Monday 30 November 2015

Our Inspirational January issue is out on Friday!

The January issue of Craft Stamper is on sale this Friday, packed full to the brim of inspirational projects and step by step tutorials!
You can order your copy from out online SHOP, or download a digital copy from POCKETMAGS!





We are showcasing lots of wonderful wintery creations this month, not least our fabulous winter dioramas in the 3D challenge (page 32). Created in collaboration with Tando, these are simply stunning!




If you like working with clay, then Tracy Easson is sharing the cutest little village on page 22. These would look wonderful covered in snow as part of your winter décor.




We're so pleased to share part one of our new ‘Whimsical Faces’ drawing tutorial series. (page 41). Tracy Scott is our expert, and she will lead you through the steps needed to create your own amazing art work. The pages are very conveniently positioned so you can lift them out to refer to whilst you work! In this part, Tracy guides us through face shapes and feature positioning… We can’t wait for part two! 




We also have a stunningly bright and vibrant reverse canvas from Jaine Drake: 





 In our Amazing Artistry feature this January, Karen Hayselden is sharing a truly STUNNING journal page. The detail in this piece is simply mind boggling!


Our Masterclass is perfect  for all those of you who want to get the most from your dies. Kim Dellow takes us through all the different materials you could use with your dies, including fabric! We love this super cute owl!


Our free stamp this month has been designed by Magda Polakow, and she has outdone herself with some wonderfully whimsical makes using it! Who can resist an adorable polar bear!




Have a wonderfully crafty month.... this issue goes on sale in the shops on January 4th!
The Craft Stamper Team xx




Friday 27 November 2015

Take It Make It Challenge: November Winners!

Hello!
It's Winners time!
So many fabulous entries, this was a really tricky job choosing a winner!

As you will remember, from now on we will have TWO winners from each challenge, the Design Winner and the randomly selected Prize Winner. First up, I am thrilled to announce our Design Winner..

Entry Number 10: Dot


 Congratulations Dot! We loved the immaculate stamping, the perfect placement of the elements and the wonderful handwritten touch! Dot will win a Guest Designer slot, a Winners Profile and of course her gorgeous project will be published in Craft Stamper Magazine.

As always, we have the remaining two slots in our Design Top Three to revealThey are in no particular order :)


Congrats ladies! 


Next...the randomly selected Prize Winner! This winner will be the lucky recipient of the prize provided by our wonderful sponsor, 

The details of the prize are as follows:
 Large pic  MC15 Poinsettia Rectangle.
Top row left to right:
TM125 Mini Poinsettia, TM135 Christmas Ornaments, MC14 Mistletoe Wreath.
 Bottom row left to right: MC13 Poinsettia, TM124 Mini Holly, TM127 Stylized Holly Small.

Magenta are very kindly offering a special shipping deal for all Craft Stamper readers shopping in their store! Readers are entitled to a $5 flat shipping rate on all stencils, masks and cling stamps! Simply enter the code PromoCSUK. This offer is open  November 7th-30th 2015.


The randomly drawn winner is:



Congratulations Jane! I think you'll have a great time playing with your prize!

Now the important bit!
  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.

Please check back next Friday for the launch of our December Challenge!

Friday 20 November 2015

Take It Make It Winners Profile

Hello!
Welcome to our Winners Profile, showcasing the Design Winner of our last Blog Challenge!
The very talented Design Winner of our October 2015 challenge is

 Esther Peck

Esther won the challenge with this fabulous card. We loved the stunning rainbow effect, such a wonderful contrast to the black trees. Wonderful!





We asked Esther 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  have always dabbled in one craft or another since I was a child and started off buying my first stamps at a craft fair to make Christmas cards nearly twenty years ago - I still have them !

Q: What are your favourite kinds of stamps, and do you have a favourite stamp company?
A: I think background stamps are my favourite especially any kind of script or manuscript as I love masking and layering with stamped images.  I’m not sure I could pick one favourite stamp company but I particularly love Stamps by Indigoblu, Stamp Addicts, PaperArtsy and Crafty Individuals.
 
Q: Describe your style, are you a messy kind of stamper or a more ‘clean and simple’ kind of person?
A: Well I am definitely a messy crafter - I love inky vintage and distress with lots of stamped layers but am equally happy with an elegant CAS project sometimes. I don’t particularly like overly fussy projects with lots of embellishments and definitely don’t do cute !

Q:What kind of projects do you like creating the most?
A: I enjoy Art Journalling - especially at the end of a stressful week and find it very therapeutic to express thoughts and feelings in this way.  I still enjoy card making and also using my stamps and mixed media on scrapbook layouts.

Q: Apart from stamps, what is the one product you wouldn’t be without when you craft?
A: Tough question - I think it would have to be stencils (assuming I was allowed ink or paint of some kind!)

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



"I have this project on my locker at work and love it because it incorporates my favourite things - background stamps, stencilling, lovely inky blended colours and the stamped quotation brings a little bit of positivity during a tricky day ! " - Esther


Congratulations on being our October Design Winner Esther , 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 Stamp: Anything Goes (as long as you have used a stamp!) is still open for a few more days! All the details can be found HERE.

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

Friday 13 November 2015

Take It Make It November Challenge: Inspiration

Hello!
Our current Take It, Make It challenge is a 'Take A Stamp' challenge, and so this months theme is:

 November Challenge:
'Take A Stamp
Anything Goes!
(and include stamping somewhere!)

We have had fun looking at the entries so far, and can't wait to see loads more!

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

Winner of the September Challenge: Amanda Pink



Elina Stromberg



 Elizabeth Robinson



Why not have a go, then enter your creation into our challenge?
We are sponsored this month by 

Magenta

https://www.magentastyle.ca/store/

Magenta stock a wonderful range of cling stamps, masks and stencils, some of which are the prize this month! 
We have a fabulous set of 7 masks and stencils awaiting the lucky winner:


The details of the prize are as follows:
 Large pic  MC15 Poinsettia Rectangle.
Top row left to right:
TM125 Mini Poinsettia, TM135 Christmas Ornaments, MC14 Mistletoe Wreath.
 Bottom row left to right: MC13 Poinsettia, TM124 Mini Holly, TM127 Stylized Holly Small.

Magenta are very kindly offering a special shipping deal for all Craft Stamper readers shopping in their store! Readers are entitled to a $5 flat shipping rate on all stencils, masks and cling stamps! Simply enter the code PromoCSUK. This offer is open  November 7th-30th 2015.


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!

Friday 6 November 2015

Take It Make It Challenge : November

Hello!
Welcome to the launch of our November Challenge!

November is a 'Take A Stamp' month so a nice broad theme for you all to play with!

November 2016
Take A Stamp
Anything Goes!
(as long as you have used a stamp on the project somewhere!)

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,  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 November is

Magenta

https://www.magentastyle.ca/store/

Magenta stock a wonderful range of cling stamps, masks and stencils, some of which are the prize this month! 
We have a fabulous set of 7 masks and stencils awaiting the lucky winner:


The details of the prize are as follows:
 Large pic  MC15 Poinsettia Rectangle.
Top row left to right:
TM125 Mini Poinsettia, TM135 Christmas Ornaments, MC14 Mistletoe Wreath.
 Bottom row left to right: MC13 Poinsettia, TM124 Mini Holly, TM127 Stylized Holly Small.

Magenta are very kindly offering a special shipping deal for all Craft Stamper readers shopping in their store! Readers are entitled to a $5 flat shipping rate on all stencils, masks and cling stamps! Simply enter the code PromoCSUK. This offer is open  November 7th-30th 2015.

Wow! Fabulous prize!
 Our randomly drawn winner will be one lucky person! 

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




















                                          






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 Linky 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!

We can't wait to see your creations.....
Good luck!

Monday 2 November 2015

Our Angelic December issue is out soon!

Our December issue is out this FRIDAY and it's packed full of beautiful ideas to make sure you have your most creative Christmas yet! You can order your copy from our online SHOP or download your digital version from POCKETMAGS!  


This month we have plenty of seasonal mixed media wonderfulness to share with you, but before we give you a taste of what's inside, we want to explain a little about this 'Mixed Media' phrase we keep using...


At its most basic, mixed media simply means using more than one product on your creations. So, if you have created a card using inks, embossing and glitter, then it's mixed media (just like the image above)! At Craft Stamper, we love encouraging you to get experimental with your creating...no rules, no restrictions, play with lots of products and let your imagination create something unique! 


We also welcome a new designer this month! Darcy Wilkinson is a super talented artist, and in this month's issue, she showcases her brand new Christmas stamps she created in partnership with PaperArtsy. A sneak peek of Darcy's featured project is shown above and below!


Following the Christmassy theme we also have Christmas lights, Christmas wreaths, an advent calendar from Jenny Marples... 


And a beautiful snow enchantress from Kim Costello showcased in our Amazing Artistry feature. Here's a close up of the stunning work that will be sure to cast a magical spell on you...


We even have a whole herd of reindeer for you! The reindeer are the focus of our 3D Challenge, and were created from a Cardmaking Paradise template. The 3D Challenge even includes a link to download the reindeer template, so there are no excuses to get making and adding your own reindeer to our Craft Stamper herd! 


If you love your inky techniques, make sure you check out Anna-Karin's Masterclass, all about glossy cardstock...she also has lots of wondeful tips and advice along with a stunning project or two! 


We hope all your cards and gifts have been created already, and you now have time to relax and have some crafting time just for yourselves! (We also hope that Santa brings you lots of stash to play with!). 

Happy crafting and don't forget to pick up a copy of our December issue (on sale on the 6th of November)! 

The Craft Stamper team x