SOS574: Congratulations

Graduation and wedding season is upon us, so the new challenge at Shopping Our Stash is especially timely. We'd like to see CONGRATULTIONS cards: for any occasion, in any style, using any items from your stash. Then you can congratulate yourself on being ready for the next big occasion!

I raided my stash of older Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi stamps, including Delightful Art; as well as some of my favorite shades from Wendy's signature Archival Ink collection. I found that cool green leafy overstamped panel AND the pale blue embossed piece in my box of leftover bits; the silver dragonfly brads are from The Ink Pad (♥♥♥!) years and years ago; the two yellow mats are from my stash. 

"SOS574: Congratulations" runs until the evening of Monday, June 1st. Hop over to SOS to see the inspiring Crew cards and start planning what you'll link up with us this time.

SOS557: With Sympathy

The new challenge at Shopping Our Stash (#557) tackles one of the hardest types of card to make (imo); those expressing Sympathy or You're in My Thoughts/Prayers. So it's not a bad idea to have one or two on hand when you need them, right?

I started with a blank 5x7" piece of Simon Hurley Stark White Cardstock (my go-to) and added a torn piece of graph paper* that spans two opposing corners. Then I broke out quite an eclectic mix of stamps to make a collaged background: Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Botanical Register (stamped in Cobalt Archival); Stampendous Leaf Prints (in Sea Grass and Olive); and Stampendous Postage Creations (in Pebble Beach). Altenew's Paint-a-Flower Sweet Peas have center stage; they were embossed with Ranger's Bubbly e/p and watercolored with Tombows that I scribbled onto a mat and picked up with a waterbrush full of isopropyl alcohol**. When the flowers were dry, I added a bit of additional shading with my Prismacolor pencils. 

If you hop over to SOS you'll see the inspiring cards our Crew have made and you can link up your own. SOS557: With Sympathy runs until the evening of Monday, September 22nd.

*If I'm making a collage and suspect I might want to line some of the elements up neatly, it's super-helpful to add in an element that has fairly consistent horizontal lines: text paper, graph paper, sheet music, even patterned paper with subtle lines or checks is perfect for this; you can then stamp words, add alphabet stickers or line up strips of washi perfectly with NO measuring! ;) 

**One of my favorite tips from Wendy Vecchi is to use rubbing alcohol instead of water for watercoloring and smooshing, even when the inks are water-based. For some reason, the alcohol DOES NOT warp or pill cardstock the way water does. I assume this involves something sciencey, like the fact that alcohol dries and evaporates much more quickly...? (Honestly I have no idea WHY; I just know it works, lol!)

JB2514: Poinsettia Perfection

We're attempting "Poinsettia Perfection" this fortnight at Jingle Belles, for which we're making holiday cards that feature... (as you may have guessed, lol) ...poinsettias; but other holiday blooms, plants or greens are also included, such as mistletoe, holly and pine. Here's my card:

I have a few choices for holiday foliage and flowers, but one of my favorite options is the Christmas Add-On set for Wendy Vecchi's Essential Envelope dies from Spellbinders. I used the triple holly leaf die on two shades of glimmery yellow/gold cardstock to build double-layer poinsettias, which the set's  feathery foliage die complements beautifully. I broke out Wendy's Studio 490 Perfectly Plaid stamp to use as the background (embossed in Ranger's Vintage Pearl powder) and again on a Statements Chippie (in Marigold powder). A sage green mat and some WV Washi Tape complete the design of my 5.5" square card.

Check out Stephanie's card at Jingle Belles and then start thinking of what sort of festive foliage you'll use to make a card. Link up with JB2514: Poinsettia Perfection by 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 16th.

SOS529: Just Because

Did you know that August 27th is National Just Because Day? If so, you've probably already guessed that we're looking for all-occasion, no-particular-reason cards this fortnight at Shopping Our Stash! Which means we can get right to my card, perhaps the most flat-but-layered thing I've ever made?

I raided my big box of unused backgrounds for the bluey-green panel (composed of blended Oxide Inks, lots of over-stamping and Taylored Expressions' Rosy Posey Embossing Folder) added a torn strip of bright white sheet music onto which I applied LOTS of 49 and Market Kaleidoscope Rub-on Transfers; a cluster of diecuts (also 49 and Market) and I even lucked into a pre-colored Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 flower sprig in exactly the right shades (Night Sky, Garden Patinga and Leaf Green Archival Inks). I finished off with a whole bunch of distressed edges and a bit of machine stitching; whereupon this A6 card was complete.

Be sure to venture over to SOS to see what the rest of the Crew have made and start planning your own "Just Because" card. This challenge runs until the evening of Monday, September 9th.

Favorite Mug

Everyone probably has a favorite mug for drinking their morning coffee or tea, but if you stamp your own with Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Mug Art Stamp Set and use Eyelet Outlet Brads and Tapes to decorate them, EVERY mug can be your favorite!

In the photo above, the combinations are as follows: Popcorn and Ticket Brads paired with Movie Brads on a background of Ticket Washi Tape; a handsome Toucan from the Tropical Birds set atop Cloud Washi and Funky Bird Tape; a Flamingo and two Cactus Brads on Cactus and Flamingo Tape with a border of Pink Dot Washi; Beer Brads and a Lizard from the Reptile Set over Wood and Gear Washi Tapes; Colored Daisy Brads and a Mini Ladybug on gorgeous Wide Sunflower Tape; and finally a Unicorn Brad on a rainbow canvas of Multi Color Dot Washi.

The Eyelet Outlet Store is bound to have a Brad and Washi Tape combination that will be YOUR favorite! 

Bold & Bright

It's a coolish, greyish day in central New Jersey, which seems like the perfect time for a big, bold Mandala to brighten up your Monday! This one features Wendy Vecchi's Garden Party stamps from Spellbinders; radiant, radiating, rainbow shades of Wendy's Archival Inks from Ranger; and a whole lot of MAKE ART and Studio 490 stamps and stencils applied over and under the hand-drawn mandala shapes I rendered with my Letter It Fineliners. 

I work on mandalas in many different ways to keep things interesting, but for those interested in process, this piece went... roughly... like this:

• Lightly pencil-sketch a few concentric circles, centered on an 11x11" piece of bristol board. An old school compass is good for this, you can even trace rolls of tape or your nested circle dies, but I do also love the Helix Circle Tool!
• Apply Archival Inks with a Mini Ink Blending Tool and Domed Foams, working in rings from the center outwards and allowing them to blend wherever they overlap. Colors are: Prickly Pear, Bluebird, Night Sky, Cactus Flower, Rosey Posey, Peachy Keen, and Sunflower... then around again to Prickly Pear, etc.
• Stamp the large floral cluster from the Garden Party set in the center in Watering Can Archival.
• Add background patterns by stamping a variety of small elements and portions of large background stamps more or less randomly, in coordinating colors.
• Draw the basic structural lines with a .01 or .04 Letter It Fineliner, again working from the center outwards; starting with the two large concentric circles, adding large petal shapes and large circles between the petals.
• Add detail lines and shapes such as the rings of smaller circles and petals, plus the secondary "shadow" lines inside or outside the larger shapes.
• Using sticky notes to mask if necessary, neaten up the loose rings of color with Ranger Detail Blending Tools; for example I applied more Bluebird ink to the area around the Garden Party florals so the circle border is a darker green; I pulled more Peachy Keen out into the large hand-drawn petals; darkened the ring of smaller circles around the center, etc.
• Add more definition with a white paint pen in the form of lines, dots and small hearts, then outline with a .01 Fineliner.
• One final neatening up of shapes and shadow lines with coordinating brush pens wherever necessary.

Bloomin' Beauties

I'm constantly inspired by Wendy Vecchi and Cassie Lynch, especially when it comes to the building of "flat layers" by which I mean adding lots of inking, stamping and stenciling in a "collagey" style... thereby achieving the appearance of dimension and texture WITHOUT the bulk or weight of physical layers. I'm still practicing at this skill, but I think today's background is pretty good!

I "smooshed" several shades of Wendy's Archival Inks from Ranger (Bluebird and Prickly Pear to be precise) onto the Craft Mat attached to the back of my MAKE ART Stay-tion, spritzed with rubbing alcohol, then picked up the result with a panel of cardstock. When it was dry (which is nearly immediate using alcohol and Archivals) I added a cascade of stamped leaves in Leaf Green; some text in Night Sky and a few stenciled dots in Bluebird. When my flat background was complete, I added a few torn strips of Wendy's Washi Tape, and added flowers from the Spellbinders' Vintage Florals Die Set, which I stamped Perfectly Plaid in Tea Rose and added some Sunflower Ink on top. I started out with leaves and centers that were Fern Green and Bluebird, respectively, but at the last minute I swapped them for plain which which somehow simultaneously made them blend in AND stand out better?!

If you are not following @wendyvecchi and @mk_knits on Instagram you are missing some VERY good stuff, I tell ya! Additionally, Facebook users will enjoy the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Group, where you can get lots of ideas and inspiration from fellow Vecchians, as well as post your own Wendy-centric creations. Either way, be sure to catch Tip Tuesdays which are absolutely always full of beauty and practical tips!

It's Wendy's Day on Thursday

Does anyone know if there's a twelve-step program for embossing? Because I seem to be addicted to embossing with Ranger White Embossing Powder on white Perfect Cardstock... then blending various shades of Wendy Vecchi's Designer Series Archival Inks on top.

This card has a rainbow of Archival Inks (Pink Peony, Sunflower, Leaf Green, Bluebird and Cactus Flower) over Wendy's Perfectly Plaid background stamp; and Cactus Flower over her Polka Dots (both are from the Stampers Anonymous Studio 490 collection). I used the Vintage Florals Die Set from Spellbinders' In the Garden collection to diecut a cascade of flowers, leaves and a sentiment. 

I'd write more, but I have a few additional ideas for emboss/resist, so I think I'll sign off for now!

Too Many Prints? (...naaaahhhh...)

I may have gotten slightly carried away combining Wendy Vecchi's Vintage Florals die set (from Spellbinders' In the Garden Collection) with some of her older Studio 490 background stamps (Herringbone and Perfectly Plaid to name just two!) and of course I had to try a few experiments with inking the Flowers and Foliage 3D Embossing Folder before running it through the diecutter... but... it's finally Spring and our gardens are full of a riot of real-life colors, shapes and patterns, right? (Not to mention what feels like record-setting amounts of POLLEN; but that's a completely different issue...) 

SOS518: Spring Has Sprung

As you may already have guessed from the title of this post, the brief this fortnight at Shopping Our Stash is to create a Spring or Easter card! I chose the former:

This creation incorporates every age of my (considerable!) Wendy Vecchi stash from her Studio 490 days (Perfectly Plaid Background and Wild Rose Collage Stamp & Stencil combo) to her Ranger collection (A Million Thanks Stamp, Die and Stencil Set plus Archival Inks and Embossing Powders) right up to this year's beautiful In the Garden Collection from Spellbinders (Vintage Florals Die Set). I stamped and embossed the two backgrounds (in White and Watering Can Powders); stamped the big Lily once in Rosey Posey and once in Leaf Green; added color to all the images with the coordinating stencils and Archival Inks; did a little diecutting, outlining, machine-stitching and matting.... et voila! 

I hope you'll hop over to SOS to see the gorgeous cards from the rest of The Crew, then start planning what you'll link up with us this time.

It's a Very Vecchi Mandala Monday

This week I've combined some of my all-time favorite Wendy Vecchi products, stretching from her brand new Spellbinders' Garden Collection (Garden Party Stencils and Heartfelt Thanks & Scallops Dies); to her Ranger Archival Inks (full list of colors below); and all the way back to her gorgeous Studio 490 stamps and stencils to make a massive multi-media mandala! 

I used the older Studio 490 background stamps and stencils to create seven different panels of patterned paper. I used one for the central circle and one for the background; then diecut with all five sizes of Heart dies from Heartfelt Thanks to make the petals. For the center medallion I used the Garden Party Stencils WITHOUT the stamp, deciding instead to use a black finepoint Letter It Fineliner to add some really rough outlines that fitted the funky/grungy mood of the piece.

Wendy Vecchi Designer Series Archival Ink colors used are: Rosey Posey, Pink Peony, Orange Blossom, Sunflower, Tea Rose, Prickly Pear, Leaf Green, Cornflower, Sky Blue and  Night Sky.

SOS510: Splish, Splash

This fortnight at Shopping Our Stash we're celebrating wet media, such as watercolor, acrylic paint, etc; but if that isn't your thing, you could swap out and use an image featuring water.

I made a vibrant watercolor background by spritzing my craft sheet with Dylusions Ink Sprays in London Blue and Cut Grass, diluting them slightly with clear water, then placing my watercolor panel face down to absorb the colors. When my background dried, I stamped, in collage style, portions of some of my favorite older Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Backgrounds, including Herringbone (embossed with Ranger Turquoise Powder), Perfectly Plaid and Botanical Register (embossed in White). Around the edges I overstamped the stars from Wendy's Doodle Holiday Stamp Set embossed in Blue Neon. I added Night Sky Archival around the edges and machine stitched the panel to a white 5.5" square card. The focal flower is from Wendy's A Million Thank Stamp, Die and Stencil set; it's been stamped once in Leaf Green and once in Rosey Posey, with the additional shades of Prickly Pear and Pink Peony Archival added for detail.

The "Splish, Splash" challenge runs at Shopping Our Stash until December 4th. Be sure to check out all of the inspiring cards the Crew have made, then start planning what you'll link up with us this time.

New Class at Paper Anthology!

Join me at Paper Anthology, in Kenvil, New Jersey, for a colorful three-card class featuring some of my favorite Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamp sets and background stamps. We'll use a super-simple masking technique to create vibrant multi-patterned backgrounds, then add washi tape, typerwriter font sentiments and big, bold, beautiful blooms colored with their coordinating stencils and a gorgeous palette of Wendy's Archival Inks from Ranger. Visit the Paper Anthology Blog for all the details, dates, times and other info you need to sign up!