Getting Into The "Spirit" Of Halloween

Tonight is Halloween, and the night of witches, ghouls and ghosts! How could I let today go by without making something ghostly and ghouly, and not a witch in sight! ( unless of course you count me! LOL) . I spent sometime playing with Mr Holtz's embossing folders, and used a tag in the process. Ink up your tag with distress inks: I used the Autumnal Limited Edition colours ( there may be some more available early next month , if you haven't got your set yet) , and inked the tag, and then ran it through with an embossing folder to raise the letters. I then re inked it to get a better depth of colour. I cut another tag from Wendy Vecchi's clear Clearly for Art sheets, and inked these up with Mini Halloween 2  stamps from Mr Holtz, on both sides with black archival, gently heating them to set.

Add  a skull  cut from black shrink plastic and bats cut from black Clearly for Art, from the mini alterations die, Heat the Clearly for Art to bend the bats so they have some movement, and glue carefully to the clear tag.  Staple to the embossed tag.

May you have a spooktacular Halloween ( always wanted to say that! ) , and stay creative
Jennie

Deep In Thought...

Hello everyone! 

It's Emma here, and I'm back with my final share of this month, using one of the gorgeous Mabel Lucie Attwell stamps...I hope you like it!

For this card, I chose to use "Pen and Ink" which I think one of my favourite stamps from the Mabel Lucie Attwell range and I used it in conjunction with the background stamps that still have a 25% discount until the end of the month.

Here's how I made this card:

Stamp the Mabel Lucie Attwell image in the corner of a piece of cream card and then stamp the image again onto a "Post It Note". Cut out this second image and use it as a mask, placing it directly over the image that was stamped onto the cream card.

Ink up the large Notebook Background stamp in Fired Brick Distress Ink and place the stamp onto the cream card, making sure that the Mabel Lucie Attwell image is in the bottom right hand corner. Remove the mask and colour the image in before trimming the stamped card, to size and punching out the holes in the side margin.

Ink up the "ink splat" from the Swirls, Splats and Dots A5 set with Old Paper Distress Ink and stamp onto the cream card. Use some more of the Old Paper DI around the edges of the cream card, then using Black Archival Ink and the "Creative Art Thoughts" journalling stamp, stamp directly onto the main image.

I distressed and tore some polka dot background paper that I had in my craft room, layered it over some Core'dinations cardstock and adhered this to a card blank. As finishing touches, I added buttons, decorative pins and vintage ribbon from my crafty stash and finally added one of Tim Holtz's Elegant Flourishes from Sizzix.

Thank you for taking a look at my little creation and I'll see you again soon!

Have a wonderful creative weekend!

Love Emma x

Vintage Trick or Treat

This is my last make as The Artistic Stamper guest designer for October.

I found this Vintage stamp set amongst The Artistic Stamper stamps, which caught my eye.

I started by making an ATC with "Our Little Ones" thinking it could then be incorporated into a card.

As we are so close to Halloween I decided to use one of TH's embossing folders, also available at The Artistic Stamper. If you haven't tried this technique yet you may like to. I inked the embossing folder on the one side before I ran the paper through it. It gives this great grungy look yet beautifully embossed. The distress inks stay wet long enough for this technique to work well.

With the end of October looming she is today wearing her witches hat and I love the words "Our Little Ones" as these are the main age group of trick or treaters, at least in the UK.

I have had a fabulous time being a guest designer and I thank you for thinking of me. I hope you have enjoyed my contributions as much as I have enjoyed being a GD.

What can we do with our stamps?... by Tina Barnett

Hi Crafters!

It's Tina here. I thought I would try something different with my stamps. What better then a Christmas decoration!!! Yes I said it! CHRISTMAS!!!!

I have used a wonderful Christmas stamp from The Mabel Lucie Attwell range by The Artistic Stamper. She is called Holly.

I started off with a wooden heart shape and painted over it with acrylic gold paint. Next I stamped Holly using Stazon ink . I coloured the stamp with twinkle H2O's, but you could use any medium you liked.

I then stamped the back of the heart with an Artistic Stamper background stamp. I love the dots!!!

I then completed the decoration with web thread to hang it up and some gems.

I really loved doing something different. Hope you enjoyed looking!

Bye for now

Tina xx

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU AN ITCH

Hi all,
Kat here with my 3rd & last project for this month,
it's page no 2 in my board book journal,
I am loving my journey with this little book!
sorry guys not many step by step photos again,
(to caught up in the creative process)
note to self, must try harder to remember to take the shots, LOL,

so here it is,

I started by adding ripped book & dictionary pages

adhered with Claudine Hellmuth Multi Matte Medium,

the colour is added by using

Neo color 2 water soluble pastels,

(azurite blue & jade)

I scribbled them onto the page & then went over with

a wet paint brush,

(an easy way to add vivid colour

to the whole page quickly & simply)

I used stamp set,

Swirls, Splats & Dots A4

(a massive 25% for this month only in the shop)

the medium size ring was stamped in

Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

to give it a gently faded look,

& the large splats (my absolute fave of mine)

were stamped in Plum archival ink

& lastly I used Tim Holtz Ticket Stamp

stamped in Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

as a grounding for the boys to stand on.

I glued the collage images down,

& went round them with a graphite pencil

to give some shading,

printed off a funny saying from my computer,

(that I think sums up the expression on his face perfectly)

glued them in place,

then went roughly round them with double lines using a Zig pen,

Finally I doodled a scallop round the whole page

& added some dots with a white gel pen.

I am really pleased with the way this page turned out,

Hope you like it!

That's it from me for this month,

Hope to see you next time,

have fun creating,

Kat x.

Happy Dance by Alison Hall

Hello Stampers, here's my final piece of art for October. I have made a hangy piece, using one of my favourite colour combinations of blue, cream & brown.

On a piece of mountboard, I stamped the Grid Background (on special offer HERE) in black archival ink, then the flourishes from the mini Swirls, Splats & Dots Plate (on special offer HERE) in teal archival ink. I then painted a thin layer of Studio Gesso all over, to mute the background.

Next, I stamped the Music Background, using coffee archival ink, & overstamped the mini flourishes in black. I inked over this, using walnut stain distress ink.

I stamped some circles from the Mini Circles, Spats & Dots Plate, using black archival ink, aqua & silver paint Dabbers, then added some lines, using an old credit card & black & silver paint. I swiped aqua paint dabber around the edges to finish the background.

To make the clay embellishments, I rolled out three pieces of black Fimo clay, stamped the word Happy (from the Journaling Words Plate, on special offer HERE), then the dancer & the word Dance from Sioux's Dance Plate. I roughly tore the clay around the image & words, then baked the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the pieces were cooked & cool, I dabbed Aqua paint over the top, allowing a little paint to go on the images. I highlighted the edges with silver paint dabber. I stamped the Dance Bodice onto black card, using silver paint dabber, cut it out, then glued it onto the dancer. I glued the clay pieces to my background with strong glue.

I painted one of Tim's Foliage flowers with Aqua paint dabber, layered it with a smaller flower, then attached it with a painted long fastener.

To finish, I added two silver eyelets to the top of my hanging, some cream ribbon, & a piece of cream lace.

Thanks for looking

Alison xx

Take a piece of paper.....by Jennie

Hello! Last week saw me taking a few days of classes with Dina Wakley, and if you know me , painting is not my forte, so it was little out of my comfort zone! However one of the techniques we learnt was to make a little book from one piece of paper. Now to be perfectly honest , I don't have any wonderful complete instructions to show you for this, but I will try to explain it in simple English for you.
I took an oblong piece of paper and covered it in distress inks. I didn't go mad and didn't really spend much time blending them, just laid them on the paper.

I then added some distress stains in the same colours around the edges of the colours, and then added White distress stain to highlight in the middle.

Add some stamping. Here I used all of the newer stamps from The Artistic Stamper which are on offer until the end of the month, with a whopping 25% off!

Now fold the paper in half and then half again. Fold the edges to the middle and while it is folded cut up to centre. on one side, so when you open it up you have a cut in the middle.
Then fold again and again until you have a book. It will fold naturally into a book shape. Sound complicated? it is so simple! I did google it , and found this video.

Of course, you can have the greatest fun making lots of them , and then stitching them together!

Just to also let you know the stamp competition ends tonight, so if you have almost thought you might enter, but haven't, now is the time to get your entry emailed to me.
Have a very creative weekend
Hugs
Jennie

Follow by Sioux Jenneys

Hello everyone! It's my turn again and I'm here to share a card:)

It was inspired by the new series of Downton Abbey showing how tragically so many people never did get to live their dreams.

1. Stamp the lady in Archival black onto cartridge paper and again onto copy paper to cut a mask. Stamp the feather section again onto cartridge paper and emboss with glittery black. Colour in the dress with Distress tattered rose and Victorian Velvet with a touch of aged mahogany. Place the mask over the image.

2. Ink up the watch face with Versamark (only I've made it more into a clock by masking off the winder before inking) stamp and emboss with a verdigris powder. Cut a mask and apply to image.

3. Ink the new large Notebook background stamp
(don't forget the new stamps are all on special offer here)
with Distress faded jeans and stamp using a second stamping.

4. Follow your dreams sentiment and the flourish (from the smaller swirls, splats and dots set) were both inked with a combo of Distress brushed corduroy and aged mahogany. The sentiment was cut out and layered onto a piece of lilac card

5. The dapper man was stamped in Distress weathered wood to give him a bit of a ghostly look and one of the circular images from the larger swirls, splats and dots set stamped over in aged mahogany for a frame. It was then cut out and attached.

6. I made a couple of mats, inking the edges of one with black soot and the other with a combo of brushed corduroy and aged mahogany.......I know it looks a little messy but when it's layered up you only see the very edge :)

7. Add the mats to the card front and attach the glitter embossed feather.

Hope you liked :) See you again next month!

xoxo Sioux

Autumn Gatherings

Hi everyone! Emma here and I'm back with my second post of the month using some more of the fabulous stamps that are currently on offer, over at The Artistic Stamper with a huge 25% discount!!

As we say goodbye to summer and crank up the central heating, I think we can say that Autumn is finally upon us and for my post today, I chose to make an autumnal piece in all the beautiful colours that you associate with my favourite season.

So, how did I make it...

I inked up my background with a blend of Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick and Mustard Seed Distress Inks. I then stamped onto the background with the Large Sequin Waste Closed Background stamp and the Grid Background stamp inked up with Wild Honey DI. I then stamped one of the flourishes from the A5 Swirls, Splats and Dots stamps and stamped the "Follow Your Dreams" quote in black Archival Ink.

I die cut some Butterflies from Grungepaper using the Tim Holtz Mini Butterflies Sizzix die and inked these with the same colours that I chose to use on my background. Then using the Mini Polka Dot Background stamp, I stamped onto the butterflies with Black Archival Ink. 

With the Tim Holtz Autumn Gatherings Decorative Strip Die I die cut the leaves and branches and inked them with various shades of Distress Ink. I then die cut and made up a dimensional rose using the Tattered Florals Die and some paper from my crafty stash. Once the flower is assembled and the glue has dried, I then dipped it into some UTEE melted in the Melt Pot to give this gorgeous enameled look to the flower.

Finally, I matted my artwork onto a piece of Core'dinations cardstock, arranged and adhered the butterflies, enameled UTEE flower and the Autumn Gatherings leaves into place.

Thanks for taking the time to come and have a look at my little creation and I can't wait to hear your comments!

See you soon and have fun creating.

Emma xx

Be Creative by Alison Hall

Hello Stampers! Get those sunglasses on now, I have one very bright piece of art for you today! It's a step out for me, but I have attempted to use 2 complimentary colours, green & pink (opposites on the colour wheel), & to my untrained eye, they appear to work.

I have used the A5 Swirls, Splats & Dots Plate, which is one of the new Artistic Stamper stamps which is currently on special offer HERE, with a massive 25% off!

To begin, I tore a piece of watercolour card from a spiral pad, & cut it to fit a 7" x 5" card blank. I love the spiral border & wanted to keep this. Next, I applied a fairly generous layer of Claudine Hellmuth Studio gesso to the watercolour card, then stamped into it with the swirl & open circle stamps from the A5 Swirls, Splats & Dots Plate, to create some texture.

I dried the gesso with a heat gun, then used a baby wipe to apply Clover & Raspberry Adirondak Paint. I added some circles & dots from the same Swirls Plate, using Snowcap, Pitch Black & Raspberry paint, then used a credit card to create the black & white lines. I stamped Imagine, using Clover paint, & Art Is Life with Raspberry paint, then stamped a couple of Splats, using the Raspberry Paint.

I stamped the words from the Be Creative Plate, onto cream paper, cut around them, then added colour using a waterbrush & Raspberry Adirondak Dye Ink. I glued the words to the background, then edged them with a black Stabilo pencil. Finally, I attached my artwork to a kraft coloured card.

Thanks for looking, & I look forward to your comments.

Alison xx

FUN & LAUGHTER PAGE

Hi all,
Kat here, hope you are all well,
today I would Like to shear with you the first page
in my board book journal,
firstly, when I sit down to create a page, I have no idea what it's going to be,
I gather some supplies & go for it,
so there is not many photos of the process because I forgot to take them,
(to caught up in the creativeness of it all)
love it when that happens, but the hours fly pass,

so straight to it.

I started by Gessoing the whole page with

Claudine hellmuth white gesso

then used distress stains in

tumbled glass, wild honey & bundled sage.

I then added the stamps,

I used coffee archival ink & the large splats

from the swirls, splats & dots A4 plate

in first & second generation ink around the edge,

& the grid background all over.

I stamped the into each day saying

with jet black archival ink

I then glued the collage images to the page

& finally doodled round the edge with a zig pen.

& I added a little shading round the images with a charcoal pencil.

Hope you like it!

I'll be back on the 25th with page number two,

see you then,

Kat x.

Poison Plume Letter: Laura Liddell

D

Since it is October, Halloween month, most blogs are featuring this theme in some way or other, whether it be spooky, creepy or sinister. When looking through The Artistic Stamper stamps I came across this set which really took my fancy. Airmail Bird Collage Elements. The ravens head is just superb and I liked the other elements that went with it. The only stamp I added was the Pen nibs at the bottom which is a Tim Hotz stamp, which are also stocked at The Artistic Stamper.

 Because of the Halloween themes that are currently dominating I decided to use it to create a Poison Pen Letter, but felt because of the images I would rename it a Poison Plume Letter. I picked up the feather on one of my walks to add to the piece.

After stamping the script stamp onto manila card stock I then used one of The Artistic Stampers background textures stamps over the top and clear embossed it to create a resist texture. This one is called Distress Background. Distress Inks, Old Paper, Gathered Twigs and Frayed Burlap maybe a hint of Walnut Stain on the edges was then applied.

The crown, as ever is my fav metal from a Tomato puree tube which has been cut from Heart Wings Tim Holtz die and then run through a Texture Fade folder to give it dimension. This is then rubbed with Stazon to create more definition. The Texture Fade called Distressed Frame and Postal set is one I have been using quite a bit recently. You can see the stamped letter has been placed inside the Distressed Frame embossed paper. These items are available from The Artistic Stamper. Just follow the links.

The stamps used are:
Airmail Bird Collage Elements
Artful Artifacts
Distress Background Stamp

Top of the World by Sioux Jenneys

I thought I would share a journal page with you today :)

I've used some of the new releases that are on SPECIAL OFFER with a massive 25% off !!! :)))

Grab them whilst you can ;)

1. I covered my page with Gesso using a craft scraper for a bit of random texture.

2. Then I spritzed the page with some home made mini mister spray using Distress peeled paint and broken china  re-inkers....I still can't quite believe it amalgamated into the colour it did with bits of creamy yellow in one corner!!! ;)

3. I stamped the words "Art, Imagine, Creative and Thoughts" from the new releases and the word "Dance" from the Dance plate in Archival sepia and stamped the smaller of my dancers from the same plate on top of the mountain of words! ;) This time in Archival crimson.

4. The word "Life" was stamped in Archival aquamarine onto some card and the new mini polka dot background (just love that) was then stamped in Distress spiced marmalade.

5. Stamped a couple of ink blots from the smaller A5 set..........just love those too ;) and coated the smaller cluster of dots from the same plate with copper paint to stamp with.

6. Masked the dancer and randomly dabbed Adirondack paint dabber in sunshine yellow drawing a few lines with a copic pen on top after it had dried.

7. Keeping the mask in place I stamped the new grid background in Archival aquamarine across the page and started to write in copic pen.........



"Sometimes it's hard to fit all you want to into your life. But on the days you do,

it feels like standing on top of a mountain looking out across the vista...

embracing that top of the world feeling!"







Happy Stamping!!

xoxo Sioux

Creative Art Thoughts by Tina Barnett

Hi !!

I have tried something different this time. The stamp called Pen and Ink from the Mabel Lucie Attwell range was perfect!



I started by cutting some card stock to size, using slightly bigger pieces for the covers. I then inked the pages using Rusty Hinge distress inks

I then went to town! You must go and have a look at all the new stamps in the store at The Artistic Stamper

I love the journal stamp! I used it on each page along with the different sized Splatter stamp! So cool!!!!

The back of each page I used different background stamps .

I then aged each page with distress ink . The little lightblub Chipboard piece was great for my theme.

For the back page I have used another new stamp, I love this sentiment!

The Pen and Ink stamp from the range was stamped and shaded in the same colour distress ink.

I finished off the front by mounting the stamp on to other card stock which had been cut with dies, distressed and stamped with background stamps. I embossed them too.
I gave the book a spine of Tissue tape along with wire and a bauble

Lastly I popped on my favourite distress stickles LOVE THEM!

I had so much fun with all of these stamps!

Thank you for looking, see you again soon.

Hugs Tina xx

Imagine by Alison Hall

Hello Stampers, I have a card to share with you today.

To begin with, I stamped the new Graph Paper Background (this is currently on special offer HERE) onto a piece of Claudine Helmuth Sticky Back Canvas, using Versamark Ink, then embossed it with white embossing powder. Next, I spritzed it with Sailboat Blue & Purple Twilight Color Wash, & blended the colours using a spritz of Pearl Perfect Pearls Mist.

I tore a piece of white card to use as a mat for the canvas, then spritzed this with Meadow Color Wash & the Pearl Perfect Pearl Mist. I attached the canvas piece to this, & added orange flower brads to the corners.

I stamped the butterflies from the Insects & Butterflies Plate, & the word 'Imagine' from the Journaling Words Plate (on special offer HERE), onto some card which was also spritzed with Color Wash & Pearl Perfect Pearl Mist. I used Onyx Black Versafine ink, & clear embossed the butterflies.

I cut out the butterflies, & added purple mini pegs, then glued their bodies to the canvas, using Glossy Accents. I tore around the word Imagine, & also used Glossy Accents to attach this. Finally, I attached my artwork to a kraft card blank, lifting the butterfly wings to add some dimension.

Thanks for looking,

Alison x

Dots And Swirls

Hi everyone, it's Emma here and I'm so excited to be sharing my first post as a member of The Artistic Stamper Creative Team ~ I really hope you like it!!

For my first project of this month, I decided to get inky and chose to make an art journal page using some of the fabulous journalling and word stamps that are on special offer this month with a 25% discount.

I covered the pages of my journal with a layer of Gesso before applying Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Cloudy Blue and Lemonade. I then added highlights of Peeled Paint Distress Stain and blended this into the painted background.

Once dry, I inked up my dot stamp, from the Swirls, Splats and Dots, A5 sheet with Peeled Paint Distress Ink and stamped randomly over the pages before heat setting it. I then inked up the circles from the same stamp sheet and stamped this in Black Archival ink, directly over the dots.

Using the Large Sequin Waste closed background stamp and the Cloudy Blue Acrylic Paint Dabber, I then stamped around the edges of the paper, going off the page each time. I added some ink splats and swirls from the same stamp sheet and then inked up and stamped the Mini Polka Dot background in Black Archival on the right hand side of the journal pages, once again going off the edge of the page.

Finally, using the Creative Art Thoughts stamp, I inked up each of the words individually on the stamp sheet being careful not to get any of the ink on the other words above and below on the sheet. I then stamped them, one at a time onto my journal page.

That's it from me for today and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. See you later in the month with some more projects.

Have fun creating!

Emma xx

It's October Taggy Giveaway Time...

Goodly Morning Stampers... yes, it is that time already... another tag giveaway from yours truly... this month being as it is Spooky Season, I have made a Hallowe'en themed tag using the brand new background and flourish stamps, which are on special offer HERE with 25% off... bargain!


I have also used the new Seasonal Distress Inks... I am in lurve with Seedless Preserves, which is amazing because I am not normally a purple kinda gal, but this colour.. imagine Aged Mahogany mixed with Dusty Concord... lushness indeedily! I started by blending Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Seedless Preserves and Aged Mahogany DI's onto a Ranger Size 8 tag. Next I "inked up" the mini polka dots stamp with water... because the ink on the tag is still wet and very intense, you can get a really good bleachy look with most stamps. The ickle dots look like little specs of ectoplasm... well, in my head they do lol.


I used the Grid background... inking it randomly with Monarch Orange Archival Ink... then stamping just onto the top half of the tag. Next I inked part of the large Swirls with Plum Archival and stamped this onto the bottom of the tag. The Spiders Web, Skelington and Bats are from the Tim Holtz Hallowe'en sheets and are stamped in Coffee and Jet Black Archival. I added a gorgeous batty-bat charm from the new Hallowe'en Adornments set... I punched a hole in his ear using Tim's Drill Punch... and then attached it to some inked Seam Binding.


Well, that's all for me for now... except I need to let you know how to join in with the giveaway... that would help lol All you need to do is leave me a comment here and your name will be entered into the draw and one name will be chosen at random and announced on November 3rd. Also.. if you hop across to my own blog... leave a comment on today's post, you will be entered into the draw twice! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x