Stamp Things

Poppin' Pastels

Chalk Pastels are fun medium to use.  They can be used with more than just Blender Pens, q-tips and finger tips.  This post presents a quick and easy tutorial using Pastels.  This technique is commonly known as Poppin' Pastels as the image Pops once the Pastels are applied.

The Supplies needed are shown and listed below:

 

• Stampin' Pastels (PN 105542)
• VersaMark Pad (PN 102283)
• Sponge Daubers (PN 102892)
• Pocket Silhouettes Stamp Set (PN 111672)
• Organza Whisper White Ribbon (PN 114319)
• Basic Black 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102851)
• Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102851)
• Basic Black Stampin' Pad (PN 101179)
• Scallop Edge Punch (PN 112091)

Step 1: Stamp the desired stamp from the Pocket Silhouettes Stamp Set in VersaMark Ink then stamp the image as desired on the Basic Blank Card Stock.

 

Step 2: Dab the Sponge Daubers in the White Pastel and briskly dab the stamped images quickly in an up and down manner.

 

Step 3: Cut image to size and attach it to the card front.

 

In the card above, The Scallop Edge punch was used to create the scallop edge along the top of the Basic black Card Stock.  Organza Ribbon was wrapped around the Basic Black Card Stock and tie in a square not before the Basic Black Card Stock was attached to the card front.  The "Friend to Friend" sentiment was then stamped in the top right corner to finish the card.

Tip:  You can use as many different color pastels as you want, simply use a different sponge dauber to apply each different color.

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BluePrints #25 - Scrapbook & Card Layouts

Need a Creativity Boost?  Visit www.Stampthings.com weekly for BluePrints, a weekly scrapbook & Card Layout to get your creativity going!  These layouts provide ideas for using Stampin' Up! products.

Welcome to Week# 25  Please use these layouts as a serving suggestions, manipulate them as you wish.  They are here to simply get your mojo going!!! 

 

Week # 25 Card Front layout

 

Bring on Spring! - Occasions Mini Catalog - Sneak Peak

For anyone in New England, Massachusetts or anywhere else for that matter, who are anxious for Spring, this post is for you!  Bring on the WARM weather!!!

   

Yes, this post is also aSNEAK Peek at the Occasions Mini Catalog which is due out April 1st.  As a demonstrator, I have the opportunity to see & purchase from the catalog early.  OMG, It is AWESOME.  I can't wait for everyone to get a hold of it!  LOVE IT! 

The Forest Friends Stamp Set (PN 113748) was used to create this little scene.  The set comes with a baby deer, a tree, an owl & a bunny.  It is adorable!

Quick How-To create this little card:

• Stamp Baby Deer & Tress.
• Take the pastels out of the case and use them like crayons to color the sky, sun and ground. 
• Use a Blender Pen to create an even looking sky, sun & Ground.
• To add the detail by dipping a dampened blender end tip in the desired pastel block.

This is just a little taste of Pastels!  This week, we will be featuring Pastels.  Be sure to check in again for more on working with Pastels!

Blueprints #24: Scrapbook & Card Front layouts - Framing

Need a Creativity Boost?  Visit www.Stampthings.com weekly for BluePrints, a weekly scrapbook & Card Layout to get your creativity going!  These layouts provide ideas for using Stampin' Up! products.

Welcome to Week# 24  Please use these layouts as a serving suggestions, manipulate them as you wish.  They are here to simply get your mojo going!!! 

Week # 24 Card Front layout

Distressing Paper

Distressing Paper is basically any technique that causes wear or gives the appearance of damage, aged or wear to paper. There are many techniques used in paper crafting to distress paper including those that physically damage the paper or add chemicals to the paper to give it an aged, weathered or worn look.

Crumpling. This can be done wet or dry.

• Dry: Crumple the paper into a loose ball. Gently unfold paper. And repeat the desired softness and wrinkling is achieved. A brayer or warm iron can be used to flatten paper.   The strings on the balloons were created from crumpled up strips of paper.

• Wet: Mist the Paper with warm water. Wad the paper into a ball, and Carefully unfold. Allow the paper to dry.  I typically lay the paper on a couple of towels, place a plexi glass on top with several heavy books and allow it to dry overnight.  Some crafters suggest ironing the paper.  If you iron it, I would treat the paper like your delicates and place a towel over it so you don't burn the paper.
• Embossing Plates - Sizzix Has even created embossing plates for creating a distressed look and feel to paper & card stock.  (PN 114531 - Texture Plates Kit #4)  For a tutorial on using these plates, click here or the picture below. 

• Crimping:Crimping is achieved by running paper through a Crimper (PN 101618).  Stampin' Up! offers a Crimper which crimps paper up to 6-1/2" wide. 

• Surface Distressing:This is achieved by applying tools or medium to the surface of the paper with the purpose of achieving a distressed look. 

  Common tools for distressing a surface include.

  • Sanding Blocks (PN 103301)
  • Sanding Paper
  • Steel Wool
  • Wire Brush
  • Razor Blade

  Common Mediums used to distress paper include

  • Inks & Pastels - can be applied to edges of paper or applied to already distressed paper with Sponges (PN 101610), Sponge Daubers (102892) and/or a Color Spritzer Tool (PN 107066) to create aged looks.
  • Coffee or Tea Dying - Soak your paper in a strong coffee or tea until it is slightly darker than the desired color.  This works well with silk scarves as well.  Allow the paper to dry.  I typically lay the paper on a couple of towels, place a plexi glass on top with several heavy books and allow it to dry overnight.

  Distressing Edges -

  • Distressing Tool -Stampin' Up! offers a 7 sided distressing tool in their Cutter Kit (PN 106958) which can be used with varying pressures to produce a roughed up textured edge on any card stock.   The image below used the distressing tool to distress the edges of the Sage card stock.

  

  • Tearing Paper is another way to create a distressed edge.  You can tear it yourself to create a unique look or Use the Tearing Edge (102930)  by Stampin' Up! to create a neat by shabby straight tear.  This tool is perfect for achieving that professional look!
  • The Spiral Punch (PN 108341) was used to create the torn from a notebook look of this "thank you" note.

   

  I hope that you enjoy these methods of distressing and use them to DE-STRESS while creating your favorite projects!

  

St. Patrick's Day - Simple Paper Hat Tutorial - Stampin' Up!

I've seen this hat all over the Internet.  I can't find a tutorial for it, so I'm going to create one of my own.  This is a simple project that makes a great party favor or child's treat basket.  March 17th is coming quickly get out some paper and make one for yourself!

 

To create this hat, an appropriate can was selected. 

Don't choose a pop-top can if you are giving this to anyone who is accident prone.  I did a great job of slicing my finger up when I was testing the edges of the pop top can for safety.  Since this hat will ultimately be filled with candy coins, I will not be using a tin can!!!  Needless to say, the can on your right was selected.

After selecting the container that you will be using, measure the diameter and height.  For the container selected the height is 4-1/2" and the diameter (Φ) is 3-3/4". 

To determine the length of paper needed, multiply the diameter by π (pi) = 3.14159.

L = πΦ = 3.14159 * 3.75" = 11.78" for simplicity we'll use 12"

If you hate math, just wrap a piece of paper around the container and cut it so that it overlaps by at least 1/4".

For the hat base, add 2" to the container diameter.

In Summary, the Paper & Supplies needed to create this hat is listed below.

• 2 - 12" x 12" Sheets of Glorious Green Card Stock (PN 106532).  Cut into the following pieces:
  • 3-3/4" Diameter Circle*
  • 5-3/4" Diameter Circle*
  • 4-1/2" x 12" Rectangle*
• 1 - 12" x 12" Sheet of Basic Black Card Stock (PN 106539)  Cut into the following pieces:
  •  1-1/4" x 12" Rectangle*
• 1 - 8-1/2 x 11" Sheet of Brushed Gold (PN 102935)
• 1" square punch
• Paper Cutter (PN 104152)
• Circle Scissors Plus (PN 112530)
• Scallop Square Punch (PN 112081)
• Sticky Strip (PN 104294) or Multipurpose Adhesive (PN 110755)

* Please note these dimensions will change depending on the size of the container used.

Instructions:

Step 1: Wrap the container with the rectangular piece of green galore card stock, use sticky strip or Multipurpose adhesive to secure the card stock in place.  The picture below shows the container wrapper.  A 12" x 12" piece of Green Galore Card Stock was not available, so a a strip of green galore card stock was added to complete the wrap around the container.

 

Step 2: The 1-1/4" x 12" strip of Basic Black card stock was is then added to the base of the container in the same manner as Step 1.

Step 3: Using the Circle Scissor Plus, the 5-3/4" and 3-3/4" circles were cut out from Green Galore card stop.  Click here for a tutorial on the Circle Scissor Plus.

Step 4: Punch a 1" square from a sheet of Brushed Gold Card Stock.  Place the sheet of paper in the Square Scallop Punch.  Center the 1" square in the square scallop punch window and then press the punch.

 

Step 5: Adhere the gold punch on top of the black band.

 

Step 6: Adhere the 5-3/4" circle to the bottom of the container.

Step 7: Adhere the 3-3/4" circle to the top of the container.

Embellish the hat as you wish.

 

Enjoy!

BluePrints - Make it your own!

The inspiration for  Week #22 comes from Scrapbooks etc. 2009 Page Planner.  The magazine is on sale now.  I picked up my copy at BJ's Wholesale Club. 

I fell in love with this digital page instantly and wanted to make it my own.  The digital page below is on page 37 of the  Scrapbooks etc. 2009 Page Planner.

 

Here is the page that I created using only Stampin' Up! products & the page above for inspiration.

   

The page can be easily converted into a scrapbook page of your very own by selecting your own paper & colors as well as following the instructions below.

The Supplies used for the above page include.

• 3 Sheet of 12" x 12" Stampin' Up! Card Stock in various colors
• 1 Sheet of 12" x 12" Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper
• Scallop Edge Punch PN 112091
• Rounder Punch PN 109047
• Sizzlit Decorative Die Flowers PN 113454
• Sizzlit Decorative Die Naturally Serif PN 113453
• Stampin' Write Marker
• Stampin' Up! Stamp Set Sweet Celebrations PN 115082

To create the page, a sheet of designer series paper and matching 12" x 12" card stock was selected.

Step 1: The edges of the Designer Series Paper was first punched with the Scallop Edge Punch and then each individual scallop was punched with a 1/8" hole punch.

 

Step 2: The Designer Series Paper was then cut in half and then in half again.  Two of the resultant pieces were than turned over and glued to the page.

Step 3: Two strips of 2" x 12" card stock were run through the Big Shot using the flowers decorative strip die.  Each piece of card stock was run through one at a time and then glued over one seem of the Designer Series paper.

 

Step 4: A Stampin' Write Marker was used in the Circle Scissors Plus (PN 112530 was used to create the concentric circles.

Step 5: The "a day to remember" stamp from the Sweet Celebration Stamp Set was stamped inside the circles.

Step 6: The pictures were cut to size and the corners rounded using the  Rounder Punch PN 109047.  The pictures were then glued to the scrapbook page.

I hope you enjoy this weeks BluePrints!

Saturdays with Sizzix - Letters featuring the Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Die

 

The greatest feature of having letter dies is that you are ready to create a saying for any occasion.  You don't have to search through your hundreds of stamps or place a rush order.  You can simply turn to your trusty Big Shot & whip out your favorite letter set whether it be 

• The Naturally Serif Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die (PN 113453) or

• The Stampin' Up! Billboard Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die (PN 114510) or
• The Go-Go Boots Alphabet Set - Sizzlits Dies (PN 113450) and/or
• The Serif Essentials Alphabet Set - Bigz Dies (PN 113464)

Each one of these sets offers the versatility of creating your own words to adorn a card, scrapbook page or any paper craft project you choose.  However, for thick materials and multiple page cutting you will want to stick to The Serif Essentials Alphabet (PN 113464).  The other sets work best cutting thin paper one sheet at a time.

For this card, The Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Die (PN 113453) was selected and will be discussed for the remainder of this post.  The principals apply to all the sets.

To create the letters "Lucky Me", Designer series paper was used.  Designer Series Paper is double sided, so you need to first decide which side you what to use for the letters.

 

For this card, the patterned side of the paper was selected.  The opposite side of the designer series paper is a solid Old Olive.

TIP: Place the side of the paper that you want facing the cutting surface, so that you do NOT see it when you create the sandwich.

In the picture above, the paper is placed on the Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Die so that the pattern side is down.  In the picture, the paper is folded back so that you can see that the pattern side is facing the die and the side that we do NOT want to use is facing upwards so that we see it.

The sandwich for the decorative strip is shown below.

 

Once the sandwich has been created, run it through the big shot machine as shown below.

   

The letters can then be glued to card, scrapbook page or project.  With these small letters, I like to use the Xyron Create a Sticker.  Click here for a tutorial.

TIP: It is important to outline the stickers as discussed in the tutorial link above to prevent extra adhesive from sticking to the sides of the die cuts.  If this happens, rub the Adhesive Remover (PN 103684) over the edge of the letters where you see the extra adhesive to remove the unwanted adhesive.

 

Now that you know how easy it is to use these decorative strip letter dies, lets see what you do with them!

Happy Creating!

Priceless 4-Leaf Clover

St. Patrick's Day is coming and for those of you in Southie that means green beer, parades and parities galore.  For one day of the year Everyone is Irish, at least in the South End of Boston.  Before I ramble on and on about the merits of this truly awesome holiday, I'm going to stop myself and get back to stamping. 

Often times it is hard to find the perfect stamp.  If you have visited this blog before, you know by now that I always like to find multiple uses for everything I use whenever possible. 

Today, I'm going to show you how to create a 4-leaf clover using the Priceless Stamp Set from Stampin' Up! (PN 115052).  FYI: The Priceless stamp set from Stampin' Up! to me is the most versatile stamp set in the entire catalog.  With a little imagination this set can be used for several holidays including (Valentine's Day, Christmas and even St. Patrick's Day).

Using the 5 leaf flower from the Priceless Stamp Set, color 4 leaves with the Stampin' Write marker of your choice.  Here Always Artichoke was selected.

 

On the fifth flower, draw a line down the middle.  Don't worry if it is a little wiggly.  A little wiggle will only make it look better!  Once you have colored the stamp, stamp it a couple of times and then color it again to create the clovers shown below.

   

You can stamp these f-leaf clovers where ever you like, or you can cut them out to adorn your St. Patrick's day creation! 

Here is an example.

 

Tomorrow's post will discuss creating letter's with the Big Shot!

Layering with Stamps and Big Shot Die Cuts - Saturday with Sizzix

 

 

When I saw the Bird on a Branch Stamp Set (PN 113266) in the Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer 2009 idea book & catalog, I fell in love.  I literally squealed with delight when I saw the Birds & Branches sizzlits decorative strip die (PN 114529) in the back of the catalog.  I just thought that these two items were screaming to be brought together and desperately needed to be featured side by side.  The card above is my first attempt at bring stamping and die cuts together with a variety of layering techniques.  I am sure you will being seeing more of this pair together as I really enjoyed playing with them.

For those of you new to crafting, creating a card, scrapbook page or painting is an iterative process.  The professionals rarely whip out the perfect creation on the first try.  They spend time playing around with various techniques, deciding on a layout and piecing things together until the final design is created.  Then the final product is created.  Okay their may be a few talented people out there who nail their creations in the first shot, but I'm not one of them. 

While I show you how to create this card, I will talk about the design process, sponging and layering using the stamp off technique.  I'll be sure to discuss the various products that I use as well. 

Supply List

• Very Vanilla 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 101650)
• Bordering Blue 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102630)
• Mellow Moss 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102898)
• Chocolate Chip 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102128)
• Creamy Caramel 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (PN 102514)
• Chocolate Chip Stampin' Pad (PN 100908)
• Pacific Point Stampin' Pad (PN 111837)
• Kiwi Kiss Stampin' Pad (PN 111835)
• Ruby Red Stampin' Write marker (PN 100075)
• Cameo Coral Stampin' Write marker (PN 100074)
• Bird on a Branch Stamp Set (PN 113266)
• *Bird & Branches Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die (PN 114529)
• Big Shot Die Cutting Machine (PN 113439)
• Sponge Daubers (PN 102892)

To use the Sizzlits Decorative Strip Dies in the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine you will need the Decorative Strip Cutting Pads (PN 113479) & Extended Spacer Platform (PN 113477).

Please remember that you don't need to purchase individual packages of card stock, you can purchase card stock assortments by color family.  For this card, you could purchase the Rich Regals Card Stock Assortment (PN 105567 - Qty 36 sheets or 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock) and the Earth Elements Card Stock Assortment (PN 105567 - Qty 36 sheets or 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock).  The card assortment packages are a great way to play with colors.

Let's get started with the Card: (IE Tutorial Begins HERE)

Step 1: Creating the Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die Cuts.

Building the sandwich:

The picture below shows the sandwich needed for the decorative sizzlit strip dies. 

Beginning with the bottom most layer first, the sandwich consists of

1. Extended Spacer Platform (PN 113477)
2. Decorative Strip Cutting Pad (PN 113479)
3. Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die
4. One Sheet of Paper or Card Stock (ONLY use 1!)
5. Decorative Strip Cutting Pad (PN 113479)

Tip:With Sizzlit dies ONLY use 1 sheet of paper at a time!

Tip:When using the decorative sizzlit strip dies, it is best to use 12" x 12" paper if you want the entire image from the same piece of paper  (i.e. if you were using the swirly die).  Here I am using 2-1/2" strips of paper to cover the areas of the die that I want a die cut from.   The width of the die is 2-1/2". 

For example, sheets of the Mellow Moss (leaves), Chocolate Chip (branches), Bordering Blue (birds) and Creamy Caramel (Branches) were all cut for the sections needed and placed on the appropriate sections of the die and run through the machine.

 

In the image above, there is a piece of Bordering Blue card stock that is 2-1/5" x ~3-1/2".  This is more enough to cover the bird section of the die.  This piece of Card stock was placed over the birds and the Sandwich completed.  The sandwich was then run through the Big Shot Machine.

The resultant die cuts are shown below.

Once I had all the pieces cut, the were run through the Xyron 150 Create a Sticker.  Click here for a tutorial on the Create a Sticker, you will LOVE it.

Don't forget to outline your newly created stickers with a pen.

I'll talk about how I layered the various die cuts as the we go on.

Step 2: Creating the Stamped Background for this Card.

The background of this card uses the Stamping Off Technique.  This technique allows you to get several shades (or tones) of a color from a single stampin' pad.

 

The numbers in the image refer to the sequence the branch stamp was stamped on the card stock.  You can see how the Chocolate Chip Ink used on the branch stamp gets lighter the more times you stamp with it.  Please note, I did not re-ink in between stamping.   I did twist and turn the stamp to make it look different, but I did not re-ink the stamp.  The point is that by using the stamping off technique (or repeat stamping technique) you can get varying shades of a color. 

The varying shades gives the image some depth.  The lighter images appear further away than the darker branch.  This is a nice simple technique to use to add a little something to your projects.

The stamping off technique was also used for the red flowers.  The stamp was inked using the Ruby Red Stampin' Write marker and the Cameo Coral Stampin' Write marker.  The flowers were than stamped in the same order as the branches to produce the same graduations in tones.

Step 3: Layering the Die Cuts

Remember that a design process is iterative.  I began laying out the die cuts, when I decided that I wanted to add some green foliage to the background behind the die cut branches.  You will notice this in the pictures as you read a long.

 

The branches were then removed and the green foliage stamped behind the branches.  I then began cutting the various  components of the branches from the previous die cuts and layering them over each other.

Step 4: Sponging Technique

The last technique used on this card front is the sponging technique.  Sponge daubers were dipped on the Stampin' ink pad and rubbed along the edge of the bird.

 

Step 5: Stamped the inside of the card.

The inside of the card was stamped using a 2 step stamping technique.  For more information on the 2-step stamping technique, please click here.

Hope you enjoyed this weekends Saturday with Sizzix!