Queen Bee Shadow Box featuring ArtFoamies

GOOD MORNING FRIENDS! I’m back today with something different. As some of you know, I manage the blog for Kae Pea’s Creative Community featuring ArtFoamies. For those of you not familiar with ArtFoamies, they are foam stamps perfectly suited for art journaling, tags, and other mixed media projects. Today, I’m the guest artist over on the blog and I have a mixed media project featuring the Queen Bee Foam stamp as well as several others in supporting roles.

I’m usually a card maker and my main medium is Copic markers so this was really out of my comfort zone. But I was inspired by the clay work projects by Jenn White and Wendy Taylor-Aspinall so I decided to give this shadow box project a try.

Today’s project features:

Rowhouse Greetings | Queen Bee by ArtFoamies

Step by Step

Clay Medallion

  • Tape a piece of Glad Press ‘N Seal (sticky side down) on your work mat to prevent the plastic from moving while working with the Creative Paperclay.
  • Rolled out a small amount of Creative Paperclay so that it is larger the Queen Bee stamp and about 1/4″ thick.
  • Cut the Paperclay in a circular shape slightly larger than the stamp. I used a plastic drink cup to cut a circle out of the Paperclay.
  • Carefully lifted the circle from the plastic and lightly rolled any frayed edges to the back of the circle. Lightly rub the surface with a tiny amount of water to smooth out any imperfections.
  • Press the Queen Bee stamp into the Paperclay with even pressure. Lift the stamp and clean immediately to remove any residue from the clay.
  • Make a small hole at the top of the clay medallion using a plastic drinking straw.
  • Allow clay to thoroughly dry. This may take a few days. You can also bake the clay in an oven at 250 degrees for 30 minutes or until dry. See Craft Tips for Creative with Paperclay Products for additional information.
  • Apply two light coats of white gesso to front and back of the clay medallion. Allow gesso to dry thoroughly between coats.
  • Select acrylic paints in desired colors. I used Liquitex Basics in Brilliant Yellow Green, Light Green Permanent, Primary Yellow, Primary Blue, Primary Red, and Titanium White. You can mix color to get desired shades. I added white to create paler colors.
  • Apply first coat of paint as a light wash (I mixed each color with a small amount of water).
  • Apply second coat, deepening colors as desired.
  • Apply two lights coats of Gloss Gel Medium. Allow medium to dry between coats.
  • Create a brown wash (water + paint) and lightly coat the medallion. Lightly wipe off the paint, allowing the color to remain in the indentations and crevices of the medallion.
  • Complete any additional painting and apply another light coat of Gloss Gel Medium to seal.
  • Set aside and allow medallion to dry thoroughly.

Background

  • Apply two light coats of white gesso to a 6″x6″ canvas panel. Allow gesso to dry thoroughly between coats.
  • Randomly brush a couple of acrylic paint colors onto the panel. I used the same colors as the medallion, applying patches of Brilliant Yellow Green, Primary Yellow, and Primary Blue (mixed with Titanium White). Allow paint to dry.
  • Apply a light coat of Gloss Gel Medium to seal the first layer of color.
  • Apply acrylic paint to Stamp Buddy to use as an stamping pad. Use the Stamp Buddy to apply paint to the ArtFoamies of your choice and stamp randomly on the canvas panel. I used Microcosms, Lavender, Dino Skin, by ArtFoamies.
  • Apply a light coat of Gloss Gel Medium to seal the second layer of color.
  • Stamp Honeycomb Texture Background with Archival Ink in black.
  • Set aside to dry.

FINISHING

Rowhouse Greetings | Queen Bee by ArtFoamies
  • Thread a small piece of rawhide through hole in clay medallion and tie.
  • Glue medallion to canvas panel.
  • Frame in shadow box if desired.

That’s it for me today! See you again soon!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Botanical ArtFoamies Background with Birdie Girlie

GOOD MORNING FRIENDS! I’m this week’s guest artist over on the ArtFoamies blog. I needed a card to send to a friend who has been ill so I did a quick look through my ArtFoamies to see what I could use for a quick background.

Now as many of you know, my style is really clean and simple. I love the randomness of mixed media where lots of colors, textures, layers, and patterns come together to create a beautifully organic design. And I love to experiment with my inks and paints. But when I’m short on time, I just keep it simple. 

Today’s ArtFoamies project features:

Rowhouse Greetings | Balzer Designs | Botanical by ArtFoamies and Jone Hallmark | Birdie Girlie by RubberMoon

I started by inking the Botanical foam stamp with Versafine Clare in Verdant and Bluebell on with a piece of white cardstock trimmed to 3-3/8″ x 4-5/8″. I did a few trial runs with Distress Oxides, but I wanted the stamped image to be fairly crisp so I switched to a pigment ink. After stamping, I set it aside to let the ink thoroughly dry.

In the meantime, I stamped the Birdie Girlie stamp on Hammermill white cardstock (110#) with Hero Arts Intense Black. The image was colored with Copic markers (marker list shown below). 

Since my stamped image was now dry, I used the Lawn Fawn Mini Picture Frames die to cut an opening in the center of the image. I cut the frame three more times from white cardstock so that I could stack them on the oval opening. I positioned my Copic colored image behind the opening and adhered it in place. 

The rest is pretty straightforward. I cut green and dark blue cardstock, each layer being 1/4″ larger than the next. Once the cardstock was cut, I adhered all of the layers together and then to a card base made from Neenah Classic Crest 100#. My finished card is A2 in size (4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″). 

Rowhouse Greetings | Balzer Designs | Botanical by ArtFoamies and Jone Hallmark | Birdie Girlie by RubberMoon

Hope you enjoyed today’s project! See you again soon!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: E50, E51, E21, E11, V20 (skin); E53, E55, E57 (hair); B000, B12, B24, B26 (sweater); RV 32, RV34 (flower)

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

ArtFoamies Guest Artist

Hey Friends! I’m over on the ArtFoamies blog as this week’s guest artist. Today I’m featuring a mixed media project that was actually a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law so hop over to the blog for the details.

In other news, I’ll be offering a new class at The Queen’s Ink that can best be described as “color your way” featuring stamps from Stamping Bella. Watch this space for more information!

In the meantime – stay safe!

100 Moons Creative – Fun with ArtFoamies

GOOD MORNING FRIENDS! I’m back today with another project for 100 Moons Creative. For today’s project, I wanted to create a simple card that was quick and easy to make but had a WOW factor. My project features stamps from RubberMoon and ArtFoamies and uses Distress Oxides for stamping. [Supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.]

Now I have to admit that before joining the 100 Moons Creative team, I hadn’t tried any of the ArtFoamies stamps, but now that I have, can I just say how much I love using them?!? I’m a cardmaker and I love making my own backgrounds. I have a LOT of design paper in my stash, but I hardly ever use it anymore, opting instead for stenciled or ink blended backgrounds. So these ArtFoamies stamps really spark my creativity. 

Today’s project features:

Rowhouse Greetings | Creative Concentrics - Celestial Rings and Balzer Designs - Inner Struggle by Art Foamies

To be honest, I started this project in a completely different direction, using a different image for the focal point. But then I created the background and the two didn’t go together. I loved the background more than what I did with the original image so I ended up in a completely different direction. Funny how that happens!

CREATING THE BACKGROUND

I started with a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock cut to 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches. I flipped the cardstock so that the textured side was face down. For the background, I used the Inner Struggle foam stamp. I randomly applied two colors of Distress Oxide Ink to the stamp – Shabby Shutters and Mowed Lawn – so that the stamped image would have a variegated appearance. Since size of the Inner Struggle stamp was less than 5.5 inches, I turned the stamp so that it was perpendicular to the cardstock. I stamped the image in the middle and then worked each side to the edge.

STAMPING SUN IMAGE

Using the largest die in the Spellbinders Standard Circles Large set, I cut a circle from a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock.  For the sun image, I used the Celestial Rings stamp. Since this stamp is in three parts, I applied a couple of pieces of low tack tape on the back to hold them together while I stamp. Starting from the center, I applied three colors of Distress Oxide Ink – Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, and Candied Apple. I stamped the image on the smooth side of the circle die cut. Afterwards, I used a water brush to lightly blend the colors where necessary. 

Rowhouse Greetings | Creative Concentrics - Celestial Rings by Art Foamies

Once the ink was dry, I used a black Copic multiliner to add details to the face. I used Copic markers (R20, R22) to further enhance the facial features. I normally would not use Copic markers on top of Oxide ink, but to be honest, I forgot that I hadn’t used regular Distress Ink. It didn’t seem to damage the marker nibs, but you might want to use a water-based marker instead. I used my Copic multiliner and a blue gel pen to add more details to the sun rays. I’m not much of a doodler, so I kept the pattern simple.

Rowhouse Greetings | Creative Concentrics - Celestial Rings by Art Foamies

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

All that’s left is assembling the card. I stamped the sentiment on the background using Versafine Clare ink and then adhered it to my cardbase (I use Neenah Solar White 110#). To add dimension, I cut a piece of craft foam slightly smaller than the sun image and glued it to the back using Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive. You could use foam tape instead, but I prefer craft foam because it supports the entire layer. I applied glue to the other side of the craft foam and positioned the sun image on the card.

That’s it for today! Hope you found some inspiration and will give these fun foam stamps a try. See you soon!

SUPPLIES

Below I’ve listed the products used for today’s project. Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you (see disclosure). I pay out of pocket for the majority of the products — papers, inks, dies, embellishments, etc. —  that you see in my projects with the exception of the handful of products that I receive for design team work or guest posts. I only use products that I love. If you like my projects, please consider supporting me by clicking through these links when you shop. Thanks so much!

Star Powered by RubberMoon Stamps

100 Moons Creative Collab

GOOD MORNING FRIENDS! This is my first post as a member of the 100 Moons Creative Collaborative! I’m here today with a project featuring a variety of stamps from RubbermoonArtFoamies, and 100 Proof Press.

I’ve been making a lot of cards lately. In these days of social distancing, sending happy mail can really brighten someone’s day.

This card has a little bit of everything going on – stamping, heat embossing, die cutting, and Copic coloring. The featured image is Jone Hallmark Star-Powered by RubberMoon. I used A LOT of products and supplies (so don’t faint when you see the supply list) but I bet that most of it is stuff readily available in your craft room. So if you don’t have the exact product that I used, I suspect you already have a great substitute.

Rowhouse Greetings | Jone Hallmark Star Powered by RubberMoon Stamps

FEATURING

I never remember to take process photos of my projects, so I often rely on videos to show you what I’ve done. I broke up the project into three parts, giving you plenty of time for breaks and to grab your beverage of choice. The videos are in real time so you can simply watch or check out the supply list below and craft along with me. So pull up a comfy chair and let’s roll the video!

Whew! That was a lot! But aren’t you glad you stuck it out to the end?!?

That’s it for me today. Hope you found some crafty inspiration! See you next time!

Please feel free to share your creations using #rubbermoon #100proofpress #artfoamies #100moonscollab on your social media. We will be so happy to see what you make with Rubbermoon,  100 Proof Press, and  Artfoamies products.

Disclosure: Below are the supplies I’ve used for today’s project. All items were personally purchased except those marked with an asterisk (*) which were provided by a store or design team. I never share a product I do not like. All opinions are my own. Read more.

Where available I use compensated affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you I receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I use this money to support my blog. If you like my projects, please consider supporting me by clicking through these links when you shop. Thanks so much! Read more.

Paper: Neenah Solar White 110#; Hammermill Color Copy Cover 100#; Dylusions Mixed Media Cardstock by Ranger
Stamps: Jone Hallmark Star-Powered by RubberMoon Stamps (*) by RubberMoon Stamps; Kae Pea – Microcosms by ArtFoamies; Flutterby Designs – Patterns by ArtFoamies; Honeycomb Texture Background (*) by 100 Proof Press; Magic Stars (*) by 100 Proof Press; Scatter Art (*) by 100 Proof Press; Saturn Rubber Stamp (*) by ShockShack
Inks: Intense Black by Hero Arts; Versafine Clare in Nocturne by Tsukineko; Versamark by Tsukineko; Delicata in Rose Gold and Golden Glitz by Tsukineko; Distress Oxides in Speckled Egg, Peacock Feathers, and Chipped Sapphire by Ranger – Tim Holtz
Dies: Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables by Lawn Fawn
Embellishments: Embossing Powder in Detail Gold by Stampendous; Ultra Fine Embossing Powder in Sterling by Brutus Monroe; Nuvo Embossing Powder in Crystal Clear by Tonic Studios; Uni Posca Paint Pen in White
Adhesives: My Stik Repositionable Tape by Scrapbook Adhesives; Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive by Tonic Studios
Tools: MISTI by My Sweet Petunia; EK Success Powder Tool; Taylored Expressions Blending Brushes
Miscellaneous: Craft Foam by Darice
Copics: E21 (skin); YG03, YG17, YG63 (jacket); C4, C6 (hat); R24, R29, R59, B12, B24, B26, Y35, Y38 (plane); B12, B24, B26 (flag)