Spending a Rainy Day Trying Out a New Technique using Viva Las Vegas Stamps

I received a Chinese Takeout box of really cool stamps for adding the Viva Las Vegas Stamps web blinky on the left. This was like Christmas day! I have plans for many of these in upcoming projects. After perusing their website, with extensive collections of stamps for any and every occasion, I realized that I had already had some of their stamps in my collection.

These two stamps came to my stash from two ladies in my local altered book club. After referring to my cluttered computer desktop of weblinks "for a rainy day", I knew exactly what image I wanted to compose.

I am trying out the "Black Magic" technique using two Viva Las Vegas Stamps: Skeleton Flashing and Ballerina Dancer. The Black Magic technique creates a dramatic look by stamping on dark cardstock with light ink and coloring it with colored pencils, then adding high contrast with a white gel pen.

I stamped both images to create a scene using Colorbox white pigment ink onto black cardstock then heatset.
Using Berol Prismacolor pencils, I gradually build up layers of color from light to dark over the images. Berol pencils are great for this technique and blend well. Except for a handful of basic colors, I haven't used these much since art school, and I miss my old friends.
A dramatic effect is created with the lighter edges toward the outside blending to darker in the center of the objects. As I layer colors, the Ballerina begins to pop off the page. The dimension in the curtains really have a velvety feel. I continued to add more layers of color to increase contrast and achieve more depth.

At this point, the skelton has become lost in the image, and was reversed in the image when stamped in white. So to repair this, I am stamped him again with Black Onyx Versafine on white coated cardstock.


I heat set, greyed him a bit with Weathered Wood and Pumice Stone distress ink and cut his hands out to place in front of the curtains. I cut the curtains to fit him into the image then add a little more colored pencil to blend in with background seamlessly. I added back some details with a black pigment ink marker and pops of white and gold with gel pens. I added some pale pink gem accents to finish her off. Here are details of each:

HERE IS THE FINISHED MASTERPIECE!

I'm not sure if I'll put this on a card, or perhaps I'll make a faux theatre shadow box..."The Bonecracker Suite". I have so many more stamps from VLVS that I have yet to play with. I encourage you to check out Viva Las Vegas Stamps website, and plan to get lost there for while. Don't forget to visit their blog page, too. There are lots of cool stamping ideas, there, too.

Have a crafty day! Sb