July 2011: Carolyn S.

By Carolyn S.

How long have you been stamping?
My exposure to rubber stamps started in 1999 with simple scrap booking and a family recipe book.  By 2001, I was hooked after visiting local stamp stores but found they did not have the type of images that I wanted.  I did a search for oriental stamps and found Ann at Stonehouse where I purchased my first plate.  One of the stamps is the focal point on my main project; and after using it for over ten years, it still stamps perfectly.

What is your favorite technique?
I love to experiment with techniques and have no favorite because there are so many that appeal to me.  At an early age, my mother taught me that it was better to broaden my likes and dislikes and not conform to other’s standards whether it is clothes or current trends.  It is okay to be different.

When I take a class I prefer to take the technique and change it to my liking.  I don’t want someone to say that my art is identical to the person sitting next to me.  You might ask how that is possible if you use the same image.  There is always a way to change the background, color, emboss or placement.

Favorite stamp company?
Again, how can you have a favorite when there are so many companies that have produced excellent stamps.  However, I still favor Stonehouse and the beautiful stamps from About Art Accents.  I also have a huge supply of stamps from companies no longer in business.

Favorite Asian stamps?
Floral images always catch my eye because they are so elegant in the true Japanese style.  I also love geisha images and scenic ones too.  FLOWERS, I LOVE FLOWERS.

Favorite stamping accessory?
Without my heat gun, cutting and scoring tools I would be lost.  To enhance what I create, a gold leaf Krylon pen is an absolute must have.

Favorite colors?
The standard red, black and gold are always stunning and the soft pastels for floral images are favorites.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
Adding embellishments is always fun and adds so much.  I like to use ribbon, charms, beads, brads and other items that fit the theme.

What is the one tool you couldn’t live without?
My heat gun would present a great loss.  I keep an extra on hand in the event one quits in the middle of a project.

Any helpful tips for the group?
I don’t think my tip to the group has ever changed.  Jump in and join swaps; experiment and don’t be afraid to do something different because you might be surprised with the outcome.   Holding a piece of art that another member has created is the best learning experience because it is inspirational and gets the creative juices flowing.

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
The oriental theme in art is gracious, flowing, beautiful, elegant and has a mystique that I love.

Is there any one place or city you’d like to visit to find rubber stamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
I always wanted to travel to Japan but at this stage of my life I’m happy to visit local stores, art club, friends’ homes where we exchange stamps and have the best time sharing our talents.

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
This list is long but a few take up more of my time than others.  I belong to two local stamp clubs that meet once a month.  I participate in several Yahoo groups and a couple of blogs with weekly challenges that involve stamping.  I’m also very active in digital art groups.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
I don’t like to name specific magazines because at one time or another one of them held the top spot from my viewpoint.  Times change, likes change and magazines also make changes to meet customer preferences.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
Rubberstamp Madness
Summerset Studio
VSN
Take Ten
Scrap ‘n Stamp

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
Gardening is an ongoing hobby because of my love for flowers.  I also belong to a local book club and find time to read that was on the back burner during my working career.  Digital art is my new passion and the options are endless.

What inspires you to be creative?
My inspiration comes from friends, members of art groups and the desire to try something out of the norm.

Any art background ?
No art background.  You’ve heard the statement, “I color because I can’t draw.”  It must have been written just for me.

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn’t necessarily meant for stamping?
Beeswax, fabric, clay are fun to use with rubber stamps.

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
Again, favorite websites are like the magazines.  They come and go and I truly can’t place them in a favorite order.  Blogs contain a vast amount of techniques and ideas and when I hear of a new one, I check it out.  If you want inspiration, look outside and Mother Nature will fill you with ideas.  Don’t be afraid to do a search on the web for a technique or company you hear mentioned.  I find a lot of my ideas using this method.

Do you have a day job when you’re not stamping?
Yes, I am the cook, bottle washer, shopper and assigned driver in our household.  We are both retired and hubby has severe back problems so we work together to make life enjoyable for both of us.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
We retired to Idaho from southern California in the fall of 1996 and have never regretted the move.  The only negative is our three adult children and grandchild live in California.  We look forward to visits and actually get to spend more one-on-one time when they come to Idaho.  We have one household member, Peaches, a golden retriever.  She watches over both of us and panics if she can’t locate one or the other.  She provides lots of laughs and entertainment so life is not dull.  We are also very fortunate to have wonderful friends and neighbors who make life so pleasant.

LASTLY, I must say that the friends I have met through art clubs, groups, blogs and through the internet are very dear to me.  They inspire me, support me and their input is what pushes me to try new things.   I have internet friends that I am very close to even though we have never met in person.

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO BE YOUR SAM FOR JULY 2011.

Carolyn S.

by Carolyn S.

Altered Frame Art Project
by Carolyn Summers, July 2011 OSA SAM

1)    Select a frame of your choice.  I elected to use a wood frame approximately 8-1/4 inches square with a 3-1/4 square cutout in the center for a photo.  If you use wood, sand any rough edges and wipe with a dry cloth to remove any residue.
2)    Select papers to cover your frame matching a color in the paper with acrylic paint for the sides.
3)    I used the cherry blossom paper from the Far East Paper Stack and matched my paint with the hue of the flower petals.  I used brilliant red mixed with orange, metallic champagne gold and interference orange to obtain the best match.  (Just experiment with the paints until you get the perfect color and be sure to mix sufficient paint to cover all sides.)
4)    Paint the frame and when dry, apply the decorative paper by placing the frame face down on the paper, trace around the edge and center cutout.  Trim and attach to the frame with Mod Podge Matte or adhesive of choice.  Because the paper was rather heavy I applied Mod Podge to both the frame and the paper using a foam brush.
5)    Stamp image of the geisha (Stonehouse) in black dye ink and color with alcohol ink pens, Copic or Tria on white cardstock.  Stamp a second time on either a blank sheet of paper or paper designed to create a mask.  Cover the geisha with the mask and ink a music background (formerly Inka’s Rubber Stamps) with a caramel ink and stamp over the main image.  Ink the “music” stamp in black dye ink and emboss.  (To emboss dye ink, first ink the stamp with a VersaMark pad and then the dye ink which provides sufficient moisture for the embossing powder to adhere.)
6)    Embellish the image with Stickles glitter glue and when dry insert into the center of your prepared frame.  The next step is to cover the back of the frame with paper or fabric because once you finalize your embellishment you won’t want to place your frame face down to cover the back.
7)    Before I added the final embellishments, I sponged the outer edges of the decorative paper with caramel ink and then used gold German decorative paper scrap and attached it to the edges of the frame as shown using Mod Podge.
8)    I had a red die cut of a geisha which was perfect for the final touch.  I covered the die cut with Ice Resin available from http://www.objectsandElements.com  Ice Resin gives the appearance of glass and dries clear and hard.  (When using Ice Resin, poor it in the center of the object and spread outward using a toothpick or wood stick to cover the entire area.  Cover the piece with a glass dish to avoid dust or other unwanted bits from sticking to the surface.  WAIT OVER NIGHT TO REMOVE COVER.) I used thin foam tape to attach the die cut to the frame.
9)    In lieu of a die cut, you could add a colorful butterfly, stamped and colored image, collage image or flower and apply Ice Resin.  They work beautifully.

Attached are photos of two other frames, one wood and the other heavy cardboard.  If you have any questions, please email me privately at cbsumm@msn.com

I hope you will try to alter a frame.  They are very fun to create and the choices are endless.

By Carolyn S.