Letting the cat out of the PaperArtsy bag!

It's a big day here at Words and Pictures:  not only can you see my second Guest Designer project over at The Artistic Stamper, but it's time to reveal a secret.  I can't be silent any longer... it's time to break the news that had me squealing with delight before Christmas: I've been invited by Leandra to be one of the PaperArtsy designers for 2013.  Now my "term" is not until the end of the year, so why break my silence now?  Simple...

... new PaperArtsy stamps... new PaperArtsy stamps... new PaperArtsy stamps... 

And Leandra asked the design team to create some samples using the new releases...  I know, go ahead, hate me now!


But let me show you some of my sneak peeks while you're at it.







Today it's the new JOFY release - and it's glorious!  Over at the PaperArtsy blog right now you can see the full range.

Jo Firth-Young has created some incredibly beautiful new stamps, and there are sneak peeks taking you to the other designers' blogs to see what they've created with them.

And keep your eyes peeled...




On Friday, Saturday and Sunday there'll be more releases revealed - including stamp ranges created by brand new designers.

But for now let me share with you the projects I created with the JOFY stamps which arrived through my letterbox.  Since I made quite a few pieces - the inspiration comes easy when you're surrounded by such lovely stamps - I'll just give you a few pictures today to whet your appetite, and then probably share them individually over the next days and weeks with more information about how they were created (partly for my own benefit, so that I have a bloggy record of how I did what I did!).  

I hadn't worked with any of Jo's designs before, but loved them everywhere I saw them, and was just waiting for the chance. They're not in my usual style, but I find them absolutely delightful.

And, oh my word, they're lovely to play with.  Beautiful, fresh, quirky, and a fantastically sharp image every time.

With the new large flower sets, I decided to have a go at watercolouring with Distress Stains.  It's something I've had a bit of a go at before (on canvas, one time, you may remember), and really enjoyed.

I created a co-ordinating group of panels using the sets I'd been sent.  Here they are as a group.

(Check out the snow, and the tree bark is almost black with moisture instead of its usual friendly brown... but a girl's gotta do whatta girl's gotta do to get her outdoor lighting for the photographs).






There are two using the JOFY 10 set (remember, you can click on a picture for a close-up):

Two using JOFY 11 (completely in love with that butterfly):

And, guess what, two using JOFY 12:

As I said, I'll give you a closer look at the work that went in to creating these some time soon, but if I go into details on all of these projects at once this would end up as my longest post ever, and that's saying something!

So a couple more new projects to share with you, and then I'll leave you in peace to go and check out all the other designer samples...

As well as the large flower sets, this new JOFY release includes some fantastic Minis - smaller stamps to use on their own or combine as you please.  I think maybe my three favourites are JOFY JMs 9, 10 and 11...

These will fit on an ATC... so cute!

When I saw them, I knew exactly what I wanted to try first, so here are a couple of variations in a neutral palette.

And finally for today, a tag made with some of the other JOFY minis to be released.  These are great collages of some of the flower elements, so you can use them as background stamps (as I have) or you could build your own flowers out of them (my next thing to have a play with!).  

  

                

I added the sentiment from JOFY 12 on a little extra tag and some Treasure Gold in Aquamarine for a touch of gilding.

I hope that's got you itching to create something with these new stamps... coming soon to a stamp store near you.  

Check out the PaperArtsy blog for links to lots more inspiration from the rest of the team, and don't forget noon on Friday and noon on Saturday for more exciting releases.  (I'm not playing on Friday, but will be back on Saturday to share some more samples with you.)






And I hope you'll allow me one last plug for my project over at The Artistic Stamper - I rather like it, and I'd be sad if it got completely lost in the PaperArtsy stampede!!

Here's a tiny taster just to finish off with...

Thank you so much for your company on this amazing journey. I feel so lucky to have discovered this world of crafting and crafters... it's changing my life, and I'm so grateful for that and for all your support along the way.


The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.
Danny Kaye

What's the good of living if you don't try a few things?
Charles M. Schulz