Smitha Sankaran

There are times when you envision a project and it turns out exactly and even better, this project was one such.  The piece was made based on  Gwen's class "Maskquerade" . It has bright background and bold colors which is not my usual style (since I tend to lean to darker colors). The butterflies were made using collage and flowers were stamped and colored. The background is pattern paper stuck on cardstock.

  Many a times I dont create for weeks due to various reasons, so this year I resolved to do art every week.  SimonsaysStamp  Monday Challenge became perfect way for me to keep creating with new topic every week. Meanwhile I have huge backlog of Gwen Lafleur classes which I needed to watch and create. I have already started enrolling for her 2021 classes ( do check her blog for details, first one is in March end). So I decided to combine challenge and online class project and result is this week project from Patchwork pages class. Background was collaged with scrapbook papers, collage papers, images and washi tape. Crackle paste and  glass beads paste was applied through stencils. I added brown and  gold to blend papers in certain places and followed rest of steps from class. The patch work was done using Distress paints and then stenciled and stamped. I added mark making with posca pens and golden paints. The medallion was metal piece that was heat embossed with EmeralCreek powders an

I love to have textures made with paste and acrylic skins. I wanted to incorporate one such in my project for SimonsaysStamp Monday Challenge -  Texture .  The background was made using Distress oxides and inks. I added more interest using stencils and stamps using archival inks and Distress inks.  The hero of the card is the texure on acrylic skin.  The skin was made by giving two coats of matte medium on silicone mat. Once dry the texture paste was applied using stencil, when dried it was painted with Golden paints and highlighted using Finnabair waxes in Rose Gold and Old Gold. I made them popup more by using white posca pen. The elephant was drawn on Neenah cardstock, colored with Distress oxide in yellow and Posca pens in yellow and orange. It was cut and embellished with sequins, beads, scrap paper and liquid pearls. I hope you liked it.  

  For Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Resist It The background was done with loads of colors using Distress oxides. I wanted the background to be important part of the piece, so I decided to create resist pattern.I used Stencilgirl Gwen Lafleur's stencil with versamark watermark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I ensured that I placed the stencil so the different colors were present in the resist pattern. I then covered the rest of background with shades of brown Distress Oxide (oxide being opaque covered the bright colors). I used Distress inks on top of oxide to get more vibrant shade. The corners were stamped and heat embossed with gold. The focal image consists of filigree chipboard which was embossed with chunky and fine embossing powders  in different shades of gold.  The medallion in the middle is two circular cardstock pieces placed one on top of the other. Outer circle was decorated with seed beads and bugle while inner circle has rhinestone chain and sta

  Hectic week  so a quick card made with texture paste and heat embossing. The focal image was   stamped with wooden blocks with Delicata Ink . Since ink remains wet I was able to pour embossing powder and heat emboss it.

  I am ardent follower of  Vicky Papaioannou on youtube .  Her videos are so simple and contain so much detail. In one of the interviews she said how the challenges posted on sites helped her to keep creating and posting. With this in mind I  decided that I would participate in Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  every week. Hopefully I can keep upwith it. This week topic is Heart. I created ATC background with shades of green Distress Oxide and Crackling campfire oxide. I intensified the red color at the edges with fired brick Distress Ink. I stamped with green archival ink and stenciled with white gelly roll. The focal image was made by drawing heart on cardstock and cutting pieces in few places. Each piece of geometrical heart was heat embossed and left out pieces were colored with posca gold and silver pens. A few pieces were heat embossed with distress glaze and given dimension by sticking with foam tape. The Love word was written with gold and black posca pens.

A simple card sprayed with Distress and Lindy sprays. Stenciled and stamped in shades of brown and black to maintain same color tone. The lamps were stenciledb outlined with Golden deep gold paint which was piped though the FineLine bottle. Inside details were heat embossed wth distress glaze to give stained glass effect.  

  Week 2 I created this beautiful ATC which has so much of details in the background. Ink and Oxides were smooshed and sprayed. You can see the drips and splatter. Then loads of stenciling and stamping was done.  The mandala and the pattern were stenciled in white andheat embossed. The smaller pattern was outlined with 3D paint.

I decided to create art every week this year thus for 52 weeks. The first one for this year done with distress inks and texture paste.