Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge #34 "Black and White"

Ok, let's get ready for March's challenge at the The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity   and the theme is Black and White!  Really easy if you think about it so think about it then get those entries into us for a chance to win a chance at some stamps!  I wanted to use the Gibson Girl's Faces set because using black and white made me think of elegance.

I used a stencil from the Artist's Cellar and modeling paste from Liqutex over a piece of  black sparkly fabric.  The some black Distress Ink after the paste dried.  I stamped the girl's faces and fussy cut and glued; I wrapped some of the same black fabric and added a spare junk earring and a label holder.  I used the Party Words set from Lost Coast Designs Stamps  to stamp the sentiment.

I sure hope you will be joining us for this challenge!  I can't wait to see what fabulous things you make to show us!  And as always you can find all the good stuff at The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity  so visit us often so you don't miss out on anything!

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 Carmen's Veranda

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Steampunk Queen Event at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!

Wow, what a twist on Alice! But that is just what you will find in our latest event at the The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity !  I had to put on my thinking cap and then took it off because it just was no good :)  Steampunk is not my easiest style to work with and I think I ended up with a steampunk/Finnabair style Red Queen but I loved the process of getting her there!  Once again I used my sherpa, the Art Sherpa that is, to give a fabulous process to try with acrylic paints and with that and a hand drawn queen mask the fun began!  There is quiet a rainbow on my entire table right now and it makes me smile! 

I had no masking medium...Grumbacher's Frisket is on my wish list at the top after this fun techinique!  So I splashed her on cardstock and fussy cut her out...easy solution :)  The a DP run through with a cogs and gears embossing folder and she had her home.  I used two of Lost Coast Designs Red Queens from the Alice and Queen Sitting Queen Set colored with Spectrum Noir Markers trying to use some of the colors in the big splashed queen.  Fussy cut and attached to the bottom then the agony/fun began as I searched for gears and cogs that I darn well know I have but nothing was found.  Then the fabulous Doll Accessories stamp set from Lost Coast Designs and found some awesome (to me) things to give a steampunk feel.  Goggles and eyes, watches, thimble, coin, mirror for her to admire herself, key , and then some bits and bobs of old jewelry under for the stamped pieces to rest on and around.  A brown piece of cardstock run through the same embossing folder to layer her own and she was done!

 The Steampunk Queen Event starts on February 11 - 14 

Now it is just a shame for me to have all the fun and for YOU to miss out on the chance for fabulous prizes from all of our events!  And to find out all of the details go to the The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity  . Our monthly challenge "Lovers" for February, our designer's Review pages, and of course all our exciting events!

The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity 

Carmen's Veranda Stamps

Lost Coast Designs Stamps

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Altered Eclectics Play for December

Angels, angels, angels!  I am hooked on angels right now! So when I started thinking about my design team make for Altered Eclectics I decided to alter this wooden cutout my daddy had cut out for me years ago that I unearthed while trying to get rid of a decade of hoarding!  I painted her with acrylics and then stamped the word "JOY" from Lost Coast Designs "Old Typewriter Alphabet" set on her tummy before covering all painted areas with Liqutex shimmering medium.  Her hair is some wonderful yarn from a kit I bought ages ago. Some silver beads to hold between her hands and a rusty halo completed her look.  Of course, I am forgetting her wings! an angel with no wings?? had some buttons added and the shimmer medium addded, also.

I hope you can join us with your altered art for December; it always makes a good gift so you can get two birds with one or a few crafting supplies put together :)

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers Zentangle

Long time since I played at the Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers so time to jump back in with some "Zentangle" fun ...my absolute not best technique :)   So here we go with a "Cracked Chicken" from Lost Coast Designs!

This chicken's rules to live by are so appropriate!

I would like to enter this at the Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers Zentangle

Alfred's Favorite Month, Too!

I was sent this fab postcard by dear Squiddy from Middle Earth and immediately thought of my Lost Coast Designs "Crows Border" and the crows from "A Murder of Crows".  They all wanted to hang out with the king of horror back in the day who could put a shiver up your spine without any gore but just mere suggestions :)  A little gold for the Oscars he should have gotten and he is ready for Halloween!

Hope you are having a wonderful and fun annual 31 Days of Halloween!

Until next time BOO!

Thanks for sharing with us at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity this month! Nan, DT

Face Skull Pencil Case

EEEEK!  It that time!  The 31 Days of Halloween!  I found a cute very plain pencil case and we all know we always need storage of any kind!  I stamped the Lost Coast Designs Stamp "Skull Face" and used a bargain bin Happy Halloween stamp.  Added some dangles and a cross and I love it!

I was down to be a Wicked Blogger but my mom's health deteriorated very quickly and I had to withdraw but it is fun to share a few things I played with!

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We're Still Hip How About You?

Continuing on our trip down memory lane and being hip not square but using our fabulous squares to be hip...whew! that confused me!  Just check out the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity  for all the details on our event "Hip to be Square" and Leigh will get you all unconfused and you will know how to play along with us and win some cool spending cash at the stores!  

I used the Architecture Square from Carmen's Veranda to make a wrapping topping for a man's gift or the graduate, any guy will appreciate it.  It comes with its own bunting so when they open the gift they can have a little party on their desk with the twine and circles to keep the party mood going!  

This is such a versatile stamp as it can be stamped and cut apart for architecture elements on a background as I did on my Shrine for the new release event. I am seeing these elements alot on cards and some cool projects so it was a must have for me.  The bunting was made by punching circles and hot gluing onto the twine and wrapping around the topper.

Hope to see you joining us for the fun event and all the fun things coming up so very soon!

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

Lost Coast Designs

Carmen's Veranda

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Go Tag Thursday with Me!

I have loved playing along with Sandie at Go Tag Thursday since it's beginning not so long ago and now I get the pleasure of Guest Designer for this week!  Squeee with joy!  I wanted to do an "Explosion of Color" (to tell the truth, Sandie made my suggestions of lots of colors sound so much nicer!) so here are my two examples!

This one was a page of nothing but Nuance Powders sprinkled nilly dilly everywhere and let run and get all scrumptious looking as they always do!  The stamps are freebies from a magazine and I wanted some lovely blue birds but the Spectrum Noir markers just couldn't overcome the background colors so not so blue blue birds.

 

 

This one was the actual reason for the theme as I was working on a tag with this background paper by Holtz when Sandie asked for my theme.  The little fairy declaring her love with a little put up hand is by Rubber Dance Stamps and the word "love" is from Lost Coast's Designs' word set Misc. Words Set.  I finally got the satisfaction of using the key for the letter "I" from my old keyboard that I just got replaced a couple weeks ago after using it with no shift keys working for almost a year!  Ha!  Such a good feeling.  Then a little sticker for "U" and it was all done.

 

Hope you will show us your tags this Thursday and each Thursday (and the days in between!) we are really having a blast with Sandie's fabulous new challenge!

 

It's Hip to be Square at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity this Month!

Hey all you cool guys and gals!  We are going hip on you this month with our event "It's Hip to be Square" and you will not be thinking we are posing on you not one bit :)  Carmen's Veranda's Stamps and Lost Coast Designs have some fabulous square stamps and it really gets you thinking on how to use them in different ways.  I saw this Eye Chart Square  and then the Eye Chart stamp at Carmen's Veranda and had to have a way to use them together!  I even bought a pair of jeans that I knew were a size too small for the awesome tag that went with my idea (I can wear the jeans when I loose my stress weight and they were on sale for 4 dollars so I am not that bad, really!)

Some Holtz's paper and my jean's tag and some Spectrum Noir markers for a green eye and my tag was done. I even used the black cord the tag was hanging from on here so good jeans great crafting material!

Please check the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for all the details and information so you can participate and win!  Lots going on this month and the months to come so don't miss a thing!  And our monthly challenge is always a good way to win some stamps!

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Go Tag Thursday with Some Hearts

I thought I had made it last week but forgot the time difference across the pond and missed it!  So here is my tag for the challenge theme "Have a Heart".

                    Google went completely insane on me just now so new format time!   The stamp is from Lost Coast Designs and is called Winged Girl, Holtz paper, chitchat words, and some fab hearts and lock and key from Tangled Blue Rose colored with Gelatos.

                                                                         I am entering this in Go Tag Thursday "Have a Heart".

 Dragonfly Dreams

Reach for the Stars at Mixed Media Monthly

From the minute I heard this song about being a Lost Boy and playing with Peter Pan I have had journal pages and canvases dancing in my head and along comes the challenge "Reach for the Stars"!  Mixed Media Monthly Challenge has Seth Apter as a GDT and he has a fabulous project for you to see!  I just went with a journal spread with some words from the song ( need to Google it and see who sings it but kudos to them!) and added my own drawing of a Peter Panish character and some stamps from Lost Coast Designs that went with my idea.  I took the wings off of Butterfly Face and put them on the little guy even though he only needs some pixie dust a little backup plan just in case :)

Of course some die cut stars to meet the challenge theme!  One even got some wired and beads wrapped to make my floating head a body!

 

Dylusions blue, purple, and some green with some ink sprays through some stencils made up my background. And here is my little guy all colored up with Spectrum Noir markers.  Lots of blingy hearts because all Lost Boys love their fearless leader...including this Lost Boy!

  White lettering that sometimes wants to fade into the background...... The fabulous moon is from Sun and Moon;
 Those Lost Coast Designs stamps really got me started with this one!

I would like to enter this at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge "Reach for the Stars" and I have commented on at least 3 dt members blogs....loving the one with the second star from the right quote of course!

A Beachy Christmas in July

My favorite theme is of course anything to do with the beach!  And the brand new Go Tag Thursday Challenge #3 is "Going Dotty" and the theme at the Rubber Dance Blog Challenge is a palette of beach colors for Christmas in July so color me dotty and happy :)  

My waves along the shore are some designer paper with dots! and some yummy Gelato shimmer.  The lucky duck, I mean, REINDEER DOLL who is wadding almost to the edge of her dress, oh my!, is    from Carmen's Veranda Stamps.  Some snowflake die cuts embossed and a die cut doilly with some seashells collected from my beach heaven combine for that Christmas/beach feeling.  The top stamp is from Dylusions and had a lot of fab dots which I boosted a bit.  The sentiment floating in the water is from Lost Coast Designs , a set called PARTY WORDS.

I hope you will check out the Go Tag Thursday challenge blog and also have a look see at the Rubber Dance Blog challenge (and pssst! Rubber Dance Stamps is sponsoring us at Dream in Darkness this month again!) ...so much fun making this I am still grinning!

Entering Go Tag Thursday #3 Going Dotty
              Rubber Dance Blog Challenge Christmas in July

July Challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and It is ATC's!

July already and in south Mississippi it has been soooo hot and muggy for soooo long now I am ready for some cool weather!  But alas that will not come for months so not being able to visit my beloved beach and snorkel with my son this entire summer due to mom's illness is making it a very long summer!  The one good thing about it being July is our new challenge at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and the theme is "ATC's" a good an easy one to play along with us!

I wanted a themed set and the lovely faces of women and images of women that Lost Coast Designs has is staggering so lots to choose from.  And you know me, I love to show the versatility of rubber stamps so I did some editing to two of my stamped images.  That is the beauty part of rubber stamps; you can use just what you want, even stamp it and then copy it smaller or larger, even roll up unmounted ones to stamp portions right on to mixed media work.  I used Franco Face (the eyes), Mucha on Pillows (sans some pillows and a part of her legs), and Butterfly Face Girl.  I was inspired by a video and blog on how to make these at Artful Flight .  I needed some chippies but had none so cardboard from packaging to the rescue and a circle punch :)  Use what you have.  My gold flakes photographed quiet bright like little light bulbs and you know my photography skills so.....

Homemade enamel dots, white glitter, all substituted for some awesome products used in the video but I really like how these turned out.

We hope to see your entry this month at the Portal for our challenge; just look to the left and click on the challenge box and it will take you right to us!  And keep an eye on the Portal as this summer we have a lot going on with events and chances to win shopping sprees at the stores!  Always fun to get free shopping so start a wishlist at both stores and play, play, play so you can start checking that wishlist off :)

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

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May Challenge at Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

Our theme this month is #24 Splash of Color (use a neon or bright color) at Lost Coast Designs and we hope everyone who played in April will join us again this month!  And thanks to all who did play and let us visit their blogs and be inspired by them (that's YOU) :)  So get your neon/brights on and get inky and messy! One little reminder....please make sure your makes have rubber stamping on them. A sentiment stamped works great if you have a digital image you really want to use!  

 

I just love this stamp so vintage and I had the luck of catching the library book sale and got a "Modern Business Speller" copyright 1901 with handwritten study notes so of course I had to stamp "Spread Your Wings and Fly"  on a page from the book.  She looks like she wouldn't have been at home at a typewriter but who knows?  

You know the next bit..it is your turn to show us what you can splash some color on and we can't wait to see so jump HERE and enter!  Please check out the Portal linky below as we have some wonderful events coming up..shhh! I didn't say a word!

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

Lost Coast Designs

Carmen's Veranda

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Cracked Wisdom

Hope you are enjoying our Cracked Critters Event at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!  I have a wise Cracked Owl from the Mini Cracked Critters Set One from Lost Coast Designs and he is the star of my card :)  Forgive the pun!

An A2 kraft card with star cut out and red paper behind with the owl stamped.  I stamped the owl again on white paper and colored with watercolor pencils before gluing on the stamped red paper.  A flower embellie to serve as a closure for the twine to wrap around and he is ready to give out his words of wisdom.

As always check out the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for the rest of the teams makes and all the info about upcoming events and the new challenge will be starting soon for May!

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

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Cracked Critter Event at Lost Coast Designs Portal to Creativity

The fabulously funny Cracked Critters at Lost Coast Designs are based on the cracks in sidewalks and the things you can see in them like the clouds.  I have made many humorous projects with them but today's make is based on a true quote about friends.  I made a little accordion fold book with the Cracked Owl, Cracked Chicken, and Cracked Yak.  They just all seem like they would be great friends so I found a quote I love to go with the book. 

The cover and back are cardboard from a food box covered with a digital paper from Dragons Lair Designs "Artistic Expressions" collection and stamped with the Cracked Tree, Cracked Grass, and Cracked Sky.  I made the title tag in Photoshop.

Book opened up

I used another paper from the same collection to stamp the images on then glued the fussy cut, colored stamps on top of the stamped image. The book is folded kraft cardstock sprinkled with Nuance Powders sprayed with water and the edges inked with Distress Inks. This is the Cracked Owl, she looks so wise, well, I think she is a girl anyway :) 

The Cracked Yak is fab, too!

And finishing with the great Cracked Chicken :)

Check out my teamies makes at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and find all the details about the event.  And keep up with all the info and challenges!

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Pop Up Card Full of Cracked Critters to Celebrate the Cracked Critters Event

Hi all! Nan coming at ya with an pop up card just popping with Cracked Critters since you can find our awesome Cracked Critters Event at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity going on right now!  I used Lizard Dog (LOVE him!), and the Cracked Mini Critters Set One Party Cat, Cracked Owl, and Cracked Chicken.  I added some Party Hats and Misc. Words all from Lost Coast Designs new releases. 

A little embossing and distress inks and the fiesta is ready to start!

Please check out the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for our event celebrating Earth Day and get all the deets on upcoming events and challenges!

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

Lost Coast Designs

Carmen's Veranda

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Alice ATC's

I love all things Alice and all things Wonderland so when Leigh, the Design Team Leader at Lost Coast Designs asked if I was joining an Alice ATC swap hosted by Marion, I said of course!  I had maybe 3 days to make and get them in the mail to Germany but I made it :)  Please click on her name to see the All Things Alice Blog Swap on Pinterest.  Now to let you see them and tell you a bit about them.  First, here they are:

I cheated a bit and started with a patterned paper then stamped with White Rabbit, Hatter, and Cat (set also includes Rabbit with Watch).  For the background stamps I used Cracked Tree, Cracked Grass and Sky also from Lost Coast Designs.  I used Lindy's Shimmer sprays in green, pink, and gold. the characters were stamped, colored, fussy cut, and glued onto a patch of Faber Castell's Bead Paste and some cheese cloth sprayed with the pink shimmer. I added some glitter glue to the grass and stars and the bead paste glitters and soaked up the green spray creating a lovely sparkly place for the stamped images to play.  Then I popped on some brass embellies for each.

Hope you find you Wonderland!

Midway Point at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge for April "Anything Goes"

Anything Goes?  Yes, not much easier than that, right?  And you still have until the 25th to get those makes in for a chance at some shopping fun at Lost Coast Designs, so get up ...right after you take a peek at this...and head for the linky HERE :)

I am in love with something else.  These little mini grunge fold up books.  They measure 2 x 2 and seem impossible to do what they do but they work with very little effort.  I used Distress Inks and crumpled and wet and inked, then repeated.  The covers are cardboard :) squares covered with the paper then stamped to make sure the image is in the right place but I waited until I had put it all together to stamp my front so it fits the grunge title very well!

Stamped with Winged Skeleton from Carmen's Veranda 

Picado Skull, White Nose Sugar Skull, and Day of the Dead Headdress Lady from Lost Coast Designs

Cracked Tree and Crows Border from Lost Coast Designs 

Hope you give one of these a try!  They are super fun and you can look on Youtube under "mini grunge book" and it will tell you how to do it :)

Check out all the fun at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and JOIN the challenge this month, please?  You know you want to :) 

 Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

Lost Coast Designs

Carmen's Veranda

   Like our Facebook pages

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ATC Around the World Challenge

The challenge at ATC Around the World  is:

 

# 15 Everything goes with option use a stamp
Anything goes opt. Use Letter Stamp

 

It is my first time playing here and I used a stamp with letters on it from Lost Coast Designs.  It is a tarot card stamp "Diva of Midnight Summer Dreams" and it is a new release.  I had to trim it down to ATC size but I am happy with it.

 

 

 Thanks for stopping in and having a look at her!  I am entering her in:

ATC Around the World Challenge #15