2018 #18 Stamp Platforms: Stamping-a-round with JOFY {by Jo Firth-Young]

 2018 Topic 18: Stamp Platform Techniques

Well talk about kick of the topic with a spin! It's Jo sharing a great way to get your head and stamps literally spinning in tune with your stamp platform!! This is going to be fun fun fun!!!! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Jo (www.jofirthyoung.blogspot.com) with you today, and I'd like to share with you a ROUND project I made with my Stamping Platform... oh yes, you read that correctly - a round project.

I think the stamping platform is a great addition to the toolbox of any stamper, and after I'd been using mine for a while I started to wonder if it couldn't be used for more than just squares and rectangles... that would be too restrictive for such a good piece of kit!  It had to be able to do more, sureIy!

The idea of working on a circular design came to me while I was stamping an image and rotating the page to stamp on all sides.... rotating... like a wheel... wheels are round... ROUND!!! A round/circle is simply a square with the corners cut off (if you see what I mean!) - so a circle would fit into the Stamping Platform in the same way as a square - touching the top and side edges equally....I couldn't find a compass fast enough to draw a circle to test out the theory! lol

I needed to draw a circle that was big enough to allow for lots of images but small enough to fit into my stamping platform (I have the 'Crafts Too' platform) and as my compass didn't stretch far enough I had to search out something to draw round - I went into the kitchen and found a side plate which was an ideal size (8.5in/21.5cm).

I made a rough draft of the proposed plan by drawing around the plate.  I then cut the circle out, folded it in half and measured 30 degree intervals around the edge with a protractor.

I drew around the plate again - this time onto a sheet of 12x12 Smoothy and transferred the measurements adding a small line at the edge in pencil. I also marked the centre as that will be needed later.

Here is the circle in the stamping platform - you can see how it sits against the top and side.  Each time I stamp I'll  rotate the circle round to another marker.  Stamp, rotate, repeat.

Here are the inks and paints I chose to work with... Peach Nectar, Zucchini, Sherbet and Lake Wanaka Frescos, Peeled Paint and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide, Leaf Green and Jet Black Archival ink.

I always start with the biggest image so that everything else can fit around it, and in this case over the top of the image so it sits in the background.  I created a simple mask to protect the centre and opposite side of what is going to become a 'wreath' style design.  I stamped this image at every-other  30 degree mark (stamping it at every one would've been too busy, cluttered).

This is the seedhead from JOFY38.

I stamped 2 more rotations of images (seed-head silhouette JOFY63, tall stem JOFY61), with leaf masked off each time.

I decided that, instead of masking off the centre each time, it would be easier if I cut the centre out.  I did this by using the mark I'd made earlier and  drawing a suitable sized circle with the compass. I cut out with a scalpel - much neater than scissors.

I stamped more images all around the circle - laying them in place to see how they would fit. I thought it would be good if one of the images flowed over the edge of the circle - to stop the circle seeming too rigid.

I did this in two stages - stamped the stem (centre of plate JOFY54) and then added the flower head ( lower left from plate JOFY53).

There is open space in the corners of the Stamping Platform and this is where I positioned the flower head (the stem shown below was removed before I stamped the flower head).

To add a bit more 'greenery' I stamped the tall solid swirly stem from JOFY53, and then began to think about adding all the finishing details and colour.

I stamped the flowerhead again onto book text & scrapbook papers so they could be cut out and paper-pieced onto the matching images on the wreath.

I painted leaves and flower buds with Fresco Finish paints...

I shaded& softened the edges of the ring with Distress Oxides inks...

When I'd finished colouring everything, and added seed-head die cuts, it still looked 'unfinished' - it needed to be mounted.... back into the kitchen to see what I could find to draw round...

Sometimes you have to think outside the box (and the craft room) to find a solution...

Yes, that is a small (clean!) frying pan - perfect size!!

Here is a close up of the elements on  ring.  I added the word 'summer' because the wreath is quite summery and the band looked 'bare' without 'something'... its from JM15...

Now I've made a 'summer' wreath I wonder if I should make 3 more - one for each season! That would be lovely wouldn't it - especially a winter version full of snowflakes!

This was such nice project to make - and so good to know that you can use the stamping platform for shapes other that squares and rectangles - HEXAGONS!! you could use it for those too!

Limitless!

I hope this has inspired you to work with your stamping platforms - they really a brilliant piece of kit!.

Take care

Jo

Blog: jofirthyoung.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/JoFY.JoFirthYoung/
Twitter: @jofyjo
Instagram: @jofyjo
Pinterest: @jofyjo

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The current topic link Topic 18: Stamp Platform Techniques will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, 28th October 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

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