August 2004 -- Mandy W.
"Crane Card"

Fakenham, Norfolk (UK)

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
Must be about 20 years now! (doesn't time fly when you are having fun)

What is your favorite technique?
I enjoy stippling with small stencil brushes and dye inkpads

Favorite stamp company?
I have several, Hero Arts/ Non Sequitur/ StoneHouse/ OnyxXpressions to name a few.

Favorite Asian stamps?
Right now I love the Brush Stroke images from Penny Black.

Favorite stamping accessory? (i.e. EP, UTEE, Pearl-Ex, punch)
Twinkling H20's

Favorite colors?
Natural Earth Tones/ Greens/ Purple through to Blues!

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
My Krylon Gold Pen.

What is the one tool you couldn't live without? (i.e. X-acto knife, heat gun, glue stick, sponge)
My craft knife, as I'm useless at cutting out with scissors.

Any helpful tips for the group?
Well it goes without saying Stamping mags are a great source of inspiration!

As a member of the Oriental Stamp Art group on yahoo, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I just love Asian Art

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubberstamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Japan and China.

What other stamping lists or clubs do you belong to?
KatysCorner/ Stamping UK/ International Stampers.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
Somerset Studio/ VSN/ RubberStampMadness.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
Crafts Beautiful/ VSN/ Rubber Stamper.

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
Mosaics/ Gardening/ Reading- love the Clan of the Cave Bear series but very much into fantasy and completely hooked on Harry Potter.

What inspires you to be creative?
I've tried stamping with music in the background but can't sit still if it's something with a beat! So usually just work/play with ordinary household noises going on!

Any art background?
No, though it was my favorite subject at school (back in the dark ages).

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping?
Pasta and such like which is great when using Penscore (now called MagicStamp I believe?) but my favorite is Bleach.

Any favorite books on stamping or art techniques that you would recommend? Any on Asian arts & crafts?
I am a great fan of Susan Pickering Rothamel and enjoy browsing through her book 'The Art of Paper Collage', but my stamping bible has to be Somerset Studio's 'Return to Asia'.

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
Up until 3 years ago I had a job made in heaven working in the art room of First Class Stamps (our sister company was All Night Media) and used to make up all the art boards and demonstrate at Trade Shows, sadly ANM was taken over by Plaid and we were all made redundant over here! But I am keeping my hand in by making cards and such like for a bi/monthly project club run by Katy's Corner and also sample cards for two companies who attend stamping shows here.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
I live in Norfolk, which is the pregnant bulge bit on the right hand side of a map of the UK. There's lots of sky here and a very laid back way of life! I've been married and divorced twice and had three great kids from each mistake, one daughter and five sons who in turn have produced a delightful batch of nine grandchildren between them. Over the years we have had lots of pets-- cats, dogs, ducks, horses, bunnies-- but right now we just have 'Fruit Bat' a tiny part- Siamese, so called because she had such enormous ears when she was born. This caused some amusement when we took her to be spayed, as all it said on the label on her basket was 'Fruit Bat, female to be spayed' and the young veterinarian was heard to say "wow, this'll be a first for me" !!!!!!!!

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR "Crane Card "
By Mandy W.
OSA SAM - August 2004

Materials
Diamond Cranes - OnyxXpressions
Red folded card 8" X 4"
Strip of marble paper 7" x 2"
Shrink Plastic white
White card
Permanent black inkpad
Thin strips of black card
Krylon gold pen

Stamp the cranes onto the shrink plastic and set aside to dry.
Stamp the cranes again onto a piece of white card, cut each diamond separately and edge with the gold pen.
Using double sided tape, stick the marble strip to the centre of the folded red card and then using the thin black strips, stick these around the edges of the marble and to divide the strip into four sections.

Stick the four cranes one in each section.

Cut the four cranes into separate diamond shapes on the shrink plastic and using a heat tool shrink to size. Edge these with gold pen and glue in place between the full size ones.

To complete card wrap a small piece of red card round two or three mizuhiki cords and glue in place just above marble strip.

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