an art journal page with a french influence!

This journal page just kind of evolved; it started off as a scrap piece of paper but the sponged ink through the stencil took over and I love how many of France Papillon's new release for Stampotique made it onto the page!

I was also thrilled to discover that France's romantic text refers to a visit to a chateau, which I thought co-ordinated brilliantly with her chandelier  and made for a great collection of collage images.

Stampotique stamps used:

France's chandelier  #10023   France Papillon

romantic text  #10028  France Papillon

optique  #10027  France Papillon

ticket for paris  #10026  France Papillon

text block 3  #7140  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

numeric  #7164  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

baroque background  #7109  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

luxuriant moustaches

I mentioned in my last Stampotique post that I was itching to colour in these cheeky monsters, so that's exactly what I did for this week's project.

I love the idea of boring beige coloured monsters sprouting (or maybe they dye them, maybe it's all a ruse?!!!) fantastically coloured moustaches.  The inspiration for the background came from a paper gift bag ...

.. so I started by pasting down strips of brown paper then added some simple pencil lines.

I used watercolour paints to add colour to my monsters ...

... and created some coloured strips of watercolour paper whilst I had the paints out.

After colouring my monsters and cutting them out, I stamped them a number of times so I could cut out the moustaches.

There was a lot of fussy cutting involved with this page, but then, that's ideal when you've got your feet up post op!!

Stampotique Stamps used:

Alphabitties  #6010  by Jill Penney and Daniel Torrente

Smitten Moustache Monsters  #4040  by Kira Nichols

French Journal Page  #10015 by France Papillon

"French Journal Page?!!!!!" I hear you ask?  Yes, it's on there, can you spot it?

Stampotique art journaled tag

I love making tags.  I don't know what it is about them, but I love them!

I also love Roc Nicholas' Stampotique images.  'Dog', one of the latest release, stars on this tag.  Roc's designs are so open that you can stamp them onto pre-painted paper for a different effect each time.

I played around with a paintbrush (a bit of a shock for me as I prefer the unpredictability of a baby wipe to apply paint usually, it's a way of getting around my perfectionism) and some watercolour paints for this background.  I did add a hint of orange with a Ranger archival pad and a Primark makeup sponge though.

One day I'll get around to displaying all my tags in my craft room.  For now they live in a box or in a pile on my desk and I enjoy browsing through them every now and again.

Stampotique stamps used:

dog  2433  Roc Nicholas

row of numbers  7213 Amy Wilson Wellenstein

french journal page  10015 France Papillon

barcode text  10020 France Papillon

barcode  10019 France Papillon

Stampotique blog hop celebrating the new releases

Welcome to the Stampotique blog hop!  Thispost will remain at the top of my blog whilst the hop is live.

Kim kicked it all of on the Stampotique Designers' Challenge blog so if you didn't arrive here from 

Kaz Boughton's blog 'Slightly Wonky Crafts' 

then please head over here to start the hop (after you've finished visiting me of course ;).  

We are celebrating the launch of the new images released today, which, if you are a fan of our Facebook page you may already have got a sneak peek!  There are lots of images from our favourite stamp designers and we welcome our newest designer, Magda Polakow, who is also a very talented member of our design team.  I've used her raindrops on my altered envelope :)

new release Stampotique stamps used:

raindrops   #5820 Magda Polakow

sunflower lge  #9256 Janet Klein

sunflower medium  #9257 Janet Klein

french journal page  #10015 France Papillon

bike text  #9255 Janet Klein

....and I can see the french journal page being a new favourite!  I have to say though, it was very difficult, choosing which stamps to use to make a project for the hop, there are so many lovely new ones!!  I've already added some more to my wishlist.

Don't forget to leave comments on each of the blogs for your chance to win some goodies - we will be randomly drawing two winners for a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps at the Stampotique online store.  The new stamps are available over there now. There's also an extra chance to win over at your final destination, the Stampotique Designers' bloghttp://stampotiqueoriginals.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/call-for-stampotique-creations.html, where there is also a special announcement.

Thanks for visiting!  The next blog to hop to is 

'Made by Chook' 

where you'll meet the very talented Corrie Herriman.   Blog hop winners will be announced on the Stampotique Designers' blog when the next challenge is announced, on April 23, 2014. 

new release stampotique stamps used:

Gucio walking  #5821 Madga Polakow

barcode  #10019 France Papillon

Barcode text  #10020 France Papillon

french journal page  #10015 France Papillon

a touch of art journaling

 I hope you've enjoyed the Stampotique blog hop; it's still open for another few days if you've not had chance to join in yet.  I've continued to enjoy playing with the new stamps and this time decided to make a journal page.

One of France's new stamps says

so I decided to use this as a challenge for a page.  I can't say I pushed myself out of my comfort zone with my colour choices, but I did by

- stamping the words and phrases 'cockeyed' rather than vertical or horizontal

- adding doodled marks

- using different inks which blotched and didn't blend in, and leaving them on the page rather than trying to blend them in

I wasn't sure about this page at first but it's growing on me ;)  What would you do to move outside your comfort zone in the projects you make?  I'd love to know.

Stampotique stamps used:

comfort zone text  #10021 France Papillon

french journal page  #10015 France Papillon

barcode text  #10020 France Papillon

barcode  #10019 France Papillon

bike text  #9255 Janet Klein

calendar squares cube  #6094 Daniel Torrente