'Create Blooming Art!' Wall Hanging by Lucy Edmondson

Hello, me again!

The Artistic Stamper has these very sturdy little frames in stock, which are ideal for wall hangings. They have a shallow indent in the middle which is perfect for either tiny dominoes or Stampbord pieces. I thought it would be fun to combine it with these very versatile Floral Blooms stamps, which are brand new but which I think I will be reaching for many times!

INGREDIENTS

Floral Blooms Stamp set
Collage Frame 10 x 10 cm
Black Archival Ink
Crafty Notions Mica Spray
Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint in Picket Fence
White Inkssentials Pen
Tiny Dominoes
Florist Wire or Thin Ribbon
Permanent Marker Pens
Button
Idea-ology Flower Embellishment
Big Bite or Dremmel
Brilliance Ink Pads or Similar
Strong adhesive tape




INSTRUCTIONS

1. Paint the frame with the Crackle Paint, and when dry spray with Crafty Notions Sprays.

2. Arrange the dominoes so they form a square that fits the centre of the frame, turn over and attach together with the red line tape but don't remove the backing just yet.

3. Turn the dominoes over and sponge with a suitable ink that dries on glossy surfaces, such as Brilliance, and heat set.

4. Stamp the flowers and leaves as shown, overlapping the dominoes. Use the white pen in the centre of the tiny flowers and add some colour with the permanent pens. Add a button to the centre of the largest flower. Remove the backing from the tape and stick in place.

5. Stamp the tiny flowers around the edge of the frame, adding some white pen and permanent marker pen. Stamp the words 'Create Blooming Art' on the bottom edge.

6. Use a Big Bite (thank you very much to my friend Jack for the loan!) to make two hanging holes in the top of the frame and thread with florist wire. To finish, add a metal flower taken from a Primark necklace, which was a wonderful idea of Minxy's!

Thank you for looking!

Lucy

Winner(s) of our first Challenge!

We are absolutely thrilled that so many people joined in with our first challenge! So many entries and all so deserving of a prize, but sadly only one can win the £15.00 prize of stamps.. so please step up to our special "you are a winner" podium....

TAnn

This is Tianne's gorgeous piece.for the challenge Something Old, Something New.

I so loved all the entries that as "The Boss", I just had to choose two more to win extra special prizes of one of our stamps of their choice, so please step up to the podium

Daniele

 and finally

Kaylou

If you can email me please, I can arrange to have your extra special prizes sent to you.

You will also find a extra special blinkie for your blog too down the side which you are welcome to grab for your blog:))

Our new challenge is now up for you to enter, and we love seeing what you create, so grab your inks, paints and stanps and make it colourful!

Have a very Creative Day!

Jennie

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!!

Sing A Rainbow... A New Challenge!

Morning Peeps... wow, what a first month we had and I would like to say a HUGE thank you for all your lovely comments, entries to the challenge and support! The winner for the August challenge will be announced on Friday (Sept 3rd) so please be sure to check back. In the meantime, I have a brand new theme for September's challenge... which is ... RAINBOWS. So, you can use rainbow images or colours... to enter, all you have to do is make a piece of art, add in the theme and if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your piece, your name is automatically entered twice into the draw... which means you could win £15 worth of Artistic Stamper stamps plus Kling-On to mount them onto.

For my entry I made a couple of cards using Alcohol Inks and Glossy Cardstock.

Card 1


Using the colours of the rainbow in Alcohol Inks - I always remember the order with the old saying... Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain... so I used Red Pepper, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Clover Green, Sail Boat Blue, Cool Peri and Purple Twilight Alcohol Inks. I started by drawing a line of ink onto the applicator tool felt, going through the spectrum so I had a pad full of lines - make sure not to get the lines touching each other too much otherwise the colours will muddy - then I dragged the tool across the glossy card in a sweeping movement, so the lines transferred to the card, repeating this until the card was covered in stripes, then I turned the card around and did the same again so I made a plaid effect background.




I then made some more coloured glossy card, this time by dropping ... erm, drops of ink onto the card, then blasting the inkspots with air from an aircan - you know the type that you can get to clean out nooks and crannies on your keyboard? Well, these are FAB for giving an inksplat look. Once this card was covered, I stamped the birdcage - from the Free As A Bird set onto it in Black Archival ink. A tip when using Archival on glossy card - heat dry it otherwise fingers smudge the image :O)) I cut out the birdcage and then made a collage on the plaid background using more of the birdy stamps.I added a piece of ribbon and stamped the little wren onto more of the splatty card, cutting him out and popping him onto silicone glue so he stands proud. The finishing touch was adding a little Idea-ology birdy on a jump ring.



CARD 2



Is a diddy card... using the same principal of making a stripey background, but this time keeping it stripey... I stamped a mini sentiment from Tim Holtz collection and then added a border - with more Tim stamping on it... again in Archival ink.I stamped two of the Flower Blooms flowers onto offcuts of the stripey card and layered them together with a Prima gem in the middle.



The birdies in the background are from the Birds of a Feather set and are stamped again in Archival and then I just dragged the inkpad around the edge of the card to finish it all off.

So, if you fancy a challenge and want to join in, please add your name and pic to the linky below - the challenge will be open until September 30th - and the winner announced shortly afterwards. Also, please can you leave a comment when you add your linky entry please? That way I can make sure I don't miss visiting you :O)) Thanks for looking... have a goodly day...

Hels x

Getting To Know... Jennie

Morning Peeps... today sees the start of a series of interviews with the team and we are starting with the Boss... Jennie. I asked everyone the same questions... so you will be able to find out a bit more about the Artistic Stamper team... So, without further ado...

AS: Introduce yourself, what are your interests, likes/dislikes etc?

I am Jennie, owner of The Stamp Connection, which manufactures Kling-On Repositionable Cushioning and The Artistic Stamper range of rubberstamps. Aswell as owning The Stamp Connection, I also have an online store, The Artistic Stamper. I have been crafting forever and love stamping, collage style work, drawing, sewing (a little known fact, I also have a Cup for this from school!) I cannot knit or crochet to save my life though! The main love of my life is jewellry making - but I have little or no time to do this anymore. My other life consists of my two gorgeous (of course they are) grown-up children, my hubby Mal and three cats. My favourite place in the World is sitting on a sun drenched beach with a pina colada in hand... what more could a girl want?



AS: What or Who inspires you?

I am always inspired by other artists, be they collage artists from the crafty world, or great artists like Monet, Manet and Van Gogh. I am a total aficianado of Impressionism and adore colour in all art. I will often blog hop these days rather than look through a book of art to get inspiration, or if I am in London, I try to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum for complete inspiration.
AS: How do you make a piece of art... what is the process?

Great question! Often it will be a new product - a mould, or inks, or of course, new stamps! As a general rule, I start with a base, a tag or a card, a canvas or these days, a large puzzle piece and then gather my stash that I want to put on it. Sometimes I have an idea in my head but they never ever come out like I envisage... and sometimes they are just plain awful and get consigned to the trash can! I almost always have a 3D piece or element in all my artwork and give me beads and wire and I will create. That is a challenge for anyone to take up with me LOL




AS: If your Mojo goes on holiday, what do you do?

My Mojo often goes on holiday, most days in fact - but I will never tell you that (ooops, just did!) I will grab one of our stamps, or maybe one of someone elses and go back to basics - or take out my Melt Pot and create a moulded piece to see if that will kick start the Mojo. If nothing happens and the piece of paper stays white, I will go and have a large Vodka and Tonic (sounds like I am an alcoholic!)


AS: What is your favourite technique?

Without a doubt it is using Alcohol Inks. Since I first discovered them several years ago - before Ranger brought out theirs - I have almost always used them when I am stuck for ideas. Next to that, the Melt Pot - a very big favourite of mine. Make it 3D - get out your Melt Pot!




AS: If you were on a desert island and could only take 5 items of stash with you, what would you take?

Well, I just couldn't.. could you? I would need a trunkful of stuff. I did try it once, going on holiday with just a few things and ended up shopping for stuff. But if you push me; a craft knife with a blade that never needed sharpening, a paintbrush with built in water, a bottomless bottle of glue, a rubber stamp that said HELP! and an inkpad that lasted forever! Now, what would you do with those 5 items?

So... there you have it folks, a few snippets about Jennie... I hope you have enjoyed reading this and seeing a few pieces of Jennie's art along the way. Many thanks to Jennie for agreeing to be grilled!

TTFN

Hels x

A Remarkable Woman By Sid Haselden

It's been great thrill to be Guest Designer for The Artistic Stamper Creative Team for the month of August and as it's very nearly the end of the month this is my last creation.

It's a Triptych and has been made to stand up in a shrine-like way that has been made from heavy card in an arch shape. I have used some of my favourite colours again and a variety of stamps and materials many of which can be obtained from the bountiful choice available in the Artistic Stamper online shop. As usual I have listed all ingredients with links.

Ingredients:

Heavy White Card
Glossy Accents
Stickles Glitter Glue (purple)
UTEE (silver)
Waterbrush
Distress Inkpads (barn door, dusty concord & milled lavender)
Distress Re-Inker (dusty concord)
Gold mica powder
Versafine (onyx black)
Versamark

Sheer Gold Glaze

Printed words

White opaque pen
Foam Pads
Masking Tape
Brads (purple)

Stamps:

Flourish Swirls Plate
Girl With Clock

I used a template I had made from heavy board some while ago and cut out two identical pieces from heavy white cardstock. The height is 6 inches and width 4 inches. One of the panels has been cut in half vertically and these two pieces form the side panels.

The panels were adhered at the back on 'hinges' made from masking tape, allowing the panels to move.

I then got going with Cut'n'dry foam and my inking tool with barn door & dusty concord Distress inks to colour the entire background, shading the edges with more barn door. This was dried with a heat gun.

The flourish stamps were then inked in barn door & dusty concord and overstamped on the background. I then made a mica spray (but you could use the Crafty Notions mica sprays), with dusty concord re-inker and gold mica powder in a mini- mister. This was sprayed in a random way until happy with the effect. The gold sheen is subtle but adds to the background. The white pen was then used to draw on little circles all around the edges of the Triptych.

.

A third flourish stamp was inked with Versamark ink, stamped twice and heat embossed with silver UTEE. These were coloured with dusty concord ink and cut out to give them a 3D spiral effect. Blobs of the purple stickles were added as shown. These were put aside until later.

Next the Girl with Clock stamp was inked in onyx black Versafine ink and stamped on white card. The image was coloured with a waterbrush and the distress inks until happy with the colours. The clock was painted with one coat of a sheer gold glaze. More purple Stickles were added on the dress to highlight. When dry this was trimmed out using scissors and a craft knife and adhered with foam pads as shown.

The two 3D flourishes made earlier were adhered with Glossy accents and some printed words were painted with the sheer gold glaze, edged with purple pen and stuck in place with Glossy Accents. Finally, two purple brads were applied as shown.

The Triptych is free standing and could be adapted to fit any subject. Hope you like the piece.

Thanks go to Jennie and Hels and the rest of the team all of whom do some stirling work in the name of craft ! Thanks also to everyone for their comments on my pieces which are always greatly appreciated.

Sid xx

Less Steam More Punk! by Nicky Cresswell

Hello lovely people, nice of you to hop on by.

So as you may be able to guess from the title the whole Steampunk wave has hit the crafting world and left me for dust.. 

Don't get me wrong the style is kinda quirky and usually that's totally me but i just can't get my head around it at all!  The best i could manage was this one ickle ATC...

And thats mainly coz i had the fab Inspiration Jar stamps to work with.

I stamped the coggy jar onto the base, Layered up a ferro coated grungeboard key with a couple of wing charms, a timmy gear and 3 photo anchors with a brad in the centre to create the propeller. I then used some green stazon to stamp the plain jar onto some acetate, and i mounted this over the base to encapsulate the piece, held on by faux screw snaps.

So after many further failed attempts.. you could say i ran out of stream!! lol 

All that was left was the Punk!

 Some nice pinky paper, a couple of fab background stamps, {i used dogtooth and punk plaid} Some grungeboard skulls coated in Black and White Enamel Accents, a few stamped and cut out Stars with a bit of bling to finish them off and Jobs a good'en!

*****

So is there a style you just can't master!!

Why not leave me a comment.. 

I'll pick 3 random winners, each winning one of the above ATC's.

I'll announce the winners next time i post which will be on the 7th Sept so plenty of time to enter.

*****

Well thats all from me today,
 Have a creative weekend and i'll see you all again soon x