It's A Wrap Gift Box

There is a fun and unusual challenge going on right now on The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity , "It's A Wrap".  So for this one, we want to see what you can make in the way of gift wrap, boxes, bags, tags, etc. using your rubber stamps.

I decided to go with a gift box for this one.  I had this round paper mache box on hand already, so just needed to dress it up!  I used the Ledger and Little Diamond background stamps from Lost Coast Designs and the Architectural Square stamp from Carmen's Veranda.  

I started by stamping the ledger stamp 4 times with black ink on off white scrapbook paper.  I evenly cut all four stamped images with a paper cutter to the same size.  I then turned them over and taped the pieces together to make one large "ledger page".  I put my box lid upside down onto my ledger paper and traced around it.  I cut out around that pencil line to get the top for my box.  I edged it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and glued it to my box top.  There was enough of my stamped paper left to cut 1" strips to glue around the edges of the box lid.  

Then I stamped my diamond background with black ink onto the same scrapbook paper.  I had to stamp three times to get enough to cover the sides of my box.  I cut those to 3 inch pieces and glued them around the edges of the bottom of the box.  I also distressed the edges with the same distress ink.

After fitting the lid onto the box, I tied some black ribbon around the box.  I stamped my Architecture  square onto the same card stock and cut it out, inking up the edges.  I punched a hole in one

corner and tied it with the same black ribbon as a gift tag.  The back side of the tag is plain so plenty of room to right on.

Come join us for this super fun challenge - we are excited to see what fun wrapping things you can create, and don't forget to use your rubber stamps!

The Original Diva of them All

The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is winding up their Art Dolls and Divas Challenge.  This has been a fun one and Lost Coast has so many stamps that fit this category.  

I went with a tag for this one.  The tag itself is made with water color paper and shades of blue and green Distress Oxide sprays.  I sprayed my paper with water then randomly with my 3 different inks and let them run and meld together.  When this was dry, I added some black speckles and a black border.

The stamp I used for this is the Mona Flying stamp from Lost Coast.  I stamped Mona onto white card stock and fussy cut her out.  I then stamped her dress onto blue paper and her winds onto light green paper and cut those out.  I glued them atop the original stamped image and added some green stripes to her socks with a marker.  Her "buttons" are just little circles from a circle punch glued into place and I added two "button holes" with a fine tipped black marker.  

I did not cut her lovely "crown" with the original image but stamped it onto green paper and fussy cut it out, gluing it into place onto her head.  I added some shiny silver buttons to the tips of her crown and used a black marker to darken her hair just a bit.

The sentiment is from Carmen's Veranda's clear stamp collection.  I stamped that with black ink onto a small rectangle of white paper and affixed it as shown with some foam tape.  Final touch is a bit of green ribbon through the hole in the top.

You still have time to enter your Art Doll and Diva creations on the portal for a chance to win so free stamps, so come join the fun!

Art Dolls and Divas: Flower Power

November 1st starts a new month and a new challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!  The theme for the first half of November is "Art Dolls and Divas". I have made a card for this one featuring the Grunge Flower Profile stamp from Lost Coast Designs.  This is one of my favorite LCD stamps - there are just so many possibilities with this stamp, and they always turn out beautifully.

This is a really simple project.  I started with a piece of water color paper and three shades of blue and green Tim Holtz Oxide Distress spray inks.  I sprayed my paper with water then with my three inks and let them blend and run together, blotting them here and there and drying them to the finished result that I wanted.  I then splattered my page with a bit of black ink.  

Next step was to stamp my Grunge Flower Girl with StayzOn black ink onto my background page and cut it out.  I then cut a piece of scrapbook paper in blues and greens and affixed my cut out silhouette as shown.  I added a couple of pieces of coordinating washi tape to opposing corners, and that's it.

We hope that you will join in for the new and fun challenge - you just might win some free stamps from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!