Love You To Pieces - Grunge Valentine's Day Cards, by Natassa Blazaki

Hi all! Natassa here.

Hope you're doing well and keeping safe. We've lost touch for quite some time, but 2021 started with so much going on. I really wish the whole situation cools down soon, cause I'm sure we all need a break!

Anyways, today I'm here to share with you a project quite unusual for my standards, since I'm not a card maker and also I never make Valentine themed projects.😁 However, Andy's stamp designs are always so inspiring to me and I decided to use them in order to create some grunge style Valentine's cards. I kept them simple and what I focused on was the combination of different stamps, in order to alter the style and look of every card, keeping the CE Heart Rubber Stamp as my focal point. All of my cards measure 4 1/4 x 6 inches and I used precut black cardstock bases. Of course, you can use any cardstock you may have available.

So for the first card, I wanted to create a background full of hearts and then have one of them stand out. I took a piece of thin white wrapping paper and stamped a few rows of hearts. Because the paper was semi-transparent, I stamped every other row on the backside, so that it looked like I did mirror stamping.

Then, I took a piece of light cream cardstock and collaged a page from an old book on it. On top of that, I glued the piece with the stamped hearts, and this way the text from the book page picked through. I stamped with red ink a heart, which I fussy cut and glued on top of the middle heart on my card. I handwrote the sentiment on a piece of black cardstock.

For the second card, I used the CE Circuitree Rubber Stamp and stamped around the heart. I also used the CE Enigma Rubber Stamp to fill the empty space on the top, bottom, and sides of the design. Then, I stamped with teal ink and fussy cut a heart that I glued in the middle of the design. Also, I used some Cobalt Teal and Yellow Iron Oxide  CS Artist Pigment Paint, to tone down the brightness of the paper.

Lastly, for the third card, I went for a dark chic look. First, I stamped the card base with white pigment ink and used the CE Vintage Background Rubber Stamp. This gave me a very subtle background effect. On another piece of black cardstock, I stamped with gold pigment ink and used the CE Winter Trees Rubber Stamp. I wanted to make it as if the trees grew from the heart. I fussy cut the whole design and matted it with craft cardstock. Then, I glued it on my card.

These are really quick and simple cards to make and I'm sure you'll find they are much different than the classic Valentine's cards. Also, I think the designs are suitable for masculine cards, so you can make them and give them to your boyfriends, hubbies, or just your loving guys!

I truly hope you like this project and get inspired

Sending big hugs from Greece

Natassa

💖💖💖

Ace of Spades By Heather Thompson

A new fun little project trying out the new release of stamps and paints. When I open the package of the new stamps and saw the Ace of Skulls, I knew I had  to use the big deck of cards from my friend Laneen.

   

I started with some background stamping with the new cracked up stamp and the smashed glass stamp. I did make a short video of the creative process with the products.

 

When I last jumped the pond, I picked up a bunch of tid-bits  I love these little arches, and I felt the card was too flat and it added some lift with them, and  had a larger arch I used on more of the background. I did some stamping with the Create stamp and a little distressing of the arches with the Resist Paste. 

 

I stamped the focal Ace of Skulls and regular card stock, added a quick layer of varnish before painting a few fine details. A little dirty wash with a mix of quin gold, paynes and yellow iron oxide before one final seal of varnish again.

Using the Quick Dry Glue and the name says it all, its quick and it is tough, I added my layered arches to the card.

I altered the back of the card with a mix of Quin Gold and Yellow Iron Oxide. and some dry brushing, this is the back of the card so I didn't go too crazy with it.

I really enjoy the new product. Thank you for stopping by today! Heather Supplies: Stamps

Supplies:

Creative Expressions

CE Stamp By Andy Skinner Create

CE 4.9X3.5 Stamp By Andy Skinner Smashed Glass

CE 4.5X3 Stamp By Andy Skinner Cracked Up

CE 4x2.8 Stamp By Andy Skinner Skull of Spades

Mixed Media Pastes/Paints

CE Andy Skinner Cosmic Shimmer Resist Paste

CE Andy Skinner Cosmic Shimmer Super Matt Varnish

CS Andy Skinner Mixed Media Lava Paste

CS Andy Skinner Mixed Media Quick Grab Glue

Paint

CS Andy Skinner Artist Pigment Paints Quinacridone Gold

CS Andy Skinner Artist Pigment Paints Cobalt Teal Hue

CS Andy Skinner Artist Pigment Paints Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide

CS Andy Skinner Artist Pigment Paints Paynes Grey

CS Andy Skinner Artist Pigment Paints Primary Magenta

CS Andy Skinner Chalk Paint Olive Grove

Tando

Straight Edged Arches

Deep Discovery - Brenda

Hi Everyone

Fancy doing a bit of deep sea fishing lol?

My project today is a largish media board cut from greyboard and I've used one of Andy's new stamps - Dem Bones - and a new stencil too.

The fish have been stamped into clay and cut out with a sharp pointy stick then dried, given two coats of gesso and painted.

If you would like to see more details and photos please pop over to Bumblebees and Butterflies where all will be revealed.

Thank you for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xxx

Supplies from Country View Crafts

DecoArt Media white gesso, white crackle paste, matte medium

DecoArt media fluid acrylics - cerulean blue, prussian blue hue, sap green, burnt umber, translucent white, titanium white, raw umber, dark rey V6, titan buff

Andy Skinner stencil - Inspire

Andy Skinner stamps - Dem Bones
Archival inks - coffee, watering can, olive

The Circus comes to town - Brenda

Brenda here with another panel using some of Andy's new stamps and transfers.  They are brilliant put together in a project or can be used mixed with other stamps and products you might already have.

I collect old vintage photos irl and free ones that can be found on the internet. This character looks as though is is having great fun at the circus doesn't he? I wonder what it was that tickled him quite so much?

I have more details and photos over at Bumblebees and Butterflies if you'd like to pop over and take a look.

As always thanks for stopping by today.

hugs Brenda xxx

Supplies from Country View Crafts

Andy Skinner stamps, stencils, transfers

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics and Mediums

New transfers and stamps - Brenda

I have really fallen in love with Andy's new stamps from Creative Expressions especially the 'enigma' one which is fabulous for using on a background. It is so versatile and cleans so easily too whatever the medium used.

This became a journal panel, so I decided to start a new visual journal to which I will add 5 x 7 inch panels.

I used several bits from my leftovers box to create this especially the crackle frame and in the background to it is one of the new mixed media transfers from the 'French Fancy' set.

I often make up my own quotes and do myself sheets of them on the PC, they are printed on an inkjet printer so I give them a coat of matte medium to seal them

If you would like to see more details you will find them over at Bumblebees and Butterflies with process steps and additional photos too.

Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xx

Supplies from Country View Crafts
Andy Skinner stamps, stencils, transfers, Quick Grab glue
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics and Mediums

FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE

Hi it's Brenda here today to share a tag I've made with some of Andy's new products. 

I have to say I have totally fallen in love with the Distressed Wallpaper and Gypsie Queen stamps and they are just perfect for creating some shabby vintage designs.

Of course these new images are all going to fit with his other stamps - you can see the text stamped in the background which has come from the older Tech Trauma set.

And there are some fabulous transfers that are going to fit in with all my mixed media projects. The title of the tag is one of them and it rubs on like a dream.

There are a few more photos and some process steps over at Bumblebees and Butterflies if you care to pop over.

Brenda xx

Products from Country View Crafts

Andy Skinner - Creative Expressions Stamps - Distressed Wallpaper and Gypsie Queen.

Andy Skinner - Creative Expressions Mixed Media Transfers - Poe Diversity

Andy Skinner - Illusionary Artists - Tech Trauma

DecoArt Media Line - Media Fluid acrylics - Medium Grey Value 6,  Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White, Titan Buff.

DecoArt Media Line - White Gesso