Our Inspirational October issue hits the shops on Friday!

The October issue of Craft Stamper magazines will hit the shops this Friday! Subscribers will be receiving their copies very soon, if they haven't landed already!

The beginning of September marks the ‘back to school’ period, something every parent either loves or hates (depending upon just how stressful the holidays have been!) I know when my children were small, I used to love having my crafting time back! I hope everyone manages to get some quality crafting in this month.

We have some stunning projects to inspire you in this issue. Tracy Evans has created the most amazing skull project for us, something to experiment with before Halloween next month perhaps? 

We have some truly amazing projects from Cat Kerr this month. Cat has been a long time idol of mine, so I’m thrilled she is sharing her wonderful designs with us!

Lou Withers shares her quirky take on an altered book in this issue. Total genius idea to use a template to shape the pages, it looks amazing as I’m sure you’ll agree!

We also have a Foamiran flower tutorial by (queen of all things Foamiran) Emilia Sieradzan, 

a wonderfully upcycled tea bag project by Ruth Mescall:

 and some fabulous altered birds in our 3D Challenge gallery in this issue, just like this stunning creations from Riikka:

 Lots for you all to experiment with, and don’t forget, I would love to see what you create! Email me, or share on our Facebook page!

So, where can you get your hands on a copy of the magazine?

For subscriptions, please go to: www.craftstamper.com

For single print issues : www.mags-uk.com

For digital issues, both subscriptions and single issues: www.pocketmags.com

Have a wonderfully crafty month everyone!

Take It Make It Challenge: August Winners!

Hello everyone!

We are so pleased to announce the winners of our August Challenge!

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 60: Carola

We loved the absolutely stunning background on Carola's card, a perfect colour scheme to go with the amazing stamping!  Carola 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 !

We also have the remaining top slots to announce!

The remaining Top Three are:

Entry number 20: Shilpa
Entry Number 27: Carole


Wonderful projects ladies!

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

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

Keep On Crafting

Keep On Crafting is a fabulous bricks and mortar shop in Bury St Edmunds, UK. For those a little too far away, a fully stocked online shop is (almost!) as good as browsing through the hundreds of amazing products in real life! Full of stamps, inks, paints and so much more, Keep On Crafting stock just about everything a mixed media crafter could want. Well worth a visit!

The prize on offer this month for the lucky random winner is this little lot.....

Not a 'little' lot at all! We have 2 stencils, a set of cling mounted stamps and a fabulous clear background stamp up for grabs!

Congratulations to our winner:

Entry Number  88: Karen

      Congrats Karen, I think you'll have a wonderful time  playing with your new goodies!

Winners, you need to need to get in touch with me in order to claim your prize!  Please email me at: editor.cs@mytimemedia.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 September challenge will be launched next Friday, September 1st.
We can't wait to see all the 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 July 2017 challenge is

Christine Alexander

 From: 
www.itsacarddaysnight.blogspot.co.uk

Christine won the challenge with this beautiful card! We loved the gorgeous vintage look to the floral design, with an ethereal watercolour effect. Wonderful!

We asked Christine 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’ve been stamping and card making for about 12 years. Back in 2005 I went into a stamp store and watched someone heat emboss a card. Wow!  I thought that was so awesome, I just had to try it.

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

A: I have a fairly eclectic collection of stamps but the mixed media backgrounds are probably being my favourites. I’m not sure if I have a favourite stamp company as I keep discovering new ones.

 

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

A: I’m a mostly a messy type of person with a clean up at the end. I love mixed media and now I’m discovering CAS Mixed Media.

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

A: Cards are my favourite but I’m starting to get interested in journaling and brush lettering, luckily there isn’t any extra expense!

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

A: Stencils, I love them, they are so versatile.

We also asked Christine to show us a favourite stamped creations,  and share why she likes it so much. Here are the gorgeous projects she has chosen:

"Both cards are mixed media. The first is a Penny Black stamp, this is the card where I discovered glass beads in gel medium. The second is my love of Bister (and now all powdered inks) It’s so pretty the way the Bister flows around the bubbles when spritzed with water. I still love both of these mediums and often pull them out to play with" - Christine

Congratulations on being our July Design Winner Christine , 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!

Take It Make It Challenge: August Inspiration

Hello!

Our current Take It Make It challenge is in full swing, with some amazing entries so far!

Just in case you need a little more inspiration, the DT have come up with some more amazing projects to share today :) First though, a bit of a reminder.....

This year, we are pleased to announce that ALL of our challenges will be 'Anything Goes' stamping challenges!

So....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. As long as you have stamped somewhere on your project, then you're good to go!

We have two prizes on offer, as always. The first is the Sponsor Prize, and the winner of this will be randomly chosen from all the eligible entries of the challenge. To make sure your project is eligible to win, make sure you have followed our challenge guidelines. These can be found on our sidebar over here ---------->

and also in a tab under the banner at the top.

PLEASE REMEMBER: We only want to see ONE project in each individual blog post entry!

A set counts as more than one :)

 

Our sponsor this month is....

Keep On Crafting

Keep On Crafting is a fabulous bricks and mortar shop in Bury St Edmunds, UK. For those a little too far away, a fully stocked online shop is (almost!) as good as browsing through the hundreds of amazing products in real life! Full of stamps, inks, paints and so much more, Keep On Crafting stock just about everything a mixed media crafter could want. Well worth a visit!

The prize on offer this month for the lucky random winner is this little lot.....

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

Guest Designer:  Gerrittina van der Ziel

Cheremane Smith

Elina Stromberg

Elizabeth Robinson

Ellie Knol

Jolande van Oosterhout 

Linda Walmsley

Majo Wybranietz 

Mandi Mance

Shirley Bampton

Wow!

Amazing inspiration from the DT!
The link up tool to enter the challenge can be found on last Fridays post HERE!

ART CALL! Ready Set Stamp submissions required

Ready Set Stamp: Reader Submissions Wanted!

THANK YOU so much for all the fabulous cards submitted for our last art call, it was so hard to choose just a few to publish! We can now announce the next theme.....

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

Colours: Iced Aqua, Spruce, Baby Blue, Silver Grey

Deadline for submission: 11th September 2017

· Please email your submissions to: editor.cs@mytimemedia.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 follow both the theme AND the colour scheme when creating your cards!
• NEW work only please, we do not accept cards that have been published elsewhere (including online) before submission.  
•  Please do not use stamps that are discontinued for this article.
• We do not accept cards ONLY created with digital imagery for this feature. Digital imagery is welcome, but  MUST be used in conjunction with rubber/polymer stamping to qualify.
•  Cards which are selected need to be posted to the Craft Stamper offices in the UK. The cards will be returned, along with a complimentary issue of the magazine.
• 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.
•  Black, white and metallics can be added 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 can't wait to see your fabulous creations!  

Blog Exclusive: Free Stamp Makes by Marion Emberson

The free polymer stamp on the September issue of Craft Stamper magazine is a striking heart design. Created by the talented Marion Emberson, she shared two inspirational projects using it in the magazine. Today we are sharing two more, and you can see just how useful the ‘stick’ aspect of the stamp design can be!

Believe by Marion Emberson for WOW! Embossing Powder.

For the new home project in the September issue of Craft Stamper, the ‘stick’ part of my stamp design was used as a trunk, to turn the heart into a tree shape. With this project, the ‘stick’ becomes a hanger for the heart decorations!

One of the BEST things about WOW! Embossing Powder and Sparkles is that they are static free, not only that but the jars are too, so when you mix things up a bit ( as in this project) it pays to have the right products, if you use any other jars you will put the static back in the product... and we took ages to get it out !! Plastic spoons will also reintroduce the static, so metal spoons are best used for mixing!

Materials used :

WOW! Embossing Powder - Platinum

WOW! Embossing Powder Ultra Clear Ink Pad

WOW! Embossing Powder Heat Tool

WOW! Embossing Powder - Sparkles - A girls best friend

WOW! Embossing Powder - Empty Jars

Craft Stamper Cover Stamp

Metal Spoon

White card blank

Card Stock Red: White

Brayer

Sizzix Tim Holtz Christmas Words Die

Sweet Dixie Snowflake Die

Quickie Glue Pen

Diamontes

Instructions:

1: Using the WOW! empty jar, mix one spoonful of WOW! Platinum to one spoonful of WOW! Sparkles A Girls Best Friend, put the lid on and shake. You’ve now just made a gorgeous sparkly embossing powder.

2: Stamp and emboss the hearts on the white card stock, using the mixed powder. Then stamp and emboss the lines (or ‘sticks’!), to make the hearts ‘hang’ ,using the WOW! Platinum.

3: To create the word, use a brayer to pick up ink and brayer it onto scrap card stock.

4: Sprinkle on WOW! Platinum shake off the excess and heat, this will give you a really smooth finish. 

5: Die cut the word from the Platinum embossed card.

6: Adhere the embossed heart panel to red card, and a white card blank as shown.

 

7: Cut white cardstock to fit the bottom of the card, (leaving room for the red strip where the word will be adhered). Die cut three snowflakes and adhere to this white card. Add a dot of glue to the centre of each snowflake with the glue pen.

8: When the glue is tacky,  add foil in the centre of the snowflakes, sprinkle with the mixed powder and heat set.

..............................................................................................................................................................

Hello Flower by Marion Emberson for WOW! Embossing Powder.

Turning the heart into a flower is a must!  As soon as I created this design I knew it had to be a flower somewhere along the line.

I’ve gone for a more distressed look by letting the paint dry a little more before rubbing off. This means it will have set in place, although you can still get it off with a baby wipe. (don’t rub to hard!) I’ve also been quite rough with my glue pen and not worried too much if I’ve filled it in perfectly, giving the foil a distressed look. The smaller the patterned paper the better for this project.

Materials used :

WOW! Embossing Powder - Clear Gloss Regular

WOW! Embossing Powder - Ultra Clear Ink Pad

WOW! Embossing Powder - Heat Tool

WOW! Embossing Powder - Fab Foil - Gold

Paper Artsy Fresco paint - Snowflake

Craft Stamper Cover Stamp

White card blank measuring 4.5” x 4.5”

Green Bazzill Cardstock

Patterned Paper Momenta

HELLO Die

Quickie Glue Pen

Instructions:

1: Ink the stamp with the Ultra Clear ink pad

2: Stamp the heart multiple times on the patterned paper (in a flower shape, using the hearts as petals) Clear emboss.

3: Once cool, paint Snowflake Fresco finish all over the embossed hearts.

4:Rub paint off from embossed images with kitchen roll (see info in the introduction)

5: Fill in a selection of hearts with the Quickie Glue Pen, leave to go tacky.  Be aware, this technique won’t work if the glue is still blue, as this means the glue is still wet!

6: Place the Fab Foil on top of the glued areas, rub and pull off, revealing the foil.

7: Die cut Hello and a circle from green cardstock and adhere, mount card onto green card stock.

THANK YOU so much Marion, both for the fabulous stamp design, and of course for these stunning projects using it. I’m sure we’re all inspired and can’t wait to have a go!

All WOW! products can be found in all good craft shops, or online at:

www.wowembossingpowder.co.uk