May 2008 - Sandra G.
"UTEE Medallion Card "

oasismail@aol.com
Houston, TX , USA

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
In 2002, a girlfriend gave me a birthday bag full of animal stamps, card stock with matching envelopes and stamp pads. . .she thought I might enjoy stamping. Much too busy at the time, the gift bag with all of its contents went onto the top shelf in my closet. In 2005, the birthday bag resurfaced during the move to our new home. . .once again I was much too busy to take time to learn to stamp. After attending a Creative Keepsakes’ mini-workshop and a StampinUp demonstration in 2006, I purchased my first set of SU Asian kanji stamps, discovered and joined OSA in 2/2007 and history is in the making – long story short, I’ve been stamping just over a year now!

What is your favorite technique?
I have been creating ‘commercial’ greeting cards for a few years, so of course I love cutting, scrapping, layering and embellishing using various colors, patterns, and textures for collages and assemblages. Since joining OSA, I’ve been introduced to many new stamping techniques, so my favorite technique changes each time I experiment with another technique. . .love them all so far!

Favorite stamp company?
First and foremost, I’m a huge fan of Nick Bantock…PLUS About Art Accents, Art Neko, Hearts In Touch, Hero Arts, Magenta, Stamp Francisco, A Stamp in the Hand, Stampabilities, Stampington & Company. . .gosh, the list just goes on and on. . .

Favorite Asian stamp?
I find all the lovely geishas and various kanji text stamps some of my favorites. . .however, there are many that I really like that I just don’t own YET!

Favorite stamping accessory?
I’d have to say my Brand Q ruler. . .I don’t remember where I got it or when, but I grab it a gazillion times a day when I’m creating projects. . .

Favorite colors?
I really do like ALL colors. . .but am strongly drawn to the blacks, reds, and olives.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
I find brads, coins and fibers are always a great finishing touch. . .more and more I find myself using embellishments as ‘focal points’ on many of my cards.

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
It has to be my X-ACTO laser guillotine paper cutter (followed closely by ALL the other tools I use all the time that I just couldn’t live without.)

Any helpful tips for the group?
Just have fun at OSA and make it your own! Every one is unique. . .that’s what makes OSA so amazing. . .the “sharing” of unique creative talents, energies and personalities is rewarding in so very many ways.

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
Oriental signifies simple, classic, serene beauty. . .things to calm and enrich our hectic everyday lives.

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubber stamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Wherever I travel, I’m always on the look-out for the China town area, art galleries, shops and vendors who offer Asian art elements or paper products. . .you’d be surprised at some of the items I’ve acquired over the past few years!

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
While I check out a lot of blogs, galleries, vendors and websites referred to in the “OSA TALK” e-mails, OSA is the only group I am active in (online or otherwise).

What favorite stamping magazines would you recommend?
I check out all of the Stampington & Company publications, i.e., Somerset Studios, Take Ten, Catch Up, and Stampers’ Sampler, plus Scrap & Stamp and most recently I have subscribed to VampStampNews.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
No, I haven't submitted any works, yet. . .hopefully one day soon!

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
I love life! I enjoy photography, faux painting, golfing (no hole-in-one to date), Dahn Yoga and water jogging, collecting “stuff”, music, movies and art, computer graphics, creating, and writing prose. (That’s more than enough to keep me busy all the time!) Earlier in my life, my mother, aunts and grandmothers taught me to sew, knit, crochet and cross stitch; however, these wonderful hobbies have unfortunately gone by the wayside quite possibly forever.

What inspires you to be creative?
Absolutely anything can inspire me. . .every aspect of nature and all of its creatures; my surroundings, thoughts, friends, conversations; advertisements, billboards, commercials and photographs; the curtains at the Opera House, the stage backdrop at the Alley Theatre, the patterns and color schemes used in flooring, fabric textures and patterns; theatre tickets, mail order catalogues, words. . .you name it and quite possibly it inspires me! My eye is always searching and my mind is always alert - no matter what form it might present itself.

Any art background ?
My parents, grandmothers, aunts and uncles were / are very artistically talented, as are both of my brothers. . .I had always hoped that artistic talent ran in our family. . . I attended stenciling classes in the ‘70s, photography classes in the ‘80s, landscape architecture classes in the ‘90s, faux painting, wall texture and color theorem classes in the 2000. Shortly thereafter, I found Nick Bantock (his creativity inspired me when I happened onto his book “Griffin & Sabine”) and it was then that I started to create and design cards. I use various computer programs when creating art projects: MS PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator, Printing Press, Coral Paint, Coral Draw – all self taught. I believe there are simply no limitations to what you can do!!

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping?
Of course, doesn’t everyone?!

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
OSA! Absolutely the best of the best!!

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
I retired in 2003 to become a full time caretaker for my mother. . .I started creating cards and other graphic designs. . .now I continue to keep myself busy with my photography, designing and of course my association with OSA.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
Charlie and I have been together since 1989 and currently reside in Champions, Houston, Texas. . .we share our home with our three kittens, Trixie 15 (tabby Maine Coon), Aussie 13 (Burmese) and Mollie 9 (American Shorthair). This year, Charlie is celebrating 30 years with Tennessee Gas Pipeline. We love our home and our family and feel very blessed to have a wonderful life!! It is truly an honor to be selected as OSA Stamp Artist of the Month and being associated with such a wonderfully creative and absolute lovely group of individuals!

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UTEE Medallion Card
By Sandra G.

oasismail@aol.com

Supplies needed:

Stamp: “Tranquility Kanji” by StampinUp

Materials for Medallion:

• Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (Clear)
• Jacquard Products’ PearlEx Metallic Powders (#662 Antique Silver & #663 Silver)
• Aluminum Foil
• Cookie Sheet
• Sieve
• Oven heated to 275° F

Medallion Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to275° F
2. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil
3. Mix thoroughly 5 parts UTEE with 2 parts each of PearlEx Metallic Powders in small container
4. Pour powder through sieve onto aluminum foiled cookie sheet in an oblong mound
5. Place cookie sheet in heated oven until UTEE mixture has become fluid
6. Using oven mitt, remove cookie sheet from oven and immediately stamp fluid mixture
7. Allow to cool and remove stamp from mixture
8. When completely cool, carefully peel medallion from aluminum foil
9. Allow to lay flat

Materials for Card:

• Red Confetti Card Stock by Fox Paper
• Black Matte Card Stock by Smart Paper Black Glossy Card Stock by Paper Company
• Paper Cutter
• 3D Double Sided Foam Tape Scotch
• Double Sided Tape

Card Instructions:

1. Cut Red Confetti card stock to 5 ½” x 8 ½” card
2. Fold card in half (portrait layout)
   (a) Cut Black Matte card stock to 3 ¾” x 4 ½”
   (b) Cut Red Confetti card stock to 3 ¼” x 4”
   (c) Cut Black Glossy card stock to 2 ¼” x 2 ½”
   (d) Layer Black Glossy card stock (d) to Red Confetti card stock (c) to Black Matte card stock (b) onto portrait layout card (a)
3. Adhere Medallion to Black Glossy card stock by placing 3D double sided foam tape onto the center of the Black Glossy card stock and gently pressing medallion to foam tape
4. Sign and send!

To protect Medallion during shipping, place a piece of bubble wrap over the card before inserting into envelope.