Dwell in (mixed media) Possibilities

I have a new online class launching (info coming next week- early reg page is here!) – it’s all about embellishments and I think you’ll really love it. I’ve been working on it a long time and can’t wait to share even more info. What inspires me to mention it? I just made a canvas that was inspired by class lessons that I’m going to share with you here today.

This is a SUPER easy 3-step canvas mixed media project.

Step 1:  black embossing on a gesso coated canvas. Heat set, then color as desired!

Step 2: add stencil (with distress ink), gold flecks of mist.

Step 3: Add embellishments working big to small

Step 4: Don’t forget the buttons!

Was that the easiest, fewest words needed tutorial ever? Pretty much! Want to win some 28 Lilac Lane buttons and goodies? This project is featured at the Mixed Media challenge blog this month HERE – and I’ll be giving away a box ‘o goodies as well as a spot in the class I mentioned before.

Looking for the supplies I used? Here are a few affiliate links where you can find my button mixes and more-

Christina Adolph stamps at Blue Moon Scrapbooking

Fruity Fun embellishment bottle (28 Lilac Lane) at Ellen Hutson and also available at Simon Says Stamp

Tim Holtz chipboard words at Simon Says Stamp

I am so in love with these new stamps – you’ll be seeing them again from me! This is such a fun project to kick off March (national crafting month!) with – I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for loads more.

Now I’m off to seek some new creative possibilities…

“messy wreath” card with 28 Lilac Lane

I’m so excited to tell you that the new 28 Lilac Lane products are shipping now – and in shops! I’ve spotted a lot at Ellen Hutson (affiliate link used)- that site has a lot of the new goodies – all the bottles, shaker mixes, sequin mixes, and the new bead & sequin mini bottles too! Today I’m playing with the wisteria hues bottle (link) – a personal favorite of course!

My inspiration for this mix was my wisteria (in my backyard), but Mardi Gras got me thinking about colors for which mini bottle to use first. Love this particular mix and I’m excited to share this – and many more- with you. Now despite the name mini, you should know that there isn’t anything “mini” about how much is really packed into these bottles! They’re a great value and so easy to travel with you’ll want to collect them all!

Here is a link to my YouTube video tutorial for making a card like mine.

This ‘messy wreath’ is so much fun to create- and so quick and easy. I have several variations of this I like to play with – and just a note if you’re in Northern California I’ll be doing a make ‘n take with this design at my upcoming craft event!! (contact It’s All About the Scrapbook in Dixon, CA to register).

As I mentioned before, this Wisteria mix (link) and much more are available now at Ellen Hutson. I also used some old mulberry paper as well as a Tim Holtz chipboard phrase to accent my card.

Have you seen 28 Lilac Lane in your favorite shop (online or local)? If not – let them know you’d like to! If you do – be sure to email me (craftwithmay at gmail) a photo or where you saw it! Starting soon, I’ll be randomly drawing winners in a few ways each month (for sharing 28 LL photos/projects online, letting me know about sightings of the line, etc)!! I’m so excited to have Buttons Galore supporting my efforts to share some more happy mail and love – as well as looking forward to thanking you for sharing your creations. More info on that later – as well as more information on my upcoming online class! Are you signed up for my newsletter? If not, be sure to (link in sidebar of my blog) for an exclusive offer on class. Newsletter subscribers always get first notice as well as guaranteed best prices on online classes.

Now I’m off to enjoy some King Cake and maybe craft something New Orleans inspired! I hope that you have a wonderful day as well.

Mix it up with Ellen Hutson & 28 Lilac Lane

It is my pleasure to share today’s blog post with you. Ellen Hutson is a wonderful shop, and they’ve chosen 28 Lilac Lane to highlight in their “mix it up” challenge this month! All of the details on the challenge and how to enter it are here.  Here on my blog I’m going to share two cards, as well as (affiliate) links to the supplies I am featuring in my cards today.

My love of Opera Pink (Daniel Smith watercolor) is no secret, and so for my card I decided to use it (with a good brush and some water) to color the hydrangea (stamp) that I stamped onto watercolor paper with black archival ink. I did a combination of applying color to dry paper, wet paper, and going back over some petals and not others to create a variety of color with just the one tube. I can’t ever get enough of this bold pink color or this hydrangea stamp.

To finish off the hydrangea I added some Nuvo glitter drops for the centers, and used a green clean color marker for the stems.

With such a bold bright flower, I didn’t want to overwhelm my card with too much additional items but I do want more dimension and embellishment so I went to my 28 Lilac Lane Rainbow Unicorn shaker mix. What I love about my shaker mixes is that they’ve got a handful of buttons and LOADS of little sequins and beads so from making a shaker card to adding a few sweet little embellishments they’re perfect!

I’m a big fan of mixing & matching stamp sets, so I grabbed a scrap of cardstock and a sentiment set (Ellen Hutson exclusive) and got stamping! Then, looking at my sweet embellishments I decided one more thing was in order so I colored a single flower, adhered on with foam adhesive, and then using PPA (my favorite adhesive!!) added my sequins and beads.

Ah but wait – one last thing once I stitched and then adhered to a (4 1/4 x 5 1/2) card! I took the little bit of pink color still left, got it onto a real wet paintbrush, and flicked! Those pops of pink added detail to the flower and speckles of fun around where my sequins and beads are. This card turned out in a way that I just love – and I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about how I created it.

I had some extra Daniel Smith Opera Pink on the paper so I decided to create one more card. This time I began by stamping (black archival ink) a sentiment from the same stamp set used on my previous card. Then I used water to draw a heart onto watercolor cardstock and then with watercolor on my brush just gently touched along the wet line. Before I knew it, the heart was formed!

This is such an easy technique, and what a great way to use up my leftover paper and paint! Once dry, we’re ready to finish off this card with embellishments! I’ve got my rainbow unicorn mix out once again, and I’ve placed dots of PPA adhesive around the heart where I envision embellishments. One at a time I add them until satisfied, adding more adhesive as needed.

This card really truly is sprinkled with fun, and I love the results!

I am always inspired to try creating multiple things with the same basic supplies, and seeing how different results can be. When it’s favorite embellishments and colors? That’s always fun! Of course my 28 Lilac Lane embellishments do mix so very well with Ellen Hutson stamps & products – so that made this extra fun.

Thank you to the Ellen Hutson team for inviting me to play along as well as highlighting my 28 Lilac Lane line! Ready to join in the fun? Here’s a link to the Ellen Hutson blog where you can enter the challenge (heck, you may win a prize!) and see even more inspiration.

new products coming soon from 28 Lilac Lane!

CHA the annual craft & hobby trade show is taking place in Phoenix this weekend. I won’t be attending this year – but you can bet there are a whole lot of new (42!) 28 Lilac Lane products being shown for the first time from kits to bottles to new mini bottles and cubes – so much fun!!! Now that my studio has been put back together (hopefully for good!) I will begin filming videos + project tutorials with these new beauties.

Products begin shipping to shops next month – and I’ll be sure to keep you posted when I spot them! Above are peeks at two of the new kits (stardust and let’s go) below is the stars & stripes button + sequin mix. Love this one!

Of course shaker cubes and new sequin mixes as well as new embellishment bottles are coming as well. Here’s one more peek…

If you want to peek at even more of the new mixes coming out you can see some on my Instagram (link). For now I’m back into the studio to get making and creating!!

Happy Howl-idays card, and a hello from the Flaum dog pack

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Hello from the Flaum dog pack! Scrappy, Ranger, and Bandit are so tired from all the holiday hoopla! They can’t believe how time is flying or how many details they have to take care of. We wanted to send Thank You cards to the rescue groups responsible for both Ranger & Bandit coming to live with us and nothing could be better for this than the new Avery Elle stamp set!

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note: links below are affiliate links. The dogs thank you in advance should you choose to use them they help keep the website running and once in a while some new toys for the pups for all their hard work as my staff.

This sweet card didn’t start out as planned and almost got thrown out. But Ranger said “oh come on, just try!” so I got out some buttons and tried something different than I’d planned. I am glad I did! Here is my YouTube video.

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I really do love how it turned out! Below is a list of supplies used including the two new bottle mixes that I utilized.

Avery Elle “Happy Howlidays” stamps – Ellen Hutson * Simon Says Stamp

Winter Wonderland 28 Lilac Lane bottle – Ellen Hutson

Yuletide Greetings 28 Lilac Lane bottle – Ellen Hutson

Lawn Fawn patterned paper Ellen Hutson * Scrapbook.com *  Simon Says Stamp

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The dogs are supervising me closely – I’m one to be watched apparently! They’re such a joy and doing so well, and as you can see inspiring my holiday crafting too. That’s all from us today – hope your December is off to a great start!