To the Sea with Lavinia & Topflight Stamps

This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is "Ocean" and I'm back with a second card to share with you. The store has a wide assortment of products that match the theme so check them out! One of my favorite Lavinia Stamps is Sebastian Sea Horse. I stamped it over a Gel Press print I made. I've also been having lots of fun using the new Quirky Post AALL & Create Die Set so it makes another appearance here too.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Lavinia Stamp - Sebastian Sea Horse

Lavinia Stamp - Shoal of Fish

Lavinia Stamp Set - Sea Creatures

Lavinia Stencil - Coral

AALL & Create Stamp Set - Everyday Sentiments

AALL & Create Die Set - Quirky Post

Clair Ink Pad - Nocturne

Lavinia Elements Ink Pad - Blue Atoll

Gel Press Plate - round

Beat the Heat with Topflight Stamps

The Summer heat is cranking up and so are dreams of a cool vacation by the sea! This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is "Ocean" The store has a wide assortment of products that fit the bill. I chose a beautiful Darkroom Door stamp called Seaside Squares to use on my card. 

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Darkroom Door Stamp - Seaside Squares

PaperArtsy Stencil - PS165

AALL & Create Stamp Set - Everyday Sentiments

Versafine Pigment Ink Pad - Onyx Black

Lavinia Elements Ink Pad - Blue Atoll

watercolors

NEW Lavinia Chalk Paint + Gel Press Fun at Topflight Stamps

This week our theme over at Topflight Stamps is Anything Goes! We get to play with whatever strikes our fancy. I just got my hands on some of the new Lavinia acrylic chalk paint so I pulled out my Gel Press plate and had some fun.

The paint worked well on my Gel Press plate and comes in so many lovely colors! I went to town and made a whole stack of prints. The paint dries with a matte finish so it's perfect for layering on stamping and other mixed media techniques.

I chose two of the prints to use for my tag – the tag base and the raised panel with the seahorse stamped on it. See the list below for all the different stamps and inks I used.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Lavinia Stamps - Sebastian Seahorse, Sea Creatures, Mini fish, Shoal of Fish, Seaweed 2, Fish Set

Lavinia stencil - Coral ST003

Lavinia Elements Ink - Bermuda, Mulberry

Versafine Clair Ink - Shady Lime, Twilight

Versafine Ink - Black Onyx

Gel Press plate
Lavinia acrylic chalk paint - Spruce, Calypso, Snow White, Thistle Mist, Lime Zest, Parisian

Funkie Junkie Focus – Summer Fun

Hello Funkie Junkie fans! Our new theme is "Summer Fun". I always think of beach and ocean themed things as a part of 'summer' so I pulled out the Graphic 45 "Make a Splash" paper pad and started to play.

The Tim Holtz Etcetera tags and parts make perfect bases! The new Facades coordinate perfectly with the tags and add a lot of dimension.

Graphic 45 papers always have so much lovely detail built into each collection. The focal designs are perfect for fussy cutting.

Here are some looks at the "in progress"

1) First I painted the edges of the tag with purple. I cut a piece of fabric and thin quilt batting to fit the front of the tag and stitched around the edges.

2) I stitched on some scraps of lace and shell buttons before I adhered the fabric to the tag base. Then I went to town layering away.

The purple foliage I cut from some scraps of painted and heat treated Tyvek I had from this project.

Thanks for stopping by. Keep an eye on the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog, Inspiration Ave. because you are now getting regular doses of expanded (and inspiring) content each week. Don't miss it…

Supplies used:

Graphic 45 8"x8" Paper Pad - Make a Splash
Graphic 45 4x6 Stamp Set - Make a Splash
Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Garden Greens
Tim Holtz Bigz Die - Garden Greens 659436

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: 
Etcetera Medium Tag Thickboards
Etcetera Facades
Etcetera Bracket Trims
Baubles

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Archival Ink - Black Soot
Distress Ink - Evergreen Bough, Wilted Violet, Bundled Sage
Distress Paint - Wilted Violet

New Funkie Junkie Challenge - Chillin' In the Heat

Hello there, our new challenge at the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog is up and running and you won't want to miss out! Our hostess is Lyla Larimore and the theme is Chillin' In the Heat.

Lyla -" It's the last days of Summer before School begins. What's your favorite part; the heat of the sunshine and laying by the pool or on the beach... or keeping cool in the water, and loading up on cold lemonade in the shade? Let's see a make of your choice – Tag, book, panel, 3D project, etc – with either HOT design using warm colors (red, orange, yellow. etc) or COOL design using cool colors (blues and greens). Use anything at your will to dress up your design and compliment your idea of the perfect degree!"

When the hot weather hits, staying cool is on my mind! I opted for a cool color scheme,  using beautiful watery patterned paper from Ciao Bella. (How can I resist mermaids?) I used Eileen Hull's brand new Scoreboards die, the Skinny Mini Book Box and made an accordion journal to fit inside. I was inspired by a project made by the talented Jenny Marples for Eileen's Chapter 3 Release Party. Jenny created an accordion journal and I loved the format!

The journal unfolds from the box and is full of beautiful papers, tags, bits, bobs and tuck spots. Let's take a look at the page panels. I embellished both the fronts and the backs.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you check out the fun challenges we have on the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. They are always good for sparking your creativity! You have two weeks to join the current challenge so I hope you give it a go.

Supplies used:

Eileen Hull die - Skinny Mini Book Box

Eileen Hull die - Skinny Mini Elements

Eileen Hull die set - Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers

Eileen Hull 3-D embossing folder - Woven Leather

Tim Holtz die set - Collector

Tim Holtz die set - Postale

Tim Holtz die set - Specimen

Ciao Bella patterned paper - Underwater Love CBCL050, CBH050 (on sale!!)

Tim Holtz stamp sets - Sealife, Ledger Script, Bubbles, Field Notes, Tiny Toadstools, Eccentric

Distress Ink - Uncharted Mariner, Hickory Smoke, Black Soot

Distress Oxide Ink - Uncharted Mariner, Abandoned Coral

Ranger Archival Inks - Black Soot, Hickory Smoke, Fern Green, Garden Patina

Distress Paint - Uncharted Mariner, Tumbled Glass

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Funkie Junkie Challenge - Stencil Mania!

Good day to you! Our new challenge at the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog is up and running and it's a fun one! Our hostess is Teri Wilson and the theme is Stencil Mania.

Get your stencils out and go a little crazy for this challenge! Use them with inks, paints, glazes, mediums, or whatever else you wish, but use at least three different stencils in your project.

I love using stencils so I was ready to roll for this challenge. I decided to make another mixed media Etc. tag project (see my first one here).

Summer often makes me think of the ocean and trips to the beach and I got the idea to make a funky octopus' garden, complete with a yellow submarine in the background. ;-) I was also influenced by my newly arrived Uncharted Mariner Distress products - the newest color in the Distress line. O-la-la, I love this new color!! How could I not do something marine inspired? Brightly colored ocean "flora" was created with die cuts and I fussy cut a stamped octopus garden resident.

I started off making a stack of various backgrounds and experimented with different color combos. (Funtime!) I chose my favorite one to stencil and stamp on to create the tag background (see below).

I raided my scrap bins for bits and pieces to use for the die cutting. (It pays to hoard!)

For the octopus, I used a stamping platform to stamp my initial image. Without moving the stamp or paper, I painted over the image with mica watercolors and then re-stamped the image over the top once it was dry to bring the detail back. (Handy technique alert!)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you check out the fun challenges we have on the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. They are always good for sparking your creativity! You have two weeks to join the current challenge so I hope you give it a go.

Supplies used:

Tim Holtz die set - Abstract Faces

Tim Holtz die set - Wacky Transport #1

Tim Holtz die set - Artsy Stems

Tim Holtz die set - Decorative Trims

Tim Holtz layering stencils - Code, Linked Circles, Feather, Nature

Tim Holtz stamp set - Sealife CMS304

Etc. Tags Thickboards, Small

Etc. Thickboards Bracket Trims

Distress Ink - Uncharted Mariner

Distress Oxide Ink - Uncharted Mariner, Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio

Ranger Archival Inks - Black Soot, Hickory Smoke

Distress Spray Stains - Spiced Marmalade, Uncharted Mariner

Distress Oxide Spray Stains - Uncharted Mariner, Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon

Distress Paint - Uncharted Mariner

Distress Glaze - Wild Honey, Fossilized Amber, Uncharted Mariner

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Part 2 of the "Unconventional Materials" Project – Submarine Tunnel Book!

This month Eileen Hull's May project theme is "Unconventional Materials". Her design Teams have been hard at work and stretching their creativity by using 'not so normal' supplies and her Sizzix dies to create some really cool makes! Check out her blog if you've missed any posts this month. Last week I shared Part 1 of my Submarine Tunnel Book. You only got to see the cover but now you can see the coral reef tunnel book I created inside!

the 'porthole' cover

Open it up and what do you see?

An explosion of tropical color!

Some of the unconventional materials used are Tyvek mailing envelopes, paint chips and candy wrappers!

I think this just might be an octopus's garden!

Back on the outside, here are a few details of the cover:

Porthole is a Sizzix Shaker Dome!

Detail of the closure (see Part 1 for the how-to)

The tunnel "frame" is created using Eileen's Bookbinding Die (tutorial below):

Let's see how it came together! Visit my Part 1 blog post for the cover tutorial. This tutorial is about the inside construction.

Step 1 – Playing with Tyvek. Tyvek is a synthetic nonwoven material that is durable and tear resistant. It's used in applications such as shipping supplies, housewrap, and worksuits. However, it is not heat stable which is a property we can exploit for art! I found this video from Sandra Duran Wilson very helpful in explaining what you can do with it. I used mailing envelopes as my Tyvek source.

I used various acrylic paints to color the cut up envelopes. If your paint is too thick it will inhibit the bubbling when heat is applied so I kept my layers thin.

You can use a heat gun or an iron to apply heat to the Tyvek to make it bubble. It tends to curl and move around more with the heat gun so I stuck with my iron because I wanted flatter pieces I could put inside my book.

Watch the video for more detailed directions, but basically you need to sandwich the painted Tyvek between two press sheets (baking parchment or silicon craft mats) and then hover the hot iron over the top. You don't place the iron directly onto the Tyvek or press sheet covering it. It bubbles unpredictably which is part of the fun!

I cut and glued sections onto the insides of the front
and back covers of the book.

Step 2 – Brackets for Tunnel Pages. I cut four of the bookbinding folding spine units, two for each side. I folded them up and glued them together (see below).

'How to fold' detail

To make them easier to handle, I mounted each of the two spine units to a piece of cardstock cut to 3" x 4.75".

Then I glued the units into my cover:

Step 3 – I made a bunch of "reef parts" to have at the ready as I began assembly. I used cardstock and some more unusual materials (as per our May theme!)

Paint chips!

I think the Funky Cactus Die Set is great for 'coral'!

Candy wrappers!

I started by decorating the inside cover with die cuts, more of the Tyvek "bubbles" and "pirate treasure" from my bits and bobs stash.

Step 4 – Making the Tunnel pages. First I cut four pages to create my tunnel. The page die from the Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers Die Set made it really easy! I cut the centers out with the smallest opening for the back page and then gradating out in size to the front.

I checked the fit and made sure I liked the spacing and size of my tunnel openings.

Looks good!

I had some tiny clothespins which were handy for temporarily clipping the pages into place.

Step 5 – Assembly! I worked from back to front, gluing and stamping as I went.

To glue the pages in, I used a quick grab wet glue and applied a thin line to the back of the side edges of the tunnel page. My little clothespins were useful in holding the page in place while the glue dried. (Didn't take long).

Next layer!

Last layer and the little side pieces to cover the front set of spine tabs.

Well, that was a long post again! Congrats, you made it through. ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and next week will be a new month with a new theme! Be sure to keep an eye on Eileen's blog for some more inspiration.

I am also entering this into the Funkie Junkie Challenge Blog "Anything Goes" challenge. They always have fun challenges to enter every two weeks so check them out!

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix 

Folio Journal  ( Sizzix / SB )

Bookbinding & Label ( Sizzix / SB )

Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers ( Sizzix / SB ) 

Grass, #660326 - retired

Tim Holtz Sizzix

Funky Cactus ( Sizzix / SB )

Holiday Greens, Mini ( Sizzix / SB )
3-D Embossing Folder - Foundry ( Sizzix / SB )

Wacky Transport #1 ( Sizzix / SB )

Funky Festive ( Sizzix / SB )

Funky Festive, Large ( Sizzix )

On the Edge Die - Twigs

Other:

Topflight Stamps, Lavinia Brand stamps - School of Fish, Sea Creatures, Seaweed 2, Mini Fish, Fish Set

Topflight Stamps, Pink Ink Designs - Shell Nymph

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Sea Life

Sizzix Shaker Domes - 664190
aluminum cans

Sizzix mat board
Distress Ink, Distress Oxide Ink - various colors

Distress Paint - Salvaged Patina, Black Soot
Distress Glaze - Salvaged Patina

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Hardware Heads

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Hitch Fasteners

Crop-a-dile Tool

eyelets

elastic cord

Stickles glitter glue - various colors

Crafter's Pick - The Ultimate! glue

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 12% off your order.

Submarine Tunnel Book
by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel
Scrapbook.com