Mail Art !

Morning all :) Today I wanted to share some mail art I created using a home made envelope.

I have an envelope maker and often use this instead of store bought plain white envelopes. Its so fun to use old magazines, since the background has already been started. I added a couple of stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps! to the envelope and some sponging and doodling : 

The Spinning Swing Ride stamped on the left, isnt it great, and perfect for some 'Air Mail' LOL.

I also used Admit one ticket, which I stamped and fussy cut and added on. I did some background stamping with bulls eye target stamps and added a label for the address. 

Stamps used : Spinning Swing Ride 19203

Admit one ticket 19190

Bulls Eye Target solid 19196

Bulls Eye Target open 19193

This is my last creation for the Viva Las VegaStamps! DT, but I will be sticking around in the Facebook group facilitating the trades, if you would like to come and join us :) 

Hugs, Nikki x

Be Prepared Mail Art

Today I am sharing some art mail I made for Viva Las VegaStamps! Mail Art Monday :)

Mostly the cards I make are 5.5" x 4.25", so I have used an envelope for that size card. I think in this case the envelope may well outshine the content :

The focal image is Whimsical Gas Mask Guy. I stamped him onto tissue paper and embossed the image. I then painted the back of the tissue paper, to emphasise his jacket and match the color scheme.

The envelope has a Gelli® print background, acrylic paint and stencils. I wanted to get a really vibrant and contrasting color scheme. I used the Writing Chevron stamp to bring my border color into the body of the envelope. There is space for the address in the centre and the stamp top right.

The letters I cut from magazines and glued into place. 

To me this guy, donning his gas mask looks like he is ready for all eventualities !

Mail art is lots of fun to make, and there is weekly inspiration at the Viva Las VegaStamps! blog and facebook group. You should check it out.

Nikki x

Flora and Fluffy Tails

Our Spring / Easter themed event over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is Flora and Fluffy Tails.

Here is my mail art creation, using the fabulous nuance powders to create a colourful background. These powders are so highly pigmented and fun to work with :

The mail art features two stamps, Rabbit with Flowers and Doodle Flowers background from Lost Coast Designs. 

The flowers are stamped with green distress ink, then the rabbit with versamark and then embossed with a chocolate coloured embossing powder. Unfortunately you lose some of the detail in the rabbit by embossing like this, if you go and look at the actual image HERE, you will see the gorgeous flower pattern in his fur. But I was going with shiny chocolate bunny sort of Easter rabbit look :)

I added dots to the centre of the flowers and outlined some of the rabbit detail with white shapie paint pen, and doodled around the edge of the mail art and on the velum address label. 

Here is a close up, see how vibrant those colours are and how cute the bunny is:)

Hop on over, LOL no pun intended, to the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for more inspiration :)

Mail Art Today

The new challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is Mail Art. I quite like mail art, it definitely makes you think about the placing of images, address, stamps etc. I have used my all time favorite stamp .. this is THE stamp that inspired me to want to be involved in this design team.

For this standard 5.5" x 4.25" mail art envelope I have used one of the mini flying ladies from Lost Coast Designs. Isn't she just wonderful, here is a close up of her :

I stamped the lady onto my envelope then again onto a post it note. I fussy cut the post it and used this as a mask so I could color the background. I also used a small playing card to mask the area for the address. Using a playing card for this is a tip I learned from fellow DT member Tera Callihan. I colored the background with peacock feathers distress ink and a round blending tool. I used a circular motion, and really liked how it worked out :

I left the masks in place and stamped with the background stamp postcard background from Carmen's Veranda in spiced marmalade and peacock feathers. Then to make the black bubble strip I used Circle Frame, by Lost Coast Designs.

I removed the masks and added the lettering using Lost Coast Designs Old Typewriter Alphabet SOTA. 

Hope you found some inspiration here, pop over to the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for more inspiration and to enter our challenge. You do not need to use LCD or CV images, but if you do you increase your chances of a win :)

Big Eyed Cowgirls and Cowboy

Today I would like to share a couple of projects using some images from Carmen's Veranda, love the Big Eyed Girls and Boy images.

Firstly I made this mail art :

It was so cool when I wrote the address on , it  now says : "Are you Liz (name and address) feeling lucky'.  LOL

The background is dylusions sprays, then I creased the envelope and sponged a little green onto the ground to give it some texture. I stamped the postcard background and I used the old typewriter alphabet from Lost Coast Designs for the wording. The big eyed girl and boy are stamped in stazon, colored with inktense pencils and fussy cut. I sponged the edges and added white gel pen detail.

 I like to make Altered Playing Cards (APC's) and Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) and these images are the perfect size.

I have used Big Eyed Shooter Girl for this APC:

I love the Western theme, and the monochromatic look. 

Just a reminder about our challenge blog, The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, this months challenge is Zentangle. 

Hope you will come and join us :) Nikki x

News at Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda

... A new challenge and events blog

Welcome to the Grand Opening of our new Event & Challenge Blog where the stamps of Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you Twice the Inspiration and Double the Fun!

We've got so many fabulous events planned for you this year! There's going to be lots of Design Team eye candy and many events for you to get involved in and win prizes galore!

You can look forward to awesome blog hops, new stamp release news, A Different Point of View segments, articles, contests, tutorials and Guest Designer features and more, much more!

PLUS our Lost Coaster's Review Challenges will now be hosted here starting with the June Challenge on June 1st! Our challenges will continue to start on the first Monday of every month!

Exciting times ahead so become a Follower and STAY TO PLAY!

Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda offer a sophisticated line of unique, quirky and alternative images covering vintage, Steampunk, game pieces, collage, shrine, angel, gothic, horror and much more to excite your creative impulses!

To celebrate our grand opening we are throwing a 10 week long event (approx. 2 months) to showcase the stamps featured on the NEW IMAGE pages of both stamp lines!

Win a $20 gift certificate to spend at either company or a combination of both!

How YOU can Play and Win a Prize!

Click on the links below, check out ALL our fabulous stamps, shop, create and submit your projects featuring Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda stamps or a combination of both into the Inlinkz collection below by midnight PST on July 22nd!

1. Become a Follower of Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!
2. Please only link up projects using our stamp images.
3. One exception to the rule is...you CAN use sentiments by other companies if your project "needs" it!
4. Include a link back to this post when you share your projects on your own blogs!
5. Grab our blog badge, share it on your blogs and spread the news of our grand opening!
6. Your submissions are not restricted to just the new LCD and CV stamps, you can submit projects featuring ANY of our stamps BUT if you do use our new images then your name will be entered into the prize drawing TWICE!

Check out our new Lost Coast Designs stamps!

Check out our new Carmen's Veranda stamps!

The Lost Coast Design Team have created some fabulous eye candy for your inspiration!

Let's get the party started! 

Her is mail art I made created using the Cityscape stamp from Lost Coast Designs :

Here is mail art I have made using  one of the new images from Lost Coast Designs :

I have used the Cityscape image, stamped in black and added some white gel pen details :

 I have actually stamped around the whole envelope so the Cityscape is continuous : Here is the back and front of the envelopes : 

The envelope is sponged in distress ink, then I have used the journaling guide stencil to add another layer of interest by sponging in the same colour over the top. Once I get some nice and colour co-ordinated postage stamps on there it will look even better I think :)

Please come and join us at our portal to creativity, it will be fun :)