Oops....

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello my inky friends...Roni here.  I have really been enjoying the Monkey See, Monkey Do challenge #93. LCD/CV have lots of great monkey images to use but you're not limited to monkeys... This challenge also encompasses "Repeat Stamping" which is a technique where you simply stamp the same image over and over and over.  Well, I decided to use both monkeys and repeat stamping in one card....

Don't you just love that image and that sentiment (Too Many Options) is perfect for this little trio - Three Monkeys.

I stamped one of the images from the set - ATC Text Set 2 SATC2 on the background cardstock in Tulip Red VersaFine Clair ink which is visible IRL but for some reason I just couldn't capture it on film. I think the slight texture of the cardstock and color matching from the ink is playing tricks with the camera making it look like lots of texture.

I stamped these little guys on a piece of watercolor paper using VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink. Once dry I watercolored them using Prima's Watercolor Confections and a bit of shimmery frost Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor paint.  I mixed up the shimmery paint and picked a little bit of it up along with my colored paints to create a slight shimmer which shows up beautifully IRL.

There is still time to join our challenge...

don't miss out on the fun!

Also, If you love our stamps you don't want to miss this either...

we have a call for our Design Team...

DESIGN TEAM CALL

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

We are looking for some new Lost Coast Designers to join our fabulous Lost Coast Designs/Carmen’s Veranda team!  We are a small, enthusiastic and friendly team and would love to welcome some fun-loving stampers with positive, professional, no-drama attitudes, who love working with eclectic and quirky rubber stamps, to join us.

This is call is open until 29th February 2020.  

International applications welcome.

DT term is one year.

Please read over our DT Requirements carefully and consider your current obligations before applying.  Joining a DT is fun and a way for you to share your love of creating but it is also a commitment.  You are expected to do your best for our team regardless of how many other teams you serve on, so make sure you fully understand what being a Lost Coast Designer entails and feel free to ask questions if you need anything clarified. 

If you think our team is right for you then we’d love for you to apply by emailing Gail (craftynomad@gmail.com)   Please put “Lost Coast Design Team Application” in the subject of your email and provide the following information.  Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to meeting you all! 

• Name, address, phone number (best number to contact you on if needed) and email address.
• Short biography - tell us a little about yourself, why you would like to join our Design Team and what you think you can add to the team
• Links to your online galleries, blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube channel etc.
• List any Design Teams you are currently on and have previously been on.  Please note that past DT experience is not necessary, all are welcome to apply.  
• Include 3-5 project photos that best shows your style and quality of work (please keep file sizes under 300kB). 

DESIGN TEAM PERKS

• You will be compensated for your work with a generous selection of quality rubber stamps from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen’s Veranda. 
• Your paper art projects proudly displayed at stamp conventions in the USA and Europe.
• Exposure on our Lost Coast Portal to Creativity event and challenge blog, Lost Coast Designs & Carmen’s Veranda company Facebook Pages and our Lost Coast Designs/Carmen's Veranda Facebook Fan Group.
• You get to create with and be inspired by a group of very talented stampers and participate in lots of fun events.

DT REQUIRMENTS

• Be able to work with all our stamp images, regardless of personal tastes and preferences.
• Have an active, up to date blog.  We use blogger, so familiarity would be an advantage.
• Be a good communicator, reliable, dedicated & on time with deadlines and be able to work with themes in a team environment. 
• You must be able to take good photographs to showcase your art well.
• Display 3-4 badges (3 permanent, 1 temporary) on your personal blogs to promote Lost Coast Designs/Carmen's Veranda and our various activities.  
• Actively promote our stamps and activities on your personal blog, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, etc, as much as possible.
• Be an active member of our official Lost Coast Designs/Carmen's Veranda Facebook Fan group as well as belong to our private DT group. 
• Be willing to participate in various events like blog hops, etc.
• Share at least three project per month on our Lost Coast Portal to Creativity blog on assigned dates.  Posts are to be engaging, written in good English, easy to follow, with info on what was made and how it was done, either as a brief summary or in tutorial form, photographic or video.
• In October we do an annual Halloween blog hop/event where we post every day of the month.  Additional projects will be expected at this time, split between the whole team.
• You are required to comment on challenge entries.  
• You are required to mail in some none bulky paper art projects to Lost Coast Designs for display at our convention booths across the USA and Europe. 

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Happy Stamping!
Gail
Design Team Leader

Monkey see, monkey do: Medieval City

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello everyone, Liesbeth here. Here's another inspiration card for our Monkey See, Monkey do Challenge. Click HERE to read everything about it, and how to participate!

This time I have chosen repeat stamping using one stamp (Small Cityscape) I love this technique, it's so easy ...with a great effect! It looks like an old medieval city. 

This is how to do it: 

Use a dark blue water soluble ink.. I used Memento Luxe, but Distress ink also works. Without an acrylic block, stamp the city at the bottom of the card. Repeat the stamping, bend the stamp to stamp just smaller pieces of it. Don't re-ink the stamp every time, use the 2nd and 3rd and 4th print as well. Try to stamp lighter and lighter, it looks like the buildings are further away. Let the color run out here and there with a water brush. Paint a tiny bit of watered down brown Distress ink here and there. Sponge the edges with blue ink and finish with a text (I used Imagine Faith Destiny Inspiration)

I hope you understand...my English isn't perfect ;-) ...if not: please feel free to ask! 

See you next time!

Liesbeth XX

Tall Tales

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello Portal Peeps!  Gail here today with a card featuring Reindeer Gnome and some repeat stamping for the current Monkey See, Monkey Do challenge.  This gnome strikes me as a teenager and I can imagine hem's parents saying 'You're not going out wearing that are you!!  But I figure it's a pretty good hat for the days hem's gnoming at the bad advice bureau!!

Obviously the signage is for near and far sighted customers!!

I started by stamping Lost Coast Designs Fruit Pods Background on my white card base with Prickly Pear archival ink.

I stamped Carmen's Veranda Bad Advice sentiment on a scrap of white card with black archival and used the Prickly Pear ink to edge and add some colour to the white card.  I popped it up on a scrap of craft foam.

I stamped Reindeer Gnome on white card with black archival, coloured with Promarkers and glitter glue and fussy cut.  The Bad Advice sentiment I stamped on white shrink plastic, shrunk it and added it to the card on a Gail design 'wood post'!!

Join our Monkey See Monkey Do challenge with your stamped projects featuring monkeys and/or repeat stamping for a chance to win Lost Coast Design dollars!!!

Monkey See Monkey Do: Liars and Their Pants

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi to all from Laurie with a fun card for the "Monkey See, Monkey Do" challenge going on until the end of February, right here on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

For this card, I used the Pants On Fire clear stamp from Carmen's Veranda,
the Cheesecloth background stamp from Lost Coast Designs, and the Monkey Face stamp from Carmen's Veranda.

I started with my background, taking a piece of scrapbook paper with just a little bit of brown and green color to it.  I heat embossed the Cheesecloth background stamp with clear embossing powder onto my background paper.  I then used some Distress Spray stains in shades of rust, brown, and green and sprayed these randomly over my paper.  I blotted up the excess and dried my page.

Next I stamped my Monkey Face onto white card stock and colored it with Copic Sketch markers. I stamped my sentiment onto white card stock with black ink and edged it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I positioned this at the bottom of my card then attached Mr.Monkey Face directly above this.  I layered my card front with a white panel, edged that with the same Distress Ink, and finished it off by added some Glossy Accents to the monkey's eyes.  

Let us see your Monkey and/or repeat stamping creations before the end of February for a chance to win some of the awesome stamps from Lost Coast and Carmen's Veranda!

Love Hearts

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Cathy here with a card I made for you.
Stamps Used:
Two Gnomes
Calligraphy square

So for my take on the Monkey See Monkey Do Challenge  I took the  Calligraphy square stamp and a heart stencil and put the heart stencil over the front of the card and stamp the Calligraphy square with some red distress ink. When I was done stamping I then took a blending sponge and blended the extra ink from the over stamping on the stencil. That is what gives the heart the ink blended look.
Stamp Two Gnomes on white Copic friendly paper and color with Copic markers. I added some white highlights to them and cut out.
I then added some black washi tape for the Two Gnomes to stand on.

I hope you like the card and join in the fun.

Have you seen our

Design Team Call??
 

Monkey Business...

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Welcome friends - Roni here with a bit of Monkey Business.

Don't you just love the current challenge

#93 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Lost Coast/Carmen's Veranda has such fun monkey stamps so I really enjoyed this challenge as you can see....

I used some of my favorite stamps for this card - Flying Monkey's Background, Flying Monkey both from the Wizard of Oz and  a hilarous Not My Circus ClearStamp Words and Phrases stamp from Carmen's Veranda.

The background for the card was made using EZMarble from Marabu...love the swirly goodness, really gives the monkeys a sense of motion don't you think?

So now it's your turn!!

Show us your Monkey theme creations

OR

Repeat stamping.

We'd love for you to join in on the fun.

Watercolor with Pigment Inks - Monkey See, Monkey Do Challenge #93

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello all,

Did you know that you can get great water effects on cardstock with Pigment Inks?  Well, you can and this project will walk you through the step by steps on how to do it.  

Lost Coast Designs:

• Wizard of Oz 2 Set 
• ATC Misc. Set 6

Other Supplies:

• Pigment ink
• Phrase stickers
• White cardstock

Instructions:

Card size (side fold): 3 1/2" x 6 1/4" 

Cardstock panel size:  3 1/4" x 6"

1) Apply pigment inks directly to craft mat, spray with water, and then press your cardstock panel down into the wet ink.  Allow to dry.

2) Stamp script across the watercolor background with pigment ink.

3) Press pigment ink cube directly to craft mat, 3 times (see photo).  Spray with water and then press cardstock panel over wet ink. Allow to dry.

 

4) Stamp Monkey onto the panel (over the 3 cube ink impressions).  Secondary stamp another Monkey both above and below the Monkey in the center of the panel.  

 

5) Add word stickers to panel. 

6) Adhere panel to white card base. 

Now it's your turn!  Create your own project in the Monkey See, Monkey Do them and share your creation on the Lost Coast Design Portal to Creativity Challenge post.

Happy day!

Lori

CHALLENGE #93 - MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Greetings Portal Peeps.  It's time for our new Challenge.
Our challenges are now fortnightly!  A new challenge starting the 1st and the 15th of every month, with chances to win Lost Coast dollars. We will be announcing winners on the 5th of the month, so do pop back and see who wowed the team and gets our snazzy blog badge and the coveted Lost Coast dollars.

Now for our new Challenge!

CHALLENGE #93

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

OK, so for this one we want to see a monkey and/or repeat stamping on your project.
You can make anything you like but it must feature real rubber or clear stamping and a monkey and/or a repeat stamped image.  Please tell us which element you have used and the stamp company.  Those using Lost Coast Designs and/or Carmen's Veranda stamps get an extra chance in the random draw.

Please remember we do have some Challenge Rules to follow so look them over to ensure your entries qualify to win this month's prize!

You are welcome to play in our Challenges using rubber stamp images from any company but if you use any of our Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda stamps...we love it when you do...then your entry counts as two which doubles your chances of winning in our random prize drawing.

PRIZES

To ensure you all have a fabulous time playing in our Challenges this is how our Prize system works!
The more entries the better the Prize so tell all your friends to join the fun too!

1 - 4 Entries = one winner chosen by the team is awarded our Challenge Winner's Badge
5+ Entries = one randomly picked winner will receive a $5 gift certificate to spend at
Lost Coast Designs/Carmen's Veranda
10+ Entries = one randomly picked winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to spend at
Lost Coast Designs/Carmen's Veranda
and all winners get our snazzy Challenge Winner's Badge to proudly display on their blogs!

If you don't have a blog then no prob, you can still play in our challenges by sharing your projects from public photo sharing sites which includes our Facebook Company Pages for Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda.  Please include our Challenge info and the link back to our challenge in your photo's description!  As long as the privacy setting for your photo is public you're good to go.  See, it's so easy to join the fun!  FYI, you can't link up projects shared in closed Facebook groups! 


Here's some inspiration from the team to get us started.  ENJOY!

Cathy made this gorgeous card featuring repeat stamping with Lost Coast Designs Adrien and Carmen's Veranda Calligraphy Square

Gail made this fun card using Carmen's Veranda Monkey With Banjo and Lost Coast Designs Party Words.  Repeat stamping and a monkey.

   Liesbeth made this awesome card using Carmen's Veranda's Monkey Face and Small Sock Monkey and Lost Coast Designs Rustic Checkerboard Border.  Monkey and repeat monkeys!!

WOW!!!  Amazing makes from the team.  Are you feeling inspired??

Now it's your turn.  We can't wait to see your projects!  
Submit your entries in the linky party below by 5 to midnight PST on the 29th and don't forget to follow us so you don't miss anything!  The team will be posting more inspiration throughout the month so check back and join the fun.

We also have a design team call.  If you feel that you would fit our team then check out the details and apply by 29th February.

Happy Stamping!
Gail
Challenge Host

Challenge #93 - Monkey See, Monkey Do
February 15th - 29th Please read over out RULES to be sure your entries qualify you to win!
ALL rubber stamp companies are welcome.
Linky closes Saturday, February 29th 23.59 PST.
All entries must be entered in our link up but your don't need a blog to win.  See our RULES page for more info
 

Tag you're it Challenge: Art Deco Face

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi everyone, welcome to our Tag You're It Challenge! (click ;-) )Here's another tag, this time I used the beautiful Art Deco Face! I stamped her using black ink on a inked background and masked her. I stamped the Loopy Background and Black Flourish and I removed the mask from the face. I coloured the face with color pencils and finished the tag wit some charcoal and white gel pen.

Liesbeth XX

Wander

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Roni here with another bit of tag inspiration for the current challenge... #92 - Tag You're It!

My steampunk inspired Wander tag....

I started off by mixing up a bit of walnut ink in a ziplock baggie. I then put in several tags and inked them all at one time (it's a great way to have extra tags on hand). Each of the tags was then laid out to dry naturally - you get the best looking designs that way.

Once the tags were dried, I adhered a bit of washi tape and stamped several Steampunk images using different shades of VersaFine Clair inks. It needed a little something so I sponged on a dab of VF Clair Rain Forest ink here and there.

I stamped the oval man image from Up Close & Personal onto another tag which was colored with a variety of colored pencils and stamped the sentiment on the scraps. Both of these were then mounted to the tag with foam tape to pop them off the background.

To finish off the tag I added a nice mix of fancy fibers!

I hope this inspires you to join in on the fun! Only a few days left to enter your tag or other project incorporating a tag in the challenge.



Supplies:

Lost Coast Designs: Steampunk Icarus, Steampunk Fly Girl, Steampunk Plane, Steampunk Flier, Up Close & Personal, Wander
Imagine: Walnut Ink, VersaFine Clair, Sponge Dauber
Tag, Fibers

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Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello Portal Peeps!!

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Have you seen our DT CALL???

Hugz

Gail
Lost Coast Designs Design Team Manager

Tag You're It: Day 10 with a Trio of Butterflies

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi again from Laurie with another tag for the current challenge:  Tag You're It!  Simple challenge for the first half of February - just make a tag in any theme you like and be sure to include some rubber stamping on your work.

I used the Butterfly Set stamps - the set includes 5 stamps but I chose to use the three smallest for this tag.

I stamped my butterflies onto a piece of clear acrylic using Staz On black ink so the stamped images would not smear, then cut this into a tag shape.  For my background, I took a page from a vintage book and using Modge Podge, I adhered to it a decorative paper napkin with leaves and branches.  After that dried well, I glued my acrylic tag atop it and trimmed around the edges.  I thought it needed some kind of defining border, so I layered it with a tag shaped piece of black card stock.

Final touch was to punch a hole in the top and thread a variety of ribbon and twine in colors of gray, cream and silver.  I love the way the butterflies on the acrylic let the background of the paper napkin show through.

So get your tags and stamps and art supplies out and see what kind of amazing tags you can whip up!

Tag you're it cat

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello all Cathy here with a cat tag for you.

So I started out by making my own tag out of white cardstock. I then took some purple Distress inks and smooched them on my mat and spritzed them with water and I made the background. I heat set in-between the colors.
Next I took Grunge Diamond background and ATC set 6  and randomly stamped over the background. Edge the tag with some black ink.
Stamp Happy Cat (large) on a separate white cardstock and color with Copic. Cut out.
Add to front of tag then add some ribbon.

I hope you will join the fun here.
Make your artwork on a tag our use a tag stamp.
Can't wait to see what you make.

Mixed Media Sketchy Rose Tag - "Tag Your It" Challenge

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hello all,

Lori here, with a mixed media tag for the "Tag Your It" it challenge. This is a large 3.5" x 8.5" tag of watercolor paper.  I often use this size of tag in my Tag Art Journal.  Check out the step by step instructions shown below. 

Lost Coast Designs

• ATC Misc. Set 6
• Dictionary - Joy
• Large Chickenwire Background
• Corner Swirl
• Sketchy Rose

Other Materials

• Acrylic Paint
• Sheer Ribbon
• Permanent Pigment Ink
• Tag Pad
• Charms

Instructions:

1) Apply acrylic paint to tag in a trio of browns.

2) Use a stencil brush to apply pink acrylic paint to portions of tag.

3) Stamp Chickenwire stamp with brown permanent pigment ink across portions of tag.

4) Stamp Corner Swirl stamp with pink permanent pigment ink.

5) Stamp Sketchy Rose and Script stamp onto tag with black permanent pigment ink.

6) Stamp "Joy" dictionary stamp onto tag with black permanent pigment ink.

7) Add black paint splatters.

8) Apply black ink to edges of tag.

9) Embellish Sheer Ribbon and charms to tag.

I hope you will create a wonderful tag and share it with us on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Blog Challenge.