clean and simple look simply amazing EVERY time! Here's the beauty I chose to CASE.

Cherry Blossoms Thank You by Loll Thompson

I didn't have the same cherry blossom stamp so I went with another. I decided to go a bit warmer with Vanilla cs instead of white for my base and I used a reverse mask with the postage punch to sponge my squares instead of sponging in a die.

I colored my flowers with Pink Pirouette and Blushing Bride markers-the images were stamped in Soft Suede. I traced around them with Sahara Sand and also colored the leaves with it. I added some white marker accents. It is hard to see in the picture, but I've sponged the center square already.

Here's the mask in place for the sponging.

Stamps: Artfully Asian, Small Script Paper: Very Vanilla, Mocha Morning dp Paper Size: A2 Ink: Soft Suede Accessories: Postage punch, sponge, markers, stampamajig, blender pen, stampin' chalk marker Techniques: Reverse Masking, Sponging

  Read more:   http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2498424#ixzz2wGX4d0mw
Hope you'll check out Loll's gallery and play along in the
 CAS Challenge.

Masking Fluid Masterpiece Redo

     I had pulled out some printed art from frames that I was using for pieces I'd made and saw a technique on Pinterest that used print on canvas as a stepping off point. I used masking fluid for my peel off instead of stickers. 

Here's the print with the dried masking fluid

I used a foam brush to paint the black acrylic paint over the top. I dried this layer then painted another layer with the brush marks going in the horizontal direction.

Here's what it looks like dried.

I used my craft knife to get the lift off started then carefully peeled off the masking fluid.
Here's the final product with all the masking fluid removed and some leaves and cherries added on with pigment inks. I added some washi tape accents.Stamps: Best Blossoms Paper: Art print Paper Size: 5x7 Ink: Ruby Red Craft, MS chalk ink Accessories: Masking Fluid, Paint Brush, Black paint, Washi tape, metal mesh Techniques: Masking Fluid Resist

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2497622#ixzz2w4RazLdf

Bag Mono-printing

Here's the first card I wound up with using my mono-printed background piece. It is a fun technique to play with.

Stamps: Wonderful Words, Studio G Dragonflies Paper: Marina Mist, Island Indigo, Elegant Eggplant, Gumball Green, Wisteria Wonder Paper Size: A2 Ink: Pool Party, Baja Breeze, MS chalk inks, Island Indigo, Versamark, Wisteria Wonder Accessories: Clear ep, dry wall mesh tape, sponge, silver cord, Cheery Lynn Pair of Ferns, floral spray, MS seam binding, Stickles Techniques: Bag Monoprinting, Sponging, Embossing

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2497344#ixzz2vzfvxjoZ
   

Smeared the plastic bag with my ink pad-spritzed with alcohol then pressed the paper into it.

 

Took a wet brush to the ink this time

Let the inky water drip down

Here's what they look like dried

This time I wet my finger and swirled the ink around

Here's the prints at this point. I then stamped the paper with my dragonflies and lightly spritzed before adding them to the print.
When I put together the card, I added lots of chalk ink accents.

Here's a card using the 2nd piece. Lots of added watercolor and markers over the bg piece. 
Stamps: World Treasures, Words of Wisdom, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Stampendous-Jumbo Peony, Michael's feather Paper: Perfect Plum, Island Indigo, Natural White, scrap from wedding invite Paper Size: A2 Ink: Marina Mist, Island Indigo, Versamark Accessories: Markers, Watercolor crayons, paint brush, MS seam binding, Designer Label punch Techniques: watercoloring, Bag Monoprinting

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2497919#ixzz2wAOhChGC

Asian Sketch and CASE

     I had the opportunity to use the pretty color combo from today's color challenge. The first card is made as a sample for this week's sketch from Janette.

     I flipped the sketch to accommodate the vertical image I was using. 

       I used the inlaid embossing technique on my leaf strip. Such an easy look to achieve by gluing die cut shapes to a strip before embossing with an embossing folder with a close, overall pattern such as the Square Lattice that I used here. My image was inked with markers, spritzed with water then stamped onto paper also spritzed with water.

 Here's a close up of both the techniques. I added detail to my images by watercoloring with ink from the ink pad lids followed by pointillism dots added in with markers. I added some Sahara Sand marker around the images as well. I stamped some spatter on as well too.

Stamps: Asian Artistry, Gorgeous Grunge, Petite Pairs Paper: Natural White, Pistachio Pudding, Always Artichoke Paper Size: A2 Ink: Marina Mist, Always Artichoke Accessories: Water Spritzer, Sponge, Cutter Kit Distressing Tool, Oval Punches, Little Leaves Die, Square Lattice and Tulip Frame efs Techniques: Inset Embossing, Distressing, Sponging, Omitting With Markers, Watercoloring with ink pad, Spritzing

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2496215#ixzz2viVbiG00

     Here's a second card I made with the same pretty colors. This one is a CASE of this beautiful card by pawallen142, Queen Penny. 
Stamps: Asian Artistry, You're My Type Paper: Natural White, Pistachio Pudding, Always Artichoke, Marina Mis tPaper Size: A2 Ink: Always Artichoke, Marina Mist, Pistachio Pudding Accessories: Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Candy Dots, Sponge, Paintbrush, Markers Techniques: Omitting With Markers, Sponging, Painting with Ink From Ink Pad Lids

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2496220#ixzz2viWZw5c6

Sketch Cards

Such a fun sketch from Cathy this week for the sketch challenge at splitcoaststampers.  

When I'm working on my sample cards for the challenge, I usually start with an image or stamp set in mind. I thought about using a coffee set and neutral colors since I didn't have a chance to make a second card for yesterday's CAS challenge which was one that I was privileged to choose! I decided on a neutrals only challenge.  Once I pulled my coffee set out (which I don't think had seen ink yet) I realized that the large coffee cup might look better if the sketch were oriented differently. I'm kind of a spatially challenge person so the best way for me to play around with sketches is to actually turn the printed sketch around to help me to see what it looks like in different orientations. I ended up with a horizontal card.

I combined image and sentiment from the Perfect Blend set with spatter from the Gorgeous Grunge set-a new favorite of mine for backgrounds. I pieced the coffee sleeve adding some texture by crimping.  My Early Espresso ink pad is MIA so I embossed both the cup and sentiment.  I added some sponging to my print dp and bg piece. Once I had the sentiment placed, I felt like the card was a bit out of balance so I threw the piece of burlap on there. I used my favorite twine which comes from our local ACE hardware store!

I popped the whole panel on dimensionals since the twine is so chunky. Here are a couple of other shots of the card.

Stamps: Perfect Blend, Gorgeous Grunge Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Neutral Patterns Pack dp Paper Size: A2 Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Baked Brown Sugar, Versamark Accessories: Crimper, Early Espresso ep, sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, burlap, twine, mini glue dot Techniques: Paper Piecing, Embossing, Sponging, Crimping, Stamping Off

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2493301#ixzz2v37uIFhc

Here's my second card which I think I'll set aside for my Dad's 80th birthday. For a previous birthday he got a shirt that said, "I'm not aging, I'm marinating!" My image panel is all one layer with layered stamping and sponging. I distressed my edges to go with the "aged" theme. My sentiment is embossed with Early Espresso ep and my pocket watch is a mix of ep that I use when I want the look of aged metal. Here's a closeup of the watch.

This is a really fun sketch to work with. Hope you'll come and play along at the sketch challenge this week.

Stamps: Clockworks, Artifacts, Stampabilities-Aged to Perfection Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla Paper Size: A2 Ink: Smoky Slate, Basic Grey, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Versafine Ony xAccessories: Natural Trim, Linen Thread, Cutter Kit Distressing Tool, Sponge, Mix of ep and Early Espresso ep Techniques: Distressing, Sponging, Embossing

Read more:   http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2493303#ixzz2v38KXQ4S

I couldn't resist making one more card with the neutrals I still had out on my desk and even used up some "leftovers"

I dry embossed and sanded my Espresso piece that has a lighter core. I also inked up the same ef and embossed my twill tape. I had the fern and the cardboard piece in my stash of leftovers. I found the sentiment in a vellum quote pack.

Stamps: Timber Wheel Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso core paper, Crumb Cake, Gumball Green, Soft Suede textured, Vellum quote pack, cardboard Paper Size: A2 Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede Accessories: Tim Holtz Woodgrain ef, Cheery- Lynn-Pair of Ferns die, circle punches, Twill Tape, Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon, stapler, vellum tape, sanding block, cutter kit distressing tool Techniques: Dry embossing, Distressing, Sponging, Sanding

Read more:   http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2493715#ixzz2v9KsUNED