Whimsical Wings & Magical Light

 

Hello friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and today I'm sharing a whimsical fairy card featuring the beautiful Serene stamp from Lavinia. Whenever I pull out my Lavinia stamps, I can't help but imagine magical woodland scenes filled with light, wonder, and a touch of fairy dust.

For this card, I wanted to create a background that looked as though Serene was standing in a soft beam of enchanted light.

I started by creating a gel press print using soft pink paints to form the base of my background. Pinks always seem to bring a dreamy, magical feeling to a project, and I knew they would be the perfect backdrop for this fairy scene.

 

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🌟 Creating Magic with Cornstarch

One of my favorite ways to create unexpected texture on a gel print is with a simple kitchen staple, cornstarch! After pulling my pink background, I brayered a layer of blue paint onto my gel plate and lightly sprinkled cornstarch across the surface. When the print is pulled, the cornstarch reacts with the paint to create beautiful organic patterns that look almost like glowing mist, magical clouds, or distant fairy lights.

The best part? Every print is completely unique.

It's one of those techniques that reminds me why I love mixed media so much. Sometimes the most interesting effects happen when you let go of control and simply play.

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🧚 Bringing Serene to Life

Once my background was dry, I stamped the gorgeous Serene fairy and heat embossed her in gold.

The gold embossing instantly transformed the image, adding a warm glow that perfectly complemented the magical feel of the background. It catches the light beautifully and creates an elegant focal point against the soft colors.

To build my fairy garden scene, I added additional foliage using several Lavinia stamps and Lavinia Dye Ink. Layering these smaller elements around the fairy helps create depth and gives the impression that she is tucked away in an enchanted woodland.

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✨ Finishing Touches

No magical card is complete without a few special details!

I used white and gold gel pens to add tiny highlights and accents throughout the design. These little touches help draw the eye around the card and create the illusion of sparkling light. To finish everything off, I added one of my signature hand-drawn frames and a Lavinia sentiment to complete the scene.

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Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this project inspires you to pull out your gel plate, experiment with texture, and create your own little bit of magic.

Have a wonderful week filled with creativity, imagination, and plenty of crafty play!

 

 Topflight Stamp Supplies

Lavinia - Forest Moss Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Foliage Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Magic Around Us Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Serene Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: TP
WOW! Embossing - Metallic Gold Rich Pale Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Sentiment Stickers - Uplifting Collection Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Blue Lagoon Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Dark Denim Shop at: TP
Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Pine Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Pixie Green Shop at: TP	Gel Press - Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: TP	Speedball - 2" Brayer Shop at: TP

Mixed Media Envelope Magic with Chou & Flowers

 

 

Hello fellow crafters! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and today I’m sharing a little mixed media goodness featuring the beautiful Chou & Flowers Envelope stamp along with some fabulous AALL & Create dies.

For this project, I started with a leftover piece of patterned paper from my stash. You know I love using up those extra bits that are too pretty to toss! To add more depth and shimmer, I sprayed the background with Lindy’s Gang Steampunk Soirée Shimmer Spray. It gave the paper such a gorgeous layered glow and instantly made the background feel more artsy and aged.

Next, I stamped the Chou & Flowers Envelope onto watercolor paper and white heat embossed it. I love how white embossing gives an image a soft, raised outline while still letting the color take center stage. To color the envelope, I used some leftover paint that was sitting on my craft table. Sometimes the best color combinations come from what is already there, and this was one of those happy little moments.

For added texture, I used the AALL & Create Layers of Air die on both my background and a piece of black cardstock. I absolutely love the worn folder look this die creates. It gives the project that perfectly distressed, tucked-away-paper feel that works so well with mixed media.

I also had some leftover deli paper that I had used to clean off my brayer during a gel print session. Rather than let that colorful paper go to waste, I ran it through my die cut machine using the foliage pieces included in the AALL & Create die set. The result was a beautiful mix of soft color and texture that was perfect for layering.

Before placing my die cuts, I added a little white gesso behind the focal area to help everything stand out from the background. Then I layered the foliage and placed my watercolored envelope on top. To finish the project, I added sentiments from the Lavinia Uplifting Collection, which gave the piece the perfect touch.

 

I love how this project came together from leftover papers, extra paint, and pieces that could have easily been forgotten. It is always fun to turn scraps into something beautiful and meaningful.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful and creative week!

 

Topflight Stamp Supplies 

Chou & Flowers - Envelopes Shop at: TP	AALL & Create - 106 - Layers of Air Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Sentiment Stickers - Uplifting Collection Shop at: TP	Lindy's Gang - Steampunk Soiree Shimmer Spray Shop at: TP

Anything Goes! PaperArtsy Mixed Media Card with Lynne Perrella

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is Anything Goes! My sewing machine is out so I thought I'd make a mixed media card with a scrappy fabric base.

First I sprayed some strips of plain muslin fabric using Lindy's Stamp Gang Moon Shadow Mist - Smoky Sapphire. When it was dry, I tore it into strips and stitched them onto the card base. I also stenciled onto the background with Parisian blue paint, then stitched on my focal image from the Lynne Perrella 71 stamp 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 often!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

PaperArtsy stamp set - Lynne Perrella 71

Studio Light Mask - X Background

Lindy's Stamp Gang Moon Shadow Mist - Smoky Sapphire

AALL & Create stencil - Microscope Views #62

VersaFine Clair ink pad - Nocturne

Lavinia paint - Parisian

watercolors

black texture paste

Washi Tape Magic: Creating a Floral Coffee Memory Dex

 

Hello crafty friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here and today I’m playing with the gorgeous Glacier Grace Washi Tape from AALL & Create.

This beautiful tape immediately caught my eye because it features two of my favorite things… flowers and coffee. It’s the perfect combination for a quick but eye-catching project.

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Creating the Washi Background

To begin, I lined up strips of the Glacier Grace washi tape across a piece of cardstock. This is such an easy way to create a bold background without needing paints or inks.

Once the background was complete, I used the Garden Frame Die to die cut the floral image from the panel. The die frames the artwork beautifully and instantly creates a focal point for the card.

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Adding Extra Layers

I always love sneaking in a little mixed media texture when I can. I had some leftover gel press strips from previous projects, both on regular paper and tissue paper.

Using the AALL & Create Code #12 Die (discontinued), I cut a few shapes from those gel printed pieces and layered them. The soft textures and color variation add just enough contrast to make the design more interesting.

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Finishing Touches

To complete the card, I added a sentiment from the Motivation Station Ephemera collection.

The final result is a card that feels layered and artistic while still being quick to put together. Washi tape backgrounds are one of my favorite tricks when I want something beautiful without a lot of extra steps.

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Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to pull out your favorite washi tapes and create something fun this weekend.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend filled with creativity and a little peace. ☕🌸

 

AALL & Create - 80 - Garden Frames Shop at: TP

AALL & Create - Motivation Station Shop at: TP

AALL & Create - 139 - Glacier Grace Shop at: TP

Mixed Media Mini Book From One Gel Print

 

Hello crafty friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and today I’m sharing a fun little experiment that turned into one of my favorite projects lately: a mixed media mini book made from one single gel print.

I went into this project curious. Could one gel press print really become a mini book? Spoiler alert: absolutely yes.

Starting With the Gel Print

I began with a gel press print that I created purely as an experiment. Once the print was dry, I added layers using the PaperArtsy Kate Crane 427 and 453 stencils, applying paint along with black embossing paste for texture and contrast. That embossing paste adds instant drama and gives the surface just enough grit to keep things interesting.

After everything dried, the real fun started.

Folding and Cutting the Page

Instead of trimming the page down right away, I folded the print several different ways to see how the patterns landed. Once I liked the flow, I cut into a few sections and suddenly had this playful little one-page book taking shape.

 

If you’ve got a stack of gel prints sitting around, this is a fantastic way to use them. One page. No pressure. Lots of payoff. There are so many variations on one-page books, and I already know I’ll be making more.

 

Adding the Details

With the structure finished, I moved on to the embellishing stage. I stamped and watercolored images from PaperArtsy Tracy Scott 58 and 105, then added them throughout the book for focal points and movement. To finish it off, I layered in elements from AALL & Create Motivation Station, which tied everything together beautifully.

 

Each page feels connected, but still has its own little moment.

Want to See the Full Flip-Through?

This project really comes to life when you can see it in motion. Be sure to check out the Instagram video where I share the full mini book from start to finish.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to pull out a gel print and try turning it into something unexpected.

Have a wonderful weekend and happy creating.

Topflight Stamp Supplies

 

PaperArtsy - Tracy Scott 105 Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy - Tracy Scott 58 Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy - Kate Crane PS427 Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy - Kate Crane PS453 Shop at: TP	AALL & Create - Motivation Station Shop at: TP
Tsukineko - Versafine Clair - Twilight Shop at: TP		Gel Press - Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: TP