Remembering-Memorial Day 2014

When I saw today's CAS Challenge at splitcoaststampers was May Flowers, I immediately thought of poppies in honor of Memorial Day. I decided to try out some paper tole technique with my diecut poppies by cutting some "petals" and layering them over my whole flowers. I used Distress Paint through a dry wall mesh piece for the bg and added some Poppy Parade spatter as well.

Stamps: alphabet stamps Paper: Black, White, Garden Green, Poppy Parade Ink: Poppy Parade, Versafine Onyx Accessories: Memory Box-Prim Poppy die, Dry Wall Mesh, Distress Paint-Broken China, Paintbrush Techniques: Stenciling, Paper Tole, Spatter                                      Read more:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2522312#ixzz32pqXfjdG
I'm also linking this to the Less is More challenge to use a diecut.

Faux Paneling

Stamps: Hardwood, World's Greatest, Family Reunion, Gorgeous Grunge Paper: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Soft Sky dp, book and music pages Paper Size: A2 Ink: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Versamark Accessories: Sponge, tape, Adirondak paint dauber-Espresso, Banner and Pennant punches, twine, Turquoise ep, markers, Stampin' Dimensionals Techniques: Faux Paneling, Omitting With Markers, Embossing

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2521727#ixzz32bSIecqZ

Today's Mixability challenge was to do a faux tile technique with a colored background with added faux grout applied by masking and painting over the prepared bg. I decided to go with a woodgrain bg with faux paneling lines added.

I stamped my Hardwood in Espresso on Crumb Cake then sponged on a bunch of Soft Suede before taping to add the panel lines.

I then daubed my paint over the taped off areas. I pulled the tape off while the paint was still wet.

Pear Plaque

     I hadn't done anything very "messy" or distressed lately and was thinking about doing something in that direction anyway, but then the Friday splitcoast challenges came up and I decided for sure. The Mixability challenge was to make a mixed media creation with some sort of tearing off or removal technique. I went with tape removing paint. The Free for All challenge is to distress so I was set! I was thinking about sending my mom a set of cards for Mother's Day, but decided on making an art piece instead. Here's my final result.

I took a dictionary page and laid it over a 4x4" piece of cardstock that I'd prepared with a glue stick. I tore off the edges of the page. I used an Espresso ink dauber to add the brown to the edges. I stamped my pear in Stazon Olive Green. I used white craft ink from the ink pad lid to white wash in my pear. I mushed a Color Box Verdigris ink pad onto some acetate then used a wet brush to pick up this color to add to the pear and under it and along the edges as well. I dried this with my heat gun then started the removal process sticking a piece of tape to the dried paint.

You can see where I've torn off the paint.

I had added in some chalk inks to lighten up the pear a bit and I went back with tape and removed some here too.

I tried removing through mesh with limited success.

Here's what it looked like post removal.

I used some gold Gelato to add in some highlights on the pear and into the edges as well.

Here are the bare wood frames

I rubbed ink pads, distress ink, acrylic daubers etc and used a wet foam brush to spread it all around.

I used ModPodge under and over my piece. I applied with a foam brush first then went over it with a credit card to smooth out the surface. I had embossed my sentiment on in Early Espresso ep first. I had a lot of fun putting this piece together. Hope my mom likes it!

Stamps: Infinite Goodness Paper: Dictionary Page, white cardstock, Soft Suede, Sticky Back Cork Paper Size: 4x4 Ink: Stazon Olive Green, ColorBox Verdigris and Gold, MS chalk inks, Tim Holtz distress paint-Broken China, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White craft Accessories: Adirondak paint dauber-Espresso, foam brush, Modpodge, Gold Gelato, feathers, twine, Early Espresso ep, Versamarker, gems, Wood frames, Photo Corner Punch, Cutter Kit Distressing Too lTechniques: Paint removal with tape, Distressing, Omitting With Markers, Embossing, White Washing

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2517229#ixzz31EweVbEj

Two Tone Inlays

I have had a lot of fun the past couple of days playing around with a modified die cut inlay technique. I had seen this pretty card from Arizona Maine/Angela and was intrigued by the two tone inlay in the corner. I pulled out my Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish die and went to town. My first cards featured this week's splitcoast color combo: Pool Party with black and white. I went back today and took some step by step photos showing how I achieved the look. Here are the first cards I made.

Here is one of the cards I made today in a different color combo. I'm not as pleased with the placement of the die this time.

I also dry embossed this one for the inlaid embossed look. Here are the step by step photos of the process.

Cut 3 different colors of cs into A2 (4 1/4"x 5 1/2") bases as well as 4"x5 1/4" pieces.

Die cut the first piece with a die that will look pretty in the corner

Take the reverse of the piece you just cut and carefully place it over the second color piece in the corner, lining up the edges well.

Place the die into the reverse and diecut the 2nd color

You may find that you prefer to place the die into the reverse and then lay the 2nd piece over it....either way works well.

Here I have the white base and am assembling the lower solid corner in the 2nd color with the diecut of the third color. Hope you have as much fun as I have with this technique whether you dry emboss or leave it plain. I just love getting 4 fairly quick cards out of the three diecut pieces!

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