The Artistic Stamper

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-11-15T15:41:00.000Z

Over on Hel's blog the Sunday Stamper Challenge is to use stamping and a Christmas Tree. I had an idea to use the dots stamp as snow and emboss it onto Printable acetate. However that didn't work as well as I would have liked, so I just embossed on top of the background trees. The tree is the small Stitchels Christmas tree , and where the stitches go round I used gold stickles. It doesn't seem to show up in the scan very well :( I just stamped the trees on some paper I bought from Costo ages ago, and mounted it all up. I see the dots playing a big part in my Christmas cards! lol

Watch this space next week for special Stamps being released in time for you to make Christmas cards ( that is if you haven't been efficient and made them!)
I have been playing with them this weekend, and I will be doing sneek peaks , so you can win one or two or even three!

Button Pin up!

2009-11-13T17:07:00.001Z

Well I didn't keep up my "stamp everyday keeps the doctor away", but I have to confess my computer has been playing up, and work got in the way! However I found time last night to make a little pinboard from a recycled piece of corkboard to enter into the Gngersnaps Spicy Supply challenge. Here I painted the board in Tattered Rose Crackle paint, and then added distress inks to it, to make it look old. I did stamp very lightly on one side with one of Tim's stamps, and added a scan of a picture from the most wonderful isssue (1932) of Good Needlework magazine. If you would like the picture , let me know and I will email it to you.

Then I added ric rac (aged to look old with distress inks ) to the edges. The buttons were glued on top of Prima Flowers and then attached to drawing pins. I have several sheets of Junkitz stickers and matching frames left from a couple of years ago, and they fitted perfectly.

I do hope this fits in with the challenge, and thank you for letting me take part.

Happy Buttoning!

A Stamp a Day...

2009-11-11T17:50:00.002Z

Keeps the doctor away! My aim this week (not sure if I will keep it up!) is to use a different stamp everyday on a recycled piece. Care to join me?
Today I have used a label from a piece of clothing bought at Primark, one of the UK's cheaper clothes stores. I love Primark, and often go in there just for the jewellery which is so cheap, you can cut it up and use it for ART! This was the label before I put Terra on it.

While the Terra was still wet, I wet one of Mr Holtz's stamps and stamped right into it. I did that a couple of times and then allowed it to dry naturally, and then rubbed Precious Metal gold all over it, followed by a blue Perfect Pearl, which I spritzed with water to set.

Think this will adorn a Christmas Present or even a blog candy.

So go on show me your stamp a day, and let's see if we can get a week of stamping with a different stamp on a recycled something? Just post on here if you have made anything , and you never know I may even give candy away...lol

Happy Stamping!

It's Just Paper!

2009-11-10T07:57:00.001Z

Following on yesterday's post, here is the second of the my attempts at Toilet Tissue Art! lol! It is really quite amazing what you can find in other people's homes! With this roll it has lavender flowers on it, and it is 3 ply, so you get 2 extra pieces you can use! Imagine peeling off the top layer and stuffing it in your pocket to make ART! the mind boggles, or is that a different word I should use! Ooh so many exclamation marks!!!!
I am giggling while I write this as the whole episode has so tickled me!
Here I have added the paper to a piece of card with Claudine's multi medium matte, added a piece of printable acetate while it was still wet, and then added a rub on after it had dried. Add it to a purple card, and Toilet Tissue Art is born!

Have a Creative Day!

Roll up, roll up!

2009-11-09T10:57:00.001Z

I am not sure where the last week has gone, but I haven't even picked up an inkpad or a stamp this past few days or so. I seem to have lost several days...ok well not lost them , so much as have had my Aimee home (inbetween visiting her friends in London, and doing her washing, and going out with her brother!) and visiting my mum, the art side seems to have taken a back seat, but never mind, tomorrow is another day!
However, when visiting my Mum, Aimee , who has an eye for using unusual stuff, came rolling out of the loo, with a piece of toilet paper in her hand! My Mum, who loves the finer things in life, has patterned toilet paper from M & S , no less, and there was the perfect piece of rose patterned paper in Aimee's hand! So armed with 2 rolls of patterned paper we left Grandma's, happy in the knowledge that we could make art! That is apart from using it for the normal use !!
I grabbed the tags I make most things with, some of the toilet paper, some of Claudine's Multi-Medium Matte, and glued! I covered it in Rock Candy Crackle Paint, added a tiny bee charm, a few pearls, and a rub-on, and here is my attempt at Toilet Art! LOL. Not the most mazing piece of art, but it has kicked started my mojo..hopefully!

This week, Minxy gave me a award. I don't normally respond to these, but thought it might be fun.

and I have to tell you 5 facts and pass it on to 5 people, so here goes
1. Am too old to tell you how old!
2. Addicted to Nescafe cappucinos, especially with cream!
3. Am a morning person, but think you may have guessed that!
4. Love the smell of new mown grass
5. Am not a natural blonde!! lol
I am supposed to pass this on to 5 more people , so
Julie, Sarah, Alison, Andrea and Sid, roll up and collect your award!
Have great day!

Where you there?

2009-11-05T08:07:00.000Z

My mojo seems to have taken a holiday this week, so while sorting out my office, I came across this programme from the very first rubber stamp show in this country.

It was called Rubberama and was held at the Artists show in July 1994 (I think if my memory serves me right!) in Islington. I remember so many of the names in the catalogue, some of which are still going, and some which are sadly defunct. First Class stamps ( do you have any of these?), Ivory Coast Trading Poste ( USA), Funstamps, Imagine, and some which are still going in a different format; Inca stamp, Rubber Stampede, and a few more.. It was such fun trying to educate people on what a rubber stamp was ! In those days we stamped the back of the book with our own stamp, and everyone collected all of them as a souvenir. Sadly I don't have mine stamped:(
Oh Happy Days! lol
Have a great Day, and here's hoping my mojo returns from its holiday soon
Hugs

Spooky Winner!

2009-11-02T17:26:00.000Z

We have a winner of the blog candy..please step forward...

CHERRY

and claim your prize! Please email me with your snail mail address, and then I can get your spooky prize off to you.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to take part. I just wish everyone could win!
Have a good evening

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T10:05:00.001Z

Halloween is here! To celebrate or not depending on how you feel, it doesn't matter in this case, as I have blog candy for the next 2 days right here ! This is a treat and a chance for you to get your mitts on some of Tim's miniature film ribbon, and one of his masks, so that you are ready for next Halloween!

All you have to do is make a comment and add the candy briefly to your blog. I shall pull the winner on Monday evening. To help you even more go shopping on The Artistic Stamper and get an extra 10% off your orders for this weekend. All you have to do is put halloween into the discount voucher box and the order will have 10% off!
I am demonstrating Ranger's Alcohol Inks tomorrow at Sharon's Card Crafts Demo day from 10am to 4pm , so if you are passing stop by and see us.
Here is a little card for Halloween made entirely from Grungeboard Seasonal, distress inks, Rock Candy Crackle Paint, and distress Stickles.

Don't forget to leave a comment . You have to be in it to win it!
Happy Trick and Treating!

Mini Arched book

2009-10-30T08:21:00.003Z

This is the final piece that I made at ArtsyCrafts, and I go to play with a new colour-pink! I have a thing about arches at the moment...had you noticed? lol, so it was a fun project for me. It was the last thing we made, and most of us were tired and full of caffeine, so don't actually think I did it much justice, but here it is anyway.
The little birds were stamped on cream metal and given a bit of texture with some wheels, and the whole piece was covered in Kaiser paints in shades of pink. and then stamped over and highlighted with a white Ranger pen.

Have a great day!

A little bit of "me" time

2009-10-29T08:28:00.000Z

I think I suffered a relapse yesterday, and finally felt tired after the weekend. I am having strange dreams, and for the first time in ages am sleeping in! Almost unheard of!! This morning it is grey and foggy.. a perfect day for staying in and creating! Not sure if I will have time for that, but here are a couple more of the pieces we created at ArtsyCrafts at the weekend.
This was my favourite piece,called Timer Flies which is a uteed piece of metal, attached to grungepaper wings. The metal was puffed out by hand and painted and glimmer misted and then clear Utee was poured on top.

One of the other pieces was a little box called Me Time- a time capsule. This was great fun to make, and used Glimmer mists with a piantbrush. If you have any then spray them onto a craft sheet and pick up the colours with a paintbrush. Sets a sparkle to your work! I don't actually own any Glimmer mists, so will try this with Perfect Pearls. There was lots of metal work in this piece and the front contained a watch Glimmer chip, paint with Glimmer Mists and highlighted with Viva Precious metal colour (love these!) The watch face was stamped in black and painted with Glimmers, and then Crackled Accented over the top. I might still work on this box as I still have the wings to attach. I made a right mess of mine, so have to re-do them!

Tomorrow I shall show you the final little arch book.

If you would like to see how they should have looked, pop over to Lin's blog! Her's are much better than mine.

Have a Happy Creative Day!

ArtsyCrafts weekend

2009-10-27T10:32:00.002Z

This past weekend, I was at ArtsyCrafts having a ball with paints and metal and a whole bunch of lovely people! Run by Lin from LB Crafts and Leandra of PaperArtsy fame, the weekend is a must for all of you who love altered art. From the minute we started at 8.30 on Saturday to the end of the day on Sunday we never stopped creating! What a way to spend a weekend!
All through the 2 days we worked on a clock which involved Ten Seconds Studio metal, Metallic paints, Glimmer mists, and more. Here is my clock in various stages of its completion. The face was covered in Terra, a wonderful medium which has texture, and can be stamped into. Lots of Glimmer mists ( which never show up in the pics) and Viva metallic paint applied by fingers finish it off. My hands were the normal, messy and stained by the time I had finished.

The rest of the clock had metal pices we woked on throughtout the weekend. We ran the meatl through the cuttlebug or worked on with Ten Seconds Studio moulds. We glimmered and metallised the pices. The numbers were stamped with PaperArtsy stamps and textured with wheels and pointy tools, and sandwiched on card ( I shall show you this technique another time) . I have just noticed one of my numbers on the clock is upside down.. the 9 is the 6 and should be round the other way! Feel a fix coming on! The background board was covered in paint and glimmer mists and stamped on.

I will show you more tomorrow, and I have to say a big thank you to Lin and Leandra for letting me make a nuisance of myself! lol It was a blast!
Have a great day!

Caught on Film!

2009-10-25T10:08:00.001Z

Finally this week, the Film Strip Ribbon arrived from the States, and is now in the shop! Yah! It is so tiny, and there is masses of it in alittle tin...just perfect for capturing stuff on film!
Here I made a medium tag with a distressed ink background, stamping over it with the chicken wire stamp, and adding the tiniest little bugs from the Butterfly plate. A touch of my favourite glue of all time, Glossy Accents to the back of the film, a couple of the most gorgeous flowers from Prima, and a tag was born, perfect for that accent to a present....What would you do with it?

All the elements in the tag are available from The Artistic Stamper.
Happy Creating!

A big Welcome to...

2009-10-24T00:01:00.002+01:00

the new members of our Creative Team. I am thrilled to introduce to you

Chris

Jacqui

Joanne

Julie

Lorraine

Rachel

Please do go and say hi, and look for the wonderful innovative artwork from them for The Artistic Stamper next month.

Have a very Happy Saturday!

Dib Dab dob!

2009-10-22T07:55:00.000+01:00

I know what a terrible title, but I was wondering did you get them out and try them.. the dabbers that is? Here are the two final tags, and we start with the letter T for wood effect. This is one of the techniques I learnt while at Ranger, and it is fab for distressed looks, and backgrounds and in this case a tree.
With a dragging movement flick your chosen colour dabber across the tag using up, down movements. Do not fill the whole tag, just random swipes. Allow to dry.
Take a darker colour distress ink, and ink over all the tag. Mist with water a cloth or paper towel, and wipe all over the tag. The distress ink will be removed from where the dabbers are, and voila! you have a wood effect.
I stamped the tree and birds over in the same colour distress ink, and the T was coloured in with the same colour dabber and highlighted with distress ink.

Fo rthe final letter E I used a gold dabber, and just stippled it all over the tag. Add more a nd build up the layers to create a fab hammered look. This is my attempt at Halloween, and the skulls come from the Mini Grungeboard. In fact all the grungeboard is covered in silver dabbers, and the skulls with black dabber. E for eeek???? lol

I have had great fun showing you these techniques, and if it has inspired you I am happy!

Have a Creative Day!

Dab a dab doo time!

2009-10-21T08:38:00.000+01:00

Here is the second post on using those dabbers you have lurking in the drawer! It seems from the comments that most of you do have a dabber or two, and just don't use them! Shame, as they are wonderful products, and of course are in all the Adirondack colours too.
Today the letter E means Embossing! I stamped and embossed on a black chipboard tag in clear embossing powder. Mix some colours of dabber on your non stick craft sheet, and using a piece of cut n dry dab all over the image and to the edges of the tag. I used gold. Allow to dry. Do NOT heat dry it, as the embossing will melt! When it is dry, spray some water from a mini mister onto a cloth, and gently dab away the dabber colour from the embossing. You will be left with a shabby chic look. This is the neatest and probably my favourite of the techniques. The grungeboard letter was dabbed in silver and gold.

A is for Crackle Glaze.. ok I now know I can't spell!! This technically isn't a dabbed piece , but you certainly can use Dabbbers on it. It kind of slipped into the set. Here I distress inked the tag with reds, and spritzed it with water. I then stamped onto it with one of Mr Holtz's bird stamps, using a darker distress ink. . If you wanted you could ink your stamp up with dabbers, and stamp as normal. Be sure that you clean the stamp with water immmediately, as it will dry into the stamp and is more difficult to remove. I then distress crackled the entire tag with Rock Candy distress crackle paint. I love this product and have got through a couple of bottles already! A definite must for the craft box!!

I realised that the bird is on his side, and so even if I turn the tag picture, the A will be the wrong way round....I told you that sometimes I complete mess up, and this is one of those occasions! I will show the last two tomorrow, and if you have been inspired to get out those dabbers, and get messy, please show me, I always love to see.

Have a dab dabber do time!

Do you dab?

2009-10-20T08:59:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend at Stamp Addicts I demoed Dabbers and Distress inks, and distress stickles and Grungeboard. To show some of the techniques, I made a set of chipboard tags, and I thought I would show you and explain some of the techniques over the next couple of days.
I used the word CREATE to do 5 tags..
C is for pearl! I know I cannot spell!
Here I mixed Pearl Dabber and Pool Dabber on a craft mat and using Cut N Dry Foam, mixed them together and swooshed over the tag. Allow to dry naturally, although you can heat dry it. The effect, which gives a fabulous pearly effect, does not show up on the scan sadly :( I used the same colours on the Grungeboard Letter and rubbed off the excess adding a little tiny bit of denim too. The stamp was inked in cobalt archival, and well I just had to add a grungepaper flower!! what else do you expect!

R-means masking .. bet you didn't know that! See I told you I couldn't spell! Here I have stamped the tag in The Artistic Stamper dots background using cobalt archival ink, and then laid on top one of Tim's Idea-ology mini masks. Using the same technique of putting some dabber colours on a craft mat, this time Pool and Aqua, I dabbed them over the mask moving the mask when it was dry. Make sure you clean the mask off thoroughly when you have finished. The Dabbers are water soluble, so water on a cloth works well. The grungeboard letter was distressed inked in Faded Jeans and I rubbed Weathered Wood stickles over it.

A little tip make sure you shake the dabbers well before use, and if they are slightly dry them add water from a spritzer to them. These are techniques and not perfect pieces of art, and tomorrow I will show you letters A and E , that's Art and Embossing...lol

Have a Dabber of a Day ( sorry couldn't help it!)

Twilight

2009-10-16T22:31:00.000+01:00

Over on Gothic Arches the theme this week is Twilight. I made a little gothic Arch to go with my set , which tied in nicely with the theme. I used one of my clock stamps and printed it on some Ten Seconds Studio metal, and gently pushed out the clock face. I had watched Leandra do this at Artisan, and wanted to try it myself. I think a little bit of practise is needed! I alcohol inked the metal first with lots of blues, and distressed inked the Arch in yellows. The wings are The Artistic Stamper chipboard wings, and I stamped them with a Tim Holtz wing stamp in blue. A couple of Idea-ology spinners, and some chain, and twilight time was born!

I hope that you like it.
Have a great weekend, and if you are coming to Stamp Addicts tomorrow, come and say hi.

Circles

2009-10-12T17:26:00.001+01:00

Over on The Sunday Stampers, Hels' song for the week is Circle in the Sand. I don't know the song, but if you hum it to me, I probably would sing it badly! However I needed to add to my little growing book of Gothic Arches, and circles in the form of clocks hopefully will fit the bill. I used one of the idea-ology masks (clocks) for the backgorund, and distressed inked in spiced marmalade and dusty concord. I added the clocks from The Artistic Stamper as background stamps, and then crackle painted the watch face in Rock Candy and spiced it up with a little smidge of marmalade ink. The idea-ology metal pieces finished it off, and the wonderful spring came from my vintage watch pieces.

I hope it fits the bill, and thank you Hels for the challenge.

Simples!

2009-10-10T19:00:00.002+01:00

I love that advert that uses the words "Simples" lol, and this is just a simple tag , with a very intense alcohol inked background, two of The Artistic Stamper backgrounds, and a very simple saying! "may all your Dreams come true". Please note there is not a grungepaper flower in sight!!! lol

By the time you read this, the Stamp Festival at Port Sunlight will be over and I will be trucking back down the motorway , eating chocolate to stay awake, and probably singing along to music on the radio!!! Hope Mal has his earplugs with him!

Tag Along!

2009-10-09T12:01:00.002+01:00

Last week when I was demoing, I made several tags using alcohol inks and The Artistic Stamper backgrounds, and then when I got home, I added several elements to them. Here is the first one. Love the orangey feel to it. One of Tim's birds and the words fitted perfectly onto another alcohol inked piece of card. Of course where would one of my tags be without a grungepaper flower! lol

Have an Inky Day!

Somewhere over the Rainbow

2009-10-08T08:16:00.000+01:00

This is the title of the song that Hels has used for her Sunday Stamper Challenge this week. I love bright colours as most of you know, and so this challenge just screamed at me.. do something! I found my Colorbox large multi-coloured inkpad and brayed the the background onto one of my chipboard tags. However in my hurry I split my hot steaming mug of coffee and cream all over it, the desk, and the floor, so had to start again! Doh!
The dots stamps featured alongside the stitches and solid Stitchels too! All stamped in Archival Cobalt and Cranberry. the final touch was a Creative stamp, and best of all, a bird from a tangled necklace found in my DD bedroom ( please don't tell her, she will kill me! lol). The Flowers are Prima, (such lush flowers) on the website next week with some new products when I get time to load them up!

Thank you Hels for the challenge, tired as I am, inking and stamping always makes me feel better :)
Have a very Creative Day!

Hooked on Flowers!

2009-10-06T07:40:00.000+01:00

At the weekend at Artisan, I spent most of the time demonstrating how to make grungepaper flowers! I had a lot of flowers and during the day I glued them onto a Frame which sat on my worktop. This is the final Frame.

I am busy getting ready for HSNW Stamp Festival this weekend, and if you are coming stop by and say hi to myself, Mal and Amanda Bateman who will be there demonstrating. We will have all the Mabel stamps, all the new backgrounds, and hopefully the new metal colours from Ten Seconds Studio!
Happy Creating!

Gothic Arch 2

2009-10-03T20:56:00.001+01:00

Just a quickie tonight as I continue my journey into Gothic Arches! This one is the key to the door! , and I have used distress inks for the background, and the Secret Key ( love these idea-ology trinkets) , and of course, what is a key without a lock.. especially to the door! Tim Holtz stamps and an Idea-ology book ring finish it off. The whole Arch was crackled with Rock Candy!

I do hope you like...
Have a great weekend

Workshop Preview

2009-10-02T13:00:00.006+01:00

Hopefully while you are reading this we have arrived safely, and I am setting up the shop at Artisan, while Mal fiddles, lol, with his till, and everything is going smoothly; I haven't forgotten anything, ( chance will be a fine thing!) , the samples have arrived in one piece, the van has behaved , I haven't been caught speeding , and at least one person has booked my workshop!
Here is what you will make if you are coming.. Please excuse the rather awful picture in the middle , as I used distress inks to colour Rainy Day, and they washed out too much! Patience is always a virtue, and I have very little! The workshop is a chance to play and learn how to make roses, as well as getting to know alcohol inks, and just having a little bit of fun in a short time!

Have a Great Friday

How many!

2009-10-01T07:43:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was prepping day for the workshop at Artisan in Leamington Spa. I am doing a workshop there both days, and everything has to be ready! We packed bags and stamps, and inks, and frames, and of course the infamous Grungepaper Flowers..oh and the smell, old leather, paper, not sure what it is.. but it isn't unpleasant! The whole office smells of grungepaper even today! We cut hundreds! lol So if you are coming or even thinking of coming.. here is a taster..

Oh, and here is a little taster of the frame...

such a tease I know...tomorrow I shall post the whole Frame!

A quickie note to everyone who sent me emails about joining the Creative Team... I have been so busy that I haven't had time to choose you yet.. so hang in there please...

Have a grungy day!