introducing STAMPlorations new spring ATCs

Are you a fan of the ATCs in the STAMPlorations shop? There are a few new spring-themed products (think floral, coffee, sweet little houses and some boss women!) and I've got a couple projects to share with you.

Let's start with the boss women, shall we? I loved this 70s looking leading lady, so paired her with some groovy stamps in the supporting role. I stamped with orange, yellow and brown inks of course ;)

Retro Femme ATC

Groovy Shoes stamp

For my next card the butterfly from the Color me Spring pack immediately spoke to me so I paired it with some watercolor PP and die cut Flutterby. The die cuts are nice and sparkly thanks to Wink of Stella but you can't see it in the photo. I distressed the edges of the ATC and PP on my card front. Seems like ages since I've done that!

Color me Spring ATC

Flutter Zen 1 die

World Birthday Cakes stamp

My last project today features an adorable birdhouse ATC and it immediately reminded me of one of Shery's older stamp sets so I paired the two. I also added some wispy leaves to the background and some washi.

Color me Spring ATC

Crazy Stitched Rectangle die

Country Rustic stamp

Life is Sweeter stamp

Be sure to stop by the STAMPlorations blog regularly to see what the other DT girls are making with the new ATCs as well as the recently released collage papers. Should you find yourself making a purchase from the STAMPlorations store, you can use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off. Have a lovely day.

STAMPlorations anything goes challenge march

Well hello again STAMP friends! It's time for another monthly Anything Goes challenge - the 6th of every month over at the STAMPlorations blog. Did you join the fun last month? It's time to have some fun at the March ATG challenge.

This one has basically only two elements, but so much interest due to the complexity of the background.

Circles all Over cover plate die

Perched Bird die

Thinking of you die

patterned paper

The background was made by die cutting a card front from watercolor patterned paper and then mixing up the pieces when adhering them to my cardfront. I then ran the cardfront through my die cutting maching using the cover plate to add texture to it. The two elements - a bird and sentiment die cut and stacked and voila!

CAS card tip: Only two elements for your CAS design? Make the background more interesting by adding texture to it.

I'm looking forward to your seeing your card creations this month! There will be prizes ;) a $25 prize code for a chosen card using STAMP products and even a $10 prize code chosen randomly from the entries (need not feature a STAMP product.) Please be sure to read all the challenge rules here.

And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should I ever inspire you to do some shopping ;)  See you over at the gallery. 

introducing collage papers - memory planner

If you caught my last two posts you know there's a new product over at the STAMPlorations shop - collage papers. Basically, it's a nice quality 70# patterned paper and who doesn't love patterned paper?  

There's an amazing pre-order deal being offered right now so please go check it out. But then come back to see my latest make using Analog Grunge, one of the new papers!

I decided to use the collage papers as PP in creating my latest spread in my Stop the Blur memory planner. The neutral tones worked well with my photos for this week, which were basically all over the color spectrum. I created pockets to hold a few more photos and my journaling.

Analog Grunge collage paper

Elizabeth Craft journal page die

Heidi Swapp stamps

alpha die, stickers, ticket ephemera

So if the pattern on these collage papers speaks to you, in addition to using them as an easy card front or background for a stamped/die cut image, you can make them work for you in other ways as well. 

Hope you're stopping by the STAMPlorations blog regularly to see what the other DT girls are making with the new collage papers - in addition to grungy there are botanical, coffee, travel, and bold texture themed papers.

And should you find yourself making a purchase from the STAMPlorations store, you can use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off. Have a great day.  

introducing collage papers - collage

Did you catch my last blog post? There's a new kid in town over at the STAMPlorations shop - collage papers. Basically, it's a nice quality 70# patterned paper and who doesn't love patterned paper?  It also might stretch your creative muscles ;)

There's an amazing pre-order deal being offered right now so please go check it out. But then come back to see my makes using Analog Grunge, one of the new papers!

To stretch my creative muscles I decided to actually make a collage. I found so much inspiration from Rebecca C. in this video.

Um, might it really have been 2019 when I last touched this art journal? Shame on me.  Anyhoo, I settled on this already-prepared two-page spread of khaki and beige tones.

And then I made some marks on my collage paper (the one with the coffee stains).

And pulled out an old gelli print and some old book pages. And then four hours later this collage spread in my art journal was complete!

I cut circles and glued them and some of their negatives down. Added some torn paper strips. Fussy cut some camera and clock images from the collage paper and added them like ephemera. I stamped with black ink and then white paint. I made marks with a toilet paper roll. I adhered some sticker negatives. And washi tape. And then my focal point, made with die cut alphas. 

I splattered too. With the leftover white and black acrylic paints. And metallic orange watercolor - can you see those shimmery blobs of goodness?

Analog Grunge collage paper

Art Marks 3 stamp

alphabet die

acrylic paint, washi tape

SUCH fun!!!!!

For my next project I remembered an idea from Nadine M. for a Christmas card and applied it to a masculine birthday card. This is a great way to use up other PP scraps at the same time. Just look for some that complement each other.

Analog Grunge collage paper

Skinny Sentiments die

So if the pattern on these collage papers speaks to you, in addition to using them as an easy card front or background for a stamped/die cut image, you can make them work for you in other ways as well. I'll be back with more ideas soon.

Be sure to stop by the STAMPlorations blog regularly to see what the other DT girls are making with the new collage papers - in addition to grungy there are botanical, coffee, travel, and bold texture themed papers.

And should you find yourself making a purchase from the STAMPlorations store, you can use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off. Have a fabulous day. 

introducing collage papers - analog grunge cards

There's another new kid in town over at the STAMPlorations shop and if you're a CAS cardmaker, you might be wondering if it's for you. Basically, it's patterned paper and who doesn't love patterned paper?  It also might stretch your creative muscles ;)

There's an amazing pre-order deal being offered right now so please go check it out. But then come back to see my makes using one batch, Analog Grunge, of the new papers!

My first love being cardmaking, I had to consider how to use this great paper (it's 70# quality). Some of the images lend themselves nicely to being fussy cut and used like ephemera. But I was feeling "torn into strips," especially because the motif is grungy.

So I considered which larger size die I could use as focal image on my card and settled on a bird. So I stamped some feathers and art marks on the collage paper before tearing it into strips and glueing the strips onto some scrap cardstock. 

Then I die cut the bird, backed it with a black shadow and decided to place it atop what was actually leftover after diecutting the bird from the scrap I had glued the strips onto. Kind of a hot mess but I think it works. Especially as a masculine belated birthday card.

Analog Grunge collage paper

Feathery stamp

Perched bird die

Double running stitch rectangle die

For my next card I contemplated what else to do with torn strips and remembered this fun card I'd made years ago. I thought Shirley's City Girl would work well with a nice taffeta skirt. I alternated torn book pages stamped with polka dots in between the collage paper strips. Did some coloring to make her top match her skirt. Cuz stylish ;)

Analog Grunge collage paper

City Girl stamp

So if the pattern on these collage papers speaks to you, in addition to using them as an easy card front or background for a stamped/die cut image, you can make them work for you in other ways as well. I'll be back with more ideas soon.

Be sure to stop by the STAMPlorations blog regularly to see what the other DT girls are making with the new collage papers - in addition to grungy there are botanical, coffee, travel, and bold texture themed papers.

And should you find yourself making a purchase from the STAMPlorations store, you can use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off. Have a fabulous day.

STAMPlorations anything goes february reminder

Stopping by with a quick reminder to join in over at STAMPlorations monthly Anything Goes challenge over at the STAMPlorations blog. 

Today's card warms my CAS-loving heart. What do you think?

Perched Bird die

World Birthday Cakes stamp

Design Blox stencil

Distress Inks

Die cut the bird from watercolor paper, watercolored it letting red, yellow and blue do the work of creating the oranges and greens. I stacked it on a couple layers of scrap cardstock for stability and dimension and adhered it to a cardfront I'd gussied up with some graphic images using the stencil. A classic sentiment in an unexpected location finished off my card.

CAS card tip: Rainbow + lotsa black and white = winner design every time.

I'm looking forward to your seeing your card creations this month! There will be prizes ;) a $25 prize code for a chosen card using STAMP products and even a $10 prize code chosen randomly from the entries (need not feature a STAMP product.) Please be sure to read all the challenge rules here.

BTW, check out Shery's blog post about the new collage papers in the store. Can't wait to give this new product a try. How about you?

Don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should I ever inspire you to do some shopping ;)  See you over at the gallery. 

 

STAMPlorations anything goes challenge february

Well hello again STAMP friends! It's time for another monthly Anything Goes challenge - the 6th of every month over at the STAMPlorations blog. Did you join the fun in January? Here's my card for February.

I actually used some Christmas product for this card. I saw the die cut with the bloom and just felt like rainbow-ing it. 

Just Caffeinate clear stickers

Just Squares stencil

alcohol markers, embossing paste, Nuvo drops

Colored an image and added Nuvo drops to the berries, added some transparent paste through a stencil to the cardbase, added a sticker sentiment and voila!

CAS card tip: Think a black background is too dark? Try using a stencil to add paste or black ink to add interest to your black for your CAS design.

I'm looking forward to your seeing your card creations this month! There will be prizes ;) Please be sure to check out all the challenge rules here.

And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should I ever inspire you to do some shopping ;)  See you over at the gallery.