2020 #13 Planners & Gift Wrap with JOFY Stamps {by Autumn Clark}

2020 Topic 13: Lines

Whether you're a journaller or gift wrapper extraordinaire, Autumn has some modern and fresh ideas for you. Cleverly using JOFY stems as decorative lines, she's come up with some inspirational ideas using quotes and brush lettering.
~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Autumn Clark from SewPaperPaint with you today, and I'd like to share with you a fun way to use your JOFY flower stamps to set up your August planner/bullet journal pages. 

I started out creating some DIY gift wrap for our Lines topic, but was sparked by the beautifully drawn lines in the stems of my flower stamps to go in another direction, and I had the most fun converting these stems into separators for my daily planner.  So today's post is a bit of a two in one.  Grab your cuppa and let's get on...

During quarantine I have been amusing myself by making my own gift wrap from copy paper.  Often I use my watercolor practice sheets, but I thought why not make some funky wrap to coordinate with the PaperArtsy JOFY Stamp Set (JOFY72).  My joy in this process is that 90% of my friends are stampers/artists and I hope they can re-purpose the gift wrap into a card or journal page.  So the gift keeps on giving plus there's no need to shop for wrapping!

I used my stamp platform to restamp the details in my flower after painting with PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylics in Bubble Gum, Prawn, Tangerine Twist and Banana.  I used a Sharpie and a Posca pen for further details.

I painted the reverse of my flower before fussy cutting and raised it on the package with a foam dot.  Isn't it the cutest "bow"?  I simply used a Sharpie to draw the striped lines on my copy paper and added a few dots to coordinate better with the whimsical flower.  I recently saw a video on wrapping gifts with too little paper and the trick is to wrap diagonally rather than square.  It makes the paper stretch further, perfect for copy paper designs!  

After using the mushrooms in PaperArtsy JOFY Stamp Set (JOFY92) to make the little gift tag on my package, I saw just how beautiful the stems of were on their own and thought they would be perfect to set up my August bullet journal/planner pages.  I used a bit of washi tape to mask off the caps and stamped them directly into my book.

I looked at my collection of JOFY stamps and saw that there were beautiful lines in each set!  So I decided to make the entire month's planner pages in preparation to go back to work after quarantine.  I don't know about you, but every aspect of my life requires a little more concentration than before quarantine...  I hope using my planner will help me stay on task better.  Here I've used PaperArtsy JOFY Stamp Set (JOFY63).

One thing that I have found very relaxing and therapeutic during these stressful days has been to start daily practice to develop my brush lettering skills.  I grab my markers and notebook and doodle away while watching TV most evenings.  I picked up a new bullet journal for more "finished" pages.  These are my first attempts.  I'm very excited about the possibilities of combining stamps with letter art.

I find it such fun to think of new layouts and motivational quotes for each week's spread.  And coloring in my designs is super relaxing for me.

To finish, I created an August opening page by masking off the center of this beloved flower and doodling in a banner across.

I truly enjoyed just playing and know that you will enjoy seeing new lines and patterns from your PaperArtsy stamps too!  There are so many ways one can dissect a stamp and create multiple designs with it, regardless of its style.  

Here's to more productive, stress free days with endless inspiration and creativity!

Yours, Autumn Clark

Blog: SewPaperPaint
Facebook: Autumn Clark
YouTube: Autumn Clark - SewPaperPaint
Instagram: @sewpaperpaint
Pinterest: Autumn S Clark

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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To join our challenge and win a £50 PaperArtsy gift voucher:

Simply make something arty relevant to the topic, and link your creation from any social URL (eg. Instagram, Pinterest, Blog Post etc) sharing your original make to this challenge page.

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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