Sunday, August 16, 2026

#212 For the men challenge. Tissue paper tag.

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 there, Riet here with a tutorial for you.

 

I love making my own backgrounds.
I really enjoy starting with a blank piece of paper and making something out of it.
By using different techniques, the result is always something different.
And that is what makes it so interesting.
For today, it is the tissue paper technique.
Its an older technique but with interesting results.
It is a tag for the men's challenge at Lost Coast Designs/Carmens Veranda Stamps.
Make something with a man on it, or something for a man.

And this is how I made the tag.
What I used.

3 colors of Glimmermist,I used 
Lindy's moon glows,
Cajun carnelean red and Gator gumbo olive.
 and Tattered Angels Sapphire.
Inka gold, gold.
memento Rich cocoa.
Distressink old paper.
Distress oxide ground espresso.
Dutch Doobadoo modeling paste.
Dutch Doobadoo glue.

How its made:

Take a piece of tissue paper and make a ball out of it.

Roll it out again, but do not smooth the paper out.

Take a piece of sturdy, thick paper and spread glue on it.

Place the tissue paper on top and press down gently.
Make sure you do not press the creases out.
Let it dry thoroughly.
Cut away the overhanging paper.

While it dries, we continue with the Learnardo collage. 
We sponge the men with Distress Ink Old Paper.

Cut him out and do the same with the edges using Distress Oxide Ground Espresso.

Once the glue and the tissue paper are completely dry, 
we are going to spray it with the glimmermist.
The mica powder in the bottles gives a beautiful golden sheen.


Now take a piece of white paper and sponge it with Distress Ink Old Paper. 
Take the small text stamp from the Pieces of Calligraphy set 
and stamp with the Memento Rich Cocoa.
And stamp the words from the Misc words sheet over it.
Outline the edges with the Distress Oxide Ground Espresso; do the same for the tag.

After you have determined where your pieces of stamped paper will go, 
you can apply modeling paste to part of the tag using a stencil.

Once the modeling paste is completely dry, color it with the Inca gold.

Now you are going to stick on the man and the text pieces.
The man flat, but the other 3 pieces with foam tape.

Take a piece of rope and color it.
Thread it through the eye of the tag.
And that concludes the tag; hope you enjoyed it.

Perhaps you would like to participate in the challenge?
Then click on the link and join in.
You might be our next winner.

Saturday, August 15, 2026

CHALLENGE #212 - FOR THE MEN MID-MONTH REMINDER

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.  
 
It's time for our new Challengemid-month reminder for the current challenge.
Our challenges are now monthly!  A new challenge starting the 1st 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.

CHALLENGE #212

FOR THE MEN

 
You have all month to share your stamped anythings featuring men or with a masculine theme.  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project.  A small stamped sentiment in a sea of die cuts or digi images will not qualify to win the prize and you may be deleted!!!!  Bwahahhaaahaha.

Please read the updated Challenge Rules 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 you could win a bigger prize in our random prize drawing.  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!

Kathi used Carmen's Veranda Joker
 
Aimee used Lost Coast Designs Travel Quotes
 

Darlene used Carmen's Veranda Never Too Late sentiment

Now it's your turn.  Are you up for the challenge?  We can't wait to see your projects!  
Submit your entries in the linky party below by 23.59 PST on the 31st 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.

Happy Stamping!
Gail
Challenge Host

Challenge #212 - For The Men
August 1st - 31st Please read over out RULES to be sure your entries qualify you to win!
ALL rubber stamp companies are welcome.
Linky closes Monday, August 31st 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

 
 
 
 

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

2 cards

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!

Good evening, Cathy here with a late post from me. Sorry so late life got in the way of getting inky. I definitely did get inky with 2 cards for you tonight
.



Stamps Uesd:
square writing


I started out making the background with the same colors. I used distress inks for this.


Then I stamped different stamps and ink colors on the 2 cards.

Next, I stamped the two main images on cream cardstock.


I then trimmed down and added them to the cards. 




Lastly, I added some fun stuff to the card and I was done.

Monday, August 10, 2026

Travelling Boris

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 some inspiration for the For The Men Challenge.
I decided to visit Carmen's Veranda Famous People and Boris fancied a trip out today.  Isn't he wonderful!!   I do love these big people faces stamps.
I decided to go black and white for this card.   I stamped Lost Coast Designs Mini Phrenology Collage twice on a white card panel with black archival ink.  Then I stamped Boris on white card, fussy cut him and added him.  To finish I stamped a couple of stamps from Lost Coast Designs Travel Quotes set.

You have all month to join the fun with your stamped makes featuring men or masculine things.
We need at least 20 entries to award the prize.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz 

Friday, August 7, 2026

Wanderlust

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 all, Aimee here. I LOVE to travel and hike, and I'm grateful to have a husband who shares this same passion. This simple card would be great for anyone who likes to wander.
A card like this is easy to make when you use artwork from a coffee table book! I took a page from the book Be Still that was picked up at a local thrift store. I then stamped a Travel Quote from Lost Coast Designs.
The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is hosting a "For the Men" Challenge this month. I'm excited to see all the cards for men that get sampled since that doesn't happen as often as it does for women. Submit your "manly" creation by the end of August for your chance to win a prize. 





Thursday, August 6, 2026

Lets Celebrate

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!

Hey Darlene here with my first make of the month with the new theme
"for the men" 




For this card I used three different stamps
Party Words for the 'Let's Celebrate'
Caligraphy Carmen Veranda Square 
and


The background is paper I have in my stash.

The two background diamonds are 1 3/4 inches each embossed in copper
with the Calligraphy stamp

The center is 2 inches stamped with the grunge border
and also embossed in copper.

I popped the middle one up a bit, placed the burlap strip underneath.

The saying was perfect to fit in the middle !

So What will you make to enter our challenge !

check out my blog too
https://blog-dar-blog.blogspot.com/


Saturday, August 1, 2026

CHALLENGE #212 - FOR THE MEN

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.  
 
It's time for our new Challenge.
Our challenges are now monthly!  A new challenge starting the 1st 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 #212

FOR THE MEN

 
You have all month to share your stamped anythings featuring men or with a masculine theme.  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project.  A small stamped sentiment in a sea of die cuts or digi images will not qualify to win the prize and you may be deleted!!!!  Bwahahhaaahaha.

Please read the updated Challenge Rules 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 you could win a bigger prize in our random prize drawing.  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!

Riet used Lost Coast Designs Fourth Dimension with Carmen's Veranda Alfred Hitchcock Standing
 
Cathy used Lost Coast Designs Weeping Man and Drips
 

Gail used Carmen's Veranda Dice Background and Old Truck with Lost Coast Designs Domino Border and Misc. Words

Now it's your turn.  Are you up for the challenge?  We can't wait to see your projects!  
Submit your entries in the linky party below by 23.59 PST on the 31st 30th 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.

Happy Stamping!
Gail
Challenge Host

Challenge #212 - For The Men
August 1st - 31st Please read over out RULES to be sure your entries qualify you to win!
ALL rubber stamp companies are welcome.
Linky closes Monday, August 31st 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

 
 
 

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Reindeer Gnomes Christmas Card

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! It's Kathi here to share my last card created  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's Christmas in July Challenge #211 with the Mini Gnomes 2 Rubber Stamp Sheet.


Place a 6" x 3" wide piece of white cardstock onto a stamping platform. Position the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnome from the Mini Gnomes 2 Rubber Stamp Sheet facedown on the far left of the stamping platform. Ink the stamp with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.

Slide the cardstock along the base of the stamping platform 1 3/16" to the left. Ink the stamp again with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and stamp.

Slide the cardstock along the base of the platform again to the 1 3/16" to the left, ink the stamp, and stamp again. Repeat this process until you have a five and a quarter Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnomes.

Use Copic markers to color all the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnomes. Draw a line with a C0 Copic marker to ground the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnomes. Fill in the rest of the ground area with C00.

Outline the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnome with a BG000 Copic marker. Use a BG0000 Copic marker to color the sky. Use a BG000 Copic marker to add random large dots in the sky area.

Use a glue pen to add glue to the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnome's pom-poms. Add Fun Flock to the wet glue, press the Fun Flock into the glue, then allow to drive for a few minutes. 

When dry, dump off the excess Fun Flock and use a clean paint brush to brush away any stray Flock. 

Use a clear Glitter Gel pen to add a line of glitter to the top of the ground area. You can add some glitter over the Reindeer/Santa Mini Gnome's shoes to simulate snow.

Adhere the image panel to a 6" x 3.5" piece of polka dot patterned paper.

Adhere that combination to a 6" square piece of "Night before Christmas" verbiage patterned paper. 

Trim the image panel/patterned paper combination to 5.75" square, edge with Speckled Egg Distress Ink, and adhere to a red 6x6 card.

You still have a little time to enter you card in the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's Christmas in July Challenge #211  for a chance to win Lo$t Coa$t Ca$h!








Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Merry Christmas to you

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 there fellow crafters, Darlene here with my final make of the month
for the 'Christmas in July' challenge.

Using one of the mini gnomes and party words
I put together this fun card.  
The gnome was coloured in, fussy cut out and some sparkle added
Wee bit of string in behind and then the saying on top.


Hope you join us for the challenge - just upload your make here
and fingers crossed you may win some new stamps !

maybe check out my blog too
https://blog-dar-blog.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 26, 2026

#211 Christmas in july.

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 stampers and cardmakers.
Riet here.

Well, we're already heading towards the end of July.
But there are still a few days left to enter our challenge. 
So if you want to win new rubber stamps, join in. 
You can find the rules for the challenge here.

My last Christmas card of this month was made using 
the American Gothic Christmas stamp and the Sun and Stars border from Lost Coast Designs.

I colored the stamp in with my Van Gogh watercolors. 
I stamped the border with Hero Arts Unicorn White,
 and sprinkled it with white embossing powder.
This embossing powder contains a tiny bit of silver glitter.
That stands out beautifully against the black background.

So, basically a fairly simple card.
I hope to see you again on August 1st, 
when the new Lost Coast Designs/Carmens Veranda challenge begins.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Merry Mona

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!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Aimee here. Here's one way to take serious art not so seriously:
I used the Santa Mona and Party Words stamps from Lost Coast Designs to create this card.
Have fun this upcoming holiday season by sending a unique card to your friends, one that is sure to bring them a smile. Come up with your own unexpected combo and submit your stamped creation to the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for your chance to win this months "Christmas in July" Challenge.