Cats and Hats

Have you visited our new Shopify shop Veralanestudiodigitals.com?  We have a growing inventory of unique and quirky designs that will bring smiles to your crafting. 

Today’s feature is Cats and Hats. 

Unleash your inner crafter with Cats and Hats! This stamp set features three plump and whimsical cats, four crazy hats, and a sentiment, perfect for adding a playful touch to your projects. With both JPG and PNG files included, the possibilities are endless! (Pawsome, right?!)

https://veralanestudiodigitals.com/search?q=cats+and+hats

 

Meet Jess Chris Doni

 In February of this year we added our newest design team member Doni (who goes by Jess Chris Doni).  Doni was noticed for her bright use of color and added pattern.  She enjoys using my clear stamps for AALL&Create as well as our digital designs. Fans have been very responsive to the beautiful craftsmanship and interpretation of the Vera Lane Studio images.

 Doni certainly makes a nice addition to our very talented team. You can view her work as well as the rest of our fabulous team on our Vera Lane Studio FaceBook fan page (joining required). 

Doni brings lots of life to the Vera Lane characters.  I hope you enjoy looking at her work.  Thanks for stopping by.

Frida:  Clear stamp for AALL&Create

Chocolates: digital stamp set

Sunflower: digital stamp set

Bright Day: Digital Stamp set

Lets. Go. Camping.

 I have been absent from blogging as so much has happened in the last few years.  Vera Lane Studio has joined forces with AALL&Create as we enter our third year of collaboration.  Between keeping up with digital designs for Vera Lane Studio, adding new design team members and widening our audience  our designs in high quality photopolymer are now enjoyed by stampers everywhere. 

My latest release with AALL&Create just hit the shelves today.  If you are into camping, the great outdoors, kayaking or just a walk in the woods this line is for you.  The collection  features A7 and A6 sets.  

AALL&Create has an outstanding design team and you will find lots of inspiration on their Instagram as well as their Facebook group AALL&Create Fanatics.

My clear stamps for AALL&Create can be found in their e-shop or from one of our worldwide stockists.  To find a shop near you please follow this link.  https://www.aallandcreate.com/stockists

If you are looking fro digital designs our Vera Lane Studio shop can be found on Etsy.

 

 

 

SDC 208; Animal

Stampotique has so many unique animal stamps. Jackie is our hostess this week and would like to see us use one in a stamped creation.

For this mini art journal page I began with drips from Inktense blocks. I layered my background with acrylic paints and scraps.  Stampotique stamps used are:

1. Little bird
2. Welcome to my garden
3. Feline

Please grab your animal stamps and join us in Jackie's animal challenge,

Twinchies! SDC 204

I am hostess this week over at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge and I am challenging you to create a set of Twinchies!

What exactly is a "twinchie" ?  If you have heard of inchies it's artworks that give you a little extra room to create -- exactly 2" x 2" of art!  To make your twinchies simple trim cardstock or lightweight watercolor paper in 2 x 2 inch squares.

Sift through your Stampotique stamps and find smaller images or use larger ones to offset.  Pick a common theme and balance your colors to create a cohesive set. 

 For my set I am using my quails cube - a versatile collection for four graphic inspired quails.

 I did the majority of my coloring with inexpensive BIC®  markers -- they don't blend as well as a COPIC® marker but they are great to make the most of your art budget and reasonable to use with children. I added detail with a small point PITT artist pen.

These are fun to create in sets and a great activity for children. With summer months still cooking grab your stamps and some pens and create sets for yourselves of with the kids.

 

200th challenge celebration

Kim is hostess this week and is challenging us to celebrate!  That's right -- we are in our 200th challenge with the Stampotique Design Team!  This week we are creating an anniversary or best wishes card or project.

My entry for this week is celebration card revisiting my favorite  Beauties stamp.  This week I began with a watercolor card and blended Gelatos.  I added paint, paint pens, pencil, and scraps.  "Party" is printed from the computer. The "Beauties" are stamped and embossed with a touch of Copic coloring.  Party hats are added prior to mounting on foam to stand above the background.

To mark the 200th Challenge on Wednesday, Arwen is giving away her Goth Tiered Cake and her creation!

So create a celebration project of some kind and enter it for our monthly drawing for a $30.00 gift voucher for some great stamps from Stampotique and or a treat from Arwen!

Favorite Stamp SDC198

Gez is hostess this week at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge and she is requesting creating with your favorite stamp.

I actually don't have a single favorite but this is one of them.  I love this because the pretty lady second from the left is my mom and I am missing her terribly this week.

The stamp is called "Beauties" (9127).  I stamped the image on cardstock and pasted with notebook scrap over a Gelli® print, stitched and painted a border.

Tin is in! SDC197

I'm hostess this week for the SDC197 challenge.  I am challenging you to use some form of tin in your artwork.  Consider incorporating craft tin, tin tape, an Altoid container, a repurposed tin can or any tin object to incorporate with your stamping.
Put on your "tinking" caps and join us in this challenge to have a chance to win some Stampotique stamps.

 My entry for this tin challenge is an assemblage art doll that I created for a friend.  I've included a variety of tin objects and three Stampotique stamps.

I began with a block of wood.  I cut a paint brush and a couple of chopsticks for limps and painted them accordingly with acrylics.  I added beads and a hand painted tin hand from Oaxaca Mexico.  I applied metal tape to one side of the doll that is buffed with Stazon ink. 

Amy Wilson Wellenstein "Femme Collage"  provides inspiration for the face. The image is glued behind the glass lid of a tin container.   Amy's "wish" stamp is stamped on tin scrap with Stazon and nailed to the wooden base.  A tin heart is glued in place.   My collage definition stamp is used to add a little texture to the doll's edge.  I predrilled small holes to accommodate wire attachments for limbs glued with E600.  I used to make assemblage
dolls with my fifth grade students.  It was fun to revisit this project with the addition of Stampotique stamps.

I hope your enjoy my tinny challenge!

Stencils; SDC194

Corrie is hostess this week at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge and her request is to use stencils.  There are so many fun ones out on the market and I have also enjoyed making my own.

In this sample I used  Crafter's Workshop mini tile stencil and the edge from Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions Stencil,  Number Jumble  with acrylic paints on my Gelli Plate® printed onto deli paper.  
I cropped the deli paper and stitched it in place for my background on white cardstock.  I stamped my 2 nuage image and Roc's scalloped lace border on scrapbook paper.   One house of my stitched houses is stamped and colored with Copics. Midge is stamped on paint spattered paper.  Images are mounted with silicone dots. I used Posca and PITT pens to handwrite "hello."

Grab your stencils and join us this week.  Looking forward to seeing your submissions. 

Springs for Spring! SDC192

Our first week of Spring is here and our SDC192 design hostess Valerie has requested we incorporate some kind of spring in our work! 

What could be more springy than creating a garden muse!
I began with a spring door stop and a piece of Gelli printed canvas.  I stamped the canvas with France's Vintage Bill and Ticket to Paris.

Fleur de Girl was stamped, colored, cut and clear embossed and attached to spring.  The canvas is stitched into a sleeve and filled with rice to give it weight and substance to stand.

I added eyelashes with my PITT pen to make her a little extra girly. 

So get springy and have a chance to win some of our terrific hand crafted rubber stamps.
 

Lilacs for Sunday

Brought out some of the Fleur de Girls to play with.  Here's Lilac -- I stamped her with black Versafine on watercolor paper.  I painted her with a combination of children's watercolors and Peerless. 

I used a black liquid stylist pen to add the quote.  And it needed something.

I guess I must have been day dreaming because I got caught up in doodling and my XS Pitt pen wound up traveling all over the surface. 

If you are not familiar with the collection over at Stampotique there is an entire garden of whimsical "fleur" girls with quotes, backgrounds and accents.  Perfect for spring. Or anytime.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Favorite background technique; SDC188

Nellie is hostess this week at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge.  Show us your favorite background technique and get a chance to win some of our lovely deeply etched stamps. 

My favorite background is anything mixed media.  For today's card I begin with gesso, scraped painted with a spend gift card, then  added bits of collage scraps.  I like to add pencil scribble and doodles.  Here I'm using Roc's bunny , my mini cube and collage definition.  Roc's bunny is paper pieced with acrylic detail.
I like the play of random and creating asymmetrical balance.

Neon card with homemade washi tape

Astrid is over at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge this week requesting the use of neon colors.  While it's not typical to use neon in my images, I do like to use it to add a punch in my backgrounds. 
This cards features "Peace and Love" from artist Kate Crane.
I hand wrote one of my favorite quotes with black gel pen, accented with white Signo. The top and bottom of the card has my homemade washi tape.

I had made a pile of gelli prints and the back of this card is made from the "waste" roll-out paint in-between prints.  While I had the colors out I also created very fast and funky washi tape using Micropore surgical tape. 
Here is a quick tutorial. 
You'll  need:
Micropore surgical tape, assorted acrylic paints, sheet of glass, Stampotique texture and text stamps, Stazon black pad,  shiny paper (freezer paper will work)

1. Apply strips of tape to glass
2. Select about three colors and smear on tape with fingertip.  Dry.
3. Stamp randomly.
4. Accent with white paint
5. Store on freezer paper or other shiny paper.
6. Use on future projects.
   

Bring on the sunshine! SDC 184

Our designer hostess this week is Kaz.  Brrrrrr... she says, living in the UK.  She has requested we being a little Stampotique sunshine to her with a "Bring me sunshine" theme.   So lets sunny up her days and also get a chance to win some lovely Stampotique stamps!

This theme makes me think of my friends and family in NYC.  It's been cold and they have been hit hard with snow.  So I used my NYNY! stamp and little taxi to create a bright and sunny NYC.

The city stamp was repeated and trimmed to create a 3-D layered city.  I stamped with Versafine onyx black and embossed.  Peerless watercolors and a waterbrush were used to color the images.

My background is layers of paint and collage scraps.  A piece of washi tape creates a street for the taxi to drive on.



  

It's all about Love and Hearts; SDC182

It's all about love and hearts says Kristen in this weeks designer's challenge sponsored by Stampotique.  Gather your favorite Stampotique heart images and stamp to your hearts content!

My "Love You" heart is featured in this mixed media collage card.   I stamped the heart with black STAZON and clear embossed.  The image is colored with NeoColor II crayons and a waterbrush. I love to work with a little scribble, color, stitching.  Pop in a stamped image for a unique card.  This versatile stamp is good for Valentine's Day or any day.  It's loose line nature is great for art journals, ATCs, tags and more. 

The background is a piece of "under paper" that had splashes of acrylic paint.  I pulled the yellow-orange color up by stitching a matching strip of fabric to the top.  Handmade washi tape (flower stencil and spring green acrylic paint) with scraps and scribble complete the composition.  I stitched the piece to a 5" x 5" card. The left is anchored with  floral washi tape giving a hint of "Valentine" colors.  The heart is raised with a silicone glue dot.

I had fun creating this card. I hope you enjoyed taking a peek.  Have a happy Valentine's Day!  Do something nice for yourself. 

A January Princess

Happy New Year!  This is my first post for the Stampotique Designer's Challenge since consolidating our design blogs.  Kaz has requested we cheer up January with a splash of color for SDC 178.

I am bringing my color splash with Roc Nicholas's lovely Bird Princess. 

My background began with pressing colored tissue on a watercolor surface with a damp sponge.   I stamped Bird Princess on a piece of white card stock and again on pattern paper.  She is colored with Peerless watercolors and a waterbrush.  I love these watercolors and if you hacen't used them you will flip for them!  The princess crown and lips are accented with a Stardust Gelli pen.  I used and x-acto knife to cut away the bird, arms, and pocket from the pattern paper to allow me to paint the cardstock.

I added hand drawn flowers and a snip of newspaper, and white scallop scrap for balance.  I added additional watercolor to my background with white acrylic dotted with my finger tip.  The scene pops with color by accenting the image edges with Prussian blue.  The scene is stitched to another piece of tissue dyed paper.

I love the openness of Roc's images for coloring and paper piecing. 
I hope this princess with sweet little bird has brightened your day.

So get out your colors and join us in this color splash at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge.  Best of all is a chance to win $30 of Stampotique Stamps. 

DLP 2015

 The Documented Life Project 2015 has rolled out with the first challenge of the year.  "Be your own goal keeper" prompt brought me to my commitment to eat healthy and stay fit.  As someone who fights two autoimmune diseases, keeping these goals is life changing. 

I began with the suggested book paper applied with Golden Soft Gel Medium.  When that was dry I used Inktense blocks wiped with a baby wipe to blend and soften my greens and teals.  Because of the color intensity I preferred using Faber-Castell Gelatos for my pink and oranges.  I softened the colors with a white wash of acrylic paint.

I listed my nutrition goals with scraps from menus and nutrition handouts.  "Goals" was stamped with my Random Acts Alphabet stamp set by Stampotique.  A Stabilo All 8046 black pencil was used for lines and random marks.  Adding a bit of water from a waterbrush makes the black more intense.

I collaged a small cover that is hinged with Washi tape and secured with a ribbon.  This random photo of my fit grandfather with an unknown "less fit" person just seemed to make its way to my page.  To preserve the original photo, this is a color copy.
I took a picture of one of my favorite recipes and printed it with my pocket LG printer from my phone.  It is mounted on painted paper with Washi tape.

The scallop borders are cut from painted papers I had in my stash.  Areas were toned down by randomly wiping gesso with my fingers.

I had no idea where I was going with this and I tend to only see the areas I'm unhappy with.  Another goal is to try and not be so critical and venture into each page as a learning opportunity. 

Stripe Background

Happy Thursday.  Corrie is setting the challenge at the Stampotique Designers' Challenge Blog and she'd like everyone to make something with a stripy background.

"You can use ink, paint or pens whatever you like, just no ready made stripes with pattern paper."

My solution was to sew stripes of rickrack and have my bouncy little taxi cab right along the bumps.
Beep beep!
 

Happy Halloween

Happy almost Halloween!

I've been burning the candle at both ends but I will say that I am done inking new stamp images (for now) in addition to taking on new art students.  Love staying busy!

I enjoy making my fun and funky backgrounds but when you are in a crunch there is nothing wrong with reaching for scrap paper for a quick card.  This certainly is not one of my better efforts but I loved chopping off Pepper to supervise little Skullboy and Frankie on their Trick or Treating adventures.

New release-- The Cherry Street Collection by Vera Lane Studio

Vera Lane Studio has just released two new sets from the Cherry Street Collection.  Meet "The Crazy Cat Lady" and "iYoga."

Both sets come with five digi files in 300 dpi resolution.  They can be resized and flipped in MS Word for your to print, color, cut and add to your paper projects.  Size small for an ATC or larger for an art journal page.