Shining Shirley

Hi friends!! This is Deepti and I am here with another super talented artist. Her style is unique, she is one person whom I have consistently seen experimenting with new things, new ideas, new mediums and new designs. You will find most thoughtful designs combined with most beautiful colors on her cards. Anyone who sees her creations would get addicted to her style. Her talent is not just limited to cards, you will be amazed to know how multifaceted she is :) So let's welcome Shirley Bampton... 

Name: Shirley Bampton

Blog: shirley bee's stamping stuff

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your blog

I live in a beautiful village in north-west England with my husband (today is our 39th wedding anniversary!) and our border collie rescue dog, a surprise present from our kids a few years ago.  A couple of years after we married, we emigrated to Australia.  Six years later we returned to the UK and had our two sons.  Ironically they've now both relocated to Australia!  I'm fortunate to have retired early so I get a lot of free time to play.  DH has also retired early and he likes to do all the cooking.  I just need to train him to do more housework then I'll have even more time to play...

I started entering challenges a couple of years ago via Flickr but quickly decided I should take the plunge and start a blog. I'm currently on the Design Team for STAMPlorations, Craft Stamper and Seize The Birthday. I am amazed at all the talent out there and feel honoured to be a part of it all. And thanks, Deepti, for featuring me on Paperie Designs' Studio.

2. How and when did you start crafting?

I've been knitting and sewing since I was a child.  By the time I was in my teens I was making most of my own clothes, then when the children were young I had two knitting machines and used to knit and sew most of their clothes.  I loved art at school, especially drawing.  Over the years I've done pen and ink drawings, pin art, pyrography (woodburning), leatherwork, calligraphy, glass engraving, encaustic wax and stamping. My newest obsession is needle felting - depending on my prowess with that, you may get to see the results on some of my cards.  My obsession with stamping started in 1997 when I saw heat embossing for the first time - I was hooked when I saw the powder melt.  Last year I bought myself a stamp making machine because I wanted to make my own big word sentiments but there are so many fabulous word stamps on the market now, I've been buying those instead and haven't got around to making my own yet. 

3. From where do you draw your inspiration? How do you continue to be ever creative?

From blogland - stamp manufacturers' blogs, challenge blogs and other crafters' blogs.  I like to combine challenges, usually a colour challenge and a theme, and I find that often sparks the creativity.  I'm sketch-challenged, so I tend to avoid them, especially the fussy ones.  Sometimes an idea for a card will just pop into my head, and if I'm lucky, it's still there by the time I get to my craft room.

4. How would you describe your style?

Hmmm.  I'm not sure.  How about clean and arty with a hint of grunge?  Does that sound like me?

5. What are the must have tools in your crafting space?

Teflon bone folder, ATG, Fiskars cutter, heat gun, paintbrushes and a needle for de-gunking the nozzles on my tubes of glue and glossy accents!

6. What’s your favorite technique? What is your favorite medium to work with?

My favourite technique at the moment is sloshing colour outside the lines. And spattering.  And then there's printing from embossing folders and stencils.  And magazine style compositions. Basically anything with Distress Inks, I love them!  I use Distress Inks rather than watercolours because I find them easier to work with and the colours are brighter.  And they have other properties that watercolours don't have, like reacting with water when you spritz them.

7. What is the one crafty skill that you wish to excel?

Using Distress Inks to their full potential (or rather, my full potential!).

8. What makes you smile?

Knowing how happy my kids are in Australia, watching the dog dreaming (well that makes me laugh, actually), being out with DH walking through the fields and along canal towpaths (not many hills on canal towpaths), being with friends, seeing a card turn out as I'd hoped - or better than I'd hoped ;)

9. What is/are your favorite thing/s to do other that crafting?

Thinking about crafting.  Planning the next craft project.  Oh, sorry - going to the cinema, train travel, exploring the local countryside.  Buying craft supplies.

10. Are there any artists/ crafters/ designers that you look up to? What is that one quality in them that inspires you?

Tim Holtz for his inventiveness with Distress Inks, Heather Telford for her watercolour techniques, Jill Foster for her vibrant colours, Shery Russ for her one layer cards that look several layers deep, Maria Fischer for her sheer creativeness, Karen Dunbrook for her use of colour. I suppose they're all about colour and composition.

11. If you were not a crafter what would you be?

Oh, I can't imagine life without any crafting in it.  I'll always be creating something with something.

12. What will be your advice to all the new crafters out there?

Use good quality supplies and make it as good as you can.  And if you want to sell what you created, ask yourself, "Would I buy it?".  If you wouldn't, probably no-one else will.

What a wonderful word of advice on selling ur projects :) Thank you Shirley for sharing ur life and creativity with us.  My dear friends aren't these  cards the most creative and artistic. Please head over to her blog and take a peek into the world of her awesomeness...