Masterpieces in Miniature

My final posting on Stampfest showcases photos from my third class. Each kit contained lots of small boxes in different sizes and shapes, all painted black so that a dimensional collage could be built. Each little box was intended to feature individual works of art.

Supplies provided by me included lots of Ranger products: Dimensional Pearls, Alcohol Inks, Adirondack Pigment Pens, Distress Inks, and I even created a Wild Plum ink pad using their Cut N' Dry foam pad in a tin for a student who needed a totally unique color when she began her stencilling.

A favorite product of mine is the Magic Stamp (Penscore) by Clearsnap. Mark, shown here on the right, loves it as much as I do. And it turns out I'd introduced it to him the previous year in my Friday night make & take party. I know there are tons of products out there on the market, with new items being released throughout the year. But sometimes your best tools are those that you've had in your stash for over a decade.

Once again there were familiar faces who were not only present in my classes this year, but also students who came back after taking one of my classes last year. High praise for me when you consider the teaching roster this convention had to offer. So my thanks to each of you. And I had 2 gentlemen in this class, so kudos to both of you for joining the ranks of "Linda's Lovelies". Didn't we have fun?

This class was not only an opportunity to use lots of products, but also a class filled with tips for building multiple collages to mount on one surface. Some of my students had never been shown how to wrap glass with foil tape, and since they were given both microscope slides (very thin) and rectangles of glass cut at a glass distributor (far thicker), learning how to center the glass onto the tape so that's it's facing you created some great results.

I'd purchased silk flowers to dye with the Distress inks. And I'd loaded the inks into the Mist It's by Inspired Crafts. If you've never tried one of these spritzers, you don't know what you're missing!!! My tip for this part of the class was to spritz the flowers first with water and then with the ink. When the wet ink hits the dry flower you get droplets, but when the silk is wet, it blends beautifully. And if you want the flower darker, blot off some of the excess moisture and give it another spritz of ink.

Most of us have button collections courtesy of our mothers and grandmothers. I'm fortunate to have collections from both, but there are times I spot a container of buttons at a craft store in coordinating colors with a mix of sizes. I brought some of these buttons and we created some very dimensional flower centers by layering buttons in different sizes and colors. JudiKins is always gracious in providing me with the tiny tubes of Diamond Glaze for my classes, so everyone got at least one tube for this layering. The key to using Diamond Glaze successfully is to apply the adhesive and press for 45 seconds. This allows the bond to form and you'll get remarkable results every time.

Since returning home I've had a few emails from Mark and he was generous in sharing some of his stamping creations inspired by my class. He's been out shopping for stencils with fabulous results, don't you think?

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who came to play with me in hot, humid Orlando. I had one student who stayed as I cleaned up after this class, telling me it was the first class she'd ever taken, and just how much she enjoyed it. I know classes seem expensive even when economic times aren't strained, but watching demos and flipping the pages of magazines will never be the same as hands-on play time in a class.

On Saturday and Sunday I was working in the Just For Fun booth at the convention, showing the crowds how to recycle their greeting cards using JFF's frame stamps and templates. I'll post photos of those for you over the holiday weekend because if you're like me, you love seeing a new twist on an old favorite.

Melinda Doster is another NC gal who travels to these conventions to teach and we were roommates for the 4 day weekend. She sat beside me in the booth showing the convention goers how to use the frames & templates with rubber stamps and inks while I actually led a make & take. Her tips and hints were fabulous, and making a card with me from an old greeting card just gave them a bit of hands-on play to take home along with their purchases.

Next time you see that a convention is coming your way, I urge you to buy a ticket and join the fun. So many booths offer demos as well as make & take projects so you're sure to learn a few tricks. And consider at least one class. It's a great way to learn something new but it also gives you a chance to make a new friend or two.

And that's never a bad thing in the world of rubber stamping. I should know; I've been doing this for 29 years!