Wednesday 101- The Basics

Here's a quick technique that adds a little extra touch to your paper crafts..

It's Faux stitching and you can either use a paper piercer free hand or you can use a template like I did. I used the Updated Basics template pack for these samples.

First I cut a piece of Pretty Petals Designer Series paper into a 2 inch by 6 inch strip. Actually, the paper is already 6 inches so I just cut a 2 inch strip of it. Then I used the Scallop Tag Topper punch to punch one end.

I used the Stampin' Up! pierce mat and paper piercing tool along with the piercing template. I lined up the sentiment down the center of the tag and pierced the holes.

I used a 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 piece of Color Me Irresistible Designer series paper to accent the tag. I sponged it with Real Red ink and then used a tissue to polish the color off the white embossed lines.

Use a White pen to simulate stitching. Here I used Stampin' Up!s white chalk marker.
I cut the green tag down to 4 3/4" and layered it over the Color Me Irresistible DSP. Then I used some fun Christmas ribbon to embellish the tag and finish it off.

Here's a little card I made with the Faux Stitching technique. I used it to accent the piece, both in the center and around the outside edges.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have fun trying this technique on your cards and scrapbook pages.

Have a Blessed day,
Trude

Wednesday 101- Stamping Basics

Faux Finish- Antique cracked glass

This is a fun way to add age to your project.

For this project I used a two-step stamp from a retired Stampin' Up! set. First I stamped the background stamp with Delightful Dijon In-Color ink. I inked up the stamp, stamped it on a piece of scratch paper and then stamped it on my Very Vanilla card stock. I wanted the color without the full intensity.

Next, I stamped the lady bug with Chocolate Chip Classic ink and then punched it out with the retired Stampin' Up! 'stamp' punch.

The next step is to ink the piece with VersaMark ink, add Ultra Thick Embossing powder (UTE) and melt it with a heat tool. I repeated the process 3 times to get a little thicker glaze on the piece.

Then you need to put it in your freezer until it gets real cold...maybe 10 minutes, it doesn't take too long. As soon as you pull it out quickly bend it so that the embossing powder cracks. If you don't like the way it cracked you can reheat it and repeat the cooling and cracking. You might even need to do more layers of UTE to make it crack more.

Finally, I used the Delightful Dijon pad directly on the top of the cracked UTE. Then I wiped it off with a tissue. It left ink in the cracks. This step is optional but I liked the effect for this piece. It's a bug in amber! ☺

Wednesday 101- Stamping Basics

Faux Finishes-1

This is the first time I have tried this technique. I had heard about it, but hadn't tried it. 

1. Use a glossy sheet of paper. I started with a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".

2. Use sandpaper or a sanding block to sand in one direction and then sand in the opposite direction. 

3. Add ink. I used a brayer but you can sponge it on too. For the original technique this is all that you need to do and then you use it for a background in your stamped projects.

4. I added another step. I used the sanding block on it again to create some lighter areas.
Then I used it to create this card.

I used the embellished Ornaments bundle.

Embellished Ornaments bundle

Wednesday 101- Rubber Stamping - The Basics

This week I am still playing with my grandson, can you believe it?! Love it!

I wanted to show you the different styles of Stampin' Up! stamps and how to use them. Stampin' Up! made this video for me to share, so it makes my life easier while I have no time to blog. I promise I will have my own material here next week, but these videos are a wonderful resource and I may supplement some of my future Wednesday 101 posts with them.





Stampin' Up! has a new adhesive that just came out with the new catalog. It is fantastic for gluing tiny pieces of paper. Take a look!





Thanks for stopping by today,
Have a blessed day,
Trude

Wednesday 101 - Rubber Stamping - The Basics

I am too busy to blog today...

Playing with my grandson is more important when I only get to see him once or if I am very lucky twice a year!

I am going to let Stampin' Up! teach you about heat embossing today. Videos are a great way to learn new things.

Some notes on this video:
1) personally, I like to store my embossing powders in shallow Rubbermaid or similar containers that are about 4" x 6". Keep a spoon in the container and then hold the stamped piece to be embossed over the container and spoon the embossing powder over the stamped image and let it slide right back into the storage container. I don't bend the project like she did to get the embossing powder back into the tiny little container. I also tap the edge or the back of the paper while I am holding it over the container so that any excess embossing powder will fall back into the container instead of being blown across the project the first time the blast of air from the heat tool hits it.

2) If you use a larger container like I suggest, the embossing powder won't spill all over your work surface where it can mess up the project you are working on, or get stuck to your work surface as you are heating the project.

3) Use tweezers to hold the project (to keep your fingers out of the heat) while you use the heat tool to melt the powder. Don't set your project down on your working surface while you are heating it, the work surface under your project acts like a heat sink and pulls heat away from the paper which means that you will have to apply heat longer to get the embossing powder to melt. Sometimes that can cause the paper to get singed. Brown spots around your embossed image are not what you had planned! (or maybe you did want that effect!)


Now for the video:

Wednesday 101 - Rubber stamping - The Basics

Today's 101- The Basics is about stamping with a rubber stamp!

• Make sure you have a solid flat surface to stamp on.
• I like to use a foam mat. There are some sold at craft stores for this purpose, or you can use a piece of fun foam. This is optional but I think that I get better impressions when I use a pad.
• Place a piece of scrap paper over your work surface. It keeps your surface clean and you can replace it as needed. And Grid Paper (130148) works great too!
• Make sure your stamp is clean (they will be if you always give them a quick cleaning on the Stampin' Scrub (#126200) after you use them.
• Select an appropriate ink pad for the paper that you are using.
• Check the ink pad to make sure that it is clean, remove any debris. 
• Ink a stamp and stamp it on scratch paper to see if it has enough ink. You will know if the ink pad is too dry by the amount of pressure that you used to ink the stamp. If you had to put any pressure on the stamp to get a good impression on your scrap paper then your pad is definitely too dry and needs to be reinked. If even gentle pressure on the stamp causes there to be overinking on the edges of the stamp then the stamp may have too much ink on it and you can remove some of the excess ink by tapping the surface of the ink pad on a piece of scratch paper, folded in half and half again so that the excess ink doesn't seep through.
• Lay your stamp on your work surface, face up. Gently tap the ink pad over the surface. Check to make sure the surface is well inked, you should be able to see an even 'glisten' over the surface.          
  
   
• For small stamps you can lightly tap the stamp on the ink pad. Try not to get any ink on the edges of the rubber die as it may transfer to your project (when you press too hard, or rock the stamp).
  
  
•  This is what an overinked stamp looks like.
  
  See the ink above and below the sentiment on the edges of the rubber? Because this is a long narrow stamp it will be easy for me to accidentally rock the stamp as I stamp it on my project. This will create an ink line above or below my stamped sentiment...definitely not what I want.
• Now you are ready to stamp your project. Grasp the stamp firmly, you would be surprised how easy it is to drop a stamp on the middle of your project! Stamp straight down on your project. Try not to rock the stamp. Use firm pressure, but don't smash it! The larger the stamp you are using, the more pressure you will need to use. In fact I often stand to stamp a large card size image like the one that is in the first photo on this page. 
• Don't remove the stamp as soon as you stamp it. Wait for a few seconds for the ink to transfer onto the paper.
• Use one hand to keep the project on the flat surface. Lift the stamp straight off the project. Sometimes the stamps stick to the paper, that's why I hold the project down.
• Most, but not all, inks dry quickly. If you are using an ink that dries slowly, put the stamped piece aside to dry. I don't know how many times I have hurried on without allowing enough time for the ink to dry and smeared my project.
• Clean your stamp. You can use an alcohol free wipe, wash it in the sink, or use the Stampin' Scrub. Put your stamp away and it's all ready to use next time!

If your stamped image looks like the ink was not even, it could be that there are manufacturing oils still on the stamp. This happens sometimes with new stamps. You can clean it with dish soap, rinse well, dry the stamp and try again. If you are still getting a spotty image try rubbing your thumb over it. The tiny ridges on your thumb are slightly abrasive, it's like rubbing an eraser over the surface of the stamp, but more gentle. If that still doesn't work, it may be that your stamp has a low spot in the die and is defective. Contact your Stampin' Up! demonstrator (if it's a Stampin' Up! stamp) let your demonstrator know what it is doing and maybe it will need to be replaced.

That's the very basics of stamping. Thanks for stopping by today. I would love to hear your comments and if you have any questions about stamping, please contact me.

Have a blessed day,
Trude

Wednesday 101 - Rubber Stamping - The Basics

Okay, you know this is all about the basics...
Today's subject is paper. There are so many types of paper that I could talk about paper for many blogs. But I am just going to mention a few of the many types out there because I don't want this to be overwhelming.
I'll start with the ones that you can purchase from Stampin' Up! at my online store.

Background papers:

Stampin' Up! calls theirs Designer Series Papers and they come in color coordinated stacks that make cardmaking and scrapbooking so much easier!

English Garden Designer Series Paper

This shows the 4 different patterns in Melon Mambo. There are 9 more colors in the Brights stack!

 

Designer series papers are not as heavy as cardstock. They are heavy enough to use as scrapbook page bases but not card bases. They work great for layering and all the types of ink that Stampin' Up! sells will work great on them. They are acid and lignin free.  Each 12" x 12" page has 2 designs, one on each side.

Watercolor Paper:

Watercolor Paper

 

Use this paper when you watercolor your stamped images. This paper is heavier (140 lb) than cardstock. It is highly absorbent. Use watercolor paint and paint brush as well as Classic Stampin' Ink, Blender Pens and Aqua Painters to add color.
I don't use this as the card base, I use it as a layer on cards.

White Vellum Cardstock:

Vellum

 

I'm not sure why Stampin' Up! calls this cardstock. It is a vellum, a translucent paper that is great for layering. It can be tricky to heat emboss because the heat can warp it. It is also tricky to pressure emboss with embossing folders because the pressure tends to cause the embossed designs to punch through the paper. Not all inks are suitable for vellum. Stazon and Memories inks work best because the surface is very smooth and not very porous. Because you can see through it you have to be creative in how you attach it to the card base. Some ways to attach it to a card are to:

• use brads that go through the vellum and the base layer.
• use a glue dot between the vellum and base layer and then cover it with something on the top layer to hide the glue dot...for example a button.
• use snail tape to attach it to the base layer and then hide the tape with ribbon and/or bows.
• attach it to the back of the card by creating a tab that folds around to the back side and adhering it there.

Vellum is acid free and lignin free.

 Glittered Paper:

Red Glimmer Paper

 

Stampin' Up!'s glitter paper is called "Glimmer Paper". It has the most glitter on it of any glitter paper I have seen on the market. It is a cardstock weight so it can be used to create card bases but I just use it for accents on my cards. I either punch out shapes, die cut shapes or cut strips to use on my card to add an extra bit of texture and sparkle. Glimmer paper comes in 12"x 12" sheets and is available in 4 different colors. Try it, you'll love it!

 Foil Paper:

foil papers

 

Stampin' Up!'s foil paper is a card stock weight and can be used for card bases. It can also be stamped on with Memories ink or Stazon ink. It can be punched and die cut. I usually use it in the same ways that I use Glimmer paper, as accents. I have also used it for matting layers, it makes beautiful mats. It comes in 12" x 12" sheets and is available in silver and gold. I've seen some people use it for pressure embossing (with embossing folders) but it may crack around the embossed design. Try it and see how it works for you!

This isn't even all of the specialty papers that Stampin' Up! carries, but these are the ones that I use the most. Probably in discussing certain techniques later on in Wednesday 101 posts I will share some more papers with you.

Have a blessed day!
Trude

Wednesday 101- Rubber Stamping- The Basics

Today is the day to talk about cardstock.

Cardstock is usually available in two different sizes, 12" x 12" and 8 1/2" x 11".

Stampin' Up! carries both sizes but the 12" x 12" are only available in assorted stacks.

Stampin' Up!'s cardstock is:

•  80 lb stock- a very good weight for card bases, 3D projects and scrapbook pages
• Very smooth- great for sharp detailed stamped images
• dyed all the way through, no white core
• acid free and lignin free
• matte, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• comes in 40 classic colors and 10 In-Colors
• Thick enough so that inks will not show through

 Stampin' Up!'s extra thick cardstock is:

• 100 lb stock- heavy enough to support multiple layers
• great for 3D construction projects
• Whisper White or Very Vanilla
  
• Very smooth- great for sharp detailed stamped images
• acid free and lignin free
• matte, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• very thick, ink will not show through

Extra Thick cardstock

Stampin' Up! Kraft cardstock is:

• thicker that regular cardstock
• natural Kraft color 
• 12" x 12"
• acid and lignin free
• mat, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• thick enough that inks will not show through

Kraft cardstock

Besides Stampin' Up! cardstock other cardstocks are available at craft stores. 

Some examples of what you might find:

•  Linen- has a texture that resembles linen cloth. This cardstock can be stamped on but you should stamp on a sample piece with your stamp to check the quality of the stamped image before stamping on a finished piece. Most linen cardstock has a matte finish and will accept most types of ink.
• Glossy- has a coating that gives it a high gloss. This cardstock gives a high quality stamped image because of its smoothness, but not every type of ink can be used on it. Dye inks and solvent inks work best but pigment inks will work if heat embossed. Chalk inks and Brilliance inks need to be heat set. Make some samples with the stamp and ink you are planning to use. Some stamp and ink combinations will slide around on this paper, so practice is recommended.
• Pearlescent and metallic- These papers usually have a very smooth surface and are not as absorbent as a matte cardstock. Solvent inks are great, chalk inks and Brilliance can be heat set, test other inks for suitability before stamping the finished project.

Some things to think about when you choose cardstock for a project:

• What type of ink do you plan to use for this project? Is the cardstock appropriate for that type of ink?
• How absorbent is the paper? Will you need to heat emboss the ink or heat set it so that it will dry? Or is it so absorbent that you need to use a thick ink, for example craft ink, so that you have time to apply the embossing powder if you plan to heat emboss? 
• Density- If you plan to tear it, will it tear easily? If you are using it for a card base with multiple layers is it heavy enough to support them? If you are planning to layer it with other papers will it add too much thickness/weight to the project?
• Texture- Will it be easy to get a clear stamped image? Will the texture enhance your project or detract from it?
• If you want your project to be archival, is it acid free and lignen free?
• Does it have a white core? Do you plan to use that to enhance your project or would a cardstock that is dyed all the way through be more appropriate for this particular project?

 Next week we'll be talking about other types of papers that are available.

Have a blessed day,
Trude

Wednesday 101 - Rubber Stamping- The Basics

Adhesives

One of the items that I keep multiples of in my toolbox is adhesive. There isn't really such a thing as one that works for everything. Each has its own strength, so lets talk a little bit about them.

Liquid Glues

We know what liquid glues are, we've been using them since we were children in grade school (ie; Elmer's). Now that we are crafting we need to learn about some liquid glues that are acid free so that our projects can be put into scrapbooks or the scrapbooks themselves will last.

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Tombow creates a strong bond, comes in a bottle with a fine tip for precision application is acid free and works great for gluing paper layers or attaching glitter. I like this glue because a bottle lasts a long time. Plus I can do creative things with it like tracing lines and squiggles on my projects and adding glitter. Love that little bit of extra sparkle on things.

It also has a very wide gluing end in case you have some serious gluing to do, but I almost never use that end...dot, dot, not a lot.0

MultiPurpose Liquid Glue

2-Way Glue Pen

This glue comes in a pen with a bullet shaped tip. To use the glue you 'draw' on your project. It is called 2-way because it can be used as a glue that permanently bonds paper layers together by placing the layers together as soon as the glue is applied or it can be used as a temporary adhesive by allowing the glue to dry before you stick the layers together. This glue is acid free so it is great to use on projects that you want to archive or scrapbook. I like this glue because it is easy to use for small pieces of paper and embellishments. It goes on the places where you touch the pen, and it doesn't leave a tall dot that spreads when you stick it together. It is a good glue to use for embellishing your projects with glitter because you can trace the outline or fill in the area with a lot of control as to where you want it to go. This is also an excellent glue to use for foil effects. You apply it, let it dry, and then apply the foiling sheets to tacky dried glue.

2-Way Glue

Crystal Effects

I don't used this as an adhesive so much but it can be used to attach buttons and beads and other embellishments. It is slow to dry...it usually takes at least an hour and more if it is real thick. I like to use it for 3-D effects. I use it to make my own custom candy dots because unlike other glues that dry clear, Crystal Effects does not flatten out when it dries. I did use it to attach the embellishments to this welcome banner. Crystal Effects is also acid free.

Crystal Effects

 

Those are all the liquid glues that Stampin' Up! sells. Besides these liquid glues I also use Scotch Quick Drying Tacky Glue. It glues and holds paper very fast, doesn't wet the paper, has a fine applicator tip, is photo safe and acid free.

Glue Stick

Glue sticks are economical and good for gluing larger areas in less time.Stampin' Up!s glue stick has a diamond shape so that it fits into the corners easily. These glue sticks are also acid free.

Stampin' Glue Stick

Next time I will talk about other adhesives such as Adhesive Transfer Tape, Glue Dots, etc.

Wednesday 101 - Rubber Stamping- The Basics

One of the first things people usually want to know about paper crafting and card making is, what tools they need to start.

Really there aren't many tools that you need to have when you first begin, but there are many tools that you will probably want to get sooner or later.

Here are my basic go-to tools:

Scissors- I like small ones with a Teflon coating but they aren't easy to find. Here's a nice pair that Stampin' Up! sells.

Paper Snips

 

Bone Folder- For creating perfect creases on your cards. 

Bone Folder

A Glue Stick- I like the one that Stampin' Up! sells because it has square corners and gets in the corners easily.

Glue stick

2-Way Glue Pen- For attaching strips and small pieces of paper and glitter.

2-Way Glue Pen

Snail Tape- adhesive transfer tape that sticks layers of paper together oh so nicely!

Snail Tape

Double sided tape- love it for heavy duty sticking and also great for glitter application.

Tear and Tape

 

 I also keep a pencil, eraser and small 6 inch ruler close by. In addition to those items I also keep a pencil box handy to organize them and make them easily transportable. And that is pretty much the basics!

Wednesday 101- Rubber Stamping- The Basics

Hello,
Welcome back to Wednesday 101- The Basics. Today we are going to look at another very important element of rubber stamping...Ink pads.

 There are quite a few types of inks and I'm sure I won't cover every one in this blog post, but I will get to the main ones and a couple extra.

 Each stamp pad fits into a particular category; Dye-based ink, Pigment ink, embossing/resist ink, craft/fabric ink or solvent (permanent) inks.

Dye-Based inks are water based and not as permanent as other inks. In fact some of these inks are created specifically so they will wash out and suggested for children's use. Traditionally felt pads were always used with dye-based inks, however some companies, Stampin' Up! for example, have switched to dense foam pads in their Classic Stampin ink pads. Dense foam pads are known for their ability to create sharp stamped images. This type of ink comes in the widest range of colors, they dry quickly and work well on vellum, matt and glossy papers. Dye inks are not recommended for use with heat embossing as they dry too quickly to hold the powder in place until it can be melted with a heat tool.

Pigment inks are thick, don't come in quite the color range as dye inks and are most often found with foam pads. Traditionally these types of inks took a long time to dry, and still most pigment inks have a longer drying time. But some pigment inks are now formulated to have a quicker drying time. Most fast drying pigment inks will have that noted on the label, so check the label when you buy pigment inks so that you purchase the one that is suitable for your purpose. Because of the slow drying time pigment inks are an excellent choice for heat embossing as they will hold onto the embossing powder long enough to be melted by the heat tool. When you use pigment ink on glossy paper it MUST be embossed as it will not dry, or soak into a glossy surface (the exception is Brilliance inks which we will talk about later).

Embossing/resist Inks are thick, slow drying inks that are formulated especially for embossing with opaque and metallic embossing powders and as a resist on glossy paper. They come in foam pads and are either clear or lightly tinted. Resist ink can be used to achieve a tone-on-tone effect. The ink pad that Stampin' Up! sells in this category is VersaMark watermark ink.

Craft/Fabric inks are usually formulated for use on fabric, however some are multipurpose and can be used on fabric, paper, wood, acetate, glass, metal and shrink plastic. Craft/Fabric ink needs to be heat set to become permanent in fabrics. Heat setting is also recommended on wood. Craft/Fabric ink is a type of pigment ink and is slow drying. Plenty of drying time should be allowed on nonporous surfaces. Stampin' Up! sells Whisper White craft ink, which can also be used to create chalk effects on dark papers and as an embossing ink.

Solvent/permanent inks are available in water-based and solvent based forms. They are quick drying and require special cleaners to remove from surfaces (in other words, not the best choice for children). This type of ink can be used on almost any surface. The water-based type ink pad is good for use with alcohol-based colored markers and the solvent-base pads work the best with water-based markers. Stampin' Up! carries both types of ink pads; solvent- Jet Black Stazon, and water-based- Memento Tuxedo Black.

Here are examples of the various types of inks

Classic Stampin' pad

Stampin' Up!s Classic pad is dye based, quick drying, comes in 46 colors. It is non-permanent and works great on matte, vellum, and glossy card stocks and papers.The ink is translucent and is in a thick raised foam pad. When closed the pad is upside down in the case so that the ink stays on the surface of the pad. The ink is acid free.

Craft Stampin' pad

Stampin' Up's Craft pad is pigment based, slow drying, and comes in Whisper White. The pad is made of foam. It works on most surfaces and is permanent when heat embossed. The ink is acid free.

VersaMark Watermark stamp pad

Stampin' Up! sells VersaMark watermark ink pads by Tsukineko. It is a resist ink pad that is slow drying and non permanent. The pad is made of foam. It works best on matte card stock and paper or on glossy paper as a resist. Use to create tone-on-tone background designs. This ink can be used as an embossing ink with embossing powder and a heat tool and is acid free.

Stazon Solvent ink pad

Stampin' Up! sells Stazon Solvent ink pads by Tsukineko. It is a permanent solvent-based ink that is fast drying and permanent. The pad is felt. It works well on most surface although it is not recommended for fabrics. This is the ink to use when coloring with water-based markers as it resists bleeding. Use this pad in a well ventilated area. This ink is acid free.

Memento Permanent ink

Stampin' Up! sells Memento ink pads by Tsukineko. It is permanent and fade resistant. It is quick drying and the pad is felt. It works on matte, glossy and vellum card stocks and papers. This ink resists bleeding and is great to use with alcohol based markers. This ink is acid free.

Brilliance ink pad

Remember I said we would talk about Brilliance ink pads? Well, they are not available through Stampin' Up! at this time, but they are one of my favorite inks. They used to be in every craft store and were available in many colors. Now the selections are very limited in stores, but I believe they can still be purchased online. I like these inks because they are what I call an all-purpose ink. They are pigment inks that dry fairly quickly and don't usually require heat setting. But they can also be used for embossing! The pads are foam and the ink is fade resistant, 

acid free and child-safe and can be used on almost

 any surface including photos and vellum. This is
                                                                                       also a Tsukineko product.

 

 

 

Color Box Fluid Chalk ink

This ink is not available through Stampin' Up! at this time, although it was available earlier this year in the Occasions catalog.
Chalk ink is a pigment ink that dries quickly and is permanent when heat set. The ink pads come in various sizes and colors. This ink has an opaque matte finish when dry and works well on dark papers for chalkboard effects. This ink is a product of Clear Snap.




I hope you've enjoyed this short tour of various inks that are available. There are so many more, but these are the ones that I use most often.

Have a blessed day,
Trude