NEW PaperArtsy {2013} Products: Sara Naumann

Welcome to new Designer for PaperArtsy.....Sara Naumann!

We are very excited about this collection from Sara that fits nicely into our Eclectica³ Guest Series. We all know how popular journalling is these days, but Sara has taken great care to create stamps that are versatile for other crafting options too: cards, scrap booking or altered art...I think these stamps suit it all. Ohh, so this sample below not only features Jo's stamps, but the lovely writing in black are elements from Sara's Eclectica³ collection

The 'Sara' Story  - when Leandra met Sara...back in the day
From 2002-2004, before I started PaperArtsy, as you know, I used to teach classes in the local hall. We regularly would incorporate Hot Off the Press products into our projects. Sara, a Hot off the Press employee, was heavily involved with product development and education for HOTP, and subsequently became the company Vice President. 

I first met her in 2004, when we launched PaperArtsy to the trade here in the UK, and HOTP President, Pauline came by our stand in the Bright Sparks Pavillion at the 'Stitches' trade show. Pauline instantly was interested in our product, and said 'ohhhhhh, Wow, Sara has to drop by and see your stuff'. So I was pretty excited when she did. We have been in regular contact ever since, and have frequently caught up at trade conventions and art retreats over the years. 

I'm not sure Sara knows this, but before we started PaperArtsy, about 10 years ago, we went to a CHA trade show and Mr PaperArtsy actually got kicked out of one of her classes for talking too much! It was pretty funny ...he was kind of distracted....I'll explain...

At CHA the classes can be huge with often up to 50 retailers in a class. I had double booked classes, but didn't realise until the last minute, so Mark did one class while I did another. He arrived to class really late due to our mix up, which wasn't a good start, and of course he had no basic kit with him, and at that time, no real craft know-how either. Oops.  Not an ideal student!

That day, while walking the show, we somehow randomly met another kiwi couple Jenny Sutherland, and her husband, Peter. Never expecting to see them again at such an enormous show, you can imagine Marks' surprise to find them in the same class that Sara was teaching, smirking at his late arrival. Obviously Jenny was more on task than Pete, who, like Mark, really didn't know much about what was going on. Of course, Mark was thrilled to see a familiar (male) face, as was Pete...and naturally they got chatting about rugby, New Zealand news etc etc. Those boys sure can talk, and it wasn't long before it was politely suggested to them they leave the class....LOL ...So they did the honorable thing and left class...and heads down, headed for the bar! Obviously not committed crafters at all!

Since then, Sara has moved on from HOTP, but not before also becoming a board member herself for the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) USA. She is well recognised in the Industry for her ability to spot trends, and she frequently writes articles for various trade and consumer publications as well as teaching at events like Art and Soul and online classes. She also, very importantly, is now a Mum, and she is currently lives with her family in Poland (but that's another story).

What was the inspiration behind this collection your have created?
I love flea markets, used book sales, vintage fairs, the recycling center...basically any place where people have put out boxes of old papers, letters, music, books—you'll find me there, happily digging through the dust. I use these to create what I call "found poetry", which is cutting words and phrases from books and using them along with a stamped, photographed or found image. Yet a tiny piece of me felt a bit hesitant chopping up these old bits and using them in collage work, since they're unique and there's no replacing them! Of course, if these words and snippets and old letters and vintage treasures are made into stamps, you can use them over and over...and customize them with different techniques and applications.

How do you envisage people could use these stamps?
Art journaling was my first thought, but the designs are super-versatile in size, style and application so they could also be used for cards, ATCs, scrapbooks and altered art.

If people want to take a class with you, how, when, where can they do so?
Because I currently live in Poland, online is the best option. I teach video classes at Creative Workshops (www.creativeworkshops.ning) and will launch more video classes and e-books on my website (www.saranaumann.com) this year. I also teach in person at The New Label Project in Amsterdam (this March) and at Art & Soul (artandsoulretreat.com) in Portland, Oregon in the autumn.

What are your online handles (twitter/ facebook/ Pinterest/ Instagram/ Blog etc) so people can follow you?
My blog is on my website at www.saranaumann.com
I also have a twice-monthly email newsletter, which people can sign up for on my website.
Facebook is sara.naumann.75@facebook.com
Twitter is @SaraCnaumann  

What is your crafting passion right now, and how does that differ from 5 and 10 years ago?
My passion is decidedly mixed-media, combining different elements onto one piece—paint and photos, ink and metal, and so on...yet I am also rooted in the paper arts, working mostly on paper substrates, rather than, say, assemblage. Since moving from the US (and it's abundance of craft stores) to a place where "crafting" isn't as widely accessible, I've become much more self-reliant on making do with what's in my crafty stash or available at flea markets and art stores...so, fewer ready-made or "trendy" materials. I love seeing what's new in the market, but I also love the vintage and classic styles.

Eclectica³ Rubber Stamps from Sara Naumann
As you can no doubt see yourself, these are going to be great fun to work with, for scrapbookers, card markers, but I think the Journalling buff will certainly be top of the queue....now which ones do I start with???

Sara was itching to get her hands on these to have a project for this blog post, but with postal times to Poland, and travel time for her coming to the UK this week, well it just wasn;t possible. But designers to the rescue, they have done stunning stuff with her stamps.

Ideas with these Stamps from our Designers....

Gillian Simson
It was a bit of a shock for Gillian when Sara's stamps arrived in the post at her house. I hadn't had time to peel and stick them so all the stamps were in a bag with the index sheets...she had to piece everything to the right place, but when you think about it, new stamps, she was sworn to silence, and oh the fun of working out what went where, it was all a bit like some kind of mad secret game! She's done a fabulous job making samples in zero days and I love what she has done! Go to her blog to see how she did it all!

Alison Bomber

Alison's ideas with these stamps are reflected with quite different styles, the brown nods to the Vintage era, and yet her inky-coloured projects are a totally different style, so she's totally captured the versatility. Go to her blog for details and full pictures.

Sue Carrington
Sue has snippety sneaks of her gorgeous contributions here, but if you want all the details, then hop on over to her blog to find out what she has been up to. Loving the autumnal tones on the texture below!!

Michelle Webb
Poor Michelle had to wait longer than everyone else to get this through her mailbox, but she didn't hold back and has gone boom-me-up-uber-bright with dye sprays, paints and beyond. This style of stamping is right up her alley, and she is loving it, go check out her blog asap!.

Well, that has no doubt set your head spinning! 3 days of stamps, stamps and more stamps! How on earth do we choose!

Today we are in Birmingham setting up the stand at the Trade show where we are releasing all these products to shops from the UK, Europe and beyond. Tomorrow the customers will roll in, and Leandra will be teaching a class using a blend of all the stamps you have seen in the last few days. But for those of you who aren't at the tradeshow, there is another blog post at noon tomorrow with all the rest of the new PaperArtsy products! And there is quite a lot more to come I can tell you!

See you there
Leandra