Explore, Stamp and Play - Material Musings

 

Come and dive into the world of mixed media art, and stamping.


Material Musings: Exploring Stamps, Stories, and Surfaces

Welcome to October’s Material Musings! This month, we’re diving into the wonderful world of stamps, from foam and homemade to digital and store-bought. I’ve gathered a whole collection from my studio shelves, many I haven’t used in years, and it feels like rediscovering old creative friends.

I first started experimenting with foam stamps made from a roll of camping mat my son once used for outdoor adventures. That same foam became the base for countless shapes and textures which shows that creativity can come from the most unexpected places!

Throughout October on my channel, I’ll be exploring how to use these different kinds of stamps on fabric and paper, sharing techniques for layering, mark making, and breathing new life into forgotten materials. We’ll also play with office stamps, sentiment stamps, and those mysterious supplies tucked away in drawers — turning them into textured surfaces ready for slow stitching or mixed media projects.

By the end of the month, I’ll gather the fabrics and papers we’ve created and transform them into a final stitched project. So gather your scraps, pull out your stamps, and join me in making something beautifully imperfect — one impression at a time.

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Creating a Recycled Art Journal - Use those Catalogues!

Welcome to my latest art project where we will be creating a recycled art journal using an old catalog. 

This project is quick, easy and affordable, and the best part is that nothing will be wasted!  You get to use some of those store catalogues that you have been collecting and create some wonderful projects.

To start, find yourself an old catalog, like this Tesco's home catalog that I'm using. The first thing you need to do is rip out about half of the pages. This is because we'll be adding collage and texture to the pages, so you want to make sure you have enough space to work with. Go through the catalog and rip out every 2-3 pages.  I save the ripped out pages to use later.

Once you have removed the pages, stick together sets of 2 or 3 pages depending on where you ripped them out. Allow the pages to dry and then reinforce the spine with some masking tape on the inside.  If you are going to be adding paint it stops any bleed through on the other pages.

I also add masking tape to the edge of the pages that I have stuck together This will also make it easy to turn the pages.

With the pages left over, look through them and cut out images or words that speak to you. I select colorful patterns and shapes and these will form part of your collage. This is a great way to still create something without having to have a lot of art supplies or anything fancy. All you need is a catalog, glue, and some basic tools.

Come and join me in the next video, I'll show you how to work on some of your pages, and ideas from other recycled journals that I have created. This art journal will be a space for you to fill up over time, write down your thoughts, and enjoy the creative process. It's all about play, so have fun with it!

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If you would like to take it a step further and make your own stamps and stencils, then check out my FREE online course Recycled Stamps and Stencils where I show you how you can take items that you may have around the home and turn it into something that you can use in your art journals. 

You get a video on how to create the stamps and stencils, a digital download of the stamps and stencils that I created, background papers and more!  Check it out HERE

100 Handmade Foam Stamps - WE DID IT!!!

I achieved the goal of creating 100 Handmade Foam Stamps as part of the #dothe100dayproject!!  This is my 100th Stamp...

What always amazes me is the different emotions that you feel along the way for any challenge.  At the start you have doubts and wonder if you can finish, midway you can sometimes feel fed up and not sure if you can go on.  At the finish line you can feel as if you could quite easily do another 100 days!

Looking back from this vantage point it feels as if the time has gone really quickly.  I look back to when I started a little over 3 months ago and start to wonder about all the other challenges I could get myself to do and all the things that I could achieve in that time.

I think one of the good things was knowing that others were doing the challenge too, all be it different projects, but you had others who knew what it was like to make that 100 day commitment and share their ups and downs as well.

Here are all the stamps that I shared over the 100 days

The stamps were all made from recycled foam or thin sheet of craft foam that had been layered.  I will be making some of the designs available on my Etsy store and Course Platform 

Let me know if you took the challenge and how you found it, are you going to do another, take a break, how do you feel now you have completed it?

Check out the new FREE Course below

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Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

FREE Course

Have you wanted to create your own stamps and stencils, I share with you a variety of supplies you can use and create two mixed media art paintings.

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Paid Courses

Handmade Foam Stamps, Miracles & Neurographic inspired Art

How are you getting on creatively?  Today I shared Week 10 of my 100 Days of Foam Stamps - each week I create a painting out of the stamps for that week.

I am on stamp number 70 and there are 30 left, it is amazing to think when you put your mind to something the results that you come out with. What were you doing 70 days ago? 

Similarly I am combining the Blog challenge which combined has really been challenging me to consistently show up. Even thought I was going to plan my posts for the Blog challenge, it didn't quite happen - had a wobbly period, so I have to regularly push myself to show up for the rest of the challenge each day.

Still experimenting and being inspired and creating daily in my Art Journal - it is a place of comfort where you can express yourself with words, imagery or both or just add color to the page.  It is important that you try and do something creative on a daily basis.

By continuing to show up, whether it is in my art journal or on my blog, I honor my word to myself about self nurture.  When was the last time you kept your promise to take time out, or have a break or treat yourself with kindness.  I love the boldness of these pages and as well as creating them just looking at them fills me with peace.

Waiting on a Miracle - there are miracles all around us.  This Art Journal Page is a reminder to look at the all the things that we have around us, sometimes perhaps the miracle that you have been waiting on is the very thing you hold in your hand.

I like the science fiction feel to it, and would love to do more work in the style.  Are you working on any new styles in your creative practice or found any new tools and supplies to play with?

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Art in Barbados, Experimenting with Art

Cover by Lilian Sten-Nicholson

APRIL 2022 issue of the BARBADOS VISUAL ARTS MAGAZINE 

Free Online magazine

Every month Artist and Publisher Corrie Scott produces a online publication of all the art and creative events taking place in Barbados. It is packed with information about current Visual Art events happening around Barbados and by Barbadian artists further around the globe.  It normally comes out on the 1st of the month.

I have always found it a valuable resource to have and keeps you abreast of what is going on in the island.  Check it out HERE

Click on the link or the image to take you to the listings, so you can see all the amazing events that have been organized this month, with some of the events happening online. 

Experimenting Styles

I have continued to experiment in the studio in my art journal with the Neurographic Art, allowing myself to continue to be inspired.  Every image I create whether it is a portrait or an abstract scene, seems to call out for the essence of Neurographica.  I am continuing to be guided to see how it impacts on my style or adds to the stories being told.

Foam Stamps Art

This week I also shared my painting for the week from the foam stamps that I had created last week, I love this stage of their development where, you can see the video of the page creation below. 

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

You can check out the supplies used to create the paintings and foam stamps HERE

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I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the posts HERE

Day 17

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Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2

Stamps, Challenges and Hops

 Handmade Foam Stamps

This Week was Week 8 of my Handmade Foam Stamps and each week I end it with a painting of all the stamps for that week.

Going through the stamps means that I get to organize what I have an make new ones.  I have been enjoying the process especially as I now have a heat tool which makes creating the designs even easier and you get some great details on the foam.

You can check out this week video below

Artsy Second Sunday

Every second Sunday of the month I take part in a video hop with a group of other artists on YouTube and we work by a monthly theme.  This week was 'Ladybugs and Rainbows'  I went for Ladybug and played with my supplies on the page.  

It was funny as part way though I forgot exactly how a ladybug looks, so the video is just an interpretation of one.

They actually look quite different and I have been privy to some unusual ones in the garden.  There are over 6000 species world wide and I think that we have about 4 different varieties in the garden, helping to keep down pests such as aphids that can attack some plants. 

Here 3 of the 4 that we have the forth one is brown with pink spots or the other way round, I couldn't find the photo that I took of that one.

Anyway, you can check out the video of the Ladybug that I painting for this blog hop below.  I will have to paint it again to do it justice in the style that I would normally paint in.

I hope you enjoy and would love you to join us on the challenges, you will be inspired by the work of the artists who share.

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

You can check out the supplies used to create the paintings and foam stamps HERE

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I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the posts HERE

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Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2

Handmade Foam Stamps - Week 7, Challenges and More!

 

Here is the latest video which shows the most recent stamps created.  I am also now at the half way mark for the 100 Day Project, of 100 Handmade Foam Stamps.  

One of the reason I started to create my own stamps was the price of stamps and the lack of variety of the kind that I like, and having the stamp I needed for what ever project I was working on.  I kept seeing designs in my head and after practicing a few different techniques found a style that helped me create the stamps that I wanted to bring forth.

50 Stamps 

Here are the first 50 stamps, they have been organized, had a foamboard backing and image printed for easy identification.  I am on the home stretch with 50 more to go for the challenge.  I have probably sketched just a bit over 100 and there is inspiration all around when it comes to creating designs.

1-25

26 - 50

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

You can check out the supplies used to create the paintings and foam stamps HERE

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I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the posts HERE

********************************************

Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2