Lavinia Stamps "Sebastian the Seahorse" Card

Today, I decided to use one of my older Lavinia Stamps to create a water scene featuring "Sebastian the Seahorse" on an Elements Ink background.

I used Lime Punch and Mermaid Elements inks, applied with Lavinia stencil brushes.

I then stamped the seahorse using Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink.  I created a mask of the seahorse and lay it over the top.  I then stamped the "Marine Kelp" ink Versafine Clair "Green Oasis" ink.  I then stamped the "Wild Berries" using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.

With the mask in place, I sprinkled droplets of water on to the project from a fan shaped brush, dabbing off the surplus water with kitchen towel.  Once dry, I added touches of colour using Derwent Inktense water colour pencils.

Finally, I added touches of colour to the scene using a gelly roll silver glitter pen, a yellow Posca Pen and a white Sakura gel roll pen.  I then mounted the image on to a card blank and added the "Deeper than the ocean" sentiment stamped in Versafine Clair "Warm Breeze" ink.

Lavinia Stamps Seahorse and Baby Card

I've used one of the gelli plate backgrounds I created the other day for the base of this card.  I then Distress Oxide Inks in the shades of Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint throug a Funky Fossil stencil called "Fish Background" to create the whole background look.

Using Versafine Clair "Warm Breeze" shade of ink, I stamped "Sebastain the Seahorse" and the baby seahorse which is from a stamp set called "Sea Creatures".

Using two shades of Versafine Clair ink, "Verdant" and "Shady Lane", I stamped the "Seaweed" in the foreground.

I then inked the edges of the card using the Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" for the lower half and Distress Oxide "Broken China" shade of ink for the top section.

Finally, I used a white Posca Pen to add highlight areas to the seahorses and a metallic gold pen for areas on the seaweed.

I am entering this into the July 2019 "A Place To Start" challenge which has an anything go theme for the month.

Week 24 - 52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2019

The challenge prompt for Week 25 is "Under Water".

To create my tag I've used two stamps from Lavinia Stamps and a stencil, it was a quick make.

First, starting from the middle of the tag, I used a Distress Ink in the shades of "Mustard Seed".  The next colour I used from the edge of the tag and blended to the yellow was "Peacock Feathers", then "Mermaid Lagoon" and finally "Chipped Sapphire"

I lay my prepared tag background on a piece of kitchen roll. Using an Andy Skinner stencil called "Tornado".  I lay it on my work desk and spritzed the surface with water.  I then flipped the stencil and lay it wet side down onto the prepared tag background.  I left it for a minute or so then lifted the stencil.  The area where the water has been leaves a sort of bleached look.  

If you find there are little pools of water on your tag, then lightly blot them with the edge of a piece of kitchen towel. 

 

Once the tag is dry, I then stamped the Lavinia Stamps "Seahorse", a fab stamp with so much detail, in Versafine Clair "Blue Belle" ink.  At the base of the tag, I added the fish using the Lavinia stamp called "Shoal of Fish", stamped in Versafine Clair "Twilight" ink.  I also went around the edge of the tag using this ink, just to darken it a little more.

Finally, I added some bubbles using a white and a silver Signo Pen.  I also added some white areas to the seahorse with the white pen and to give the eye a glassy look, popped on a little droplet of "Glossy Accents" and left to dry.

~~~

Click here if you would like to know more about this challenge.

There is a Facebook Group for this challenge, where you are more than welcome to join and take part.  In the group, you can upload your creations to the weekly prompt albums and talk to others who are taking part in the challenge.  It is very relaxed, with no pressure to take part, just do what you can, when you can.  I hope you will join us.  Sam x

A recovery project (when crafting goes wrong) #Laviniastamps

I have been a paper crafter for many years and sometimes things go wrong.  Usually due to my carelessness.  This is one of those projects that went wrong and was then recovered.

It started a couple of days ago, when I was making a batch of alcohol ink backgrounds on Yupo paper.  Having made a very special background (using Mermaid and Citrus shades), I foolishly stamped the seahorse in the wrong ink.  I don't mean the wrong shade, I mean the wrong type of ink.  I used a Versafine Clair ink instead of a StazOn.  

The difference between the two is that StazOn is quick drying and works well on non-porous surface (Yupo is like a plastic coated paper).  Where as the Versafine Clain needs something to grip to.  The result of this error was that in 24 hours time, the ink was still very wet.  I decided to wipe it off and see if I could salvage the beautiful background - and it worked!

The wet wipe did remove some of the alcohol ink background, but at least I was able to use it.

I started by stamping the Lavinia Stamps "Seahorse" in a StazOn ink in a "Teal Blue" shade.  I then stamped the "Skeleton Tree" in StazOn "Midnight Blue" shade of ink to replicate seaweed.  I used the Lavinia "Seaweed" stamped in StazOn "Forest Green" shade of ink.

Finally, I added highlights of silver glitter using a Signo Pen and added sequins and sticky gems to replicate air bubbles in the water.

Lavinia Stamps Design Team Samples for Hochanda TV on 21st February

This is the fourth set of  Design Team samples I have created for Lavinia Stamps, to be shown on Hochanda TV on 21st February 2019 at mid-day and 4pm

Sample 1

I created the background using a Gelli Plate and Brusho inks.  I stamped Sebastian the Seahorse and the sentiment in Versafine Clair "Monarch" shade of ink. I used Distress inks to create the rock shapes at the bottom foreground.  Then stamped "Lunar Buds" (from set 3) to create a fossil/lichen look.  Finally, I added spots of glossy accents to the eyes of the seahorse and to the water background and touches of white with a Signo Pen.

Here are the links to the Lavinia Stamps I have used for this sample:  Sebastian the Seahorse, Deeper than the ocean sentiment and Lunar Buds.

Sample 2

For Sample 2, I created a background using a combination of Distress Oxides and Distress Inks.  I masked off a circle for the moon and applied a Cosmic Shimmer "White Clouds" Blending Ink and left to dry.  I have only used one stamp for this card and that is Sebastian the Seahorse.  I stamped the main image in Versafine "Black Onyx" ink.  I then used the spines of the seahorse to stamp around the edge of the card, in Versafine Clair "Monarch".  Finally, I used a Signo Pen in silver to make dots through the water.  I used a white Signo Pen for areas on the seahorse too.  I added a spot of Glossy Accents to the eye area to make it more glass looking.

Here is the link to Sebastian the Seahorse if you would like to buy one too.

Sample 3

As the two other samples are quite busy with colour, I wanted the third to be clean and simple.  I used a Stix2 Masking Sheet and cut a circle aperture in it using a die.  I used the aperture/hole to mask off the edge area of the card and filled with Distress Inks using the following shades "Spun Sugar", "Picked Raspberry" and "Wilted Violet".  Both the seahorse and the sentiment were stamped in Versafine Clair "Monarch" shade of ink.

Here is the link to "Sebastian the Seahorse" and the "Deeper Than The Ocean" sentiment.

The Blue Seahorse Card (Lavinia Stamps)

I've had several projects to make so this afternoon it was nice to play, for the sake of playing.

I made this card using a background of an off-cut of Clarity's "Shenandoah Natural Wonders" paper.  

I used three Lavinia stamps for this card:  Seahorse, Sacred Spells and Fairy Barnacle, stamped in various Versafine Clair inks.

I added white dots to the seahorse using a Signo Pen.  In various other areas I used a Sakura Jelly Roll pen and also a silver metallic pen.  (Unfortunately, not much of the shimmer and shine can be picked up in this photograph).

Seahorse Seascape Card using Lavinia Stamps

I saw an article in a magazine recently about rotating a stencil, so thought I would give it a go. I used Distress Inks in two shades of blue through the stencil in one direction, I then lifted and rotated it and put green Distress Inks through the stencil, which gave a two tone cross-hatch design which lent itself to a watery background.

I used the Lavinia Stamps "Seahorse" and "Seaweed 2" stamped in Versafine Ink then coloured with Brusho.  In a grey Memento "London Fog" shade of ink, I stamped the bubbles (the stamp came free with magazine).  Finally, using Liquid Pearls in a silver shade, I added dots to highlight areas on the seahorse.

Lavinia Stamps Fairy Thistles Sunset Card

I seem to be on a crafting roll at the moment, using these delicious Lavinia Stamps for their Creativity Monthly Challenge.

This will be my third entry into the challenge for this month and I wanted to create something with a clean and simple feel to it.

I started by masking off the card base, leaving a circle exposed.  I then blended three pink and one purple shade of Tim Holtz Distress Inks to create the coloured middle.  I then spritzed my hands and allowed droplets of water to fall on the inked area, I then dried it with a kitchen towel and removed the mask.

I then stamped the central "Fairy Thistles" image.  Using the edge of the Lavinia "Seahorse" stamp, I added detail to the edge of the circle.

Finally, I added some small black and gold metallic dots with a pen to add a little bit of interest to the bottom section of the card and a white Signo pen to areas of the thistle.

If you would like to know more or take part in the Lavinia Stamps monthly creativity challenge, you can find the information here.

Lavinia Stamp Seahorse - Sunset Ocean Card

I have not really dipped my toe into manufacturer challenges, but this month I decided to have a go at the Lavinia Stamps Challenge, with a theme of "Sunset Pinks".

Lavinia Stamps are known for their fabulous fairy images, so instead of going down that route, I thought i'd spin it and do an underwater sunset instead.

I created the shaded background using Brusho paints/colours.  I used four Lavinia stamp sets on this project,  stamped in either "Black Onyx" or "Smokey Grey" Versafine Ink or Memento "Grape Jelly". The stamps I used are Seahorse (LAV496), Indian Flourish (LAV495), Shoal of Fish (LAV432) and Sea Creatures (LAV170).  I also used a white and metallic gold coloured Signo pen.  I added a few pearlescent sequins to add a little shimmer too. 

A Lavinia Stamp Sparkling Seahorse Tag

I have been stalking my postman.  Today, he delivered my Lavinia stamps including their new seahorse.  I couldn't wait to get playing and made this tag.

In both instances I have created the background using Distress Oxides and Distress Inks.  I've used a Versafine Ink to stamp the seahorse image and a white Signo pen for the white dots.