Artistic Outpost

Artistic Outpost opened its doors in the fall of 2007. Robyn Sharp and Shelley Carr are both weekend crafters, wannabe entrepreneurs, and corporate managers, and to them Artistic Outpost allows them the opportunity to steer the direction of an enterprise that is truly their own.

Robyn designs the stamps. Shelley keeps Robyn from designing crazy stuff, and Steven (Robyn's husband) manages the "home office".

They are all three having fun, and learning that this stamp stuff is hard work and serious business. They continue to be inspired by the many people that love Artistic Outpost's unique vintage style, and they look forward to what the future holds for this grand adventure.  (From the About Us section on www.artisticoutpost.blogspot.com.)

Hello everyone! You are not on the wrong page. I have a bit of news I'd like to share. The creative folks over at Artistic Outpost have asked me to be a guest designer for the next three months! I am super thrilled and honored at the same time! This came as a shock as I have never been on a design team before, and I truly hope I can measure up to all the other wonderful and creative designers. The AO stamp line is unique, vintage, and super detailed. I fell in love with them the first time I saw a set and had to have it. I used this set..."Steampunk"...to create this keepsake tag that I will put in my personal scrapbook to remind me of this special milestone. I hope I can inspire all of you, with the projects I make using these gorgeous stamps.

I am also submitting this to the Gingersnap Creations Challenge of "using a line of stamps"

Supplies:

Artistic Outpost: Steampunk Set

Ranger: Archival Ink- Jet Black and Sepia; Inkssentials- Crackle Accents, Black Tag; Melt Art- UTEE Clear; Adirondack- Acrylic Paint Dabber in Gold

Tim Holtz: Alterations for Sizzix- texture fade in Time Clocks; Distress Embossing Ink

Core'dinations: TimHoltz Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection Card Stock

ULine: Metal Embossable Tag 

Faber-Castell: Watercolor Pencils

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

January ATC

Hello crafty people! I have just finished my ATC for the monthly swap at the All Things Tim Yahoo Group. This month's ATC was to be of course Tim inspired, green, and written on the back, a creative resolution. I am also entering this little guy in Hel's Sunday Stamper Challenge "time", and Studio L3's Grungy Monday Challenge "any of Tim's 12 tags techniques", which is also being sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. The time theme is pretty obvious on the card, and the techniques I've chosen from 12 tags are the tissue wrap background and creating an embossed resist. As always, I am excited to see the ATC's I'll receive in return.

To Create the 2 Tim Techniques: Using Wendy's Studio 490 Art Parts in the ATC, I stained front and back with Distress Stain in Peeled Paint.

Lifted from Wendy, I ran Perm Tac Adhesive on the ATC and placed Tissue Wrap over it, and pressed down (instead of stamping images as per Tim's technique). You can see the green tint as well as the tiny dots from the tape runner. It really creates an awesome texture and contrast.

I stained the tissue tape with Peeled Paint, which really enhanced the dots. Then I sanded over the sides, and the tissue wrap just fell off so smoothly.

I stamped a Hero Arts Time Background over the ATC with Distress Embossing Ink, covered that with UTEE, and heat embossed. This created a clear image which will resist any coloration. I inked over the ATC with Distress Ink in Gathered Twigs and Peeled Paint. The resist worked beautifully.

After embellishing with the embossed metal number 2's (from Mover's & Shaper's Mini 25), a clocked clad mini rosette, pen nib, flourishes, and sentiment, the ATC was overflowing with various textures.

I love how the clock turned out on the rosette, and the background is still visible under all the goodies.

An appropriate sentiment is embossed on the back along with my Creative Resolution for 2012...to really work on time management, so I can create everyday while still getting my other responsibilities completed. That is a huge goal that I hope I can tackle!

Supplies:

Ranger:  Acrylic Paint Dabber in Silver (frame out); Inkssentials- Glossy Accents, Crackle Accents, Big & Bossy Two-Tone Embossing Ink Pad; UTEE

Tim Holtz:  Alterations: Sizzix Dies in Mover’s & Shaper’s Mini 25, Mini Paper Rosettes; Idea-ology- Lost and Found Paper Stash (rosette), Pen Nib, Game Spinners; Stamper’s Anonymous Start/Ending wood block; Adirondack Alcohol Ink in Meadow; Distress Ink in Peeled Paint, Gathered Twigs, Embossing Ink; Distress Stain in Peeled Paint; Distress Stickles in Peeled Paint

Wendy Vecchi Studio 490:   Art Parts: ATC Art

Hero Arts: Cling Stamp - Time To Stamp

Technique Tuesday: Stamp - Life Is A Journey

Bazzill Basics Paper: Daisy Paper Flowers in Hillary

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!