by Carole Meisenhelter

Created on: August 02, 2008   Last Updated: March 13, 2010

Oriental Stamp Art offers a first-class, one-stop-shop for anyone looking to be inspired to create cards with the beauty and representation of serenity that "Oriental" seems to evoke.  This site has more recently changed to a new blog format, but it still opens up the same virtual treasure-chest; and has everything going for it.

My first point of interest is to the grand list of Resources Oriental Stamp Art offers. Listed under specific headings of China, General, and Japan, it is easy to locate numerous links within each category.  These include sites such as: Chinese New Year, Origami Patterns, Dragonflies in Asian Art, Buddhist Symbols, Ando Hiroshige Woodblock Prints, Chigiri-e Painting, Geishas and Japanese clip-art.

Also within Resources, under the heading of Magazines, is a link to Submission Themes.  A very helpful guide to anyone considering submitting items for possible publication.

Stamp Artist of the Month is a secret until the beginning of each new month when a certain member is then able to reveal their project as nominated artist.  See the long list of wonderful projects with instructions, they have each offered to share with this group, going way back to 2003.

The Techniques pages have every imaginable technique well-sourced.  Listed alphabetically, many techniques will also include images or class material.

To illustrate, here is just a sampling of the variety of techniques offered: Alcohol Ink Wash; Backgrounds to Dye for; Cheesecloth Backgrounds; Decoupage; Eggshell Crackle; Faux Watercolor; Glass Stamping; H20 Backgrounds; Inked Foil; Jacob's Ladder; Knot Templates; Lumiere' Paints; Marbled Tissue Paper; Napkin Cards using Plastic Wrap; Origami; Pearl-Ex Backgrounds; Quilling; Resist Stamping; Shattered Glass; Tea-Bag Folding; Unmounted Stamp Storage; Velvet Stamping and Wax Crayon Resist.

On Oriental Stamp Art's Home page, you are able to subscribe to Oriental Stamp Art on Yahoo Groups.  This group was originally founded by Lizzie Slothouber, who later handed over her leadership to Dr. Annette Warkentin.

Oriental Stamp Art's continuing success shows in its current membership of 931 at time of this updated revision.  This group is very welcoming and encouraging, to everyone who joins.  It matters not if you are just very new to stamping and/or Oriental themes; you will fit right in, and feel "at home" there, from the very beginning.

Swaps and contests are plentiful if you wish to participate without obligations.  Any questions, someone will always offer to help out; in fact it's more likely,  that many will help. 

A group so successful is benefited by a list of vendors who give generously as sponsors for the many swaps, competitions, and Thursday Tips.

Each month, one of Oriental Stamp Art's vendors is featured as "Vendor of the Month", and will offer members great specials during that month.

Don't forget to bookmark Oriental Stamp Art new web page, because you'll be sure to want to come back time and time again.

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