A note from Leandra:
It feels like at least 2 years that Alison and I have been chatting about this new direction for Alison with her hand-drawn sketches coordinating with her hand-picked ephemera. This collection screams Alison and I know she is as excited as I about how personal these are and truly representational of her creative style.
Alison will be LIVE with her new products and ideas over in our Facebook Group, PaperArtsy People shortly after this post publishes. I really hope you can drop by or catch the replay. You will love seeing what Alison has made with these for sure!
For the next few months, these stamps are only available EXCLUSIVELY from our approved stockists. Please check the list at the foot of this post of from the home page tab of the blog.
Hi, everyone! Alison here from Words and Pictures, and I'm thrilled to share my latest release for PaperArtsy with you - three new stamp sets with a whole new look for me. You all know my quote collections... words, words and more words. This has been a very long time in coming, but Words and Pictures finally has Pictures as well as the Words!
These sets are very personal - they're botanical, theatrical, poetical and historical, with some family history in the mix too... they're essentially me on a stamp plate. We're in a world of herbal prescriptions, Shakespearean wordplay and all the beauty of nature.
Followers of mine will know that nature, plants and flowers play a huge role in my creative life. The botanical sketches here are inspired by my explorations during Inktober in the last couple of years, and I'm so happy we're starting with an autumnal collection, as I have plenty of ideas to draw on for that season. Every one of my 2021 Inktober watercolour paintings started with sketches just like the ones I'm sharing here.
You'll find my love of theatre running through these sets too, and particularly of Shakespeare. When most people think of vintage, they're thinking Victorian or Edwardian or even early 20th century. I love that look, but my heart really belongs to a time a few hundred years earlier... to the 16th and 17th centuries - the age of Shakespeare and of huge advances in knowledge - as well as the 18th century, another golden age of theatre and the Enlightenment. So the ephemera here often reflect those earlier "vintages", a different kind of style, though there are also elements drawn from my own family history, and of more recent date.
As you'll see from the samples, I've been having a lovely time so far, and I know it's only the start of my journey with these botanical, theatrical stamps.
Price: RRP €21.92 +VAT Size:5" x 6" (13 x16.5cm)
All stamps are individually trimmed onto cling foam with a laminated storage/index sheet.
All stamps are individually trimmed onto cling foam with a laminated storage/index sheet.
Eclectica³ Alison Bomber 24 - Blackberries Edition (EAB24)
Blackberries Project 1: "Very pleasant in taste"
The blackberries in this Blackberries Edition plate are so much fun to play with... whether you colour them in or not. In this first project, you can see them painted in watercolours on the card, but I think they're equally effective simply stamped on the envelope.
The words are from Culpeper's Herbal, which was one of the principal reference tomes of choice in 1653. It details all the medicinal properties of pretty much any flower, tree or herb you can think of. I think that makes it the perfect accompaniment to the botanical sketches. Oh, and I love that you can have your blackberries as ripe or unripe as you like - or even turn them into raspberries if you like!
But if you don't fancy all that colouring in, here they are just stamped in Potting Soil Archival on the envelope, and I think they look lovely just like that...
... with an extra little flourish on the reverse...
Blackberries Project 2: Blackberry "sketchbook"
I wanted to share a little bonus project here for each set, as I think it gives you a really lovely overview of the atmosphere of the plates. With each of the sets, I started out just by stamping the entire plate as a plate - and suddenly discovered that even that simple act made me truly happy! So I converted those images into pages in a "sketchbook", and used them to explore for myself what these stamps might get up to.
On the facing page you have just the botanical sketches, and you can see that you can change the way round you stamp them, so you can have the stems growing from pretty much any direction you like. (On the large sketch you just have to tape over the words while you ink it up, then remove the tape before stamping... unless you want to have the words going any which way you choose too!) They're so good for practising your watercolouring with - keeping it loose, or going full detailed botanical... you can stamp and stamp and stamp and colour and colour and colour!
The large piece of ephemera here is the one with the family connection I was talking about. It's my relative Martha Pollak's 1905 music report from the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts (she was my grandfather's cousin). Her branch of the family made their escape to the United States rather than the UK. Martha became a renowned concert pianist, and played a solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 1956.
I'm so proud and excited to have one of her childhood school reports here as a stamp to play with. (The nubile nymphs in the circular stamp are from one of her recital programmes.). And, of course, the plate wouldn't be complete for me without a quote included! Here it's Dickens admiring the autumnal berries all around him.
Eclectica³ Alison Bomber 25 - Acorn Edition (EAB25)
Acorn Project 1: Branching out
These sketches come from a watercolour inspiration, but it doesn't have to be all about the watercolouring when you play with them. On this tag, I've gone for some very simple stamping again, and then an outline trim - simpler than full-on fussy-cutting! - which makes the elements perfect for layering in a collage or a mixed media spread.
In the background, you can see what might be my new favourite ephemera stamp... it's the wording from the frontispiece of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623. Some of you know that my other creative life is lived as a text and voice coach for the theatre, specialising in Shakespeare, so this one comes straight from the heart. And it had to be paired with the acorns, as Shakespeare so often mentions oak trees in the plays. (The only plant he names more often is the rose, and that's at least partly because of all the red rose/white rose stuff in the History plays!).
And of course, you know me... where there's one tag, there are likely to be more! I love working in sets, especially trios (Shakespeare is also extremely fond of the rule of three in his wordplay!), so there are matching tags using the other plates to go with this one.
Acorn Project 2: Oak tree "sketchbook"
And here are my sketchbook pages playing with the Acorn Edition stamp plate for the first time.
Again, the plate as it comes stamps beautifully as a whole... you get your acorns and gnarled branches, Culpeper's advice on the medicinal properties of the acorn, the thought-provoking Emerson quote, and of course that Folio frontispiece.
The seal is borrowed from the foot of Martha's music report in the Bramble Edition plate, altered a little to make it more delicate in a full-size stamping.
And on the facing page I had a lovely time again playing with some really loose, splashy watercolouring vs more controlled versions, and also with adjusting the angles and the seasons a little - from late spring/early summer all in fresh greens, through to full on burnished, glossy autumn.
Eclectica³ Alison Bomber Set 26 - Rosehips Edition (EAB26)
Rosehips Project 1: Gentle Ghosts
As Culpeper says, the rosehips will "gently bind the belly" (good after an indulgent night out, then), and their gentleness is here in the soft ghostly glow of the hips against the Distress Ink background.
I wanted to experiment with stamping direct onto one of my inky backgrounds - embossed with Wow Primary Bark powder to give the images a little more oomph. I love the look of this, but as I started to add my minimal black & white cluster collages, the stamps vanished a little too much into the background.
A little thought and a gentle wash of gesso brought them right back into focus. I've also got that soothing advice from Culpeper running through the background, stamped in Pebble Beach Archival to create a subtle bit of detail.
And yes, you know it from the process photo... where there's one tag, there are usually three. I could hardly believe it when I was looking through the tiny Tim Holtz Number Strips and found the one for the Blackberries tag... take a look!
Rosehips Project 2: Rosehip "sketchbook"
Let's take a peep inside the Rosehip sketchbook, just to check out the whole stamp plate, and have another bit of watercolour practice...
The ephemera here is again Shakespearean, but this time a playbill from 1765 for a performance of Romeo and Juliet. These 18th century theatre posters have always delighted me - they give so many details about what you're going to see, including the warm-up acts and interval entertainments, not to mention the entire cast list. It makes for a great background stamp, as well as a gorgeous bit of ephemera in its own right (more of that at the end of the post). And we know Shakespeare mentioned roses a lot, but why Romeo and Juliet for this particular stamp plate? Well, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet".
The stamp is from the top of Martha's music report - linking all the sets together in another way. The quote by Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex is to be taken with a pinch of salt, mind you... given that he was extremely close to Elizabeth I (possibly her lover, like his step-father Robert Dudley before him), and then later led an attempted coup against her. I highly doubt that he'd have been content to live out his days with "hips and haws and brambleberrys"!
But I would definitely be content to live out my days stamping and painting and playing with these stamp sets in my "sketchbook".
Process Project: Apothecary's Acorn Advice
Let me share one project with you in a little more detail. With the Culpeper's Herbal as a major element in these botanical stamps, my mind runs immediately to an apothecary, dispensing herbal remedies and medical advice.
I had created three watercolour postcards. The blackberry one became the card you saw first in this post, the rosehip one will just have to be saved for another day, but the acorn one went on a more elaborate journey as the background for this dimensional frame, with bottles of distilled plant-based cure-alls nestled in the corners, and more ingredients lying around.
First I used a little Pumice Stone Distress Ink to create a look of aged paper on my watercolour postcard, and dismantled the very ugly white melamine frame.
I got my stamping platform out to stamp the Culpeper Acorn Advice with the little acorn sprig, and used some Daniel Smith watercolours to paint it, before restamping to add back the definition.
I continued with the acorn stamps until I had a nice "frame" around the words, watercolouring to show all the stages of the ripening acorns on the way. I added some strips of Idea-ology Design Tape and Trims, as well as stamping the seal in the corner.
The frame meanwhile had had a coat of Fresco Chalk Finish Acrylic in Slate, a smear of Crackle Glaze, and a topcoat of Cloud 9 to create a weathered wood background all over.
And once that was dry, I added some unadorned stamping of the acorns as well as the Shakespeare Folio stamp, with some more Design Tape and Trims in various places.
The rest was pretty simple - adding labels to my apothecary's jars, gathering the acorns and pinecones from the stash and gluing it all in place, but I'm very happy with the result. With luck, if you click this link when you're done here, you can see it from all angles in a video over on YouTube (fingers crossed!).
I would be lying if I said that's all, folks... there's so much I haven't got round to sharing with you. Here are a couple of quick glimpses...
Some simple bookmarks or get-well-soon notelets - no need for perfect colouring in to bring these images to life... these are really just loose splodges of colour:
Aged ephemera to layer into collages, or to use in junk journals or notebooks (see below!):
Playing with the quotes on an autumnal Distress Ink background, images painted with Fresco paints:
Adding decoration in my traveller's notebook (a fussy-cutter's paradise - not mine!):
If that's whetted your appetite, they will all be putting in an appearance in the Live over on Facebook, as well as being shared in more detail (as will these projects here) on my blog and on Instagram in the coming days and weeks.
I think you can probably tell that I am thrilled that I finally took the step of adding some pictures to my words. Leandra and I have been discussing this move for a few years now, and I've always backed out at the last minute, not feeling ready. But I think I was right to wait - the ideas have been percolating and developing and the time was right at last. I really hope that you will enjoy these new stamps as much as I am.
And keep your eyes peeled for news of online workshops coming soon...
Thank you so much for joining me on this exciting launch night, and I can't wait to hear what you think.
Socials...
Website: Words and Pictures
Instagram: @w0rdsandp1ctures and @b0hem1anh0me
Pinterest: butterfly crafter
Facebook: Words & Pictures
Teaching Schedule: tbc!
Below is a list of the retailers who have already got these new releases in stock ready for you to buy NOW!
PaperArtsy Stockist List
Our stockists are your go-to source for all PaperArtsy products, and we suggest that you also use the PaperArtsy People Facebook group to source a retailer in your country. Many are members of our FB group and will happily share links to their online stores.
Australia
Bev's Cross Crafts, Spreyton, Tasmania https://www.bevscrosscrafts.com.au/
Crafters Cupboard, Berwick, Victoria www.crafterscupboard.com.au
Memories on the Murray, Murray Bridge, SA https://www.memoriesonthemurray.net/
Natalie May Scrapbooking, Dover Gardens, SA https://nataliemay.com.au/
Scrapbook Superstore & More, South Penrith, NSW https://www.scrapbooksuperstore.com.au/
The Scrapbooker's Confetti Box, Swansea, NSW https://thescrapbookersconfettibox.com/
The Scrapbook Store, North Perth,WA http://thescrapbookstore.com.au/
Time To Create, www.timetocreate.com.au
Time To Create, www.timetocreate.com.au
Belgium
Cart N Scrap Art, Antwerp, www.cartnscrapart.be
Créatelier Caracolle, Liège, www.createliercaracolle.be
Canada
Clipper Street Scrapbook Company, Langley, BC. www.clipperstreet.com
Paper Art Creations Inc, Leduc, Alberta, www.paperartcreations.com/
Scrapbook Centrale, Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec www.scrapbookcentrale.ca
Scrapbook Centrale, Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec www.scrapbookcentrale.ca
Scrap Addicts, Edmonton, Alberta www.scrapaddicts.ca/
Scrap and Bean, Edmonton, Alberta scrapandbean.com/
Scrapbooking Fairies, Drayton Valley, Alberta www.scrapbookingfairies.com/
The Paper & ink Boutique, Calgary, Alberta www.paperandinkboutique.com/
The Scrap Yard, Calgary, Alberta, www.thescrapyardcalgary.com/
The Scrap Yard, Calgary, Alberta, www.thescrapyardcalgary.com/
Denmark
Hobbyboden Scrapworld Samso www.hobbyboden.dk
France
Eirl Bancon Cartoscrap, Midi Pyrenees, www.cartoscrap.com
Fée Du Scrap, Saint Sébastien-Sur-Loire, www.feeduscrap.fr/
Horizon Créatif, Ste Jalle www.horizon-creatif.fr
Instant Créatif, La Possession, La Réunion, www.icreatif.re
Katzelkraft, Ingwiller www.katzelkraft.fr/en/
Kerudoc Creation, St Yvi www.kerudoccreation.com
Le Grenier des filles, Pierre Benite
Page de scrap, Saint Pavace, www.pagedescrap.fr/
Scrap Déco Home, Goutrens, www.scrapdecohome.fr/
Toutencolle, Dun sur Avon www.toutencolle.fr
Finland
Heidin Korttipaja, Istunmaki, www.korttipaja.fi/fi
Piia Paper, Kittilä, www.piiapaper.com/fi
Germany
Stempelbar, Berlin, www.stempelbar.de
Stempeloase Munich, Munich www.stempeloase.de
Stempelfee Shop, Hilden www.stempelfee-shop.de
Stempellaedle, Stuttgart, www.stempellaedle.de/shop
Greece
Scraps N Pieces, Kallithea www.scrapsnpieces.gr
Italy
Immagine SAS di Rapaccini, Rome, www.immaginelab.com
Il Negozio Della Mamma Di Cle, Torino, www.ilnegoziodellamammadicle.com
Marte Savona, Savona, www.martesavona.it
Pezze E Colori, Lissone, www.pezzeecolori.it/
Piccole Passioni, Siena, www.piccolepassioni.it
Piccole Passioni, Siena, www.piccolepassioni.it
Japan
La Wadao, Odawara, Kanagawa, www.lawadao.com
Tiny Dots, Funabashi-shi, Chiba www.tinydots.shop-pro.jp
Netherlands
De Hobbystudio, Genemuiden, www.dehobbystudio.nl/
Doe@ding,Spijkenisse doeading.nl/
Hobbycompleet de Duif, Leeuwarden www.hobbycompleet.nl
Stampingcorner, Capelle Aan Den Ijssel www.stampingcorner.nl
Norway
Hobbygarasjen, Kopervik, www.Hobbygarasjen.no
Spain
Cien por Cien Manualidades, Barcelona, www.100x100manualidades.es
Ideas 10 Manualidades Y Scrapbook, Bilbao ideas10manualidades.com/
Marakiscrap, Tarragona, www.marakiscrap.com
Scrap & Papers Experiences, Barcelona, www.scrappapersexperiences.com
The Paradise Corner, Barcelona, www.theparadisecorner.com
Sweden
Butik Elva, Staffanstorp, www.butikelva.se
Taiwan
Mandy's Cards, Taipei www.facebook.com/mandy.card.77
United Kingdom
Amelia's Creative Crafts, Studley, Warwickshire www.ameliascreativecrafts.co.uk
Art from the Heart, Harrogate, Yorkshire www.afth.co.uk
Crafts at The Malthouse, Herstmonceux, East Sussex, www.themalthouse.co.uk/
Fave Rave, Stourbridge, West Midlands www.shabbychicstencils.co.uk
Loobi Crafts, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, www.loobicrafts.co.uk
Papermaze, Ipswich, Suffolk www.papermaze.co.uk/
Stampers Grove, Springbank, Lilliesleaf, Melrose,Scotland www.stampersgrove.co.uk
The Artistic Stamper Craft Store, Faversham, Kent www.theartisticstamper.com
The Forget me not Kraft Kabin, Rochford, Essex, www.TheForgetMeNotKraftKabin.co.uk
USA
Artistic Artifacts, Alexandria, VA www.artisticartifacts.com/
Artistic Studio Creations, Fayetteville, Georgia www.facebook.com/ASCbyCrystal
Craftiness, Chatsworth, CA, www.craftinessonline.com/
Ephemera Paducah, Paducah, Kentucky www.ephemerapaducah.com
Everything Scrapbook & Stamps, Lake Worth, Florida https://everythingmixedmedia.com/
Frantic Stamper, Oregon www.franticstamper.com
Free Heart LLC, Denver, Colarado, www.freeheartllc.com/
Joggles, West Warwick, Rhode Island, www.joggles.com
PaperCraft Clubhouse, Westbrook, Connecticut, papercraftclubhouse.com/
Qingquing's Stamp Shop, Portland, Oregon
Runaway, Art & Craft Studio, NE Salem, Oregon www.runawayart.com/
Simon Says Stamp, Columbus, Ohio www. simonsaysstamp.com
Topflight Stamps, Irmo, South Carolina topflightstamps.com/
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