Time to Stamp

Let's talk a little bit more about mark making stamps! I shared some of my various tools found around my house back here on this post. There are so many interesting mark makers lying around, that I thought I would share some more. I love some of the little stamping goodies I have to share today...take a look!

Raid the golf bags and pull out a tee! Look how great you can create small circles on your page. I LOVE that you can flip it around and make darling, tiny dots with the other side. My hubby has lots of these cuties, he won't miss them. :)

My mom had given me a package of fun rubber alphabet stamps from Recollections. The stamps are fabulous to play with, but look at this spectacular box that came in the packaging. I am really drawn to circles, so I was super excited to find something other than a circle. Always look at wrapping and packaging. SO many good finds and it is way better to land in an art stash rather than the trash.

Now, we know food comes in all kinds of interesting containers. They may seem very simple and basic. But look at how interesting the bottom of this plastic cup makes marks. Very similar to the foam hair roller in my last stamping post (here). I love the different variations I get depending on the amount of paint. Plus, it is a circle...be still my heart. ;)

 I know it really stinks for anyone to be sick, but hang on to those medicine dispensers. Play around with them and see if they can make some marks of interest. I initially tried to suck up some watered down yellow paint and spray it out for a cool effect. Lol. Major fail on that one. But, I turned it around and used the end to stamp. I love the lines within the circles. 

AND...look at the inked image! It's even better. I can't wait to get these little glorious stamped circles onto a project. :)

I hope I inspired you to grab some unexpected little gems 
to stamp with on your projects. 
Where are you going to look first?

Happy Creating!!

"Around the House" Stamps

I LOVE to use "found" objects in my art. Don't you? It's fun to find little things to add interest and texture to art journal pages, canvases, scrapbook layouts, or other projects. Last October I shared this post about some texture making goodies from my drawer of stamps. Today I have more to show you! 

Just look at some of the great ways these items can make marks on a page. I wonder what you can find around your house. Take a look! :)

This is one of the many (and I mean MANY) pieces from a building set my kids have. When I dip the end into acrylic paint it makes tiny little dots. Very cute and similar to a q-tip. Don't overlook all the lovely goodies that come in children's toys. It's like a wonderland of artsy goodness!

I was an elementary teacher for 12 years, so I have oodles of these rubber pencil grips. They make a darling circle pattern. These could be used to make adorable handmade cards or perfect for kids to create a masterpiece. Super fun and easy for small hands to grasp!

 Nature always provides such fabulous inspiration to me. You too? All I need is a walk, visit to the beach, or hike in the woods to make me feel not only refreshed (and grateful for such beauty) but also completely invigorated creatively. There is so much color and pattern available to us outside. Just look at this shell! A portion of a large shell broke off, and this piece made me smile ear to ear. I'd love to go on a hunt (whether in the neighborhood or somewhere special) with my kids to find some of nature's wonderful pattern makers. Hmmm maybe this weekend?

Containers and bottles from the kitchen make great stamps. Here is a small plastic lid from the top of a spice container. You can see the randomness of the mark depending on how hard I pushed down. I love that! I don't want everything perfect and precise. I like the surprise of random. :)

I think I saved the best for last. Who has some of those pink, foam curlers? I have a dancer in my house, so high curly ponytails are a must. I am sure you can find commercial stamps that make marks like this. BUT, pink rollers are inexpensive and leave divine circles. Also, they would make another "around the house" stamp perfect for kiddie hands! My little guy would love "painting" with these. Well, he is almost 4...so he is "over" things in about 2 seconds flat. I am going to give them a try though!! 

There you have it! Some interesting ways to use things from "around the house" for art making. What kinds of things do you use? I'd love to hear!

I am off to go find more pink curlers! :)

Happy Stamping Lovelies!

XO,

Art Journaling and "Around the House" Stamps

Today I wanted to share some of the fun little goodies I find around my house to use as stamps in my journal. I guess I also use them on regular canvases, but my journal is my place of experiment. I try things out there to see how they work. It is amazing to me how mixed meda can totally overtake the brain. I just have to laugh. I look at things like, "Ohhh, Hmmm that would leave a fab mark." Mind you, I am probably looking at someone's trash. :) Or how about stealing my kids toys because they would make a great stencil.  Or worse...what about the urge to buy something new simply for it's packaging. I know, like me, you raid the hubby's garage stash of "man stuff?" 

Hmmmm, maybe other people's scraps become your treasures? 

  See, complete mixed media junkie. Ha!

 Here are a few bits of "trash" I have in my "texture drawer." 

You may have seen some of these things used many times. I have seen bottle caps of all sizes used. But, don't forget about oddly shaped shampoo lids, Play-Doh tops, the plastic from small toy containers (the dome in the pic above), different jar tops, or little boxes.

I love the oval shape of my old shampoo bottle. Circles can be found pretty easily, so when you spot something with a different shape snag it!

Now, I must admit...in the next picture you will see some things that are stolen from my kiddies. I admit it. I step on half of these things when they are laying all over the floor most of the time. My kids now know that things left around after clean up time are fair game. 

They might end up in the drawer. Hee Hee!

Look at all that fun stuff!

If your kids (or nieces, or nephews, or friend's kids) are like mine, they have 5 trillion Lego pieces. They will never know if you go in there and take a few. Look around for some of these things or better yet, clean out the toy chest. There are bound to be tons of little stamping goodies in there.

Look at that! The hunt is well worth it. So many yummy marks to texture your backgrounds. I think it would be pretty fun to get the kids involved too. Have them look around their rooms for small toys that they would like to donate to Mommy's (or Auntie's, or Grandma's, etc) artsy cause. So fun! They may find something fabulous!!

Let's talk about fabulous. Look at this Lego wheel and what it can do. 

By far one of my favorites!

What are some of the things you like to stamp with???

Happy Hunting!