Northwest Stamper

Category: Video Tutorials

  • Wednesday Walkthrough: Watercolor Wash meets Beautiful Bokeh Techniques with this Lovely Amazing You Card

    I just love, love, love the font in the Lovely Amazing You photopolymer stamp set, and I thought it just went perfectly with this pretty way to get a background with the Watercolor Wash technique!  So today I just had to share this card with you, and I’ll have the video for the Wednesday Walkthrough posted too below! But for now, check out this cutie –  Smile

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    Get them before they are gone by the end of the month!

    Tips for making this card:

    • Emboss your background piece of Very Vanilla cardstock using the Big Polka Dot embossing folder to complement the Bokeh circles you create on top of the tag.
    • Watercolor Wash makes an awesome background for your bokeh cards.  You will want to make sure you use an Aqua Painter NOT a Blender Pen, and you want to be using Watercolor Paper NOT your basic cardstock because you’ll be using lots of water to help let your colors spread on the background.
    • Stamp your sentiment on AFTER you have done your bokeh circles.
      HEADS UP!  This stamp set is one of the monthly photopolymer releases and so is NOT in a catalog.  It is guaranteed available from Feb 2015 to July 2015, so don’t wait too long to pick yours up!

      image
    • Punch the top with the Scalloped Tag Topper and then wrap some of the thick baker’s twine through to make a tassel top.
    • Get that extra tassel-y top by untwisting the baker’s twine so all the individual threads are fluffed out!


    Want to see how to make it?  Check out the Walkthrough Wednesday video:

     

    (reading this in email, click here to watch the video)

    New Product Samplers/Shares are Coming!  Save your spot today!

    2015 Sampler

    I’ve posted the details for my Annual Catalog product shares.  I’ll be ordering to fill the first round of people on June 2nd, so make sure your name is on the list if you want your samplers of a little bit of all the ribbons and papers the first week of the new catalog!

    Details and sign up here

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    Project Supplies Used:

  • Wednesday Walkthrough: Birthday Card with the Hello You Thinlits

    In an effort to help encourage myself to stick to the plan to do at least one video a week, and since folks seem to be liking the tutorial videos I’ve posted lately, I’ve decided to start a new feature on my blog – Wednesday Walkthroughs!

    The idea is that each Wednesday, I’ll walk you though a card…start to finish…in a video giving you tips and technique tricks along the way.  So this is the card I’m kicking things off with:

    It is a bright and cheery birthday card that you can make in any color that fits your recipient, especially when you use the retiring Chevron Background stamp!

    Featured Retiring Products:

    Get them before they are gone by the end of the month!

    Tips for making this card:

    • First off, I have to say, this stamp uses a Background stamp, which I love… but I’ve discovered that I don’t love these big stamps in Clearmount Rubber.  They are a pain to put the stickers on the back, if you are like me and have to do a sticker that is perfectly lined up, and I like the comfort of knowing that the rubber won’t move around as I’m doing different techniques with the stamp.  Now, the clear mount stamps work totally fine… I just wanted to share that I *always* recommend getting my background stamps in wood mount.  They make take up a little more room, but I think it is worth it in this case.
    • When stamping along the edge of the paper like I did here, turn your stamp upside down on the table so the rubber is facing up and then ink it up.  Press your paper onto the upright stamp and burnish with a bone folder to make sure you get a solid image.

    • I wrapped my taffeta ribbon around the entire card and glued it down on the FRONT of the card.  I know it sounds strange, but since you will be covering up a large portion of the front with the sentiment, hide your ribbon ends under that paper for a clean look on the rest of the card!
    • Check out the video below if you haven’t used wax paper with your thinlit dies.  It makes getting your die cut out so easy and everything looking perfect!
    • Don’t forget some extra accents, I LOVE my candy dots and they are just the perfect touch for this card, don’t you think?  Use your paper piercer to make sure they are aligned exactly how you want them with ease!  (also shown in the video below)

     

    Wednesday Walkthrough Video

    Want to make this card with me?  Check out this video and you can do just that!

    (ps – if you are reading this in email, click here to view the video)

    Quick Links:

    So, if you like this idea for a new video feature on my blog, let me know!  Leave a comment here or on the video!  Or shoot me a note over on Facebook.  I love hearing from you and hope to keep bringing you more fun projects soon!

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    Project Supplies Used:

     

     

  • Water Drop Bokeh Technique Card with Everything Eleanor (VIDEO TUTORIAL)

    Did you see? Did you see??  Today is another video this week! Smile  I’m planning on getting back into videos and tutorials again and aim to have a new video project for you each Wednesday.  Sweet, right?!

    Today I wanted to share with you this cool technique I’m calling Water Drop Bokeh!  Check it out:

    See that colored blobby area?  It is just masked and sponged area of the Whisper White cardbase!  So it is easy and perfectly customizable to any project you want!

    Tips for making this card:

    • Use your Grid Paper to help make sure you are masking off straight and even lines across your white card base (in this case they are at 1” from the top and 2 1/4” from the top)
    • Sponge Daubers will give you rich color which helps make the technique turn out better because concentration of ink on your paper is key!
    • Swirl on your favorite colors of dye-based ink (all Stampin’ Up Classic Ink pads are dye based) on Whisper White cardstock
    • Use an Aqua Painter to drop bits of water onto your sponged area – from just the tip of the Aqua Painter for small circles to squeezing out full drops for bigger circles
    • Let it start to air dry and then you can stamp over the top almost immediately to create cool, layered effects.
    • Mix and match your stamp sets, like in this case Everything Eleanor for the bird and swirl, and A Dozen Thoughts for the sentiments
    • Each card you make will be different, but that is what makes it fun!

    Want to see how it is done?  Check out this Video Tutorial as I walk you through making the full card step by step.  Then, let me know what you think and if you like this style of video so I know what to do more of. Smile 

     

    (If you are viewing this in email, check out the video here)

    Quick Links:


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    Project Supplies Used:

  • A Simple Hello with Blended Blooms with a NEW Blendabilities Basics Video Tutorial

    Are you ready for another Blendabilities card?  I have another one for you today…. this was another card that I made using up the bits and pieces I had lying around my craft room.  From a stamped Blended Bloom image that needed to be colored to the Striped Scallop thinlit and the cut out pieces from a Dazzling Diamond Glimmer paper die cut.  A little bit of this and a little bit of that can come together for something new and fun like this:

    And if you are interested, I finally got my Blendabilties Basics video up to share the basics about these markers along with tips and techniques for coloring your images along with a few other fun ways to use your markers that DON’T involve stamping! Smile  I have the video below for you to check out!

    Tips for making this card:

    • Use the 2-way Glue Pen for an easy and mess-free way to adhere your Striped Scallop die cut to your project – like the Early Espresso die cut I have on my card.
    • You can put your die cut over cardstock for a simple accent, or step it up a notch by using the leftover cutouts from a prior project to fill in the gaps!  In this case I had previously cut out a Striped Scallop piece from the Dazzling Diamond glimmer paper.  I used the outline on a different card and kept the teardrop pieces that had been left behind to use later.  So when I was making this card, I just started gluing them the the holes on this card!
    • For a different take on leaves, use the Scalloped Tag Topper punch to create two scalloped pieces.  Let them peek out from behind your flower for a hint of green.
    • When coloring your flower, it is a big enough image that you will want to color it a few petals at a time.  I recommend finishing up 2-4 petals at a time instead of trying to do all of them at once, which would cause the ink to dry too much and keep them from blending well.


    I actually walk through coloring a few petals of this flower along with other flowers and projects in this Blendabilities Basics video:

    (note- if you are reading this post in email, you will want to click here to view the video)

    Get Blendabilities for FREE!

    Just a reminder you can get many of the Blendablities for free during Sale-a-Bration!  For every $50 you order you can pick one set of the original 12 colors (found in the Annual Catalog) to get included in your order free. Smile  Shop online and use Hostess Code EGR29JBV to receive a free gift from me when you place your order!

    NOTE – due to the dock workers strike on the west coast, some of the colors of blendabilities are unavailable while inventory is being replenished in the warehouse.  Those colors are Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie.  If you want to be notified when those become available, you can email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll keep you posted!

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    Project Supplies Used:
    Easy shopping anytime!  Click the images below to see the item in the online store.
    Use Hostess Code EGR29JBV to receive a free gift from me when you place your order!

  • Tips and Tricks Video for the Stacked with Love Valentine’s Class

    If you purchased my Stacked with Love Valentine’s Class, I just wanted to let you know that I posted a video with a few tips and tricks for the cards.  And since I thought that these tips might be useful for folks doing other cards and crafts as well, I thought I’d share the video here as well. Smile

    I cover:  a tip for cutting banner ends, coloring with blendabilities, coloring epoxy stickers, and a tip for adhering ribbon.  All basics but hopefully helpful additions to the class instructions!

    (if you are viewing this in email, click here to view the video!)

    If you would like to purchase the instructions for the cards or a kit by mail, you can still do so by signing up here – Stacked with Love Card Class.

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  • How to Make Really Cute Star Boxes with the Many Merry Stars Kit (with VIDEO!)

    Have you heard me talking about this cute Many Merry Stars project kit yet?  I LOVE it! 20141020TH_HolidaySupplement_en-US It is part of the new Holiday Supplement that just launched today.

    And before you roll your eyes and say, “another catalog?” let me tell you that it is just a few more cute projects and coordinating elements that are a fun addition to what you’ve already seen in the holiday catalog.  The main items is a new stamp set that goes with the Stars framelits along with this awesome Many Merry Stars kit that I’ll be sharing with you today!  Plus, there are some new project life goodies that are perfect for documenting the holidays or for putting together a December Daily album!  (I’ll be talking more about December Daily in the near future).  And some new ways to see some great card kits.   But FYI – the new items in the Holiday Supplement are while supplies last, so don’t delay too long if you see something you love!

    Check out the Holiday Supplement here

     But for today, let me introduce you to the Many Merry Stars boxes!  (And YES! I have a video further down in this post!)

    Many Merry Stars Project Kit

    So stinkin’ cute, right?!  Here is everything you get in the kit… it was actually pretty hard for me to get a picture of all of it. Smile

    In the kit you get the supplies to make 26 3D Stars including:

    • Front and back of 26 different stars made out of Kraft cardstock & gold glimmer paper
    • the side pieces to hold the front and back together – WITH adhesive already on!
    • 2 sheets of die cut printed stars, banners, and bow pieces for embellishment
    • 2 sheets of white die cut banners and tags
    • 1 sheet of cherry cobbler stickers (words & stars)
    • Gold baker’s twine
    • Silver sequins
    • 20 wood snowflake elements
    • Gold Glimmer paper works and star decorations
    • Tips and instruction sheet

    So, for example, on the big star you can see I used some of the sticker words, some gold glimmer accents, the silver sequins, awesome wood snowflakes, and some of the gold baker’s twine.

    For most of the pieces, I used the Tombow liquid glue but in some cases I pulled out my glue dots (for the sequins) and my Stampin’ Dimensionals (for the ampersand).

    You can make big stars or smaller stars….

    And they are super easy to make too!

    Check out the video below to see how easy it is to make these stars.  I walk through making this cute red star (above) from start to finish!

    (If you are reading this in email, click here to see the video on my blog)

    I’ll be sharing more project ideas with this kit over the next few weeks and will be holding a class in November for you local folks!  So, keep an eye out for those!  And if you have any questions or would like to know more, just let me know!

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    Project Supplies Used:

  • Peek-a-boo Washi Tape Card with a Quick Tip video tutorial

    **LAST DAY!  Don’t miss out on the Stock Up & Save Sale!**

    I’m so excited to share these cards with you today.  Not only because I love them, but also because I actually have a Quick Tip video tutorial to go with them!  Turns out I really enjoy putting videos together… who knew?  Anyway, let me share with you a fun card that you can reproduce with these punches or your favorites at home.

    There are two main “fun” elements to this card – the washi tape strips and the layering of punches for the butterfly centerpiece. 

    First, here is how you would create the butterfly centerpiece:

    1. Punch out a butterfly (this is the Elegant Butterfly punch) from a piece of scrap Whisper White cardstock
    2. Set aside the punched out butterfly and grab the scrap paper with the butterfly hole in it.  Punch out a 2-1/2” circle using the 2-1/2” Circle punch so that the butterfly hole is in the middle of the circle.
    3. Sponge the edge of the circle with Coastal Cabana ink
    4. Punch out a 1-3/4” circle from a piece of Soft Suede scrap paper
    5. Set aside the punched out circle and grab the scrap paper with the circle hole in it.  Punch out a 2-3/8” scallop circle using the 2-3/8” scallop circle punch so that the 1-3/4” circle is centered in the middle of the scallop circle.
    6. Adhere the scallop circle to the front of the 2-1/2” sponged circle
    7. Adhere to the front of your card using Stampin’ Dimensionals

    The other tip I have for you today is laying down your washi tape!  For my cards I used the sets from Stampin’ Up (Retro Fresh above, Beach House below).  You just lie three strips across your card front so that you can position your butterfly over the tape for a pop of color. 

    Video Tutorial – Check out this video for a quick tip for how to make sure you Washi Tape goes on straight.  (note – if you are reading this in email, click here so you can view the video)

    Now, as you saw in the video you can use different colors of paper and washi tape to give slightly different looks to your card.  Here is what the exact same design looked like only with Strawberry Slush cardstock and the Beach House washi tape:

    Let me know what you think about the video!  Please leave a comment and let me know if you’d like me to do more and even better, if you prefer quick tip videos, walkthrough for projects, or product reviews!  I so appreciate the feedback!

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    Card Supplies Used

  • Super Fun Spring Wreath with the Burlap and Blooms Kit

    Super Fun Spring Wreath with the Burlap and Blooms Kit

    So, I can make cards.  And I can make scrapbook pages.  I can even make boxes and bags out of paper.
    But when it comes to making cute home décor items, I have to admit I struggle a little bit.  Not because I can’t make them, but because the interior-decorating eye doesn’t come naturally to me and so I never think them up!

    My sister-in-law, on the other hand, doesn’t scrapbook or stamp, but her home has the CUTEST walls around!  I always go over to her place and get inspired to try to make my house look a little more crafty and put together.

    But check it out ….. I totally made this and I LOVE IT!!

    It looks so crafty and fancy and cute… but the best part, I didn’t have to think of much of anything at all and all the tedious work was done for me!  Yay!

    So, I pulled this all together from the Burlap and Blooms Wreath Kit from Stampin’ Up.
    image

    All I needed was a little bit of time – which can be tricky with two small kiddos who always want to craft with you if they see you at your craft table and you are trying to wield a hot glue gun! – and some adhesive.   Oh, and some scissors for a smidgen of fringing – but only on the grey circles in the middle of the big flowers.

    The biggest problem I had was that the instructions were a bit brief and so I had to figure out what I was doing by my best interpretation.  But in case you are a more visual learner, I put together a video that walks you through how to make each of the flower types in the kit!

    Video Tutorial for making the Flowers in the Burlap and Blooms Kit

    (If you are reading this post in email, and can’t see the video – click here to check it out on my YouTube channel)

    Finally, I wanted to add a few little details that were my own –

    I had so much fun making this wreath that I’m thinking of giving her this one and then getting another one to make for me to keep!  She just moved, so it would make a perfect housewarming gift, don’t you think?

    And don’t forget,
    if you grab 1 kit for you + 1 kit for a gift + the Elegant butterfly punch = 1 FREE sale-a-bration stamp set/paper/punch/accessory of your choice!  Score!

    So, give it a try and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com or leave me a comment and I’d be glad to help clarify things for you!

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    Stampin’ Up! Supplies Used

    Ink – Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight
    Paper – Pear Pizzazz cs, Vellum cs
    Accessories – Burlap and Blooms Wreath kit, Multipurpose liquid glue, Hot glue gun, Big Shot, Little Leaves sizzlit, Elegant Butterfly punch, Vintage Trinket embellishments

  • Background of Butterflies using Wheel Stamps

    Today’s card share is an idea for how to use your wheel stamps.  It is a simple idea and just involves using a jumbo wheel to create a background for your card.  Hope you like butterflies!

    In this case, I wanted to use the Butterfly Collection Jumbo Wheel.  I thought it would be a great set of images for the background of a card.  Here is what the wheel looks like:

    image

    So, to cover the entire front of my card, you only have to roll the wheel twice!  Not too hard, huh?  I used the same color ink as my cardstock to let you see the butterflies without it being too busy.  If you wanted it even subtler, then I would use Versamark as your ink.

    Wheel Stamp Techniques:

    1. Start rolling your wheel before you get to your paper where you want the stamp to show up.  This headstart makes sure you are getting the right pressure and direction that you want.
    2. Ink up your wheel using ink pads for more color options.  Ink them up by rolling in one direction, like you were inking up a paint roller for your home.
    3. Use a thick plastic ruler to help guide your wheel when doing a second pass so you keep it going the direction you want it to go.

    Want to see what I mean and more tips for Wheel Stamping?  I have a video on Wheel Stamp basics to talk about the different types of wheels and share a number of tips for successful stamping.  (if you are reading this in email, click here to see the blog post with the embedded video)

    Stampin’ Supplies used

    Stamps – Butterfly Collection jumbo wheel, Oh Hello
    Ink – Wisteria Wonder, Primrose Petals, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz
    Paper – Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White
    Accessories- Corner Rounder punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Crushed Curry Chevron ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearl basics

    Order any of the supplies and more in my online store

    I’ll admit wheels are a bit neglected in my stamp collection, but they can be a lot of fun to use and perfect for the job.  So, grab your wheels and give them another go!

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  • Penguin Punch Art Tutorial & Birthday Giveaway Winners!

    Alright, after fighting with cameras and computers… I finally finished the Penguin Punch art tutorial video!  I swear normally it doesn’t take nearly this much effort to create and share a video but I feel accomplished for showing the technology who is boss.  ha ha!

    So, I shared this card last week:

    And now, here is how to make these cute penguins at home!

    (note–if you are reading this post via email, you may need to click over to the blog to actually view this video)

    Now, on to the good stuff!

    Birthday Weekend Celebration Winners!!

    Thanks to everyone who visited and commented here and on my facebook page!  It was so fun to hear everyone’s favorite holiday traditions, treats, and more.  Smile  Plus it was nice to hear I’m not the only one behind on mailing out Christmas cards!

    I did a random draw of everyone who commented on the blog posts and corresponding facebook posts and here are the winners

    • Day 1 – Tag a Bag Accessory Kit & Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details  :  Saundra W
    • Day 2 – Neutral Candy Dots & Brad Bases   :  Audrey R
    • Day 3 – This & That washi tape & Brights Designer Buttons  :  Meredith
      • Day 4 – Designer Paper Sampler  :  Carla B

    Congrats to all the winners!  Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com with where you would like me to send your goodies and I’ll get them out to you this week.

    Thanks again for celebrating with me and have a great holiday!

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  • A Fun Christmas Card and Coloring Tip for Embossed Images

    So, this started out as me trying to figure out the answer to a question for my downline, Liz, about how to get rich color on the top of the flowers from the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.  I thought I knew what to tell her, but I wanted to try it out first so I could make sure I told her the right technique (since there are quite a few ways to color with your embossing folder).  Plus it was a great excuse for me to get back into creating videos too!  Yay!

    Anyway, I finally figured it out and then thought I ought to do something with the finished colored and embossed paper, so this is what I came up with:

    Christmas Card with Petals a Plenty and Tag It

    Isn’t he cute?  I finally busted out my Tag It stamp set and used the coordinating Chalk Talk framelits to create the center tag.  Plus I accented it with my beloved Stitched Satin Ribbon in Gumball Green.  It makes it so happy, no?

    Want to know how easy it is to color the flowers on this embossing folder?

    Check out this quick video I made to show you how I did it.  (if you are reading this in email, click here to view the video on my blog)

     

    Thank you, Liz!!

    Now that I have this technique figured out, you can be sure I’m going to use it a lot.  It is so fast and I love the look.

    I’m also thinking of including this card in my upcoming Holiday Card stamp-a-stacks.  What do you think?  Would you want to make this card? Smile

    And check back tomorrow for another card idea using this same folder and technique.  See you then!

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  • 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!