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By Wendi Dunlap-Simpson
Rubber stampers currently enjoy an embarrassment of riches such as they've never had before. There was a time, only a few years ago, when stampers had to search high and low to find any publications that featured stamping. The granddaddy of stamping magazines, Rubberstampmadness, could be found at some stamp shops, but stamp shops themselves were few and far between, and many of them didn't carry RSM.
Now there are lots of magazines that cater to the stamping hobbyist, and more constantly appearing. You can even find stamping magazines at bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble, Tower Books, and Borders. If you're looking for new ideas, a stamping 'zine with tons of 'em is no further than a trip to the local mall.
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The words "Free Stamps" always get my attention!
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I love having all these great stamping resources available, and I buy them all, but I often find that the publications that inspire me most are not stamping magazines at all. Many of my best ideas come from other craft magazines, art and decoration magazines, and catalogs.
One of my favorite inspirations lately, is, well, just that. Inspirations For Your Home is a British crafts and decoration magazine that is published monthly. It can be a little hard to find here in the US sometimes, but I've found it in the Seattle area at Barnes & Noble and Tower Books.
The first issue of Inspirations that I saw caught my attention with the magic words "Free Stamps." Each copy of the December issue came with 4 foam stamps in holiday shapes: a star, a tree, a ribbon, and holly. Of course I bought the magazine immediately, and I used the stamps on some of my Christmas wrapping paper.
Issues since then have included such goodies as a stencil in the shape of topiaries, collage paper with music and vintage lettering patterns, and, this month, more stamps -- this time with floral patterns.
Each issue contains articles showing tons of ways to use the month's giveaway, and the ideas are generally quite wonderful. While some of them feature traditional stamping uses such as cards and stationery, there are also many other ideas for using stamps and related crafts throughout your home.
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Colors almost pretty enough to eat!
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Another favorite resource of mine is a little easier to find in the US. Handcraft Illustrated is a quarterly publication that features all kinds of craft projects, including stamping, candlemaking, decorative baking, and more. It can be found at most large magazine stands.
The most striking thing about Handcraft Illustrated is the overall sense of quality it displays throughout. The photography of each project is nothing short of stunning -- I've been tempted to frame a few of the images, I found them so beautifully done. The magazine is printed on thick, high-quality paper, so each issue doesn't feel disposable at all. These are magazines to save -- and savor.
While most issues have at least one stamping project, stamping is by no means the dominant craft in this magazine. I find, though, that just about everything in it sparks my imagination and inspires me to use my art materials in new ways.
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Oh, the money I could spend...!
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One final resource that I enjoy browsing through is not a magazine at all, but a catalog. The Flax Art & Design catalog is a mix of art supplies and gifts for those with an artistic bent. Items in the catalog range from the useful (Fiskars rotary paper trimmers) to the educational (The Architecture Pack, a pop-up book that takes one on a tour of architecture through the ages) to the whimsical (a "duck tape" t-shirt that would make just about anyone giggle) and back again.
Among the goodies you can find many items useful to stamp artists, including a Microfleur flower press, wood-covered photo albums, colored pencil sets, metallic markers, customizable snowglobes (put your own stamped artwork in a snowglobe! How's that for unique?), sealing wax, Sculpey, Tombow brush pen sets, and calligraphy kits.
If I could only find the money, I think I'd buy half of the items in the Flax catalog. Maybe more.
(You can order the Flax catalog at http://www.flaxart.com.
Inspirations for Your Home doesn't have a website, but they can be reached c/o GE Magazines Ltd., Elme House, 133 Long Acre, London WC2E
9AW. You can order copies of the magazine online from http://www.onecopy.com/Home_Decorating.htm.
Handcraft Illustrated also doesn't have a website, but they can be reached at P.O. Box 7450, Red Oak, IA 51591-0450, e-mail hndcftill@aol.com. You can also order copies of the magazine online from http://www.onecopy.com/Crafting.htm.)
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