What did that last post say?

October?  Well NOW it's February, and I really did create three calendar pages since then!  But who knows where those photos are.   I'm here to share my February calendar page and introduce a fun new stamp set!!!  I love it!!!

These are all 100 Proof Press Stamps.  I love the winged crown.  I also made a Mother Teresa quote into a stamp, because I love it  "do small things with great love."  I'm going to stamp it everywhere.  But the other stamps are from a new set we offer - Perfect for art journaling.

New STAMP SET!!

I AM going to try to get working in my art journal more.  

Nevermore... and MOO cards

So my personal challenge has been met for two months - I've been trying to create a calendar page per month, in time for the 100 Proof Press Newsletter.  So far so good.  This is the one I stamped up for October.  Classic Poe stuff. You have your handwriting background, that large raven again, "Nevermore."  and the new small Poe stamp.  I got a little crazy on the background, but I couldn't leave it plain.  And what?  it's already time for me to get busy on next month!

And here's some fun little MOO cards.  They are really quick and fun to make.  See how I used a little scrap from the October calendar page?  Perfect for the owls!  Hoot hooT.  P.S.  MOO card contest going on at 100 Proof Press until November 8th!

Raven Parade Pocket (aka altered art skirt)

My sister and I have been making and selling a lot of the new large raven stamp, and we decided we'd run home and get crafty with it.  She happened to have enough pink linen to make a simple skirt, and I made a pocket with the raven stamp, and in no time she was ready for the Pony Wagon Parade.  (The Pony Wagon Parade is the parade that celebrates the Pony Wagon Festival in our little Ohio town.)

The top stamp is the "Nevermore " stamp and the bottom is the large raven.  Both were stamped with Black StAzon.  I stitched around the crow and added some buttons...
So we watched for the little soccer players in the parade to pass as my sister and son  filled up the pocket up with candy.. SO MUCH CANDY!

Nevermore...

Blank Calendars For Stamping

Woo hoo!  FINALLY I got the 100 Proof Press calendars back from the printers.  I wanted to make a cool calendar cover for 2014 and a few cards with the new stamps so I headed to the craft room.  I could have gotten a lot more done if it didn't take me 20 minutes to find a paint brush!  Ok - truth be told, I looked for 20 minutes, couldn't find the paint brush so I just used my finger. I really love this new bikers going around stamp and I knew I wanted to use it on the cover, but I'm not quite sure about the rest of it.  But that's the end product from yesterday's craft session.

(Bikes Stamp, Screen Texture, Gears & Measurement Bar)

I also made the September page I was inspired by a card made by Dana Tatar with the little school girl. I like how the pencils look on the edge.  And nothing says back to school like an apple.  So, I'm excited to get the calendars shipped out and see how other artists stamp them up.  And yes, it IS back to school time.

(pencil stub, Jane, apple)

New Stamps!

I have only worked with 3 artists to create  new stamp images, and each time it has been so much fun.  I get the file ready for the plate to be made, get the plate, and get to pressing!  It' just so exciting to see how the images translate into stamps.  So this time around I worked with Rachel from Tree Talker.  Her images have made wonderful stamps!  Here are the first two cards ever made with the new images.

flowers for hair

I guess the photo isn't the best, but these images turn out amazingly clear and sharp.

Mama and Baby Raccoon

I just love these new images and I can't wait to see what other stampers create with them!  Also, you can visit Rachel's shop where all of her original drawings for the stamps are available.

You Will Be Mine.

Well, here we are, it's now February of 2013.  I had planned on sharing a few more posts in December, but I didn't, and then January,  but again I didn't. But I did stamp up a Valentine.  I love this woman with a whip stamp, and I feel like she can really make a statement - plus, you gotta love the commanding Valentine.  I used a lot of layers on this one, and I feel like the pink hearts are just too pink, and I see now I could have placed them in a more whipping fashion.  One of the layers I got from a mixed media kit and it's a page from a book, I'm pretty sure it's in German.  I did have more text showing, but since I don't know how to translate it I tried to  place it so there was less peeking out - I'd like to think it has something to do with being madly in love with someone.

But just in case a stamper is stopping by, I better let you know that over on the 100 Proof Press blog there is a Valentine challenge going on.  I hope I whip myself into shape and get back into the blogging world. . .

Hand-Stamped Christmas Tags

So, I make the stamps (everyday), but I have very few art-stamping techniques.  Yeah, I've done some stitching on my cards, or  played around with the fabric stuff, but as far as all the fancy markers, gesso, and other  "real-artist" type stuff I am clueless. I just haven't really done enough experimenting.  My normal equation is: STAMP+INK PAD = A STAMPED PROJECT.  Well, awhile back I got a sample of gesso.  Let's just say I started gessoing everything on my craft table and quickly ran out.  It was fun, then I think it kind of turned it into a challenge of just how dirty can I get my hands.  The gesso made a perfect background to stamp snowflakes on.  I was a gessoing-snowflake stamping fool!  

STAMP + GESSO+INK PAD = A STAMPED PROJECT

It gave the manila tags a bit a texture and just an extra hint of - "Hey, I'm a stamp artist - look at me use gesso."  Then I cut up sayings from some fabric along with a doily of sorts that I think my great-grandma tatted or whatevered and sewed them layered along the bottom.  Making these tags actually inspired me to hold a little contest for 100 Proof Press.  I've even decided to send out three blank tags with the hopes customers will share their tags.  We'll see how it goes.

"for the love of art"

And check out this brand new Danita image.  I just love this stamp, and I think I'll actually make some tags for Christmas gifts this year.

Something a little extra

I love custom orders.  When time and inspiration allows, I will usually make something a little extra for my customers with custom requests.  And my last order for a honey bee journal really got my creative juices flowing.  I made a set of matching cards to go with the journal.  I was so excited to find a stamp that matched the fabric perfectly!  Here's one of the cards a made.  Turns out, I really do love this honey bee hive stamp!

the lil' extra something to go in the package...

Now I'm back to making stamps, busy as a bee... but I'll get back to my sewing machine soon, I have an idea for an apron.  Buzzzzzz......

Tags...

Ok, so next weekend we have a rubber stamp convention in Columbus, Ohio, and this go-around 100 Proof Press signed up to do a make and take.  Which means my sister and I had to get creative using our stamps to make some fun tags for customer to make in 15 minutes.  Here's what we came up with...

Tags for Make and Take

We think it will be fun for stampers to sit down and enjoy using the images - just so they can see with their own eyes what great detail our stamps have.   We have so many stamps to choose from it was kind of a hard task narrowing down the images to use.  But here's the final four...

Bathing Beauties, Sharp Owl, Cameras and Kid Parade on Beach

I really hope the show-goers feel like stopping by to "Press it Out" with us.

Sharing a bit of my Art Journal...

I started an art journal a few years ago.  However, it has not served the purpose of what I thought it was going to have.  I thought it was going to be place where I would brain-storm and create very haphazardly,  But instead I've found myself fussing over each page.  I even use a different journal to sketch out ideas for this so-called art journal.  Sometimes I do take an idea from my art journal and turn it into a more major project, but most of the time the idea just stays in there.

cover of my "art journal"

I've also found it curious, that when I do take a page from the journal and try to turn it into a better-crafted piece of art, it never keeps the same feeling that I found in creating the original layout.

the diagrammed head

I was messing around with whatever I could find on my table, and this is what the end result was.  Just a two page thing.  I actually cut up an older piece with the photo of my great-aunt, and then finally dove into a watch-piece collection my sister gave me (jackpot!).

Left side....

Right side. . .

Working On New Images for 100 Proof Press

So, I've been trying to catch up after the holidays.  And I must admit blogging if one of the first things  I ignore on my to-do list - a long with cleaning up the craft room.  But, at least I've been a bit productive for the stamp company.  I have been playing around with some new images, trying them out, seeing if they are good enough to include in the catalog.  I have fallen in love with this little owl girl.

I tried to make a Valentine with her.  I just think she's so cute and unique.  Soon I'm going to have to help my little ones make 50 or so Valentines for their classes.  Wonder what images they will choose.  . .

It's a Halloween Party...

... for the spooky paper dolls.

I recently just got back into the paper-crafting world.  Before this week, I had always just used a glue stick for my paper creations.. never again!  I got some awesome Helmar products to play around with, and well, I am in love.  I was actually having so much fun testing them out I made two paper dolls - just so I could use some more Zapdots - the zapdots were perfect for attaching the "puff-balls" to the hats.  And of course I used several 100 Proof Press images, and that famous inkadinkado dress stamp.  Let's just say I  had some fun with adhesives, stamps, scissors and paper.  Boo!

Party Skull

Also, I am going to enter them into the Halloween Contest over a Retro Cafe Art - I figure they are all dolled up and ready to go out I better take them somewhere.

Punkin' Party Gal

Skirt Detail

Let's Party!

We would love to have more attendants at the party, if you have a Halloween doll, I'd love to see it.  We could have a parade.

Echo Park Paper

For awhile, I moved off of fun papers to fabric, now I'm back into the paper.  And (this is how long it was since I bought fancy paper) NOW papers are useable on BOTH, yes, BOTH sides!  Crazy - I got bats on one side, and coordinating stars on the other.  Needless to say, I am excited about this paper and I had fun making cards.  Here is one of them.  My son is in love with bats (more on that later) and here's a cool bat card...  And yes, always with the owls.  Hoot hoot.

fun card, 100 Proof Press stamps and Echo Park Paper

But wait, there's more!  This paper kept me going...

Look at me, using brads and pleating paper!  Ha!

Back To School

Wow, that month flew by - and I was going to create so much over the summer!  Here's a little back to school "goat love" card I made.  I  am still thinking of fun goat-y things to make.  My daughter said these goats are falling in love - I guess that one is trying to impress the other with that fancy bell around his neck.

Goat Love

Miss You Card

I finally got some time to play with my Danita stamps instead of just making the stamps.  I made this little card for my sister who is far far away in Alaska.  Now I just have to send it to her.

Miss you.

Alchemy Journal.

alchemy journal, a photo by Zemphira Creations on Flickr.

Before my sister headed back to Alaska, we had a few "crafter-hour" sessions. This is when we made stamps all day, and then went back into work and stamped up some of our own creations. We had a lot of fun, but stayed up way too late.

This journal was one of my "crafter hour" creations. It uses four stamps that I think are pretty cool, some tags, and some baker's twine. I hear it's not crafty these days if there's no baker's twine.