Friday 23 June 2017

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 May 2017 challenge is

Carol Fagg



Carol won the challenge with this amazing project! We loved the wonderfully vibrant colour scheme, so many lovely layers!





We asked Carol 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 a HNCE Paper Crafting course in 2005 – was introduced to stamps and have since been addicted!


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

A:  This is a difficult question, at the moment I like quirky images but like to build backgrounds and textures with stamps too. Over the years I have amassed a broad collection – from cute, floral, photographic type images, alphabet, background and quotes so cannot say I have a favourite stamp company.

 

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

A: Messy – CAS escapes me



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

A: At the moment I am enjoying Mixed Media Style – using inks paint, pens, pencils, stamps, pastes on a variety of surfaces.



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

A: Embossing powder and colouring mediums! (I still get a thrill watching embossing powders melt)



We also asked Carol to show us a couple of her favourite stamped creations,  and share why she likes them so much. Here are the gorgeous projects she has chosen:






"I thought it would be fun to look back at one of my first cards I made on the HNCE course 2005. I still like people stamps, embossing colouring and fussy cutting!"- Carol


"I think the second is more of a where I am at now. I was lucky to get published in CSM 2015. I still like my Tag. Building layers of paints, mediums but drawing the focus to the Zettiology girl and TH quote"- Carol 



Congratulations on being our May Design Winner Carol , 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!


Tuesday 13 June 2017

Ready Set Stamp: Reader Submissions Wanted!

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 October issue of Craft Stamper. If you've always wanted to see YOUR card in print, now is your chance!! 







Colours: Deep Plum, Deep Lime, Aloe Green, Mint Green.

Deadline for submission: 1st July 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!  

Friday 9 June 2017

Take it Make It June Challenge; 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....

Imagine Design Create


Imagine Design Create is an online shop and also a bricks and mortar store in Devon, UK. The brainchild of owner Kerri Ann Briggs, the store offers a wide variety of crafty stash, from stamps and inks to paints and papers. Everything you could want! 
The range of own brand stamps is fabulous, and we have three of these sets on offer as the prize for our randomly drawn winner this month!

We are proud to announce our sponsor this month is....

Just Jolande

www.justjolande.nl
We are thrilled to have our very own Jolande as our sponsor this month! In addition to designing some AMAZING stamps for Unity Stamp Company, Jolande also has her own shop, filled with stamps (of course!) and a multitude of wonderful mixed media products!
The prize for our lucky randomly chosen winner this month is this fabulous stamp and stencil set:



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! 














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

Friday 2 June 2017

Exclusive Blog Extra! Tara Cardwell for Seven Hills Crafts

Hello!
Our inspirational July issue hits the shops today!
We have a wonderful feature in this issue, showcasing the wonderful work of Seven Hills Crafts designers. 
Seven Hills Crafts is an amazing shop stocked full of hundreds of hard-to-locate stamps from companies outwith the UK, amongst a whole host of other essential craft stash items!
We are sharing a cute and quirky project today by Seven Hills Crafts owner/designer Tara Cardwell.
She says...

I was inspired by Kindness day (and the fact that bullying in school is constantly in the news) to create a little notebook. I think this would be an ideal gift for a child to take to school with a message to remind them that what you reap is what you sow!



 Kind Thoughts, By Tara Cardwell


MATERIALS LIST
Waffle Flower – Enveloper Kindness Stamp

Other materials...

Polychromos Pencils
My Minds Eye Wood Washi Tape
A7 Notebook
Versafine Black Ink


This was a fun and simple make.  I simply stamped the two main images from the stamp set onto a little kraft covered notebook (you can often find these in packs in high street bargain stores) with the bottom edge of the stamp aligned where the elasticated band would sit. I snipped off the “s” from the word gathers to make the sentiment fit my theme and stamped it aligned to the spine.  All that was required then was some simple colouring with pencils and finishing off with a band of washi tape to cover the bottom edge of the stamp, (for when the elasticated band is not in use)  Personalised notebooks such as this would be an inexpensive gift to add to party bags for a children’s party.






We love the cute and quirky bear, and think the idea of stamping notebooks to use as party bag favours is brilliant!

Thanks so much for the inspiration Tara!
To check out all the amazing stamps (and stash!) sold by Seven Hills Crafts, click on the logo! 

www.sevenhillscrafts.co.uk


Take It Make it Challenge: June

Hello!
Welcome to the Craft Stamper June Take It, Make It challenge!

This months theme:
An 'Anything Goes' Stamping Challenge!
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 :)
 
We are proud to announce our sponsor this month is....

Just Jolande

www.justjolande.nl
We are thrilled to have our very own Jolande as our sponsor this month! In addition to designing some AMAZING stamps for Unity Stamp Company, Jolande also has her own shop, filled with stamps (of course!) and a multitude of wonderful mixed media products!
The prize for our lucky randomly chosen winner this month is this fabulous stamp and stencil set:



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







Wow!
Amazing inspiration from the DT!

Fancy joining in with us this month? You have to be in it to win it, as they say :)
All you need to do is double check you are familiar with all the guidelines, then get linking up using the InLinkz tool below!
Remember.... we HAVE to see stamping on your project somewhere!


  We can't wait to see what you create!