Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that makes you smile. We're not quantified; there's no chart of desire. When the roaring flames of your heart have burned down to embers, may you find that you have married your best friend. [Steven Tyler]

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Ink, Stamps and Rock 'n' Roll

Earlier this week I had reason to get out some very fine detail stamps - Photo realistic stamps, for something I'm doing at work. Well, as I've been on leave this week it has given me extra time to play (or it should have).

I haven't been able to do much as I've been suffering terribly with conjunctivitis. First in the right eye and then the left. Ughhh! Total frustration. I've had the time to do things for me, to take time and enjoy what I'm doing and I can't even see to stick things down straight. OK, moan over..... the eyes are definitely (hopefully) on the mend. So yesterday and today I've been messing around with my photo realistic stamps. I didn't realise I had so many until I fished them all out.

This is what's been playing in the studio, loudly!

Something old and something new, both brilliant. It's really hard to sit still with this stuff playing!

Both of the stamps I've used in the following pieces are by Stampsmith. They have the most amazing collection of stamps.




This delightful cat stamp is called 'Princess'. I stamped in black ink and just left it at that. The detail is all going on around the focal image. I used some lovely paw-print brads and some rub-ons to accent the lay-out.

In the second piece I used one of Stampsmith's best known stamps - Ophelia. This was the very first Stampsmith image I bought and there's a bit of a story to it. I'm going back at least six years to a day when I decided to try to find a craft company that I'd seen advertised in some of the craft magazines. It was before I had a Tom Tom sat nav so I set off armed with the stores phone number and a rough idea of the general direction in which I was heading. I reckoned it would be about a fifty minute drive, possibly an hour as I didn't know where I was going.

After driving around aimlessly for well over an hour I thought I'd better pull over and ring them for specific directions. When the phone answered I got a very helpful lady called Emma who told me exactly how to find them and off I set again. This time I followed Emma's directions to the letter and fifteen minutes later I pulled into the car park and parked my car outside of Graphicus! Emma was indeed, extremely helpful. She ordered the 'Ophelia' stamp for me direct from Stampsmith in New York. This was on the Monday.... you can imagine my astonishment when on Friday of the same week, Emma rang me to say my stamp had arrived. Wow! was I impressed. And that was how I found Graphicus. It was of course in the days when they were located just outside of West Auckland village at High Etherley.




This time I stamped Ophelia in brown ink and I created a border by randomly stamping around the edge with the Christmas Rose stamp from Elusive Images. I added some gentle colour using a large stipple brush and dye inks in soft colours and used a selection of Stickles glitter glue to highlight Ophelia's hair adornments. On the next layer I chose ArtWords from the Diamond Art themeplate to overstamp the background.

Ophelia is available in several versions, from tiny to the large image I used here (Size: 3 3/4 in. wide x 4 1/2 in. high) and they also make the large Ophelia looking left.

I'm sorry about the poor lighting in the photographs, I'm really disappointed with the results. My workroom has fantastic lighting for crafting by but it's lousy for photography! If the sun shines tomorrow I'll get better shots and edit this post so that you can really see the colours. It also doesn't help when I'm jigging around to Kid Rock's - Rock N Roll Jesus!!!

16 comments:

Phree said...

Oh, these are lovely, especially the Ophelia image.... just gorgeous!

Moira said...

Lynn these are lovely stamps and gorgeous pieces. Is the Amaryllis on the music paper behind Princess part of the paper or a rub on or something else? It looks wonderful. I did not use my Stampsmith stamp to make the cards I was planning on as when I tried it I thought it too girly for a chap, so used the Graphicus Guild member stamp from this month instead painted with Ecolines instead which worked very well for a chap. I love to visit your blog always full of lovely things. And what is this about more classes in November!!!!!!!! Where do I sign up

veronica said...

have to say I love the Ophelia card - you have converted me, as haven't been too keen on photostamps up til now....

Anonymous said...

These are gorgeous, the Ophelia one makes me think of the Creme de Rouge colours - I feel inspired to dig out my Stampsmith again now!

Glenda

Sandra said...

I love both of them. The colours are so pretty and soft but really show off the images.

Sandra

Anonymous said...

Hi there, a quick update.....
I'm glad that the post has inspired some of you to pull out those Stampsmith stamps.
Moira: the Amaryllis is actually a 3xply napkin that I stripped down to just the top layer, scrunched up and applied over the top of a piece of sheet music. It was then distressed with a stipple brush and Walnut Distress Ink. I often do this when I want a quick and unique backgrown but don't have the stamps needed to create it. I have a drawer full of paper napkins (for this purpose of course) and not for use when eating cake!
The workshops are in my sidebar on the blog and the full list of all tutors workshops through to December is published in the new Graphicus Guild Newsletter (Sept 08). The full timetable will go up on the Graphicus website in about two weeks, after the Guild members have had first pick at the places available.
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments!

Annette Lee said...

Lynne
I love what you've been playing with here - inspirational. Got me digging out stamps from the cupboard - can you hear the distant groans fron husband and kids!!

Paper Engineer said...

Truly inspirational, as usual Lynn. I've also got a collection of napkins for the same reason (backgrounds, not cake!) and there are some wonderful designs out there. I'm also interested in the music - Kid Rocks n Roll Jesus. Must ask you where to get it when I next see you.

acrylik said...

Hope you're feeling much better now.

Fab music choices! I can just see you rocking and crafting away!

Beautiful artwork, as ever, Lynn, a real inspiration.

craftimamma said...

These are just so beautiful Lynn. I have admired the Stampsmith stamps for some tim. This post might just give me the confidence to try using one.

Sorry to hear your week has been marred by sore eyes.

Lesley

artyfartykat said...

Oh Lynn, I hope your eyes are feeling better, I bet its been frustrating for you.
The cards are gorgeous too! Ophelia was my first Stampsmith stamp too and she is beautiful, but isn't Princess cute?!
Love the curled metal flowers too!

Helen said...

These are gorgeous Lynn. Love the way you've used the Christmas Rose to make a border - really good idea.

"Create Beauty" said...

Hi Lynn, That is so beautiful. I really like that Ophelia stamp and what you did with it. Enjoyed your comment on my blog ... thanks for visiting it and chatting! How long ago was it that you had your 2 Afghan Hounds?

Chris said...

Hi Lynn, sorry to hear about your eyes, hope it's cleared up now.

I love your Ophelia card, she was the first u/m stamp I ever bought and is the only photo stamp I get on with!

I received my Guild newsletter yesterday and if I can get some time I'm going to have a go at your gorgeous Xmas organiser.

Debby said...

You're right. Both of your music choices are brilliant and they are both 2 of my favorite artsts. You creations are stunning. Really beautiful. I must pull out my Elvis photo stamp that I purchased from Stampsmith. So fun.

UKMUMINUSA said...

Beautiful cards as always Lynn.I have some stamps from stampsmith but have never used them, they are so detailed. Maybe when there is 26 hours in a day eh!!!Summer has come and gone here all of a sudden it turned cold. I am now waiting for the snow to arrive, maybe this year it will not be as much as our first year here! The trees are starting to change colour and it looks beautiful.