2014: My year with Stampotique

This is my last post for Stampotique in 2014.  I have absolutely loved my year on this design team; such a wonderful, friendly group of people.

As it's Boxing Day here in the UK an appropriate final project would have been an altered matchbox, but that only occurred to me as I wrote this post!

I decided to pick out some of my favourite projects from the year and was hoping to put them in a slideshow but couldn't work out how!  So you have a shorter collection of photos from over the last year.

I've never done one of those end of year looking back posts but looking back at these projects is making me consider doing one!

I've made tags, envelopes and journal pages and happily cut, stuck, stitched, sprayed, collaged, stamped, painted and doodled and had a wonderful time :)

I've also made some lovely friends and want to thank Carol, Jim and Kim for having me on team this year.

Thanks for sticking with me on this photo heavy post!  And thanks for supporting me through my Stampotique adventure :)

 Wishing you all the very best for 2015, Sarah xx

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree ...

... how lovely are your branches!

I love twiggy trees like this and would be quite happy with this as a Christmas tree, I'd just add white lights and some silver baubles.

Stampotique stamps used:

Oh...Tree  #6152  by Daniel Torrente

Text star with tiny star on side  #3027  by Jo Capper-Sandon

romantic text  #10028  by France Papillon

circles on a journal page

I am very happy with this journal page spread!

It started off as a bit of a rubbish gelli print which I painted over with some turquoise brusho, thinking it might lift it - it did!!

Then I started playing around with Daniel's circles cube from Stampotique

and lots of variety in text and numerals.  The background numeral piece is from my scratch paper on my worktable; it's how I clean my stamps - by stamping them repeatedly on scrap paper!!

Add some doodling ... and Sarah is a happy art journaller!!

Stampotique Stamps used:

Daniel's circles cube  #6184  by Daniel Torrente

Romantic Text  #10028  by France Papillon

Numeric  #7164  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Baroque Background  #7109  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Antique Description  #7228  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

a discombobulated pony

I know I've said this before ...

... but I just love how Roc Nicholas' images lend themselves so beautifully to paper piecing!!  And her new ponytail is no exception!

Stampotique stamps used:

Ponytail  #2434  by Roc Nicholas

  Barcode Text #2   #10025  by France Papillon

Daisy daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper Sandon

brusho ink in my journal

I have been playing ...

... with my latest toys - the brusho inks that everyone is using!  Who knew that this stock item in every primary school art cupboard could be so much fun!!

Whenever I use something new I start with my favourite colours - just lovin' that turquoise!!  Because it's an ink powder, splashing spots of water on the page and dabbing it off (one of my favourite techniques of the moment) doesn't work once the ink is dry, but I managed to catch it before it dried and got a lovely effect.  I'm happier splashing water on my pages than bleach!

I think Nina looks right at home on this double spread journal page, and Daniel's circles give lots of choice for a sun!

Stampotique stamps used

Nina  #5824  by Magda Polakow

When I grow up  #8993  from Carol's Collection

Circles cube  #6184 by Daniel Torrente

Daisy daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper-Sandon

romantic text  #10028  by France Papillon

2 nuages (Fr)  #9248  by Janet Klein

dreaming on a tag

Just fancied making a tag featuring Midge and some stars!

Love how it came together :)

Stampotique stamps used:

Grow your Dreams  #7321  by Maria Sabina Raita

Small Moon  #3045  by Jo Capper-Sandon

Daisy, Daisy  #3082  by Jo Capper-Sandon

Midge  #9190  by Janet Klein

Barcode  #10019  by France Papillon

Row of Numbers  #7213  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Stampotique Sunflowers

Really enjoyed making this little postcard :)  After using a stencil with spray inks I added colour with ink on a sponge and some background stamping.

The flowers were stamped in grey and added to the postcard (I just love that black and white contrast with colour!) before finishing it off with a suitable quote.

Stampotique stamps used:

text block #3    by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

sunflower large  by Janet Klein

sunflower medium  by  Janet Klein

living is not enough   by Carol's Collection

back to my art journal

Been playing in my journal again :)

I used some 'scratch paper' as the background for my page then played with my Stampotique stamps.

This is in my 'paperback book' sized journal which I got from Paperchase aaaaaages ago but love for it's different size.

Stampotique stamps used:

2 nuages (fr)  #9248 by Janet Klein

row of numbers  #7213  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

numeric  #7164  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

barcode  #10019  by France Papillon

raindrops  #5820  by Magda Polakow

dog  #2433  by Roc Nicholas

rain text  #12022   by Linda Peterson

daisy, daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper-Sandon

Sarah's art journaled tag

...and mine is definitely amongst my paints, papers and rubber stamps!

This tag started off with a sponge ink base that I didn't like so I tore it off, and decided I quite liked the effect.  I'm going to add it as a page in one of my small A6 journals.  It nearly looked like this

... but in the end, decided to include Gucio.  Sometimes it's so hard to know!

Stampotique stamps used:

Gucio walking  #5821  by Magda Polakow

Daisy, Daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper-Sandon

Quiet Place  #3011  by Jo Capper-Sandon

dreaming on a journal page

Still working in my little passport sized Moleskine journal but with only two pages left it's very nearly complete.  I switch between working in different sized journals depending on my mood, so I must be going through a small journal phase at the moment!!

This isn't want I originally intended for this image but that's the great thing about journaling, ideas flow as you work with the imagery (and I still have my original idea to work on!!).

It makes me think of the story of 'Where the wild things are' for some reason!!

Stampotique stamps used:

Dreamer  #12003  Linda Peterson

2 Nuages (Fr)  #9248  Janet Klein

Grow your dreams  #7231  Maria Sabina Raita

Sunflower medium  #9257  Janet Klein

Baroque background  #7109  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

a challenging journal page

Last week Kay's Stampotique challenge was to use black and white with a pop of colour, which is one of my favourite challenges.  I use this in reverse a lot but only use it this way round when challenged, don't know why!!

The little scrap of blue was a piece I made for another project that didn't work out, but I liked it so kept it.  Really must do use this theme again, I really enjoyed the challenge!!

Stampotique stamps used:

Numeric  #7164  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Barcode text  #10020  France Papillon

Barcode  #10019  France Papillon

Daisy, daisy  #3002  Jo Capper-Sandon

a journal page

I love it when I have a nearly finished journal (which doesn't happen often!) as it gives me the oomph I sometimes need to get journaling!  This is my passport sized moleskine journal.

I couldn't find my gelli plate but did find a cellophane packet so inked it up, sprayed it with water and printed it onto my gessoed page.

Some added depth of colour using a sponge .... and that's where I forgot I was taking step by step photos!  Oops!

There's a bit of text stamped in the background for added texture, then I stamped 'Daniel's hearts' in black directly onto the page.  They didn't stamp well in the centre so I stamped them again on another inked up piece of paper, cut them out and added them to the page.

A little quasimoto and a quote and my page was done.

Stampotique stamps used:

Daniel's hearts  #6109  Daniel Torrente

Quasimoto #3  #6015  Daniel Torrente and Jill Penney

Antique Description  #7228  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Whole Heart  #12011  Linda Peterson

quasimoto love

I love this little quasimoto, he just looks like he's looking directly at you and saying "What?" or "What are you looking at?"

I stood him on star flower, added a little funky striped leaf and the exclamation mark from cockatoo screech.

jottings, ramblings, notes, ideas.....

I'm rather pleased with my little notebook, inspired by a friend's project earlier this week.  Hop on over to my blog for some more details :)

Stampotique stamps used

antique description #7228  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein 

cockatoo screech #5512  by Kylie DiOrio

row of numbers #7213  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

the joys of a bike on a summer's day

I'm back at work after my op and this is a majorly busy time in school so just a quick card from me today!!

The bicycle and bikeride text are both from Janet Klein's new collection.  Aren't they gorgeous?!

I added extra flowers to the basket (I hope Janet doesn't mind!) by stamping them on more card and cutting them out.  There's some sparkles in there too!

Stampotique stamps used:

Bicycle  #9254 by Janet Klein

Bikeride Text  #9255 by Janet Klein

delivered to ...

I joined in a mail art swap this week and it inspired me to make another envelope!  The first one I made is now on it's way to Florida!!  When I passed it to the man in the post office to put a stamp on it he just said "oh!" when he saw it was full of colour and put the stamp in the middle, next to the address, so this time I made a space for one!!

I stamped 'dog' by Roc Nicholas (I just LoVe this stamp) over various bits of writing from the junk mail and bills that come through the door!  I thought it would be quite fun to use letter ephemera for my mail art!

'Paris Postcard' gave some great texture in the background, along with some stencilled ink, rub on letters and a touch of washi tape.

I can't wait for my mail art to pop through the door, it really brightens my day when a decorated envelope appears amongst the mass of common white or brown ones!!  Head over to my blog 'The Art of Moodling' if you'd like to see my other envelope :)

Stampotique stamps used:

Dog by Roc Nicholas #2433

Horse by Roc Nicholas  #2408

Paris Postcard   Carol's Collection  #8964