Come and see me today.....

at Stamp Addicts for their demo day, demonstrating Ranger Distress embossing powder and Alcohol inks. I promise to post some of what I make, but most of it I always give away. This is an ATC that I made a while ago... It is amazing how the alcohol inks always seem to blend with the stamps , even if you think it looks awful when you have done it. Just try stamping on top of it!

Extended Beads

While making the altered book front cover, I wanted to make a cracked utee piece for the front of it, and melted some clear utee with flex in it in my melt pot. Then, I thought lets make one of Claudine's sticky back canvas beads as shown here, while the pot is hot. It is so easy to get sidetracked! So while making the book cover and painting canvas for beads, I am also cooking dinner, listening to the tv... is this what is called multi-tasking?..lol
I digress. I had painted a couple of strips of canvas and followed Claudine's instructions, and made the beads. I did stamp on them too with one of the swirls from The Artistic Stamper, so when I rolled them up, the stamp in black showed up. I liked the effect. But I had seen Suze's comment about dipping them in utee, so as the pot was hot, I threaded them on a knitting needle, and dipped and rolled them in the hot clear utee. Pulling them out of the pot, the utee had clung to the end of the knitting needle and as I had covered the needle in embossing ink, when cooled the whole bead including the end slid off the needle! I was so pleased as the bead had an end! You could cut off this end while warm, but I liked it so much, I filled it up with Suze's Waltz beadazzles! I then superglued in an eyepin, and had what I call my extended beads!

I did make 2 versions, and one s fatter and shorter than the other. Of course you could use beads rather than the canvas, or paper or almost anything you like. My photos are rather rubbish, but you get the idea.
A Claudine, Leandra (she is the inventor of Leandra beads) bead with a twist! Maybe a technique called the CLJ... mind you sounds a bit pretentious.....Have absolutely no idea if this has been done anywhere else, but I love the idea of adding the bedazzles,or any other component and when I get my meltpot out again I will be making more and and trying to refine it too. Would love to hear what you think,

Altered Book Cover

Over on Lots to Do challenge this week, you have to incorporate a cracked effect into your piece. I have been working on this altered book for many years, (I first started it at a class in the USA! at least 6 years or more ago!) and I thought I would incorporate a cracked effect into the cover. As usual with all my artwork, one idea led to another , and I envisaged a cracked utee effect on the front, along with another technique I found on a blog last week.

I used an old dressmaking pattern on the front, ( luck would have it , the pattern said Front View) and covered it in a mixture of Claudine's Studio Multi Medium Matte and traditional tan paint ( how did I live without this colour before!) . I had some gorgeous paper ribbon and old lace picked up from my favourite shop, Heselden Hats this week, which I glued down the spine, and around the edges. I then stamped one of the new Stitchels stamps in Fired Brick Distress ink onto Claudine's sticky back canvas, and cut them out. I just love this new stamp, it stamps just as it looks.
The distress ink gave a worn look to the flowers. I wasn't sure what to do with the corner of the book, where the sleeve part of the pattern had a rounded edge, so I cut the cover off ! Then I put a cracked texture mat from Carolines also stamped in fired brick behind it, and covered the inside of the cover with more canvas inked in fired brick, and stamped the Stitchels stamp in tattered rose distress ink and covered the join in the paper ribbon. The " perfectly fitted " stamp from the Ephemera plate finished it off.

Finally I used clear buttons ( this is a technique I found on a blog last week, unfortunately I did not bookmark it) and stuck old dictionary pages behind them with Glossy Accents, cut out, and used pink wire through the holes as thread. I used the words, button and altered, and some of the paper ribbon. I then peeled off the backing and folded them over the cut corner, and down the edge of the spine.

I was rather pleased with the whole effect, and although I haven't shown you I discovered a wonderful technique while making this book.. I have left that for tomorrow.

Brand New Stamps!

We have brand spanking new stamps on the website! I love these and you will be able to use them in conjunction with the original Stitchels as the line ones will stamp on top of the solid ones. The possibilities are endless. I also designed some new words for the altered artist in you.

If you would like to know about our special offers or our new products ( we are continually adding them!) then sign up for our newsletter ( sign up box top left hand corner of the blog). We have almost all of the Ranger products, stamps, Kling-On, and loads of accessories. Finally for today another birthday card I made this week ( I was quite productive!) This one was for a dear friend of mine, Wendy. I used the melpot, of course, and some random papers,a Tim Holtz stamp, and a little charm I bought ages ago, which i put into the mould while it was still wet. I then superglued a brooch pin to the back and attached it to the card. A brush of Perfect Pearls, a spritz of water on the leaves and it was done!

Off to play with the new stamps, have a good day, the sun is shining here!

What do you give a man for his birthday?

Today is my DH's, Mal, birthday and he is old enough to know better and young enough to have a bit of fun! I never know what to give him, so I decided to make him a little treat! It may be a little risque, but the mould has always been one of my favourites, and had been used quite often in the past for various projects and presents.

I used some utee that I had had a while,( hardened in a bag) and remelted it. Don't ask what colours are in it, but the base colour appeared to be a verdigris type of colour , and I thought that it went really well with the mould. I set wire in the back while it was hardening, and mounted it onto a piece of mountboard ( cut-offs from my local framing shop, cheap as chips!)

I then poured utee over the edges of the wire which was protruding to hold it onto the board. Then to make it look old and more"grungy", I stamped immediately into it with one of Mr Holtz's stamps from Slight Alterations set. To get a bit more colour on the torso, I added peeled paint distress ink, but it didn't dry.. so added some distress stickles too in peeled paint and vintage photo with my finger, and it transferred the ink over the body , and then I also rubbed it over the edges of the board. A little bit went into the screw brads too. The idea-ology chain finished it off.
Aptly named Embrace Imperfection ( also one of Tim's stamps), I was rather pleased with the finished hanging.
I think my DH liked it also, ( well let's put it this way, he wouldn't tell me otherwise, would he?)
Happy Birthday Mal -love you lots

Transfer Art

Have you ever got an idea in your head, then gone to make it, and the whole thing is a disaster! I had an idea for some birthday cards I am in the process of making ( there are several birthdays this week of importance!) , and when I went to make the first one, it was awful! I don't often throw stuff away but this experiment went in the bin tout suite! I wanted to use Claudine's sticky back canvas , and the technique is similar to the one I am going to show you. So I decided to make a simple frame with this Art Nouveau print. You are welcome to use it ( I do believe it is a Dover one). I have just resized it to fit the 2 x 2 inch Ranger Memory frame.
Firstly I printed it on plain paper from my inkjet printer, (a photocopy will work better if you have access to one). Using the Multi Medium Matte , I liberally painted it on a small piece of canvas, and laid the picture face down. Now the hard part, you have to wait for it to dry! You can heat dry it with a gun, but I just waited!

Then using a mini mister spray with water and gently rub away till the picture is revealed. Rub too hard and it all comes off, which is what happened with my first attempt! You can try the same technique with Claudine's paint too. When I liked how it looked, I covered it in gloss Multi Medium, and stamped one of The Artistic Stamper Gibson Girls on top. Add it to the frame with a piece of glass. For the embellishment, I stickled the half numbers from the Idea-ology line, in worn lipstick and faded jeans, left it to dry and attached it to the frame.
The birthday cards I am in the process of making are nothing like the original idea, and as soon as I know they have been sent and received I will show you.

If you have never tried this transfer technique give it a go, it is so easy

Another video

This time, just a quick insight into Port Sunlight and one of my workshops. I really didn't get a lot of time to film last weekend, so it it just a few clips of the show, and the workshop!
I am only just discovering editing and adding music, so be patient with me please! lol
Hope you like, and I will be doing another how to video very soon.

Alcohol Ink Bracelet

I suddenly realised yesterday that I hadn't published for a week! I am getting lax, but this week seems to have disappeared into oblivion, and it is the weekend again! Over at Rangerinklink ( a yahoo group) , there is a monthly challenge using the new Alcohol inks, my all time favourite. So sitting here typing with very pink fingers, I will show you what I made. I created a metal bracelet using copper metal, a Ten Seconds Studio mould ( no 13) , an old bangle (forgot to photograph it!), and three gorgeous new colours: Raspberry( think this is my all time favourite), Mountain Rose, and Pink Sherbet.

Firstly I cut a strip of copper to fit the bracelet all the way round. Then I worked it onto the mould , and moved the copper up as the mould wasn't long enough, so I had a strip that I had worked and cajoled over the mould. Does that make sense? You can run the solid moulds through a cuttlebug or big shot, but this mould is hollow, so that wasn't possible this time. I completely forgot to take photographs through the whole process, I was so engrossed in making it!

I then put a filler in the back to stop it collapsing, and when it was dry, I stuck it to a bigger copper strip. I then used one of the wheels in set A to finish the edges. Finally I bent it round the bangle, and stuck it in place with double sided tape.I moulded the metal over the edges of the bangle, and quite liked the look it gave me of the crumpled effect. If you haven't gathered a lot of my work is done in situ, and often although I will plan something, it will never quite look how I planned it. Finally the fun and messy part was adding the inks ( without blender ) onto the felt , and colouring the metal on the bracelet. I even coloured the inside using the felt , no handle, as the bangle was turquoise and plastic, and wow, the alcohol inks looked great over it! I have to say, consequently my fingers are now bright raspberry pink!

The last part, which I had planned, was to sand over the high points to reveal the copper. I am not sure the photos do it justice, ( the light this morning is very poor), but it was a fun project to do, and lovely and messy too! The wooden hand that I photographed the bangle on was a great find this week in one of the many charity shops in my town! If you haven't got any of the new alcohol inks, then they are a MUST, and are all available in stock in the shop. The pens are due in this week too!

My first video

A couple of weeks ago my DH bought me a video recorder, which was absolutely brill, as he thought I could use it to record some demos for you. Small problem as the editing programme conflicts with something else on my comp, so I ended up using his laptop to edit the first one! As it is the first vid, please be gentle with me, and if you listen carefully, Mal has out in some words of his own at the beginning, so welcome to Jen's first stamping Parlour! We are off to Port Sunlight Stamping Festival tomorrow morning, so anyone who is coming , drop by and see us, we have all the new alcohol ink colours, and new Idea-ology, and Amanada Bateman demoing, and me... and all the ususal goodies! Might even bring you a video of the show! lol

It is uploaded on YouTube too, just look for theartisticstamper. I shall definitely be doing more , just have to figure out how to edit them in a more convenient way!

Blog Candy Winner and a little love note

It has been an eventful weekend, as my router decided to die on Saturday morning and it took us all day Saturday to fix up a new one, and get back on the net! Think I had withdrawal symptoms... am I addicted - no emails, no blogging- no looking for stuff! Thankfully the wonderful team at Belkin work 24/7 and had us connected up again within minutes of us phoning them! Yah!

I have closed the comments for the blog candy now, and I am amazed by the number of entries-315! Then while writing this post, I couldn't access the comments, think blogger has problems

* more woe!* Anyway finally using Random Integrator , I have chosen a winner!

Joanie Hoffman

Congratulations and please email me ( on sidebar) so I can send your goodies to you :)

Thank you to everyone who has entered and there will definitely be more blog candy soon. It is such fun looking at everyone's blogs too!

Finally this week, Friday to be precise, The Lights and Brights alcohol inks arrived! Hurrah! I have them all in my shop now, and will ship anywhere in the world too ( just email me before you order for postage costs if you are overseas).

I thought I would have a play and make a little love note ( cut on the big shot) with them. I used 6 colours and incorporated the earth tones as well- Raspberry ( yum) Shell pink even yummier, Cool Peri, Wild Plum, Purple Twilight and Eggplant.

Try a light, a bright and an earthtone together on the same felt. I inked up the cover and used a little blender directly onto the glossy card. The little card was also done in the same way. Just too delicious colours for words! Finally playing with my alcohol inks are just complete!

I then used a set of Tim Holtz stamps I bought when I was in the States last month from Michaels, and are exclusive to them. They are tiny versions of his bigger stamps. Love little things! I used the Lost and Found set. All stamped in Archival Black ink. A little Glossy Accents on the numbers, a spinner and sprocket completed the love note and this is being popped into the bag of goodies too!

Have a scrumptious Bank Holiday Monday ( here in the UK it is May Day holiday) . I am off to garden and help make a compost bin with the OH( probably more help than hindrance!) , so may end up playing with more alcohol inks *lol*... and thank you for looking

Happy Easter and celebration blog candy!-edited

It has been a really good month for me already, I thought I would treat you to some blog candy! I know everyone loves blog candy, and this one is no exception!
If you didn't know, The Artistic Stamper has the design of the free stamp on the front of Craft Stamper's May issue, and it is a swirly bird, and Hels has designed some more birds and wonderful nature stamps to go with him here. If you would like the Craft Stamper special offer then go here

We have several projects in the magazine too showing you how to use the little bird, and there is even a giveaway of a pair of earrings I made! If you haven't got a copy , do go and get one, and have a play with the stamp.

Ok, I digress, you just want to know what the blog candy is, well because I went to Ranger U, and because I have lots of goodies from there, I am going to give away

a FULL set of the new stamps, a Claudine Hellmuth paint, one of the new alcohol inks, an alcohol ink tool, distress stickles, a gold dabber, a piece of Kling-On, and whatever else I happen to throw in when I pick the winner!

So to win this, all you need to do is add the blog candy to your blog , add a comment, sit back and wait! I shall choose the winner on Sunday May 3rd. Don't worry, I will post anywhere in the world, so please spread the word. I shall keep this post above the others until May 3rd.

Hugs