Andrea's Review	Chris' Review	Tammy's Review	Stephanie's Review	Bethany's Review

Review by Andrea

Inspiration for the holidays, any holiday, can be found in Stampington & Company's Somerset Holidays & Celebrations Volume 2 issue. Over 140 pages of fabulous photography and color, this issue covers a year's worth full of festive occasions - from Valentine's Day, Spring and Easter, Halloween through Christmas. Any idea can really be tailored for any occasion, so the inspiration comes from the foundation and flourishes through the items used in the project.

This volume is 8 1/2" x 11" by almost 3/8" thick with a soft cover. The thick stock covers have a satin, brushed-like texture to them and the pages are glossy with plenty of flexibility to them. The pages turn without much effort and are able to lay nicely without being extremely stiff and rigid. The quality of photography on each page is remarkable. Each piece is treated like high-priced art as its true beauty is recorded with every snap of the camera shutter.

There are 5 chapters divided into 4 holiday themes and a "Through the Year" category. Each chapter showcases projects using not only paper, but many altered items as well. It's pure joy to see how crafters use just about anything they can find to create art and a new purpose for that item. The vast sampling of ideas include cards, frames, ATC's, shadow boxes, and even spoons! Leave it to a creative individual to come up with something called a "Sparkle Spoon" where an old tarnished spoon is altered and embellished to create a beautiful new piece of art!

I'm frequently inspired by collage pieces, especially ones that I can understand how the process was completed from start to finish. The Volume 2 issue gives a "Tools & Materials" list for each project. The technique is discussed then tips are given for those tricky parts of the project. I really enjoyed the technique explanations as they were informative without being too detailed. Each one is easy to follow giving the reader confidence right from the start.

The "Celebration Cards" project really caught my eye. I've been working on a weekly "word of the week" project, using a different technique or paper combination for each word. I just loved the collaging effort made by Shannon Sawyer and quickly adapted it for my project. Shannon used large tags for her project, but I used 5" x 7" playing cards to alter instead. Using her technique ideas and tips, I combined many types of papers, images and embellishments to create a cohesive altered playing card. The larger size of the foundation card made it easier to blend the elements while maintaining the core feature of each card: the word and definition. I now have a physical piece to look at and develop into new ideas for future projects!

Title: Definition Cards
Products used: Inspiration (Stampington & Company, Somerset Holidays & Celebrations Vol. 2)
Project (Celebration Cards, p. 123)
Patterned Paper and Embellishments (Dream Street, Rusty Pickle, Junkitz, Heidi Swapp, Cloud 9 and Heidi Grace)
Collage Images (Paper Imagery Designs)
Ink (Clearsnap Fluid Chalk)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

With Christmas quickly approaching, getting started on decorations is not a bad idea. I literally stared at the projects in the "Fantasy in Silver and Gold" article for an hour to see all the wonderful details in each piece. The corresponding technique paragraphs were very helpful in understanding how the piece was built from the inside out. I couldn't wait to try it using some of my favorite scrapbook materials to create a handmade ornament.

Title: Holiday Ornament
Products used: Inspiration (Stampington & Company, Somerset Holidays & Celebrations Vol. 2)
Project (Fantasy in Silver and Gold, p. 18)
Patterned Paper and Chipboard (Cosmo Cricket)
Collage Images (Paper Imagery Designs)
Grungeboard (Tim Holtz)
Crackle Paint and Stickles (Ranger)
Ink (Tsukineko)
Ribbon (Stampin' Up!)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The cover claims over 200 Festive Crafting Ideas, but I think there are more! It was difficult deciding which projects to pick for inspiration on my projects since there were so many good ones. I could create many projects from the inspiration in just one chapter of this book, keeping me busy for a good couple of months! I really love the Stampington & Company books for the inspiration and clear instructions. The only comment that I would offer to make this book the ultimate for crafters is to make the spine spiral bound. The ability to flip the pages to make the book completely flat would be perfect!

Need some ideas for the holidays? Pick up this book today and you'll be set! Thanks Stampington & Company for a fantastic inspiration book!

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Review by Chris

One of the things I love the most about Stampington's Somerset magazines and idea books is the quality of the color photography. Projects are always photographed in full color with fine detail, and because of that, they inspire me to create. Once I’ve selected a project from the book, I can count on thoughtful step-by-step instructions to help me create my version of the project. The new Somerset Holidays and Celebrations 2008 is replete with unique projects and inventive ideas presented with that same high quality photography and easy-to-follow instructions.

The 2008 issue of Holidays & Celebrations includes sections on Christmas, Valentine's Day, Spring Holidays, Halloween and a section called Through the Year which includes many additional holidays and events. The projects in the book are primarily paper and mixed media based. Many include vintage images and found objects. As I browsed through the various chapters, I noticed that the vast majority of the projects can be duplicated by the average crafter using primarily materials on-hand or readily available. I really like projects that I can make with my stash and that don’t require me to go out and acquire yet more products. The one item people may not have is the vintage images, but these are readily available through-out the internet. Since the images are almost always out of copyright protection due to their age, they can be used without a guilty conscience. Also, even though the projects presented have a particular holiday or seasonal theme, most of them can be easily adapted to other holidays or themes, which makes this book even more useful.

Since summer is over, I am looking forward to the fall holidays. I loved the simplicity of the Matchbook Cards created by Ann Tatum. The basis for this project is the common shipping tag, which most of us have in our stash. If you don't have any shipping tags, you can easily create a tag from cardstock to complete this project. I downloaded several Thanksgiving-themed vintage images from the internet, used some stamps and patterned paper along with ribbon and a few staples and I now have some very cute Thanksgiving cards to send to friends and family. The larger card is created from a die cut tag that a friend sent me.

Matchbook cards
Inspired by Holiday Matchbook Cards by Ann Tatum, in Somerset Holidays & Celebrations 2008
Products used: Vintage clip art from the Internet
Shipping Tags (Avery)
Patterned paper (Flair, Autumn Harvest Brown)
Stamps (All Night Media, Inkadinkado)
Ink (Stewart Superior Memories Chestnut, Jacquard Pearl Ex Copper)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Tape Runner)

I have quite a stash of chipboard coasters from the local dollar store. The chipboard ornaments created by Catherine Matthews-Scanlon, featured in the article Deck the Halls, Ornamental Adornments by Jennifer Jackson inspired me to use them for holiday decorations. I stamped images and colored them with stickles, used pages from an old book, and various holiday-themed items from my stash to create these three holiday ornaments. This was so easy and the outcome was fabulous. I can see creating similar ornaments for various holidays through-out the year and hanging them around my home. This is a terrific way to use up supplies already in your stash. And if you don’t have coasters, you can simply use pieces of chipboard.

Holiday ornaments
Inspired by Deck the Halls, Ornamental Adornments by Jennifer Jackson, in Somerset Holidays & Celebrations 2008
Products used: Stamps (Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, Judikins)
Dimensional glitter (Ranger, Stickles)
Patterned Paper (Basic Grey)
Rub-ons and metal leaves (Making Memories)
ClipArt (Design Originals)
Ink (Tsukineko Brilliance Graphite Black; Versamagic Night Sky)
Colored Pencils (Prismacolor)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner; Glue Dots)

This issue of Holidays & Celebrations is a particular favorite of mine. The projects are striking yet, for the most part, fairly simple and easy to re-create using readily available materials. The design concepts can be adapted easily to other holidays and themes which makes them extremely versatile. The photography, as is usual for the Somerset publications, is outstanding and the instructions easy to comprehend. I already have several other projects earmarked for upcoming holiday decorations, and I know I will turn to this book time and again for inspiration for my future holiday decorating needs. I encourage you to add this book to your crafting library; I don’t think you'll be sorry.

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Review by Tammy

Stampington & Company has been providing leading publications for the art community since 1994. If you have ever looked for idea books in a craft store you are sure to have seen their publications such as The Stamper's Sampler, Somerset Studios, Belle Armoire, Somerset Memories, Art Doll Quarterly, and Take Ten, just to name a few. Stampington & Company also offers several special publications that are released biannually and annually – Somerset Holidays & Celebrations is one of these.

The Somerset Holidays & Celebrations publication by Stampington & Company is a 144-page soft bound book packed with over 200 project ideas for special occasions throughout the year. Some of the featured holidays are Christmas, Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day. While many of the ideas in this book can be adapted for any occasion, I was a little disappointed that I did not find anything that was specifically for Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorite holidays. The last chapter of the book called "Through The Year" is where you'll find ideas for Birthday, Baby Shower, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, and so much more.

One of the things that always catches my attention about any of the Stampington & Company works, is the fantastic photography and layout of their publications. A great amount of care is taken to provide top quality detailed images of the projects being demonstrated.

When you open the Somerset Holidays & Celebrations book you will first notice a letter from the Managing Editor who will get you into the holiday spirit and give you an overview of some of the talent you will find throughout this publication. On the following two pages you will find a detailed "Table of Contents". Each holiday or celebration is broken into chapters making it easy to find the project or artist you are looking for. Within each chapter (or holiday), you will find several artists with a story to tell about their featured project. I really enjoy this part of the book because it brings the projects to life and adds insight as to how the idea may have come about. Each artist also adds a Tools & Materials list; Techniques (how to complete the project); and Tips. At the end of each chapter you will also find a "Gallery". On these pages you will find projects and general instructions from many different artists.

Our family does not celebrate Halloween so this was a chapter that I devoted the least amount of my time to reading, ironically it was where I was inspired for my first project. The Sparkle Spoons project by Natalie Hansen would make a unique gift for my mother-in-law this Christmas. I did not have any spoons that were tarnished so I used some from my kitchen drawer and added black paint to the spoon to give it a more worn look. I then followed the instructions that Natalie included with her project. This was a really quick and easy project to complete and just goes to prove that you can find inspiration wherever you look.

Title: Wall Hanger
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Black Paint (Apple Barrel)
Ink (Ranger)
Glitter (Amy's Magid)
Diamond Glaze (Judikins)
Paper Ribbon

Whenever I go shopping I can usually pick out the most expensive dress on the rack or the most expensive shoes. A similar thing happens when I look through idea books like Somerset Holidays & Celebrations; I can find the most elaborate projects. I have always admired the look of pendants and ornaments made from microscope slides. Since I have a large supply of these items I decided it was time to make some of these beautiful pieces of art. One item that I was completely unfamiliar with was soldering tools. I did not have a clue where to start, so I decided to enlist my husband for help with this project.

I wanted my pieces to sparkle so after stamping the snowflake image onto the slide with Staz-on, I sandwiched Stickles glitter glue in between two slides and laid aside to dry. Once my pieces were dry it was time to start the soldering process. I figured this would also be easy since I had seen so many people create beautiful pieces of art using this process. Even Deb Denton, a contributing artist to the Somerset Holidays & Celebrations book, said that it could be done!

If you are like me and have never soldered anything before in your life, and maybe don't even know what a soldering gun looks like, then please read on because I have some helpful tips:

• Use only copper tape. The silver tape is apparently made from aluminum and will not work!
• To achieve the silver look around the edge of your piece you must wrap the edges in the copper tape. Be sure to smooth the tape and edges after it's applied. Next comes the hard part …… it's actually not hard but it takes a little practice to get the solder to adhere smoothly.
• Hold the piece firmly, we used a multi function craft vise to hold the slide, then using the iron melt the solder onto the face of the copper tape using at least a 30 watt soldering iron. CAUTION – this iron will get very hot – 900 – 1200 deg F. As the solder starts to melt it can be spread or "pushed" along the front face and outside edge of the copper tape to provide an even covering. It is not necessary to cover the back face of the copper tape unless you plan to display both sides of the slide.
• Be sure to use .050 thickness resin core solder to ensure the solder melts easily and spreads smoothly. As previously stated this process is more advanced and requires a steady hand due to the solder being a metal that is heated up hot enough to become a to liquid form. After the solder is spread onto the front face and edge of the of the slide, we attached (using solder) some small rings to the top and bottom of each slide to allow the slides to be attached together.

Title: Snowflake Ornaments
Products used: Microscope Slides (Ranger)
Stamp (Stampin Up)
Ink (Staz on)
Glitter Glue (Stickles)
Copper Tape (Ranger)
Beads (So Charming)
Jump Ring
Organdy Ribbon

I wanted to create a little different look for this piece so I stamped my snowman image and colored it in with markers. I then cut out the image the size of the slide and applied Stickles to the image before sandwiching it between two slides. Once it was dry, I added copper tape around the edge of the ornament and instead of the using the above process, we only soldered a jump ring to the top of the piece. I did not want the look of the copper tape so I used a Krylon silver pen to alter the color of the tape to give a faux solder look to the ornament.

Title: Snowman Ornament
Products used: Microscope Slides (Ranger)
Cardstock (Matte Kote)
Stamp (Stampin Up)
Ink (Whispers)
Markers (Bic Mark It)
Glitter Glue (Stickles)
Copper Tape (Ranger)

While the ornament project was a little more advanced than what I had originally intended it was something I probably would have never attempted had it not been for the Somerset Holiday & Celebrations 2008 book by Stampington & Company. I love the look of the soldered ornaments and would readily attempt to volunteer my husband to help me try this again. He was such a good sport about helping and after all, practice does make perfect!

All of this proves one thing, the projects in this book are designed for all levels of crafters of all ages. You will also find a vast array of mediums and styles used throughout the book; everything from traditional styles – to Victorian – to the most bizarre. There is something for everyone in this book and I am sure that you can find plenty of inspiration for years to come when you purchase the Somerset Holidays & Celebrations book from Stampington & Company.

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Review by Stephanie

I was first exposed to the Somerset line of magazines earlier this year when I received the Somerset Studio Gallery Summer 2008. I was enthralled with its content, its descriptions, its numerous art forms. At $14.99, it was one magazine so full of fun and good stuff that I wondered if any subsequent issue would be as creative and as much fun. So, with my hopes high, I opened the Somerset Holidays and Celebrations issue. Oh my! From its beautiful cover to the final page, I was hooked. Somerset has done it again. At $14.99, this issue is 144 pages of high gloss creativity. As I turned each page, I saw dozens and dozens of projects that would be so much fun to create. From the simple Holiday Matchbook Cards on page 126 to the more complex Halloween Tree on page 92, and everything in between, there is something for everyone. This is another wonderful magazine I would recommend you pick up and take the time to devour.

Broken into five categories, this magazine has something to create for almost every holiday, beginning with Valentine’s Day and ending with Christmas. I would suggest you work on some Christmas gifts such as the ornaments or the matchbox Advent Calendar, then perhaps move onto Valentine’s Day and work on a canvas or perhaps a mini album. It is never too early to work on gifts, especially with lots of inspiration in front of you!

As with the Summer edition, I have book marked almost every page in this magazine. There is just so much to get your hands around, so many interesting concepts to focus upon. I love the spoons, the angels, the many canvases, the shadow boxes, the cards, the sock critters and so much more.

I decided to start with a wall hanging that caught my eye. Starting with a 5x7 canvas, I lightly painted it brown, then proceeded to add torn papers. Using modge podge as an adhesive as well as a sealer, I added my papers and words until I achieved the look I wanted. I then added twine as a finisher and as the hanger.

Title: Oh Gouls!
Products used: Patterned Paper (Cosmo Cricket, Haunted Collection)
Paint (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Modge Podge)
Canvas, Twine (Unknown)

Then I found an interesting vintage themed Valentine’s Day wall hanging. While the artist used a small canvas, I had none on hand and I so needed to work on this NOW!!! So I hunted through my stash and found some heavy pieces of chipboard. Cutting the chipboard into two 4x4 pieces, I proceeded to create my layouts. To stop any subsequent warping, I created two layouts and adhered them together, creating a double sided wall hanging and thus also covering the hanger. This was a very fast and easy project and I could see creating this for a mother or perhaps for a teacher. Just change the papers to suit the occasion.

Title: Valentine Plaque
Products used: Patterned Paper, Tags (Daisy D, Maybe Baby Collection)
Paint (Golden)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Modge Podge)
Beads (unknown)

I kept looking at the matchbook Advent Calendar and seeing so many possibilities that I decided to make one. A little more time consuming, but definitely a fun project to make using scraps that we all tend to hoard. Using a variety of Christmas papers, ribbons, rubons and stickers, I decorated tiny matchbooks which can be used to hold small treats that will be opened each day leading up to Christmas. Ah the anticipation! I so remember waiting for my turn to open the Advent Calendar each year. What fun this will be for children of all ages.

Title: Advent Calendar
Products used: Patterned Paper (Flair, Merry Little Christmas Collection)
Stickers (Bo Bunny, Making Memories)
Ribbons (Michaels)
Rubons (American Traditionals, Royal)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

This is another must-have magazine. I found the articles informative, the projects incredible, and the instructions a great stepping stone for my own projects. This is another magazine I will refer to again and again. Thanks Somerset for continuing to show how the ordinary can become the extra-ordinary.

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Review by Bethany

I've always loved Stampington publications so when I was asked to write a review for the 2008 issue of Somerset Holidays & Celebrations I was simply thrilled. Despite my love of all things Stampington, I was unfamiliar with the Holidays & Celebrations magazine. However, one quick flip through, captured my imagination so thoroughly that I will be purchasing each issue immediately upon release. There are so many ideas for gloriously beautiful Christmas, Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day projects for that it is well worth its $14.99 price.

The magazine is softback and 144 pages with at least one project per page. The pictures are gorgeous and the layout is impeccable. Each page is a feast for the eyes. Simple instructions, materials lists and brief explanations of inspiration are included with each project. I found the instructions to be adequate to reproduce the projects, even the more advanced ones. However, a beginning crafter may wish they were more explicit.

I was inspired by so many projects that I found it difficult to choose just one for my review. After much thought, I finally settled on tackling a Halloween tree (a la Deb Denton's project on page 92) that would allow me to incorporate a few different ideas into one. I had already purchased a pre-glittered black tree from Target and found that it was perfect for my purpose. I wanted my ornaments to be limited to the traditional black and orange color palette and to be harmlessly spooky in nature as I have many small children living with me.

I began by glittering the B O O chipboard ornaments, inking the edges and hanging them with ribbon.

I liked glittering so much that I also did a chipboard skull.

I found that simple Elmer's school glue was a fantastic adhesive for the Making Memories glitter. I spread it on using my finger so I would have greater control and dumped glitter over the wet glue. I placed a file folder under the ornament to catch the stray glitter and to pour it back into the tube when I was finished. The mess was minimal and most of the glitter made it back into the container. The rest could be seen on my face for days. My children were convinced that fairies visited me nightly. Next, I decided to make three soldered ornaments using basic microscope slides. I printed out six different Halloween Rules (some of them found in Elizabeth Parsons's project on page 107 of Somerset Holidays & Celebrations). To give you an idea of my rules, here are a few.

• When it appears that you have killed the monster, never check to see if it is really dead.
• If you are running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are of the female persuasion.
• Despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it is still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

I wanted the Rules ornaments to appear messy and worn. After I soldered the slides together, I roughed up the sides using a fine-grit sandpaper and painted using black and orange acrylic paint. I wiped off sections of the paint so that it would appear chipped.

My next ornament is made of metal concentrated orange juice tops, DCWV stickers and fancy fuzz (for lack of a better name) from Black Dress Designs. I adhered a sticker in the center of the two metal tops and glittered the exposed edges. I then sandwiched fancy fuzz and a looped ribbon between the two tops using tacky glue. After it dried overnight, I trimmed the fuzz and hung it up.

Even with all my ornaments, I felt that my tree lacked interest so my next step was to create trim using small circles of double-sided Luxe pattern paper. I sewed these small circles together using my sewing machine. I also cut out various leaves from Luxe paper, colored them using chalk and stuck them around my tree.

Materials:
Fancy Fuzz (Black Dress Designs);
Stickers (DCWV);
concentrated o.j. tops;
tacky glue;
Elmer's glue;
pattern paper (Luxe);
thread;
sewing machine;
Target tree;
Making Memories glitter;
microscope slides;
soldering equipment;
acrylic paint;
Chipboard letters and skull (Basic Grey);
various ribbons (unknown manufacturer);
sandpaper;
ledger paper (Making Memories)

In conclusion, I really enjoyed devouring each page of Somerset Holidays & Celebrations. It is a very high quality publication and contains so many ideas that I will use it as a reference whenever I need creative ideas for years to come.

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