Mixed Media Valentine

Happy Tuesday!  After a few days away from crafting while I nursed a migraine (oh, those evil weather changes) and rushed my way through a busy weekend, I finally had a chance to play in a brand-new challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, the Mix-Ability Challenge.  This one is so much fun!  It challenges us to use mixed media in projects, but even better, it teaches us how to use mixed media in projects.  Lydia even created a fantastic video for the challenge, which you can see HERE.

This week's challenge is "Yin Yang".  We're asked to use something matte and something shiny on our cards.  Since Lydia's video showed how to use gesso and I've been wanting to try gesso on a card, I used that medium to create a matte background for my heart.  I have two "shiny" things on my card, one subtle and one not-so-subtle.  I used heat embossing on my heart and I created a "raindrop" background using crinkled paper, Versamark and Glassy Glaze.  

Here's my card:

Here's a close-up of the heart:

And hopefully you can see the shiny background a bit better here:

I started by applying gesso to a piece of patterned paper that was black with white hearts.  (I was hoping a bit of the pattern would show through, but I was a bit too heavy-handed with the gesso.)  I used a heat gun to dry the panel because I'm too impatient to watch paint dry!  I stamped my image over the gesso with Rose Red craft ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder, then cut around the image to create the heart shape.  Because the patterned paper is very light-weight, I cut a smaller-sized heart from chipboard (so it wouldn't be noticeable) and adhered it to the back of the stamped heart to give it some stability on the card.

Next I got to work on my shiny panel.  I spritzed a piece of black card stock with water, then crumpled it.  Once it was nicely crumpled, I flattened it out a bit and ran my heat gun over it to be sure all the water had dried.  I rubbed Versamark all over it using the direct-to-paper method, then applied Glassy Glaze, which is like a chunky, shiny embossing powder.  I heat set the Glassy Glaze to create a shiny, wet look that reminds me of raindrops. 

I wrapped red and white baker's twine around the black piece.  I adhered the black piece to a panel of red card stock, then adhered the red piece to a black card base that was cut to 4" x 5 1/2" (slightly smaller than an A2 card). I attached the heart to the shiny black panel using thick foam dimensionals and placed Zots on top of the dimensionals to really help the heart stick to the black panel.

I had so much fun playing with new tools for this card!  I have really enjoyed making different styles of valentines over the past couple of weeks, especially since I can use my favorite color combo (black, white and red) so easily at this time of year!  If you want to learn how to use new mediums and explore your creativity a bit, too, I hope you'll give the new Mix-Ability Challenge a try!  

Thanks for stopping by today!

Products Used:

Stamp: Amore HeartPrint (Hero Arts)

Ink: Rose Red Craft Ink (Stampin' Up!). Versamark (Tsukineko)

Paper: B&W Doodle Hearts (The Paper Studio); red and black card stock (unknown)

Tools and Accessories: Gesso (O'Leary Paint); clear embossing powder (Mrs. O'Leary's); Glassy Glaze (Stampin' Up!); baker's twine (Strands, Etc.); 3D Foam Squares and Zots (Therm-O-Web); chipboard

Go Ahead, Copy Me!

You know how in school you're not allowed to copy someone else's work?  Well, in cardmaking circles, copying is form of flattery!  There's even an acronym for it: CASE, which stands for Copy and Share Everything.  This doesn't mean you duplicate the card exactly; instead, you use the existing card to springboard your own creativity.  You can replicate the colors, the sentiment, the design, etc., but put your own twist on them and change up a few elements.

Today's card is a CASE for a Splitcoast Stampers challenge.  Once a week, a Featured Stamper is chosen, and those who play in the challenge pick one of the Featured Stamper's cards to CASE.  The original card can be seen here.  This is my CASE of that card:

I kept the basic layout and design of the original card.  I chose a different sentiment from the same set used on the original card.  I also changed the colors, the image and the number of layers. 

I started by sponging several hues of purple and lavender chalks on a panel of white card stock.  I sponged the chalk by rubbing a piece of craft sponge (you could also use a sponge dauber) in my chalk, then rubbing it on the card stock in a circular motion.  I started with my palest lavender shade and gradually added more color, using progressively darker shades of purple.  I stamped my image in White Craft Ink, then covered the ink in white embossing powder and Stampin' Up! Glassy Glaze embossing powder.  (I added the Glassy Glaze because I don't like the way my white embossing powder sets on its own.  If you have a better-quality white EP, you would not need to add Glassy Glaze).  I heat embossed the image, then stamped "Happy Birthday" in Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink.  I adhered this panel to an Elegant Eggplant card base.  In the picture the card base almost looks black, but in reality it's a very deep and rich purple.  It's one of my favorite card stock colors!

This card offers endless possibilities for colors, images and sentiments.  And if you've never tried sponging chalk, I hope you'll give it a try!  Here's a tip: A white eraser can fix most chalk mistakes, which makes it a great medium for perfectionists! 

Here's a list of the Stampin' Up! products I used:

Stampin' Pastels (chalks)

Glassy Glaze

Elegant Eggplant card stock and dye ink

Sentiment - "Elegant Greetings"

Image - "Close as a Memory"

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Stamping!