Friday 29 July 2016

Take It Make It July Challenge: Winners!

Hello everyone!
We are so pleased to announce the winners of our July Challenge: Take A Stamp!

As you all know, we have two winners to announce today, so without further ado, let me introduce you to the Design Winner.....

We loved this amazing 3D creation! So much detail, all the elements work so wonderfully well together!
Anne 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 Anne!

We also have the remaining two slots in our Top 3 to announce!
We had a tie in the voting this month, so it is actually a top 4 :)
In no particular order, please congratulate:

Wonderful projects ladies!

We now need to share the randomly chosen winner with you all!
This winner will recieve the prize offered by our sponsor this month:

Calico Craft Parts


www.calicocraftparts.co.uk



The prize on offer for our randomly selected winner is this bundle of goodies!

 

We have... 3 aperture ATB kits, 4 beach/nautical mini shape sheets, a seashell frame ATC blank, a nautical shrine kit.


Congratulations to our winner:




      Congrats Autumn, we hope you create some fabulous art with the Calico Craft Parts!

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 Four Design Winners, also please contact me if you wish to receive a button to display on your blog.


Our August challenge will be launched next Friday, August 5th!
We can't wait to see what wonderful art you will all be sharing!

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Reader Submissions wanted: Ready Set Stamp!

 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: Cherry Red, Burgundy, Mint Green, Foliage Green

Deadline for submission: 23rd August 2016

· 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.
. NEW work only please, we do not accept cards that have been published elsewhere 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.
· 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!

Friday 22 July 2016

Through The Porthole

Hello!
As July has five Fridays, we have a extra Friday to spare with no Blog Challenge posts! We decided to share a little more of one of the fabulous projects featured in our August issue today with you all.
Lousie Crosbie created this simply STUNNING altered box..




A fabulous steampunk inspired piece, the outside is created from layers of aluminium tape, with DecoArt liquid glass dots as rivets. After many layers of alcohol inks, paints and patina finishes, the end result is a superb take on a steampunk submarine!
Through the porthole, you can glimpse an undersea world, created with fusible film and lots of MDF embellishments. As space was limited in the magazine, we couldn't really explore that world... until now!
The box slowly opens...





More detail is revealed....





The intricate, layered, fabulously coloured world can be seen!






Swirling waves, and undersea plant life....



Louise says:

"The inside of the box was painted blue before building up layers of fusible film and fibres. I used a gel medium to hold the film, then heated with a heat gun until it melted and holes appeared. The gel  keeps the film attached in places.
I added shells, glitter, beads and gems to enhance the deep sea world. I added Calico Craft Parts flourishes to create the ocean waves and other nautical themed embellishments to set the scene"


The level of detail in this piece is simply astonishing, we love it!

Don't forget, the July Challenge 'Anything Goes' is still running until next Wednesday! Check out all the details HERE 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!


Tuesday 19 July 2016

Christmas in July?! Art Call!

Hello!
The readers gallery we featured in the August issue has proved very popular... so we thought we would have another one!
This readers gallery will feature:

 3D Christmas Tree Ornaments!

Any kind of seasonal ornament, but it must be able to be hung up somehow, and it must also feature stamping somewhere! Other than that, you are free to create in any style and in any colours you wish!

  • The Art Call will be open until FRIDAY 19TH AUGUST 2016.
  • We will not consider, or choose any entry for publication until Monday 22nd August 2016, and will email all entrants chosen on this date. If you do not receive an email on the 22nd, then unfortunately you have not been chosen.
  • We WILL send a 'thank you' email upon receipt of entry, just so you know we have it :)
  • Please do not use stamps that are discontinued for this article. 
  • We do not accept projects created with digital images ONLY for this feature. Digital images are welcome, but must be used in conjunction with rubber/polymer stamping to qualify.
  • Projects which are selected need to be posted to the Craft Stamper offices in the UK, as soon as possible after August 22nd.
  • This call IS open internationally.
  • You may enter as many different ornaments as you wish. However, each entry MUST be in a separate email.
  • Projects will be returned at our expense, along with a complimentary copy of the magazine in which your project features once it has been published.
  • Text for this article is required (it's very short!) and should be entered into the document provided – this will be sent to you if you are selected. Help can be given with this if needed!
  • Projects submitted should be NEW WORK only, and not previously published in print or online, or submitted to any other publication. ***Please do not share your work in any way on social media until after August 22nd. If it has been published online first (even a sneak peek), we cannot publish it in the magazine***
Please take a clear photo of your entry, and send it to: cs@traplet.com  with the words 'Ornament Art Call' in the subject header. 

We are so looking forward to looking at all of your amazing creations! 

Good Luck!

 

Friday 15 July 2016

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 June 2016 challenge is

Avril Bailey



Avril won the challenge with this amazing card! We loved thewonderful layering effect of the flowers, and we thought the elegant colour scheme was fabulous!




 We asked  Avril 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 been stamping for about 7 years. It started when a friend asked me to go to a card class, reluctantly I said 'yes'! I didn't think rubber stamping was my thing – how wrong could I be!



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

A: I have a wide variety of stamps and I do love Vintage.  I have more Tim Holtz and Artistic Outpost stamps, so I think they must be my favourite!

 

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

A: I'm definitely a messy kind of stamper and love messing about with backgrounds and inks.



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

A: I do tend to veer towards Vintage and Feminine, but I do like to try different styles as it's easy to get into a comfort zone and not explore different possibilities.



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

A: If it was only one product I couldn't do without inks, but stencils come a very close second.



We also asked Avril 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 needed a card for a friend who loves red, so the Tim Holtz Runway Girls were perfect for this card.  I stamped and masked the central figure before stamping the other images. The background was made with Brushos and I randomly stamped elements from Tim Holtz's Correspondence set and texture paste through a stencil.  To keep the tones of red, I used the Brushos and the thickener to paint the dresses" - Avril









"I've used  stamps from Artistic Outpost for the image, which I masked before adding the background image with second generation stamping.  Another image was cut apart to fit the film strip.  The background was texture paste and paint.  I love adding flowers to projects and this time I've used the Tiny tattered floral die" - Avril



 Congratulations Avril on being our June Design Winner, 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" is open for another 10 days or so! Don't forget the fabulous prize, a big bundle of MDF substrates from Calico Craft Parts.
  All the details can be found HERE.

  As July has 5 weeks, next Friday's post will be a special one, featuring some amazing unseen details from a magazine project! See you then!

Friday 8 July 2016

Take It Make It July 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.....

 The theme for this month is:
Anything Goes!
(just remember to add stamping on your 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 colour you want... as long as you've stamped somewhere, 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.
We are proud to announce our sponsor this month is....

 Calico Craft Parts


www.calicocraftparts.co.uk



Calico Craft Parts stock an ENORMOUS range of laser cut MDF and chipboard shapes. From the brand new range of houses, through ATB cube kits and lots and lots of flora, fauna , seaside and seasonal shapes, there are simply too many products to mention! Lots of wonderful substrates for all you mixed media people to get creative with, and also plenty for those looking for a simple embellishment for a CAS card!

The prize on offer for our randomly selected winner is this bundle of goodies!


 

We have... 3 aperture ATB kits, 4 beach/nautical mini shape sheets, a seashell frame ATC blank, a nautical shrine kit. The ATBs and the shrine kit come in a flat pack as you can see, you will need to glue them together once you receive them. Easily done, it takes minutes :)

As always, we will also have a Design Winner this month.
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! 

Guest Designer Cornelia Wenokor





Cheremane Smith






 
I hope you are all inspired to join in! The link up can be found in last Fridays blog post, HERE!

Please remember... to be eligible for either prize, you need to include a link back to the Craft Stamper blog, and also... just put ONE project into your blog post! 
 
Have a lovely weekend!

Friday 1 July 2016

Take It Make It Challenge: July

Hello!
Welcome to the Craft Stamper July Take It, Make It challenge!
Take the theme or technique, and then Make it your own :)

This month is a 'Take A Stamp' month, so the theme is:

Anything Goes!
-just remember to add stamping in there 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 colour you want... as long as you've stamped somewhere, 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....

Calico Craft Parts

www.calicocraftparts.co.uk



Calico Craft Parts stock an ENORMOUS range of laser cut MDF and chipboard shapes. From the brand new range of houses, through ATB cube kits and lots and lots of flora, fauna , seaside and seasonal shapes, there are simply too many products to mention! Lots of wonderful substrates for all you mixed media people to get creative with, and also plenty for those looking for a simple embellishment for a CAS card!

The prize on offer for our randomly selected winner is this bundle of goodies!

 

We have... 3 aperture ATB kits, 4 beach/nautical mini shape sheets, a seashell frame ATC blank, a nautical shrine kit. The ATBs and the shrine kit come in a flat pack as you can see, you will need to glue them together once you receive them. Easily done, it takes minutes :)
As always, we will also have a Design Winner this month.
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! 

Cheremane Smith









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!


  We can't wait to see what you create!