Time Flies.

Hello, Mary here and today, we're stamping into clay :-)

Stamping in clay is one of may all-time favorite things to do!  This time, I set out to create tiny book covers for a miniature book I wanted to create.

To make the book a little lighter, I created a form out of chipboard.  This is perfect if you wanted to create a jewelry piece, because who wants a 10 pound necklace??  I also like to mix a small amount glue into my clay to strengthen it a bit.

Just cover the form with clay and give it a good stamp!  I used the Clockface image for this piece.

When the covers were completely dry, I gave them a quick sanding to even out any rough edges.

Give them a base coat of paint and finish it off with a layer of glue.  This will keep the color safely on when you go to distress the piece in the next step.

Now, add a top coat of paint and let it dry for a bit.  You want it dry to the touch, but not cured!  I let mine set for about a minute or two.

Then, rub off any excess paint for a distressed look.  My little girl wanted this book and begged for a pink one, so pink is is!

Here's a close peek.

I finished it off with a twine closure, a key chain finding...

...and inside pages.  I've used the Clockface image again with some Perfect Pearls and also the Time Flies sentiment.

Now, baby girl has a brand new key chain and a little reminder to stay little as long as possible.  Thanks so much for joining me today!!

xx Mary

Birdhouse Photo Display.

Hello and welcome to another day of inspiration with VLVS! and Art Anthology!!

 If you haven't, you'll definitely want to check out what's been going on this week over on the Art Anthology blog along with this weeks post here on the VLVS! blog.

For Viva Las VegaStamps

Website: http://www.vlvstamps.com/index.php/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vlvstamps

Blog: http://vivalas.blogspot.com/

For Art Anthology

Art Anthology's Website: www.artanthologyinc.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Anthology/392413134139071

Blog: www.artanthologyinc.com/blog

Now, on with my project!

I decided to give an old birdhouse from my stash new life!  My original idea was to make a wind chime with this baby, but after covering it in a layer of clay, it was FAR to heavy to attempt hanging---so Plan B---a photo display!

Before my clay had fully set, I stamped into it with the Butterfly Gossamer/Large image.  I just cannot get enough of this stamp!  A few Idea-ology Memo Pins were just the hardware I needed to make this piece functional.

I LOVE the texture stamped clay provides!  It's subtle, but so lovely.  After my clay had fully dried, I gave the whole piece a nice coat of  Art Antology's Velvet paints in Red Velvet and Imperial.  When this paint dries, it has a nice sheen and such a lovely sparkle!

What you couldn't see from the front, were the glass stones I've embedded into the roof.  A bit of patterned paper glued onto the bottom beforehand adds a nice pop of contrasting color against the Velvet paint.  To finish off the piece, I've sprinkled a handful of vellum butterflies to give a little more dimension to my house. 

And that's the project!  Thanks so much for joining me today, and don't forget to hop on over and see what the crew at Art Anthology has created.  See ya tomorrow!

Supplies used:

Butterfly Gossamer/Large rubber stamp

Velvet paint in Red Velvet and Imperial

wooden birdhouse

glass pebbles

patterned paper

vellum punched butterflies

Idea-ology Memo Pins

Roses and Rocks.

Hello, Mary here :-)   I thought it fitting, with all the fabulous January birthdays out there, that I bring you a little stamped jewelry/card combo---perfect for gifting on birthdays or any days!

 

 

 

This card was super simple.  I just stamped the lovely Rose image onto watercolor paper and dropped a bit of Lindy's Stamp Gang spray mist onto it to add some color.  I then layered vellum and some Gauche Alchemy ephemera under the image and it was ready to stick down.

 

 

The base of my card is rockin' more of the Cross Stitch (my FAVE!!) stamping to add a little texture to my background.  A splatter of glitter and a pretty ribbon embellishment later, and my card was ready for givin'!

 

 

This necklace is another of my stamped paper clay creations and I absolutely LOVE how rustic it looks.  I just free-formed a heart from a small portion of paper clay and stamped into it with one of the super versatile cloud images from Plate 910A.  I think it adds prettiest swirly pattern, and you'd never know it was a cloud stamp!  Just a bit more Lindy's spray mist and some hardware finishes the piece.  Together, I think this combo makes for one HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

 

 

Thanks so much for joining me today, and I'll see ya next time!!

 

xx Mary

 

Aliens and Organizers.

Hello :-)  It's Mary joining you today to share a little VLVS 'stampin' love' in the form of a brand new organizer---ready to help me stay on track this year!!

 

It all started with an old book cover...

 

 

The aged look of this cover was far too pretty to cover completely, so I chose to use only a single focal embellishment.

 

I created a freeform heart from paper clay and stamped into it with my all-time favorite stamp lately, Cross Stitch.  White paint and some Lindy's Stamp Gang spray mist gave some fabulously bright color,  while a bit of black paint brought out the amazing texture the stamp left in the clay.

 

The inside cover was rockin' some amazing handwriting from the original owner, so I opted to keep it simple with more misting and a single image. 

 

How amazing is the Alien Circle stamp??  I think it adds a bit of mystery a la Area 51!

 

 

The divider pages were collaged with ephemera from Gauche Alchemy and some patterned paper from the 'ol scrap bin with a thin coat of white paint to unify everything.  I've repeated the Alien Circle and Cross Stitch stamps using Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder and Staze-On black ink.  A bit more spray misting and she was finished!!

 

I absolutely adore mixing stamped stitching with the real deal! 

 

 

 I gotta say, I'm super happy with how it came out.  All that 'stampin'-stitchin'-painty' goodness is the perfect combo of function meets fab!

 

Ok guys, that's it for me.  Thanks so much for joining me today, and I'll see ya soon!!

 

xx Mary