Balance! Like a Flamingo

 It's Tuesday so you've got Kathi here to share a project with you today. It's an "Anything Goes" theme this week. I decided to use the flamingo from the Two Tropical Birds Unmounted Rubber Stamp Set by Crafty Individuals with the Palm Fronds Stencil by Craft Emotions to make a card. I also used the Frayed Frames Die Set 26 by AALL and Create and a sentiment from the Flamazing Clear Stamp Set 617 by Janet Klein for  AALL and Create.

Here it is!

Please Note: Both Crafty Individuals and Craft Emotions  have gone out of business, but Topflight Stamps still has lots of their products still in stock as well as other companies like Carabelle, Darkroom Door, and Heffy Doodle.

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Now back to my project!

 Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko to stamp the flamingo from the Two Tropical Birds Unmounted Rubber Stamp Set by Crafty Individuals twice — once onto white cardstock and once onto repositionable sticker paper. 

Color the flamingo with Copic markers. Use a B41 Copic marker to outline the flamingo. 

Fussy-cut the sticker paper version of the flamingo and place it over its counterpart on the image panel. Place a piece of low-tack tape horizontally towards the bottom of the image panel. 

Brush or sponge Della Blue Elements Ink by Lavinia Stamps over the tape and the masked flamingo to add a blue background. Use a Fine Spray Mister by Spectrum Noir filled with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to mist image panel. The alcohol will add splotches and mottling to the background. 

Remove the repositionable mask from the flamingo. Move the tape so that it sits on the bottom of horizon line on the light blue ink. 

Brush or sponge Blue Lagoon Elements Ink over the bottom of the tape, the flamingo's shins and feet to cover the bottom part of the image panel. Brush or sponge Mermaid Elements Ink over the same area. Use a white gel pen to add ripples and white highlights to the water. set the panel aside while you work on the background panel.

Place a piece of 5.5" x 8.5" white cardstock onto a magnetic surface secured with low-tack tape and/or magnets. Sponge or brush Verdant VersaFine Clair Ink onto the white cardstock to start the background panel Sponge or brush Grass Green VersaFine Clair Ink overtop blending as you go. Heat set. 

Cut 1" from the inked panel and place onto a stamping platform, secured with magnets and/or low-tack tape. Place the "Balance" sentiment from the Flamazing Clear Stamp Set 617 by Janet Klein for  AALL and Create facedown on the inked strip of cardstock. Ink the stamp with Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Heat set. Use a thin long rectangle die to cut the sentiment. Edge the sentiment die-cut with  Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink.

Place the Palm Fronds Stencil by Craft Emotions over the background panel and secure with low-tack tape and/or magnets. Sponge or brush Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink over the stencil onto the background panel. Randomly sponge or brush  Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Ink over the stencil onto the background panel to deepen the green. Remove the stencil. Trim the background panel and edge with Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Ink. Heat set the panel.

Center the second largest die from the Frayed Frames Die Set 26 by AALL and Create on the background panel and secure with low-tack tape. Run the die and panel through your machine to cut a window in the background and adhere the image panel behind the opening in the background panel.

Adhere the sentiment die-cut to the top of the background panel as shown.

Create a 5" x 7" card from heavy white cardstock. Ink the outer .5" perimeter of the cardstock with  Green Oasis and Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Inks. Adhere the cardfront to the card.

Please pop over to my blog, Kat's Tales of Stamping, for step-by-step instructions and complete supply lists. 

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Two Tropical Birds Unmounted Rubber Stamp Set by Crafty Individuals 

Palm Fronds Stencil by Craft Emotions

Flamazing Clear Stamp Set 617 by Janet Klein for  AALL and Create

  Frayed Frames Die Set 26 by AALL and Create

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Della Blue, Blue Lagoon, and Mermaid Elements Inks by Lavinia Stamps

Fine Spray Misters by Spectrum Noir

 

Verdant, Grass Green, Green Oasis, and Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Inks

Thanks for visiting today!

 

Parisian Garden Viola

Happy Monday!  Colleen here with you to share a floral card for the Topflight Stamps "Anything Goes" week.  I instantly loved this Woodware Viola background stamp when I saw it in the Topflight Stamps shop!  It's so full of detail that it didn't need much else to dress it up.  After stamping it with Versafine Onyx Black Ink on vanilla cardstock, I used purple ink pads and a foam dauber to color in each violet blossom, and green for the leaves.  Then I used a brown ink and foam dauber to "age" the outer edges of the panel.  I mounted this on a purple card base, added strips of a sheer lace to each side, and pearls on the flowers.  Voila!  

Hope your week is full of beauty! ~ Colleen

Supplies Used From Topflight Stamps Store:

Woodware Viola

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

From Stash to Stunning: Give Your Gel Prints a Second Chance!

 

Hello crafty friends!

Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and this week the Design Team is diving into the colorful, textured, and sometimes gloriously messy world of Mixed Media!

If you've followed me for a while, you know I'm not shy about two things:

1. Making Gel Press backgrounds in bulk

2. Saving them all... even the “meh” ones. 😄

The beauty of Mixed Media is that there really are no rules—just layers, color, and creativity. It's all about using what you have in new ways, and today’s card is a perfect example.

 

I started with a background I had created using PaperArtsy Weather Copper and a little Baltic Blue—a combination that just screams spring. Then came the “Aha!” moment. I found an older gel print in my stash full of alcohol inks that, let's be honest, didn’t have much going for it on its own. But here's the magic: once I stamped and white heat embossed the PaperArtsy Tracy Scott TS097 flowers, that “meh” background became a vibrant floral focal point. 🌸✨

I fussy cut the flowers, layered them up, and added a punch of personality using the snarky sentiments from the AALL & Create Funny Bone Funnies Ephemera set—because no card is complete without a little sass, right?

 

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💡 Mixed Media Takeaway

Don’t overlook your “not-so-pretty” prints.
Layer them. Emboss them. Cut them up. You’ll be surprised how they transform with a little creative vision.

So go ahead—grab your gel press, your paints, your inks, your whatever, and just play. Let your stash surprise you. You might just create something totally unexpected... and totally fabulous.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by—I hope this gives you the nudge you need to make something messy and magical this week.

Happy crafting!

 

 Topflight Stamp Supplies

PaperArtsy - Tracy Scott TS097 Shop at: TP	Gel Press - Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at:  TP	WOW! Embossing - Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: WOW US | TP	AALL & Create - Ephemera Die-cuts - 49 - Funny Bone Funnies Shop at: TP	Speedball - 2" Brayer Shop at: TP
PaperArtsy - Fresco Chalk Paint - Baltic Blue Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy - Fresco Chalk Paint - Weathered Copper Shop at: TP

Mixed Media Butterflies

Hello!  This week at Topflight Stamps we are focusing on Mixed Media.  For my card, I lightly spritzed water on a piece of watercolor paper. Then on a silicone mat, I smushed some Lavinia Graphite Dye Ink and also spritzed it lightly with water.  I placed the watercolor paper onto the ink and picked it up, dabbed it in a different place, lifted it, etc.  Once dry, I laid the Lavinia Laurel stencil over it and added grit paste.  When that dried, I used my fingertip to smooth on some gold paste.  On some white cardstock, I stamped a butterfly twice from the AALL & Create Delicate Wings set, fussy cut and layered on to the base. It looked a little bare at that point, so I opened the Creative Expressions French Fabric Tags stamp set and stamped two little tags.  After sponging both of them with a light brown ink, they were added as a layer in front of the butterflies. Finally, a few purple punched flowers dotted with Hunkydory Pearls topped it off.

Hope you have a beautiful week! ~ Colleen

Supplies Used From Topflight Stamps Store:

AALL & Create Delicate Wings

Creative Expressions French Fabric Tags

Lavinia Laurel Stencil

Lavinia Graphite Dye Ink

Hunkydory Pearls

Spring Mixed Media Banner

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. I have another Topflight Stamps project for your inspiration! We're continuing with the fun theme of Mixed Media. Using a Woodware Craft Collection stamp, I made a spring banner that I can hang on a hook for decoration.

The base layer is a piece of cardstock that I layered with adhesive backed aluminum tape. Then I painted the tape with acrylic paint. Once it was thoroughly dry, I lightly sanded it to distress it. The second layer is a Gel Press print I had in my stash. The top layer I created with the Nature Page stamp and AALL & Create Regency Bunting Die Set.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

AALL & Create Die Set - Regency Bunting #44

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Stamp - Bubbles

Woodware Craft Collection Stamp - Nature Page

Versafine Pigment Ink Pad - Onyx Black

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint - Zucchini, Gumboots

watercolors

Gel Press print

aluminum tape

Get Well Soon

 It's Tuesday you've got Kathi here to share a project with you. This week's theme is Mixed Media. I used chalk acrylic paints, watercolor markers, glitter markers, colored pencils, and gel pens on my project.

Here's my Get Well card that was created made with Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy, the JM36 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp, JM 45 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by JOFY for PaperArtsy, the Polaroid Pop Die Set DI-89 by AALL and Create, Sparkling Brights Colorist Glitter Markers by Spectrum Noir, and the More Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set by Heffy Doodle.

Add drops of Shutters and Pool Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy to a piece of Cut 'n' Dry Foam (or a firm foam makeup wedge). Pounce the paint onto a craft mat to blend it, then pounce the paint over a piece of Bristol or other heavy weight paper. Re-apply the paint to the foam as needed. Heat set the panel if desired. 

Use the two largest dies from the Polaroid Pop Die Set DI-89 by AALL and Create to cut the painted paper.

Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko to stamp the ladybug from the JM 45 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by JOFY for PaperArtsy onto the center of the smaller die-cut and heat set. Use watercolor markers and/or colored pencil to color the ladybug. 

Pounce an anti-static pouch of the image die-cut panel. Use VersaMark ink or other embossing ink to stamp the cage from the JM36 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by JOFY for PaperArtsy over the colored ladybug. Add detail gold embossing powder to the wet ink, dump off the excess embossing powder into its container, and heat set. Use Sparkling Brights Colorista Glitter Markers by Spectrum Noir
 to add sparkly color to the embossed bird cage. Heat set the glitter ink.

Use alphabet dies to cut gold metallic cardstock and adhere the "Caught a bug?" sentiment to the image die-cut panel. Set aside.

Add drops of Lawn and Spring Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy to another piece of Cut 'n' Dry Foam or foam make-up wedge. Pounce the paint onto the bottom of the larger painted die-cut panel, which will become the background layer. Use a paint brush to add blades of grass.

Adhere the image die-cut panel to the background die-cut panel as shown.

Cut gold metallic cardstock so that it's slightly larger than the image background die-cut panel and use to mat the background die-cut panel. 

Use the flag die from the Polaroid Pop Die Set DI-89 by AALL and Create to cut gold metallic cardstock. Pounce the anti-static patch onto the die-cut. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to stamp the "Get Well Soon" sentiment from the More Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set by Heffy Doodle onto the die-cut. Add black detail embossing powder to the wet ink, dump the excess embossing powder back into its container, and heat set. Adhere the sentiment flag die-cut to the background die-cut as shown. The last step is to adhere the background die-cut to a green A2 card.

Please pop over to my blog, Kat's Tales of Stamping, for step-by-step instructions and complete supply lists.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Shutters, Pool, Lawn, and Spring Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy

JM36 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by JOFY for PaperArtsy

JM 45 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by JOFY for PaperArtsy

Polaroid Pop Die Set DI-89 by AALL and Create

Nocturne VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Sparkling Brights Colorista Glitter Markers by Spectrum Noir

More Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set by Heffy Doodle

Thanks for visiting today!

Mixed Media Fun with Tracy Evans Boutique Designs

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week's theme is a fun one – Mixed Media! (Totally my jam.) I pulled out inks, texture paste, embossing powder and more and went to town.

First I applied some black texture paste through the Olives & Ivy stencil and sprinkled on some WOW! Sea Salt embossing powder onto it while it was wet. I set it aside to dry and then heat embossed it. The second layer is a piece of heavy cardstock covered with an inky, splotchy background and then stamped using the Bubbles stamp to add texture. The top layer is a tag I stamped with the Artsy Alpha Numbers stamp, then heat embossed. Afterwards, I spritzed it with various sprays to get the colors to puddle around the embossed image. The card is topped off with a ephemera sentiment from the Funny Bone Funnies pack.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Stamp - Artsy Alpha Numbers

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Stamp - Bubbles

AALL & Create Stencil - Olives & Ivy #172

AALL & Create Funny Bone Funnies

Masterpiece Design Die Set - Tag It

Versafine Pigment Ink Pad - Onyx Black

Clair Ink - Nocturne

Lavinia Elements Ink - Russet Orange

WOW! Embossing Ink Pad

WOW! embossing powder - Sara Naumann Sea Salt