Winged Globus Illuminatus

My journal is very much a place to PLaY, and I've really been enjoying playing with my Artistic Stamper stamps as guest designer this month, so it was only fitting to share a journal page with you as my last piece.

As soon as I saw the new Inspiration Light Bulbs I knew I wanted to add wings to them, and today the 'Winged Globus Illuminatus' was born :)   The moth wings from Insects and Butterflie 1 are the perfect size for the light bulbs :)

I also loved the idea of using the blank light bulb as a bird cage.  This came about because as I was working on my light bulbs, I had my free as a bird set of stamps near by!  I used the loop from the top of the cage to form a loop for my light bulbs, and stamped the birds after stamping the blank light bulb.

I painted the background using emulsion paint, masking some areas with Tim Holtz' cogs mask, and adding stamped elements with my Rusty Hinge distress ink pad and the wonderful cogs background alongside elements from Tick Tock.

Overstamping the blank light bulb with the cogs background and lace background gave me two more patterned lightbulbs for my imaginary creatures.

I think there's more to play with with this story of winged light bulbs fluttering through the air, and strange creatures using their discarded shells to keep tiny birds in.  And that's the fun of journaling, coming up with stories as you play.

Thankyou Jennie and Hels for inviting me to play this month, now I'm off to order some of those new stamps just released :)

Such Organisation! by Sarah Anderson

For a long time I've wanted to personalise my filofax. I've just got a new, smaller one, and although the red cover reflects my personality, I was determined to make it more 'me' inside too.

I resisted the use of the sewing machine as that would have made for a lumpy surface for writing on, and went for simple collages. I love the combination of white and cream so limited myself to this palette. I may add some colourful inserts at a later date though.

I adore this bird cage from the 'Free as a Bird' plate, it's so Victorian, and a great size! I combined it with images from the Ephemera 1 plate, which I note is on offer at the minute - and it has a British post card image [Something tells me 'post card' may be a popular image to use in the near future!]

I love how the numbers from the tape measure image look inside the clock face. There's a postmark in there too! I just masked the outside of the clock and stamped the images in the middle.

The 'post card' image seemed rather appropriate for the first of my address dividers! The butterflies and dragonfly feature on the 'Insects' plate.

My filofax is starting to come together, and certainly reflects some of the images I love :)

Enveloping Steampunk by Sarah Anderson

I was thrilled when Hels and Jennie asked if I'd be a guest designer here on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog, especially in light of the new cogs and gears backgrounds Jennie has brought out!  I just love them :)

I have some little brown envelopes which I discovered fitted an ATC inside, so I decided to go with a Steampunk theme and make a little envelope book.

I took a Mushroom and a Lake Mist Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber and smudged paint onto the envelope and stamped with the sequin waste open background stamp and dots.

I always do this on a sheet of copier paper too, which then gives me a co-ordinating background on which to stamp then cut images from.  The Cogs Background from the 'Time' collection of stamps is brilliant for working with a Steampunk theme.

And Tick Tock, in the same collection, has these wonderful clock/watch faces with an open centre, which look great combined with the cogs background.

After collaging some stamped papers onto my envelope I then partially stamped the large moth from Insects and Butterflies Collection No 1.  This provides the detail for the moth's antennae.  I then cut out a plain white moth from copier paper and collage it on top.

I decided I wanted more of a contrast in this piece, so used Pool and Eggplant Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers to colour the moth.

I decorated two more envelopes in similar fashion,

and the front cover [made of folded card to fit the envelopes].  I used one of Tim's Idea-ology clock faces and some watch parts to add an authentic feel to my book.  Vintage Watch Collection parts are available here at The Artistic Stamper.

The book is made from 3 envelopes, hinged together with folded card covered with paper.  Now I just need to make some ATCs to live inside!!