Notable Designs by Leslie Banks

New playthings!

I have some new things to play with.   Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Oxides and a gel plate.  I have been making various backgrounds with them and enjoying every minute - although it is messy! :)

These next two are cards that I made for a birthday.  For the first one I used Distress Oxides in blues, oranges, and purples to achieve the background.  I did stamp a large dragon background stamp that I have had in my stash for many years.  I bought it at one of the Rubber Stamp Conventions that used to come here yearly.  The focal piece was more orange and purple oxides with another dragon stamp.  In both cases I stamped the dragon images first in black Momento ink.   I heat set between applying different oxide inks.

This one used a background stamp, Houndstooth design, from my stash of Stampin' Up stamps.   It is a retired background.  I  used the same distress oxide inks (orange, purple and some blue) on my gel plate, and then stamped the background stamp directly on my gel plate.  I then lifted the image from the gel plate using some watercolor cardstock.  I spritzed the background with water and let the distress oxides do their thing.  After heat setting the piece, I added it to the bases for the card and worked on the focal image called "Extreme Skateboard" from my Stampin' Up stash.  The image is designed to be a silhouette, so I stamped it in Memento Black ink onto a piece of white cardstock that had been dipped in distress oxide inks to coordinate with the background.

Stamping for fun,

 

St. Patrick's Fun

Hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick's!   I have been busy working on St. Patrick's day cards to send to people.  Most should have been received by now, so I will go ahead and post them.

I used sets from a couple different companies and used some stencils.  This first one uses a stamp set from Unity Stamps called "Shenanigans Gnome" by Jeanie Hays.  If I know who the stamp designer is, I will list them as well.  I used Stampin' Up cardstock that I have in my stash and colored the gnome with alcohol markers.  The stencils are ones that I bought off of Amazon a long time ago.  I also used some green sequins from Simon Says Stamp.

Here is another one using the same set, but a different stencil.  I did bling this one up some more before it went in the mail with some sequins.

This next one was made using a die cut that I ordered off Amazon.   I die cut it once and then also embossed the darker green with the die to get the inlay piece.  Cardstock is from my stash and the saying is from the set called "Gnome Lucky" that I purchased from Simon Says Stamp.

The next two cards are using the stamp set "Gnome Lucky" from Simon Says Stamp.  I used my stash for the cardstock and also used stencils with Stampin' Up inks.  I used various colors of greens (some are retired, so I won't list them by name).  the first card I left the background white and on the 2nd card I tinted the white with dye ink.

 

Watercolor Play

This week I have been playing around with water-coloring with markers.  It is not something I naturally gravitate towards, but I have to admit I did enjoy it more than I have in the past.   There is truth that one's creativity evolves and having taken so much time away from mine, I find I found I am more casual in my approach than I was in the past.    I am really enjoying being able to just play with stamps, paint, and other mediums and not be so critical about having it "just right".  Because the truth is, when you get down to it, there is no right and there is no wrong way to create.  Some of these will be turned into cards and some were just for fun.

This is a watercolor background that I die cut and then paired with some flowers for a card.

These are some other images that I may turn into cards.  Shading and blending are not quite as intimidating as I remember them being.

These last two were mostly for play, but I thought I would share them.  The thistle was dye marker direct to stamp and then was spritzed with water.  The butterfly was playing with merging two colors to get a third color.

Have a creative week!

~Leslie

 

 

Art Blogging Again

Greetings one and all!   After a very long hiatus, I am back to sharing my craft.  I finally have my craft room set up and have been busy creating what I call "happy mail" for friends and family.   I used to be a part of the Utah Diva's design team and have decided that I would like to start blogging my creations once again.  I am no longer affiliated with Stampin' Up! or with Utah Divas, but I have left the links to some of the Divas that still have blogs up and running for your enjoyment.

I have been enjoying finding all kinds of new stamp companies, tools and accessories.  Amazing how much the industry changes year to year.  I am playing with alcohol markers, water coloring, die cuts, hot foil, new designer papers,  and of course stamps!  :)

This was so much fun to make for my mother in law.   I used various heart stamps, punches and dies to create a full flower pot full of hearts for Valentine's day.   I enjoy putting time into my art as I find it therapeutic and meditative.  Some people rush through their designs just to get something done.  I prefer to take my time and really think through my design.

I made this one for a friend of mine from high school.  The characters reminded me of how different we all were but yet we were the best of friends.  I used various supplies that I have had for years and the stamps were a recent acquisition.   I am doing a lot of coloring with alcohol markers lately.

Anyway, I will post more in the coming days!  I am working on some St. Patrick's day cards that I will share soon!

~ Leslie

 

August Stamping Class - Stand-Up Cards

If this class interests you, please let me know.  I will provide the address of the location upon registration.  Thanks!  ~Leslie

 

WWW: Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday #16

Welcome to WWW for the final week of June!  This month's challenge was "Silver/Ruby" slippers.  

Next month's challenge will be anything having to do with Defy Gravity, from Wicked.  One of the key elements in Wicked is the fact that Galinda and Elpheba form a unique friendship despite their differences.  Defy Gravity comes into play when Elpheba is faced with choosing between "what is" and "what should be".  All she ever wanted to do was work with the Magical Wizard of Oz until she learns more about him and is not pleased with what she learns.  So she chooses to go against what is expected of her and "defies gravity".

This week I did my submission using My Digital Studio.  Colors are Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler, and Whisper White.  Friendship was my theme.

Be sure to swing by Utah Divas International and check out what Sarah and Michelle came up with.

WWW: Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday #10

Our theme for the month of May is "Yellow Brick Road".    This is purely and inspiration theme and anything goes!  

This week I decided to use this years Breast Cancer Stamp Set called "Strength and Hope".  For anyone that has been touched by cancer in some form, it can be a very sad and life altering experience.  For every purchase of this stamp set, Stampin' UP! donates $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Together we can find a cure.

The card base for this card is Regal Rose.  I then layered Crumb Cake onto it after attaching 2 strips of pink 1/8" tafetta ribbon on each side and 1 strip of pink satin ribbon down the middle. 

The images are stamped with Daffodil Delight on whisper white and backed with basic black.

The hope image is stamped in Regal Rose and punched with our new post stamp punch.  It is then layered onto black cardstock and popped up with dimensionals.

Hope you enjoy and say a prayer for someone you know who has been touched in some way by cancer.

Be sure to stop by the Utah Divas blog to see what else my design team came up with for this weeks yellow brick road theme.

 

 

MDS Monday - Shade of Blue

This weeks challenge for MDS Mondays is "Shades of Blue".  I used the cardstock and the papers for the strips running down the side.  I used the ribbon punch on the last piece.  The medallion stamp in various shades of Night of Navy and reduced in size is my decorative background.

I added a sentiment on a  stretched out label  punch. Then added in some Night of Navy brads as well as some filigree brads with Brocade Blue Brads to decorate it up.

Very simple design and very easy to replicate on paper if you use Circle Circus in place of the medallions.

Pop on over to Utah Divas to see what they have going on.

 

 

WWW: Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday #10

Wow, it is Wednesday already!  Continuing with this month's theme of Yellow Brick Road.  Be sure to swing by the Utah Diva's site and see what they have all been up to.  Remember to check out all the challenges on the site.  Quite a bit of inspiration for those who paper craft - digitally or with the real stuff.

I went super simple this week.  Daffodil Delight base card, Peach Parfait double ribbon strips, Tangerine Flower brads, and Black grosgrain ribbon.  I used the "hello" from the Swirls and Cute Verses Stamp Set (hostess set) and some paper from Sunny Garden backed on Black cardstock.

Enjoy and have a wonderfully wicked Wednesday!

 

WWW: Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday #9

Back on track this week with Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday for the Utah Divas.  The theme for May is "yellow brick road".  I chose to paper piece different strips of yellow designer series papers together and then run the whole collage through the BigShot diecut machine.  I used the Daisies Die and then layered the daisies onto black cardstock.  I then added many rhinestones to give it some bling and a few orange circles (the middles of the punched daisies).

Who ever thought it would be soooo hard to take a picture of a flat card??? LOL... anyway, the daisies are much brighter in person than the picture shows.  I invite you all to swing by the Utah Diva's blog to check out the other challenges and to see what the rest of  my team came up with for Yellow Brick Road.

Have a fantastically Wonderfully Wicked Wednesday!  ;-)