Good Times {JANUARY SALE NOW ON} at PaperArtsy

It only happens once a year and it starts now, the {BIG} SALE is on now, here at PaperArtsy. So bag a bargain while stocks last.

We are always well stocked with rubber, after all we do manufacture all our stamps on site here at PaperArtsy World HQ, so if you need rubber we make it!!! That will not run out! However for supplies of omther items such a paints, texture paste, papers, wood, metal, chipboard or canvas etc we rely on other suppliers, so those products may go out of stock, but we will do our best to re-order popular items ASAP. 

To be sure you get what you want, it would be smart to order now. We will be busy little bunnies getting your orders out as fast as we can, and remember every order gets a freebie gift!

Spend over £30 and get 10% off

Spend over £60.00 and get 20% off

Spend over £100.00 and get 30% off

on top of that, use your Voucher code from issue 117 out now from Craft Stamper magazine and all UK customers will also get free shipping!

Coming up this month are ideas with the new Ink and the Dog Clocks stamps from our Design Team - and more Youtube videos from Leandra! Stay tuned!

Wishing you all a healthy and very happy 2010

Mark andLeandra

Day 10: PaperArtsy 12 Days of Christmas

Day 10: Featuring Jacqui Chimes 

Using Nut and Meg Plates 2 and 3

Jacqui got a brief into on Day 8. Even though Jacqui is kind of new to the DT, she is probably one of the members who I have known since way back before we started making stamps. In fact so long, that I think we first got to know each other form swapping art way way long ago. I remember we used to play in Altered Book Round Robins together a long time back and we had a few Yahoo groups in common.
 
Jacqui has quite a varied array of styles which you can see more clearly on her blog. Most of our Design Team came to us with an Ink & The Dog Style preference, but Jacqui is one of those who can comfortably do Ink and The Dog altered vintage, and she can also do traditional cards, or squiggly ones with Squiggly Ink. Multi talented! 

Jacqui came to a recent ArtsyCrafts event, so now she is adding more metal to her projects too. She is very shy about what she does but we think it's all totally gorgeous, perfectly formed, great use of pattern and colour, and has a wide appeal.... so please post lots of comments to encourage her and let her know how fab she is! Today she is doing lots of cards and tag using some new and other older Christmas stamps. It's all beautiful! Welcome Jacqui!

A Bag Full of Snowmen

by Jacqui Chimes

This project is ideal for a bag of chocolate money or similar small gift at Christmas. Its used the snowman from SINM2 
Template for bag is from Scor-Pal.

Cut out the template from green card and score as shown in the instructions.
 

Stamp front and back with ‘Holly Garland’ from SIEN3 and the sides with ‘Seasons Greetings’ from SIEN4 in green ink. Assemble bag as instructed.

Cut a strip of white paper, distress edges and run through Cuttlebug ‘dots’ folder, then stick to front of bag at base. 

Stamp and emboss in black ‘Snowman’ from Nut and Meg 2 on Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper and colour hat, gloves, nose, buttons and scarf with markers as shown.

Glue onto card, cut out and attach to bag with double sided tape.

Tie top with co-ordinating ribbon.

Mr Snowman Tag

by Jacqui Chimes

Colour tag with wrinkle free distress technique using Faded Jeans, Broken China and Dusty Concord distress inks. Ink edges with Walnut Stain distress ink. Stamp ‘Tree’ from Egg and Nog 1 three times using Faded Jeans distress ink. Stamp ‘Seasons Greetings’ from Egg and Nog 4 with black ink. 

Using Stazon black ink stamp the ‘Snowman’ (SINM2)onto pearl metal. Back the metal with Humungo double sided tape and card. {technique from Lin Brown, LB crafts, or watch Leandra demo the technique in a video here}


Use a Teflon pointed tool to outline the snowman. Colour sections with permanent markers as shown.

Cut out and mount onto tag. 

Add co-ordinating ribbons.

Merry Christmas Tag

by Jacqui Chimes

Cover a large tag with Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper. Stamp and emboss in black ‘Merry Christmas’ from Nut and Meg 2 on Basic Grey Wassail plain paper. Round corners and glue jewels with Glossy Accents. 

Stamp and emboss flowers in black from Egg and Nog 2 and SIEN10 on Basic Grey papers and cut out. Layer as shown and glue jewel to centre. Mount ‘Merry Christmas’ and flower using foam dots. Add co-ordinating ribbons.

Santa's Stocking

By Jacqui Chimes

Stamp words from Egg and Nog 9 randomly in Pesto Adirondack ink onto green card tag. Stamp and emboss in black ‘stocking’ from Nut and Meg 3 and ‘Presents’ from Nut and Meg 8 onto four different colours of card and once onto white card. 

Cut out carefully and paper piece coloured pieces together on top of white card. (NB you could achieve a similar look using markers). Glue presents along bottom of tag and mount stocking using. Add co-ordinating ribbon

Oh Christmas Tree!

by Jacqui Chimes

Stamp and emboss ‘tree and presents’ (SINM3) with black ink onto a rectangle of white card. Mount onto slightly larger black card. Stamp and emboss again in onto green card then stamp and emboss the ‘presents’ only onto five further coloured card scraps. Cut out carefully. 

Mount tree with foam dots over the one stamped on white and paper piece ‘presents’ as shown. Stamp and emboss star from Nut and Meg 3 onto yellow card and cut out. Stick to top of tree. Add sticky jewels to tree. 

Stamp and emboss part of words from Egg and Nog 1 onto white card and tiny tree onto yellow card. Cut out tiny tree and add as shown. 

Use Cuttlebug ‘swirls’ folder to emboss white card and layer onto slightly larger black card. Layer as shown onto white card.

Baubles Tag

by Jacqui Chimes

Stamp ‘holly garlands’ from Egg and Nog 3 and Egg and Nog 9 over cream tag using Archival black ink. Use second generation print so it is not too dark. 

Colour tag with Distress inks in Aged Mahogany and Pine Needles. Stamp and emboss in gold ‘Merry Christmas’ from Egg and Nog 3 at bottom of tag. Use 

UTEE technique (3 coats of UTEE, then press an inked stamp into the molten UTEE) to make a tile in gold and add Pearl-ex powders to add toning colours. 

Stamp ‘baubles’ from Nut and Meg 3 using black Brilliance ink into hot UTEE. Edge tile with black marker pen and edge tag with gold Krylon. 

Mount tag onto slightly larger black card and add co-ordinating ribbons.

Poinsettia Tag

by Jacqui Chimes

Cover tag with Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper. Cut a label shape as shown out of plain paper and create a mask for centre.
Stamp 'Holly Garland' from Egg and Nog 3 onto label in Pesto ink and colour berries red with marker. 
Stamp and emboss ‘Seasons Greetings’ from Egg and Nog 4 onto space created by mask. 
Machine stitch all edges with black thread. 

 Stamp and emboss flower from Egg and Nog 10 in black four times on co-ordinating papers, cut out and layer with red brads. Glue as shown using Glossy Accents. Cover back of tag with card to hide stitching and add co-ordinating ribbons. 


A huge thanks to Jacqui for all her great ideas. We will see more of her another day (yes there is still more to come). Tags like these are lovely for gifts for friends, the postman, or teachers at school. You can't have too many! 

These samples were made before the new Rum and Raisin papers from PaperArtsy were printed. It's nice if you can use a Christmas palette for your tags and cards, and Christmas papers make it so much faster, and you don't have to think about the co-ordination so hard either. There are 14 patterns to choose from in our Rum and Raisin pack! 

You can still create your own papers with Inks or paints, or you can stamp directly onto papers like Jacqui has done. This year I am going to buy a couple of bulk rolls of coloured paper and stamp it up in gold or silver and black ink to have matching paper for the presents. I love it when the bits under the tree all match.  I will add the occasional image stamped an embossed from a patterned paper too, and then use those same papers on the card or tag. All this Christmas stuff is getting me really keen to start playing with these stamps. I hope you are too!

PaperArtsy Blog Giveaway: Please leave a comment and we'll randomly draw a name to win Nut and Meg plates 1, Nut and Meg Plate 2, and Nut and Meg Plate 3 PLUS a pack of Rum and Raisin  paper. All the stamps will come on EZ Mount worth £32.80. This offer ends midnight GMT the day of this posting, 13 September 2009, (lucky for someone)  and is open to all players worldwide.

Day 6: PaperArtsy 12 days of Christmas

Day 6: Featuring Joanne Wardle using Nut and Meg plate 6

Joanne was introduced on Day 2 as our newest DT member. She says that this stamp is her favourite of all the Christmas ones, and she has found so many ways to use it as is reflected here in these great samples. As I said before Joanne is Mrs Speedy Whizz, and these cards are beautiful, simple, and perfect if you have to make a big bundle to send out this year.

I love how fast they are to make yet they still have lovely small attentive touches that make them very special. Joanne creates wonderful projects which I love, and I’m so glad she’s on our team!

Fairy Favour
by Joanne Wardle

I can just imagine this with a little gift in it at the Christmas table, or maybe some choccies for a favourite teacher at Christmas?? It’s a simple idea, but very effective, and the recipient would be thrilled I’m sure!


Stamp the fairy image in a permanent waterproof brown ink onto cream card.


Colour parts of the image with distress inks used as watercolour stains. You can apply the ink direct to your craft sheet, dilute with water, and pick up with a paint brush to apply. The trick here is to keep the palette soft with not too many colours being introduced.


Make a favour box from cream card; stamp the edge with holly and “fairy” stamps and edge with brown ink.


Stick the fairy onto the front with foam pads, and secure the top of the box with a soft pink ribbon.


Fairy Tag
by Joanne Wardle

This uses the same technique as above. Add a Christmas Quote in brown ink.


I Heart Fairies
by Joanne Wardle

Stamp the fairy and heart in black permanent ink and colour in with markers.

Add clear stickles glitter glue to the wings and glossy accents to the heart. Cut out when dry.

Rub a worn lipstick distress ink pad onto a craft sheet and spritz with a sparkly mica spray. Dab a 3.5"x5" piece of linen card onto the ink and leave to dry.

Stamp the holly border in worn lipstick distress ink across the top of the background. Stamp the words “xmas fairy” at the bottom in black.

Add a velvet ribbon and a strip of white card cut with decorative scissors.

Attach to an A6 card blank and mount the fairy and the heart with 3d pads.

You can see from this close up the dimension of the heart, and the sparkle on the backing paper and her wings



Little Red Robin
by Joanne Wardle

Make a tall slim card by folding a 7x5 piece of card lengthwise.

Stamp the birdcage onto white card, colour with markers and cut out.

Add an eyelet and ribbon to the cage and attach to a red piece of mirror card with foam pads so that it pops off the surface.

Secure the red panel to the white card base.

Stamp the Christmas words, and then add a punched circle of red mirror card below.

A huge thanks to Joanne for her brilliant ideas with this stamp. This stamp has been a really popular choice among the Design Team. We have another project using it with metal by Jo Capper-Sandon up our sleeves on another day still to come!!

PaperArtsy Blog Giveaway: Please leave a comment and we'll randomly draw a name to win Nut and Meg Plates 6 and Nut and Meg Plate 2 on EZ Mount worth £18.80. This offer ends midnight GMT the day of this posting, 09 September 2009, and is open to all players worldwide.

Day 2: PaperArtsy 12 Days of Christmas

PaperArtsy Twelve Days of Christmas

Day 2: Featuring Joanne Wardle using Nut and Meg Plate 2

Joanne is the newest member to our design team having only been with us a couple of months, but we have already realised she is a whirlwind to keep up with - she gets the “fastest stamper in the West” prize for turning out beautiful projects faster than the mailman can deliver them.  She has a fresh clean style which works well with these Nut and Meg stamps, but she is equally versatile with our collage images, and extremely creative with her ideas to boot! Take the time to check out Joanne's blog.



Snowman Pennant 
by Joanne Wardle

This is a fun way to add some Christmas Cheer to your home. And a great project to do with the kids if you get roped into helping out at school this Christmas. Joanne describes the process:

Cut a triangle from a 7”x5” piece of white card. Rub faded jeans distress ink onto a craft sheet and spritz with a silver mica based spray. Dab the card onto this and allow it to dry. This creates an easy background paper versatile for all kinds of projects.

Once the paper is dry, spray it with the silver spray again for extra sparkle.

Stamp the snowman (SINM2) and holly decoration (SINM2)  onto white card and cut out. Colour the snowman with markers and add clear glitter glue to the edges of the snowman with stickles.
Stamp Merry Christmas directly onto the triangle in black ink.

To embellish, stamp the snowman again onto blue mirror card and cut out just the buttons and attach to main image. Punch a snowflake from blue mirror card and attach with a snowflake eyelet.

To complete, secure the holly decoration and snowman in position, add two white eyelets and silver wire to hang.

 Snowman Acetate Card 
by Joanne Wardle
Acetate is such a great substrate to use for a card. The added dimension it brings from using the inside of the card as a backdrop for the front decoration is simple yet a very striking idea.

Using a piece of acetate 15cm wide, 16 cm tall, cut a 5cm deep triangle away from the top, and fold to form an unusual shaped card.

Stamp snowman (SINM2) onto the white card, colour with markers and cut out. Stamp text background (XM4) onto white card and trim. Stick this to the inside of the card. Cut a slightly bigger piece of green card and stick this behind on the outside of the card (this will give you somewhere to write your message).

Adhere the snowman to front of card - lined up with text. Embellish with a snowflake punched from double sided adhesive, and add glitter. Add a strip of double sided tape to front and add glitter to that too.

 Gift Tags 
by Joanne Wardle

Use A7 cream card (i.e. A5 cut into quarters) folded in half, this is a great size for a small gift tag or card. 

Stamp the snowman (SINM2), directly onto the card in brown permanent ink. Colour with watery distress inks. Stamp text background (XM4) onto scrap of cream card. Cut out some words and attach with 3d foam.

TOP TIP: To create a watercolour effect with Distress Ink, either apply ink to craft sheet, spritz with water and pick up with a brush, or pick up colour direct from ink pad with a water-logged brush.

Thanks to Joanne for these wonderful ideas. These are quick and easy for those of us who need to get cracking on this year’s cards for the masses!

Christmas Spice Bag 

by Joanne Wardle

This fabulous little idea would look superb on any Christmas tree this year, and what’s more, its smells scrummy!

Stamp the Holly Image from the Ink and The Dog Collection (Xmas Plate 1) in Jet Black Archival ink onto a fine weave fabric . For example, white cotton or calico. The finer the weave of the fabric, the better the quality of the image will be.

Dry, and decorate the berries with red sequins and seed beads. Sew into a little pouch, and fill with Christmassy spices. If you leave the top open, you can re-fill each year. Attach with a clip to your tree.

Terra-Metal-Man of the Snow 

by Linda Brown (LB Crafts)

Lin is my partner in crime for the ArtsyCrafts events which we design, teach and plan together. (PS I think there is only 1 place left on the second weekend retreat) This little guy is one of the things she has been demoing at recent shows with the new Nut & Meg stamps.

Apply Viva Décor Golden Orange Terra texture directly to an arch-shaped piece of chipboard, making it thicker on one side that the other. Use you finger tool so you can feel the depth of the texture. With a damp stamp, press into the texture with Mini 44.

Dry the terra with a heat tool, or set aside to dry naturally (about 15-30 mins).

Apply Black kaiser colour paint over the top part of the arch and terra with cut and dry foam. Dry.

Stamp the snowman (SINM2) onto Pearl metal with Black StazOn ink. Use watered down Gold and Olive Viva Décor precious Metal Colour Paints with a fine paintbrush to colour the buttons, scarf, gloves, nose and hat of the snowman.

Use Gold Precious Metal Colour to highlight parts of the orange and black texture on the chipboard.

Make a tape sandwich with the stamped metal, Humungo tape and cardstock, and outline the stamped lines of the snowman with a pointed Teflon tool. Cut out, and stick the card-backed snowman to the chipboard with Matte Gel Medium or Glossy Accents.


 A huge thankyou to Joanne and Lin for their fantastic and inspiring ideas for today's post.



PaperArtsy Blog Giveaway: Please leave a comment and we’ll randomly draw a name to win Nut and Meg Plates 2 and Xmas Plate 1 on EZ Mount worth £18.80. This offer ends midnight GMT the day of this posting (05 Sept 2009), and is open to all players worldwide.

Day 1: PaperArtsy 12 Days of Christmas

PaperArtsy Twelve Days of Christmas

As our lives settle back to normal with the kids back at school and Christmas fast approaching, we thought we’d spend 12 days featuring the new Nut and Meg Christmas Stamps from PaperArtsy's Squiggly Ink Collection as created by our lovely Design Team people.

PaperArtsy recently released some new Christmas stamps called Nut and Meg. Not only will we focus on those stamps, but you’ll see some other Seasonal favourites sneak in along the way. We hope you enjoy this feature. Please leave a comment, and each day a lucky person will win the featured stamps of the day.

Day 1: Featuring Julie Harrington and Nut and Meg Plate 1
Julie is from Australia, she is the designer of our Urban Snapshots collection. Julie is an avid photographer, and her creative-style evolves in a new direction every year. Currently she is into digital scrapbooking, and she blends this with a more physical mixed media approach. She loves strong colours, and we enjoy her vibrant, unique individual approach to her creativity.

For the Birds 
by Julie Harrington
Using our new little papermache birdhouse, Julie made a colourful roost for the little metal squiggly bird. Julie describes how she made this:

Coat the sides of the house with the Ice Blue viva paint and the top with the Metallic Blackberry  colour. 

Once dry I stamped the little snowflake from SINM1 on the walls. Then I mixed a little of the Ice Blue Precious Metal Colour with the Viva Transparent crackle and I painted that crackle mix onto the walls.  It was pretty amazing.  It has actually crackled the bottom layer of paint as well so that what shows through is the natural colour of the Paper Mache box. 

On the roof I put some of the Platinum Crackle Paint which I mixed with a light moulding paste.  It crackled beautifully, and shows the Blackberry through from underneath really well, plus you get that crunchy snow-like texture from the moulding paste. 

For the decorations I stamped the lights from SINM1 and cut them out.  Coloured them to match the colour scheme and attached them to wire which I strung around the roof. 

I also stamped out the presents from SINM3, coloured them in, cut them out and glued them around the bottom of the bird house. 

For the metal bird I used the little bird from the birdcage on SINM6 onto Kiss Me Pink Ten Second Studio Metal. I cut the bird out and stuck it onto the perch.  I thought the roof needed something so it’s got this old flower off one of those house decorating flower stems that were all the rage about 15 years ago, with a sparkly, white brad in the centre.

Down Under "Frozen" Christmas 
by Julie Harrington 
This card uses a lot of left overs from other papers that have been made while cleaning up excess Viva Decor paint off brushes etc. Choose a selection of papers that work together, and stamp the tree SINM1 on each of the papers. Cut out all the tree segments. Punch circles from the lefts overs of these papers.

Onto a paint-streaked piece of card arrange punched circles randomly, and draw wobbly circles around each punched piece. Now decide which of the coloured segments to use for the tree, and stick them onto the background.

Stamp and cut out the present, and stamp the bird (SINM5) colour and secure on the present.
Smother the entire composition with Viva transparent crackle paint.
You can’t see it in the picture very easily, but the texture from the crackle is a relly nice effect. It makes the whole card front look like a scene "frozen" under clear ice.


 

Viva le Tree 
by Julie Harrington
Start by stamping the reindeer (SINM1) onto white cardstock using Weathered Wood Distress Ink.
Then using a credit card, scrape Viva Décor Precious Metal Colour Paints (Lime  and Pearl Grey) over the top until its as messy as you like it.
Stamp out the tree 4 or more times onto 4 or more different background papers.  Cut out the different layers of the tree and choose a selection to make up the tree. Glue onto the background.  

Stamp out the Christmas lights (SINM1) and the presents from (SINM5).  Cut out.  Glue some presents directly onto the back ground and using foam pads position others so that they sit raised off the background.
Place blingy brads or other buttons on corners.
Assemble using double sided tape or dry glue onto green card stock to match the viva paints used.

Rudolf picks caramel for 2009 
by Julie Harrington

The Reindeer card (or moose as I keep thinking of it) is a quick and easy card for Christmas.

Stamp out reindeer onto white cardstock and then colour using colour pencils or watercolours.  I used a caramel Bo Bunny paper as the backdrop.  On a piece of contrasting plain cardstock stamp the small snow flake and on an even smaller contrasting piece stamp out “Happy Holidays”.  Assemble.  I used glitter glue on some of the background dots on the card, the presents and on the reindeer’s stars and antlers.



A big thanks Julie for her inspired ideas with these stamps and paints.


PaperArtsy Blog Giveaway: Please leave a comment and we'll randomly draw a name to win Nut and Meg Plates 1 and 5 on EZ Mount worth £18.80. This offer ends midnight GMT the day of this posting, and is open to all players worldwide.