December 2004 - Sonia E.
"Glass Ornaments Stamping"

soniae@orientalstampart.com
Waukesha, WI

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
I've been stamping since August of 2001. It's amazing how fast time has passed. My first rubber stamp was a celtic SU! set which I bought and left uncut for one year. The following year, I bought another SU! set, again I didn't use it. A few months later I was invited to an informal stamping session. Then I found OSA and the rest is history as they say…..

What is your favorite technique?
I like to heat emboss, use UTEE, and do napkin art. The latter is one I have just loved since earlier in the year. I would like to learn more about collage and decoupage, as both of these techniques will help with making napkin art cards. I've also seen decoupage plates using napkins. I'm going to learn that next!

Favorite stamp company?
The first year or so that I was seriously stamping, I bought a lot of Hero Arts. Now I have many favorite stamp companies. My collection (because it's gotten to the point where it truly is a collection) of rubber stamps includes Stamp Camp, A Stamp In the Hand, Oxford Impressions, Acey Deucy Non Sequitur, Stamp Francisco, Magenta, Arte Rojo, Ichiyo Art, Cherry Pie, October Stamps, Beeswax, Paper Parachute, Stampin' Up! About Panache, OnyxXpressions, Gotcha Images, Stone House, Art Neko, Hearts in Touch, Inka Stamps, Time to Stamp, ……and the list goes on!

Favorite Asian stamps?
The Imperial Cargo line of Acey Deucy is probably my most favorite, but I only have two of their stamps. I especially admire Lotus and Samurai Heroine because they are absolutely stunning…and I own neither--LOL!!!

Favorite stamping accessory? (i.e. EP, UTEE, Pearl-Ex, punch)
I must have near me my stipple brushes, Marvy markers, embossing powders, Adirondack inks which I use ALL the time, my black Memories, Versamark Lumieres, and LOTS AND LOTS of washi!

Favorite colors?
Earth tones and combinations of red/gold/black tend to be my favorite. Purples and greens come in a close second.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
Well, I don't usually embellish the cards. I really have to work on adding embellishments, but I like bronze charms and fiber. My most favorite charm I've found has been the happiness charms made of bamboo. I found them at the Bead and Button convention last year and I should have bought much more. I missed it this year, but expect to go back in April.

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
I go through TONS of Tombow monoadhesive tape for my cards. I also need Tombow soft glue stick for my napkin art. My stipple brushes and sponges are also used frequently.

Any helpful tips for the group?
My tip is more of a general one. We have amazing artists on OSA. For new members to OSA or newbies to stamping, don't be intimidated by the tremendous work you see! Join swaps, mingles, or post questions. You learn a lot from participating in this way. Try everything and anything that's new. Experiment with techniques and don't be afraid to send your experiments to others. Ask them for their opinions. I have sent cards or scanned cards and have asked, "This needs something. What can I do to improve it?" We all have different levels of stamping experience. We learn from each other.

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I like the calming effect I get when I see anything Oriental. I actually buy my clothes at Chico's which carries many Oriental styles. When my father came back from Vietnam after the war, he brought back fabric and other items from there as well as from Japan. I wanted more! I have also hosted a foreign exchange student from Japan. One of my former students from Vietnam became our Ward and lived with us for many years. So you see…over the years I've been exposed to Asian cultures.

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubberstamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Well, I think I need to move to the west coast or Hawaii to find neat Asian papercrafting products. Probably I'd like to visit San Francisco. I'm sure I'll find lots of neat things there. Wasn't Heather T. there recently and raved about it? LOL!!! I'd like to visit the Ichiyo Art Center in Atlanta or any other places recommended by OSA members!

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
I belong to various Yahoo! online groups, but I am the most active (and have always been) with OSA.

These are some of the groups to which I belong, other than OSA:
Artist Trading Cards, Art Trading Cards, Decoupage, Napkin Art, RSwCC, Stamping Techs, and WI Stamping. I also have belonged to some groups that were created for a specific type of swap and then deleted.

Local Clubs:
I attend a monthly SU! stamp camp and I just started going to an informal stamp club which meets once a month.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
I get many magazines a month, but the ones I tend to read cover to cover are Stamper's Sampler, Australia Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamper, and Rubberstampmadness. The other magazines I get are Craft Stamper (from England) and Stamping and PaperCraft, Stamp It, and some other random ones.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
No, I haven't been published. I did send one to Somerset when I first started stamping. It was returned to me almost immediately--LOL!!! I have not sent in any since then.

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
I love to sew. I make my daughters clothes when they ask me. I also sew many costumes. Once I did the whole Color Guards outfits for my daughter's high school marching band. I must have done OK, because I was asked to sew for a marching band in South Carolina! I also enjoy knitting and doing crochet.

What inspires you to be creative? i.e. do you listen to music while you stamp, or watch TV, keep an art journal?
All of you inspire me…the artwork I receive and the artwork online. My DH set up a TV, VCR, and heater in the basement laundry area. He built shelves, and painted the area for me. I stamp on my laundry table while I do, what else, but the laundry! I listen to TV when I stamp. I prefer that background noise to radio.

Any art background ?
Absolutely none---I work hard at coming up with ideas. They don't always come together easily. I have a color wheel to help me. My magazine library is used endlessly for ideas or techniques. I badger my daughters and husband to tell me if something looks good. I wish I could say art comes naturally to me. I think I'm totally left brained…very concrete sequential.

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping? (i.e. found item or household item )
I've learned from many of you, especially Annette, that the local hardware store is an excellent place to purchase endless goodies for stamping….ceramic tiles, switch plates, paint chips, laminate samples, screening materials, hinges, etc. Something not so much for stamping, but one time, I had to make over 100 beaded tassels. I used business cards I had collected over a period of time. I wrapped the floss around them to make the tassels.

Any favorite books on stamping or art techniques that you would recommend? Any on Asian arts & crafts?
I have too many to list. However, I have books on quilting using oriental fabrics/design for reference when I did a fabric ATC swap, washi/origami books, and many of the Design Original books. Barnes and Noble, as well as Waldenbooks, have wonderful selections of oriental themed books which I buy in the bargain area.

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
My FAVORITES is full of hundreds of bookmarks of places I visit online. I have themed folders created with the different bookmarks. My favorites are LisaVollrath and our OSA website gallery:
http://www.lisavollrath.com/
http://orientalstampart.com/v-web/gallery/

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
I have been a teacher since 1977. I spent 10 years teaching bilingual third grade. Since 1987, I've been teaching sixth grade… reading/language arts/spelling, and am a content area teacher for sixth grade science. I am on numerous building and district committees. I also maintain my school's website.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
Waukesha is about 16 miles due west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I came to Waukesha from Puerto Rico, 30 years ago to attend Carroll College. After graduation, I accepted a teaching job in the area and have been living here ever since.

I have been married for 26 years to Bill. I met him two months after being hired in my school district. We got engaged two months later and married six months after that! We have two daughters, Marisol and Sara. Marisol graduated with a teaching degree this past May. She is licensed to teach grades 1-8. Sara is a senior at a nearby college. She expects to graduate in May, 2005. Her major is English. I have one dog and three cats.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR "Glass Ornaments Stamping"
By Sonia Evans
soniae@orientalstampart.com

Materials needed:
• clear glass ornaments • Delta Ceramcoat Gloss Interior Varnish
• white tissue paper • ribbon
• rubber stamps • Staz-on black ink pad (Staz-on red smears)
• Ultra fine glitter • Long nose dropper
• Bamboo skewer or other thin stick-like object to wrap tissue around and used to
place image inside
• Colored pencils--not watercolor pencils--cheap ones like Crayola colored pencils
• A small funnel to put glitter into the ornament or make a funnel out of typing paper

Directions:
1.Stamp image on white wrapping tissue with Staz-on ink.
2.Color with colored pencils when dry.
3.Trim tissue close to the image.
4.Take top off of ornament.
5. Put a dropper full of varnish about the size of a .50 piece--not too runny, though. Move the ornament around so the varnish spreads around one side only of the ornament.
6. Wrap image around the tip of the bamboo stick. Make sure the image is on the outside, not wrapped on the inside.
7. Place the skewer inside the ornament. Open up the tissue carefully with the skewer. Center it using the skewer. Turn the ornament around to see the image through the glass to make sure it is centered. Move the ornament around to allow the extra varnish to cover the edges of the tissue. Get rid of any air bubbles by tapping the tissue with the skewer.
8. Turn over the ornament over so the image is on the top. Add more varnish with the dropper. Carefully move it around the rest of the ornament. Make sure all the sides, back, and neck are fully covered with the varnish. Dump out any extra varnish. If the image has moved, arrange it again in the center.
9. Make a funnel out of typing paper or use a small funnel. Make sure the image is facing down. Put one end of the funnel in the neck of the ornament. Pour the glitter inside on the image first; then shake the ornament to cover the rest of the inside. Add more glitter if necessary. Dump out any extra glitter.
10. Do not cover opening for about three days. There should be no bleeding. However, if there is, check the colored pencils you are using. They should be the hard, not soft pencils.
11. Put the top back on the ornament. Tie ribbon around the neck of the ornament.
12. Done.