A Bibelot Box of Andy Skinner Designs and Ephemera

All of this week we've been playing with our friends at DecoArt. Mixed Media Artist and DecoArt International Education Coordinator Andy Skinner has designed some fantastic stamps for Stampendous, and our design team are eager to share what they've been creating with these mixed with the DecoArt® line of Media products. Andy will join us along with his team of international mixed media artists including Julia Stratford-Wright, Mark Gould, Mel Hookham, and Jools Robertson. Plus there have been posts this week on the DecoArt blog as well. Naturally the Stampendous Design Team will be checking in as well.

How about amazing prizes? Jaw-droppingly amazing? Each comment on a post this week will enter you to win a fabulous prize package! (one comment per post, per person)  Contest open to everyone!!
We have three packages and each has a Fluid Media Starter Kit, all three of Andy Skinner’s new Stampendous Stamp sets, and a Jumbo Acrylic Handle. Look at this great prize!

 

Here's my "bibelot" for today...

What is a "bibelot", you say? Here's what Merriam-Webster has to say:

bibelot

noun bi·be·lot \ˈbē-bə-ˌlō\

Definition of bibelot

plural bibelots play \-ˌlō(z)\

1. :  a small household ornament or decorative object :  trinket

In the crafting world there seems to be a plethora of artists referring to their creations as "curiosities". Being the slight rebel that I am (lol), I chose to use a different word, but with pretty much the same meaning. And no, there won't be a quiz.

My bibelot box has treasures within treasures, all of which have been decorated with stamp images designed by Andy Skinner for Stampendous, and mixed media products by DecoArt®.

The lid has been given a bit of Andy's "rust" technique as he demonstrates in this video HERE. What started out as a simple, inexpensive paper maché box from a local big box craft store, has been transformed into a beat up, rusty, and odd-looking box, filled with weird stuff. And it was soooo much fun to make! The sides of the box and lid have been brushed with a mix of DecoArt® Media Fluid Acrylics and mediums. Once dry, several of the images from Andy Skinner's Cling Toxic and Cling Curiosity (see? I told you it was popular!) were stamped in Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, and Paris Dusk Memento inks. The Dreamweaver Hexagons stencil were inked here and there. A bit of Crackle Paste was spread in small areas, and allowed to dry before brushing more paints and inks over the surface, and fake "crackle" was added using the image from Andy's set.

A torn rectangle of corrugated cardboard was given the same treatment, and adhered onto the top of the lid, along with a chipboard piece stamped and embossed in white embossing powder with the Antique and Open signs from the Curiosity set.

The inside of the box was given the same paint, ink, and stamp treatment. (Tip: it helps to stamp inside the box by using the Cling stamps without the acrylic handles.) I created two corrugated cardboard dividers and adhered them inside the box with Beacon Adhesives' Quick Grip. I had two small mint tins in my stash (who doesn't?), which were rusted up as well, with stamped burlap adhered in the lid, Stampendous Color Fragments for color and texture, pieces of "ephemera" such as flat glass marbles, old keys, tiny plastic bottles of silly craft supplies, the glass bottom from a soda bottle, and even a wooden nickel. I had glued words from Andy's stamp sets to the bottom of a couple of the flat glass marbles, which become magnified by the curved glass. An old set of poker cards from Vegas were aged, inked, stamped, and texturized with Stampendous Frantagé Aged Embossing Enamels, Crushed Glass Glitter, and more Color Fragments. Holes were punched in the corners in order to string them together.

All of these tinier "bibelots" fit inside, to be brought out and displayed or inspected as desired.

Aren't you CURIOUS to see what is in store for you at the links below?

Stampendous Blog

Wendy Price

Asia King

Pam Hornschu

Janelle Stollfus

Pam Bray

Jamie Martin

Louise Healy

Alison Heikkila

Lea Fritts

Amy Hurley-Purdie

Tenia Nelson

Debbie Cole

Laura Drahozal

DecoArt Blog

Steampunking with Dreamweaver and Andy Skinner Designs

All of this week we're playing with Mixed Media from DecoArt®, along with our Stampendous images designed by Mixed Media Artist and DecoArt International Education Coordinator Andy Skinner. As today is also Dreamweaver Thursday, we'll be inspiring you to use our line of Dreamweaver Stencils as well. Andy will join us along with his team of international mixed media artists including Julia Stratford-Wright, Mark Gould, Mel Hookham, and Jools Robertson.

We have three prize packages, each containing a Fluid Media Starter Kit, all three of Andy Skinner’s new Stampendous Stamp sets, and a Jumbo Acrylic Handle. Look at this great prize!

 

For an opportunity to be one of the winners, you need to leave a comment on each post from both teams, each day for the length of the collaboration. Also...ANYONE can win for this international event!

Here's what I have to share today...

I've created a steampunk-style portfolio, in which the main flap has been painted using Andy's great "rust" technique using various Media Fluid Paints from DecoArt®. For a video of this technique, check this link HERE. The bottom of the folder has been ink-stenciled with the Dreamweaver I-Beams design, using black ink and a large stencil brush, and with more of the paints brushed over the surface.

On the inside of this accordion folder, I've stamped a green panel of cardstock with various images from Andy's line of Stampendous stamps, including the Cling Industrial set and the Cling Steampunk set using brown and black inks. Over the top of the surface, I've dry-brushed many of the same paints as used on the front flap, but still allowing the designs to peek through.

This close-up shows more detail on that front flap, as I had also paste-embossed using Dreamweaver Metallic Gold Embossing paste the Dreamweaver Clockworks design. I'd also used my palette knife to apply dabs of the paste here and there for more texture. While the paste was wet, I sprinkled a variety of the Stampendous Aged Embossing Enamels from the Fran•tagé line in Aged Gold, Aged Copper, and Aged Hunter. I applied my heat tool over the surface to melt the enamels, and cause the paste to bubble up for even more texture. When cool, I brushed more of those Fluid Acrylics over the top, covering all of the beautiful embossing, but that was okay as I used a damp cloth to wipe paint partially from the embossed surface to let the color and shine show through.

For a bit more metal, I cut a circle out of the flap, and used a large copper grommet to frame it. Under the flap, I had punched a circle of the stamped and painted green cardstock to fit just inside the opening of the grommet. An aged gear and brad fastener was added as well.

Then I had stamped and embossed with the aged enamel, the butterfly key image from the Steampunk set on acetate, and cut them out. Some key-shaped embellies were aged with ink and stamped with partial sayings from the Steampunk set as well, using Black StazOn ink. These were adhered to the butterfly keys, and using a bead chain and closure, was left to dangle through the opening from the flap.

Final touches were additional aging from the DecoArt® paints, and Tsukineko® inks, and scraps of stained dictionary pages, old stamps, and a panel stamped from the Steampunk set as well.

Built in to the accordion folder is an elastic band that wraps around and holds this portfolio closed until treasures are ready to be added. How about a really old map to the underground tunnels of London? Andy...have you got one handy?

Here's the crew to visit today...

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu

Alison Heikkila

Louise Healy

Lea Fritts

Debbie Cole

Laura Drahozal

DecoArt Blog

A Carousel of Fun for the Holidays!

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Feel like you're going round and round and getting nowhere this holiday season? Little Monica Mouse doesn't mind that at all! She's on her favorite steed, the House Mouse Designs® Carousel Ornament, which has been stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored with Chameleon Markers. For an old-fashioned feel, all parts of the card have been stamped with the crackle image from Andy Skinner's Industrial Set by Stampendous, using Rich Cocoa Memento ink. A frame has been die-cut from the Dreamweaver Nested Frames set, and popped up with foam tape. Finally, a strip of kraft cardstock that matches with the card base, was stamped with one of the adorable House Mouse "Berry Mice" Sentiments.

To celebrate our final day of the celebration challenge week, head on over to these blogs...

Stampendous Blog

Pam Bray

Kristine Reynolds

Lea Fritts

Amy Hurley-Purdie

Pam Hornschu (you're here)

Dreamweaver Thursday: Dreamy Distressing

Most likely, if you've been following the Stampendous Blog and Team posts this week, then you've probably seen this video of the amazing Andy Skinner demonstrating his "faux rust technique" with DecoArt® products, and Stampendous images that he has designed. If not, check it out HERE.

Can you tell that I had a bit of fun with his technique? However, instead of going faux rust, I aimed for faux slate, and added distressed and "chipped" edges. Pretty cool, huh? Looks heavy, doesn't it? But, it's not! Probably about 1.5 ounces at the most. Like Andy, I used black foam core board from the craft store. I cut down the large sheet into manageable pieces, and went to work. How did I do it? Well, it's being featured on the Stampendous Blog today with oodles of step-outs so you can see the process, and be inspired to create your own!

I will give you a hint...I used several great products from DecoArt®, and the Dreamweaver Heart Ornaments stencil from Stampendous, and a distressed ribbon from May Arts to finish it off!

How great would these be as gifts for family and friends, and so inexpensive to post!

But wait, there's more!

Stampendous Blog

Laura Drahozal DW

Lyn Bernatovich DW

Pam Hornschu DW (you're here)

Kristine Reynolds DW

Lea Fritts DW

Louise Healy

Tenia Nelson

Alison Heikkila

Wendy Price

A Very "Distressing" Week with Stampendous

Who says that distressing your creations has to be stressful? Stampendous carries a perfect line of products, and fifteen amazingly talented team members, to help you create whatever look you want. From CAS (clean and simple), to distressed, to OMGeee over-the-top, we've got it all!

One of the industry's favorite artists, Andy Skinner, has designed some über-cool Cling Stamp images for Stampendous, and the distressed look is pretty much a given when using his designs. Below is a video where he shares his love of mixed media design:

I created the above mixed media piece using Andy Skinner's Cling Industrial and Nature sets. See the crackle edging all around the "frame"? It's just the crackle image from the Industrial set stamped in Rich Cocoa Memento ink on sage green cardstock. Period. How cool is that? What appears to be an artist's canvas is simply Core'dinations Vintage cardstock, sanded a bit here and there, and inked around the edges. The barn, fence, trees, and birds are all elements from Andy's Nature set, and were stamped in black ink, as well as a second tree on another piece of cardstock. All were colored with a wash of a wet paintbrush and Inktense Watercolor Pencils from Derwent, with more Inktense coloring and shading here and there.

Spoonfuls of Stampendous' Fran•tagé Spoonful of Rust mixture were added at the bottom, and heated from underneath to save all the yummy texture and color from blowing all over the workspace! All the essential elements for Fran•tagé-style distressing comes in just that one cool container...various sizes and colors of embossing enamels, Color Fragments, Mica chips, etc. You seriously NEED to have this product...well, and so many other products under the "Fran•tagé" category on the website. They're a distressing extravaganza! Oh, and all of those strange bits of ephemera that you've been saving for the perfect mixed media project? Just throw some Essentials over the top, and heat from underneath, and your ephemera becomes one with your project, just as you envisioned.

So, head on over to the other team members links, check them out, leave some love, order the cool stuff HERE, and begin to DE-STRESS yourself with a bit of DISTRESSING!

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu (you're here)

Kristine Reynolds

Louise Healy

Woodware: Sketch 45 Goes Masculine

Woodware Sketch 45

We're up to number 45 on the Woodware Sketch Challenge parade. The visual is shown above. When you play along, be sure to follow the info on the Woodware Blog to upload your creation for a chance to win.

My card today is so simple. Unusual for me. Lol. I broke out my Andy Skinner designs from Stampendous, including his Industrial set and his Nature set.

The border at the top of the design was stamped in black on a kraft card using his crackle design. The green panel was stamped using the tree and birds from the Nature set. Finally, the barn and fence from the Nature set were stamped in black on the burnt orange square. All edges were distressed with ink and the sharper edges of the Dreamweaver Picasso tool!

The sentiment seemed appropriate, and finishes off this perfect-for-any-occasion greeting card.