Do I Smell Cake??

 Happy July 1st and hope you are ready to "Celebrate" with a brand new challenge here on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity  For this one I made a tag using the Party Cat stamp from Lost Coast Designs and the Smell Cake clear stamp from Carmen's Veranda.

This one starts with a white tag made of regular card stock.  Atop that I glued a piece of vintage music paper and Mod Podged a piece of decorative blue and green rice paper over that.  Using a stencil with random small circles, I added some blue and green Distress Oxide inks.  Then using the same stencil, I added some TCW Champagne Gold Stencil Butter here and there.  After this dried well, I edged it with some gold ink and punched a hole in the top.

Next step was to stamp my Party Cat onto a piece of pale yellow card stock and fussy cut him out.  I re-stamped his eyes on white paper and his party hat on pale blue paper and cut them out, superimposing them atop the original images.  I added some shading with Copic Sketch markers then attached the Party Cat to the lower portion of the tag with foam tape.

 The sentiment was stamped with black ink onto the same pale yellow card stock and cut out then affixed above the Party Cat.  Final step was to tie a piece of gold ribbon to the top.

So come celebrate with us and enter your projects on the Portal for a chance to win some free stamps from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!

Buying Craft Supplies

 Here I am, bringing you another fun challenge from The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity:  Funny or Cute.  There have been some fabulous entries for this one, so you still have time to get your creations posted on the Portal for a chance to win some free stamps.

For this card I used the Head In Hands stamp from Lost Coast Designs and the Buy Craft Supplies clear stamp from Carmen's Veranda.  And anyone who is a serious crafter knows how true this sentiment is!!

The background I used is a piece of decorative rice paper that I adhered to white card stock with ModPodge then dried well.  I stamped the Head in Hands onto white card stock with black ink and cut it our.  Color was added using Copic Sketch markers, and the butterfly was fussy cut and affixed as shown with foam tape.  I layered this with some gold paper and attached it to the upper portion of my card front. 

 

The sentiment was stamped with black ink onto a white panel edged with black and placed directly below the woman's image.

I love how this woman's image goes so perfectly with this sentiment, like she has given this great consideration and come to this amazing realization!!

Please join us here on the Portal with your Funny and/or Cute makes - we can't wait to see what you create!

Flat Earth and Cats

 Hi ho as we find ourselves having fun with the newest challenge over at The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity:  Funny or Cute.  So wide open to so many possibilities, we are sure you will come up with some amazing makes.

This card was made with one of the cat stamps from the Party Cat Set from Lost Coast Designs and the Flat Earth clear stamp from Carmen's Veranda.  I've had this clear stamp for a while and finally found a great use for it!

The background here is a gel print made with white and green acrylic paints and a circle stencil.  I stamped my cat onto white card stock with black ink and fussy cut him out.  I restamped his party hat with green ink, cut it out, and affixed it atop his head.  I added a bit of green to his eyes and a handsome green bow tie.  

The background piece was edged with green ink and layered with a piece of green scrapbook paper.  The sentiment was stamped onto a white square with black ink, edged in the same green, and affixed at the bottom of the card front.

We are excited to see what fun and cute things you can make for this challenge.  Be sure to feature rubber stamping in your projects - you might be the lucky winner of some free stamps!!

Whimsical Flora

 Happy June!  I'm here to tell you about a brand new challenge here on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity:  Tropical.  So travel off in your imagination to your dream tropical destination, and see what it inspires you to create.

This is a large round tag made with the Whimsical Flora bird stamp from Lost Coast Designs.  There is a whole collection of these adorable bird stamps by Doris Arndt so be sure to check them out.

I stamped this bird with black StayzOn ink onto a green scrap of a Gelli print I had in my scrap box.  I fussy cut it out, then re-stamped the beak and eyes onto white paper and cut those out as well.  I colored the beak with yellow marker and left the eyes black and white.  I glued them atop the original stamped image and added some darker green marker to give little Flora some striped "leggings".

The background is a piece of decorative blue-ish scrap book paper die cut into a circle.  Then using a circular flower stencil, I dabbed it with some deep turquoise Distress Ink to create this pretty flower design.  I added some drops of gold Nuvo Crystal Drops and edged the border with gold wax.  I punched a hole in the top and tied on some coordinating blue and green ribbons.

I'm sure you have some great ideas for some tropical themed projects, so please be sure to enter them here at the Portal for a chance to win some free stamps from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!

Best Friends

I made a Rolodex card for the current challenge on The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity "Under the Sea".  I got into making rolodex cards awhile ago in a Swap Bot group I am part of, and I must say they are a lot of fun to make and keep.  This one uses:

The Sharks stamp from Lost Coast Designs

The Bubbles Border stamp from Lost Coast Designs

The Best Friends clearstamp from Carmen's Veranda

Rolodex cards come in two sizes, and this is the smaller of the two.  Small size measures 2 and 5/8" by 4" The larger sizes measures 3" by 5".  The holes for the rolodex file are located 1 and 3/4" from either end on both sizes.  

The background for my card is a gel print made with blue and green acrylic paints.  I then stamped it with the Bubbles Background stamp in a darker shade of Distress turquoise ink and heat set the ink.  When stamping Distress ink onto a painted surface, the ink takes time to dry, so heat setting it speeds up the process and gives you a nice dry surface to work with.  

The sharks were stamped onto white card stock with blue and green Distress Oxide Inks and fussy cut out.  I attached them to the card front with some foam tape and added googly eyes to each.  Little clear acrylic dew drops were glued in place to look like bubbles.  The sentiment was stamped with black ink onto a white strip of paper edged in green and affixed to the top of the card as shown.

We can't wait to see your sea themed projects for this current challenge.  Be sure to use some rubber stamping in your work and you could be the lucky winner of some free stamps!!

Strong Women: Early Stitch and Bitch

I have one more project for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity "Strong Women" challenge.  They are looking for projects depicting what "Strong Women" means to you.

For this one I used the Early Stitch and Bitch stamp from Lost Coast Designs and the Fairy Godmother clear stamp from Carmen's Veranda.  

 I stamped the women knitting onto white card stock with black ink and fussy cut it out.  I added some Copic Sketch Markers to their hands and faces and went over their dresses with a gray marker.  The yarn they are using was colored blue.  I attached this to a piece of card stock that looks like old vintage wallpaper.  The sentiment was stamped with black ink and cut out.  I outlined the edges with black as well and affixed it to the upper right corner as shown.  Final step was to glue a blue flower in the left corner.

You still have time so submit your "Strong Women" projects before the challenge closes.  You might be the lucky winner of some free stamps from Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda!

Strong Women: Frida Kahlo

 Here again at the beginning of another fun Challenge over on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.  This one is Strong Women.  "Strong Women:  May we know them.  May we raise them.  May we be them."

For this card I used one of my favorite Lost Coast stamps of Frida Kahlo.  This is just one

of a nice selection you will find at Lost Coast Designs.  

My Frida was stamped onto coffee dyed onion skin paper using StayZ On ink in Black.  I layered that with a piece of vintage ledger paper to give it more body, then fussy cut around the edges as shown.

The background is a piece of a master board I made using various pieces of hand made papers.  I glued my Frida to the center of the card front as shown, making sure all the edges were down securely as the paper is fairly thin.  Final step was to machine stitch around the perimeter of the card.

We would love to see your Strong Woman creations.  Please be sure to feature some rubber stamping in your work for a chance to win some free rubber stamps from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!