Ztampfilicious

Yes, I am back in Hong Kong now – finally! :) It’s been a very long trip and I am happy to be back home!
But before starting designing some brand new kits, I would like to tell you about “The Classics”. What are they?

The Classics are kits that I made in the first several months of my first year designing digital scrapbooking products: between September 2005 – February 2006. Prior to discovering digital scrapbooking, I have been doing paper scrapbooking for several months – which probably show in the kind and style of elements included in my first few digi-kits back then. But even then, I have already tried to create something truly original and unique – something unexpected and yet work very well. There are quite a few gems in these kits that many customers still love and use to this very day which I won’t change a thing about them even if I were to create them now. However, to be completely honest, there were a few things that I would like to improve. Almost five years have passed since I made them after all. My techniques and tools have improved, and I have a better, bigger desktop screen since then; so every tiny detail is even more visible to me now. As someone who is obsessed with details, I can’t ignore them although most people probably would never even aware of to begin with. And when they do, these minuscule details are visible only at 75%-100% view on the computer screen while the printed out files are at approx. 33% of the file size you see on the screen. So most probably they are not noticeable. However, they still matter to me. Hence I decided to do something about them before re-releasing them at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG!

I start with the Batique Kit and BeLaced Kit since there have been a few requests for them. Plus, the time is just right: Batique Kit and BeLaced Kit are just wonderful for spring, weddings, Mother’s Day (for those of you in the US) and well, many other themes/projects as well!

I made some minor improvements on a few elements in the Batique Kit. I also added a few new elements to both Batique and BeLaced Kits, and… both kits are now come with a Bonus of 3 matching QuickPages (12″x12″). Plus, they are now at 25% Off Discount!

If you have previously purchased these kits, you are eligible for a Free Upgrade to download these revamped and improved version! Just email me your Order ID(s) and I’ll email you a coupon code(s) to download them at Studio Ztampf!

So here they are:

With the arrival of ROBOKIT @ Scrapbookgraphics, it is only fitting to base my blog post around it.   Hello, I am Tracy one of Fhungs Z!Girls.

ROBOKIT is the perfect kit for those boys in your lives, I should know I have four of them!   I played with the kit when Fhung first released it at Ztampf and created these layouts…

but today I found I wanted more,  I wanted to show you the versatility of this kit and that it isn’t all masculine..

so I created this art with a couple of pictures of my daughter.

Then I got to thinking,  one of my favourite things about Ztampf products is how perfect the papers are for blending photos onto them.   I love to be able to utilise those not so fantastic photos and the best way I have found to do this is through blending.   Here is how I created the above art using the Hard Light Blending mode which was perfect for this picture.

In Photoshop CS4,  After opening a new 12 x 12 document,   I selected my paper, then dragged my photo onto it.

With My Photo Layer highlighted in the layers palette, I then went into Image – Adjustments  and clicked on Black & White.  ( I find it easier to blend when my photo is Black and White).  A pop up will appear Click OK.

Go to your Layers Palette and highlight the photo layer,  I selected Hard Light as I am blending into a dark background.

Using a large soft eraser – erase the areas not required from the photo

then continue and finish your art.  Once you have erased the unnecessary bits,  Try duplicating the photo layer and using different blending modes on each layer, try using dark and light background or even blending in a couple of photos,   you can get some amazing effects and have lots of fun.

Have A Great Day!

((HUGS)) Tracy

For those who have been waiting patiently for the release of RoboKit Series at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG, here it comes! The new RoboKit AlphaSet is freshly made for this release – I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

And here is a Free Gift for you – a cool 12″x12″ QuickPage created with the RoboKit Series. Click the sample layout made with the QuickPage below to download the PNG QuickPage and enjoy!

Just a quick post to let you all know that Structure Kit and Structure Add-On Pack are now available at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG:

Enjoy :)

Hello readers!  Z!Girl Lynn here with my first ever blog post anywhere!  I’d like to share some exciting news with you.  One of my layouts featuring the Ztampf! Adventouriste Collection was chosen as layout of the week at Scrapbookgraphics.  My layout Paternal Heritage features just that.  I’ve highlighted my grandfather with the unique magnifying glass element found in Adventouriste Trinkets.

Here is my page:

This collection has provided me so much inspiration for my scrapping.  I hope that you find inspiration also!  Until next time, happy scrapping!

Here are some layouts that I did using the new Adventouriste Collection:

The Old Lady of Paris

in Paris with friends

We'll Get There

Ireland

Enjoy :)

A traveling edition – published early while I have a reliable internet connection:

is now available @ Studio Ztampf! in SBG!

Paper Park Package Saving

Paper Park Kit

Paper Park Ensembles

Paper Park QuickPage Album

Enjoy :)

of the Adventouriste Collection have been released! Find them all @ Studio Ztampf! :

Adventouriste FrameIt 1

Adventouriste FrameIt 2

Adventouriste Journaler

Adventouriste ARTiStitches

Adventouriste Enchanted Paper Pack

Adventouriste Solid Ground Paper Pack

Adventouriste Steampunk Paper Pack

Adventouriste ARTiStrokes

Adventouriste Trinkets

Adventouriste Borders 1

Adventouriste Borders 2

Adventouriste AlphaSet

Adventouriste Ensembles 1

Adventouriste Ensembles 2

Adventouriste Album Set

Enjoy :)

Did you notice?

There is a new Z!Girl in our mist!
I would like you all to get to know her. She is one of my long time customers – a very good one too! And she scraps gorgeous pages that I have always loved. I am so glad that she’s joining us here at Ztampfilicious Team!

Her name is Carolyn Stewart and you might know her as Amson in forums and galleries. You can take a peek at her new Z!Gallery here. And now… let’s start interviewing her!

Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself!
Amson: I am a Mother of 2 wonderful teenage girls and 2 dogs. We love travelling and seeing the world and feel we are more a part of the world than one specific country.

Q: What is your mostest favorite thing to do?
Amson: Standing behind my camera. I love the feel of capturing a framed scene of a bigger picture and I love that photos can convey meaning even outside of original context.

Q: Any favorite food/drinks you can’t live without?
Amson: I love Thai food the most and could easily live without meat but not fruit or vegetables. My number one addiction is tea. This I cannot live without and anyone who tries to talk to me before my cup of tea in the morning is warned. Beware!

Q: How about music/songs or books – what are you into these days?
Amson: I have always loved music and especially classical music. I could not believe in a day without music. Bach is my passion and always will be. Books are also an addiction and mostly non fiction. I love biographies and world histories. So much to learn.

Q: What is your favorite subject to scrap about?
Amson: My daughters number 1 but also places that I have travelled to. Sometimes just scrapping a photo brings back so many memories.

Q: How did you first find out about digital scrapbooking? Did you paper-scrapbook before?
Amson: I have never paper scrapped and found digital scrapbooking when looking online for ways to adjust photos. I started with tutorials and remember staying up late one night on one of my first layouts. I was so excited that I could barely wait until morning to show my daughter a photo of her scrapped with a kit from Ztampf! that I still use: Sweet be Mine. She loved it and although I look back and it is basic, I still love the layout.

Q: What do you love most about digital scrapbooking?
Amson: I can totally lose myself when scrapping a layout. To be able to relax at the end of a stressful day and relax while creating is just perfect.

Q: Why do you want to be in a creative team? What do you love most about it? Any tips for being a good CTM?
Amson: I only want to be on a team where I truly love the products and want to support the creator. You need time so don’t underestimate the commitment. But above all enjoy yourself.

Q: How do you manage your time between being your own person, a mother, a wife, a scrapper and a Z!Girl – among tons of other things?
Amson: I’d love to say that I was totally organised but this is not true. I go for a month or so organised then there is a problem at home and life slips back to survival mode with me up to my head in issues. This is part of the difficulty in being a single mother as you are effectively both the father and mother which is more than a full time job in itself. Scrapping is however my salvation as it is an outlet for creativity and often sanity.

Q: How/when did you first find out about Ztampf! – if you remember it? What first attracted you to Ztampf!?
Amson: I can’t remember when I first heard of Ztampf! but it was right at the start of my scrapbooking. I love that the designs flowed from art and were of such high quality. Kits that I purchased a couple of years ago are still used. They are timeless, versatile and can be used for many styles of design. They are not tied to “trends” of the moment.

Q: How/where did you learn digital scrapbooking? Best way/place to hone in your digi-skills?
Amson: The first task after learning the basics of how to “create a layout” is to learn your scrapbooking program, whatever that may be. You don’t need the best program to create the best layout. There are many sites (some non-scrapbooking) offering instructions. Read all you can, take classes and study the layouts that you like.

Q: What program do you use to scrap with? Is there any certain scrapping tools that you found yourself using again and again?
Amson: I use PSP and have used this program for photo editing for many years. My favourite action would definitely be changing blend modes of photos to create effects and blend photos into papers. I have a few plugins that I use frequently such as Topaz Adjust which allows me to become more creative with my photos.

Q: What is your ideal scrapping time/space would be? Any certain gadgets/programs you are coveting right now?
Amson: I am lucky to have a separate study with desktop computer. (I need my widescreen) It is here that I unwind at the end of a day. I’d love to move to an Apple one day and of course Photoshop but would have to win a lottery first.

Q: What is the single most useful scrapping technique you found so far?
Amson: For me scrapping is to preserve memories foremost. Remember to date every page and include journalling. When someone looks at your pages in 20 years, they will not know which layouts received more comments or standout mentions. What they want to see is the story. This is why I am moving towards creating 2 page layouts where there is more room for journalling and photos. Also I don’t feel that you need to add journalling on the layout for upload. I often add journalling on a separate layer that is not visible to the public; just in my printed version.

Q: What do you love most about Ztampf! products?
Amson: I love Ztampf! products, especially the page borders. There are page borders of every description – painted, grungy, metallic, paper, leather etc. Most pages I complete will use one Ztampf! border. My favourite would have to be the most recent from the Adventouriste Collection. I know I will be using these many times.

I also have my favourites from many collections: All the ARTiStitches line (most of my layouts have stitching somewhere), Silky Blooms accent pack (flowers you will use again and again), Paint splats from Soaring Series, Papers from AbstractionNation and Circusoiree Kits and all the metal/mesh bits and pieces that I totally love from Robokit, Structure Kit and its Add-On Pack and Meshed Up Accents (all perfect for teens!). No one does metal better than Ztampf!.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Carolyn – I know I am!
I’m also so looking forward to see more her ztampfilicious layouts!

So for those of you prefer to get just some bits and pieces from the Adventouriste Collection, the first batch of individual packs are now available at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG:

This is what started it all… the wings! Adventouriste Wingz:

Some of the wings included here are from my own original artworks! Particularly precious are the porcelain wings – they are called “Soaring” and are part of my art installation entitled ‘flight‘ which marked my comeback to the contemporary art world in early 2005 after a decade of hiatus. It was a successful exhibition in many ways.

In 2007, the remaining parts of ‘flight‘ was selected to be shown in the International Ceramic Biennale in Korea. To my surprise, at the end of the biennale they decided to purchase ‘flight‘ for their permanent collection! Of course I’d just have to say yes *smile*. It’s just that I haven’t said good bye to the wings! The wings have flown and never to come back to me again! But… I hope they are happy in their new home and that it enables more people to enjoy them.

And then in 2008 I received an email from Mr. Emmanuel Cooper – which at first I thought was a prank because I knew his name and his works; I used his books on ceramic when I was studying in the university ages ago! He is a renown ceramicists and his books are widely read by ceramic artists worldwide so who am I to get an email from him? But no, as it turned out, it wasn’t a prank at all. He was writing a book on contemporary ceramic and would like to have some photos of ‘flight‘ included in the book! Yay! The book “Contemporary Ceramics” by Emmanuel Cooper has been published by Thames and Hudson in the fall of 2009. They have unfortunately misspelled my name (omitting the ‘h’ between f and u) and placed Korea instead of Hong Kong as the city where I live. Oh well! We all make mistakes, including giant publishers like Thames and Hudson *smile*. But of course, I feel so honored to have my works there and I am truly humbled by most of the works also shown in the book. There are so many talented artists out there!

The bright orange wings here are made from copper wire-mesh which I cut and shaped into pairs of wings. Originally they were housed inside some bottles – there are 9 bottles total (my poor husband had to drink all the content which happened to be a not-so-great-tasting wine!) and they are part of the ‘flight‘ installation. They are entitled “Self-Exiled 2“. The ambassador of Mexico to Indonesia has acquired this piece when it was shown in a group art exhibition in Jakarta in 2009. So these wings have flown away too!

Now, I made these metal wings for a mascot for my latest art project, the “Dream Archives” that was shown in my solo art exhibition “Corporeal Dream” in Nov.-Dec. 2009. They are made from copper and aluminum sheets, and I used rivets (eyelets) to join the pieces together. Love me some metal! These wings stay home though. They are perched on our door – guarding the peep hole *smile*.

The big paper wings are made out of my drawing, they are residing quietly in my sketch book. The dragonfly wings are 100% digitally created by myself. The rest of the wings are mostly made from photographs that I took myself – then digitally worked (as are others) into what you will receive in the “Adventouriste Wingz“! I hope you will enjoy playing with these wings for your various projects… there are so many styles here from angelic to mythical (dragons?) to nature and (almost) everything in between!

And here are the other four packs that are now waiting for you at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG:

Adventouriste ARTiculate:

Adventouriste Pieces of Time:

Adventouriste Labelizer:

Adventouriste Labelizer Dark:

And here are some more fantastic layouts done by the fabulous Z!Girls:

by Amson

by Tracy

by Lynn

Enjoy!!! And drop by to this blog tomorrow – I have an introduction to make *smile*.

Enjoy this second serving of Ztampfever #53:

Adventouriste = Adventure + Tourist + Artiste. Adventure: an exciting or remarkable experience, an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. Tourist: one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture. Artiste: an artistic or creative person. It all started out with wings. I wanted to create an accents pack filled with various kinds of wings. I have always loved wings. Some people said I am obsessed with wings. They could be right. After all, I did created many wings for my many art projects, started with ‘flight‘ and continued on to my latest, the ‘Dream Archives Projects’. The wings got me thinking about time and so I created the ‘Pieces Of Time’. Then I thought why not creating some papers to go with them? Next it got me thinking about steampunk – which I have always had an affinity with, and then I was thinking about travels too as I’m going on a 6-week trip very soon – and finally, about adventure! To close down Ztampf!Shop and go totally exclusive at SBG is definitely a new adventure to me! So, it is more than appropriate that this Adventouriste Collection should be debuting at Studio Ztampf! along with my exclusive debut at SBG. And let me tell you that I am truly excited about this massive Collection! It has taken me countless intensive hours to complete it. I honestly think this is a truly ztampfilicious collection! It is super versatile for various projects, filled with scrumptiously unique elements you won’t find anywhere else which you will find yourself reaching for – time and again. The Adventouriste Collection – Package Saving is now available at Studio Ztampf!. Individual packs from the collection will be released over the next following days. Save a huge $40.65 when you purchase the Adventouriste Collection – Package Saving. Remember that you can also use the special coupon given in the Part 1 of Ztampfever No.53 to get this ztampfabulous Adventouriste Collection to get an ever bigger saving if you wish! Here are a few layouts done by the fabulous Z!Girls with the Adventouriste Collection – more will be posted in the next following days in Ztampfilicious Blog: by Tracy by Lynn by Amson Now, to celebrate the Grand Opening of Studio Ztampf! @ SBG, I have a Free Gift with any purchase! You will get this delicate nano kit when you make any purchase at Studio Ztampf! between Mon, March 1st – Wed, March 3rd 2010 (US EST). So act fast! Within 2 x 24 hours of completing your order, you will receive an email with the special coupon code to get the “Exclusive @ SBG” nano kit for free. So please make sure to add [email protected] and [email protected] to your address book/white list to prevent the email with the coupon code from being dumped into your junk mail folder. And then of course you can also use the 20% OFF Discount Coupon given to the wider public. This coupon is valid through Friday, March 5th (US EST). That’s not all! I have a little gift for you right now – just click on the preview image below to download it. It is a 12″x12″ QuickPage created with the Adventouriste Collection:

Watch out for more behind-the-scenes stories on the Adventouriste Collection at Ztampfilicious Blog in the next following days. I will be posting previews of individual packs of the Adventouriste Collection as they are made available at Studio Ztampf! @ SBG. That’s all for now, folks! Enjoy all the coupons and goodies! Until next Ztampfever! Ztampfest | Ztampfever | Ztampfaqs | Behind The Scenes | Ztampf!

In the previous post we have learned a bit more about Tracy and Lynn – the fabulous Z!Girls. Today, they will talk about their scrapping time and share with you some of their favorite techniques! Starting in March, you can hear more from them as they will post here at Ztampfilicious Blog themselves!

Q: How/where did you learn digital scrapbooking? Best way/place to hone in your digi-skills?
Tracy: Trial and Error has been a huge part of my learning Digital Scrapbooking. When I first started Doin It Digi, I purchased a scrapbook program from our local computer store, it was fun and easy to use, but it was too restricting. A friend of mine then sent me Photoshop CS, I struggled with it at first but then started doing tutorials and ended up buying Scrapbook Secrets Revealed at Scrap Girls. Over the years I have become a bit of a course junkie and have done quiet a few classes at Jessica Sprague, Renee Pearson and Lynda.com. I love to learn and when it comes to this art it continuously evolves so there is more and more to learn.
Lynn: I read and tried a lot of tutorials at Scrapbook-bytes when I first started, but they were mostly for making your own elements. I pretty much just played around until I liked what I saw.

Q: What program do you use to scrap with? Is there any certain scrapping tools that you found yourself using again and again?
Tracy: When I first started Doin It Digi, I used a HP Laptop with Adobe PSCS, I ended up purchasing Adobe Photoshop CS2 and have since upgraded to CS4. I also loved ACDSee for organising my Digital Supplies and Photographs. I had a 500GB EHD to house my supplies and photos. In September 2009 I purchased an 27 inch iMac – Adobe thankfully did a platform swap of my Photoshop CS4 but unfortunately ACDSee is still in BETA format for Macs so I am using Finder for sorting my digital supplies and photographs.
Lynn: I started scrapping with PSPX, but I later bought PSE5 so that I could run actions. The clipping masks on PSE5 make scrapping with templates a breeze, and I use Atomic Cupcake actions on my alphas again and again.

Q: What is your ideal scrapping time/space would be? Any certain gadgets/programs you are coveting right now?
Tracy: When I was using the laptop to create my art, I could do it anywhere, it was awesome and portable and is the only drawback of buying an iMac. Now I have a large “L” shaped desk set up in the back of our lounge. The desk houses all my gadgets for creating – my latest toy is my Wacom Touch Tablet, I also have a Scanner, Printer, and 2 EHDS. My Camera is normally sitting on my desk somewhere. I don’t have a particular time set aside for creating, I just go with the flow.
Lynn: I like to scrap while my DDs are at school. I can actually get some things done.  :) I’m not fond of change, so I’ve stuck with my programs for years now. I really should put a printer on my wish list because I can longer print in color on mine. There are so many hybrid projects that I would love to try, but I just can’t print any of them at home.

Q: What is the single most useful scrapping technique you found so far?
Tracy: Extraction.

Spider by Tracy

Water Boy by Tracy

Rugby by Tracy

Lynn: I have found clustering to be my most useful technique. My elements were scattered all over my pages when I first started scrapping until I saw layouts in the galleries that had everything clustered around the photos. It gave the layouts such a beautiful look and really drew the eye to the photo.

Asia @ Disney by Lynn

Sledding by Lynn

Tigers by Lynn

Q: What do you love most about Ztampf! products?
Tracy: ARTiStitches & ARTiStrokes – Both are practical and can be used over and over again.
Phrench Phoebe – One of my absolute favourite kits, as I love the colours and elements.
Compilation One – I tend to reach for this all the time as it has a great selection.
Soaring – I adore the gold and the accents are multifunctional.
Whimzy Overlays – I just can’t resist using these to make more magical art.

Phrench Phoebe

Compilation One

Soaring

Whimzy Overlays

Lynn : The unique designs and classic elegance of Ztampf! products kept me coming back again and again.  They layouts that I did three years ago with Ztampf! products do not look dated to me (except that maybe my scrapping has improved), and the designs work well with almost any scrapping subject from wedding to heritage to everyday life. Two products that I’ve used repeatedly are the staples in Soul Searching and the Alphas in Phrench Phoebe.  I just adore those and can’t stop using them.

Soul Searching

Phrench Phoebe Alpha 1

Phrench Phoebe Alpha 2

Phrench Phoebe

I hope you enjoy reading this post! If you have any questions you want to ask Tracy and Lynn or me, please do not hesitate! Just submit them to the comment field below!

And don’t forget that the Second Part of Ztampfever #53 is coming up this Sunday, Feb. 28th when I will reveal all about the exciting brand new “Adventouriste Collection“! Until then!