Reader Submissions Wanted: March Ready Set Stamp!

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

Colours:burnt orange, salmon/flesh pink, mint green, pesto green

****Please do NOT create Christmas cards for this art call! ****

Deadline for submission: 17th November 2015

· 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. Also please only use stamps that are available to buy in the UK (the exception is stamps from advertisers e.g. Art Journey, De Stempelwinkel).
. We do not accept cards created with digital stamps ONLY 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!

Finally started my xmas cards - YAY!

I've finally started on my xmas cards - about time eh? It's no secret that I am not a big fan of Christmas but I do like to make cards for my crafty friends - i.e. people I know will appreciate them!

Here's one of my creations. The papers I've used are the simply yummy PaperArtsy Rum & Raisin collection. The main stamped image is the snow baby from Crafty Individuals - isn't he adorable? It's an easy card - I simply stamped him onto a piece of card coloured with various Versamagic inks and then highlighted a few details with red Coloursoft pencil to match the image with the background. I stamped the swirls to 'frame' the image a little. You can't tell from the pic but the swirls are embossed with crystal powder and the snowflakes are highlighted with Stickles so they are all twinkly and Christmassy.

I've made a whole other one card I can show you in a few days!

A thank you card

It's been a beautiful day here in Malvern, so my plans to craft today were put on hold as we popped out to buy a new swing seat! I'm sitting on it right now, laptop on my knee in the evening sun - bliss!

I did manage to make a quick card this morning though; it's a thank you for two very special people. The stamps are new from Crafty Individuals and they are so pretty. I kept the card simple - I inked up some card very lightly using a babywipe and Distress Inks which I then stamped with the ladies and greeting. The papers are yummy BasicGrey Bittersweet. I just added a bit of lace and that's about it.

I'm off on leave for a week from today so I may or may not be about. Enjoy your weekends all. Don't forget the next mag is on sale 5th June.

Katy x

Challenge card

I don't usually get time to do challenges, but I need to make quite a few cards this month and I thought challenges would be a quick and easy way to get a few made! Here's one I made yesterday following the sketch at The Sugar Bowl.

The papers are BasicGrey Urban Prairie and the focal stamp is one of the scrummy new Leanne Ellis stamps.

See you soon,

Katy x

Valentine card

Here's the Valentine Card I made for my other half. He really likes clean designs, and I tried hard but I had to punch a frilly border. Here's how I made it in case you want to know. I apologise for the dreadful picture, it's actually a lovely warm cream colour...need to practice my photography!!!

Materials:
Daisy Bucket Designs stamps: Friends and Love You
Basic Grey stamps: Halvah
Versamagic inkpads: Pink Petunia, Pixie Dust
Colorbox chalk inks: Chestnut Roan, Creamy Brown, Dark Brown
Archival inkpad: Coffee
Basic Grey Bittersweet paper: Mousse
Fiskars heart border punch
Sizzix Hearts die (or heart punch)
Cream card, brown card (Stampin’ Up)

Stamp the couple (Friends stamp) onto cream card in Coffee ink. Stamp again onto post-it notes, cut out to create masks and stick masks over the original stamped images. Die cut or punch a heart from paper, place the negative over the stamped couple and ink through the aperture with Pixie Dust ink. With the heart stencil and masks still in place, stamp the flower from the Halvah set repeatedly in Petunia ink. Ink around the very edge of the aperture with the Creamy Brown ink and then remove the stencil and masks.

Stamp the greeting below the couple in Coffee ink. Cut the panel into a square, ink the edges and mat onto brown card. Repeatedly stamp the flower stamp onto an A6 card blank in the Pixie Dust ink. Cut and punch a strip of the patterned paper, ink the edges and adhere to the blank. Add the matted panel on foam tape to finish.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A pretty card design

Just a quick card I made recently for one of my partner's work colleagues.

The image is simply stamped and painted with my favourite Twinkling H20s. I didn't have any card that matched to mat it onto, so I just took a piece of white card and painted just the edge with the same H20 paint. The border is simply the same stamp turned on its side.

The stamp is from Lavinia Stamps - pretty isn't it? I am very impressed with their clear stamps and the level of detail they have - they stamp beautifully too. Check out their designs (and watch out for an article in a future issue by Tracey, the talented owner of Lavinia Stamps).

Hope you like :)

Katy x

13 days to go....

...until Christmas - panic has well and truly started to set in and I simply MUST get making cards or I am not going to make last post!!! I made a couple last night including this one for the daughter of my other half's best friend. I used Toodles and Binks from Stamp Galaxy as I thought she was just perfect for a little girl (she's a really big stamp too, so not much more was needed). I also used some truly ancient Papermania paper, a Stamps Away! greeting and a Penny Black swirly stamp. She is coloured with Twinkling H20s.

Random number thingie decreed that I will be swapping ATCs with Katy this month. Email me your address details to cs@traplet.com so we can arrange to swap :). Ooohhhh aren't ATCs fun!

Take care everyone,

Katy x

A very unseasonal card & a new poll

I hope Dyan doesn't mind me showing this, it's a little Thank You card I made for her.

To create the stamped panel, I've sprayed the background lightly with Distress Inks (just in a mini mister with water and a bit of mica-based powder) and then overstamped a pattern onto it. The dragonflies are coloured with yummy Sakura Stardust pens for a bit of shimmer. All the stamps are Squiggly Ink by PaperArtsy.

Better get back to those xmas cards - I'm never going to make last posting day at this rate!

NEW POLL: I have also added a new poll on the right panel there. The last one was interesting and helpful, so I hope you'll help again! I am considering a new feature and am woul like to find in whether it would be of interest.

CHALLENGE: Don't forget to join in the Jan challenge to win a fabulous prize! Christmas cards and Glimmer Mist were made for each other - so no excuses for not playing!

Katy x

Fed up of Christmas cards?

Me too, so here's something I made with a new Penny Black stamp I got at the NEC from Sir Stampalot called 'Portraits'. It's three sketchy flowers and it's rather lovely :).

This card is my usual simple style - I repeat stamped the image onto pale blue card and coloured the flowers with Twinkling H20s. The painted panel and greeting were both matted and layered onto yellow card and silver mirri card. And that's it!

See you soon. Have a fun weekend.

Katy x

PS - poll (on the right) is up for just three more days. Thanks to all who have taken the time to join in.