Northwest Stamper

Category: Techniques

  • Peek-a-boo Emboss Resist with Raining Flowers

    Oops, I was so focused on getting the first week of my 12 weeks of Christmas newsletter ready that I totally got behind and forgot to get this post up! Well, I’m fixing that now.  (and if you want to get exclusive holiday ideas sent to your inbox, just make sure you are on my mailing list and you will be all set!  And can I just say I LOVE the first project…. soooo elegant. Smile)

    This is another fun idea for how to use your clear embossing powders.  I don’t know what the “official” name for this technique is called – so I’m going to call it Peek-a-boo Emboss Resist.

     

    imageTo get this effect, you want to find some fun pattern of designer paper and stamp your SOLID stamp image (like this flower from the Raining Flowers stamp set) onto the paper with Versamark ink.  Cover with clear embossing powder and heat with your heat gun.

    Now, use your brayer to run a dark color over your designer paper until you can’t see the paper’s pattern any more.  The embossed areas will resist the ink (you can take a tissue and wipe off any extra ink that is trying to stick around).  So, your pattern will show through the inked area and “peek-a-boo” through!

    I will say, the hardest part is picking what pattern to show under your stamped image… at least for me. Smile  I had to hold up paper patterns and stamp images to my mom to decide what to try out for this card and so, thanks to her for this card!

    This was one of the cards we made for my Awesome Embossing class.  I’m thinking of putting this class together as an online class.  So, let me know if you would like to see this as an online class and I’ll make sure to put it together to share!

     

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    Raining Flowers Emboss Resist Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Raining Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink: Island Indigo, Versamark
    Paper: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, River Rock cardstock, Summer Smooches designer series paper
    Accessories: heat gun, clear embossing powder, embossing buddy, modern label punch, word window punch, mini silver brads, paper piercer, brayer

  • Double Embossing with the Stripes Embossing Folder

    Yesterday I highlighted the Emboss Resist card from my Awesome Embossing class that I’m holding today.  And as promised, here is my first Halloween card of the season and the card we will be making to try out Double Embossing!

     

    If you can’t tell, this isn’t striped printed paper – it is heat embossed with Black Embossing powder!

    Now the best part is it is really easy to do thanks to the Stripes Embossing Folder.  The basic idea is that you ink up your embossing folder with Versamark ink before you run it through the Big Shot.  The big question is the best way to ink up your folder.

    Now I experimented with a few different methods for doing this and started with a brayer and my Versamark pad, and tried inking up the side of the embossing folder with the raised plastic (so the part that would press into the paper and become the “insides” of the stripes).  And every time I would run the folder through the Big Shot, I would only get part of ink to stick to the paper.  🙁  So, I started pressing my ink pad directly to the raised part of the embossing folder and didn’t get much better luck.

    Finally, I tried taking my Versamark ink pad directly to the “flat” side of the embossing folder (the side that is mostly flat with some striped “holes” in it).  And that worked great!  So, if you are just trying this technique out, I would recommend taking your Versamark Ink pad directly to the flat side of your embossing folder!

     

    The rest of the card used the Toxic Treats stamp set and the trick I shared the other day for using Versamark and Classic ink at the same time to heat emboss any color of ink.

    So, I hope you enjoyed these ideas and give Double Embossing a try!

     

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    Toxic Treats Halloween Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Toxic Treats
    Ink: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand, Versamark
    Paper: River Rock, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
    Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes Embossing folder, Heat Gun, Basic Black embossing powder, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Elegant Thank You Card using Emboss Resist

    Ever have one of those days where your mojo is kicking in and you are able to make some projects that just make you smile?

    I hope so!  Yesterday was one of those days for me and I was having such a blast finishing getting ready for my Awesome Embossing class this weekend.  I had such a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to showcase for the class since there are so many cool embossing techniques and so many variations on what you can do with many of them.  But I focused down to 4 different ideas that I loved.  However, my absolute favorite was the card I’m sharing today – the Emboss Resist card!

    Emboss resist

     

    I had just gotten my new Lacy and Lovely stamp set…so glad I got this set!…and I thought it would be perfect for this technique.  I tried to stick to a more monochromatic style card even though I added a few other hits of color; and so my focus was on the Calypso Coral elements around the white embossed doily image.

    Seriously, this is so quick to do and such a pretty result!  I’ve decided I’m going to do this card for my swaps at the Stampin’ Up! regionals in Tacoma in a couple weeks.  So if you are going to Tacoma, find me and I’ll swap with you. 🙂

    And this isn’t the best picture, but I thought I’d share a sneaky peek at my first Halloween card and another embossing card for the class:

     

    I promise I’ll share the full card soon!

    Well, I’m off to take my family to the Puyallup fair.  This will be Nicholas and Caitlin’s first time at a big fair and hopefully they love seeing the animals, displays, and other fair favorites while we are there!  Wish me luck that I don’t get sucked into too many “you’ve never seen a knife that cuts like this!” demos and displays.  🙂  I love all the too-good-to-be-true stuff that seems to always be offered at these events.

    Now just ask me how many of the items like that that I’ve bought at fairs have actually gotten use after I’ve gotten home… no wait, maybe you better not. 😉

     

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  • Christmas Card with the Stained Glass Technique

    I’m getting ready for my Crystal Effects technique class tomorrow and I always love running this class because it reminds me to use one of my favorite techniques – the “Stained Glass” technique.  This technique uses Crystal Effects, reinker, and some glitter to let you color in any image on a Window Sheet giving you a pretty look that is reminiscent of a stained glass window.

    In this case, we’ll be using the Snow Much Fun stamp set for our image:

     

    I tried doing a close up of the image so you can get a sense of the look you get when you are done.

    It is a really easy method for coloring in your images with a lot of wow factor. 🙂  Hope this gave you a fun idea to try on one of your projects soon!

     

    And if you want to join us tomorrow for this class, you can rsvp here!

     

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  • Have You Tried a Z-Fold Card Before?

    Alright, so I thought I’d share the last card we made at my folds class.  This is a super simple card style but it packs some wow! factor.  So, here is the front of the card using my new You’re Amazing stamp set that I got at convention a couple weeks ago.

     

    But to open it, pull on the left side of the card and it opens like this:

     

    Ta Da!!

    Fun, right? Smile  I loved the great shape of the Labels Framelits to be used as the front sentiment and piece that hid our inside area to write your greeting.  But this design works well for any shape you want to cut for hanging over the front.

    We added a bit of bling to our front sentiment after coloring in the stamped image for the front.  So, you can check it out in this next picture. And this is one of the things I like about using Stampin’ Up! designer paper, it tells me exactly which colors to use when picking the markers to color in my stamps!!

    So, if you want to create this card yourself.  All you need to do is create your normal side fold card and then take your card front and fold it back on itself.  (So you have a score at 2 3/4” and 5 1/2” on your 4 1/4” x 11” piece of paper.)  Decorate the “inside” of your card and the part of the front flap that you folded back.  Clear as mud?

     

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    Happy Birthday Z Fold Card
    Stamps:     Be Amazing
    Ink: Chocolate Chip, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade
    Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Baja Breeze, Floral District designer paper
    Accessories: Sponge Daubers, Big Shot, Label Framelits, Basic Rhinestones, Simply Scored, Bone Folder

  • Gate Fold Card with a Window

    I thought I’d share another card that we created recently in my Fun Folds class.  I had first done this card style for the folks in my Cards to Go program in June but thought it would be a fun style to do in my class here this month.  So I switched up the colors and paper to make this card:

     

    I often do the gate fold card when I am showing different folds option, but I liked how this card has the fun window in the middle to “peek a boo” to the inside of the card.  In this case, I just layered the two different sizes of Scallop Circle punches and the Button Buddies stamp set.

    Oh, and in case you are wondering about the designer paper – it actually comes from the Twitterpated designer series paper pack!  I would never have thought to look for a pattern like this in that kit but I was flipping through and it just jumped out to me as perfect!

    And if you are interested in getting project kits or instructions mailed to you each month for fun new cards

    – check out my Cards to Go program!  There is still time to sign up for the August card kit!

     

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  • Getting Back to Watercolor Crayons

    When I was asked recently to put together a card using Watercolor Crayons, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go; but I decided I was up for the challenge.  The person really liked a card by Meg Loven using the Simply Soft set and so I looked around my craft room and spied the new Reason to Smile stamp set (its coming out in July as part of a special promotion where you can get it for only $5 with any $50 order!).  It is a new 2-step stamping set and I thought it would be fun to try with the crayons.

    Reason to Smile watercolored stamp set

     

    I used the Watercolor Crayons two different ways:  coloring directly onto the stamp (for the petals and stem) and picking up color from the crayon using a waterbrush and coloring on the paper.  I have to say, making this card has renewed my love affair with Watercolor Crayons!

    Thanks to this tip from Meg, I had MUCH BETTER success coloring on my stamp.  I grabbed my aqua pen for the first time in ages – I normally am loyal to my blender pen – and moistened the surface of the rubber before I colored with the crayon.  Boy does that help the crayon color nicely on the surface!  Then you can stamp and it is super pretty.

    I then brushed my aqua pen along the back of the crayon (the flat end) and then used that to paint color around my stamped image on the paper.  Doesn’t it give such a pretty look?

    Reason to Smile watercolored close up

     

    The only other tip I have for you today, is if you are going to color on your paper like I did with the blue, you really really  want to be using watercolor paper!  You will be using so much water doing this that regular cardstock will warp a lot.

    So, there you go… now grab your watercolor crayons and give it a try!  Its probably way more fun than you remember it being. 🙂

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    Reason to Smile Thank You Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Reason to Smile, Curly Cute
    Ink: Stazon black, Old Olive
    Paper: Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Watercoloring Paper
    Accessories: Daffodil Delight seam binding, Brights watercolor crayons, aqua pen, stampin’ dimensionals, basic rhinestones

  • Making a Perfect Mini Bow the Easy Way!

    For years, I’ve been running classes where one of the cards may have a bow on it.  And I’ve watched folks struggle with trying to make a smaller bow without either getting your fingers caught or one side of the bow threatening to come out.  Now, it is totally possible to tie it like normal, but I’ve finally put together a video on how to do it the quick and easy way that comes out perfect everytime!  No, seriously! 🙂 I have it at the bottom of this post.

    So, here is a card I made with the sample bow from the video.  Isn’t it cute?  It uses the retiring satin ribbon (seriously, I think this is the product I’m most sad about losing!) for a border and bow.

    easy events fork bow card

     

    Now if you are curious about the scallopy Saffron circles under the ribbon – surprise!  It is the retiring Pocketful of Posies designer paper and I just cut along the white lines in the paper.

     

    See, just cut and flip it over and here you go!  Oh, and another close up of the bow.perfect fork bow closeup

     

    Alright, so if you’ve made it this far, check out the video for how I made this bow using a fork… that is right, a fork.  Then leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it!

     

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    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Hello Easy Bow Card Recipe:

    Stamps: Easy Events
    Ink: Early Espresso Classic, Soft Suede Classic, Crumb Cake Classic, Old Olive Classic
    Paper: Pocketful of Posies designer paper, Perfect Plum cardstock, Whisper White cs
    Accessories: 2-3/8” Scallop Circle punch, Basic Pearls, Old Olive 5/8” Satin Ribbon, Blender pen, glue dots, Sponge Daubers

  • A Bright and Bold Thank You

    One of my goals right now is to use up my scraps – whether left over pieces when cutting paper or stamped and punched images that I decided not to use on a previous project.  So, when I was working on thank you cards for customers, I grabbed some left over pieces of designer paper and I had fun layering!

    Summer smooches kind thanks pennant

     

    This card actually uses designer paper from two different packs – Summer Smooches (for the banners and the accent piece on the sentiment) and Berry Blossom (for the polka dotted background).  But don’t they work well together?

    It also uses 2 retiring items – Thank You Kindly stamp set and the silver brads.  Both of these items I can’t believe are going away because they are such staples.  But I know I will be keeping the Thank You Kindly set because it gives me 4 different thanks sentiments, and I’m expecting awesome new things in the catalog next month!

    Summer smooches kind thanks pennant close up

     

    Oh, so one last thing for today, I wanted to show you how to get those tips of the banners without having to guess with your scissors – and, if you are like me, get totally random results each time!  You just need to grab your Pennant Punch!

    making banners with the pennant punch

     

    The photo above shows how the corner of the pennant punch actually can make a really nice and consistant tip for your banners.  What you want to do is slide your paper into the punch from the side so that it lines up with a corner on the short end of the pennant.  You will have to slide your paper around a little to line it up evenly, but once you’ve done it it goes fast each time.  Ta-da!!

    making banners with the pennant punch 2

    So, I hope you got some new idea from this today.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

    Need the punch or anything else for your craft projects? I’d love to help you as your demonstrator!  Shop online or shoot me an email.  Ask my current customers, I’m always up for sending photos or creating videos to help you with your creative needs!

     

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    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

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  • Scrapbooking Sunday: A Punch Art Bunny For Spring!

    Happy Easter to you!  I hope you have a wonderful day full of fun and happy moments.

    For my blog post today, I wanted to share a scrapbook page I created to hold some of our Easter moments this year (I knew what color outfits the kids would be wearing so I could pick the right colors – hee hee; but I don’t have the pictures printed yet).

    If you saw my stamping basics video earlier this week, you saw that I used the Button Buddies stamp set to demonstrate the difference paper can have on your image.  Well, what you didn’t see is that I did that about 4 different times because I was trying to figure out how to get my video camera to point to the right place and work for my demonstration – or making sure it was on… that was frustrating when I did the full video only to realize I had pushed the record button off instead of on when I started!

    Anyway, I had some extra flowers and an idea, so I created this:

     

    The very first thing I knew I wanted to do was create this row of flowers.  I punched them out with my scallop circle punch and went about laying them down.  I alternated having one flower glued straight down to my paper and the next flower popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  And while this stamp set is made to work perfectly with a designer button in the center of the flower, I decided I wanted to do something a little more subtle and so I used Crystal Effects to add some shine and pop to my flowers.

     

    And then there is the bunny…. I LOVE making this punch art bunny.  I’ve made one in the past but for this page I knew I wanted a smaller version and so I had to start from scratch.  So, I looked at my punches and started experimenting… but isn’t he cute?

     

    I’ll admit I got the button tail idea from a few demos online (I saw it first from Pam Steckman on facebook) though their bunnies were much bigger.  Anyway, if you want to create this little bunny, I thought I’d show you how I put it together.  It is the Heart to Heart punch for the ears and feet, the 1” circle punch for the body, and the 3/4” circle punch for the head.  I sponged all the pieces with Blushing Bride ink just to give them a subtle definition from each other.

    As it turns out, seeing the bunny shape from my example to show you how I made the bunny looks like another cute way to create a punch art bunny.  So, hopefully this gives you a couple new ideas to play with on your projects!

     

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    Sponged Easter Egg Card Recipe:

    Stamps: Button Buddies
    Ink: Blushing Bride Classic, Rich Razzleberry
    Paper: Certainly Celery CS, Melon Mambo textured CS, Whisper White CS, Nursery Nest designer paper, Pear Pizzazz CS
    Accessories: Twitterpated buttons, glue dots, Pear Pizzazz 1/2” stitched poly ribbon, 1 3/8” square punch, Heart to Heart punch, 1” circle punch, 3/4” circle punch

  • Faux Tiling with Fresh Vintage

    I’ve been wanting to try out Faux Tiling for a while and thought the big flower image from the Fresh Vintage stamp set was perfect for this look!

     

    To make the Faux Tiling look on your cards, I grabbed my Simply Scored score board and the matching Diagonal score plate to get the grid lines.  For the sample above, I started by having my paper positioned long side along the top of the score board (so with one edge stretching from 0 to 4.5”) and started doing a diagonal score every 1”.  Then, you just rotate your paper to finish out the grid lines so that they go both ways to make your diamond shapes.

    tip: For the faux tile look, do your score lines first and then stamp on your paper.  If you don’t press your stamp down too hard, this will keep the ink off the grooves giving you those nice white lines in your image, reinforcing the tile look.

    I kept it simple with my colors and just added some sponging to the white strip and punched circle.  Finally, it may be hard to tell in the picture but I added a rhinestone to the center of the flower for a little bit of sparkle. 🙂

    Did you want this stamp set? Only 3 days left to get it!

    image

    I’ve had a few people ask me about buying this stamp set and so I wanted to make sure everyone realized that this is a promotional stamp set that is only available to be earned during Sale-a-Bration.  So, while you can’t buy it, you can order $50 of whatever you’d like from any of the catalogs and get it for FREE.  You just have to place your order before the evening of March 31st; after that, it will be no longer available.

    You can shop online or shoot me an email at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll make sure you are all set up.

     

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    Everyday Enchantment Thinking of You Card Recipe:

    Stamps:  Fresh Vintage, Just Believe
    Ink:  Real Red classic, Basic Black classic
    Paper: Whisper White CS, Real Red CS, Basic Black CS
    Accessories: Simply Scored score board, Simply Scored diagonal plate, 3/4” circle punch, sponge, Stampin’ dimensionals, basic Rhinestones

  • More Watercoloring Card Samples–crayons & markers

    Today I wanted to share a couple more samples from my watercoloring class.  In my last post, I shared a card we did using chalks and for today, I thought I’d show some cards using watercolor crayons and markers.  As you can see, the medium you use for your watercoloring gives you totally different effects!

    Also, one more PSA – I always tell folks that the paper you stamp on makes a huge difference in your image quality and with watercoloring that is especially true.  Both of the techniques I ‘m showing you today need watercolor paper.  With the crayons, your image will not stamp well on the semi-gloss of Whisper White paper and with markers, you’ll tend to have your paper pill up or curl.

    Watercolor Crayons

     

     

    This card uses the watercolor crayons and I’ll admit it isn’t the best sample in the world; but it shows you how the crayons give you a more artsy watercolor look. With the crayons you color directly on your stamp and then mist it with water before stamping.  So, depending on how much you color on your stamp and how much water you use, you will get a more or less “blurred” image when you stamp.

    tip: Be careful not to completely douse your stamp with water when you are wetting it because you can either have your colors run together or become so diluted that they barely color your page.

    Watercoloring with markers

     

     

    This is one of my favorite watercoloring techniques because it is so easy and I really like the look you get from it.  This technique uses markers to lay down your color and then using your blender pen to pull the color around to fill in your stamped area.  When I was a kid, I used to outline my pictures in my coloring books and then color in lightly inside the lines and so it gave me a similar effect as I got on this card.  So, maybe this has always been my thing. 🙂

    tip: You will want to pick a medium to dark color marker for this technique.  If you use a lighter shade, you won’t really see the colors very well as you blend them into your open spaces.

    Well, I hope this gave you some new ideas to try!  They are all so different and fun that it is worth trying them all!

    If you haven’t done any watercoloring before, pick up some blender pens, watercolor paper, and your favorite color method (like ink pads, markers, chalks, etc).  Need help deciding which to start with?  Send me a note at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll help you figure it all out and get them on their way to you!

     

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