Michael Strong Black and White Blog Hop journaling page

Michael Strong Black and White Blog Hop journaling page

Welcome to the Michael Strong Black and White Blog Hop!

I hope you have arrived here from Lola Radnoti's blog: http://raevon59.wordpress.com/

My project is a double spread journaling page, in a regular sized notebook (A5).

For the background, I used a collage of randomly torn pages from a Mythology book which I saved from being thrown away – I upcycled it for a good purpose.

I also used a photo from the same book, showing a figure which seems to say "It'll be OK", very confidently.

I used Mike's Whimsical Owl stamp, heat embossed with an extra sparkly and shiny black EP, hand cut with scissors.

Here's a link to Michael Strong’s catalogue, where you can see all the wonderful stamps (and more) Mike has:

http://www.strongstamps.com/catalog-rubber-stamps-supplies/index.htm

The Washi Tape at the bottom of the page is actually a rather wide fabric tape.

It's directing the way to a one-way-ticket destination, leading to a positive and optimistic ending of the road, which goes along with the Sentiment.

The hand-written Sentiment is a very optimistic one.

The next blog you should hop to is Rosie Guiher's blog:
http://gramig05-playtime.blogspot.nl/

Please notice: if leave a comment in Mike’s blog, you may be lucky and win some blog candy stamps.

I missed blogging, and I'm glad to be back.

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

The Key To My Heart Canvas

Here's my entry to the MS Winter Challenge, using the bare tree as required.

It's a Mixed Media canvas.

I thought of the tree as a Keys tree, where one of the keys may be the key to my heart...

Materials used:

20 x20 cms (8 x8 inches) canvas

DecoArt acrylic colors

Basic Grey patterned paper

Ancient Keys die cut by All Occasion Dies

Silver CS for the keys, which was the cover of a disposable baking tray

Michael Strong Cloisonné Heart stamp

Red CS, for stamping the heart

Transparency sheet, for stamping the heart – 2^nd layer

Andy Skinner's HAVE YOUR SAY stencil

Modeling paste

Red ProMarker

Design By Ryn's Raindrop stamp

Ranger's Numbers Game stamp

VersaFine Onyx Black ink

Ranger's Fired Brick distress ink

Washi Tape

White Gel pen

Challenges

MS 2015/16 Winter Challenge

Designs By Ryn - March Customer Creation Challenge

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Japanese Fan and Flowers Card

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. I hope you'll find them inspiring.

My 1^st card for this week is a Christmas card in non-traditional colors, using Japanese themed elements.

I used Michael Strong's Cloisonné Silhouette Fan stamp (medium) from the Cloisonné Silhouette Fan set.

I heat embossed it in white, and accented it with colorful blings.

I also used Tim Holtz Snowflake Rosette for a dramatic 3D look.

I think it actually makes everything pop out!

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Merry Christmas Card with Washi Tape and Christmas Tree with Tutorial

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. I hope you'll find them inspiring.

My 4th card for this week is a Merry Christmas Card with Washi Tape and 
Christmas Tree.

It is followed by a step-by-step tutorial, with photos.

I hope you'll try it and enjoy it… It takes less time to make the card than to post 
about it (lol)

Today's card is all about making the background papers yourself.

This technique is fun and easy, and it enables you to create various backgrounds, to make different cards.

I made the main background by stamping Snowflakesfrom Designs by Ryn on a leather textured red CS.

I also stamped the sentiment "Merry Christmas" on a scrap of the same red leather textured CS, and inked its edges using Platinum ink, the same ink I used to stamp the Snowflakes, to enhance it.

I also added 2 brads, all shiny and bright.

Then I used a piece of plain white CS, which I wrapped with several stripes of Washi Tape in Christmas related colors and themes.

You can use any combination of Washi Tape, I simply picked those which will pop out and will be contrasted to the red background. Once you're satisfied with the size of the wrapped CS, you can trim its edge off.

Here's the CS wrapped with Washi Tape:

And as Washi Tape sometimes has a tendency to become loose (it doesn't always stick to its place), I wrapped it behind both sides of the CS, and I adhered the 3D double sided foam tape on the back side of the CS exactly ON the Washi Tape's ends, so the foam tape secures them:

Now I used MichaelStrong's Cloisonné Christmas Tree stamp (large).

I stamped and heat embossed it on a scrap of the same red leather textured CS, then I cut it and added a few pearls for some more glam.

I adhered the Snowflakes background paper to the card basis, then the Washi Tape background paper and the decorated piece with the sentiment, using a double sided foam tape for a 3D effect.

I added the Christmas Tree on top of the Washi Tape background paper, also 3D. You can see it in 2 different color combos.

You can see the 3D effect here:

It sure feels like the right time to create Christmas Card.

We don't celebrate Christmas in Israel, but I'd like to send Christmas cards to my friends worldwide who celebrate Christmas.

Please let me know if you liked my tutorial, if it was clear (I'm always happy to answer questions), and if it made you want to create something similar.

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

An Ocean of Fun and Adventure Card

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. I hope you'll find them inspiring.

My 2nd card for this week is An Ocean of Fun and Adventure Card.

I used MichaelStrong's Cloisonné Fish stamp (large).

I also used the School of Fish stamp from Designs by Ryn .

My son just got his Scuba Diving license in the mail, so I simply had to recycle the lovely nautical themed paper which came with it.

I created the background by stamping over that paper, and added some Washi Tape and a postal stamp.

I stamped Michael Strong's Fish, heat embossed it and cut it, then I added a few pearls which seem like the bubbles coming out of its mouth.

Then I pearls and blings to add some glam.

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Spring Flowers, Winter Showers Canvas

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. I hope you'll find them inspiring.

As I promised, after today's post there will be a small Giveaway (a surprise), a token of gratitude to those of you who took the time to leave comments to my posts this week. Your feedback means a lot to me.

I'll give you a few more days to wonder around and maybe to leave more comments, and then I'll announce the winner.

And now to today's art work – an 8x8 inches (20x20 cms) canvas, which was actually my entry to the Spring Challenge – and I won!

I used Michael Strong's Cloisonné Butterfly stamp (large)

I also used 2 stencils and 2 stamps made by Designed by Ryn, I think they're adorable and very versatile.

I used Maidenhair Fern and Flowing Branches stencils, and Trickling Water 2 and Raindrop set stamps.

First, I colored the canvas using acrylic paint.

Then I used the Flowing Branches stencil with 2 coats of modeling paste.

When it dried completely, I colored it using 3 colors of Ranger's Distress Ink.

Then I added punched Sakura flowers from upcycled magazines, all over the tree branches. If you take a close look you can see several eyes within the flowers.

I used the Maidenhair Fern stencil to add more interest to the background.

Then I stamped both Trickling Water 2 and Raindrop set stamps for a richer look.

The main idea was to show the Spring Flowers welcoming the beginning of the spring, while the Winter Raindrops were still in the background and were still present.

I added Mike's Butterfly, stamped with black ink on vibrant red CS, its wings not attached, so it seems to be flying in the air.

I added some blings to add glam, and some washi tape on both sides of the canvas to connect between them.

You can see the 3D effect, in the branches, in the raised flowers, and in the flying Butterfly.

I also added the word SPRING in contrasting black, written with my new Daymo.

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly