Constantly Stamping

AWW - Embossed Resist Taken a Step Further

Welcome back to the Artisan Wednesday WOW Blog Hop. I just spent the past several days in Salt Lake City at the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention. I had a great time and got to spend some time with several of the 2013 Artisan Design Team sisters. One evening at convention we all went to dinner and swapped cards. This is the card I made for my Artisan teammates. It is really difficult to tell from the photos, but the background of this card is the star of the show.

Now, don't get overwhelmed with how it was created. It is simply the emboss resist technique taken a step further. I started by stamping the wood grain image on a piece of Kraft cardstock with VersaMark ink and heat embossing it with clear embossing powder. Next I used a Cherry Cobbler ink pad and saturated the entire card front with ink. Then I wiped the embossed areas clean with a paper towel. (This entire process is a little messy, so be sure to wear gloves.) I placed the card front in between two pieces of copier paper and ironed it. The embossing powder is lifted off the card and absorbs into the copier paper. You will probably have to repete the process at least once using clean copier paper each time. The end result is AMAZING. I learned this technique from the very talented Jennifer McGuire as part of the Online Card Classes Pattern Play class and couldn't wait to give it a try.

Now here is the tricky part. You really need to give the card base time to dry completely before moving on to the next step. I made several of these cards at the same time, so I spread them all out and let them dry overnight. I made sure to use an Embossing Buddy over the entire card front, then I stamped the greeting with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.

Then it is just a matter of stamping and die cutting the flowers. I used the Flower Patch photopolymer stamp set and coordinating Flower Fair framelits die set along with my Big Shot Machine to die cut the flowers. I stitched the button onto the top flower with linen thread before adding it to the larger bottom flower with dimensional adhesive. The card needed a little balance, so I added a small heart to the upper right corner.

On a different note, I want to say congratulations to three of our outgoing design team membersroCindy Schuster, Becky Cowley and Mercedes Weber will all be a part of the 2014 Artisan Design Team that was announced this past week at convention. I love these wonderful young ladies and I look forward to seeing their incredible talent over the next year.

That's all for today folks. I will be back soon with news and inspiration from our annual convention. Now head on over to see what my very talented friend, Erica Cerwin, and the rest of the design team have in store for you this week.

AWW - Patriotic Celebration Banner

Welcome back to the Artisan Wednesday WOW Blog Hop. This is our final month to create as the 2013 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team. A new design team will be announced at Awards Night at Convention in just a few weeks. It has been an incredible year...one that I will cherish forever. I love my ADT sisters and I am confident that we will always be great friends. Some of the current team will be going on to serve on next year's team but I am not one of them. Although I am sad that this incredible year is coming to an end, I am excited to see what God has planned for me. I am looking forward to my son's senior year of high school. We will be wrapping up our homeschooling experience and making plans for his future...so I will have plenty to keep me busy.

Enough of this sentimental stuff, let's move on to today's project...

We are definitely what you would call a patriotic family. With my husband, his brother, and his sister-in-law all serving in the military you might say that our blood runs red, white, and blue. The first time I saw the Celebration Basic Banner Kit I knew immediately that I needed to create a patriotic version. So let's get started and I will show you how to customize your very own banner.

The kit comes with white letters to spell out the words "celebrate" so you can leave them white, or you can add some bling. It would be easy to just add glitter to the letters, but I opted to trace and cut them from some of the new Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper. If you do this, be sure to place the letters face down on the back side of the glimmer paper and trace them with a pencil. Then just cut them out with scissors or an exacto knife.

For each completed star you will need to die cut two stars from cardstock using the new Stars Framelits and the Big Shot Machine. I used the largest star in the set. I wanted to dress them up a little, so I decided to give them the illusion of depth without actually making them pop up. One of the two stars needs to be darker than the other. This was easy to achieve with the red stars...I just used Cherry Cobbler cardstock to create the shadow and Real Red for the lighter areas. Making the blue stars was a little more of a challenge. I have Night of Navy cardstock for the lighter pieces, but the Midnight Muse recently retired...so I had to improvise. I pulled out my handy dandy brayer to layer on Night of Navy ink. (Note: My brayer is stained black from several years of use.)

Next, turn over the lighter star and label each section lightly with a pencil. This will be EXTREMELY helpful when you add the pieces to the darker star base. It also helps to draw a line from each tip to the opposite indention. Do this for all five section. Now you are ready to cut it apart. You will use the "A" pieces to make the lighter portion of the stars. (Save the "B" pieces and you can use those by flipping them over. If you do this, be sure to erase the pencil marks.)

Now you are ready to assemble your star. Apply the "A" piece to the right side of each point using Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue. This will give you a few seconds to make adjustments. It is also great because you can use an adhesive eraser to remove any stray glue after it dries completely.

Now you are ready to assemble each section of your banner. I wanted my banner to have a slightly vintage feel, so I inked the edges of the stars and pennant pieces with Early Espresso ink. I also used Crumb Cake ink to ink the letters. Attach a star to the center of a pennant with Dimensionals. Use mini glue dots to attach the letter to the center of the star. Punch small stars to scatter on the background and attach those with mini glue dots.  When you finish, you should have something that looks like this. This star is red, but you get the idea!

Next, use the twine that comes in the kit to string together the pennants. I didn't have any navy ribbon, so I used some fabric from the "homespun" section of the fabric store and cut it into 1"x22" strips. Tie a bow between each pennant and trim off any stray strings.

Finally, find the perfect spot to hang your banner for all to enjoy. I am displaying my banner on the fireplace mantel this Independence Day, but it is great to have around all summer long.Now head on over to see what my very talented friend, Erica Cerwin, and the rest of the design team has for you this week.

 

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Solid Image Tracing Technique

 

Welcome to our weekly Artisan Design Team Blog Hop.  This week we are showcasing our projects that appeared on the Stampin' Up! Facebook page this past Friday. For my project I created a card using a somewhat different technique. At first glance you might wonder "what stamp is that?" I stamped the Hey There Buds stamp with Blushing Bride ink, traced it with a Project Life Journaling Pen, and then colored the image with Blendabilities markers. This is a great way to give your solid image stamps an entirely different look.

 

Stamp image with a light colored ink. I used Blushing Bride here.

Trace image with Project Life by Stampin' Up! journaling pen.

Color image with Blendabilities markers.

After I colored the flowers I used a sponge dauber and some Bermuda Bay ink to color the background. Next I sponged some Early Espresso ink around the edges and then heavily distressed the edges. I mounted everything on Basic Black cardstock and then on Gold Foil cardstock. It is really difficult to see in this photo, but the gold foil really gives this card an elegant feel.

For the greeting I stamped the "for you" from the Hello There stamp set with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.

That's all for today. Now head over to see the awesome projects Erica Cerwin and the rest of the team have made this week.

Stamps
133919 (wood-mount) or 133922 (clear-mount): Hello There Stamp Set
134357 (wood-mount only): Hey There Buds Stamp Set

Ink
131171: Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin’ Pad
131172: Blushing Bride Classic Stampin’ Pad
126974: Early Espresso Classic Stampin’ Pad
102283: VersaMark Pad
130995: Cherry Cobbler Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers
130998: Daffodil Delight Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers
130999: Old Olive Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers
130997: Pumpkin Pie Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers
135304: Project Life Journaling Pens

Paper
121045: Basic Black Cardstock
102482: Real Red Cardstock
100730: Whisper White Cardstock
132622: Gold Foil Sheets

Accessories & Tools
109129: Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder
104199: Linen Thread
130029: Regals Designer Buttons
129053: Heat Tool
113439: Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine
127751: Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
103083: Embossing Buddy
133773: Sponge Daubers
101610: Stamping Sponges

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Hey There Buds Kraft Gift Box

  Welcome to our weekly Artisan Design Team Blog Hop.  We are creating projects this week with stamps and embellishments from the new annual catalog. Yes, you guessed it...another round of "flower fest". LOL! In case you are wondering what I am referring to, go back and check out last week's post. I did hear from quite a few of you and it seems like most of you don't mind that I like flowers...so thank you very much for your kind comments. Besides, I don't think of "Hey There Buds" so much as a flower stamp...it is almost like a woodcut design to me.

One of the color combos I really like is just black on kraft. I think it looks very elegant without being too fussy. So I decided to use Hey There Buds and stamp on some of our Kraft Gift Boxes. The trick to stamping on boxes is to carefully take them apart and lay them out flat. I stamped with Memento Black ink, but just about any black ink will work for this project.

Don't expect a totally clean image when you do this. There will be gaps where the folds are, but that is okay...you can camouflage that later by sponging Early Espresso ink along all the edges of the box. The image itself will be "speckled" too, but I think that adds to the rustic feel of the box. Also, I felt like I needed to fill in the spaces a little between the images, so I used an eraser from the end of an ordinary pencil and stamped some polka dots.

All that is left is to use a strong adhesive like sticky strip to reassemble the box, distress the edges with some sponging and then wrap it several times with some linen thread. The sentiment is actually part of the stamp, but I cut it off and remounted on a spare wood block so that I could use it separately. I created a tag with one of the dies from the Hearts A Flutter Framelits. I wanted it to match perfectly, so I sacrificed the inside flap from another box.

That's all for today. Now head over to see the awesome projects Erica Cerwin and the rest of the team have made this week.

 

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Hello Darling Times Two

Welcome to our weekly Artisan Design Team Blog Hop.  We are creating projects this week with stamps and embellishments from the new annual catalog. I have a confession to make...I received a little note from a dear friend asking me to lay off the flowers for a while. OUCH! Seriously, me avoid flower stamps? You have to be joking! Flowers are what I do best and to give them up? Well, as much as I adore this particular friend, I just couldn't bring myself to grant her humble request. Besides, I try to work in advance and quite honestly, I already have the next few Artisan projects made and photographed...and guess what? Flowers! Therefore, I am so sorry, my dearest friend (you know who you are), you are just going to have to somehow endure my flower cards for at least two more weeks. To add insult to injury, I actually have two flower cards for you today...so, let the flower fest continue... For my first card I used the Hello Darling stamp set to stamp flowers on Daffodil Delight polka dot designer series paper (from the Brights stack). I stamped with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. I trimmed it down to 3.5"x4.75" and mounted it on a slightly larger piece of Old Olive cardstock. Next, I stamped the greeting from the same set with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Whisper White cardstock and colored the leaves and flowers with Blendabilities markers (Daffodil Delight and Old Olive assortments). I attached the greeting onto the card front and then wrapped everything with some of the new Crushed Curry Baker's Twine.

I always get questions about how I make my twine bows so pretty...the secret is that I use heavy spray starch on the baker's twine and iron it before I make my bows. It gives the bow a lot of stability without being too stiff.

Another thing you might notice on this card is that I used a Daffodil Delight button...but wait...SU doesn't have buttons in that particular color. Well, with the new Blendabilities markers you can color embellishments to match your projects. Here I colored a So Saffron Button with the medium Daffodil Delight Blendabilities marker. Because Blendabilities are alcohol-based, they color beautifully and don't rub off after they are dry. The leaves were white quilting pins that I picked up from the fabric store.  I colored those with the light Old Olive Blendabilities marker.

Finally, I attached everything to a card base made with Whisper White cardstock that was dry embossed with a quick pass through the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots textured impressions embossing folder.

For my second project I used the same stamp set, but I focused primarily on the greeting. I started by cutting a Basic Black card base with the Squares Collection Framelits. Next, I cut a slightly smaller piece of Real Red DSP (Brights Collection) and hand stitched around the edges to give the card a homespun feel. (I don't always hand-stitch my cards, but getting to my sewing machine was a little inconvenient at the time.)

Then I slipped a paper doily over the top edge and wrapped it with some of the new Basic Black Baker's Twine. Notice that I used a Real Red button. This is actually a pink button colored with the medium Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities marker. Love it!!!

For this card I also stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with coordinating Blendabilities markers.

I guess that is enough flowers for one day, so now it is time to head over to see the awesome projects Erica Cerwin and the rest of the team have made this week.

 

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Project Life® by Stampin' Up!®

Welcome to another week of the Artisan Wednesday WOW Blog Hop by the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team. In our May box we had a lot of delicious goodness from the upcoming annual catalog. One of the main things we received in our box was the new Project Life® system by Stampin' Up!®. They have been working closely with Becky Higgins, the creator of Project Life®, to design our very own line of products.

I think it is safe to say that most of you don't visit my blog because you think I have mad scrapbooking skills. Truth is, I would rather do just about anything than scrapbook. So when we were asked to create a project with the new Project Life® by Stampin' Up!® I was a little hesitant. However, it turned out to be fun. The entire system is designed to simplify scrapbooking. There are pockets designed specifically to hold your 4"x6" photos so all you have to do is slide them into the pockets of the page protectors. Most people chronicle a week of their lives at a time (photo diary). Since I don't have any little ones running around and I am definitely not a domestic goddess, I decided instead to be "event" oriented.

I did a little research on Project Life® before I began and I noticed that many of the layouts that you see posted on-line are not simple at all. It seems that people just go nuts and spend lots of time creating very artistic pocket inserts. I tend to think that takes away from the concept of making scrapbooking quick and easy. That is why I decided to stick mainly with the contents of the kit for my first page. Seriously, the only thing extra on this layout is the linen thread on the top left pocket and the digital stamp on the top center photo. (I added that in My Digital Studio before printing.)

It took some time to get used to the idea of keeping it simple. I had to keep telling myself it was OK not to spend hours and hours on one scrapbook page.  You can use the kit straight out of the box like I did here or customize it to fit your own needs...it is really up you you!

There are also framelit dies in the new catalog (beginning June 1, 2014) that make creating your own custom pocket cards super simple. You can stamp your own design or cut your favorite designer series paper to fit inside the pockets. Of course, the obvious thing that I like to do is stamp. The good news is that there are three new photopolymer stamp sets in the upcoming annual catalog that are designed specifically to coordinate with Project Life® by Stampin' Up!®. I love the idea that I can create my own card designs in the colors that I choose. Just for fun, I sat down and made a few inserts that can be used on future pages. I was very impressed with the quality of the stamped images.

That is all I have for you today. Be sure to hop on over to see what Erica Cerwin and the rest of the design team have created with the new Project Life® by Stampin' Up!®

Want to learn more about the new Project Life® by Stampin' Up!®? Here is a great blog post by Arika at the home office.

 

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Party Poppers/Candy Wrapper Boxes

It's that time again...yep...time for another Artisan Wednesday WOW blog hop. Just in case you are joining us for the first time, let me explain. Each week the ten members of the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team post projects that are created primarily from a box of goodies we receive monthly from Stampin 'Up! Our blog hop makes a complete circle. At the end of every post there is a "next" button that will take you to the next blog until you end up back where you started. If you are hopping, then you should have arrived here from Cindy Schuster's blog. And don't forget to check back during the week because we are also sharing our Leadership Display projects too.

The projects we are sharing today are the ones that were featured on the Stampin' Up! Facebook page this past Friday. When we share our projects on Facebook, we don't always get to explain how we made something, so this is your chance to find out more. For my project I made these fun party poppers made with Kaleidoscope DSP and the Envelope Punch Board. You might recall a similar project from a few months ago. I probably need to point out that the pink crepe paper streamers were closer in color to Melon Mambo, instead of the Strawberry Slush color that is part of the DSP, so I substituted one sheet of Melon Mambo DSP for one of the poppers.

I haven't made a video in a while because of camera difficulties, but my husband purchased me a new video camera and I thought I would try it out.  One thing about my videos...they are really more like classes than quickie videos. So be prepared to spend some time learning how and why I do things. You might even want to finish the blog hop first and then come back when you have time to invest about 20-25 minutes. I see a big trend in video tutorials where they try to give you the details in just a minute or two, but that really isn't my style and it isn't helpful to new stampers and paper crafters.  I have done my best to keep the project moving, but if you already know how to do some things, the skip over the parts you already understand. This project has a lot of steps, so I broke it down into to separate tutorials. The first video is how to make the box. The second video deals with the embellishment on the front and ties the entire project together.

I hope you have enjoyed today's project. Now be sure to hop on over to see what Erica Cerwin and the rest of the design team have created.

Artisan Wednesday WOW - Wedding Favor

It is time again for our Artisan Wednesday WOW Blog Hop. It is such a joy to work with these talented ladies. I look forward to seeing the amazing projects they create each and every week. If you are following the hop, then you should have just arrived here from Cindy Schuster's blog. Today's project is another treat box similar to the one I made here.

I was asked by a close friend to make some favors for her daughter's wedding. She is very fashion forward so I wanted to make something that was femine, yet trendy. I created the box with some Pool Party Chevron DSP from the Subtles Collection (#130135). They are the perfect size for some jewelry, a gift card, or some of those Ghirardelli chocolate squares. These would make adorable baby shower favors too. Actually, I think these would be perfect for any occassion where you wanted to do something a little extra special.

Here is a closer look at the tag. I stamped the "thank you" from Starburst Sayings (#133185) with VersaMark ink on Whisper White cardstock and then heat embossed it with Pool Party embossing powder (#129398). Then I die cut it with the coordinating Starburst Framelits Die (#132967) and mounted it on some silver glimmer paper that I punched with the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle punch. I also stamped and embossed the banner from Perfect Pennants (#133230). Here's a little tip...the banner wasn't quite the right length, so I cut it into two pieces, adjusted the lenght, and then covered it with the tag.

I cut an additional banner from So Saffron cardstock and attached the banner pieces to the box. I saved the twine and the tag until the very last thing. After the boxes are filled and ready to go, then you can wrap some baker's twine around several times and add the tag to the box with dimensionals. This was my prototype, so when I make these in bulk I think I will use some of the adorable silver & white baker's twine (#132976) from the Spring Mini Catalog...after all...a girl can never have too much bling!

That's all for today, but don't forget to check back often because over the next several weeks we are also sharing the projects that we created for the Stampin' Up! Leadership Convention which was held a few weeks ago. But for now, be sure to head on over to see what fun projects Erica Cerwin and the rest of the Artisan Design Team have in store for you!  Don't miss a single project...