Wanted crafters who love to use stamps in their projects.

As soon as I started stamping I became fascinated with how versatile they were and how many different ways they could be used. No surprise that I went on to start to designing stamps and create my own stamp company. I am looking other crafters from a range of backgrounds and crafts to join a special design team for one special event. It may lead to other design team projects in the future but at the moment I am just asking for people who can commit to a one off project that will span 9^th and 10^th June 2012. I am particularly interested in those who use stamps in more unusual ways.

The details of this event can be found here and here

Requirements include:

1. The ability to produce 2-3 projects for the event.
2. Good photography skills for taking pictures of your projects
3. Projects posted with social media: Facebook, your personal blog, Oak House Studio Blog
4. Possible participation in our blog, including writing your own posts

Does that sound fun?  If it does, it’s about to get better.  Here’s what I’ll do for you in return:

1. The featured stamp plus inks and embossing powder sent to you in advance of the event.
2. BONUS product chosen by YOU to be sent following your successful completion of this project.
3. Link from our blog and Facebook page to your personal blog
4. My undying gratitude and amazement for your creations

What do you need to do to enter?  That’s easy too!

1.  Submit photos of 3 of your most favourite projects that highlight your own personal use of stamps, and links to your blog or gallery to oakhousestudio@gmail.com (Projects do not need to use Oak House Studio products, but we’d love it if they did!)
2. Submissions must be received NO LATER than Saturday 12^th May, 2012.
3. Write up a quick bio about yourself, mentioning why you’re interested in being on the DT, what experience (if any) you have with DTs, and why you love stamping.
4.  Wait impatiently as I collect the submissions and choose who I can use for this project.
5. I will keep your details on file and will contact you if I think you may be able to help us with design team work in the future.

You are Invited To Our Celebrations.

6^th May 2012.

10 am to 4 pm.

Come and join in the fun.

Free Demonstration and lots of crazy offers

Refreshments £1 in aid of Breast Cancer Care.

Sorry to be missing in action yet again! I have been through an unexpected move which came out of the blue but was full of uncertainty which made it difficult to share with you all. It started with an off the cuff remark from a fellow artist at the farm, when she commented how much she loved my room there. For my part I love her room and offered to swap on the spot. Many weeks later I am now in the "new room" but with still some work to do to getting exactly how I want my room to be. But I am certainly "getting there" the old room is empty and now awaiting a tidy up before ceramicist Alison Brice takes up residence, probably some time in May.
If you fancy a look for yourself then come along on 6th May for a major sale and warehouse clearance. Refreshments on sale for £1 in aid of Breast Cancer Care. Why not come along and see our latest stamp designs and find out about classes we have coming up?
I guess that means I better get on and get those jobs finished.

Just a few days away

How to describe my trip to my brother?....."where are you going?"
"the NEC it is work really"
" are you dragging Elaine with you again? I don't know how you dare!!"
" I think she enjoys it Peter"

He can't seem to understand that 3 days at the NEC, long days, with silly early starts, on your feet most of the day can be both work AND enjoyable!
I didn't take many photos but here are a couple.
And thanks to Elaine for taking the ones of me with Mario Rossi and Tim Holtz.

The beads are Polymer clay from a workshop we did with Linda Peterson. Yes we did 6 workshops with people like Leandra Franich and Lindsey Mason, Wyatt White and Fernando Da Silva.

And I made Elaine come with me to every one so cruel!

We did some shopping too, I bought card and paper on the way there and I bought ribbon and charms on the way back.

Needless to say my head is buzzing with new ideas and ways to develop old ideas. Why did I leave just 2 days to sort those ideas out before I was back to teaching?
Anyway if you live local to me I will be having a FREE open event at the studio Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd March. Which means I better get sort out the new products and the new stamp launch.
http://www.vip-stamping.co.uk/contact-us
will show you how to find the studio, if in doubt please ring.

measures of inkiness

In a facebook post Hels Sheridan of Sunday Stamper fame, commented about not getting inky today well maybe just a smudge. What a brilliant phrase to use to measure inkiness. So I challenged the multi talented Hels to come up with more measures of inkiness and she set the ball rolling , how great I thought so I am now challenging any one out there to come with other phrases to measure how inky you get. Your reward well I am offering 5 Oak House Studio COLOUR CHEMISTRY (see the post below) inks pads to the person who come up with the best phrases.

Post your answers on here or on my facebook wall to be in with a chance. GOOD LUCK.
I am going to Leeds for a Papercraft show this weekend so challenge will end 6pm on Monday. East Yorkshire time

ENJOY what you DO

I needed a few get well cards or cards to encourage friends who were facing a difficult time. This made me decide to dig out the inspirational word stamps to make some thing I could mail out to them. This was the spring board for my classes.

This weeks stamping classes have been exploring using the Oak House Studio pigment inks on Linen card.
We started by colouring the linen card with the pigment ink and then over stamped with a  selection of our palette and texture stamps. The texture of the card really stood out with ink.

We then used some inspiring sentiment stamps including the new Enjoy stamp to create cards or postcard sized affirmations to frame.

Both classes seemed to enjoy the workshop and we hope to extend the technique at next weeks classes.

If you would like to join me for a workshop check out www.vip-stamping.co.uk or email me at lynnda@oakhousestudio.co.uk

The Enjoy stamp will be available from Sunday when we will be at the Ross Papercraft Show at Leeds Grammar School

Farm Watch : The older bull some of us call Simon was really enjoying a good scratch again a tree yesterday. He was really enjoying it a few us stopped to watch this might beast enjoying the simple pleasures of a good scratch in the sunshine. Much to everyone amazement the tree fell over and lay there roots and all. The old bull looked puzzled and wander away look at the fallen tree very sheepishly trying to look as innocent as possible.

Well there I go missing action yet again, where does the time go.
Here is a photo Denise took of me at the studio on Friday. I was showing off the earrings I had that were made by the very talented  Suze Weinberg.
Suze had started by saying "Do you dream in blue?". Well  it obviously struck a cord with me.
You will see I am also wearing a Silver clay pendent I made to go to Artisan in 2010.

This piece is one the first I made with out the safety net of working in Tracey's studio. I wanted a piece that showed off as many of my texture stamps as possible. Then after the nudge from Suze I have added alcohol Inks to the silver clay piece and the cord, giving me something of my own to wear with all my blue/ green stuff I keep getting teased about.

In case you are wondering I was outside the studio and just on my way back in, Friday was a bit grey but you can still see I guess, why I ended working so much in Green and Blue.
I am so lucky to work in such an inspiring location in studio full of stamps, card and inks, a pair of scissors and some adhesive is all I need to keep me happy. Ok well add to that list the ability to make a cup of tea and may play some music if there is no one around to talk to.Then add a ready supply of chocolate/biscuits.

Dare I ask what are the basics you would want to have in your dream studio?

If you want to come visit the studio I have to remind you this is a place of work for me, but  you are very welcome to come along on the open days or for a workshop. I am not there every day so please don't set off without having made arrangements to meet up with me. Here is a link to my calendar so you can check out when you can next come visit the cows and me.
http://www.vip-stamping.co.uk/calendar