October's Featured Artist - Barbara Rankin

Hello everyone.   We are starting a new feature over at Sin City Stamps.  The first Wednesday of each month, Sin City Stamps will be highlighting one of their amazing artists, showcasing  their designs and art.  I encourage you to stop by frequently to see new products, designs, and examples of what can be created with the fabulous stamps, stencils, and chipboard products designed just for you!  I get to go first!!!  And be sure to read to the bottom of this post for a fabulous offer!

My name is Barbara Rankin, and I am not only a member of the Sin City Stamps Design Team, but I am honored and excited to also be an artist for Sin City Stamps. I love all forms of "crafting", from sewing, to needlework, to paper crafting, to my newest love, mixed media.  From my earliest beginnings, I have always been fond of dimension, and to this day, I still love creating with dimension.  My style is varied, but I truly love vintage, Victorian, Steampunk, and shabby chic.  I have been published in several magazines, as well as contributing artist in a book that showcases mini albums, another form of art I really love.  Depending on my mood, and sometimes, the seasons, my art will take shape from my surroundings.  I also love quotations, and I use them as my jumping off point a lot.

My first design for Sin City Stamps is this Shrine Chipboard Book Designed by Barbara Rankin.  It is quite versatile, and can be used as a free standing frame to sit on your table or fireplace mantel.  I have even used these shrines to make a mini album, with complete directions you can view by clicking here.  You can decorate and display it to feature your favorite photographs, or even use it to commemorate the changing of the seasons, as I have done here with my "Autumn Beauty".  The possibilities are endless!

Front

Back

Closeup of Deer Under Trees

Much to my surprise and excitement, the Deer Under Trees chipboard piece fit perfectly with my shrine and gave such a wonderful view outside the window.  I actually placed myself inside looking out at the beautiful turning leaves of the tree, and the cute deer in my yard.  Ahhh, Fall is upon us!

You can purchase these chipboard pieces individually through Sin City Stamps, or you can purchase my complete kit, as shown here, through Altered Pages.  And just for stopping by, you get this special offer from me to you.  If you use code featured33 in your Sin City Stamps shopping cart, you will get a whopping 33% discount on your purchase.  In addition, I am offering a free Shrine Chipboard Book Designed by Barbara Rankin, that's me, to one lucky person who leaves me a comment, either on my blog or the Sin City Stamps blog.  Winner will be chosen by random at the end of the month.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and as always, stay CRAFTY, my friends.

Barbara Rankin

Fast and Easy Fall Cards by Pam Bray

Hi it is Pam today on the SinCity Stamps Blog sharing with you a few fast and easy Fall Cards. I am using my Fall Collection Stamp Sets 1 and 2 from SinCity Stamps. Sin City Stamps designs, presses and packages deep etched art rubber stamps and I proud that they are the manufactures of my stamps, stencils and chipboard.

 I love the feathers of the Fall Collection Collection Set 2 and the nice size of the the "Thanks" sentiment from the Fall Collection Set 1. I used several different colors of Memento Inks to stamp my feathers with on a piece of Steampunk Spells yellow paper and added it to the top of my card base, along with a Scallop Flower Border and added a few gemstones and bow.

 Fall Collection Stamp Set

For my second card I used both the Fall Collection Stamp Set 1 and 2. I first stamped my sentiment using both stamp sets to the front right corner and then stamped sunflowers from the Fall Collection Stamp Set 2 onto yellow paper from the Steampunk Spells paper, added it to my card base along with a scallop flower border and strip.

 I stamped and fussy cut sunflowers out and added them to the top of my card along with placing flower soft to the center and adding small bow.

 Fall Collection Stamp Set 2

As you can see you will receive a lot of stamps for the the price of $20.00 a set so make sure to check out the rest of my collection in the SinCity Stamps Store, just click HERE!!! 

Also, make sure to check out all the fabulous products that SinCity Stamps has to offer in the the store. Thanks for stopping by and will see you again real soon. Hugs Pammejo

Supplies:

SinCity Stamps Fall Collection Set 1

SinCity Stamps Fall Collection Set 2

Xyron Tape Runner

Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells

EK Success Border Punch

Rust Ribbon

Variety of Memento Ink

Gemstones

Halloween Treat Box

Hello!

Peggy here to show you how I altered this box. All month we have been patnered up with Pan  Pastels.  Now that it is officially  Fall I can't  get my mind off Halloween! This box could be used for home decor or filled with treats for a special  little ghost.

List of supplies used today :

Sin City Stamps 

Pan Pastels 

Black oven baked clay

Black Gelato

Various metal gears

Homemade Stencil

Black Acrylic paint

Rub and Buff

Fixative spray

Black Cardstock

I began by covering my box with pieces of clay that had been poked to resemble metal. I stamped my red rubber unmounted stamp into the clay and I cut around the balloon image. I baked my pieces in the oven with the given instructions on the package of clay.

I painted the box with black paint. After drying I glued each piece on the box with crystal lacquer.

I colored my pieces with my finger and rub & buff lightly catching the raised areas only. I used pan pastels on the edges of my balloon embellishment.

I created a piece of paper for the inside bottom of my box using a pan pastel blend using my soft tools sponge.  I cut out a homemade stencil and using my black gelatos I randomly  placed some bats, again using my finger for applications. I sprayed my cardstock with a sealer to ensure the pan pastels and gelatos stay in place.

I made some bats cut out of black cardstock, colored with black gelatos and edged with purple pastels.

I used some thread to simulate the bats pulling the balloon through the air.

Finally I added some metal embellishments.

I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial and I encourage you try Pan Pastels and Sin City Stamps!

Warmly,

Peggy 

PanPastel Florals

Hello! It's Gracie from Graciellie Design. It's time to show you my last project for this month's collaboration between Sin City Stamps and PanPastel. What an amazing collaboration should I say! In this opportunity I made a card featuring a technique I really enjoy, colored dry embossing.

Main Supplies
Sin City Stamps - Love of Butterflies (sc4) plate of rubber
PanPastel - Violet, Violet Tint and Permanent Green
Other
Blender marker
Embossing Folder
Papers - Beige leather textured cardstock, lilac metallic cardstock
Adhesives - Mounting tape, two sided tape and Uhu all purpose adhesive
Lilac gross grain ribbon

I have a step by step photo tutorial for you. To see how I made my card, please start the guide below.

Check out How to Color a Dry Embossed Background With PanPastels by Gracie CH on Snapguide.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my card and tutorial. Thanks so much for stopping by!

LOVE OF BUTTERFLIES

I love this stamp set!!  "Love of Butterflies" is a beautiful and versatile stamp set from SinCity Stamps.  This month we were given some awesome Pan Pastels to use in our projects.  I have been having so much fun with them!!  

SUPPLIES:

• Love of Butterflies Stamp Set ~ SinCity Stamps
• Brown Glitter Cardstock ~ The Robin's Nest
• Pan Pastels ~ Burnt Sienna, Hansa Yellow and Permanently Green
• Versamark Ink
• Misc. Ribbon and Pearls

I gathered my supplies and used all 3 colors of pastels on my background, going from burnt sienna to yellow to green.  Then I stamped my butterfly in the center with Versamark ink.

Using a small sponge, I applied green pastel to the butterfly only.  I love how the color came out so much darker.

I stamped little butterflies all around the large butterfly with Versamark ink.  I applied a really light layer of yellow pastel to them.  When you stamp with Versamark on a background that already has pastel on it, the image shows up without having to apply anything.  Since it is clear it shows the pastels through it.

Here's my finished card again.  The stamps and pastels did all the work.  I just added some tiny pearls and a bow.

Have an awesome day!!

xxDaniella

Up Up and Away Card with Pan Pastels

Hello everyone, Barbara here today for more fun with Sin City Stamps and our sponsor this month, Pan Pastels!  If you have been following along with the team this month, then you know, by now, how wonderful these pastels are, and how easy they are to use.  I absolutely love this product and cannot say enough good things about it.  

For now, though, I want to show you how easy they are to use to make a fabulous and simple background for an art journal, canvas, or even a greeting card, as I have done here.  I have seen many artists use this technique to make a balloon dimensional, I mean, really dimensional, and I knew as soon as I saw this Up Up and Away 2 stamp set  that I wanted to finally give this a try, too.  I think it turned out fabulously, don't you?

Supplies:


Sin City Stamps:  Up Up and Away 2 stamp set; Urban Grunge stamp set; A Wing Above the Rest stamp set

Pan Pastels:  Turquoise, Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber, Permanent Green, Bright Yellow Green, Magenta, Magenta Ex. Dark, Sofft sponge and knife tool

Miscellaneous:  White card stock, black ink pad, purple card stock, blue pre-folded A2 card, post-it note


Directions:


Stamp hot air balloon onto 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" white card stock and post-it note with black ink.  Continue stamping top of balloon image five times onto second piece of white card.  

Cut out post-it note image and place over stamped image to protect it.  Tear two strips from post-it note and layer over balloon image post-it note, as shown.

Using large Softt sponge, add Turquoise PanPastel over top portion of card stock to form the sky.

Add Ultramarine Blue PanPastel near post-it note edge and around the card stock edges for depth.

Move post-it note strips around and begin adding Raw Umber PanPastel to form hills and valleys.

Continue this step, adding the color from the post-it note and blending upwards towards the already colored areas.  This will give depth towards the bottom of the hills.

Color the entire remaining bottom portion of the card stock with Permanent Green PanPastel, then add green hills and valleys using the torn post-it note.

Continue moving the post-it note around until you achieve the look of rolling hills.  

Add a tiny amount of Bright Yellow Green PanPastel to your sponge and gently dab over the lighter areas of the hills.  Once you like what you have colored, spray a coat of workable fixative over the entire piece, leaving the balloon post-it note in place.  This will preserve the work you have already done.

Remove the post-it note.

Using the Sofft Tool Knife and cover, apply Magenta PanPastel over balloon.

While you have this color on your knife, color the five balloon images on the scrap card stock. Do not worry about staying inside the lines since these will be cut out.

Now use Magenta Ex. Dark to color in the darker stripes on each balloon.  No need to clean your sponge.  However, when switching between different colors, all that is necessary to clean your sponge is a few swipes across a scrap piece of paper or, my favorite, a paper towel, and you are ready to pick up another color.

Use your knife tool to add Raw Umber PanPastel over the balloon basket, adding tiny touches of black to add depth.  In this close-up, you can see where I went outside the lines and got some on my green hills.  

As you can see here, I cleaned it up a bit with just a white eraser without disturbing the color beneath since I had sprayed the fixative over it.

Spray everything again with your workable fixative before cutting out the balloons.

Fold each balloon in half down the center  and set aside.

We still have to finish coloring in the area between the balloon and the basket, so use the same technique as before, coloring with the Raw Umber for the hills and the Permanent Green PanPastels for the grassy hills.  

Voila!  It's as easy as that.  Spray one last time with the workable fixative.

Now, lets add the balloon pieces to the stamped image.  Simply adhere the balloons together, as shown.    Continue adding the balloons until you have all five adhered together.  (Only three are adhered in this picture.)

Ink the edges of the balloons with black ink or marker and adhere to the stamped image.

Stamp scene from Urban Grunge along bottom of card stock with black ink.

Stamp scroll banner onto scrap white card stock with black ink.  Use a stamp positioner to stamp Adventure onto banner in black ink.  Sponge Raw Umber PanPastel over banner, cut out and adhere to balloon.

Stamp small balloon onto scrap white card stock with black ink.  Color, as shown, with Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Green, and Raw Umber PanPastels. Fussy cut out and adhere with foam dots.

Cut purple card stock to 4-1/4" x 5-1/2", distress edges and curl two corners, layer onto blue A2 card.


Trim stamped layer to 4" x 5-1/4" and adhere, curling corners as with previous layer.  Here it is again for your convenience.

Sorry for all the photos, but I wanted to show the progression of coloring, and without video, this seemed to be the only way.  If you are still here, I appreciate your tenacity to stick with me.  I sure hope you enjoyed my card project today, and I hope I have inspired you to give Pan Pastels a try in your next art project.  And be sure to check out the awesome products at Sin City Stamps, too!


Have a wonderful, creative weekend!

Barbara