Thursday, January 22, 2015

A Time for Love and Distress Paints



One of my absolute favorite bloggers on the web is the talented Jenn Shurkus. She is quirky, has a style that vacillates between cute and distressed, and uses the word "wicked" to her heart's content. 

The other day I was over perusing her new webpage (shurkus.com) and drooling at all these projects that used Distress Paints.  "That's it!!" said I and then proceeded to drive to the nearest Michael's. The last time I was in Michael's they did something so incredibly... well mean. Just mean. They clearanced the entire line of Distress Paints to $2.50/bottle. Which is more than half-off the normal price. I resisted them at that point in time, but after a visit to Jenn's place, I drove back over there and grabbed every color they had. 

Which brings me to today's card. I popped those little bottles of paint out and had a go. Let's just say more paint wound up on my hands than on my card - I've got some learning to do. But I had fun!



I used Fired Brick, Picket Fence, and the silver Distress Paint. I put the white and silver closer to the top and sprayed and then let them drip down. Just like other Distress Products, DPs are water reactive, so if you spray, the colors will begin to mingle in really cool ways. 

Now, the question was what to do with such a cool background? Well TIME OUT Challenges has a super cool competition this week - Valentine's Day with the option of Hearts!! We all know I could wax poetic about V-day cards (but I won't... you're welcome). 


Grab Our Badge!


I started by using a couple of stencils on my background - I used a Harlequin pattern and sponged Fired Brick Distress Inks to create depth, and then I used a polka dot stencil and sponged on Picket Fence DP to create a little light. 



Next, I stamped the word "Love" from the Trendy Butterflies STAMPlorations set in black ink, then stamped over it with Picket Fence DP. I created a heart with Distress Paints and ink, and then stamped and cut out the silhouette from Ever After STAMPlorations set. 


 

If the theme isn't enough incentive (who isn't creating V-day cards yet?!) then the prizes should get your creative juices flowing. TIME OUT has a $15 STAMPlorations gift card up for grabs! Wooo! 

Aaaaand! The STAMPlorations blog is offering $10 worth of their ARTplorations stencils, just for someone who leaves a comment on the post over at their blog today. You can find it HERE.

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/01/time-out-challenge-special-post.html

I'm also sending this over to the following challenges:
Just eeked in!


Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment or follow my blog and I'll be sure to return the favor.

55 comments:

  1. Neat card...thanks for telling us how you did it...you have inspired me to get out my NBUS paints and finally giving them a try....

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  2. This is very creative with the paints! You are good at combining different forms of media and bringing it into your stamping! Thanks for sharing this! LOVE!

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  3. Lovely card Becca. Really like the silhouette couple. Hugz

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  4. A work of art and very cool looking! Love the dots stencil look on here too. Great card.
    Lynn

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  5. Wonderful mixed media card, full of texture and rich colours. Great to see you at TIME OUT x

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  6. Well done with the bargain paint, you know me and a bargain.
    A great tute ending with a card that really shows off your unique style. x

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  7. Oh. Em. Gee. This is so romantic. That background it warm, gooey and invokes all the sweet feelings of love. You've layered all you mediums so well (are you sure you've not used DP before?) that the card just drawes you into it.

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  8. Cool mixed media Becca, love the dimension and interest.

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  9. Nice mixed media card. Those reds and white and silver really give some interesting depth and contours. Nice!

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  10. This is so awesome!! The background looks fabulous!! I have all of the Distress Inks, Stains and Reinkers, but I've resisted the paint so far...now you have made me wish I had some!! Gorgeous card!! Have a great day :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  11. Great work with the paints and sprays. Getting inspired to try something myself. Wonderful card! xxD

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  12. I love distress inks, etc. Don't have any of the stains yet. Your background turned out fabulously and I love the card, Becca!

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  13. Just popped over to thank you Becca for your lovely comment on my blog re my journal page (fragile). So glad you liked it ;)

    Lovely card you've made here too by the way
    Big hugs
    Donna xxx

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  14. Well now you've got me inspired! Your card is art with a fold in it!

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  15. Go you! The paints look fabulous! And perfect V day colours!! Loooove that silhouette image against the heart:):)

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  16. WOW! Your background design looks amazing and I love all your detailing.
    That was a great bargain, I wish we had a Michaels in the UK!
    Sue xx

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  17. super cool card and love the background work!!! turned out amazing!!!

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  18. Great mixed media card, love the funky artsy look! X

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  19. Love the painted background .... and the silhouette image looks fab. Thanks for joining in with the Craft Stamper challenge ...... good luck! Linda xx!

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  20. Very cool, Becca! Love the texture and layers you have created with the paints and stencils. Thanks for sharing it with us at Time Out too :)

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  21. Fabulous card!! Such a lovely background!! Great work!

    Thank you very much for joining us this week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

    hugs...
    Melissa

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  22. This is just fabulous Becca, love the effect you managed with the DP and can't wait to see what you do on your second attempt! Carol x

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  23. Great background! The layering of the couple and the word Love is great because one still sees the background so well.. Love the little bit of bling too

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  24. wonderful background on your lovely card, Becca - love the peachy color it made

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  25. Becca - I am in LOVE with what you did with this card - all the steps to create that background just kept adding another WOW factor to it!! I just kept saying to myself , WOW, Oh my Goodness, How Cool!!! And then the way you added the silhouette image and that heart - Really seriously, MY JAW DROPPED!!!! What an incredibly cool and amazingly awesome Valentine card!!!! Way to go, girl!! This is a HIT!!!!

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  26. Bit crazy bAcker under, but in a nice way! The colors are gorgeous.

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  27. So creative, Becca! I need to start trying some of these fun techniques - this looks so gorgeous! I've just started playing with distress inks so I'm taking baby steps!

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  28. Love this card, Becca!! Red, Black & White were my all time fav colors in my angst-filled teenage days, and I just love the grunginess of that distress painted background!! I wish I had a Michael's close to me (the closest is 45 miles away, one way!), but I'm glad someone is taking advantage of awesome prices like that!! I would have done the same, for sure!!
    Fab Valentine's Day card, Becca!! XOXO-Shari

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  29. Nothing like getting messy ! very cool card. Thank you for visiting and leaving some love on my blog. I think I am going to be a frequent visitor here
    Mary

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  30. becca!!! you just made my whole week- such sweet words you posted about me. wow. i really appreciate it!!!! :)
    how awesome you got the distress paints at such an awesome price!!! i love love love love what you did with them :) so happy to inspire you! thats what I love to do- teach and inspire. thank you again! {{{hugs}}}

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  31. Wow, incredible, Becca! I love the intensity of the Distress Paint and how you made it work with your design! Way to score on the Distress Paint at Michael's! Thanks so much for playing Simon Says Stamp Wednesday “Have A Heart” Challenge!

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  32. You must have been having fun, Becca! Beautifully done! Sales like that are the only times I wish I still worked in the town where there's a Michaels--better for my wallet I'm not there now--LOL!

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  33. stunning background and what an amazing card you made with it.

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  34. Love what you have created here Becca, the colours are lush! Lol what a great bargain from Michaels...whenever we are over visiting my folks in California, my visits to all the Michaels on our route are pre-planned...especially good if we are driving from San Francisco to San Diego :)...and when we get to SD, my cousin's wife and I are off to both Michaels and Joanns for some crafty fun! Hugs Carole Z X

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  35. Awesome that you were able to get the Distress paints on specail...totally wicked!!!!! LOL and the card you created is beautiful....that background colouring is stunning! Love the heart and little couple....very romantic and sweet! ;-)

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  36. Wow...that is a "wicked" price for the paints ;-) Love your mixed media card...so cute.

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  37. Gorgeous Becca! Love the contrast of the black and red together and those sequins really pop! Bling! Love it! until next time, big hugs :)

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  38. I love this card, amazing first attempt. I wish a shop near me would be mean and sell those little pots of joy at half price ;)

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  39. Thank you so much for taking the time to tell and show us how you made that stunning bg, Becca!!! Mixed media at it's best!!! Love the combination of colours you used - so rich and velvety!!! The dancing couple is the perfect stamp to use on this bg and I love the rays going out from them!!! The sequins add just the right amount of shine!!! Lovely, Becca!!!
    Have a great weekend!!!

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  40. love it. Thanks for all the pics...it's fun to see how your creations come together!

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  41. You were in your element making this stunning card, Becca! I just love your enthusiasm and the joy you get out of a) a bargain, and b) getting painty all over, c) putting it all together to create a rich and vibrant VD card!! Well, who wouldn't?! Thank you for showing us and telling us how you did it and thank you for eking your third entry into my NBUS Challenge #3!! Enjoy your day!! Hugs, Darnell

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  42. Becca, what an awesome background! (gotta find where I hid my distress paints!). Love all the elements you used for your card, too! Hugs

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  43. Wowzers! What a fantastic card! Your so stinking talented!
    Hugs,
    Samantha xx
    Designs by Sammy

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  44. Fabulous card, awesome background Becca, TFS how you did it, Cathy x

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  45. Fabulous background Becca! What a great v day card! The red is so enthrawling! I have three paints like that. Maybe today I will give them a try. Hugs, AJ

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  46. Thanks for joining us at the Take It Make It Challenge.

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  47. Lovely artistic card you made Becca and 46 comment wooooww again my friend you are really so popular now I am happy to knowing you and I adore too the add of that Silhouete Couple...romantic....hugs, Monika

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  48. Just incredible! You've put so much work and thought into this, it really shows. So glad to have you with us at TIME OUT!

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  49. Congrats on winning one of the blog candies at SSS!

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    1. Thanks, Greta, for the heads up! I'm super excited!

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  51. Fabulous card I love it, thanks for joining in the Craft Stampers challenge, and good luck, Elizabeth x

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  52. What do you mean, mean? They were just enabling you ;)
    Fab card, thanks for playing along with Craft Stamper Take It Make It, and good luck!

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  53. Ohhhhh! This is just gorgeous! That silhouette is stunning, perfect way to let the amazing background take centre stage!

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