Square One..for me is composition.

Hi there so glad you stopped in a minute.
Lately several of my friends and I have been remembering our beginning steps in this stamping art mixed media journey.
I began thinking about that journey. How it went from simple stamping to many other things.
After a show last year I also realized how many people had never stamped or even knew it existed..but wanted to learn.
I have a upcoming once a year November show coming and so I decided to make a learning space for them to come and look at.

I began stamping with Tim Holtz distress Ink and Ranger Archival Inks. My first steps were realizing I had a fascination for the backgrounds and colors ..using Distress ink I made thousands..but things came to life with the stamping..but the key I think is composition.

so...using many many stamps can to me create composition just as you write with a theme in mind..a composition or poem..I believe you can stamp with a theme in mind.
I also think many people became confused for a while with the one word on the paper like Hope or Love or Cherish..even though the words could blend for a while fitting them to the composition was a challenge for many people ..even with the best showing wonderful you tube videos I think it was a do it and you will get it thing.
 Seasons..fast moving in the groups and swap world are the seasons ...but of course stop and realize in the groups you are helping to make the company you are with money.Seasons and home decor and letters and paper art...can be a fast moving thing.Season will also reflect in that composition usually.
Events are another reflection to composition.
So this week Here are four examples of composition.

Theme :Paris
Event:   The terrorist acts in Paris this week inspired my theme.
Season:  Summer

Paris,Summer..wanting to reflect beauty and happiness over a negative.

The technique of a lighter color stamped into a background was taught to me in Wendy Vecchi's group.
Hope is my background stamped in vintage photo on manila folder.
To me Hope is a invisible force which can bring wonderful out comes or disappointments  but because it is invisible and part of the composition I wanted to pull the power of that word into images..like a man climbing dandelions  up to the birds to carry hope through the page..or sky.
Inked with Distress Ink Vintage photo and Black Soot only 2 colors were used.

After Day one I wanted to continue with the theme of Paris and the importance of Human life. This time I added 3 colors to my manila
folder cut paper.Tim Holtz Distress ink Vintage Photo, Black Soot and Picked Raspberry.
To keep the vintage theme I Distressed the page and many stamps on the borders I just used Vintage photo to keep it a soft vintage look and to keep the images and sentiment strong.

On this page I wanted to soften the thought to what many of us Americans think of when we think of Paris..beautiful clothes flowers,Vintage Post and designed townships..and a short time to see so many gorgeous things.
I used four major colors again counting the blue ticket but excluding the collage.

Paper layered dress..summer theme of vacation Birds Travel and subconsciousness Paris stamp....using three colors again, with a paper clip banner.The lovely lady of Dylusions...is off to Paris.

I hope this helps my new stamping friends.
Loads of love to you on this journey.
Susan S.