PaperArtsy

NEW PaperArtsy Release: Lynne Perrella {June 2026}

2026-06-23T18:00:00.000+00:00

A note from Leandra

We have 3 new stamps coming your way from Lynne, which she has entitled 'The Enchanted Garden', they are absolutely delightful and I have thoroughly enjoyed creating samples with every single stamp in this series, so buckle up and lets hear what Lynne has to say about how she was inspired to create this series for your enjoyment, it really is a pleasure to read her thoughts and understand what makes her tick creatively!

Leandra will be along to share with you LIVE these new products and ideas over in our Facebook Group, 'PaperArtsy People' shortly after this post publishes.

These stamps are available EXCLUSIVELY from our approved stockists. Please check the list at the foot of this post to find a retailer online or geographically near you, it makes sense to order within your country where possible. Our retailers also endeavour to join the designer's live to share their direct shopping links - this makes it super easy for you to find a store with product in stock immediately.

Dear Art Friends,

The arrival of summer is just in time for a new release of stamps for PaperArtsy, and this over-flowing bouquet of images is a tribute to vintage enchanted gardens.

I can’t think of a location more theatrical than a garden, can you? Plays are staged there, ballets performed, operas and love songs spill forth, and fanciful fireworks illuminate stately lawns and topiary trees. From refined prancing and dancing at Versailles to the mad outdoor tea party of “Alice In Wonderland”, gardens prompt our dreams and fantasies. As I considered how to weave this collection together, my thoughts went to fragrant walled gardens, curved rustic benches-for-two, rose-covered trellises, and Botticelli-like ladies cloaked and crowned by Mother Nature.

Using my illustrations to create spontaneous tabletop tableaus is one of my favorite things to do. Not unlike the Victorian-era urge to set up a paper theater with bits of cardboard scenery and miniature characters entering stage-left-and-right, I like the idea of creating temporary “sets” using my artwork and anything else within reach. This is an enjoyable way for me to complete the experience of designing the collection, and also see the potential of the images in colorful spontaneous surroundings. And, frankly – it’s just plain fun!

I’m inspired by the past, and enjoy evoking all the grace notes of an earlier age……including hand-written personal correspondence and diaries. What could be better than taking paper, pen, and ink to a breezy outdoor patio, and writing a letter to a friend or scribbling in the pages of a journal? This image is a reminder of how beautiful (and rare!) personal correspondence can be; with loops of inscribed handwriting, exotic postage stamps and a rose-embellished vintage beauty. A favorite lyric from a contemporary tune: “Pens that won’t run out of ink, and cool quiet and time to think…….”. Pure luxury.

My collections of old ephemera often become part of my illustrations, and in this case a very brittle, weathered, long-ago florist catalog offered up beautifully-descriptive engravings of plants and flowers. The idea of turning a detailed image of a zinnia into a corona for a Renaissance maiden seemed like a great way to convey the elegance of both. Radiating rows of tightly-formed petals provide the kind of intricate costume details I love to include in my stamp designs….and PaperArtsy’s manufacturing methods always capture every nuance. Thanks, Mr. PaperArtsy!

When I design a collection, I begin by working on an image that summarizes the story of the overall group. I think of it as the “hero” of the collection, and once that image is done to my satisfaction I know the rest of the artwork will flow and support that starring character. This tall vertical beauty was an enjoyable challenge since I wanted her to wear a gown of foliage…….not a dress with a floral print, but a fantasy-like garment made of flowers and tendrils. Adding the curls of ivy leaves and fragile twigs around the outside of the figure was a finishing touch that provided subtlety and finesse. I look forward to seeing what the artists will do with this stamp, and how her story will be interpreted!

Two of my narrow horizontal illustrations were partly inspired by the elegance of vintage packaging and lavish typography. My “labels” combine stately lettering, compelling faces, and floral motifs; evoking paper goods saved in a drawer, or kept on a dressing table. Many of us “save” and hoard bits of paper, just for the pleasure of their ephemeral elegance, and the labels offer an explanation for that urge to keep unlikely things and enjoy their beauty. One of the quiet details is a male character who seems to pause and wait for the lady’s arrival – Will she or won’t she?

My collage stash is full of items that have been inscribed, labeled, tagged, notated, stamped, sealed, or archived. Most of these imprints remain wonderfully mysterious and illegible, so I am free to make up scenarios about who/when/why/where. This stately figure in a picturesque hat literally “wears” a series of inscribed official labels; affirming their decorative appeal and featuring them as worthy wardrobe embellishments. And I’ve included a handful of additional scribbled labels for the artists to use as needed. Dressed for a stroll through “a garden avenue with venerable shade”, this Gainsborough-inspired lady is covered in ribbons and swirls.

Probably the most intricate image in this collection, this fanciful garden folly is a combination of rustic and regal. Cascading ribbons and tassels descend from a tiny fleur de lis, atop a cupola enclosed in draped festoons. A trellis tightly-wrapped in foliage and ivy is a place designed for a private assignation, and a lady awaits. I thought it might be fun to imprint the stamp, trim away the central character, and use the frame to surround other images, or a favorite quote, or a bit of Victorian scrap, or, or, or. In an earlier time, a detailed design like this (with a blank area inside the garden structure) was called a

“mortise cut”, used by print shops to decorate a title page of a book, a theatrical program, or a tradesman’s business card

This profile stamp is all about far-away gazes and fond wishes. Large loops of silk ribbon are tied into a romantic bow, embellishing a crown of lavish flowers covering her hair and giving her a look of timeless beauty. Profile portraits have been popular since the Renaissance when they were considered the most prestigious pose for exalted royalty.

Haughty averted gazes were deemed secretive and superior; probably inspired by the profile images on ancient coins. In this collection of stamps, several of the characters are shown in profile, and it could be fun to combine several of them in a “line up” or in a grid design that includes bits of tactile swatches, lace, gems, and faux petals.

This is one of the most intricate, highly-detailed collections I have designed. I was beguiled by the idea of flowers and gardens, and wanted my illustrations to evoke the refinement of vintage estates and tended floral borders; but also convey the lavish, excessive appearance of a garden-in-full bloom. I always think of the people in my designs as characters in a drama, and I imagine how they will respond to the surroundings I have created for them. Most of all, I am hopeful the artists who use the stamps will be prompted to create new stories. It’s always a highlight to see what people DO with

the stamps I design, and I thank Paper Artsy for the opportunity to keep producing

fresh ideas.

Happy Summer!

Lynne Perrella

www.LKPerrella.com

Instagram: @gio.simon2

Leandra back with you.

What can I say, it is such an honour to have Lynne continue to bring us incredible designs like these, they have been such a joy to create with. If you know me, you will long have known I have always adored her creative style. Before we get into it, let's take a moment to think about the impact that the choices you make regarding ink, cardstock and preparing painterly surfaces can have on getting the best results possible from intricate designs such as these.

TIPS on getting the best stamped images with these designs

The intricacy in this series demands that we manufacture a product which will perform beautifully and exceptionally to show off these designs in the best way possible; red rubber offers the necessary quality because the 'give' or 'squish' within the combination of rubber on cling foam allows ink to transfer to paper effortlessly. Not only that, but our rubber is an art grade product which is made specifically for this kind of detailed stamping. This is why we have always preferred to manufacture our stamp designs in red rubber - it gives the best outcome.

Our designs are typically intricate vintage style or photographic designs, and rubber is the perfect material for mixed media stamping. Clear polymer stamps are hard in comparison and do not hold ink as nicely (particularly thin, water based inks - you may have noticed that thinner viscosity ink tends to bead up on the surface of a clear stamp). We highly recommend Versafine Claire as an ink which has high coverage and a nice viscosity to bring out the best in these detailed designs. Versafine inks have always been designed for 'fine' detail stamps - as is stated within the name of the product. Yes we use all brands of inks for all kinds of stamping techniques, but if it is important to you that your focal really 'pops', then please, take time to choose the right ink to stamp these 'hero' images on your beautiful backgrounds!

Another factor that helps to get the best stamped image possible is to select a cardstock where the surface is nice and smooth and accepts ink without wicking (bleeding) into the fibres of the card. Our 'smoothy' range of card (240gsm or 340gsm) is a superior quality Italian cardstock, formulated for calligraphers, allowing a fountain pen to travel across the paper without snaggy glitches, and the ink to sit on the paper nicely.

Of course, these features mean this card is also perfect for stamping on with inks! So, in contrast, make sure to avoid textured card (linen-style paper), or fluffy, low grade papers where the ink instantly bleeds once the image is stamped producing an instantly blurry outcome.

You might also need to think about how watercolour paper is designed to encourage ink to move, so this might not be the best choice, often it has an inherent texture to for the ink to pool or grab to the surface, which might impede on your getting a good stamped result. However, if you compromise and use a hot press card that is smoother, or an ink that is less likely to move instantly (for example, one that is thicker in consistency like a pigment ink), then you may be able to overcome the challenges porous papers can present if you want to stamp an intricate design.

If like me, you find yourself regularly stamping over gel-printed or fresco-painted surfaces, then a good idea is to give the surface a quick sand with one of our sanding blocks to knock back the texture. Our fresco paints are chalk paints, so they inherently sand back beautifully, to give a chalky, extremely smooth surface that is thrilled to accept ink nicely and sharply too. Magic! It's almost like we selected these ingredients that work together perfectly! ...of course we did :) We are passionate about showcasing rubber stamps the best we can! So, don't forget how important a smooth receiving surface is to get the best results with your focal images!

Ok, let me take you through the samples I made for this release. I have created a series of samples that all chime with each other, and if you are on a roll like I was, then it is fun to continue to create a series that all look nice as a set. I mounted all of these onto fabric, mostly because there was a stash left behind by our recent ArtsyCrafts retreat, and i like to use my sewing machine thread as 'glue', so I repurposed some found fabric scraps, rusty papers and gel prints that needed some heavy tweaking towards my preferred colour palette. I think these samples might look pretty cool in vintage gold frames to go on display at PAHQ.

Red Rubber Stamps (A5 set)

Price: RRP €23.00 +VAT

Size:5" x 6" (13 x16.5cm)

All stamps are individually trimmed onto cling foam, with a laminated storage/index sheet.

Lynne Perrella Collection Set 082 (LPC082)

Gainsborough Model

Lynne said this design was reminiscent of a Gainsborugh portrtait, a woman of high fashion no doubt, and this Madam has certainly had a good splash of Lynne applied to her couture!

She is a mix of architectural flourishes, flouncy bows, and luscious labels ... maybe not an 18th Century doppelganger, but she sure looks a lot of fun to be around!

Those labels also make a great background or side feature as a frame or just to add interest.

Ladies Work

Perhaps the 'Ladies work' of the 18th or 19th century night have more commonly been needlecraft, but they also would paint and play the piano, or sing to while away the hours. According to our statistics, 98% of our crafting audience are women, so I think we are safe to conclude that in the 2000's, we are more than happy to continue to explore with paints and ink like the generations before us!! Perhaps we don't have quite as much spare time, but we certainly appreciate those moments when we do make space to be creative!

Oh and I did get some needlecraft into all these samples too, so another box ticked and a feather in my cap of completing my most preferred 'ladies work' of the moment! ;-)

In all seriousness, this stamp is an absolute beauty! All my papers started life as scraps left behind by the recent ArtsyCrafters, so it was such fun to stamp, colour and assemble! This background was my scrap paper from excess paint on the brayer! It turned out so good!

Wistful

The flower headdress is bound to get some attention, perhaps she is off to a summer fete, or the races? Was horse Nr 14 a winner, or was that her dance card number? The stories these designs conjure offer endless possibilities!

You can see a bit more of the stitched layers acting here as glue for all the combined layers. And the little tags are fun embellishments. A little bit of black stamping helps the image sit within the background more comfortably.

And I do love a loose thread! There is plenty of room to continue to add more layers at the edges, pieces of lace, more rusty tissue paper and other colourful scraps. Sometimes it is good to stand back and revisit in a few days to see if they can cope with more!

Lynne Perrella Collection Set 083 (LPC083)

An English Rose

Roses seem to be in abundance this time of year, even in the current heatwave in France they cope pretty well. We have some vintage varieties we inherited with our garden which are hardy and prolific. I recently planted 2 at our front door which offer blooms in apricot, yellow and cream. Unfortunately they are much trickier to keep happy! I am not sure I fully understand what they expect of me to keep them happy just yet!

Look closely and you may spot one of the stamps from yesterday's Alison Bomber release as a ghostly image in the background. The colours are fairly muted, I used watercolours, and in hindsight should have used Mattints, but she is still a classic beauty from an enchanted garden!

A rusty button over rusty tissue with vintage thread (which snapped a lot). I tried to add machine stitching to emulate a patchwork quilt.

Again, some black script helps to ground the collage. You can see the ghostly 'Alison' rose in the background.

Rosie

She looks like she is a bit sparky with this wry expression on her face. I suspect she is pretty selective with her choices!

The layer of gel printed card atop the rusty layer looks like more than one piece of card, but it isn't. A wash of yellow watercolour over blue helped the layer look a bit more green, and chimes with both the rust and the pinks.

A smidge of turquoise blue painted Printed Tissue (Script) at the foot adds another yummy contrast with the rust. I am loving this colour grouping. The contrast of vintage imagery with rusted papers and fabrics (Yes! Rusting Powder was used to make these rusty layers, in case you were wondering), contrasting with the bright gel printed papers is a big tick in my book!

Garden Nymph

She is the star of the show, but my light was fading, and it was a hot evening, so I need to come back and add to this one, she is not quite star material yet! She needs more oomph in her flower colours, and more layers behind. She is like a mermaid of the garden! Maybe she needs a bed of moss to lounge on!

Regardless, she might be amended again by the time I go live to show these samples!

I really love the cascade of flowers down her body. This is a fabulous stamp.

Again, the background turned out pretty cool, so adding stitched lines along the patches gives the impression of a quilted patchwork layers.

Lynne Perrella Collection Set 084 (LPC084)

Elemental

Lynne's stamps are always made up of multiple elements that can tell a story together, or reflect the theme of the series. I just love these small, wide stamps. They make fun additions to tags, say along the bottom, can be great page turner tab in a journal, or can be cut up to make little emblems to add to a larger page design. You can even tile them for a bold background idea.

Often I add vintage lace as a layer, it is easy to tuck in as you work on the sewing machine. My sewing machine is not exactly happy morphing from a quilt machine to a paper stitcher! But I do love when the layers get chunky and the stitching is imperfect, it might skip a beat, snag, so don't feel you need any experience at this, the wonkier the stitching, the better it looks!

Tucked into the lowest layer is an infusioned page (looks like 'Olive Tree' to me). This was another found layer left behind after the multiple techniques the ArtsyCrafters were taught in class last week. One person's trash is certainly another's treasure!

Golden Girl

Just to prove the stitching needn't be perfect, the ripples were added after the initial outline just looked odd, so in for a penny and all that! Love the rusted lace and how the tissue paper melts in at the edges.

Two of the 3 buttons cracked as I tried to sew them on so I just glued them in place, cracks and all! They were cream, but after adding some gold to her roses and collar, I thought it made sense for the buttons to get gilded too. It's a nice vintage gold not too brassy or yellow.

From afar the infusions under-paper looks like 2 pieces of book page, but it is just one. Good to note how the infusions sink beautifully into sucky old thick bookpages! I think this infusions colour would have been Rocky Road, maybe with a bit of Rusty Car at the bottom left of the page.

Did you spot the glossy accents on her crown and collar ?

Zinnia Babe

I didn't really get the punch I wanted from the colours in the zinnia. The watercolours I was using were a tad heavy and opaque, and not an ideal medium to use on crappy quality vintage book pages! I think I need to go back and add some oomph and depth with Mattints to up the brightness.

I love the unexpected face peeking our from her Zinnia shoulder too!

Snuck a little label in among the stitches ... and added some more lace to this one too.

You'll notice the paper is pretty wrinkly. Alison had the class printing onto deli paper, which they thoroughly enjoyed. But you d need to take care with gluing your layers together. After this, i ditched wet glue, and just used the sewing machine to tack the layers together. Also look at how the thread ran out and I got a row of holes at the base. Another happy accident!

Enthroned

Another incredible design within this release, it really is hard to choose a favourite set! Look close and you will see trellis with ivy and flowers, and a very chateau-looking building inthe background.

All the details are fabulous, from the (surely gilded) wrought iron, to the tassels. She too is an absolute beauty.

Some words found from recent Hot Picks for the top, did you spot those birds ?? It's these details that add such personality to each stamp design.

I did add some gold touches to the sequin detail, which works nicely with the other stitching!

I hope you have enjoyed this release as much as me! As is generally the case, once i start with Lynne's stamps, it is hard to stop!!

A huge thanks to Lynne for designing these stamps and making all this glorious floral creativity possible!

Leandra will be live in the PaperArtsy People Facebook group shortly after this post publishes, and you can follow Lynne Perrella on Instagram here @gio.simon2 or take a look at her website www.LKPerrella.com to subscribe to her newsletter or discover when she is teaching next in the USA.

Lynne Perrella is a mixed media artist, product designer, author of five books on collage, and a workshop presenter.

PaperArtsy Stockist List

Our stockists are your go-to source for all PaperArtsy products, and we suggest that you also use the PaperArtsy People Facebook group to source a retailer in your country. Many are members of our FB group and will happily share links to their online stores.

Australia

10cats, Gosnells, WA, 10cats

Bev's Cross Crafts, Spreyton, Tasmania bevscrosscrafts

Crafters Cupboard, Berwick, Victoria crafters cupboard

Hillbilly Scrappin, Nikenbah, QLD hillbilly scrapping

Natalie May Scrapbooking, Dover Gardens, SA natalie may

Scrapbook Superstore & More, South Penrith, NSW scrapbook superstore

Austria

Stempel Wunderwelt, Wilhering, stempel wunderwelt

Belgium

Cart N Scrap Art, Antwerp, cart n scrap art

Créatelier Caracolle, Liège, createlier caracolle

Tiny's Hobby, Kortrijk, tiny's hobby

Canada

Boutique Scrapbook Tendance Inc, Quebec, Qc, scrapbook tendance

Clipper Street Scrapbook Company, Langley BC, Clipper Street Scrapbook Co

Glitter & Ink, Belleville ON Glitter & Ink

Paper Art Creations Inc, Leduc, Alberta, paper art creations

Re.defined, Kentville, NS, redefinedforyou
Scrapbook Centrale, Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec scrapbook centrale

Scrap Addicts, Edmonton, Alberta scrap addicts

Scrap and Bean, Edmonton, Alberta scrap and bean

Scrap en Masse, Plantagenet, Ontario scrap en masse

Scrapbooking Fairies, Drayton Valley, Alberta scrapbooking fairies

The Paper & ink Boutique, Calgary, Alberta paper and ink boutique

Denmark

Hobbyboden Scrapworld, Samso hobbyboden

Finland

Klemmarikellari, Turku Klemmarikellari

Piia Paper, Kittilä, Piia Paper

Kasitellen, Lempaala, Kasitellen

France

Ephemeria, Bourgoin Jallieu, Ephemeria

Fée Du Scrap, Saint Sébastien-Sur-Loire, fee du scrap

Horizon Créatif, Ste Jalle horizon creatif

Kerudoc Creation, St Yvi kerudoc creation

Le Grenier des filles, Pierre Benite

Page de scrap, Saint Pavace, page de scrap

Passion Scrap, Vieux-Conde, Passion Scrap

Scrap by Jo, Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, 31650 Scrap by Jo

Toutencolle, Dun sur Auron toutencolle

Vosloisirs88, Remiremont, vosloisirs88

Germany

CreativeStempelshop, Leichlingen, Creative Stempelshop

Papier & Feder, Owschlag, papier & feder

Stempeloase Munich, Munich stempeloase

Stempelfee Shop, Hilden stempelfee shop

Stempellaedle, Stuttgart, stempellaedle

Tue Was Di Liebst, Bayern, Tue Was du Liebst

Greece

Decoupage, Vergina

Scraps & Pieces, Agios Dimitrios, Scraps N Pieces

Italy

Pezze E Colori, Lissone, pezze e colori
Piccole Passioni, Siena, piccole passioni

Japan

Tiny Dots, Funabashi-shi, Chiba tiny dots

Netherlands

De Hobbystudio, Genemuiden, de hobby studio

Doe@ding,Spijkenisse doe @ ding

Hobbycompleet de Duif, Leeuwarden hobby compleet

Hobbyshop Sandra, Wierden hobbyshop sandra

IK Journal, Boxtel, ik journal

Stamptable, Roosendaal, Stamptable

New Zealand

The Ribbon Rose, Penrose, ribbon rose

Bowerbird NZ, Hamilton, bowerbird

Norway

Hobbykunst, Oslo, hobbykunst

Puerto Rico

Paper Boutique, Fajardi Paper Boutique

South Africa

Kcraft imports Ltd, Centurion 0014 kcraft

South Korea

Torn Paper, Namyangju-Si, torn paper

Spain

Cien por Cien Manualidades, Barcelona, 100 x 100 manualidades

Ideas 10 Manualidades Y Scrapbook, Bilbao ideas 10 manualidades

La Sonrisa Creativa, Valencia, la sonrisa creativa

Les Coses de Raquel, Barcelona

Scrap & Papers Experiences, Barcelona, scrap papers experiences

United Kingdom

Amelia's Creative Crafts, Studley, Warwickshire Amelia's Creative Crafts

Art from the Heart, Harrogate, Yorkshire art from the heart

Crafts at The Malthouse, Herstmonceux, East Sussex, crafts at the malthouse

Countryview Crafts, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire countryview crafts

Loobi Crafts, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, loobi crafts

Procraftynation Ltd, King's Lynn, Norfolk Procraftynation

Sir Stampalot, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire sir stampalot

Stampers Grove, Springbank, Lilliesleaf, Melrose,Scotland stampers grove

The Artistic Stamper Craft Store, Faversham, Kent the artistic stamper

The Forget me not Kraft Kabin, Rochford, Essex, The Forget Me Not Kraft Kabin

Twilight Crafts, Radstock, Somerset, Twilight Crafts

USA

Artistic Artifacts, Alexandria, VA artistic artifacts

Artistic Studio Creations, Fayetteville, Georgia Artistic Studio Creations

Artzy Haven, Columbus, NE, Artzy Haven

Everything Scrapbook & Stamps, Lake Worth, Florida Everything Scrapbook & Stamps

Betty's Creative Studio, Hernando, FL, betty's creative studio

Free Heart LLC, Denver, Colarado, free heart llc

Joggles, Coventry, Rhode Island, joggles

Messy Papercrafts, Temecula CA Messy Papercrafts

PaperCraft Clubhouse, Westbrook, Connecticut, papercraft clubhouse

Scrap-A-Latte, West Babylon NY scrap a latte

Scrapbook-N-Memories, Harrisonville, Missouri Scrapbook N Memories

Scrapbook by the Sea, Myrtle Beach, SC, scrapbooks by the sea

Scraps of Love, Peoria, AZ, scraps of love

Simon Says Stamp, Columbus, Ohio simon says stamp

Spectrum Art Creations, Panacea, FL, spectrum art creations

Stamped Designs, Dover, New Hampshire stamped designs

Stamplistic, Cleveland, OH, stamplistic

Topflight Stamps, Irmo, South Carolina topflight stamps

If you are interested in becoming a PaperArtsy stockist contact Dounia@paperartsy.com for more information

PaperArtsy Links

Facebook Group PaperArtsy People

Facebook Page PaperArtsy

Blog blog.paperartsy.co.uk

Twitter twitter.com/paperartsy

Instagram instagram.com/paperartsy

Pinterest uk.pinterest.com/paperartsyhq

YouTube youtube.com/user/PaperArtsy

NEW PaperArtsy Release: Alison Bomber {June 2026}

2026-06-22T18:00:00.000+00:00

A note from Leandra ..

If you have been following us on Instagram/ Facebook, you will have noticed that Alison just taught a retreat here at PaperArtsy HQ the past week or so, and wow, what an event it was!

Our June class of 2026 included 4 returning students from last year - that tells you something about the kind of event we offer; this is not intended as a 'bucket list' activity, this is an event that offers more than you can ever imagine in value. Just bring yourself, and we take care of everything, from class supplies to transport, accommodation (or pick your own off site),amazing food and along the way you get to customise to your preference on the odd occasion where we do eat 'out'. The touristic sites we went to were all different from the June 2025 retreat we had with Seth - in fact it is hard to pick where we take you - we are surrounded by so many fabulous places to visit that we truly are spoiled for choice!! So, if you get the chance to come to a retreat in the future, I am sure every participant will say 'do not hesitate'!

The view from the classroom is spectacular, in fact, I think this is my favourite room in our house, especially in summer when the pool is open! We are constantly rearranging the outdoor spaces to make the most of the view and the pool and to create shade where necessary. We are fortunate that there are several spaces where teaching can occur outside as well as inside!

Alison used the trip to Chateau Des Milandes (Josephine Baker's castle) to do some sketching and loose watercolour teaching, such a beautiful place to be inspired, be it by architecture, textiles or flowers. No experience required - Alison shared some brilliant techniques to make these skills are easily accessible to people of all abilities.

Friday night was the memorable pizza party. We invited PaperArtsy staff, their families and local friends to come and join us and our class of June 2026 to enjoy the music by Marc and Jacques. They played a range of chilled music that went down a treat with Pizza and a drink or two. The weather throughout the week was exceptional, you can see everyone comfortably glowing in the late evening sun!! A perfect evening!

And of course, the focus of the week was to learn from Alison. She packed so many great techniques into the 4 days of classes, from printing with found grasses to mini watercolour abstracts. All the recorded techniques ended up as pages in a vintage journal to be continued beyond the retreat, many students managed to get a significant number of spreads done in their books showcasing reminders of all the techniques they learned in class.

Not only did we wine and dine the class participants with delicious French foods by on site food guru Chef Fred, we took them to eat out locally on a few occasions. In the stunning nearby village of Villereal people could opt for something a bit high end with a Michelin taster menus or a lobster specialist restaurant (Hippocampe). For those wanting a lighter option they chose the local bistro is where all the French hang out or those at the creperie under the shade of Les Halles had a galette (savoury pancake with salad). While in Villereal we mooched around the Brocante hunting for vintage treasures.

A trip to the pretty Limeuil Panoramic public gardens earlier in the week offered amazing views where the Vézère and Dordogne Rivers converge. The Dordogne is a wonderful river to Kayak on, it is warm, and recognised as the cleanest river in France, so perfect for swimming too.

ArtsyCrafts retreats are a mix of creativity (4 days) and touristic explorations locally (3 days). If you would like to see more video of what we got up to, head to the PaperArtsy ArtsyCrafts highlight on Instagram and follow along to find out more about our next retreat!

I'm sure after all that you are ready for a new release from Alison Bomber! Not only has Alison got 3 fantastic stamp sets and stencils to share, she also has new index sheets as we officially launch her as a Signature Designer for PaperArtsy this month too!

From hydrangeas to grasses, ephemera and delicious roses, Alison has a lot for you to explore in this release. Let's dive in and take a closer look.

To see the numerous samples Alison has created live and in person, then head on over to our Facebook Community PaperArtsy People at 20:30 Paris time. For those on replay you will find the video pinned to the featured posts at the top of the PaperArtsy People Facebook group.

Please take note that these stamps can be purchased EXCLUSIVELY from our approved stockists. Check the list at the foot of this post to find a retailer online or geographically near you, it makes sense to order within your country where possible.

Our retailers will endeavour to join the designer's live to share their direct shopping links - this makes it super easy for you to find a store with product in stock immediately.

Hi everyone, Alison here, and I'm thrilled to be making an appearance for the first time as a PaperArtsy Signature Designer. In celebration, it's time for some botanical beauty... and a bit of flower power!

This release is inspired by the flowers in my garden as well as the grasses in the meadows when I'm out walking. Summertime is definitely here, from softly-hued hydrangeas flowering in abundance, to the romance of fragrant roses in every colour, to a variety of delicate wild grasses waving in the warm breezes.

And of course there's also ephemera and words and fragments of poetry to complement the imagery on the stamp sets, as well as coordinating stencils, all of which will allow you to create backgrounds, build layers and add detail to your heart's delight.

As always, I've been having so much fun exploring with these new designs. Let's take a closer look!

Red Rubber Stamps by Alison Bomber (A5 set)

Price: RRP €23.00 +VAT

Size:5" x 6" (13 x16.5cm)

All stamps are individually trimmed onto cling foam, with a laminated storage/index sheet.

Alison Bomber - A5 stamp set 057 {AB057}

Hydrangea Edition

Hydrangea Hues Panel

I love hydrangeas in full bloom and in their dried form, and this panel makes the most of both! The stamped and water-coloured hydrangeas are mounted on padded tape over a Tim Holtz wood-look embossing folder, and I used some of my dried hydrangeas from last year to add extra dimension.

One of the things I love about hydrangeas is how many colours they come in, and especially the shifting shades and tones within each flower head, even within each petal. It makes painting and colouring these stamps so much fun. These are stamped in Archival Leaf Green and painted with watercolour paints.

They may look complicated to cut out, but I promise they're actually not that tricky once you get going! A fragment from William Wordsworth's An Evening Walk hints at long evenings of summer sunshine.

Within My Flower Journal Page

I thought these stamps would make a lovely border around a project, so that's what I did with this journal spread in one of my altered books. I'd originally planned to leave them just as outline sketches for the frame, but I got tempted into tinting them!

As you can see, dried hydrangeas definitely inspired the colouring here - done with a combination of Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Rusty Car Infusions and Daniel Smith Moonglow watercolour stick. (There's a hint of some leafy stencilling too... more of that later.)

I stamped both the large and the small flower heads around the edges, varying the angle and I was using, so there's almost no repetition in the border. The photo studio ephemera adds extra detail over the kraft rice paper detailing. And the Tim Holtz Paper Dolls speaks to us with the words of Emily Dickinson - "I hide myself within my flower" - as she gazes out of the window at the salty watercolour sky.

Abundant Flowers Postcards

Another of the great joys of hydrangeas is the sheer abundance of flowers they offer up. I have mostly white hydrangeas, and I love the Petiolarus type, with the tiny little flower buds in between the larger flowers, so those are definitely represented here, against glowing Mattint backgrounds.

It's easy to stamp over the layers of Mattint (The Pink, Jam, Squeezed, Bellflower and more are in the mix), and then add Snowflake Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic to the petals - especially if you use a stamping platform. Then I added extra tinting and shading using both watercolour paints and Distress Inks for detailing.

As in previous releases, I've selected large individual words to complement the imagery and mood of the stamp set. (Look closely at a couple of these postcards and you'll get a hint of another stencil coming your way...) Having the two flower heads and the leaves separately means you can rearrange the angles and positioning to make the flowers look slightly different every time.

I love the ephemera on this set. The photo studio advertisement comes from the reverse side of one of the hundreds of old family photos we have. And the postmark is from a family postcard, and mentions one of our nearest larger towns, České Budějovice. It was known as Budweis when the Germans controlled it, and is the birthplace of the original, delicious Budweiser beer - which is not a bit like the US version! (The Post Card stamp you see here is from an earlier set - EAB47 Lavender Edition... oops, make that AB47!!)

Alison Bomber - A5 stamp set 058 {AB058}

Meadow Grass Edition

The Silent Wilderness Bookmarks

If I have "signature" botanicals, they would probably have to be wildflowers and meadow grasses, umbellifers and grassy stems, rather than more formal, full-on florals. So this second stamp set comes with a variety of grasses, perfect for layering into backgrounds, as well as beautiful enough to be focal points all on their own.

I couldn't resist taking them out for a spin using the Infusions stamping technique which worked so well with February's berry stems. And I love the results!

I used a combination of Beach Cruiser and Peeled Paint Archival to create my "neat and tidy" stems, and Peeled Paint Distress Ink plus Infusions in Slime, A Bit Jaded and Golden Sands (letting them mix on the mat for stamping into) for the wild ones.

They're mounted on some kraft tissue paper onto which I've done a bit of decorating with another of the new stencils and Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in Waterfall, Bora Bora, Celery and Inky Pool (if I remember rightly). And I finished them with some eyelets and twine to make the perfect grassy bookmarks.

Various Shades of Green Journal Page

I'm sure you know I love to print on the gel plate with real wild grasses. I layered these new grassy stems over the top of one of my 6 x 6 inch Fresco paint prints in various shades of Archival Ink - Olive, Leaf Green, Beach Cruiser.

I stamped the gorgeous photo atelier ephemera stamp around the edges of a square journal page, and did a bit of Distress Ink stencilling with another of the new designs to add extra detail before using some kraft tissue paper as a frame for the print.

The words in this set come from a couple of literature's great names - "the silent wilderness" is a fragment from one of Percy Bysshe Shelley's poems, and the "various shades of green" is Anthony Trollope's. (It's actually from one of the Barsetshire novels, so strictly not a poetry fragment at all, but prose!)

Photo Studio Foliage Tags

This trio of tags takes its main inspiration from the ephemera stamp on the set - a beautiful photo studio advertisement, again from the back of a family photo. So there are Idea-ology Photobooth snapshots and film strip ribbon to echo that photographic theme.

The small piece of ephemera on this set is a great one too, I think, full of history. It is a seal featuring Archduke Karl Ludwig (1833-1896). It was his son, Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination would be the trigger for World War 1.

Each of these grasses has a slightly different structure and presence. I like them layered together, but I love seeing them as individual stems too. They're so good over a Crackle Glaze background (Snowflake and Chalk layered over Crackle Glaze layered over Mud Splat).

They're stamped in Archival greens here again - Olive and Leaf Green. I think I got influenced by the "various shades of green" quote. But I'm also looking forward to seeing them embossed in white as winter grasses later in the year!

Alison Bomber - A5 stamp set 059 {AB059}
Rose Edition

A Bunch Of Roses Accordion Book

If you'd told me five years ago that I would become obsessed with growing roses in the garden, I would have laughed long and loud. And here I am today surrounded by them! I've tried a few watercolour roses in my time - still a work in progress - and it was inevitable that sooner or later there would have to be some sketches to celebrate my love of this most quintessential of garden flowers.

You get three main sketches - a rose head, a sprig with buds and a large bud, so that you can change the angles, positions and relationships again and again, creating wonderful variations in your rose garden. It won't always look exactly the same, even though you are using the same stamps.

I decided to create very simple reverse sides for my rosy panels to allow me to bind them into an accordion. I shopped my stash for some Maja Design paper (I've had it for years!) which had helpful pinks and yellows as well as some delicate rosy patterning. The roses are stamped and embossed in Wow Primary Bark so that they stand out from the background.

All the roses inside this accordion book are tinted with Distress Inks, so you definitely don't need expensive watercolours to make them look good! (Having said that, I'm really enjoying using these stamps to practise with the watercolour paints too.)

The ephemera advertisement on this stamp set is highly suitable for art makers... In the oval shape the words say, "Master of Colours", and it is advertising a monthly art magazine (Kunstzeitschrift), which comes complete with six colour printed pages of art in each issue. In fact, some of the adverts in my AB50 Vintage Advertising stamp set are from issues of this exact magazine! Here it's stamped in a soft grey and tinted with the same Distress Inks as I used on the rose - Peeled Paint, Antique Linen and Scattered Straw.

Green Grow the Roses-Oh Cards

I simply had to give these roses a chance to be Ghost Flowers, using the technique I shared in the Mini Live from a couple of releases ago. (Ghost Flowers is still available in the Guides section of the PaperArtsy People Group if you want to see more details of how this is done.)

I chose a couple of salty watercolour backgrounds and embossed the rose with the bud spray in Wow Bright White embossing powder at a different angle on each of them. I adore the ornate font of the Atelier Steffel logo (another photo studio) stamped tone on tone to give subtle extra detail around the edges.

I made these backgrounds some time ago, so it wasn't easy to get much "lifting" of the colour with water, but I was able to create a ghostly appearance just with watery washes of Chalk and Snowflake Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics. The panels are layered up over some inky backgrounds and kraft tissue paper, and some real dried rosebuds complete the look.

In This Secluded Spot Panel

For the final stamp sample, we're coming full circle back to where we started, with a rose panel to match the hydrangea one right at the start.

You may well know the Gertrude Stein "rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" quote on this set. (Quite apart from anything else, it appeared on my very first quote collection stamp set, AB01 Trees and Flowers - but in a different font, and smaller.) Walt Whitman is responsible for this other fragment - perfect for adding a touch of peace and calm to any card.

These roses are painted with my Daniel Smith watercolours and fussy cut, before being mounted on padded tape over the Tim Holtz embossing folder background, just like with the Hydrangea panel. And as with that one, the cutting wasn't as bad as I'd been fearing! And I think it's absolutely worth it for the effect of these roses against the "wooden" background.

PaperArtsy Stencils by Alison Bomber {Large}

Price: RRP €6.58 +VAT

Large Size: 6.25" x 9.5" (16 x 24cm)

Robust mylar designed to offer longevity, deep texture and easy clean up

PaperArtsy Stencil by Alison Bomber 521 {PS521}

Hydrangea

Stencil Elements

I did a little test run with each stencil before really starting to play, so that I could get a proper sense of the elements available. Here you have a large bundle of flower heads, a smaller Petiolaris type head, foliage, stems and some swatching blocks. As you can see, my test expanded - I couldn't resist starting to layer things up right away! And you've also already seen this stencil in action on the Abundant Flowers postcards.

But just look what else I discovered... not just hydrangeas, but lilacs too! (With a little help from another of my stencils.) Watch out for my Mini Live to see all this layering magic in action.

Flower Power Journal Page

Since the stencils are on such a generous scale, I thought those layered hydrangea flowers really belonged in a large journal spread, so I got out my Ranger Ledger Journal and gessoed a couple of pages in preparation.

As I said, I'll be sharing how I create all these differently shaped and sized flowers in full in my Mini Live session, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I'm using Distress Inks and Oxides for a soft, air-brushed look, but you could absolutely use Fresco paints, of course.

I think it's a really nice touch adding the palette swatch, especially on a journal page. It somehow focuses the eye in on the specifics of the colours in action, and allows the viewer to notice how they blend to create new shades and tones. And I borrowed the words from AB057 Hydrangea Edition, of course!

PaperArtsy Stencil by Alison Bomber 522 {PS522}

Foliage

Stencil Elements

First up, taking things very simply to take a look at how the stencil appears on paper... I created this ombre foliage background with Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness and Faded Jeans. I haven't decided what I'll do with it yet - maybe tear it up to go in a journal page, or add some collaging over the top.

I'm so happy that the detail in these leaf shapes comes out so well, and every single one is slightly different! You have leaves in various sizes, so you should be able to find something to fit with most florals, or to use on large journal pages as well as on smaller tags and ATCs. You saw some of these leaves in action on the Within My Flower journal page.

Foliage Photo Shoot Panels

As you know, I love playing with flipping my stencils, and that's how I created the backgrounds for these panels.

I did some with Distress Spray Stains, and some with Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in Granny Smith and Waterfall, with a bit of A Bit Jaded Infusions added in. With the sprays, I spray through and then flip and print... easy. With the other combination, I sponge the paints through, then flip the stencil, spritz the painty side with a bit of water and add some Infusions powder to the back. Then I print that.

I think these foliage backgrounds are the perfect setting for some Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls and ephemera.

I didn't want to add too much collaging, as I wanted to be able to see those leaves properly too!

I always find it really hard to decide whether I like the original or the flipped versions better. Ah well, they both make good backgrounds!

PaperArtsy Stencil by Alison Bomber 523 {PS523}

Nature Textures

Stencil Elements

Again, I started by simply blending some Distress Inks through the stencil to see what I've got. Really, you've got four stencils in one with this one, and you might even want to cut it up into quarters for ease of use. I haven't done that yet, but I might!

Each of these textures has a botanical inspiration underlying it - leaves, petals, grasses, stems - and they are deliciously irregular and organic, but they also have a slightly abstracted patterning to them, which makes them really versatile, I hope. You've had glimpses of them in action already, on the Silent Wilderness bookmarks as well as the Various Shades of Green journal page.

Grassy Textures Cards

I decided to combine this stencil with the AB058 Meadow Grass stamps to really take it out for a spin. On each of these three cards, you can see a different quarter of the stencil in action. And one of them has two of the quarters layered up over each other.

The stencilling on the cards is done in Distress Inks to keep it soft, allowing me to layer it into the backgrounds. I love how the grassy stencil can provide a soft-focus meadow background for the stamps, while the leaves and petals have a more geometric look to them. Obviously, the stripy stems can go vertically or horizontally, or if you layer both directions you can get a tartan or checked pattern. Still so much playing to do with these....

And I couldn't resist creating some coordinating envelopes, by simply sponging Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics onto the kraft envelopes. I'm not completely sure of the colours I used, I'm afraid (I was having too much fun by this point to remember to photograph what I was doing!), but I think probably Waterfall, Bora Bora, Granny Smith and Inky Pool are in there somewhere.

As you can see, this collection of stamps and stencils, florals and foliage, all mix and match beautifully with each other, but as always, each stamp set by itself has everything on it you need to create something special - focal images, ephemera detailing, poetic words, and hopefully a little touch of botanical magic.

I could sit and watercolour the roses and the hydrangeas all day (when I'm not watering the actual roses and hydrangeas!), and layering up the grasses and stencil textures was such fun too. I hope you love these new designs, and that you'll be inspired to explore the power of flowers as I've been doing.

Thanks, as always, to everyone at PaperArtsy HQ who work so hard to make all our creative lives more delightful. In terms of creative collaboration, I couldn't ask for anything more, and I'm honoured to be a Signature Designer with you.

Thanks also to all of you who are so generous with your feedback and support and who make such beautiful things with all my designs. I can't wait to see what you do with these new ones!

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