14

Interactive Owl Card

Posted by Kelly Nicole
December 30, 2008

I’m so happy! I hung out with my upline this weekend (the demonstrator that I signed up under) and she generously gifted me with two sets of brand new stamps. One was an adorable set of owl themed images called Owl Together Now. Apparently, owls are quite the trend lately. I happily mounted and played with the stamps over the weekend and came up with a cute interactive card idea to share.

This card is a bit more complicated than my usual cards and it includes moving parts, so I prepared a video tutorial for you to watch.  As you can see in the two pictures below, the owl on the right slides back and forth, into the arms of the owl on the left. Cute, no? :-)

Card Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): Owl Together Now stamp set, cardstock and ink in baja breeze, chocolate chip, riding hood red, and whisper white, ribbon in chocolate chip, Haiku designer paper, water color pencies, aqua painter pen, stampin’ dimensionals, sewing machine & white thread.

In the video, I explain how to make the slider portion of the card. You can use this idea for all kinds of cards, like a moving animal on a baby card, a snowflake falling to the ground, etc. Interactive cards are an easy way to impress a recipient. :-) Enjoy!


Music: Linus & Lucy, from A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack - Vince Guaraldi

2

Get Started Stamping - Part 3: All About Stamps

Posted by Kelly Nicole
October 31, 2008

For the third installment of Get Started Stamping, I will discuss the different types of stamps on the market. This will be old information for most, but I thought it would be nice to start from the beginning for newbies wanting to dive into the stamping world.

We’re all familiar with red rubber stamps, but did you know that stamps come in photopolymer and foam also? Here, I will discuss the pros and cons of the different types of available stamps.

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Rubber Stamps


Image © 2008 Stampin’ Up!

Rubber stamps are the tried and true classic stamps that everyone knows. These stamps are typically mounted with a layer of foam on a wooden block and an image of the stamp affixed to the top. Rubber stamps ink up very well and they produce an even, defined images, even when the artwork is intricate. The main downside of using rubber stamps is the difficult positioning; since the stamps are not clear, they are harder to stamp in exact locations. If precise placement is required, a stamp positioner (like a Stamp-a-ma-jig) must be used.

Rubber stamps are also available unmounted, where the rubber comes in a sheet that is not stuck to foam or a wooden block. Unmounted stamps can be easily attached to blocks using mounting foam. However, some crafters prefer to leave the stamps unmounted because they take up less storage space. Unmounted rubber stamps can be temporarily adhered on acrylic blocks using a vinyl cling sheet, like EZ Mount. When they are not used, they can be removed from the blocks and stored in thin containers, like CD jewel cases.


Image © 2008 Stampin’ Up!

Stampin’ Up stamps come on unmounted rubber with a layer of foam and adhesive. Wood blocks and image stickers are provided for easy, permanent assembly (more on assembly in a later post).

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Photopolymer Stamps


Image from StewartSuperior.com

Commonly known as acrylic stamps, photopolymer stamps are completely clear and come unmounted, typically on an acetate sheet. When the stamps are used, they temporarily adhere to acrylic blocks in the same way that a vinyl decal would stick to a car window.

The two main advantages of clear stamps are the minimal storage space they require and the ability to see exactly where the image is being stamped without the use of a placement tool. Clear stamps are also typically less expensive than rubber stamps because they require less materials to manufacture. When permanent inks (like StazOn) are used on clear stamps, they stain the stamp and do not wash off completely. However, this does not affect the the stamp’s performance.

The downside of photopolymer stamps is the image quality; ink tends to pool on the stamps and therefore, the stamps do not print clearly (think water droplets pooling on a plastic surface). Some ink types supposedly minimize the pooling effect (for example solvent or hybrid ink). However, for intricate images, photopolymer stamps will not show the same amount of detail as a rubber stamp.

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Foam Stamps


Image from scraphappy.net.au

Foam stamps are very inexpensive and can even be made at home. They are often found in the décor aisle of craft stores, like Michaels, and they work well with acrylic paint. There are a plethora of home décor projects available online utilizing foam stamps and paint. The downside of foam stamps is that they often lack detail, since foam is not a good medium for creating intricate designs. They also lack the longevity of rubber or photopolymer stamps because the material is not as durable.

So, naturally the next question would be: which stamps should I buy? The answer depends on a variety of factors. Is it important for you to easily see where the stamp is being placed? What type of ink do you like using? What is your budget and project?

I own mostly rubber stamps because I have a decent amount of storage space (they take up a lot of room when you have a large collection) and the image quality of the stamps is most important to me. I don’t mind using a Stamp-a-ma-jig when it comes to image placement.

I’ve found that photopolymer stamps are a hit or miss when it comes to pooling ink issues. The higher quality clear stamps pool less. The cheaper quality ones have ripped on me while trying to remove them from the acetate sheets they’re stored on. I still love and purchase clear stamps, but I tend to choose the designs with more lines and less flat surface areas to minimize blotchy images. When I stamp with alphabets, I prefer using clear stamps so I can see where I’m placing my letters.

I also own a handful of large foam stamps that I use with acrylic paint, mostly for scrapbooking.

I hope this was helpful! :-) Have a great Halloween weekend!

12

Get Started Stamping - Part 2: Ink Talk

Posted by Kelly Nicole
October 29, 2008

So, now that you know what you need to start stamping, lets talk ink!

Rubber stamping is a rapidly growing craft. There are numerous types of ink on the market that have been developed specifically for stamping. I will touch on a most of the major ones in this blog post. My explanations will not be all inclusive, since I’m only writing about the inks that I have experience with. However, I will cover the major categories, including the ink types you would normally see at Michaels or Joann’s.

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Dye Inks

Dye inks are water-based, fast drying, and economical. Dye inks are meant to be used on porous surfaces, like paper. They dry instantly once stamped on paper and they do not smudge or smear. Since they are dye-based, the pastel dye colors can appear lighter than pastel colors of pigment inks. Dye inks should not be used with any coloring techniques that involve liquid (e.g. watercoloring). The inks are water soluble and will run if mixed with water. Dye inks also wash off rubber stamps very easily with a damp paper towel or wet stamp scrub.

Common brands of dye inks include Stampin’ Up Classic Ink, Ranger Adirondack, and Impress inks. Colorbox Fluid Chalk is a new type of dye ink that has a chalky, muted finish and resists fading better than regular dye inks.

Techniques that can be applied with dye inks:

Techniques that cannot be applied with dye inks:

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Pigment Inks

Pigment inks are usually glycerin or resin based. They are thicker, richer in color, and they take long time to dry completely. Pigment inks are also known to be fade resistant, so they are preferable for projects that demand longevity (e.g. scrapbooking). While dye inks are absorbed into paper, pigment inks are not. They sit on the paper, thus requiring a longer drying time. Because pigment inks stay wet for longer, they should be embossed if stamped on coated paper, like vellum. If quick drying time is needed, pigment inks can be heat set with an embossing gun or hair dryer. Pearl and metallic inks are typically pigment inks. The inks are harder to clean from stamps, so a good stamp cleaner and scrubber should be used.

Common brands of pigment inks include: Stampin’ Up Craft Ink, Colorbox, Brilliance, Encore, and VersaColor. Some companies have designed  pigment inks  that dry quickly, like VersaFine by Tsukineko.

Techniques that can be applied with long drying pigment inks:

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Solvent Inks

Solvent inks are permanent inks that design for stamping on both porous and non porous surfaces. With solvent ink, almost anything is possible, including decorating glass, plastic, and metal. The projects are endless! Although solvent ink is not recommended for fabric, I regularly use my ink pads to stamp on ribbon and cloth without an issue. However, I don’t know how the images would hold up in the wash.

Solvent inks do not clean off stamps easily. Special solvent cleaner can be purchased and will effectively remove the color from the stamps.

The most common brand of solvent ink is Stazon (by Tsukineko).

Techniques that can be applied with long drying pigment inks:

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Hybrid Inks

Hybrid inks are a new class of inks that are a blend of both pigment and dye. They can be stamped on a variety of surfaces, including paper, wood, and fabric. They set quickly (more quickly than regular pigment inks) and they are easily removed from of stamps with a little cleaner. In my experience, hybrid inks also work a bit better with clear stamps and do not pool as much as dye inks. I’ve found that the downside with hybrid inks is that that images often lack crispness and sometimes appear blotchy in color. However, the versatility of hybrid inks makes up for the lack of definition.

The most common (and only?) brand of hybrid ink is Palette ink (sold by Papertrey Ink).

Techniques that can be applied with hybrid inks:

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VersaMark Ink

VersaMark ink is a watermark/resist ink, that’s not really an ink at all. It’s completely clear, but when stamped onto colored card stock (uncoated paper only), it will leave a slightly darker watermark image. VersaMark can be used with a variety of techniques, including coloring with pastels, embossing, and resisting. Versamark is a definite must-have in every stamper’s collection.

Techniques that can be applied with VersaMark ink:

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What is the Best Ink Type?

So, naturally, the next question is: what inks should you buy? The answer is: it all depends what kind of stamping you want to do. Below, I will share with you what is in my collection, and why.

90% of my ink collection is comprised of dye inks. I use these more frequently than any other ink because I work mostly with paper crafts. I like inks that dry fast without smudging so that I can make my cards quickly. With dye inks, the cleanup is quick easy and they are less expensive than pigment inks. I own over 60 Stampin’ Up dye ink pads in my collection! The only drawback is that I find that dye inks do not work well with clear, photopolymer stamps. The ink pools and the images stamp unevenly. However, clear stamps often have this problem with many types of inks, so I always prefer using red rubber stamps.

I own a handful pigment pads in lighter shades (like pastels and whites) and metallic colors. The lighter shades are richer and deeper than dyes. The main reason I don’t use regularly use pigment inks is that they take a long time to completely dry (sometimes hours). I’ve ruined numerous cards with pigment ink because I’ve smudged them before they dried. Although pigment inks can be heat set, I’m too lazy to do this extra step.

I also have three pads of Stazon solvent ink pads that I use to decorate plastics, like containers and transparency sheets. I also use Stazon when I watercolor an image because the ink is permanent and will not bleed (see my watercolor video from two days ago).

I own a handful of hybrid ink pads that I use once in a while. These pads are great for making fabric gifts, like stamped aprons, totes, or potholders. I don’t typically like using hybrid ink to stamp on paper because I find that hybrid ink is a little blotchy and I like my images to be crisp and even.

If you want to test out different types of inks, some brands make their inks available in small cube samples (e.g. SU Stampin’ Spots to the left). For my ink collection, I purchase all my everyday dye stamp pads in regular large sizes and stock up on the small cubes sizes for my craft and metallic inks, since I don’t use them as regularly.

Well, I hope my lengthy explanations were helpful! If you have any questions, leave them below and I will answer them as soon as I can. (I can’t access my blog at work, boo!)

31

You Take The Cake - My First Video!

Posted by Kelly Nicole
October 20, 2008

Today is Hubs and my one year anniversary!

It has been a wonderful, fulfilling year. It has not always been easy, but it has definitely been the best year of my life, thus far. Happy anniversary, Hunnie! I love you! Here’s to many more years of joy. :-)

Today, I have a video for you! I realize that I have many blog readers who are new to the whole card making/stamping scene, yet are interested in getting started.  So, Hubs thought it would be a good idea to film me making a card to share a real example–and not just photos–with everyone. On Saturday, Hubs filmed and edited this short clip. Hooray for Hubs!

The video clip took a bit of time and work to put together, so let me know if this is something you would be interested in seeing more often. If so, I’ll continue to make them periodically. :-)

Song: I Feel it All - Feist
Watch the video in high quality here.

Here are a few more pictures of the card from the video. :-)

Supplies: SU stamp set Party Hearty (111532), SU card stock and ink in pretty in pink and close to cocoa, SU circle punches (1 1/4 inch and 1 3/8 inch), SU scalloped circle punch, American Crafts white ribbon, SU designer paper, SU brown flower from Flower Fusion II set, pink paper flower from Making Memories, SU stampin’ dimensionals

6

Card Logic

Posted by Kelly Nicole
August 27, 2008

I’m very lucky to have a husband who actually enjoys the fact that I’m crafty (and I don’t mean sly). I’m sure it’s only because he has never totaled up the receipts for my rubber stamping supplies. Shhh, don’t tell him that I craftily hide the receipts in a box labeled “maxi pads” so that he stays far, far away. :-) Well, at least he’ll never have to buy a birthday card ever again.

Speaking of birthday cards, I’ll show you one that I made over the weekend. Hubs liked the card and asked me how I came up with the card layout. I don’t really know, actually. I usually start off with an idea of what I want to make, and then I just work things out as I go along. I’ll try to illustrate the process.

The first thing I do is gather up all the supplies I want to use. I may not end up using all of them, but it helps to have everything out and ready to grab. The stamp set is picked first; then, I decide on my color palette. I chose a shade of baby blue and light yellow for this card.

Shown: Stamps - SU Birthday Whimsy and SU Polka Dot (didn’t use), Ink and Cardstock- PTI Lemon Tart and Aqua Mist, Die - Cuttlebug, Rhinestones - Jewelry Essentials
Not Shown: Ribbon - PTI Lemon Tart and Aqua Mist, Patterned Paper - PTI Everyday Blessings, Dies - Nestabilities rectangles and scalloped rectangles

After I pick my products, I do is cut a blank piece of cardstock in half and score it so that it folds nicely. The scoring is key. It really helps the cards have a finished quality. I use a Fiskar’s paper trimmer with a scoring blade. You can get this at Michael’s for a good price if you use a 40% off coupon.

Then, I ink my main image and stamp.

I like using dies to cut my images out. The one shown is the Nestabilities rectangle die. I love Nestabilities because they come in all shapes and sizes, so there is bound to be one that fits your stamped image. I use a tiny piece of tape so that the die stays in place while running it through my Cuttlebug.

What you see above is actually the second time I’m running the stamped image through the Cuttlebug. The first time cuts the image out. The second time, I use a tan embossing mat to emboss a frame around the image.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s finally finished and run through the machine twice. See the neat embossed frame? That’s what the embossing mat does.

Sometimes an image needs more pop. This is easily fixed by matting it. Here, I took two more dies of slightly larger sizes and ran them through the Bug with colored paper. Then, I just layer them on each other to make a nice, framed image.

Cards usually look better when there are multiple textures and patterns. These give the eye something to explore. Ribbon is an easy way to add some texture.

Above, I’m using my new Fiskars border punch to create a scalloped edge. This was for no logical reason at all, but merely because I wanted to play with it. Stamping isn’t always logical. :-)

The punch makes a pretty lace border decorated with holes. My card already had a lot going on, so I decided that I wanted to hide the holes and only use the very top of the scalloped edge.

Here’s what it looks like from the front. The paper is the same color as the ink and the blue ribbon, so it coordinates, yet the pattern adds interest to the card. I used the yellow twill to hide the harsh line where the two papers meet.

Now, I’m making my final embellishments using Cuttlebug flower dies.

Here’s what they look like after they come out of the machine.

And finally, here’s the finished card. :-) I hope you enjoyed the thought process behind it!

0

Cuttlebug & Nestabilities are Like Peas & Carrots

Posted by Kelly Nicole
August 4, 2008

Embossed cards are some of my favorite to make. They’re quick, simple, and it doesn’t take much to make ‘em look pretty. I like to call them my ten minute cards. You might be able to buy some blank embossed cards at a craft store, but if you have the right supplies, you can easily whip up your own.

You’ll need a set of Nestabilities large rectangle dies and a die cutting machine. I own a Cuttlebug, but any machine that is compatible with the Nestabilities dies will work.

Once you have the supplies, you can make really easy gift sets that your friends and family will love. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make your own embossed cards:

Supplies:

1. Take your half sheet of white cardstock and score it in half.

2. Take the Nestabilities rectangle die and center it on one half of your scored cardstock.

3. Stick a one inch piece of Scotch tape and on your jeans about 3 or 4 times so that it’s only slightly sticky. Now, use the tape to hold the die in place on the cardstock.

4. Basically, the Cuttlebug machine works using a sandwich method. It’s a little tedious, but it allows the Cuttlebug to be compatible with dies from many different brands. The next step is to set up the sandwich so that you can churn it through the bug. Here is the sandwich “recipe” for Nestabilities dies, starting from the bottom layer:

I know it sounds complicated, but I promise it’s not so bad after you do it once. :-)

5. Crank the sandwich through the machine. Don’t worry if you hear your B plate cracking. It’s totally normal.

6. Voila, an embossed card!

7. Stamp a quick sentiment and a flower and you’ve got yourself a ten minute card. :-)

Supplies used: Nestabilities rectangle die, SU stamps, PTI ink