Book Review - Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino

reviewed on papercrafts.bellaonline.com

Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books

by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
Publisher: North Light Books (an imprint of F+W Publications), 2006
ISBN: 1581807708 ; Paperback book: 128 pages
Reviewed By Kim M. Bayne, Paper Crafts Editor for BellaOnline.comproduct
Rating: ★★★★

If you fear exploring your creativity, but are still drawn to the idea of documenting your personal history through artistic journals or altered books, two sisters – authors of “Visual Chronicles” – will inspire and enlighten you. Sisters Karen Dinino and Linda Woods guide novice book artists through stamping, collage, painting and writing with simple journaling projects designed to open your mind to new possibilities.

Tapping into the full breadth of the typical creative psyche, Karen (the lawyer) and Linda (the artist) combine their innate, individual talents to explore the application of colors and shapes to the scribing of expressive text. From chapter to chapter, the focus of their book is clear – it’s all about “me,” but in a good way. Fear-busting chapter titles include “I Have No Time,” “I’d Have to Do It All Alone,” and “Nothing Happens in My Life.”

“Good grief! They read my mind,” I thought as I glanced through the Table of Contents. In fact, when I spied the “Entry Denied” brick wall made of a line drawing and rubber stamps, I knew immediately we were all on the same page – literally. I had embraced the “brick wall” motif previously by applying dimensional paint to an altered book cover, so right then I knew I’d found kindred spirits in these two authors.

Artistic inspiration and projects aside, this book is simply entertaining reading. You could curl up and read it with nary an embellishment or glue stick in sight. You’d still come away satisfied that you’d shattered a few mental myths in the process. For example, Fear Buster No. 5 – titled "I Don’t Have Any Ephemera" – simply says "Ladies, look in your purse." For those of us reliant on fanny packs and multi-pocketed vests, we still get the picture. Ephemera can be merely the stuff that documents your lives – ticket stubs, receipts and wrappers are evidence that we have experienced life. In other words, “Every day is an artful journal,” write the authors.

So stop lamenting that you are not an artist and can’t draw a straight line. Pick up a copy of “Visual Chronicles” and start exploring your life today.

Product Resource Guide
· Buy Visual Chronicles at Amazon.com
· Browse for more Paper Crafts Books at Amazon.com

Article Description: Can't draw a straight line but want to document your life? Here's some help...with lots of flair.

Book Review - Art Stamping Workshop by Gloria Page

reviewed on papercrafts.bellaonline.com

Art Stamping Workshop: Create Hand-Carved Stamps for Unique Projects on Paper, Fabric, Polymer Clay and More

by Gloria Page
Publisher: F & W Publications, 2006
ISBN: 1581806965; Paperback: 128 pages
Reviewed By Kim M. Bayneproduct
Rating: ★★★★★

These days, with so many books on the market, it’s rare when I can pick up a new paper crafts title and actually see myself doing the majority of projects. Even rarer when I actually start doing most of them shortly after browsing.

Before I came across “Art Stamping Workshop” by Gloria Page, I was my usual skeptical self. My paper crafts style is an eclectic mix of shabby chic and whatever found art I almost threw away. In other words, it’s unlikely that some cutesy project book will appeal to me. Guess what? Gloria’s projects are anything but “cute.” Think simple yet stylish, creative yet uncluttered, and best of all, you’ll come away with a ton of new ideas. For example, I loved her Magnetic Bookmark Card project (page 48) -- the card incorporates two paper bookmarks into its design, so this work of art is practical as well.

Gloria’s Workshop demonstrates everything from how to carve your own stamps out of soft-block carving material – her photographs make these 20 projects look so simple, even the novice won’t be shy about carving – to rubber stamping with Staz-On Ink right on rocks. I was so inspired; I started gathering rocks outside my home so I could decorate the yard. My creations, based on the River Rock project (page 90) must have looked great because a few of them went missing in a few hours. Oh, well!

Gloria didn’t stop at altering rocks, either. A ceramic white tile, a plain wooden frame from the crafts store, and miscellaneous fabrics all became the recipients of Gloria’s unique stamping style. And no corner was left unexplored...literally. Gloria even decorated scrapbook photo corners with stamped triangles. There’s enough in this book to keep an altered art mind busy for weeks, if not months.

Now about the images in this book…all very clear and well photographed, with great lighting. I had no problem seeing the up-close details of an artist’s journal embellished with stamped craft sticks or a star ornament stamped out of polymer clay. Gloria’s pages left nothing to the imagination, except of course, for how you’ll apply her wonderful techniques and style to your own original projects. And if you're at a loss for how to outfit your crafts area for these projects, the author has included a few pages with more than a dozen material ideas for carving your own stamps.

If you’re a paper person, fabric fanatic or altered artist at heart, take heart! There’s something here for you. From the beginner to the advanced crafter, you’ll find a new way to look at rubber stamping. Gloria’s book is well worth the time and price. But beware – once you pick it up, nothing in your house will be safe from rubber and ink.

Product Resource Guide
· Buy Art Stamping Workshop at Amazon.com
· Browse for more Paper Crafts Books at Amazon.com

Article Description: Learn how to carve your own stamps for unusual projects on a variety of surfaces

Project - Stamp, Glue and Glitter an Altered CD

Tired of throwing away all those CDs you get in the mail? Use your rubber stamps, glue and glitter to create an eye-catching wall decoration or suncatcher. ~ Article by Kim M. Bayne


Butterflies on CDs (click to enlarge)

Materials & Tools List
· Unwanted CD (Compact Disk), usually received as unsolicited junk snail mail from a well-known online service
· Fast Drying Solvent Ink Pad, like StazOn Jet Black by Tsukineko< · Solvent Ink Rubber Stamp Cleaner, like StazOn Cleaner by Tsukineko
· Favorite Rubber Stamps, like Brenda Walton Dragonfly Item #990H17 by All Night Media Wood-Mounted Stamps
· White (Clear-Drying) Tacky Glue, like Sobo Premium Craft & Fabric Glue by Delta Technical Coating
· Embossing Heat Gun
· Fine Glitter in Blue and Purple, like Art Accentz Microfine Sparklerz Glitter in Sapphire and Lavendar, by Provo Craft
· Transparent Paint in Blue and/or Green, like DecoArt Liquid Rainbow Transparent Paint
· Fabric Ribbon, in Purple and Green, used to hang the CD after it has been decorated

The Steps
(CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

1. Select a CD to alter that you'll never use for the computer. Using a permanent black ink, like StazOn Jet Black, rubber stamp an image onto the shiny side of the disc. I selected a dragonfly stamp and stamped it three times. My design leads the eye upward to give it a feeling of flight. Notice how all the dragonflies are flying in relatively the same direction.


2. Using an embossing heat gun, heat set the solvent ink for a few minutes. Make sure you move the heat tool around often to avoid melting the disc in any one spot. Now let the CD cool down.



3. Once the CD is cooled, apply dots of glue in patterns around the dragonflies. Sprinkle glitter on top of the glue. Allow the glue to dry a few minutes then lightly tap off the excess glitter.

4. Apply liquid glue inside the wings of each dragonfly.


5. Sprinkle glitter liberally on to the tacky wings.


6. Allow the glue to dry a few minutes, then lightly tap off the excess glitter.


7. Using a small paintbrush, carefully brush off any glitter that didn't tap off.


8. Apply the transparent paint to the dragonfly's body. DecoArt Liquid Rainbow Transparent Paint creates a faux stained glass look so you'll be able to see the dragonfly's image through the paint after it dries.


9. Wait a day for the glue and paint to "cure" then tie colored ribbons through the CD hole to create a loop for hanging. See photo at the top of this page.

Project Tips
· You can speed up the drying time by using the heat gun in between steps. Be extra carefully to move the gun around or you will melt the CD.
· Choose your rubber stamp design wisely. This project works best using rubber stamps that have deeply etched bold lines.
· Make sure your CD is on a solid, level, non-slippery surface. You don't want the rubber stamp to slip while you're applying the dragonfly outline. But just in case you do experience "slippage," you can clean it up immediately with StazOn Cleaner.

Additional Reading
· Stamping with Style by Katherine Duncan Aimone
· Creative Stamping With Mixed Media Techniques by Sherrill Kahn
· Rubber Stamp Extravaganza by Vesta Abel

Product Resource Guide
· Buy your craft supplies at MisterArt.com
· Most project photos on this page were taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital Camera

Content copyright © by Kim M. Bayne. All rights reserved. This content was written by Kim M. Bayne and originally published on BellaOnline.com on May 14, 2004. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission from Kim.

Video/DVD Review - Stamp Art with MaryJo McGraw

Stamp Art Inspirations with MaryJo McGraw

Director: Suzanne Lamar
Studio: PageSage
Format: NTSC, Color, 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: May 2003
Review by Kim M. Bayne

If you're just discovering rubber stamping, check this out. This DVD includes step-by-step instructions and cool projects for the budding rubber stamper. It contains great ideas for veteran stampers, too.

For starters, host MaryJo McGraw clarifies the three differences in inks -- dye, pigment and solvent/permanent ink -- then she recommends which ink brands to buy for cost-savings. The helpful demonstration on how to use bottled re-inkers, to breathe new life into spent pads, is well worth the price of the video alone.

In her introduction, MaryJo explains that lessons are geared to non-specific products. She has her favorites, featured throughout the video and in the Extras segment, and she recommends a few brands in order to get certain desired results. MaryJo's bonding agent of choice is Diamond Glaze, but she does highlight PPA (Perfect Paper Adhesive) or another "clear glue medium" as acceptable choices. In each lesson, MaryJo is very conscientious about re-emphasizing which products to use, whether brand-name or generic.

For the finger-painting kid in you who loves to work wet, you'll like MaryJo's approach. She uses her bare fingers to apply glue, and sometimes ink, to just about everything. Tape lovers need not fret -- MaryJo recommends double-stick tape for paper-to-paper applications, which she says "holds up very well long term."

The artist works her rubber stamp magic (on matte card stock, poly paper, acrylic, shrink plastic, mica tiles, and so on) to create interesting looks for handcrafted rubber stamped treasures. Sometimes crafts elements overlap -- Catalina Tiles were featured first alone then later, as part of the project on Mini Books.

If you prefer the multi-sensory approach to learning, you'll be glad to know boxes on the screen appear frequently, offering tips and insights into using specific products and tools. During a Mini Book gluing demonstration, on-screen text cited plastic wrap as helpful in preventing glue from sticking to unwanted areas.

MaryJo offers excellent tips for budget-minded crafters, as well. In the Catalina Tiles project, the on-screen text noted a cereal box as a substitute for chipboard. On occasion, these text boxes clarify MaryJo 's casual comments, too.

While viewing, just relax and forget about taking notes. MaryJo's style is easy-going and easy-to-understand. Plus, the inside cover of the DVD label insert contains a complete outline of all of the supplies needed, segmented by project.

Finally, the nicest feature about viewing MaryJo's projects on DVD, instead of the now-traditional videotape, is the interactivity. The DVD includes a sample artwork gallery that allows viewers to jump directly to the associated technique. For me, the DVD made it easy to just click to the exact project I wanted to tackle.

DVD Project Outline:
• Ink Basics
• Glazing with Glue
• Quick Collage
• Collage Veneer
• Glazed Metallics
• Faux Fresco
• Catalina Tiles
• Quick Cards
• Heirloom Cards
• Mini Book

Product Resource Guide
• Buy this DVD at Amazon.com.

Content copyright © 2004-present by Kim M. Bayne. All rights reserved. This content was written by Kim M. Bayne. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.

Article Description: A review of the DVD "Stamp Art Impressions with MaryJo McGraw"