Scrap & Stamp Arts is published 8 times a year by Scott Publications and subscriptions are $29.90 for the year. A single issue retails for $5.99. It is a fun publication filled with samples and ideas that should give your imagination a little bit of a lift to start pumping out some creative juices.

The July 2008 cover is on black and white designs, and has a classy, elegant style. Most of the projects inside, however, are cute and colorful. The level of difficulty is for the intermediate level stamper. Many of the projects are multiple steps; not a simple stamp, color, paste.

Special feature articles in the issue include Graduation Gifts, Paper Piercing, Forever Friends, Trend Report, Spinning Wheel, Batikit!, Take 5, Challenge Yourself!, We’ve Moved!, Art Smarts!, Green Colored Glasses, Artist Trading Cards, Pick Me!, and The Peek A Boo Pocket Challenge. As a writer, my first question would be, “Why do so many of these titles need exclamation marks? Are they trying to force the excitement into their titles?” After reading the articles I would answer the question with “It’s just not needed.”

The article Batikit!, by Kristi Van Doren, is about a fabric paper that is self adhesive. The paper in product samples all have a wonderful batik appearance. According to the artist/author, the paper is stampable , extremely versatile, and is more flexible than paper. The papers in the samples were by Princess Mirah (www.princessmirah.com).

Challenge Yourself!, written by Deborah March, describes the pleasures of working with brass stencils. Her samples include paste embossing, simple stenciling, dry embossing, embossed gold leafing, and glittering with the use of brass stencils. Simple stenciling, and dry embossing are standard embossing techniques that would be good for any stamper to learn, but paste embossing, embossed gold leafing and glittering are good techniques that add a little umpfff to your projects. It’s nice when an article can give you simple, detailed information that can raise your work to a higher level.

There was also a fascinating article written by Carol Heppner about Paper Clay Jewelry. The product is by Creative Paperclay (1-805-484-6648). It is a non-toxic, air-drying clay that responds to most of your rubber-stamping tools. Since it is lightweight, it can easily be used to make jewelry that can be rubber stamped to give the clay texture and form. Of course, putting your clay into jewelry form it helps to know how to use wires and pliers.

While many of the project samples were not all of my taste, I found the techniques discussed informative and well done. I enjoyed the magazine and would recommend it to anyone looking for new ideas to supplement their growing love of rubber-stamping. But in the future, I would appreciate fewer exclamation marks!!!!!