Hello friends! Today I'm excited to be sharing a mixed media style card I recently created featuring the Lots of Dots Embossing Folder from Sunny Studio Stamps.


To get started, I die cut a piece of Bristol Paper using the stitched border die from the Frilly Frames Retro Petals Die. I then embossed this using the Lots of Dots Embossing Folder. Next, I took a rainbow of Distress Oxide inks and applied them at a diagonal rainbow order across the embossed paper. For this card I used Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Mowed Lawn, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemon, Picked Raspberries and Candied Apple. I then splattered water onto the paper using a small paint brush and dabbed it dry with a paper towel.


To further add to the mixed media style I then splattered a slightly darker Distress Ink onto each section. I used Seedless Preserves, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint, Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, and Festive Berries. To do this, I tapped the ink pad onto my glass mat, added a bit of water and then picked up the ink and water with a small paint brush and splattered it into the corresponding section of color.


Once the background was complete, I then went about adding the sentiment. I die cut the Rainbow Word Die from black cardstock 3 times and glued them together. I then stamped the sentiments from the Over The Rainbow Stamp Set onto white cardstock and trimmed it into small strips.


Since you can't have a rainbow without a little rain, I decided to add some clouds cut from white cardstock using the Fluffy Clouds Dies. I then finished it off with some Clear Drops Mix #2 to represent the rain!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed this mixed media style card featuring the Lots of Dots Embossing Folder. If you are looking for more inspiration using the adorable products from Sunny Studio Stamps, make sure to visit the Sunny Studio Stamps Blog!

SUPPLIES

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I will say, the final piece kept the original witch theme. That happens to be one of my favorite themes for Halloween and when I saw the new Sizzix Bigz Cauldron Die, I KNEW it would be perfect for this piece. Now that you've entered The Witches' Kitchen, let's take a look around!

The base of the piece is a Stampers Anonymous Tombstone Overlay Small that was released last year. They have released some new ones for this year, that I know I will be adding to my stash for future Halloween projects! I covered the pieces with patterned paper from past Halloween paper pads. The top and base pieces were inked up with a mix of Distress Ink and Distress Oxide to give them a worn wood look. For the inlaided section of the top, I also covered with patterned paper and then inked with a mix of Distress Ink and Distress Oxide. I did this part nearly a year ago, so I can't remember all of the details, but I think I used Vintage Photo, Black Soot, and Peeled Paint to get the colors you see. Next, I stamped the spider web from the Tangled Web Stamp Set with embossing ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I then covered the entire area with Collage Medium Crazing to give it a bit more distressed look.

Along with this change in my life, I've also got a bit of confession to share. During the time I was making these decisions I realized something. As much as I tend toward the clean and graphic style, I also really love the grungy and distressed. I love getting my hand dirty with ink and paint and gesso! I've also come to admit that I'm a Tim Holtz crazy fan! Yes, I've got my fair share of Distress Inks and such, but I'm talking about doing more of the grungy, mixed media style that his products can lend themselves toward. I've secretly hoarded tons of his Halloween and Christmas products with dreams of creating vintage and distressed style vignettes and projects. However, when you don't have the time to do anything but your design team assignments, it's difficult to fit in anything extra. And then of course self doubt would set in and I'd wonder about whether or not people would like to see mixed media projects from me when they are used to what I normally share. Yes, I'll admit that thought has crept into my head more than once. It still does, even as I'm writing this post.

So, yeah, I've rarely made the time to do this sort of creating. And maybe those doubts added to my excuses to not do it. A few crafting friends have seen me play with this stuff, but they are the very few who have actually seen what I've made. And truth be told...I've not really made that much until recently. When I decided to step down from some of my teams I gave myself permission to play and create what I wanted to. In January, I began playing with some of my Tim Holtz products and of course I also added to my stash of stuff as well. I needed to fuel this creative fire within me and his products spoke to me in a way I've not had in a long time. I actually day dreamed about what I wanted to create. This is something I used to do years ago, when I spent most of my creative time scrapbooking. I have missed that type of creating. Ideas popping into your head when you aren't even creating. Usually, I've had to sit and play with the products for the ideas to come to me. I now know that this was because my creative brain had been stifled by my own doing. I've learned a valuable lesson when it comes to creating for others. Too much of good thing can be a bad thing. So from here on out, I'll be focusing on my 2 design teams and then spending the rest of my creative time doing things just for me. Yes, I'm open to doing guest design spots and such. In fact I'll be doing one here very shortly for an amazing company and I can't wait to share about it with you! But in the end, the focus will be on creating just for me.

Have you ever felt this way? Join me on IG and share what you create just for you using the #creatingjustforme. It would be great to know that I'm not alone and....that it's OK to step outside your known style and spread your wings and just create! It really is all about finding your creative joy!

Speaking of "creating just for me" here's a project I recently created just for me. It's super grungy and distressed and all things mixed media. I'm going to be putting this little "piece of art" in a prominent place in my craft room. I want it to be a reminder of what I've shared today and learned about myself recently.

Mr. Bones | Possibility Begins with Imagination

To create this mixed media piece I used some fabulous Tim Holtz products of course.
The background was creating using Distress Oxide Ink in Vintage Photo, Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy.  I then stamped on it using the following stamp sets by Stampers Anonymous: Inventor 1 and Entomology. I stamped them with a mix of Distress Ink and Archival Ink.

To finish it off, I layered the piece onto some patterned paper from the most recent Tim Holtz Halloween Paper Pad and then finally onto a piece of gold paper from the 8x8 Kraft Stock Metallic Paper Pad.