Good Morning!
Our November 2017 issue is a little different, due to our special Tesco promotion we are offering two different stamps on the cover.... which one did you get?!
We love both, the circle design is so useful for backgrounds or as a main image if you're feeling creative, and let's face it, who doesn't love a text stamp that can be used all year around?
As promised, today we're sharing some more inspirational projects from 4 of our designers. We adored the projects that featured in the November issue, so we're really happy there are more to see!
Grab a cuppa and enjoy......
Flower Canvas By Emma Godfrey
As soon as I saw this stamp I knew how versatile it was, whether you
want to use it as a background image or, as I have done in both my
projects, as a flower. I can’t wait to use it again.
To create the background I swiped a piece of white board through various Distress Oxides (that had been swiped onto a craft sheet and sprayed lightly with water), drying in between each layer. I stamped the flowers, and swiped them through one of the colours only (I chose Wilted Violet). Once cut out, I added some brads to the centres and then cut down the stripes to create my 3D flowers. A little bit of stamping on the white board using the same Distress Oxide colours (and of course a little bit of black) created a pretty background.
To finish the project I added a quote and used a gold metallic pen around the edges and to splat over the background. Most metallic paint pens will splatter if you shake them over your project with the lid off. It’s very random so you do have to be a bit brave, but the effect is really fun.
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Garland of Joy By Shirley Bampton
You could use any die-cut shapes to make a kraft garland - try bauble, star or tag shapes!
I found this pack of shaped kraft tags and jute string in my stash and thought they would make a great gingerbread-inspired folksy garland. I put some Dylusions White Linen paint onto my non-stick mat, and using a piece of sponge, dabbed paint onto the stamp, then stamped onto the tag. The stamp needs to be cleaned in between stamping to avoid a build-up of paint. Once the paint was dry I stamped on the reverse sides of the tags. I drew around the edges with a white gel pen, then threaded the tags onto the jute string, and they’re ready to hang on the tree!
Where possible, try to stamp on both sides of any hanging items, so that there is never a ‘wrong’ side showing.
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Don’t Forget Journal By Magda Polakow
The cover of this journal is an experiment. I used a thick, highly absorbent textured paper instead of a beautiful smooth Bristol or mixed media paper. I then stamped the image and heat embossed for a textured finish. Around the circles I applied Faber Castell Gelato and blended with a water brush. The colour is irregular because of the absorbent qualities and texture of the paper. It looks a little like some kind of leather!
To finish, I used a thick Posca acrylic marker onto the still wet background. The paint from the marker was absorbed into the background which made the white colour less visible.
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Packaged with Joy By Sarah Anderson
Brown paper packages tied up with string are definitely on my list of favourite things. I have been so inspired by Instagram in how I now wrap parcels. I have always added tags and dangles to my parcels (and chocolate Christmas tree decorations when the season permits) but I am loving the addition of wax seals and layers of paper. Although I now have a handful of wax seals, I loved Rebecca Sawatsky’s idea of using metal buttons and tried it here. I am a lover of fragments and don’t worry about not having enough wax for a complete circular seal, I just go with the flow. The green tag was created using one of ScrapCosy’s latest stencils for Paper Artsy. I added Lucky Clover Distress Oxide to the stencil, spritzed it with water then laid it down on the tag. This is another quick and easy background idea and is perfect for cards too.
Watch out for button collections or buttons on clothing in charity shops. The button I used wasn’t all metal but still worked beautifully. I just pressed it gently into the hot wax.
WOW!
Those projects are fabulous, loads of cool ideas to try out!
We'll have more blog exclusives over the next few months, so bookmark our blog and remember to check back often!
