the CLASSroom

Hello, Monday 03.25.2013

Embossing sure is making a big come back lately, and I thought I'd have fun playing with some colored embossing powders by Ranger!  They look pretty spiffy on black card stock, don't you think?! I love the look! So bold and bright!

Had to add a little butterfly punched from vellum card stock--the card stock weight is perfect for propping the wings up for added dimension!

Enjoy the video here or on YouTube! You can also subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any of our webisodes! ;)

Thanks for joining me today!

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Savvy Stamps, Poppy with Leaf (on side)	Savvy Stamps, Ornate Leaf	Savvy Stamps, Hello Tall	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
VersaMark Inkpad	Bazzill 40lb. Vellum, 25pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
A5 Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Adirondack Embossing Powder, Lettuce	Adirondack Embossing Powder, Red Pepper	White Embossing Powder
Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag	Embossing Gun	EKSuccess Adhesive Remover Tool	Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White
Tsukineko Brushstix 3pk, Chisel, Brush, Dome Tip #2	Accents, Glossy	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black
Gemstones, Black Crystals	Medium Punch, Butterfly	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Teflon Bone Folder

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.25.2013

I love snow, and because of snow, I love Winter. BUT, since we didn't get any snow this year, I'm pretty much over it and ready for Spring. Now. How 'bout you? *grin*

I went a little nuts over these cute, CUTE bunny dies by Impression Obsession when we saw them at CHA--ADORBS!!! I love that you can use them alone OR in conjunction with the stamp set--I must apologize that I jumped the gun when I was working on today's video and didn't realize the coordinating stamp set was not yet in stock over in the warehouse, but if you like the idea of the egg card, there are a ton of different styles that could be used in this design, from solids to detail, vintage and contemporary!

These little kraft envelopes were PERFECT for my little note card set--LOVE!!!

And my favoritest new background stamp is this Thick Stripes by Impression Obsession! I have tried making my own striped backgrounds with a single stripe stamp, and while I can do it, it does take a bit of time to stamp them all the way across a card front individually, while keeping them "perfectly" aligned... this stamp does it all in one fell swoop AND because it's a 6x6" Cover-a-Card, it can go vertical OR horizontal.

   It doesn't get much easier or faster than that, my friends!

For more in depth details on these projects, enjoy the video here or on YouTube! I had some serious fun creating these!

 

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card Cling Stamps, Thick Stripes	Impression Obsession Dies, Bunny Set	Shadow Ink, Soft Green	Shadow Ink, Soft Pool
Hero Hues Dye Ink: Ocean	Shadow Ink, Soft Cantaloupe	Memento Ink Pad, Espresso Truffle	Poppystamps Dies, Grassland Border
EEE3 Cardstock, Pool	E7 Cardstock, Parsley	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
Envelope, Kraft 3x3, 12pk	Pom Pom Trim, White, 3yds Precut	WoolFelt, 12"x18" White (35%)	Doodle Twine Spool, Tangerine
Doodle Twine Assortment, Boy	Doodle Twine Assortment, Bright	Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive	Accents, Glossy
Teflon Bone Folder	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2""	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink
Tweezers, Stainless	Elizabeth Craft Designs Tweezers	Tweezer Bee

InLinkz.com

Stamping Fun with Dew Drops by Julia Stainton

 

Ink pads can often be the unsung heroes of the stamping world. One of the best things you can do as a stamper is get to know your inks. What are they good for... what are they not? Can I use them for things besides just regular inking of stamps?

The Tsukineko Memento Inks are some of my favorite inks. They work excellent on clear stamps as well as rubber and the Tuxedo Black is perfect for using with Copic Markers. I love these inks so much that I started with the Dew Drop size and have since purchased full-sized pads. I've still hung onto the Dew Drops though. Why? Well today I'm going to show you a few fun tricks with these small droplet shaped ink pads.

Petals:

My first project highlights the fun small shape of these ink pads. The Dew Drop makes for a great petal. You don't need a stamp to create these bright fun flowers. Simply stamp the ink pad itself. As you can see above, leaves are easy to create with just one press of a green Dew Drop.

To create evenly spaced petal for the flowers, I first start out by four petals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.

In each space I then space out and stamp two more petals...

...until the flower looks like this.

Sweet and simple.

Swiped Background:

Another little idea that I tried experimenting with was another direct to paper trick. By pressing down your ink pad and then swiping it across the page you get a fun and quick artistic background. I've used five different Memento Dew Drops to get a rainbow effect.

Variegated Background:

Memento Dew Drops have a really great size and shape. The small size makes them easy to take with you, and they are perfect for inking small stamps. You can also use them to create a variegated background which would be difficult to achieve with a larger size pad.

To create this fun background, ink up a background stamp by dabbing on color with coordinating hued ink pads. The small rounded end works great for dabbing on the color. Once your background stamp is completely inked, stamp onto some cardstock and finish your project.

Tip: Start inking your variegated background using the lightest color to prevent color transfer between pads. Once your are done inking the stamp, press off some color from the dew drops ink pads onto some scrap paper to make sure any color transfer is removed.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful and creative summer weekend!

Julia

 

Supplies:

STAMPS: ClearDesign: Essential Messages Stamp Set , Anytime Messages Stamp Set, Cling Classic Fabric Design Stamp by Hero Arts

INK: Jet Black Archival ink, Pear Tart Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Rose Bud Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Tangelo Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Summer Sky Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, and Lilac Posies Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad by Tsukineko

PAPER: Solar White Cardstock by Neena

TOOLS: Corner Chomper Tool , Clear Acrylic Block with Guides, Big Shot by Sizzix, Movers and Shhapers Base Tray by Sizzix, Movers and Shapers Mini Heart Set by Sizzix

EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Vintage Wood Mini Butterflies by Maya Road, Rock Candy Distress Stickles by Ranger, Buttons by Basic Grey, Wedding Shoes Innoscence Flower by Prima Marketing

ADHESIVES: Craft Glue Dots Sheets, Mixed 3D Foam Squares

OTHER: twine

12 Days of Christmas: Day 4 - Four Different Heart Cards

I love the crisp, clean look of Memory Box Company stamps and papers! Rather than sharing four birds with you on this fourth day of Christmas I opted to use four hearts instead :-D Hopefully this post will help you get a jump start on your Valentine's projects - there are some basic stamping techniques, as well as a couple of fun little experiments.

 

The color scheme for today's post was selected from the latest Memory Box paper collection - Pixie. I am absolutely loving the diversity in this collection and had fun using it to inspire this collection.

One of the first techniques I learned as a stamper was to use a water-based marker to color my stamped image. You can read more about this technique in Julia's Back to the Basics post here. 

 

As I looked through the Pixie pack of papers I was struck by the paper shown in the picture below. For some strange reason I was inspired to try stripes on this gorgeous heart. I simply selected four different Copic markers and added strips of color to the heart as shown above. I was thrilled to see that the ink from the Memento markers did not bleed at all when I used the Copic markers over the top of the image.

 

I then cut the heart out and mounted it back on Solar White Neenah and cut it out again.

 

To complete the look I used some of our silk ribbon, along with some of our thank you ribbon and added the word "love," also inked with the Memento Marker.

 

The next technique was inspired by Jennifer McGuire. I believe that I saw a video that she did on the Hero Arts blog. In that video she used the Distress Ink pads together with White Opal Liquid Pearls. It dawned on me that if you could do this with Distress Ink, why not try it with Memento Markers.

I colored on my non-stick craft sheet and added a drop of White Opal Liquid Pearls.

 

Next I misted it with water and then used a Studio paint brush to mix the color as shown above.

 

To "ink" the stamp I simply stamped in the pearly paint as shown.

 

As you can see the stamp simply glistened.

 

The results are stunning!

 

I piereced around the heart and then added my stitching with some silver metallic beading thread.
 

 Once again I used our silk ribbon, thank you note ribbon, a Mitten Weather button, a Tiny Type sticker and some of the Pixie paper. Simple and beautiful!

 

For the next image I experimented with a combination of the above techniques. First I inked the stamp with my marker, I then painted over the flower centers and the solid flowers using my White Opal and marker paint mixture.

 
I love the varigated look of this experiment.

 

I added even greater contrast to the solid flowers by using Copic markers (R46 and a Colorless Blender) to add depth to the pink flowers. Next I added yellow (Y00 and Y15) to the flowers so that they would coordinate with the delicious plaid included in the Pixie collection. 
 

Yellow silk ribbon and a Mitten Weather button were the finishing touches on this card.

 

The fourth card went back to simple embossing. To add some zip to the overall look I selected four different colors of cardstock that coordinated with the Pixie collection. I secured these squares to a Solar White base, used an anti-static puff to wipe the surface, stamped the image using Distress Embossing ink and heat embossed with White Opaque embossing powder. Color blocking is hot... give it a try on one of your next projects and then upload it to our new gallery!!!

 
stamps: Memory Box Daphne Heart, Love and Hearts

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Hero Hues Blush Memento Markers, Copic Markers (YG00, YG23, BG11, Y00, Y15, R46 and Colorless Blender)

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Pixie; Taffy, Raspberry, Bayou, Sunflower, and Key Lime Cardstock; Neenah Solar White

accessories: White Opal Liquid Pearls, Mini Mister, Studio Brush, Pink Tiny Type Stickers, Fuchsia and Yellow Silk Ribbon, Buttons, Opaque White Embossing Powder, Puff Static Away

On the fourth day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• one Leaf Canopy stamp,
• one Adore Peony Collage stamp,
• one Daphne Heart stamp,
• and a Memory Box Company Color Sampler

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

Today's question centers around our new gallery. We would love to have you join us there. Do you like to participate in challenges and if so what types of challenges would you like see us host?

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies

Using an Out of Season Stamp For This Season

Often I have a stamp that I just adore that doesn't get enough face time before the season changes, so what could be better than thinking of ways to give it a little extra love?

Often a simple adjustment can be made with masking, or using different colors when stamping it. But sometimes the theme is so seasonal that those adjustments won't do the trick. That was the case that I had with the Hero Arts stamp set Say Hello.  A very fun and whimsical group of images that I love to use and coloring in the little leaves and flowers in the Spring and Summer was very fun. But now with the leaves changing and Thanksgiving on our minds I wanted to create a card with this image that I could share with a friend who has really been there for me. So with a few patterned papers from the Cosmo Cricket Togetherness line, a Quickie Glue Pen, some Spiced Marmalade and Scattered Straw Stickles, a Peach colored Copic Spica pen and Walnut Stain Distress ink I gave this adorable tree some fall flair.

First stamp out the image onto a few of the patterned papers and fussy cut out a few of the leaves from each color.

Use the Quickie Glue Pen to adhere them in place, and then scatter a few of the extras along the bottom for the fallen leaves.

Color in the smaller leaves with the Peach colored spica pen.

Carefully dot the Stickles onto the smaller flowers (since we stamped with Distress ink the ink will be compromised if it gets to wet or smears)

Adhere the cute little owl into the tree using 3-D Foam squares for a little extra bit of dimension.

On the inside of the Kraft Hero Arts card base stamp the sentiment from the Essential Message set.

Tie a bow from a double sided satin and adhere in place, this ribbon was one of my thank you ribbons from the fabulous customer service note that Ellen sends in every beautifully packed box  :o)

Easy to make quite a few of at once, this could be changed up a little and made into an adorable Christmas card as well.

So I want to leave you with this challenge, look at your stamps with a fresh eye and see if you can take some of them from one season to the next. You will get more value from your crafting dollar and be proud of yourself when you are done!

B-

Back to Basics: Stamping with Dye Markers by Julia Stainton

Basic stamping techniques are those that you will turn to time and time again. They are those versatile and easy techniques that anyone can learn and are always fun to revisit. Today I'd like to show you a couple basic dye marker ideas that are simple and fun.

Where dye-based markers really shine is on solid images. You can use these markers on line art but having a basic set of dye-based markers is a great way to add color and interest to bold images.

I love the Memento markers for their beautiful colors, their fine tip for writing and their brush tip for adding color to rubber stamps. The water-based formula makes them easy to clean from the rubber and also achieve a great watercolor look.

Dye markers are a great way of adding different colors to rubber before stamping your image. I love this sweet little Hero Arts Row of Houses stamp. It's darling but if you just stamp it with an ink pad, it's all one color.

To add lots of colors to these sweet houses, I simply brushed on the dye marker ink onto the areas of rubber that I wanted that color. You'll notice as you color that the ink will start to dry which won't give you the best impression. After you are done coloring on your rubber stamp, just breathe or "huff" on your stamp to moisten it and then stamp your image.

 

Here it is stamped for a fun whimsical look.
 

To stamp the sentiment, I used Versamark ink and then embossed it with black embossing powder.

Supplies: Row of Houses stamp,  Truly Appreciated stamp set by Hero Arts, Basic White 12x12 paper & Oliver 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey, Currant Cardstock by Memory Box,Green at Heart Cozy Posies by Basic Grey, Black Embossing Powder by Ranger,  Diamond Lace Edger Punch by EK Success, Juicy Purple, Greenhouse , Ocean & Campfire Memento Markers by Tsukineko, Versamark Ink by Tsukineko

The second basic technique is almost the same as the first but it gives you a beautiful watercolor look.

 

This solid floral stamp is a Hero Arts Clear stamp but this technique works equally well with rubber solid images. As above, you can color your image in right onto the stamp with your dye-based markers. Please excuse my very well-loved acrylic block. It has seen better days but still works well. 

 

After inking your image, spritz the stamp lightly with water before stamping your impression for a beautiful watercolor look. You can also spritz again without reinking and then stamp for an even more subtle look.

 

Here's what the finished bouquet looks like with multiple impressions.

 

The final card uses some simple embellishments to highlight the stamping. The ink splatter look is created with Glimmer Mist flicked onto the paper.

Supplies: Earth Flowers stamp set ,  Anytime Messages stamp set by Hero Arts, Basic White 12x12 paper & Oliver 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey, Currant Cardstock by Memory Box, White cardstock by Neenah, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser by Advantus, Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Juicy Purple, Greenhouse & Campfire Memento Markers by Tsukineko, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, button by Basic Grey

Stamping with dye markers can be a beautiful and unique way to stamp. If you've never tried it, why not give it a whirl?

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a wonderful weekend!

Back To Basics: coloring (or not) by Kim Hughes

 

Supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Butterscotch, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Stream, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Peach Bellini, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lettuce, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia

Memory Box: Happy Birthday, Log Home, Memory Box 6x6 Cardstock, Enchanted, Sonoma Print, Silhouette Branch, Umbels

Basic Grey Buttons, Green at Heart

A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Solar White
 

stamp the flowers with a lighter shade ink than a Copic marker.  Then add a darker tone to the center of the stamped flowers
 

It gives them a subtle "water colored" effect
 

Use a colored pencil that's slightly darker than the Copic marker.  Press harder in the center of the flower and add depth to the image by coloring lightly
 

Draw a loose line around the image to give it a hand drawn look.

Next, simply add texture and interest to a stamped image by adding just a touch of paint.

 

Dip a toothpick into white paint and dab onto the flower tips...it's as simple as that...of course you will need to wait for the paint to dry.  You may try to use this technique on glossy paper and spritz a mist over the image, so that the white paint will show through.
 

stamp the leaf image with blue ink.  It looks beautiful as is, doesn't it?  I like to stamp and leave the image alone, but coloring it in different ways can add just so much.
 

Dip a Q-tip in the same ink that you stamped the image with and "paint" with it.
 

No need to be perfect her...it's alright to go outside the lines.
 

add some background color with more Q-tips.  Just rub the color around the image.  This will give it a "chalked" look
 

work around the image and to not add background color to the white tips.
 

when you crop the image, it will be hard to believe that it started with white paper and a blue stamped image.
 

Stamp an image and only color half of it with a colored pencil.  This will give it a "graphic" look
 

Another way to color with colored pencils is to start with the edge and press harder at that point...as you move in towards the center of the image, press lighter on the pencil
 

continue along the entire outline of the stamped image, I turn the paper as I move along the edge.

 

and here is the end result.  You and add another color on top to add more texture...just repeat the first step.
 

when there are multiple lines, you can add dimension to each separate section.
 

repeat along each line
 

and then shade the opposite side for added dimension.
 

So, there are three ways to use a colored pencil when coloring an image.  Color with Copics, paint with a paint brush, color with a dabber and chalks or just leave it alone..as is.
 

This paper is so beautiful, so I didn't want the stamped images to overpower the background. So, in this case, I chose to leave the images alone.  When you color an image, it's easier to coordinate solid papers with your image.  You can color your image first and then try to match paper to is.  It's all a matter of trial and error.  Discovering the perfect complimentary paper is half the fun/  So, experiment.

I hope that you rediscover how truly fun coloring stamped images can be.  Thanks for joining us today.

Back to Basics - Patterned Paper

When I first started stamping, I used absolutely no patterned paper.  As I began to purchase it (it was so beautiful that I couldn't help myself), I actually found myself a little intimidated by it.  What was I supposed to do with it?  How do I integrate it into my projects?  So today I thought I would cover just a few "basic" ways that I use patterned paper on cards.

This first card uses paper from Graphic 45's Collections "Le Romantique" and "A Proper Gentleman".

 

Both the brown and plaid pieces are used as a background for the main image.  However the brown paper was first embossed and then sanded.  Since the paper core is white, the sanding creates a dramatic and very easily achieved look.

If you look closely, you can see a tiny clock image that has been punched from one of the papers and popped up on the "1".  So fun!

The image on this card is from Tim Holtz's Stampers Anonymous "Pen and Pencil" set.  The word is taken from a sentiment from Tim Holtz's Stampers Anonymous "The Countdown".

The second card uses an image from the Hero Arts "Owl Trio" and sentiment from Hero Arts "Birthday Messages".

 

The owl has been paper pieced and the flowers have been created using paper from Cosmo Cricket's "Material Girl" mini deck paper pad.

When paper piecing an image, I first stamp the image on a transparent sheet.  I can then "try" the image on different patterned papers and decide which paper best suits that image.  This also helps to decide where to stamp the image on any given paper.

After cutting out the image, I carefully color the edges with a marker.  This helps redefine them.

 

The flowers were made from coordinating patterned paper using the "Blossom" Nestability Dies.

The edges were lightly distressed and again colored with a marker to help pop each piece.

The third card uses sentiments from Cornish Heritage Farms' Mona Lisa Moments "Motivational Centers" and "Wedding Centers".

With the addition of the little homemade "diploma", these sentiments work well for a graduation themed card.  I love being able to take images and sentiments and give them a wider range of use other than what was originally intended for them.  Here the sentiments are stamped directly onto the patterned paper.

The patterned paper used on this card is Memory Box's "Frond".  It has been punched with Martha Stewart's "Crown" border punch.  The border was doubled up on the main panel.  All edges were sponged with Ranger "Tea Dye" Distress Ink.

Patterned paper can add so much color, design and interest to a card.  I hope that your visit today has encouraged you to create something fun using some of the beautiful patterned papers available today.

Happy Crafting!

------------------------------

31 Happens Card:

Stamps: Tim Holtz's Stampers Anonymous "Pen and Pencil" and Tim Holtz's Stampers Anonymous "The Countdown"

Papers: Graphic 45 "Le Romantique Collection" and "A Proper Gentleman", Memory Box Cardstock "Vanilla Bean", "Neenah "Classic Cream",

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black" and "Rich Cocoa", Ranger "Tea Dye", Copics

Accessories: Tim Holtz Grungeboard Minis, Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clips

One-of-a-Kind Birthday Card:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Owl Trio" and Hero Arts "Birthday Messages"

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Material Girl", Memory Box Cardstock "Persimmon" and "Granny Smith", Neenah "Classic Cream"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black", Copics

Accessories: Cosmo Cricket Ribbon, Cosmo Cricket Buttons

Graduation Card:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms Mona Lisa Moments "Motivational Centers" and "Wedding Centers"

Papers: Memory Box "Frond" and "Vanilla Bean", Neenah "Classic Cream"

Inks: Memento "Rich Cocoa", Ranger "Tea Dye" Distress Ink

Accessories: Martha Stewart "Crown" Border Punch

Back to Basics: Positioning your Stamped Images with Acrylic Blocks and the Stamp-a-ma-Jig by Julia Stainton

One of the most frustrating things for beginning stampers is getting the image stamped exactly where they want it. It can take a lot of practice, especially for sentiments, to get them straight. It's my turn to write a back to basics post and I thought I'd show you a few tips on how to use some simple tools to get more professional results. It's all super easy and takes very little time to make a difference in your work.

Many stamps these days are sold as unmounted rubber or clear polymer stamps. I find these the easiest to position and are a great place to start. Both of these types of stamps need an acrylic block to cling to so that you can stamp them.

 

 

While many acrylic blocks come without lines, I find that my favorites are the ones that come with a grid on the such as the 2.5 inch Round Block and the 3x4" Rectangular Block. While it may seem logical to purchase the largest block available as it will fit all stamps, you will find that sizing your block closely to the size of your stamp allows you the most control and cleanly stamped image.

The reason the grid lines are so beneficial when stamping is for positioning your rubber on the block and also for lining up for stamping.

Here's a beautiful rubber unmounted stamp from the Floral Tattoo set by Stampers Anonymous. The corner shape of it makes it easy to place on your acrylic block and then stamp in the corner of your paper. I'm using the Le' Romantique 8x8 paper pad by Graphic 45 for this project. If your acrylic block has a grid line near the edges, place the edges of them image along them and then line up with the corner of the paper.

To ink up my stamps, I like to lay them face up and then tap on the ink from the pad rather than pressing the rubber down onto the ink pad.

Line up your stamp, press down and then remove.

Sentiments can be the trickiest stamps to get lined up and usually, the most obvious if not done correctly. Depending on where you've stamped the sentiment, you may be able to trim the layer straight but it's better to get it right the first time as you may not be able to fudge it if you are stamping right onto your finished design.

To stamp this red rubber stamp from the Mother's Day Centers set by CHF you need to carefully position it as you cannot see through it to do so. As you can see, I've used a smaller block here that is close to the size of my stamp for crisp results. If you line up your sentiment or one of the lines thereof along a grid line, this will help you tremendously. You can stamp on a practice paper first to make sure you have it right before committing the impression to your final project.

Line up a grid line with the bottom edge of your paper to get a perfectly level sentiment.

Here's the punching detail from this card. I've used the Swirl Edger Punch for this ornate edge.

The embellishments.

 

And the final project.

Additional supplies used: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Cream Ruffle Edge Trim by Maya Road, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, Vintage Sew On Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, twine & floss, Vintage Sparklers by Webster's Pages

If you are using clear polymer stamps, they are the easiest to position. Many times you can just use your eye as you can see through the block well to position your image. I would suggest using the grid line approach above for sentiments though to get them perfectly straight.

I love stamping with wood block stamps as they always give a beautiful quality impression. The one drawback with these stamps is positioning. The Stamp-a-ma-Jig is a wonderful and inexpensive tool that you will find invaluable. Besides stamping sentiments it is great for placement when creating a scene, masking and many more complex techniques. I mainly use mine for sentiments though.

The Stamp-a-ma-Jig comes in two pieces...the positioner and an imaging sheet. I've had mine a long time so mine is black but it is totally the same product. If you are like me and tend to lose things, you can buy replacement imaging sheets. I was in a bit of a pinch so I made do with cutting a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic down to size and using it.

 

This Enjoy the Moment stamp is by Hero Arts and is wood mounted. This means you do not use an acrylic block.

One thing you'll want to do with your wood mount sentiment stamps is to turn them over and take a look at the rubber before stamping. If it's a new and high quality stamp like this Hero Arts one, the rubber should be on perfectly straight. If for some reason your rubber has been stored in a warm environment or stored carelessly with other stamps pressing on it, the rubber may have skewed on the wood base. Make sure it is level before stamping.

To use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, you first position your tool and place the imaging sheet tightly into the notched corner of the tool.

Stamp onto your imaging sheet to get an impression to line up.

Place your imaging sheet over the area you wish to stamp on, lining up your sentiment or image placement as you wish it to look.In this photo it looks a bit off as the imaging sheet raised the bottom right corner when I took my hands away to photograph it.

Holding the imaging sheet in steady, place the Stamp-a-ma-Jig tool tightly up against imaging sheet.

Remove the imaging sheet and placing your wood block into the corner, stamp your image. 

Here's how the sentiment looks stamped on this Farmer's Wife Jenni Bowlin paper.

 

And here's the final project.

Additional supplies: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Trendy & Front Porch Mini Papers by Jenni Bowlin, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, buttons by Basic Grey, twine, Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, Doilies by Little Yellow Bicycle, Tim Holtz Mini Pins by Advantus

I hope these few hints will make a difference in your stamping. Just remember, the more you practice the easier it will get. Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.

Happy Creating!

Back to Basics: Background Stamping by Sharon Harnist

"Back to Basics" is a relatively new regular feature here in the CLASSroom ... twice a month, each of the teachers will be highlighting and going back to the basics of stamping.  We hope this will help out any newcomers to stamping and also help others revisit some basics you may like to be reminded of and try out once again.  You can find all of these archived Basics courses by clicking on "Back to Basics" over in the top left sidebar of this page.

Today I'm going to highlight one of my favorite things, background stamping.  Since there are many options of beautiful patterned papers on the market today, a lot of us may have steered along that path (myself included!), so I wanted to revisit how pretty, functional, quick & easy background stamping can be.

 

My first sample uses a whole clear stamp set of sentiments for its background, Hero Arts All Occasion Messages clear stamp set:

I just left all the sentiments on the clear acrylic sheet they come on, put some removeable adhesive on the back of it, stuck it to a 5x7 Clear Acrylic Block, and stamped it with Hero Arts Hero Hues-Latte Chalk Ink onto a Hero Arts Earth Folded Card. I rounded the corners of the notecard with We Are Memory Keepers' Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper and placed a strip of Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Garden Gala/Seaside paper along the left folded edge. 

 

Next, I covered this sweet chipboard bird from Maya Road's Birdcage Chipboard Book with more of the Webster's paper and adhered him to the card front.  Some twine tied around the branch and a Hero Arts Neutral Felt Flower finishes off this card ... quick and easy for ANY occasion!

 

My next card uses Hero Arts Outline Flowers wood-mounted stamp (please excuse the harsh orange color above -- it's not really that glaring, but I can't seem to get it adjusted!):

It measures 4.50" x 5.75".  I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Hero Arts Sunshine Folded Card.  If you haven't checked out these wonderful notecards yet, you definitely should: They come in a pack of 12 notecards, 4 each of 3 colors for just $2.99.  At just .25 cents each, these are a fabulous bargain!

Next, I colored the flowers with these Copic markers: Y38, YR31, W1, W0 and Spica Glitter Pen in Melon.  I love the way this background turned out ... just as pretty as any patterned paper, I think, AND in the colors of MY choosing!

 

I love the look on this adorable owl's face!  He's from Hero Art's Owl Trio of wood mounted stamps.  I stamped him on Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock with Tuxedo Black and colored him with the same Copic markers.  The "Thank You" sentiment is from the All Occasion Messages set I used above as a background.  I rounded the corners of his focal piece and then machine stitched around the edges, tied the piece with ribbon and mounted it with foam tape to the background.  A Hero Arts Art Flower-Summer finishes the focal piece and a few tied Hero Arts Card Buttons-Summer complete the background. I like that I can make this same card over and over again, varying the colors of the flowers and notecard, and achieve a totally different look every time!

 

My third sample is an example of using a large single stamp, not necessarily a huge overall background stamp, as a smaller notecard background.

This Hero Arts cling stamp, Friend, measures approximately 3" x 3.75" and was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa onto a Hero Arts Blush Folded Card.  I trimmed the horizontal top-folded card down to a 3.50" x 4.25" notecard and colored the image with these Copic markers: R81, R85, YG06, YG07, W1.

 

A beautiful Prima Innoscence Snow Angel flower was added to the largest stem and Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls and Ranger White Opaque Pen accent the smaller flowers.  So how many large stamps to you have in your collection that may seem too large for a standar A2-sized card?  Use them to fill up a smaller notecard!

 

My last sample uses this beautiful Hero Arts Antique Writing cling background:

It measures 4.50" x 5.50".  I started with Glossy White Cardstock and dropped Copic Various Ink Refills in B45 & V15 onto it, starting with V15:

 

And then adding B45:

 

I kept adding drops of color until I achieved the depth I was looking for:  

 

After allowing the Copic alcohol ink to dry, I buffed it with a tissue (this removes any possible residue from the surface of the paper and buffs it back to a glossy finish). Then I stamped the butterfly background with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink. Once dry, I matted the background with Memory Box Ocean cardstock and then adhered the background to a Memory Box Licorice notecard.

 

I stamped the largest butterfly in the background again with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock, colored it with Copic markers V12, V15, B32, B45 & E25 and cut it out.  The butterfly's wings were bent and the whole thing glittered with Star Dust Stickles.  It was attached with Glue Dots to the background.  A piece of Prima Jaqueline Lace was Copic Airbrushed with Black-100 marker and attached with Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher, to finish the card. 

 

This same technique could easily be applied to any number of background stamps -- just choose one that has an element that can easily be cut out and attention brought to it, such as the Outline Flowers background stamp I used on the owl card above.

 

I hope these ideas help bring you back to the basics of background stamping!

{Bird Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts All Occasion Messages clear stamp set
Paper: Hero Arts Earth Folded Card Set, Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Garden Gala/Seaside
Ink: Hero Arts Hero Hues-Latte Chalk Ink
Accessories: Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard Book, Hero Arts Neutral Felt Flowers, WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, Sanding Block, 5x7 Clear Acrylic Block, twine

{Owl Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Outline Flowers & Owl Trio wood mounted stamps
Paper: Hero Arts Sunshine Folded Card Set, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic markers Y38, YR31, W1, W0 & Atyou Spica Glitter Pen-Melon
Accessories: Hero Arts Card Buttons-Summer & Art Flowers-Summer; WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, sewing machine, ribbon

{Friend Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Cling-Friend
Paper: Hero Arts Blush Folded Card Set
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Copic markers R81, R85, YG06, YG07, W1
Accessories: Prima Flower-Innoscence Snow Angel, WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls, Ranger White Opaque Pen

{Butterfly Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Antique Writing Cling
Paper: Ranger Glossy White Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock; Memory Box Licorice notecard & Ocean cardstock
Ink: Ranger Jet Black Archival ink pad, Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Various Ink Refills: B45 & V15 and Copic markers V12, V15, B32, B45, E25 & 100
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System-1, Prima Jaqueline Lace, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Ranger Star Dust Stickles, Glue Dots

Back To Basics: stamping by Kim Hughes

Welcome to the CLASSroom!  We've all been new to stamping at some point and it sure can be intimidating, but it's easier than you may think.  Here are some pointers that I hope will help get you started.  First of all, you will need at least 2 shades of brown and black ink...these are must have's when starting out.

Supplies:

EEE2 Cardstock, Robin's Egg, H1 Notecards and Envelopes, Mocha

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Ginger, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

COPIC Sketch Marker B00, Frost Blue

Webster's Pages Petite Papers Paperpad, Home for the Holidays & Winter's Wings

Cornish Heritage Farms: Rummage Bin, On the Desk PRECUT, Scrapblock, Old Typewriter, Kim Hughes, Zooper Fun

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

Art Flowers, White & Cream

Say it in Studs, Pastels

VersaMark Inkpad

Heat It Craft Tool

Embossing Powder, Clear

 

This technique was hard to photograph as I was doing it, but here's the gist...use the tip of all 3 ink pads and dab them randomly onto the rubber stamp.  Start with the lightest color, then medium and finish with black.  Press the paper onto the rubber stamp and rub over the entire surface with your finger.  If you are worried about getting your fingers inky...place scrap paper on top of your paper and press onto the top paper.  The effect that you will get is a pattern that's multi-colored.
 

Stamp the vintage typewriter in the center and embellish with some twine and an elegant sticker. 

To make sure I get a bold impression with a stamp, like in this case, the typewriter, I press the stamp onto the ink pad and turn it a bit, making sure that the ink gets in all of the grooves. 

 

The next card consists of a custom background that I created using multiple stamps from one stamp set.  I am using the same 3 colors but alternating them.
 

I start by stamping with all 3 colors and then working around the paper, making sure take balance into account. 
 

as you can see here, there;s black in 5 areas, but they aren't over powering the other 3 colors.
 

I placed the paper onto a solid brown base and added a graphic feel with a bold border that I created with a thick black marker.  Embellished with an elegant sticker.
 

stamping a Scrapblock or Backgrounder with ink is the easiest way to create custom patterned paper, but there are also other fun ways to use a patterned stamp. 
 

dab the stamp with a foam pad and make sure to dab harder in the center and softer around the edges.
 

Press your paper onto the stamp...and you will find that you have a soft and faded pattern.
 

stamp the journal spot and sentiment in the lower right hand corner and cut a scrap patterned paper.  You can easily replace the Webster's paper with a stamped paper from a Scrapblock or Backgrounder pattern.
 

Ink the edges first with Espresso.  Rub the ink in heavier on the edges and press lighter as you come inward.
 

and come further in on the paper with the ginger ink.  This will give the paper a soft and smoky distressed edge,
 

draw a line on the back of brown card stock
 

and cut a scalloped edge with decorative scissors.  Align the scalloped edge on the line.
 

embellish with a flower and pearl
 

Cornish Heritage Farms also have cute images as well as the vintage ones that I just showcased.
 

after stamping the elephant, I colored the entire image with B00...note that the color appears more teal than blue...that's because I am coloring on cream paper and not white card stock. Take note of the base paper because that will determine what tone your marker will be.
 

Instead of using multiple shades of blue, simply go over the image multiple times where you would like shading to be placed.
 

stamp sentiment onto the same colored paper and cut around it.  Cut a paper strip to resemble ribbon.
 

loop the ribbon and attach onto the back of the sentiment block and add dimensional foam squares

 

Next I will sow how easy heat embossing is.  Use a Versamark pad to stamp the elephant on the entire paper surface.
 

Pour clear embossing powder over the entire image and tap off excess powder.  Heat with a heat gun until you see the image become clear.

 

now that you have created a subtle, cute background using a single stamp, you can create an accent the same way.  Heat emboss the elephant onto brown paper.
 

Face the circle punch facing up and punch around the brown elephant.
 

embellish with a playful button.  This is the type of card that is appreciated in person, since it's hard to see ion certain light.
 

Paper piecing with stamped images is easy.  Stamp your image onto patterned paper...and cut along the outer line.
 

if your image had multiple parts, you could piece one pattern over the other.
 

to add a subtle brown frame, a pen line is cleanest, however, you can also ink the edges but it will look more distressed
 

add some dimensional squares behind the elephant and this guys cuteness says it all.

Stamping really is so much FUN...so I hope if you haven't tried it before that I may have answered some questions that you might have had.  Practice makes perfect.  Make sure to practice on scrap paper

Back to Basics - Ink It Up by Lisa Strahl

Monday.  It's Monday once again.  I hope you had a good weekend and maybe even had time to create or play.

We are starting a new series today called Back to Basics.  Each week one of the CLASSroom teachers will be sharing their experiences with basic paper crafting and stamping supplies.  There are many ways to achieve successful results and it is a guarantee that we all do things a little differently.  By no means are my methods the only ones, just the ones that I have found consistent results with.

Let's get started with how to get the best possible impression with your stamps.  I am going to focus primarily on ink as it relates to line art versus detailed images, silhouette image and suggestions for clear versus rubber stamps.  The paper or surface you are using is also very important, but that's a post for another day!  What I will say is that generally, the smoother the paper, the easier it is to get a good impression with any given ink.  My advice for paper and ink combinations is to test, test, test.  If you try a pigment ink and it doesn't work, try a dye or vice versa.  For this post I am using Neenah Classic Solar White.

My #1 tip for you is called the "Swirl and Tap".  I am real stickler for an even and solid image and this technique is the best way I have found to achieve that.

It is a good idea to clean your stamps well the first time you use them.  My favorite is a strong cleaner like Stewart Superior Ultra Clean and a dry white terry cloth.  This will help to remove any residue left over from the manufacturing process or lint/dirt that may have transfered to the stamp during shipping.

RUBBER STAMPS

First the swirl.  Rub the ink in a circular motion with medium pressure over the entire surface.

Next, the "tap".  Now tap the entire surface, pressing the ink to the stamp.  By pressing the ink to the stamp you have much better control because you can feel the resistance against your other hand.  If the stamp is on the table, you really don't know how much pressure you are exerting.

The tapping motion brings the ink up to a "bead" - it ensures that there is enough ink applied evenly over the stamp.  With this detailed rubber stamp called Leopard and Beauty, I used Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate Ink.  This is my all time favorite ink for detailed rubber images - it is SO crisp!  This color is such a rich brown, without too much red.  Another ink I really like for detail rubber images is Adirondack Pitch Black Pigment Ink.

Here is the image stamped.  One note on the actual stamping - I use finger tip pressure to ensure that I don't press to hard which can cause you to lose detail in the image.  It also helps to stamp on a foam mat of some kind, like a mouse pad.

Next let's discuss silhouette images or images that have large areas of solid rubber.  This Zebra Pair is a great example.  It would be very obvious if the ink did not give an even, solid impression for this image.  For this type of stamp on card stock, my all time favorite ink is Jet Black Archival by Ranger.  This is my go to ink.  It works for me, for the most number of techniques.  The biggest exception is that it is not compatible with alcohol based markers like Copic.  Of course, I used my "swirl and tap" method again.

I encourage you to click on the stamped image to see just how bold and full the coverage is.

I went on to create an ATC (Artist Trading Card) with this image by creating a mask using Judikins Eclipse Paper and airbrushing various colors of Copic Markers and Spica Glitter Pens to create an African sunset.  The Copics I used are: YR24 Pale Sepia, E39 Leather, and V15 Mallow.  The Spicas I used include Lemon, Orange and Clear.  That perfect little sentiment is from a stamp set called Beacon of Hope.

CLEAR STAMPS

I am pleased to share that Ellen only carries the highest quality clear photo polymer stamps.  Why is that important?  If you have ever bought clear stamps I would be willing to bet that you can tell that there are variations in how they stamp and how they stick to the block.  The highest quality clear stamps accept more types of ink and make a good impression.  With clear stamps, like rubber, it is a good idea to clean them first and think about the surface you are stamping on as I have described above.

For this detailed dragonfly from the Antique Engraving Set by Hero Arts, I again used Adirondack Pitch Black Pigment Ink and stamped onto a white inchie.  For most pigment ink, a quick heat set is a good idea.

I then stamped the image again on paper from the 6x6 Frond Collection Paper Pack by Memory Box, fussy cut out the wings and adhered them with a very thin but super sticky strip of double sided tape.  The "come fly away" sentiment (Botanical Bliss set) is stamped in Eggplant Adirondack Pigment Ink.  The finishing touches include Glossy Accents applied to the body and the entire inchie edged with the Silver Krylon Leafing Pen.

 
Next up is line art clear stamps.  You have several choices for these images including Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger), Graphite Black Brilliance Ink (Tsukineko) and Pitch Black Adirondack Pigment Ink.  There are others of course, but these are my favorite.  I stamped the little owl image from the Say Hello Stamp set by Hero Arts.

I wanted to stamp a single word from the Sassy Petites stamp set  and didn't want to cut this set up so I simply masked off the area around the word "sparkly".

Remove the masking paper to reveal the one inked word.

Use the masking paper again to create a "handle" for the back of your inchie and press the inchie to the stamp.

Here is my finished "Sparkly Owl" inchie.  I used the 6x6 Spearmint Memory Box Paper Pack, added Diamond Stickles and Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls to the wing and highlighted the rest of the owl with the Clear Spica Glitter Pen and embellished with two small pearls.

 

Thanks so much for joining us today @ the CLASSroom!

Lisa