Month: February 2020

Multimedia

Multimedia Canvas: Found Objects

kittieslovecrafting

Hi friends. Today I am posting something a bit different than my usual card making blogs. I thought I’d try my hand at creating a multimedia canvas. I haven’t tried making a multimedia project in many years (mostly because I didn’t have the space to work or let the piece dry. But now that I have space to work, it’s time to get back to it.

Like many people I was hesitant to start this project or even post it but I figured I’d play and see what happens and if I don’t hate it I’ll post it for you guys. It may inspire someone else get over their fear of doing multimedia.

I was inspired by a Youtuber I came across in my feed, Marta Lapkowska, who makes amazing art journal and multimedia projects. She likes to use stuff around her house as well as things she buys to make her art. Check her out on YouTube at Maremi’s Small Art. Her shop also has cool stuff you can use on your projects. I just got my order and I love all the papers, chipboards, etc I purchased.

In keeping with my pledge to use what I have in my craftroom stash and not overspend this year, I looked through all my chipboard, diecuts, tissue paper, fabrics, and stamps to see what has been under utilized. I also used some cardboard (from an Amazon box) to add to my project. I saw Marta do this in one of her videos and I thought it was a cool idea.

I started with a pre-gessoed canvas, measuring 12 x 16 from Artist’s Loft. I used Matte Gel Medium and added some torn pieces of tissue paper from Tim Holtz® Idea-ology® Melange Tissue Wrap Paper and Ranger 10 Printed/10 Plain Dina Wakley Media Tissue Pack 7.5″X10″ 20/Pkg. You can use any tissue paper in your stash. You can also stamp on your tissue paper before adding it to your project.

I let that dry and then used my Hot Glue Gun to add cardboard from my Amazon box, fabric scraps, Doilies, Burlap Ribbon, Coffee Filters (I always have these in my craftroom for applying glitter and embossing powder), Wood Buttons and Mini Thread Spools, Mini Natural Wood Clothespins and Regular Sized Natural Wood Clothespins, and Planner Discs (yes I said Happy Planner discs) to the canvas. I just placed everything randomly on the canvas, clustering some items to create some interest.

Once I was happy with the composition, I added Gesso over everything. I added two coats of Gesso, allowing to dry in between coats.

Once that was dry, I started adding paint. I used Martha Stewart Acrylic Paints in Surf, Summer Haze, Pool, and Vanilla Bean, plus a Craft Smart® Acrylic Paint, 2 oz, Black and DecoArt Crafters Acrylic, 8-Ounce, White from my stash to add layers of color. This took a while and once I was happy with the background I let it dry. I was trying to create an aged look but I still wanted pops of color which is why I used the three aqua colors. My advice to any of you out there who are afraid to screw up your piece once you add paint, is not to worry. The good thing about acrylics is you can add layers on top of layers (let the paint dry before adding more) or add Gesso over it and start over with the paint. No mistakes are bad and have fun!

I added more texture by using a piece of the burlap ribbon as a stencil with the Vanilla Bean and some Martha Stewart Acrylic Paints in Copper.

While my paints dried, I stamped two of the images from the Stampers Anonymous Creative Collage Stampset onto a piece of Canson Montval Acid-Free Cold Press Watercolor Paper, 140 lb with Ranger Black Archival Ink. Using a stamping platform is very useful here to be able to stamp multiple times over the image. I cut those out and distressed them by adding some Antique Linen Distress Oxide, Broken China Distress Oxide, Ground Espresso Distress Oxide, and Black Soot Distress Ink. I was not happy with the edges being so clean so I took my Tonic Studios Tim Holtz 370 Paper Distresser to rip the edges. Then added more Black Soot Distress Ink around the edges. And to make it look even older I added black acrylic paint around the edges. Next I used Vanilla Bean and Copper to paint the edges of some old chipboard pieces I had as well as added some DecoArt Crafters Acrylic, 8-Ounce, White acrylic to distress it a bit. I used medium and small chipboard shapes. Not sure where these came from as they are extremely old. Again trying to use what I own an don’t buy more stuff. Dig through your drawers people! You are bound to find treasures! 🙂

I also took some white paper flowers in various sizes and painted them with Pool, Vanilla Bean, Craft Smart® Acrylic Paint, 2 oz, Black and Copper. I adhered the stamped images, flowers and chipboard pieces to the canvas using my Hot Glue Gun. I stacked two flowers together and added some Wood Buttons to them which I painted with the acrylic paints also. Lastly, I diecut the word “CREATE” from Simon Says Stamp BLACK Card Stock 100# with the Honey Bee BEE BOLD ALPHABET Dies an adhered it with Matte Gel Medium to my canvass.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give try creating some multimedia projects yourself. I challenge you to check out your supplies and use it to make some art. Have fun and enjoy! Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.

Love & Friendship, Valentine's Day

Quick & Easy Valentine’s Day Shaker Card featuring Simon Says Stamp February 2020 Card Kit

kittieslovecrafting

This Valentine’s Day shaker card came together quickly with the help of the Simon Says Stamp February Card Kit. This kit includes:

While the kit is no longer available the individual items are available for purchase separately. The stampset is great for all occasions; there are several sentiments for love, thank yous and birthdays.

Card Front

I began by cutting the 8.5×11 inch Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Schoolhouse Red Cardstock to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ to create the card base and a panel of the Polkadoodles Timeless Rose 6×6 Patterned Paper collection to 4 x 5-1/4”. I diecut the 3 windows using the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Trio Window wafer die and adhered the Square Shaker Trio Pouch from My Favorite Things behind the panel using the 0.125 inch Scor-Tape that came in the kit.

I stamped the ‘big hugs’ sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive 6×8 Inch Window Frames clear stamp set onto a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″, using Catherine Pooler Designs Rockin Red Ink. I added some Buttons Galore and More SPRINKLETZ SWEETHEARTS Embellishments to the the top and bottom of the 3 shakers and adhered the sentiment panel and two other white panels behind the shaker windows. I then adhered the front panel onto the card base.

I chose a lighter pattern paper from the Polkadoodles Timeless Rose 6×6 Patterned Paper collection and stamped the hearts border using Versamark Ink and Wow Embossing Powder Bright White Super Fine. I fussycut the hearts border out and adhered it to the card around the windows. I finished it off by adding some of the confetti hearts from Buttons Galore and More SPRINKLETZ SWEETHEARTS Embellishments.

Card Inside

On the inside of the card, I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4” and adhered a strip of the same hearts pattern paper I used on the front of the card, measuring 3/4 x 4” to the bottom of the panel. Then adhered it inside the card. I stamped a few hearts from the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive 6×8 Inch Window Frames clear stamp set using Catherine Pooler Designs Rockin Red Ink. And that completes the card.

Dimensions

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give this card a try for yourself. Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.

Birthdays, Celebrations, Spring

Getting the Most From Your Dies, Featuring Simon Says Stamp Dies

kittieslovecrafting

Hi friends. Today I’m bringing you two cards featuring the Simon Says Stamp Dazzling Circle and Blooming Circle Dies. One card uses the dies in the way they were intended but the second card uses it in a different way — using the positive diecuts to create a background. This is an easy way to create a background.

Traditional Use of Die

For the first card I started by cutting a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″. Then I cut a piece of green gingham paper (from the Birthday paper pack included in the Crafty Parcel) to 4 x 5-1/4” and diecut the wreath in the top center of the panel using the Simon Says Stamp Dazzling Circle Die (no longer available as it was part of the Stamptember release). I added some 3M Foam Tape to the back of the panel and adhered a square piece of Stampin’ Up! Granny Apple Green 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock on the card base behind the wreath. The easiest way to do this is to add the foam tape to the wreath panel and then attaching the green square piece behind that and then adhering it to the card base.

I diecut a bunch of flowers from 6 different colored scraps of cardstock using the Simon Says Stamp Blooming Circle Wafer Dies and adhered them to the wreath using Tombow Mono Multi-liquid Glue.

For the sentiment, I diecut ‘Celebrate’ from the Sentiment Stacker Dies #1 with some Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ for the sentiment and pink glitter foam from Queen & Company’s Glitter Fun Foam – Rainbow for the shadow. I finished it off the by adding some Love from Lizi Peel-offs in Clear Iridescent Pink Glitter and some Nuvo Crystal Drops in Gloss White.

On the inside of the card, I cut a strip of Green Gingham paper (from the Birthday paper pack included in the Crafty Parcel) to 1 x 4-1/4″. I stamped a greeting from the Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval Young at Heart Collection stampset (I don’t think this is available in her shop anymore) in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and Catherine Pooler Party Dress Ink. I finished it off by adding some additional flowers.

Dimensions

  • Card Base = 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″
  • Top Panel = 4 x 5-1/4” Green Gingham paper (from the Birthday paper pack included in the Crafty Parcel)
  • Inside Strip = 1 x 4-1/4″ Green Gingham paper (from the Birthday paper pack included in the Crafty Parcel)

Creating a Background Using Just Dies

For the second card I started by cutting a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ and scored at 4-1/4″ and a piece of Neenah 80lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ to 4 x 5-1/4”. I diecut the several leaves from Stampin’ Up! Old Olive Cardstock using the Simon Says Stamp Dazzling Circle Die (no longer available as it was part of the Stamptember release). I think I diecut about 3 wreaths with the die. I diecut flowers from 6 different colored scraps of cardstock using the Simon Says Stamp Blooming Circle Wafer Dies.

Card Front

I adhered the leaves and flowers to the front panel using Tombow Mono Multi-liquid Glue, creating a pattern. I coated it with Matte Gel Medium to seal it because the images are so small they might come unglued without it. Next I stamped a sentiment from the Newton’s Nook Designs Newton Loves Cake with Catherine Pooler Designs Royal Treatment Ink Pad onto a piece of Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Cardstock 8.5 X 11″ and diecut it using a Studio Katia Stitched Square Nested Die set. I used the smaller square in the set. I adhered it to a piece of Stampin’ Up! Old Olive Cardstock and fussycut around it, creating a mat layer. I popped it up on my card with some 3M Foam Tape. I added a small bow made from 1/4” Lavender Double-Faced Satin Ribbon from my stash and a little flower to the sentiment area. I finished it off by adding some Nuvo Drops in Ivory Seashell to the centers of the larger flowers.

On the inside of the card, I just added some flowers. And that completes this card.

Card Inside

Dimensions

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed and I’ve inspired you to give your old stand-alone dies a second look and try some new techniques with them. Leave comments or questions below or feel free to email.