I have been
stamping for about seven years - I can hardly remember not playing
with
paper, inks, paints, etc.! A long time crafter, I thought I wanted
to put my energies into scrapbooking, but a stamp related class
was a wake-up call: this was the creative outlet that I had always
been searching for!
I don't really
know where my interest in Oriental art began. My husband and I have
purchased some Oriental items over the last 30 years, and now, with
the addition in
October of 2003 of our granddaughter Kada who was born in China,
our interest in the culture has intensified.
Other bio bits:
I have been married 38 years, have two adult married sons, am a
retired teacher (still teaching a grad class), and live in Wisconsin
where there are a number of OSA members. Many thanks to Sonia Evans
for encouraging me to join and to all of you who have been so helpful.
Stamping
for how long?
I have been stamping for about eleven years but seriously for four.
How did you
get started?
I found a discounted boxed set with a Christmas cube, some embossing
powder and a red embossing pad. I thought it would be a good cheap
way to make my gift tags! I enjoyed it so much that not long after
I took my first class. Every now and then I would take another class
and make a few cards but I wasn't seriously involved until I joined
my first Yahoo group. It very quickly became a passion and I realised
it was not a cheap way to achieve anything but an art in its own
right.
What are
your favourite things about stamping?
I love to create but can't draw at all. Stamping gives me the opportunity
to express myself artistically without having to rely on drawing.
I have been involved with other crafts but love the quicker gratification
that comes with being able to produce something beautiful within
a short period of time. Stamping is my favourite bar none stress
reducer and I easily "lose" hours at a time on weekends,
playing around with techniques, completing swaps etc. What I have
also found to be an added bonus, is the friendships to made with
like minded people from around the world, so that when we meet it
is often like meeting an old friend.
I love to "play"
with stamps, paper, clay etc and making backgrounds is a particular
passion. I tend to prefer arty/oriental designs. Non Sequitur, Oxford
Impressions and Bella Rosa are among my favourite companies as I
largely only buy unmounteds these days. My favourite mags are Expressions
and The Rubber Gazette (Aussie mag). Embellishments are another
passion and my faves are polymer clay and shrink plastic. I have
started making polymer jewellery and really enjoy combining the
stamping with all the things that can be done with the clay.
I enjoy experimentation
and tend to flit from one project to another so making lots of cards
or pages for a swap feels like hard work to me, though I will persevere
from time to time because its great to get inspiration from other
people's work.
Background?
I am an Aussie and the sole parent of Ben, a 19 y.o. student of
furniture design and production. I am currently the principal of
a secondary school but intend to retire in October. Though I may
have to do some part-time work in education in order to make ends
meet, I am hoping I will find something in the art/craft area instead.
I can't wait to have more time in which to create, though I also
plan to become more actively involved in social issues either as
a volunteer or an activist. I am especially interested in the area
of refugees as I am afraid that is one area in which my country
(as well as many others) has lost its social conscience. I think
to truly appreciate beauty, we must also see it in other people
and in our environment. I also look forward to the opportunity to
learn more about art and that big wide world out there.
My interest in paper crafting began ten years ago. Making greeting cards with fabric and basic calligraphy was where it all began. Our local college advertised a class in card making so I jumped at this opportunity. The process of heat embossing was taught using the heat of a light bulb. How elementary but how magical it was! From that moment on, I’ve been hooked. This was the beginning of my self-confessed addiction to rubber.
All aspects of stamping fascinate me with the endless variety of techniques that are surfacing almost daily. The introduction of so many new products continues to pique my interest and deplete my bank account.
The Asian theme particularly attracts my interests. I am fortunate enough to live in a community with a high Japanese population. Many of these older Japanese people were interred to this area at the outset of World War II from the Vancouver, British Columbia area. Over the years, they have had an incredible cultural effect on this community and continue to do so. I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in Japanese art classes taught by traditional Japanese artists.
My retired “Mountie” husband and I have comfortably settled back into my birth place in Southern Alberta (Canada). We are blessed to have our two married children and five charming grand children nearby.
Since joining the OSA family in 2006, the opportunity to learn and share with others having the same passion as I has been an incredible joy that I hold most dear.
Jen B. invited
me to a Stampin' Up! demonstration in February 2001. Before that
night I had never seen a rubber stamp that wasn't business related.
As the cliché goes - "the rest is history". While
I own over 1500 stamps, I am really a paper and pen addict and enjoy
making handmade journals. At present I am taking a calligraphy course
and appreciating my computer's font library more because of the
experience!
My husband and
I struggle at Japanese landscaping but love the results. Our koi
and goldfish are truly scaled pets. Our seven year old son is a
nature lover and hiker but can't do without his videos and books.
How long
have you been stamping? And How did you get started? I bought some artist stamps about 15 years ago, but didn't
become interested again until 2002. I was laid off from my job,
giving me the opportunity to watch Martha Stewart. Some guests demonstrated
marbling, paste papers, and making books and she was always making
things from paper. This sparked my old interest from college as
an art major when I studied bookbinding, decorative papers, and
paper arts and which I had revived at various times through the
years. In the spring of 2002 I discovered Somerset Studio Magazine
and bought a book on creating artist books. A whole new world opened
up for me and I decided to devote some serious time to it. All summer
I learned as much as I could from books and the Internet and in
the fall I attended my first rubber stamp show, went to a book arts
event, and took a class in suminagashi (Japanese marbling). I've
continued to study and learn new techniques-I've been to several
rubber stamp shows and learned new media such as Pergamano and iris
folding. I joined a local artist group and also OSA in June 2004.
In 2005 I finally overcame my doubts that my work would be good
enough and started participating in swaps and joined the RAK list
this year.
Favorite
aspects of stamping/items used/reasons to stamp: I like using washi, origami, glossy card stock and my favorite
rubber stamps are by Hero Arts, Custis' Collection, and Hanko Designs.
StazOn and Brilliance inks by Tsukineko and India Ink Black by Stewart
Superior are my preferred inks. I consider myself a mixed media
artist rather than strictly a rubber stamper, since I often work
without using any stamps. I prefer to use whatever medium/technique
seems to fit the situation. I try to be faithful to Japanese principles
of design. I also enjoy doing altered books.
Background: Since I was a child I was interested in making things and was
drawn to Japanese design and culture, although since I grew up in
a small town in Pennsylvania, I never met a Japanese person until
I went to college in Seattle. This lifelong interest, continues.
I enjoy Asian art, Japanese TV history dramas (with subtitles),
and Japanese festivals. My interest has culminated in the study
of Japanese Tea Ceremony, which I have been doing for over 10 years.
This is perfect for me as it is really a microcosm of Japanese culture,
embodying ceramics, lacquer, bamboo, fabrics, incense, flowers,
poetry, calligraphy, sweets, etc. It requires precision movements
and is truly a lifelong study.
I'm very involved
in the Friends of "R" House, the support group for the
historic Victorian, Rengstorff House, in Mountain View, CA. I conducted
workshops for authentic Victorian ornaments to decorate two eight
feet Christmas trees and on History Day I handle a paper craft table
for the kids.
I am married
with no children and two formerly homeless kitties I've been nurturing.
Day Job Background: My professional career has varied from teaching one year (Jr.
High Arts and Crafts and Art) to project administration and management,
and job search skills training. Most recently I was an executive
assistant in biotech and high tech startups. I'm planning to return
to work as a temp in the near future.
How did you
get started?
It was 2001 and I was at home with 2 little ones and bored. Looked
in local paper for groups and such and joined 'Stamping' even though
I had NOOOO idea what it involved. The teacher showed me embossing
and I was hooked!! My first ever card made was for hubby for our
anniversary and well the rest is history :D
Favorite stamping items?
Well it has to be paper, stamps then inks!!! I do love eyelets and
brads and threads too. Also love my deckle scissors - makes my uneven
edges look ok lol
Favorite reasons to stamp?
Well to use all the stamps I have manged to have accumulated! Must
be breeding in those boxes. Of course also to send RAKS and have
something outside of 'home life'.
Background?
Well, I am Indonesian. Married to an Ecuadorian and we have 3 children
5 years old and under! I first came to Australia in '86 as my mum
remarried an Australian. We lived in Japan in '89-'92 because my
(step)dad was a vice consul for the Australian embassy. And thats
where my love of the orient started. I was always a paper addict
though - used to swap parts of letter sets with my firends in primary
school lol
How I got
started:
I started stamping about a year ago. My daughter-in-law wanted to
make a scrapbook and didn't know where to start so I signed us up
for a beginner's stamping class. Well about 600 stamps later, I
began to suspect that I might be a tad addicted to this whole thing.
Favorite stamping items:
I love everything from the stamp pads and embossing powders to the
tassels, charms and fibers. Since I got such a late start on this
wonderful addiction, I can't learn enough about it. I am constantly
seeking out new techniques which usually include new items to add
to my growing collection.
Favorite reason to stamp:
I am not a very creative person. I have never been able to arrange
flowers; I can't draw or paint very well but put a rubber stamp
in my hand and I feel like the Grandma Moses of the Stamp World.
Stamping brings you into a whole new wonderful world of peace and
contentment. It introduces you to new people from all walks of life
who share a common bond with you. To create beauty through stamping.
Day job and background:
I am a retired Personnel Management Specialist for the U.S. Government.
I
dealt mainly in Employee and Labor Relations. It was a very stressful
and difficult job. I like the titles I have now much better: Mother,
Grandmother, Mother-In-Law and Friend.
Q. How long
have you been stamping? A. Only a year, really. Have had some materials, but never
did very much til this past year.
Q. How did
you get started? A. My sister, Jeanne, and niece, Robin, both extremely talented
people in all sorts of arts and needlework, encouraged me to try
rubber stamping. Every time I went home to Boston (I live in Nova
Scotia, Canada), Jeannie and Robin would buy me various pieces of
equipment and stamps - "You need a paper cutter - you need
a heat gun - you need a brayer "- and so on. I began amassing
an assortment of gear and papers, but didn't have a clue what to
do with them besides stamp them on an index card and color them
in with pencil, so nothing much happened. I became friendly with
a woman from my swimfit class this past year and we discovered a
shared interest in rubber stamping. Frances said, "You are
only limited by your imagination", to which I responded, "The
problem is, my imagination is limited!" But having found OSA,
I am learning!
Q. Favourite
reasons to stamp A. This is such a newfound outlet for me - I love learning
new things, I love colour, and have discovered a passion for Asian
themed art. I have no art background whatsoever. Most of all, I
love sharing my efforts with family and friends, and making new
friends through my membership in OSA.
Personal
stuff I was a clinical audiologist in my previous incarnation, and
was recruited to Nova Scotia about 28 years ago to run a mobile
audiology clinic around the province. After spending almost two
years travelling around the province, I was brought into the main
clinic in Halifax. I took a photography class, and married the teacher!
So now this Boston Yankee is an honorary Nova Scotian, living in
Lawrencetown Beach, east of Halifax with my husband of 21 years
and beloved collie, Chloe. Bernie is very supportive of my efforts,
and has become quite involved. He helps with all sorts of things,
including drawing grasses with gold pen!
Bernie is Dad
and I am StepMum to son Christopher and daughter Karen, who has
made us first time grandparents of a beautiful baby girl, Brooke
Elizabeth, on December 30, 2005!
Stamping how
long: I've been stamping since July 2005. I've been into many types
of art all my life but never knew the possibilities of stamping
and thought the stamps were too expensive for what you got. Little
did I know!!!!
How did I get started? I was in an art supply store in Atlanta and
they had a unique selection of stamps and examples of embossing,
masking, water coloring, chalks etc. The embossing intrigued me
and the amazing 'artsy' stamps were so unique so I bought a few
items and got started on my own. I'd been scrapbooking for about
a year so I had been exposed to some stamping. I joined the Rubber
Stamping Club at the art store and took a bunch of classes at a
rubber stamping store and now I am obsessed!
Favorite techniques: Definitely embossing and stamping on patterned
paper. Coloring in the lines with pencils, markers, TwinklingH2O's
etc. takes me back to my childhood coloring book days.
Background: I have never been married and don't have any kids, just
2 cute kitties, JoJo and Shadow. I'm 43 and live in Atlanta, Georgia.
I have 5 sisters and most of my family lives in Atlanta. I've worked
for a software company for over 18 years and I'm in consulting operations.
I love to garden and have transformed my backyard into a hydrangea
heaven with over 100 hydrangeas along with hostas and Japanese maples.
I also make jewelry and pottery and have my own kiln and wheel.
I stumbled onto the OSA website looking for iris folding templates
and thought the cards in the gallery were so unique and beautiful.
My name is Nancy
Cotton and I am addicted to stamping. LOL I have stamped for about
8 years... started with a Calligraphy class where I met three other
ladies who wanted not only to be able to write beautifully but also
make the rest of the card... and that is how it began. I have just
gotten into Iris folding and I love that too... add a nice punch
and verse... perfect.
I retired as an executive secretary 15 years ago from Caterpillar
(that big yellow off-highway equipment along construction sites)...
after 32 years... I was ready.
We lived in IL and once we both retired... we moved to sunny Florida
(12 years ago) and I love it here. What could be better than three
seasons... beaches 5 miles away, golf anytime, walk the beaches
anytime, Disney 2 hours away... okay, okay... I DO miss the snow
on Christmas Day. LOL
We've been married 24 years and together we have 5 grown children
(49 to 40) and 6 grandchildren (20 to 3) who live in IL and CA...
so far away. That is my only regret moving to Florida. I miss those
little ones...
Stamping keeps me busy... makes me happy... fills my life with a
feeling of accomplishment.
How did you get started?
Use to belong to Club Scrap and they include a stamp in their monthly
kits. Was inspired by the work other members did with stamps and
began to use mine.
What are your favorite things about stamping? Materials, techniques,
emotions, stress-reducer....
Keeps my mind challenged...by envisioning and then breaking it down
to steps and figuring solutions. It's one of the few things where
there's no correct answer, no one right way of doing it. Love the
endless possibilities. Enjoy sharing and learning new techniques.
Background?
Background in food science. Now a SAHM of four kids 5 and under.
How did you
get started?
Like most
addicted stampers, I also went to a Stampin' Up party. That was
over 12 years ago and the one thing I remember about the party was
my girlfriend saying "You must be careful! This hobby is addicting!".
Of course I did not listen and now this hobby is full blown. :-))
But I love it and it keeps me occupied and challenged and away from
the mundane things in life. This hobby is wonderful, always full
of new promises, new ideas, new people.
Favorite
stamping items?
My new
love is papers. To be honest, I have not yet created very much Asian
art. Recently I have gotten some Asian unmounted sheets and I am
really looking forward to trying them. I have Yuzen papers and oh
my, how wonderful are these to work with! My favorite stamping item
is my paper cutters. Measure and cut, measure and cut, what could
be more fun!
Favorite reasons to stamp?
My favorite
place is at my stamping table. At my side is a tape/cd player and
a favorite novel to listen to as I work (if you can call it work).
Here I am happy and not thinking about daily problems or stresses.
I am thinking of beauty, art, and my project.
Day Job/Background?
I am still
working but looking forward to retirement and full time stamp/art/crafting.
My job is in computers and also accounting. I work for a small manufacturing
company and wear many hats and love my work. My title is IS Coordinator,
but I do a variety of things including Accounting (Billing, AP,
etc.), answer phones, backup the different areas in the company,
even work on the shop floor if necessary. It is fun and I make a
decent living and am able to support my stamping addiction!
Personal: Married
with three grown children, three sons. They all are married and
each one has two children. I am proud of my three sons and their
wives, and my six grandchildren. My D husband is with me, a great
friend to me and has been for 39 years. He is also still working
but looking forward to retirement.
Hi my name is
Natalie B. and I live in Western Australia. I am very much addicted
to stamping and all that it involves. I find myself drawn especially
to Oriental work. I hope you get as much enjoyment and inspiration
from these albums as I do.
Originally from
Scotland, I've been living and working in Japan for over 15 years.
I'm married to a Japanese man who luckily is very understanding
of my need to bring back a suitcase full of stamps every time we
visit my family, and we have one daughter.
I started stamping
over 3 years ago during a 6 month stay in Scotland. I've always
enjoyed art and, looking for some way to pass the time while my
daughter was at school, I stumbled across a stamping/card making
class at a local craft shop. I was hooked - and I haven't bought
a card since!
paper, inks, paints, etc.! A long time crafter, I thought I wanted
to put my energies into scrapbooking, but a stamp related class
was a wake-up call: this was the creative outlet that I had always
been searching for! 
Making greeting cards with fabric and basic calligraphy was where it all began. Our local college advertised a class in card making so I jumped at this opportunity. The process of heat embossing was taught using the heat of a light bulb. How elementary but how magical it was! From that moment on, I’ve been hooked. This was the beginning of my self-confessed addiction to rubber.
A. Only a year, really. Have had some materials, but never
did very much til this past year.
