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“Joy To The World - Joy To You and Me”
by Lea CiociStamping Deck Crewmember
Welcome aboard our newly stocked ship loaded with techniques and artful journeys for the New Year! The New Year brings fresh beginnings, hopes, and dreams. Learning, sharing, and growing as an artist always inspires my creative spirit. There are so many talented artists that I learn new things from like the other Crewmembers on S.S. Reflections and others I encounter on my voyages around the internet. Without these splendid artists, my MUSE would not be supported. I’m pulling up anchor and setting sail to a new destination.
The seas are brisk and choppy, and the sky is clear and sunny. Moving towards a new destination may take some time, but it is the voyage that is important most of the time and the final destination is only a means to an end. In the New Year while resolutions don’t form for me, big goals broken into smaller goals get the voyage started. This month, I was very happily overjoyed as Robin brought to us Kokuyo Tape Roller Adhesive. Ok, I’m am going to sound like a commercial, but for years I have been frustrated with tape runners/rollers that gummed up, the roller tape themselves would rip, and there was not enough adhesive on the roller so I’d run out within one or two projects. Kokuyo Tape Roller Adhesive is the best I’ve seen! The applicator is sturdy, there is plenty of tape on the roll, and the ease of use is incredible, no gumming or ripping! Both the Kokuyo Tape ‘n’ Roller Plus and Dot ‘n’ Roller adhesive work brilliantly! This is the way to start the New Year, with a great product that is a must for any project!! This is what sharing is all about, bringing new ideas and learning about products we might not have known were out there – especially those that remedy a problem one might have had with a similar product.
The information that came with the tape rollers was detailed. The Tape ‘n’ Roller Plus is perfect for straight edges and layering, and the Dot ‘n’ Roller is perfect for die cuts, unusual shapes, or anything without straight edges. In addition, these adhesive rollers are great for creative projects using glitter, mica powder, foil, and metal leafing. The Dot ‘n’ Roller leaves a pattern of little dots so for collage and background work, this can add texture when you use the mica powder or one of the other media mentioned above. Here is a collage I made using the Tape ‘n’ Roller Plus, a stencil, mica powder, and metal leafing. (Using small strokes with the applicator over the open stencil area resulted in laying down adhesive in a precise manner to match the stencil).
As the sun kept shining, I was inspired to do many different things with the Kokuyo tape rollers. From simple to more involved, the journey was bringing me to the most wonderful destinations. Below is a simple card done in a faux Paper Toile’ by stamping tone on tone onto a similar color card stock color. Each piece was then cut out and layered. For some of the flowers, adhesive was added only to the center so that overlapping could be done and dimension could be achieved. The tag board book is very simply done using a die cut kit, background technique and a photo. Embellishments were added for depth and texture. If you have a tape roller that works properly and with ease, creating is effortless.
I’m almost at my final destination and the choppy waters have subsided. The water is a turquoise blue and land is just ahead. Altered books have been a favorite of mine for years. There is an abundant supply of ideas that I can bring on board. With the Kokuyo tape rollers, my MUSE let me go in several directions. I painted, collaged, stamped, and even made a little pocket to decorate one page. I didn’t have to worry that the elements would fall apart at a later date amongst rough seas; I could be secure that the art I was assembling would stay the way I designed it.
Tap into your MUSE with new ideas, and travel along your journey experiencing all that there is for you. Here’s wishing you a safe and creative passage on your travels into art.
Please feel free to email me at any time if you have any questions. February’s article will have a freebie for a lucky reader so be watching for it!
Lea
Lea Cioci
leacioci@ssreflections.com
Stamping Deck Crewmember
Reflections Publishing Group
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