February 2014 Challenge- Use Distress

Hi to all of our blog readers

We do have to say a BIG thank you to everyone who joined in January's challenge, and I will be announcing the winner later in the month.
This month, we have another very talented guest joining us at The Artistic Stamper, Laura Bomber and you can see the first of Laura's  posts tomorrow.

Our new challenge for February is USE DISTRESS
 The whole team are really looking forward to seeing all your fabulous artwork and stamped projects that you submit in relation to this theme. To join in with this challenge (and you can join in as many times as you want), is simple; all we would like you to do is, make a piece of artwork, making sure that you include the theme and some rubberstamping. Pop back here to link up using the Froggy at the bottom of this post, so that we can see what you've made and then, leave us a comment to let us know you have joined in with the challenge. As always, there will be candy for one randomly picked entrant - the winner will receive £15 worth of The Artistic Stamper stamps of your choice. And don't forget....if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry, you will entered into the draw, twice!!!!

To get you in the mood  here are some gorgeous makes from myself and Astrid.

Astrid
 For this challenge I decided to make a so called ATB (Artist Trading Block). There has been a lot of buzz about these and there is now even a die available from Sizzix to cut them. Really they are cubes, giving you 6 sides to have fun with, and for this challenge I used lots of Distress products of course. As the die is not yet available in the UK, I just cut my own. I will post instructions of how to do this on my own blog in a few days time. Meanwhile, here you can see some of it:

I used Distress Stains, Distress Inks, lots of lovely Ideaology Findings and of course stamps: Chicken wire background, Calligraphic Mat 12 and Winged Wheel

Jennie
I have altered a mini board book with Distress paints to use as a mini journal. I put lots of Distress paint on the cover and sprayed it with water to get it to smoosh around.

 

Allow it to dry thoroughly or heat dry. I love the Distress paints as they will cover a multitude of sins, and are very opaque. Perfect for covering up. I used some of Tim's rub-ons to add detail, and used The Artistic Stamper Masks with paint too. Add the paint to a blending tool foam to get more accuracy when using a mask. Stamp the journaling stamp with Archival in various colours.

This little book is perfect for when you have the need to spend a little time journaling :)
I used Distress paints, The Artistic Stamper masks, Journaling Words #5, Archival Inks, Idea-ology Rub-ons, and chitchat stickers

We hope you will join in this month's challenge and look forward to seeing you creations. Don't forget to add a comment when you have posted your entry.

Have a very creative month

{hugs}

Jennie

New Stamps at The Artistic Stamper!

Hi,
Jennie here with news of the most gorgeous new stamps that have been released at The Artistic Stamper. We are so proud to show the wonderful designs from Katy Fox, editor of Craft Stamper, and Neil Walker, artist extraordinaire! Neil's stamps are eclectic and witty, and Katy's have that element that you know you need for collaging and creative work. Did I get time this week to create something with them....sadly no, but I did manage time to whip up a little tag for you.

Here is a little taster for you of the stamps

You can find Katy's stamps here, and Neil's here.
If you would like to see them in the flesh, so to speak we are at Stamperama today. We Have a very creative day
Hugs
Jennie

Back from California & CHA

Hi!
Jennie here with a post that is full of photos, and gorgeous new products and lots of inspiring artwork! I returned from the Winter Craft & Hobby Association show in a not so warm Anaheim, California almost two weeks ago, and finally I am catching up on my lists and stuff that has to be done, but I thought I would share with you some of the fabulous stuff I saw there. The show showcases all of the major companies that you and I like (mainly USA ones, with a few UK and foreign ones too!), and one of the things I love is that it is very much a meet and greet show.. networking abounds! I also took part in a few workshops, so I could learn about new techniques and products. I am putting that to good use this weekend with a Graphic 45 workshop :) Sorry it is now sold out, but am happy to do another one if there is enough interest.
I have put in orders for lots of new goodies including Graphic 45, Ranger ( loving those distress paints!) some new products to be revealed when they arrive, Hero Arts ( a new one for us), Dylusions new sprays, and lots more... it was very expensive trip!! Here are a few photos to whet your appetite, and if you haven't seen, I have more on my blog too.

CHA

On the Advantus( idea-ology )booth

 

 

New Remnants Rubs

Distress Paints

New Idea-ology Hessian

No CHA is complete without Mr Distress!

 

Ice Resin Necklace by Susan Lenart Kazmer

 

Hope you enjoyed the very fast trip around CHA.
Have a creative day,
Hugs
Jennie

Celebrate the New Year with a mojo kicker!

Hi,
I love a New Year, as it is a fresh start, and the most perfect way to make resolutions that you would love to keep, but probably won't! However, with 2012 on its way out, and my creativity sorely on the wane, I decided to help myself on my way by making a mojo kicker jar!
Take 24 lolly sticks, colour them with distress inks, add a mojo kicker.. I used some of Tim Holtz's Chitchat stickers, and some other ones from my stash, and stuck them on the coloured sticks. Add them to a decorated glass jar, and pick 2 a month to kickstart the creative juices. I have done enough for a whole year!

 

Will it help... I hope so, as I will be starting a challenge next month ( resolutions are always done the following month, aren't they?!) on my own personal blog with a link here too, so watch this space!

I am looking forward to 2013, and here at The Artistic Stamper we  have lots of surprises up our sleeves, as it is a year to celebrate, as I will have been in this crafty business for 20 years, and cannot wait to see what 2013 brings!

Wishing all of you a Happy, Prosperous and Creative New Year
Hugs
Jennie

The Creative Team Stars!

Hi, it's the Chief Rubber Stamper here checking in a little early this month. I thought I would use this opportunity to publicly thank my wonderfully creative team for all their hard work this past year. I know from all the comments that you enjoy their very innovative creations and posts using The Artistic Stamper stamps. I love what they do, and a very BIG thank you, comes from me to Emma, Alison, Sioux, Astrid, Louise and Tit for all their hard work making sure that everything is in place for you to ogle over!

I have been making lots of Christmassy tags, just to get in the mood for next month, and this tag is very appropriate for my wonderfully supportive team .
 Thank you girls, it is very much appreciated.
 I used Tim's new Star die, ( this is one of my favourites :)), inked with distress inks with one of his stamps.

Have a very creative weekend
Hugs
Jennie

Happy Halloween by Jennie

Hi!
I love being able to join my wonderful team here on the blog, and even if time has run away again with me this month, I managed to get time to make a Halloween ATC for you. This is so simple to make, takes a few minutes, and can be adapted for any occasion.
I use some of Tim's Kraft Resist Halloween paper, and added distress inks to it to make the skull pop off the page. I stamped Happy Halloween and a spiders web from one of Tim's Stamper's Anonymous stamp sets in Black Archival ( one of my staples of stamping!) and then added orange and brown distress inks , and cut it out.

 

 

The pumpkin was made using a honeycomb paper , which I die cut from the Alterations mini pumpkin, and then cut in half, and fanned out.

 

 

 

You will often find me in the baking department of shops, looking for silicone moulds so that I use them with UTEE, which is what I have done with the skull. I just used up what UTEE I had left in my melting pot, and luckily it was the perfect colour. The bat was another find in the seasonal department of a well known supermarket! Add all the elements together, and glue with a hot glue gun.

Have a very Spooky Halloween, and if you are in our direction on Wednesday night, we will be tricking and of course treating you to a late night shopping. we are open until 9pm.

Have a very creative day
Hugs
Jennie

Creative Inspiration by Jennie

Once a month, I pop by and try to give you a tutorial or show you a piece of my art that I have created in the past month. This month, I thought you might like to see what I did at The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show at the weekend. I am very lucky as I get to play with lots of products, and this time, we had some of the gorgeous gilding leaf from Crafty Notions. I do have some of this in stock in the shop, and we will be having the bigger pots in next month. I used it through The Crafter’s Workshop templates, and sponged a very small amount of the Crafty Notions glue with a piece of cut n dry on top of the mask. You only need to use a very very little of the glue to adhere the leaf. It goes a long way! I also used it with some of the Journaling word stamps. Sponge a minute amount of glue onto the stamps, and stamp normally. add lots of gilding metal to the stamps image, and rub away until the excess is gone, and you left with a gilded image. I used the normal size #8 manila tags, and beside it you can see the humungous size #12 tag!  All of it was done on top of Dylusions sprays, and added extras are lots of our background stamps!

 

 

All the links for the products are at the end of the post :)
I will be at Port Sunlight today demonstrating the same technique if you are there. Do come and say hello.
Have a creative day
Hugs
Jennie

InLinkz.com

Winner of our Challenge & Happy Anniversary!

Hi, it’s the Boss here with so much wonderful news this month, and of, course the winner of last month’s blog challenge. Thank you to everyone who joined in, it was fab to see so much diverse and creative artwork. It is always hard to choose a winner, so I let Mr Random.org take the strain, and the winner this month is

DAWN LOUISE

Congratulations, and please email me to arrange your prize.

I am soooo excited about this month! We have lots going on here on the blog, and because it is our 2nd Blogaversary, we have giveaways from all the Designers, so don’t forget to check out their posts.

If you are thinking of entering our Challenge this month which is Holidays, then we will be awarding 3 prizes of £15.00 worth of The Artistic Stamper stamps . We would love to see your creations.

Have a very creative day

Hugs

Jennie

New Stamps from The Artistic Stamper

It is silly o'clock here at Artistic Towers, the big white van is packed to the roof for the London show, and I am very excited at taking our new stamps to the show! The lovely Kat Fullman has designed three brand new sets, with more in the pipeline.
 They are now available online to buy, and of course if you are coming to The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking show at Ally Pally, you will be able to get them there! Here is one of them...

Home Sweet Home © Kathleen Fullman

pop over here to see the rest!
I just wish I had had time to play with them.. but will definitely be using them this weekend! If you fancy being in with a chance to win this set, then I have a giveaway on my personal blog here.
Have a very creative day, and if you are coming to Ally Pally, please say hello ( I won't know you have been there unless you speak to me! lol)
Hugs
Jennie

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

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