Northwest Stamper

Category: Cards

  • Tips for Using Pressed Clay on your Cards

    One of the cool perks of being a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up! is that you get to check out products from the new catalogs before they come out.  Usually I get super excited about what I see, but I remember seeing the pressed clay when it came out and thinking:

    ”Huh.  I’m sure someone will think that is cool, but I can’t see myself ever using that stuff.”

    But then my mom got some clay along with the molds and I decided to try making a flower… which turned into two flowers…. oh and a button, and maybe one more button…

    Next thing I know, I’ve made a ton of clay items and ended up buying my own clay supplies. Smile 

    So, I had to share it with folks at a get together recently with this make & take:

    So, we made a quick and simple white flower and then used the Bitty Butterfly Punch to create the leaves behind it.  Clever, huh?!

    Card Supplies Used
    Stamps:      Oh Hello
    Ink: Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate
    Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
    Accessories: SU Pressed Clay, Flower & Buttons molds, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Tombow liquid glue

    Now, if you are curious about the Pressed Clay or maybe you have some but are trying to figure out using it, here are some tips I’ve heard and learned along the way:

    Tips for using the Pressed Clay

    • Only use just enough clay to fill out the mold form – so no extra clay running over the edge of the mold.  Otherwise it will want to stick and not pop out easily
    • I find I have an easier time getting the clay to pop out if I have let my clay sit out on my table for a little bit to dry out a little so it won’t be so tacky
    • If you are having a hard time with a bit of clay not popping out of the mold, try using your Embossing Buddy on the inside of the mold or put the mold (with clay pressed inside) in the freezer for about 10 min and then try popping your shape out.
    • Color your clay using one of these methods:
      • Add some drops of reinker to the clay and massage into the clay before pressing
      • Dab your ball of clay onto an ink pad to pick up some ink, then massage into the clay before pressing
      • Use marker to color your item after it has dried.  This is the most vibrant option.
    • To get the button holes, press your clay into the mold and then press extra hard on the areas with the button holes until you can rub or scrape off the extra clay on top of the button hole pieces.
    • After you have created your clay item, let it sit for a while (longer if you are in a humid climate).  They will never become hard like a resin or plastic embellishment but instead have more of the feeling of a harder foam that cannot be scraped or remolded after it dries.
    • Adhere your finished embellishment using either dimensionals or the mono liquid glue.

    And before I go, I just had to share the card that was my inspiration for the make & take project I shared above:

    My mom created this card before her new catalog party and I thought it was just such a cute idea.  Plus I love how she used the 5-petal flower punch to create her leaves!

    So, give clay a try and I’m sure you’ll have fun too!

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  • All About Mosaic Madness

    If you are a member of my newsletter, you have already seen this card (and if you aren’t a member, sign up here and you can get the inside scoop first too!)

    But I love how this card turned out and it has been a fun way to use all the coordinating Mosaic items (the stamp set, the punch, and the embossing folder).  Check it out:

    This was my first time really going all out with the Strawberry Slush new In Color.  I was afraid I was going to be overwhelmed with pink, but I think it turned out more summery bright than eye-searing pink.  Do you agree?

    And with the punch and embossing folder, this card comes together in a snap too which is always a bonus!

    Card Supplies Used
    Stamps:     Mosaic Madness, Great Greetings
    Ink: Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar
    Paper: Strawbery Slush, Very Vanilla
    Accessories: Big Shot, Mosaic Embossing folder, Mosaic punch, Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sponge daubers

     

    Plus, don’t forget that if you love the punch and stamp set, you get 15% off when you order them at the same time!  See this discounted bundle here.

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  • Sketched Birthday Card for the Birthday Bash!

    Ahhh… back in the blogging saddle again.  I’ll admit I’m feeling a little rusty (I know it hasn’t really been that long but it feels like ages to me!), but kicking back off with a blog hop is a great way to get the blogging and creative mojo happening again – for sure!

    Summer has finally hit and I’m getting super excited for the Stampin’ Up! convention next week (yay!!!  And yes, like prior years, I’ll be sharing my pictures, excitement, and info while at convention on my facebook page – so watch there for the good stuff Winking smile)

    But that also means this month’s Blog Hop theme – Birthday Bash – is a perfect way for me to get out my enthusiasm because you know birthdays are fun and exciting, filled with clapping and cheering…. or is that just me at parties? hee hee

    This is the card I had to share with you for the hop this month:

    I LOVE this Sketched Birthdays stamp set.  The images are a perfect blend of not quite vintage-y, not too cutesy, not too real…. just kind of funky and perfect for any age… and guy cards!

    Ok, so I used a lot of pink in this card, so maybe it isn’t the most manly… but squint and pretend those are red and brown, or other guy colors and it would totally work!

    I tried doing a close up to show you a fun details that is really cool in person but apparently is impossibly to photograph well, which is adding some Silver Dazzling Details to the scallop around the Happy Birthday, Cupcake image.  I put a dot of Silver Dazzling Details in each scallop and it adds some subtle sparkle that is really nice!

    And YES!  That birthday hat patterned paper is hand stamped paper!  I just grabbed the hat image and stamped it multiple times in different colors until I was happy with the look.  Do that on a full sheet of white paper and you can make a ton of cards lickety-split!

     

    Have you heard?  A new DAILY inspiration blog for you is coming and I’ll be on the design team!  Join me and some of the very talented monthly Blog Hop Demonstrators as we help give you more daily doses of crafting inspiration! This site will go live the day of our August Blog Hop, August 8th.

    But if you want more inspiration now check out more birthday celebrations at the rest of the folks on this month’s blog hop:

    Blog Hop Participants:

     

    So thanks for visiting and I hope you come back soon!

     

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  • Back from Vacation!

    Hi again!

    I know its been ages since I’ve been on the blog.  Turns out my grand plan to get a ton of blog posts written while I was on vacation for almost 2 weeks was not the best plan. Smile  I somehow thought that since I would be away from home, I’d have all this time in the evenings and during naps.  It didn’t occur to me that my kids would think they were on vacation from naps and regular bedtimes too! But it was a great trip.

    2013-07-05 12.23.43

    I got some wonderful family time in, along with visiting and stamping with my friends and members of my Fun n’ Crafty team of demonstrators in the San Francisco bay area.

    2013-07-02 20.44.23

    We got together and did a shoebox swap (where each person designs a card and then brings enough supplies for everyone to make the card).  Which was good because I needed some inspiration because I wasn’t thinking and scheduled a card class for tomorrow night which was originally supposed to be the day right after we got back from our trip!

    I’ll get those cards photographed and posted soon, but if you want to see them sooner, you are invited to join me at my card class on Monday night (7pm at Redmond Panera). Smile  Class details can be found here.

    So, check back tomorrow as I have more samples and project ideas scheduled to post all week!  And then next week is the Stampin’ Up! convention!  Should be a great couple of weeks.

     

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  • A New Way to Color Your Stamped Images with Marker

    Recently, my mom showed me a new way to try coloring in your images with your markers.  To show me what she was talking about she created this card:

    It uses the new Flower Shop stamp set and punch sitting atop the stem from Field Flowers.  Great idea, huh?

    Now, to do the coloring, she took a lighter colored marker (in this case, the Crisp Cantaloupe marker) and then swiped one side of the marker tip along the side of the Calypso Coral ink pad.  This gives you a darker side to the marker. 

    Then you can color in your stamped image and twist your marker as you are coloring so you end up getting both tones forming a cute spectrum of color on your image.  Now if it is a little hard to see, she created the following examples to help show it better:

    On the left is a flower colored in with a blender pen, the middle is using the two-tone effect, and the right flower is colored in only using the Crisp Cantaloupe marker.  There was more of a difference between the three than I expected!

    And I thought the whole card was a neat idea so I created a simpler version to send out as a customer thank you card this month.  So if you’ve placed a Stampin’ Up! order with me in June, you’ll have one of these in your inbox soon!

    Stampin’ Up Supplies Used:
    Stamps – Flower Shop, Field Flowers, Petite Pairs
    Ink – Calypso Coral, Pistachio Pudding, Daffodil Delight, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe marker
    Paper – Whisper White, Subtles Designer Series Paper stack (top card), Pistachio Pudding cardstock (bottom card)
    Accessories – Posy Punch, Itty Bitty punch pack, Pearls, Distressing tool

     

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  • Fun & Easy Birthday Card with Banner Greetings

    imageWhat do you think of when you see a stamp set that is full

    of stamp images that look like flags? 

    Well, I imagined banners, but don’t ask me why, but I never thought to make little flags with it.  But, thank goodness for other creative stampers out there!

    My mom created this card and when I saw it, I thought it was a brilliant way to use these stamps!

    She stamped the Happy Birthday image twice (once in Island Indigo and once in Tangerine Tango) and then cut them out and attached them to the ends of toothpicks.  Voila!  You have adorable flags for your projects!

    tip: to adhere the banners to toothpicks, I recommend using the Tombow Liquid Glue along the straight edge of the stamped image.  You can also leave some extra white paper to the left of the stamped image and roll that around the toothpick to create your flag as well.

    And yes – you have to cut these out by hand.  Sorry. Smile 

    Tuck them behind a piece of the Natural Trim ribbon and you can’t even see the ends of your toothpicks and the tape or glue you had to use to adhere them to your card front.

    Card Supplies Used:
    Stamps – Banner Greetings
    Ink – Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango
    Paper – Tangerine Tango cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Quatrefancy specialty designer paper
    Accessories – Natural Trim ribbon, toothpicks

    Now the only catch with this stamp set is that you can only order it using Hostess dollars.  So, basically you can only earn it as a free stamp set instead of just ordering it off the website.  However, you have a few options for getting it:

    1. Host a private class or workshop and collect $150 or more in orders
    2. Place a $150 order yourself
    3. Join my Stamp Club and earn it free your hosting month

    ~OR~

    Get it free if you join in my Everyone’s a Winner Event by this Sunday, 6-23-13!  Then you’ll only need to place a $100 order or workshop and you’ll get $26 in hostess benefits free!

     

    Just let me know that you want your own set and we’ll figure out getting it for you right away!  Just shoot me an email at jennifer@nwstamper.com and we’ll do it!

     

  • Frosted Glass Butterfly Technique and Card

    As I get ready for Monday’s Terrific Techniques: Fun with Washi class, I was looking over a card I made recently using the Best of Butterflies stamp set.  (You know, because it was one of my few samples right now that uses washi)

    I was playing with Vellum and thought it would be really pretty to create a softly colored butterfly image.  Its super easy to do too!

    All you have to do is:

    1. Stamp your image on Vellum using Stazon Ink
    2. Flip over your Vellum paper (so inked side is down) and start coloring using markers. 
      I recommend coloring with your darker color first because the first color you ink will be the top layer you see when you flip over the stamped image.
    3. Cut out your image
    4. Adhere to your card base using a glue dot behind part of your image that is solid black.

    And TA-DA!  You have a totally cool looking butterfly!

     

    Stampin’ Up Supplies Used:
    Stamps – Best of Butterflies, Seasonal Sayings
    Ink – Stazon, Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight marker, Pumpkin Pie marker, Cajun Craze marker
    Paper – Calypso Coral cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Vellum cardstock
    Accessories – This and That washi tape, Glue dots

     

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  • Colorful Flower using the Mosaic Punch & Pressed Clay

    imageOk, I’ll admit it.  I wasn’t sold on the Pressed Clay when Stampin’ Up! announced it’s release during the demonstrator preorder in advance of the new Annual Catalog launch.  I kept hearing people get all excited about it but I didn’t order it because I couldn’t see myself actually using it.

    Wanna know what just showed up in my recent order? 

    Yup, that is right!  The clay!

    My mom, Kathy Thisted, ordered the clay and molds during the preorder and so I figured I’d make one or two to samples to show.  But I found once I got started playing it, I had a hard time stopping. ha ha!  Its kind of like being 5 again and playing with play doh.  Once you get started there are endless possibilities of what you can create!

    So while I haven’t gotten all my experiments photographed, I had to share with you one cool sample that she shared with me recently.  Check it out:

    Its this cool mashup of a bunch of new products in ways I never would have thought to do (isn’t that why sharing is awesome?!)  She took the Mosaic punch to punch out the petals and then stamped each one with the Mosaic Madness stamp set.  Then she dyed some Simply Pressed Clay with Daffodil Delight reinker and pressed it into the flower mold to create the pretty center.  Creative, no?

    Card Supplies used:
    Stamps – Mosaic Madness, Field Flowers, Sweet Essentials
    Ink – Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Baked Brown Sugar, Daffodil Delight reinker
    Paper – Soft Sky, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe
    Accessories – Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons & Blossoms Clay Molds, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Bone Folder

     

    So if you haven’t tried out the clay yet, you totally should!  Its easier to work with than I expected and has tons of potential.  I’ll try to get photos taken but I’ve seen:

    • Coloring with a marker
    • Multiple color coloring
    • Using the molds
    • Creating an impression with stamps
    • Creating an impression with a decorative brad
    • Turning molded images into brads
    • Creating a shiny accent with Crystal Effects
    • Heat embossing the finished embellishment

    And I’m sure there are more ideas I haven’t even seen or come up with yet!

    So, leave a comment with your ideas if you have been playing or pick up some clay today and start experimenting!

  • Elegant Embossed Vellum Card

    Its been a busy week and I’m suddenly realizing how much I still need to catch up on!  I’ve been reorganizing my craft room to make space for all the new catalog goodies that just came in…of course in the process I’ve discovered items that I forgot I had and really need to use more!  One of those items is Vellum! 

    I have had a pack sitting on my shelf for a while and had completely forgotten about it, so a few weeks ago, I ran a Terrific Techniques class all about Vellum.  This card was one of my favorites from the class:

    You start out by running a piece of vellum through your Big Shot with an embossing folder (in this case I used the Flower Garden embossing folder).  Then on the back side of your vellum, I grabbed my Sponge Daubers and sponged my colors as if to color in the embossed image.

    The cool thing is that by sponging the back side of your vellum, it gives a pretty, soft glow to the front of your image.  And when you think you have made it too dark on the back, it turns out to be just perfect on the front!

    Adhere your vellum to the front of your card by glueing it to the front of a white cardbase and add a strip of patterned paper to the edge for an accent.

    I finished it off by punching out a sentiment from the fabulous Petite Pairs stamp set and sponging it with the same Wisteria Wonder sponge dauber I used for coloring in the back of the flowers.  And if you don’t have this stamp set yet, don’t forget it is available for 25% off until June 30th!

     

    image

    Check out all the greeting stamp sets that are available in the June 25% off sale!

    So grab your vellum and embossing folders and experiment with what fun designs you can create. Smile

  • Dress Shirt Card for Dad

    You would think that for all the stamping classes I run and projects I make for swapping and my blog, I would always be prepared for holidays.  Ha!  They sneak up on me like my 3 yr old when I think he is taking a nap and jump out at me at the last minute.  Thankfully, I got a head start this year and have a card all ready for Dad when I see him on Sunday. 

    I’ve been dying to try out those cool dress shirt cards and thought this would be a perfect excuse to try one out.  My first attempt left me with a shirt that covered the entire front of the card, but I wasn’t feeling it.  So, I adjusted my measurements until I came up with this:

    The shirt was super simple to make… you just take a rectangle out of cardstock and cut two slits in from each side and fold down the flaps to make the collar.  Here are the dimensions I used for this card:

    image

    I wanted a little bit of texture and so I grabbed some of my Pool Party Core’dintations cardstock for the shirt.  Normally I sand down this paper but I liked it for that subtle texture it provided.  

    For the rest of the shirt, I hand drew and cut the tie.  I didn’t realize that most people when they create these cards, have a template they have created for themselves for the tie!  So, I made myself a template and hoped it didn’t look too lopsided. Smile 

    Add a few silver mini brads and ta-da!  The shirt is done!

    Card supplies used:
    Stamps – Delightful Dozen
    Ink – Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango marker
    Paper – Whisper White cardstock, Island Indigo cardstock, Pool Party Core’dinations cardstock, Quatrefancy specialty designer series paper
    Accessories – Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder, Piercing tool, Silver mini brads, Paper snips

    So if you need a quick Father’s Day card idea, try this one out.  It is fast and easy, and quickly customizable to any colors or patterns you want!

    Give it a try and then stop by my facebook page and let me know how yours turned out!  And let me know if you come up with a better way to do the tie other than freestyle!

     

  • Just Wanted to Say You’re Amazing!

    No seriously, you are! As I think back to how my life has evolved and changed over the last few years – between major moves and babies and family adventures; I love that I’ve always had my friends and stamping community there for support and to keep me sane!  From friends in facebook groups to my fellow Stampin’ Up! demos, I always feel like I have somewhere to turn when I need support or a pick-me-up.

    And you are part of that stamping family & community and for every layout you make, project you share, card you send; you are making the day that much brighter.  And so I think you are amazing!

    You're Amazing Masculine card with bleaching

    And just a little close up for those of you curious about the paper… this card is from my Misting & Masking technique class and we used bleach in a spritz bottle to spray some Marina Mist cardstock to get this cool look.  Then layouer our sentiment over the top in vellum so you can see it peeking through for a fun effect.

    Close up of bleaching technique

     

    So think about who has been amazing to you in your life and take a minute to tell them!  Send them a card or just give them an extra hug.  You’ll brighten their day like they brighten yours. Smile

     

  • Playing with Photopolymer Stamps

    The stamping world has had Photopolymer stamps for quite a while and I used to try to play with my “completely clear” stamps.  I love the idea that I could see totally through the stamp so that I knew precisely where I was stamping.  However, I discovered that not all clear stamps are created equal.  I have some that have turned yellow on me (even without me using them… gasp! I know, right? how can you have stamps that never get inky? Winking smile) and I have some that frustrated me because I couldn’t get a crisp image no matter what I tried.

    Well, Stampin’ Up! held off while they tried to figure out a formula for making these stamps without some of these issues.  Then they started coming out with their own designs.  So, I decided to give them a shot and then thought I’d share what I did.

    I grabbed the Designer Typeset stamp set, which was the first set they came out with.  See, this is what it looks like when you get it…. no box, just a ton of cute little clear stamps in a plastic sleeve.

    designer typeset photopolymer stamps

    And out of the sleeve….Designer Typeset photopolymer stamps

    Then I set to work and created this as one of my first cards:

    designer typeset photopolymer thank you card

    I know, it is totally simple, but it gave me a chance to experiment and learn a few things… like:

    • Don’t be afraid to bend your stamps!
      If they can bend and stay on the block, then it is perfectly fine to stamp them that way.  If they won’t stay on the block, you’ve bent it too far. Smile
    • Be prepared and ok that your stamped lines aren’t going to be super thin
      When you push on the stamp to transfer your ink to paper, the photopolymer compresses and stretches a little, so you get slightly fatter lines than you maybe expected.
    • If you have the letters, lay them out on your paper for placement – THEN push the block down on them to ink up.
      So in this case, I stamped the banners first.  Then I laid out my letters in exactly the spot I wanted them to be on my banner.  How to line up letters with photopolymer stamps on a card
      THEN I pressed my clear block down on top of the letters.   That way I could ink them up all at the same time and stamp knowing they would go exactly where I wanted them to go!

    How to line up letters with photopolymer stamps

    • The juicier the ink pad the better!
      Yes I know, it goes without saying… but still.  I did see slight differences when I used my old style ink pads with my new ink pads.

    photopolymer stamps ink pad comparison

     

    If you want to see more tips, check out this video I made all about the Photopolymer stamps:

    If you can’t see the video, check out the direct link here.

    So, if you think it is something fun to try and play with, Stampin’ Up! just came out with their 5th photopolymer stamp set – Wanderlust.  But here is the complete list:

     

    Wanderlust photopolymer stamp set

     

     

    I still love my rubber stamps… but I definitely think completely clear stamps have a place in my stamp room too!