It's Always Sunny at RubberMoon!

Can I just say... I love Sunny Carvalho's line of stamps at RubberMoon! They are fun and whimsical, and I love fun and whimsical. It's rare that I send a serious card to anyone, so I'm always on the lookout for stamps that are different, but that mirror my... oh, let's call it quirky... my quirky sense of humor.

I read just last week that adult coloring books are all the rage now. For some of us, coloring has never stopped being all the rage. Maybe we should change "all the rage" to "all the happiness". Because what takes us back to happy childhood feelings the way that coloring a plain black and white image does? Maybe throwing a water balloon at some poor, unsuspecting soul, but they'll kick you out of the coffee shop for that.

*ahem*

Sunny's images are great fun to color in. The designs leave endless possibilities for color combinations and work well with colored pencils (which is what I used), watercolor, crayons, pens, sharpies, etc. I often use a blender pen dipped in ink when I work with some of these stamps.

Where will your imagination take you? Happy Crafting!

RubberMoon Stamps Used

Lucy Bird
Lucy Bird 2
Cat's Eye
If Cats Could Talk They Would Lie
Lucy
Happy Thoughts
Heart Wand

So Simple

Remember that long ago day (well, for me it was long ago)? It was a rainy summer day, you were stuck indoors with nothing to do, then suddenly the day brightened as Mom handed you a new coloring book and a fresh pack of colored pencils or crayons.

As much as I love making a mess and experimenting with new products and techniques and goo and glitter and doo-dads, sometimes I just need a moment to color like I did in times of yore. So, that's what I did with this card. I stamped the images and sentiment, then got out my bin full of colored pencils, and took a short trip back to my childhood.

Often people say, "I'd love to do what you do, but I don't have the time or money to invest." With something this simple, you're out very little - a piece of cardstock, a couple of rubber stamps, and a box of pencils from the dollar store. As for time? You can do this anywhere - waiting for an oil change, watching TV, sitting at a picnic table in the park.

It really takes so little to be a kid again. Mostly all we need to do is give ourselves permission.

For this card, I used the following RubberMoon stamps:
Happy Thoughts Words
Lucy
Beautiful Balloon Girl

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
~Pablo Picasso

DIY Washi Tape

It's great to be back at RubberMoon to post a simple tutorial utilizing some fun new stamps:

1) Joe  2)  Popcorn  3) Bright Ideas (I have been looking all around for some light bulb stamps...and these are AWESOME!)  4) Sparkle (saying contains my One Little Word "light"...so another LOVE!)

 5) Nail Polish  and 6) XOs.

So let's begin:

Place pieces of regular masking tape onto a craft sheet.  I used wider tape, but any size will suffice.  You can see I ripped some to be a smaller width.

Apply a thin layer of gesso on each piece.

Or you could use acrylic paint as a base layer.

Spray mists all over the pieces. or use watercolor.

I may have gone a bit overboard...another good reason for the craft sheet.

They eventually dried.

Although the tape looks dull, there is mass amounts of sparkle and shimmer.

It is so hard to capture in a photo.

Next, go to town using the stamps with different inks, UTEE, and embossing powders.

I use my washi tape for scrapbooking and Project Life cards, hence a small piece is usually all that is needed.  Being such, I chose to put different stamping images on one strip of tape.

Apply heat to all the elements with UTEE and embossing powder. 

Yet again another good reason for using the craft sheet.

Some images turned out better than others, but since this was my first attempt,

 I was totally happy with the result.

 The nail stamp ended up getting some embossing powder and UTEE mixed and caused it to distort the stamped image plus the tape was bunched up at the end.  Lesson learned.

I pulled the tape off the craft sheet to show the end result; however, I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you are ready to use it on paper or have a storage technique that works. (I'm thinking waxed paper may work, but I didn't want to risk losing my tape to try it.)  The tape is still sticky despite the inking and heating that occurrs.

This method is simple and personalized for my needs.  The drying was the only thing taking time, but you could use a heat gun to speed the process up.

I definitely will be doing this again.

I learned what worked and also what didn't.  Plus ended up with some happy surprises such as the UTEE staying together on my light bulbs when pulled off the craft sheet.

My final washi tape ended in my SMASH album from a recent trip to Louisville.

Here are some examples:

Thanks for joining in on my DIY adventure with washi tape and RubberMoon stamps.

Ali Gitt

Day 4 with Sunny Carvalho

Celebrate our new product launch….with Inchie Arts

As you know, we carry several different sizes of the popular Inchie Arts Art Square products. And when they decided to launch their new 4” black Art Squares they invited us to announce and sell it first. 

In fact, it was one of our artists (thank you Sunny!) that nudged Inchie Arts to introduce this particular size and color.  To celebrate, we invited a handful of our designers and artists to let creativity fly with the new 4” black Art Squares. 

Every day from now through Saturday we will be posting amazing creations from Lisa Lee, Barb Rogers, Lindsay Ostrom, Sunny Carvalho, Jessica Sporn and Kristen Powers.

And on the Inchie Arts blog, ALL IN AN INCH, Lisa will be sharing lots of techniques and tips for all sizes of black Art Squares from 1" to 4".  

A few things you may not know about black Art Squares:

·        they are made from 100% cotton (not paper)

·        they are a super black with the 'black' sourced from natural ebony

·       they are a perfect 4 ply substrate for direct art application especially acrylic paints, white and metallic detail pens, colored pencils, Pan Pastels, stamping and embossing with white or light colors, chalk board style work and photo creations.  

Day 3 with Sunny Carvalho-It's a Paint Party on the Square!

Made with one of my newest stamp images from RubberMoon, "Mermee Waves"  I stamped the image  using a white Staz On stamp pad. I then used torn pages from an old book and collaged them along the bottom of my 4" Black Art Square to create 'waves'. I drew in my jumping fish and big rock using a white paint marker. Next, I used Golden Fluid Acrylic paints to paint my images and background. I used my white paint marker again to add in the stars and dots and lines around the collage bit in the top upper corner. I Love working on the black surface as it helps to make the colors pop and gives the illusion of such glowing color.

Below I wanted to share a painting I created using the New 4" Black Art Squares. I began with Titian Buff acrylic paint to create my underpainting. From there I layered many washes and colors of paint. You can see in the progress pics the many layers it takes to get the depth and values! I had so much fun painting on these new Inchie Art Squares and I know you will too!

create an underpainting using a light color

begin to add color and block in other areas and shapes

continue to layer your paints

more color and value, begin adding more detail

final washes of color and detail to make it pop!

TA DA!

Hope you enjoy working with my RubberMoon Stamps and Inchie Arts new black Art Squares as much as I do!

For more of my art and creations please visit my Etsy Shop!

Thank you,

Sunny C.

Give Peas A Chance

Hi! I'm Barb Black and I'm delighted to be one of the new RubberMoon Creative Dream Team members.  I think the most difficult thing I had to do for this first post was to decide which RubberMoon stamp(s) to use first!  It really wasn't that much of a challenge, I guess.


I love wordplay, so as soon as I saw Gretchen Ehrsam's "Give Peas A Chance" stamp, I knew the direction I was taking.  Pairing it with Sunny Carvalho's whimsical pea pod stamp was a no-brainer.

And so, this card was born.

For this card I used the following supplies: 

Glossy white card stock,

Green card stock,

Black card stock,

Water-based green ink pad,

Craft (or chalk style) white ink pad,

StazOn Jet Black ink pad, 

Green water-based markers in two different shades, 

A black Sharpie,

Sequin waste, and 

Sponges

I began by stamping the saying and pea pods on the glossy white paper, using the black ink.  I used StazOn because it doesn't run or bleed when I color over it with anything water-based.  I then colored in the pods and the peas and carefully outlined the piece using my Sharpie.

Once that was done, I set it aside to work on the background pieces.  This is where good ol' messy fun comes in (my favorite pastime).


First I did a rough tear across one edge of the black cardstock just to give it some quirky interest.


Then, using the white ink on the black, and the green ink on the green, I set the sequin waste over each piece and dabbed the inks through the holes with a piece of sponge.

I love using sequin waste for backgrounds!  It's ridiculously inexpensive, which always gets my attention.  As you can see, I used the same piece for both colors.  I simply wiped it off with a clean damp cloth in between uses.  You can probably also tell that I've used this same piece many, many times before. Once upon a time it was white.



Sequin waste is just what it sounds like - it's the "ribbon" of hole-y plastic that remains after sequins are punched out.  Just as different sized sequins are available, so are pieces of sequin waste with different sized holes.  The possibilities are endless!



After all that, the only thing left to do was to glue the layers of my card together, find time to write a quick note, and send the happy little thing off to brighten someone's day.



I hope this gives you inspiration for new projects of your own.  Life is messy - join in!

Hello Night

Are you afraid of the dark? Were you afraid when you were a child? Is your child afraid?

I have to admit I was a child who was afraid of the dark and became a nervous adult in the night. I've learned there is nothing but beauty in the night. 

"Don't feed the fears" I'd say to myself when I would cross my dark yard in the night, from the shed to the house. The solar lights are ( and let's be honest ) they are a complete waste of cash that light up nothing.

   "There is nothing to be afraid of...just don't trip"...  I sat inside my screened porch with soothing candle light listening to the crickets, tree frogs, and bats. Watching the lighting bugs light up, seeing the moths on the screen being pulled to the flame of the citronella candles.  The moon was half and the stars started to light up the darkest part of the urban landscape. The evening sky was washed with navy blue, purple and the washed out orange from the city lights a few blocks over.

The mice rustled in the ivy just outside the screen, I could imagine the birds nestling in and the owls coming out.  "Was this what I've been fearing?"

This was the beauty of night and I was missing it because of the monsters I made up in my head as a child, who as an adult transformed into a crazy person around the corner ready to strike me!

Really?

No...no one and nothing was there.  

Using Mindy Lacefeild stamp and Sunny Carvalho   I made a very simple stamp and watercolor journal page to represent the little girl in me saying hello to the night.  I used Pitt Pen Big Brush the fill in the stamps.

Happy Creating!

 Visit me at www.melaniestatnickart.com 

Embroidery Squares

In the Fall, I created a grid with embroidery squares for a fabric album.

This time I wanted to make one of everyday "loves" to display year round on my wall. 

 

 

After completing a few squares, I had a GREAT idea. 

I took a few of my favorite RubberMoon stamps:

1) frolic bunny

2) hi rainbow

3) eggs & barkin (I completely adore that stamp's name)

4) here

 

 

Tested out the stamp on paper.  

Then stamped in a lighter ink onto the fabric. 

 

 

 

 

On the darker lined sections, I had to use a darker ink for it to show up. 

 

 

 

And then I took fun colored thread and stitched away...adding in my own elements where I saw fit.

 

 

I LOVE the results and it's a way to display the stamps I love in a new way. 

Swing by RubberMoon and grab a few of your favorites to create dimensional art. 

To view more of my art and the previous Fall grid I completed, go to my blog origin~aLi~ty.

 

Thanks for joining my ARTSY adventures.

Ali Gitt 

Pattern Play

I adore Sunny Carvalho's art, so what better way to display her work than making patterns with her RubberMoon stamps.

 The first project was a short and simple one:  Framed Artwork.

Simply create a random design with Lucy Bird 2 stamp using Sunny Day from Studio Calico's Color Theory inks.  I intentionally left a space in the middle for one stamped image. I wanted it to be a brighter color to stand out. So I went with Studio Calico's Coral Bay ink.

Taking the acetate cover of the heart-shaped IKEA frame, I traced it with a light colored pencil, and cut out.  If you are worried about pencil marks, remember most frames cover the edge; however, you can always erase the pencil marks. I wanted the bird off center so I made sure there was plenty of yellow birdies covering the frame size.

Once finished, I placed in the frame and added to my collection of items on my TV unit.  This is such a simple and easy (and inexpensive) way to change out art for the seasons.  I love the birds because they are so full of happiness reminding me of the warm spring days to come.

Next up on my Pattern Play plate (say that 5 times! :) was acetate Project Life 3x4 cards/overlays. I am such of fan of Becky Higgins' Project Life as it allows for so much creativity and usage of stamps and embellishments. For this project I used Doodle Thing and  Lucy Bird 2 with Stazon Teal and Midnight Blue inks.

The end result of these journal cards is simply LOVE!!

I ended up with a space on my Doodle Thing card that wasn't big enough for another stamp, so the easy fix was slapping a cork sticker on it.  Love the contrast of colors.

For Lucy Bird 2 card, I made a stamped image that was really blurred (need a sturdy touch when stamping on acetate or slick surfaces).  Yet the easy fix was covering it with washi tape and another cork sticker.  Gotta love Happy Accidents!

 I adore how the birdies are flying one way and the arrow is trying to direct them in the opposite direction.  Those silly stubborn Lucies! :)

Last but not least.....

Clay PLAY 3x4 Journal Card.....

Yes, you can make cards from air hardening clay...

and what other stamp would I use for this other than the PLAY stamp.

I went with a DAS color clay. (This saves the step of having to paint the entire dried clay a darker color to bring out the grooves.) Also used a pre-cut journal card for a template.

Smashed a thin layer of clay onto the card.

Stamped a pattern into clay.

Trimmed the edges and let it dry.

Then paint gently with a dry brush over the top hitting only the raised elements. 

And with a little clay scrap left, I made a few Lucy's. Such fun!!

I completely adore these simple and easy project using RubberMoon stamps

Hope you enjoyed my first posting on RubberMoon blog. I TRULY DID :)

For more of me (Ali Gitt), go to my blog origin~aLi~ty at www.aligitt.blogspot.com