NEW PA PRODUCTS {by jo Firth-Young}

Hi Everyone, Leandra here with more stamps by {JoFY}...

We all love a bit of JoFY on our Christmas card, and this year we have another 2 sets that will fit the theme very nicely!

So lets take a closer look at the actual stamps...

I'll hand over now to Jo who will introduce her new products, and share with you a few ideas. Enjoy and don't forget to leave us your comments!

~ Leandra

Hi, or should I say 'ho ho ho!'.  Jo here to show you my newest stamps designed for PaperArtsy.... and brace yourselves - we're going to talk about Christmas, which according to the perky little app on my phone is 106 days away!

I am so happy with this Christmas release!  Lets start with JOFY47 and following on from last year's bauble filled cloche, I designed a cake stand stacked with lovely baubles.  On this plate there is also a really versatile parcel which can be used for all sorts of celebrations, a long with a festive tag.

I like to try and bring you a snowman each year and JOFY48 features a snowy friend who has obviously been watching the Olympic gymnasts and is inspired to try a head stand.... also on this plate is a great snowflake background - I'm going to be using that A LOT!  

Project One: {Christmas Block}

Tonight we start with a project created on a wood block (10x21cm) featuring the cake stand from JOFY47. I love love love this image (shush, don't tell the other stamps, but I think this might be my favourite stamp this year! this and the snowflake background!)  

Step 1: background

This block is relatively simple to create:

• paint block all over with Chalk Fresco Finish Paint.
• Stamp the cake stand (using Archival Jet Black ink). Dry
• Mask off the cake stand, use Antarctic Paint to stamp the snowflake background twice down the block, stopping just above the base of the cake-stand.

Step 2: The cake stand

Choice 2-3 Fresco Finish colours and paint the baubles on the cakestand. I find it best to use opaque colours to do this - remembering that translucent colours are useful to add shading.  

Colours used: 

Cake-stand: Slate/Concrete, 

Candle: Buff (NB. my original 'Buff' paint is now available in Seth Apter's paint set coming soon to your fave retailer!)

Baubles: Bougainvillea, Zucchini, Caribbean Sea - all these colours were mixed with Snowflake to make lighter tones

Garland: Pearl Glaze

Bauble caps: White Fire

Step 3: Additional Elements:

Hanging stars were stamped 4 times, at different heights and coloured with White Fire.  'Christmas' was stamped in Archival Black and painted with White Fire.  This stamp is from JOFY40.

Extra Notes: This design could easily be used on a greeting card.

Project Two: {Greeting card}

Cards are particularly popular at this time of year and I've designed several, one of which is very simple yet effective. 

Step 1: Main image

Stamp the cake-stand centrally on the card blank.  I've used a 12.5 x 12.5cm card.  Add white highlights (sigma gel pen) where you like - you could also use a metallic pen, but I like the simplicity of just using 2 colours:kraft and white.... keeping it minimal. Great for last minute cards.

Extra Notes: You could make this card more complex by matting and laying with coloured/pattered card and papers.

Project Three: {Snowflakes greeting cards}

The snowflake background from JOFY48 is going to be so useful - its detailed enough to stand on its own but open enough to be used as a background, and so I've created 3 cards to show this.  All 3 cards have the hinge at the top.

These two cards use the snowflakes as a main pattern/feature.

Card 1: Let it snow (10x15cm kraft card)

• Stamp the snowflakes onto Smoothy card using Versamark ink, add embossing powder and heat set (I've used Stampendous Kaleidoscope powder - it has a lovely sparkle - well, it is Christmas - there has to be sparkle somewhere! lol)
• Blend Mermaid Lagoon, Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feather Distress Inks over the surface. Leave to dry - don't dry with a heat gun or you will melt the embossing powder again. Buff the inks off the snowflakes. Draw around the panel with a black pen.
• I've removed the colour from the inside of the snowflakes by painting them with slighty diluted bleach. Use with caution.
• Stamp 'let it snow' onto a pennant shaped piece of card. Colour with Cracked Pistachio and Peacock feather Distress Inks.
• Attach to card blank with double sided tape, add in the sentiment pennant on top.
• Add self adhesive gems to the centre of snowflakes.

Card 2: Let it snow (10 x 15cm white card)

• Ombre paint a panel of Smoothy card with shades of pink Fresco Finish paints (Sherbet, Coral, Bougainvillea).  Set aside to dry.
• Stamp 'let it snow' onto a piece of white card. Paint with Metallic Glaze.  Set aside to dry.
• Use Metallic Glaze to stamp over the entire surface of the greeting card blank. Set aside to dry.
• Using Archival Black stamp the snowflakes over the entire ombre panel. Dry.
• Paint the detail of the larger snowflakes with Metallic Glaze.  Add additional detail with white gel pen, and self adhesive gems to centres of snowflakes.
• Cut up the 'let is snow' sentiment and add to the card as shown above.

Card 3: The Gift (10 x 10cm kraft card)

This card uses the snowflake stamp as a background to the parcel/gift from the same plate.

• Stamp the snowflakes (Archival Black) on the greeting card blank. Set aside.
• Stamp the parcel (Archival Black) twice - onto different coloured/patterned papers. I used christmas papers from my stash (great card to use up papers). Cut the parcel from one paper and the bow from the other. Match up the images and attach.
• Stamp and cut out a tag. Attach to the parcel with string.
• Attach parcel to card blank with 3d foam.

Extra Notes: Over on my blog this evening I have another showing how you can use this parcel/gift stamp for other occasions.

Project Four: {Snowman Panel}

The JOFY snowman this year is quite traditional.... He just happens to be standing on his head.  I've teamed images from JOFY48 with 'NOEL' from JOFY39 - I think they work really well together.
The wood block measures 10 x 20cm.

Step 1: Background

• Paint the surface of the wood block with Baltic Blue and Midnight Fresco paints (new colour from the Seth Apter limited edition box set), blending top to bottom. Dry.
• Paint a 4cm deep band of Snowflake paint across the bottom edge of the block to represent the ground. Dry.
• Stamp the snowman so he is on top of the white ground (see above). Stamp the snowman image (including his hat) onto scrap paper to create a mask and cut out.
• Mask off the snowman. Use Antarctic and stamp snowflakes over the entire panel, stopping at the white ground. Dry.
• Paint the snowman: Arms: Taupe, Leaves and Buttons: Zucchini. Hat and scarf: Cherry Blossom as a base layer followed by a top coat of Cherry Red (this helps to block out the blue background, giving a truer red).  Snowman: Snowflake with shading created with Taupe and Concrete mix,  Carrot: Banana and Cherry Red mix.
• Use Archival black to stamp 'let it snow' in the top third of the panel.  Paint inside the letters using Snowflake, and when dry, paint over with Metallic Glaze.
• Across the white ground add hints of texture to the snow with a mix of Taupe (lightened with Snowflake) and Metallic Glaze.
• Stamp the word Noel in Archival black and paint the letters with Taupe, with a top coat of Metallic Glaze.  Stars are painted with White Fire and the dots with Cherry Red.

Add highlights to snowflakes using Metallic Glaze.

I had a lot of fun creating these projects - I hope they inspired you to brush off any 'bah humbugs' and get started with Christmas preparations and crafting.

I look forward to seeing what you create with these festive sets.

Jo

Jo's upcoming teaching gigs...

Keep on Crafting: www.keeponcrafting.co.uk
That's Crafty: Romford, Essex  www.thatscrafty.co.uk
Birds in the Barn: Marks Tey, Essex

You can find Jo on...

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoFY.JoFirthYoung

Twitter: @JoFYjo

Instagram: JoFYjo

Blog: www.jofirthyoung.blogspot.com

Lovely to see another amazing Christmas release from Jo! I know you adore using her stamps, especially when you have to tackle the long Christmas list, they can be used minimalist and simple or detailed depending on how much time you have to make them!

All these stamps are available now from your favourite PaperArtsy stockist, as you know,  we urge you to support your local independent retailer.

Below is a list of the retailers who have already got these new releases in stock ready for you to buy NOW!

Enjoy!

~Leandra 

PaperArtsy Stockists around the world with our newest stamps are....

United Kingdom

Artist Trading Post, Powys, Wales.

Artworks, Nottingham.

BellaCrafts, Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Birds in the Barn, Marks Tey, Essex.

Blade Rubber Stamps, Bloomsbury, London.

Clacton Arts and Crafts, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Countryview Crafts, Potton, Bedfordshire.

Craftylicious, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Crafty Ideas, Studly, Warwickshire.

Keep On Crafting, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Loobi Crafts, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

Out of the Blue, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol.

Papermaze, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Rowantree Crafts, Carnforth, Lancashire.

Simply Craft, South Glamorgan, Wales.

Stampers Grove, Edinburgh.

That's Crafty, Romford, Essex.

The Artistic Stamper, Faversham, Kent.

The Craft Barn, Merstham, Surrey.

The Craft Den, March, Cambridgshire.

The Forget Me Not Kraft Kabin, Hockley, Essex.

Continental Europe

Expression-Hobby, Marcinelle, Belgium.

Kerudoc Creations, St Yvi, France

Toutencolle, Dun Sur Auron, France.

Stempelfee-Shop, Hilden, Germany.

Stempeloase Munich, Munich, Germany.

Marte, Savona, Italy

Creafine, Papendrecht, Netherlands.

Bianca's Toko, Drenthe, Netherlands.

Hobbycompleet de Duif, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

Leuke Stempels, Nijverdal, Netherlands.

Cien por cien Manualidades, S.L, Barcelona, Spain

Manu Tam, Madrid, Spain.

Big Time Stempel, Gockhaisen, Switzerland.

USA/ Canada

Artistic Studio Creations, Fayetteville, Georgia.

Frantic Stamper Inc, Eagle Point, Oregon.

Kept Creations, Whitman, Massachusetts.

Scrap and Bean, Alberta, Canada. 

Simon Says Stamp, Columbus, Ohio.

Vintage in KC, Johnson, Kansas.

UAE

Paper Lane, Dubai, UAE.

Asia/ Pacific/ Africa

Tiny Dots, Chiba, Japan.

Mandy's Cards, Taipei, Taiwan

Crafters Cupboard Pty Ltd,Berwick, Victoria, Australia.

Scrapbook Studio, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

Stencil Art, Gauteng, South Africa.