stract Art Creativity with SA {by Amanda Pink}

Hello everyone, Amanda (p1nkart) here with you today for some 'abstract art' creativity with Seth Apter's new mini stamps released just last week. 

This April 26 release of 8 new minis bring with it some exciting news....Seth is moving to his own designer index sheets with PaperArtsy. How cool is that! Big Congratulations Seth!

This means that all Seth's mini stamps will have new designer index sheets and product codes so I will reference the new product codes alongside the ones you'll see on the index sheets in this post today. 

Stockists of Seth's new minis can be found here on the blog at the foot of any of the new release posts. 

Seth Apter's new release includes 8 new mini stamps. The codes of these is now SAM073 - SAM080, was as shown in the picture EM161-EM168)There's a great mix of versatile designs in this release that I'm sure will lend themselves to all styles of creativity. 

Along with the mini stamps I also received some of Seth's PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic paints - Admiral (FF233), Kiln (FF234) Pumice (FF232), Rusty (FF227) so I just added in a couple of Seth's other colours: PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Glacier Ice (FF132), Heavy Cream (FF203) and of course my 'go to' Little Black Dress (FF19).

 

My creativity bagan with painting a couple of masterboards. This a great way of streamlining the painting process to create a larger panel that you can then cut down into smaller cohesive pieces. 

I'm always keen to try different ways to apply paint other than with a brush so given the mini stamps are a similar size to a credit card/ store card / lottery card that was my tool of choice.

 

When I'm creating painty layers with several colours I either work with a dark colour then go with a lighter colour or I switch it up and work with a light colour then a darker colour. 

I generally find this lessens the chances of the colours 'muddying' and also helps build up layers of colour to create a sense of depth. 

So the order of play this time was PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Admiral (FF233), Glacier Ice (FF132).

PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Kiln (FF234).  

Application was simply picking up some paint with the 'card' and scraping it onto the PaperArtsy Smoothy (SCA4H).  All very loose and free - no over thinking just having fun!   

PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Rusty (FF227).

This is a translucent colour so its 'see through' properties help with building depth and layers of colour when scraped over/ near the opaque colours already laid down, whilst also adding pops of rusty brightness when scraped over the 'open' space.

At this point I liked the idea of 'knocking the colours back' a bit and at the same time adding some painty texture. I wasn't sure the 'lottery card' was the right tool for the job so I replaced it with my palette knife and 'patted' around PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Pumice (FF232)....

.... then PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Heavy Cream (FF203). 

The texture of the 'patted' paint allowed me to 'catch it' very lightly in a few places with PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Admiral (FF233).

The second masterboard was made in exactly the same way as the first one but just before I called it 'ready for stamping' I went back in with PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Rusty (FF227), this time blending it in, around and over the painty layers.

The properties of the translucent PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylics lend themselves to this technique and it's an effective way to add depth and a subtle hint of shading to your work. In this case, the rusty blend also added a delicate, warm glow which hopefully you can see in the photo below.

Masterboard 1with no blending is on the left,  masterboard 2 with blending on the right.

After cutting the 2 masterboards down into the required size panels it was time to get inky with Seth's new minis.

I selected 4 of Seth's mini stamps, one for each of the 4 panels cut from masterboard 1. With 8 to choose from the struggle was real! ;)

The chosen minis were stamped repeatedly and quite freely onto their designated panel using inks that were similar in colour to some of the PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylics I'd used. So Ranger Industries - Archival Ink (Cobalt, Plum) and Ranger Industries Distress Archival Ink (Wild Honey).

First up Seth's Mini 163 (new product code SAM075) stamped on panel 1.

The fine line detail on this stamp is really impressive and the design is such that it can be stamped any which way you choose - vertically, horizontally or even diagonally.

Next up for panel 2. Seth's mini stamp 161 (new product code: SAM073).

Sometimes I stamped the design's in full, other times just part of the design's.

Panel 3 was assigned Seth's mini stamp 164 (new product code: SAM076).

The index card for this mini stamp shows the design stamped horizontally but I chose to turn the stamp on its side and stamp the design vertically.

I do appreciate a versatile stamp design that lends itself to being stamped whichever way round you choose.

The 4th and final panel was stamped with Seth's mini stamp 168 (new product code: SAM080).

I like the 'brokenness' of this design. How some letters are legible, some not so, if at all. To echo the 'brokenness of the design I stamped it in that way too.

After stamping each of the panels with one of the four selected mini stamps, I then stamped them all with Seth's mini stamp 162 (new product code: SAM074).

I inked up just a small part of this mini, stamping it here and there on each panel with Tsukineko-Versafine Clair (Nocturne). The detail you get from only a small part of the design is so impressive - a mix of speckles, ultra fine lines and a cross. What's not to love!

An overview of all 4 panels.

The panels were now as good as ready for finishing touches and mounting but there were still 3 of Seth's mini stamps waiting patiently in the wings for their chance to get inky.

As I wasn't sure how I'd end up utilising the art panels (wall art, journal pages, card toppers, gift bag toppers - all possible options ?? ) I thought I'd make a file box to keep them in until I decide.

This is where masterboard 2 came in. I cut pieces to the required size to decorate the file box and then stamped them with 2 of the remaining 3 mini stamps.

Firstly, Seth's 'ledger' mini stamp EM167 (new product code: SAM079).

Then some bold black ink stamping with Seth's mini stamp 165 (new product code: SAM077).

 

Stamped several times  this mini stamp creates a fabulous repeat pattern.

The way Seth has designed this stamp (and how it's been cut at PaperArtsy HQ) makes it really easy to match up and that is whether you hold the stamp horizontally or vertically when stamping. I love that!

The abstract art panels and file box.

A quick tour of the abstract art panels

EM163 (new product code: SAM075)

Pieces cut from one of Seth's dies - Sissix (Waffle) provide a simple focal for each of the panels and play into the 'abstract'.

EM161 (new product code: SAM073)

EM164 (new product code: SAM076)

EM168 (new product code: SAM080)

Here's a closer look at the file box covered with the patterned masterboard pieces. 

This view shows the stamped repeat pattern running horizontally.

Turn it around and the other side shows the stamped pattern running vertically.

Finally, the spines of the file box.

These were covered with a couple of masterboard strips that I stamped with Seth's mini stamp 167 (new product code: SAM079) and part of Seth's mini stamp 166 (new product code: SAM078).

Just a few extra details that you'll have spotted in some of the photos already shared. 

I stamped Seth's mini 167 (new product code: SAM079) on a small piece of PaperArtsy Smoothy (SCA4H) painted with PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Pumice (FF232).

Cutting the stamped ledger in to small strips added a simple decorative touch to each of the four panels.

While thoughtful positioning of Seth's die cuts highlights selected stamped crosses.

I’ve loved getting creative with Seth’s new minis, but I soon realized I’ve only skimmed the surface of their capabilities. They may be small in size, but their creative versatility and potential are massive!

Thanks for stopping by today / tonight

Creative wishes 

Amanda

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