Our Amazing April issue hits the shops on Friday!

 Our Amazing April issue is out on Friday, I know some subscribers have received their copies already so I really hope you love it!

For those that are waiting patiently, I have a few sneaky peeks of the projects for you....

We have loads and loads of great tutorials to tempt and inspire you this month! I have been busy in my craft studio trying out some of the techniques shared by our great team of designers, and I really hope you will try them too!

Our cover star this month is Kim Dellow. Kim is sharing a tutorial on masking, something which I personally find really hard! The tutorial is great, and it has really helped me, so hopefully it will work for you all as well :)

 

Visible Image have designed this month's cover stamp, a wonderfully distressed flower. As usual, the designers have come up with some wonderfully varied ways to use the stamp, including this bright and zingy project by Pauline Butcher...

Liesbeth Fidder is showcasing some amazing projects using Yupo paper and alcohol ink on page 34. I must admit this is a new product to me, but once I saw the pictures I was convinced I had to have some! Now I have had chance to experiment a little, I can see just how useful it is!

We are thrilled to welcome Ruth Mescall to our Craft Stamper family this month, she has created a stunning work of art from the most humble of items… a baby wipe! Have a look (page 10 ) and see if you love it too!

I have long admired those who can create marbled paper, it looks so complicated and intricate. Claudia Neubacher has managed not only to create stunning art, but to also show us how it has been done with a series of easy to follow pictures! I have also had a go at this, and I can report back that the pictures really really help! I would love it if you could all had a go and share the results on our Facebook page? The project is on page 46.

We also have fabric makes, superb cards featuring layered stamping, and an amazing masterclass on crackle techniques in this issue! Plenty to keep you all out of mischief for a while I think!

The April issue can be purchased from FRIDAY, in many craft shops and high street retailers, or you can buy direct from us here:
Craft Stamper Online Shop 

Our online shop also has all the back issues of Craft Stamper you could want, just in case you have missed an issue!

If you prefer your magazines to be delivered digitally, then this is the place to go:
Craft Stamper: Digital Version 

Again, the digital version will also be available from Friday! 

Have a great week everyone!
Trish x

Take It Make It Challenge: February Winners!

Hello everyone!

We are so pleased to announce the winners of our February Challenge: Text Me!

As you all know, we have two winners to announce today, so without further ado, let me introduce you to the Design Winner.....

Entry number 46: Jannet

We loved how Jannet has captured the Mary Poppins theme so beautifully, skillfully putting together all the separate elements to create the scene, all brought together with a wonderful colour palette, so evocative of misty mornings. perfect flying weather!

Jannet will win a Guest Designer slot here on the blog, her very own Winners Profile, and of course her amazing art will be featured in it's own 2 page spread in Craft Stamper magazine! Congrats Jannet!

We also have the remaining two slots in our Top 3 to announce!

In no particular order, please congratulate:

Entry number 30: Autumn

Entry number 72: Crafyfield

Wonderful projects ladies!

We now need to share the randomly chosen winner with you all!

This winner will recieve the prize offered by our sponsor this month:

A Sprinkle Of Imagination

The prize?

Congratulations to our winner:

Entry number 7; Maggie

Congrats Maggie, we hope you have a wonderful spending spree!

 Winners, you need to need to get in touch with me in order to claim your prize!  Please email me at: cs@traplet.com , and put TIMI Winner in the subject line, then I'll be sure to spot it! 
Top Three Design Winners, also please contact me if you wish to receive a button to display on your blog.

Our March challenge will be launched next Friday, the 4th! 
We can't wait to see what wonderful art you will all be sharing!

Take It Make It Challenge: Winners profile

Hello!
Welcome to our Winners Profile, showcasing the Design Winner of our last Blog Challenge!

The very talented Design Winner of our January 2016 challenge is

 Susanne Rose

From: http://clayscrapkreativ.blogspot.de/

Susanne won the challenge with this amazing project! We loved how the dragonfly was layered so beautifully, and the bright pops of colour on the neutral background are just fabulous!

We asked Susanne a few questions all about stamping (well, we are Craft Stamper after all!)

Q: How long have you been a stamper, and how did you get started?

A: I started stamping four years ago, just because I wanted to create some polymer clay jewellery. It didn't take much time until I recognized, that I also can use stamps on paper. I had been painting with acrylics for more than 15 years and I started to combine different techniques and mediums. So my passion for mixed media grew fast.

Q: What are your favourite kinds of stamps, and do you have a favourite stamp company?

A: I love rubber stamps and good quality clear stamps. Whenever I'm searching for stamps my eyes keep a closer look at butterfly and bird images. My favourite companies are Visible Image Stamps, Rubber Dance Stamps, Viva Las VegaStamps! and Designs by Ryn.
 

Q: Describe your style, are you a messy kind of stamper or a more ‘clean and simple’ kind of person?

A: I love adding colours, texture and layers. I am definitely on the messy side. But I really love clean and simple creations, too. So I try to improve my CAS skills regularly.

Q:What kind of projects do you like creating the most?

A:  I am a mixed media girl! I like to use different mediums and to experiment with them. I always try out new techniques. My projects are normally not overloaded with embellishments.

Q: Apart from stamps, what is the one product you wouldn’t be without when you craft?

A: Gesso. I use it every day.

We also asked Susanne to show us a favourite stamped creation,  and share why she likes it so much. Here is the gorgeous project she has chosen:

"I like to share an art journal page, I created with Rubber Dance stamps. In any of my projects I try to express my feelings or a special mood. This spread brings it to the point, and in addition to the statement I used one of my favourite colour combinations!" - Susanne

Congratulations on being our January Design Winner Susanne , and it was lovely to learn a little more about you!

Do YOU fancy having a winners profile all about you on the CS blog? 

The profile is part of the prize package for each Design Winner of our challenges. All you need to do is enter a creation into the challenge, then if you are voted Design Winner everyone will be reading all about you before you know it!

Our current challenge 'Take A Technique' : Text Me! is open until next Wednesday, so still time to enter!
  All the details can be found HERE.

 See you back here next Friday
for the announcement of the February challenge Winners! 

Ready Set Stamp; Reader Submissions Wanted!

We are looking for submissions for our Ready, Set, Stamp feature on the following theme for our July issue of Craft Stamper. If you've always wanted to see YOUR card in print, now is your chance!! 

                         Colours: Sea Green, Sky Blue, Deep Turquoise,Barn Door Red. 

     Deadline for submission: 22nd March 2016

· Please email your submissions to cs@traplet.com

· Please put 'Ready Set Stamp' followed by the theme in the subject line

· Please note that due to the number of submissions it's not possible to contact every entrant individually - if you have not heard from us within one week, your submission has not been successful. Please try again with a different card!

Guidelines:

· Please make cards only for this gallery.
 . Please do not use stamps that are discontinued for this article.
. We do not accept cards ONLY created with digital stamps for this feature. Digital stamps MUST be used in conjunction with real stamping to qualify.

· Cards which are selected need to be posted to the Craft Stamper offices in the UK.

· This call IS open internationally.

· Note that we do choose artwork as it arrives, so please don't wait until the last minute to submit if your cards are ready.

· Cards will be returned at our expense, along with a complimentary copy of the magazine in which your card features. Note this can take approx. three months.

· Please follow both the theme AND the colour scheme when creating your cards. You can add black, white and metallics to any of the schemes. The ideas given are simply that, ideas, and do not have to be followed to the letter!

· Text for this article is required (don't worry - it is short!) and should be entered into the document provided – this will be sent to you if you are selected.

We look forward to seeing all of your beautiful designs!

Take It Make It February Challenge; Inspiration

Hello!

Our current Take It, Make It challenge is a 'Take A Technique' challenge...

 
February 2016
Take A Technique
TEXT ME!

Use text or script background stamps, or text paper in your projects. Any language, any style. Old book pages, bits torn from magazines, scrapbooking papers.. whatever you can find! ... The 'text' part does NOT include sentiments, phrase or single word stamps.... think backgrounds!!
We have had fun looking at the entries so far, and can't wait to see loads more!

REMEMBER.... we want to see text PAPER, or text used in your backgrounds! A sentiment, phrase or single word DOESN'T COUNT :) 

The DT have created some more stamped projects (with text involved!) for you to feast your eyes upon, brace yourself, there is rather a lot of eye candy on show!

Winner of the December Challenge: Alison Bomber

Elina Stromberg

 Elizabeth Robinson

Ellie Knol

Gio Zara 

 Jolande van Oosterhout

 Kymona Tracey

Linda Walmsley

Mandi Mance

Nikki Killinger 

Shirley Bampton

Wow! Now THAT'S what I call inspiration!

Why not have a go, then enter your creation into our challenge?

The sponsor for February is

A Sprinkle Of Imagination

The Prize for this months randomly chosen winner is:

  Wow! Fabulous prize!

 Our randomly drawn winner will be one lucky person! 

Not only that.... A Sprinkle Of Imagination are very kindly offering 10% off all purchases from the shop for the duration of the challenge for all blog readers!

 The code to enter at the checkout is:
 CSBlog10% 
This code will work from 5-25th of February, with a minimum £5 spend excluding P&P.

The Design Winner, voted for by our DT, will have their project published in a 2 page spread in Craft Stamper Magazine, will have a guest DT slot for an upcoming challenge, and ALSO gets their very own winners profile here on the blog....so why not get your stamps out and share your creation?

More eye candy, and the post to link your creations up to can be found HERE....
Have fun!

Take It Make It Challenge : February!

Hello!
Welcome to the launch of our February Challenge!

February is a 'Take A Technique' month, so the theme is: 

February 2016
Take A Technique
TEXT ME!

Use text or script background stamps, or text paper in your projects. Any language, any style. Old book pages, bits torn from magazines, scrapbooking papers.. whatever you can find! ... The 'text' part does NOT include sentiments, phrase or single word stamps.... think backgrounds!!

Show us how unique you can be, create anything your imagination cares to dream up! Share your cards, journal pages, layouts, 3D assemblage or whatever else takes your fancy. Your project can be any theme, any colour you want... as long as you've stamped somewhere, and your project has text included (not just the sentiment!) then you're good to go!

We have two prizes on offer this month, the first is our sponsor prize. This winner will be chosen randomly from all of the entries in the challenge! The sponsor for January is

A Sprinkle Of Imagination

A Sprinkle Of Imagination is a fabulous UK based online shop, full of all the stash you could possibly want! Pens, inks, paints, mediums, stamps, papers... you name it they have it! Definitely well worth spending a happy hour or two having a browse!
The Prize for this months randomly chosen winner is:

  Wow! Fabulous prize!

 Our randomly drawn winner will be one lucky person! 

Not only that.... A Sprinkle Of Imagination are very kindly offering 10% off all purchases from the shop for the duration of the challenge for all blog readers!

 The code to enter at the checkout is:
 CSBlog10% 
This code will work from 5-25th of February, with a minimum £5 spend excluding P&P.

Our second winner is our Design Winner. This winner is chosen by our DT, who all vote for their favourite design from all of the entries. This winner will have their winning project published in Craft Stamper Magazine, (with a 2 page spread of their very own!), they will have a GDT slot for an upcoming challenge, and will also feature in their very own Winners Profile blog post! 

I hope the prizes have given you all an incentive to win...... and how about some eye candy from the DT to give you some beautifully stamped  inspiration!


Elina Stromberg

Elizabeth Robinson

 Ellie Knol

Gio Zara

Jolande van Oosterhout

 

Kymona Tracey

  Linda Walmsley 

 Mandi Mance

 

                                             Nikki Killinger

  Shirley Bampton

Zoey Scarpelli 

WOW! 

I have to say...there are some STUNNERS there, that's what I call inspiration!

Want to enter?!

Then simply link up using the InLinkz tool below! 
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have a read of our challenge rules before you link up. Any entry that does not comply with all the rules will not be considered for either of the two prizes on offer. All rules can be found by clicking the link at the top of the page, under the banner!

****I also have an announcement... the random prize winner for the January Challenge has still not claimed the prize. If you haven't had a look to see if it was you, please check HERE. The prize will be reallocated on Wednesday February 10th at noon UK time if I have not heard from the winner by then****

We can't wait to see your creations.....

REMEMBER.... we want to see text PAPER, or text used in your backgrounds! A sentiment, phrase or single word DOESN'T COUNT :) 
 
Good luck!

An InLinkz Link-up