It was my first real Silhouette project (I'd played with the software but hadn't done much cutting before this). I liked how it turned out and added the wrapping string as an accent (as I didn't own any ribbon at the time).
August 14, 2012
Lily of the Valley Card
This is one of my best old cards. My mother loves lily of the valley, so I created this birthday card for her. I used the Silhouette SD to create the shapes, cut them out and assembled the card. I used a stylus to add some dimensional lines to the leaves to make it look a bit more realistic.
It was my first real Silhouette project (I'd played with the software but hadn't done much cutting before this). I liked how it turned out and added the wrapping string as an accent (as I didn't own any ribbon at the time).
It was my first real Silhouette project (I'd played with the software but hadn't done much cutting before this). I liked how it turned out and added the wrapping string as an accent (as I didn't own any ribbon at the time).
August 9, 2012
Peacock Cards
I made these cards both because I wanted to use my new Peacock stamp set and metallic inks, but also because I wanted something to submit to this week's Less is More Challenge, Week 79: Blue & Green.
The first card I did was purple ink on a dark green background (yes, I know, not the challenge colours). I saw a card in Paper Crafts magazine a while back that had a gorgeous peacock feather in purple on a dark green background and thought it looked amazing. My attempts to buy that particular stamp were thwarted by the stamps going out of print, so this is as close as I could get. This card is also shorter than the other two (therefore it doesn't have a ribbon) because the first time I tried punching through the 2 layers of cardstock it messed up (the Martha Stewart punches aren't quite as strong as the Fiskars in this respect, so I changed the punch for the other two).
The inks really shimmer, but you have to clean you stamps IMMEDIATELY after stamping (I used soap and water as it's a pigment ink), or the ink won't come off completely (and even if it does come off, I noticed a faint staining effect).
The first card I did was purple ink on a dark green background (yes, I know, not the challenge colours). I saw a card in Paper Crafts magazine a while back that had a gorgeous peacock feather in purple on a dark green background and thought it looked amazing. My attempts to buy that particular stamp were thwarted by the stamps going out of print, so this is as close as I could get. This card is also shorter than the other two (therefore it doesn't have a ribbon) because the first time I tried punching through the 2 layers of cardstock it messed up (the Martha Stewart punches aren't quite as strong as the Fiskars in this respect, so I changed the punch for the other two).
For the second card I used teal ink on a blue background (I didn't buy the metallic green, so this was the closest I could get). I decided it wasn't quite close enough for the challenge so I did a third card, with blue on light green.
Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections
Stamps: Stampendous - Proud Peacock
Inks: Encore Ultimate Metallic - purple, teal, blue
Punches: Martha Stewart Arch Lattice, Fiskars Dotted Scallop Edger punch
Hot-Fix jewels iridescent - Darice; teal - Imaginesce (4mm), mystery company (3mm) (I bought a set in Germany but threw away the label as I hadn't planned on starting this blog at the time)
Ribbon - from stash (Note, the teal ribbon with silver edging was actually white, coloured with a teal Crayola marker)
Ribbon - from stash (Note, the teal ribbon with silver edging was actually white, coloured with a teal Crayola marker)
Paper Crafts Magazine
If you're not following their facebook page or blog yet, well you probably should. Aside from having lots of giveaways, they also do tutorials for new techniques and display a ton of new products (I've bought several stamps because I saw them demonstrated on the Paper Crafts blog).
Today they're offering a free magazine download. You have to read the post carefully and the download's a bit slow, but it's an entire magazine devoted to holiday cards. :) You do have to give them your email address to get the download, but if you don't want updates it's easy to unsubscribe later. Enjoy!
Today they're offering a free magazine download. You have to read the post carefully and the download's a bit slow, but it's an entire magazine devoted to holiday cards. :) You do have to give them your email address to get the download, but if you don't want updates it's easy to unsubscribe later. Enjoy!
August 8, 2012
A Progression of Baby Cards
Just to illustrate how my cards have improved (and sometimes regressed) over time, here are some baby cards I've made. I seem to know a lot of people who have boys...
This is one of the first cards I did. I'm not sure why I thought baby carriages look like Pacman. Guess it had been a while since I last babysat. The card's pretty simple, aside from the hanging 'BABY'.
I was much happier with the next baby card I made. The hanging bibs turned out pretty good, I thought.
I'm a little embarrassed to say I made this card after the previous one, and around the same time. It's basically shaped sequens glued around a stamped, but not coloured in baby carriage. The BOY is on patterned paper using a thick silver paint that takes several hours to dry.
Finally, I managed to make a decent baby card. The patterned paper is from a magazine, and I'd recently bought the buttons at the fall Creativ Festival.
My future baby cards should look better, as I've recently purchased some nice stamps (both pictures and sentiments). I've also been applying more of what I learned in photography about the rule of thirds and combing magazines for layouts / card maps.
This is one of the first cards I did. I'm not sure why I thought baby carriages look like Pacman. Guess it had been a while since I last babysat. The card's pretty simple, aside from the hanging 'BABY'.
I was much happier with the next baby card I made. The hanging bibs turned out pretty good, I thought.
I'm a little embarrassed to say I made this card after the previous one, and around the same time. It's basically shaped sequens glued around a stamped, but not coloured in baby carriage. The BOY is on patterned paper using a thick silver paint that takes several hours to dry.
Finally, I managed to make a decent baby card. The patterned paper is from a magazine, and I'd recently bought the buttons at the fall Creativ Festival.
My future baby cards should look better, as I've recently purchased some nice stamps (both pictures and sentiments). I've also been applying more of what I learned in photography about the rule of thirds and combing magazines for layouts / card maps.
August 7, 2012
Steampunk Elizabeth
Things are busy at home - again - which means you're just getting a card again. I really need to post some of my older cards, these new ones 'tend' to look pretty good (if I do say so myself) and I haven't finished convincing you that my cards used to look horrible (on average).
Anyway, this one I started last week with the background. I've wanted a clock background stamp but wondered if I could make my own with the clock stamps I have. Turns out I can, but with the masking it's rather time consuming. It would have helped too had I confirmed the card base was right side up before I started (rather than at the end). Hence all the upside down clocks.
Unless I know what occasion I'm using the card for I wait until I'm going to send it before adding a sentiment.
Supplies:
Cardstock: white Recollections
Stamps: Close to my Heart - Key Moments, Inkadinkado - Clock Wings, Make it Crafty - Elizabeth J
Ink: Memento Black Tuxedo
Markers: Crayola
Sakura gold gel pen
Martha Stewart scoreboard
Anyway, this one I started last week with the background. I've wanted a clock background stamp but wondered if I could make my own with the clock stamps I have. Turns out I can, but with the masking it's rather time consuming. It would have helped too had I confirmed the card base was right side up before I started (rather than at the end). Hence all the upside down clocks.
Unless I know what occasion I'm using the card for I wait until I'm going to send it before adding a sentiment.
And as an aside, it turns out that you can tape an unmounted stamp to an acrylic block to stamp with it. I wouldn't suggest that as a long term solution, but it's definitely good in a pinch if you don't have mounting foam and want to use your unmounted stamp.
Cardstock: white Recollections
Stamps: Close to my Heart - Key Moments, Inkadinkado - Clock Wings, Make it Crafty - Elizabeth J
Ink: Memento Black Tuxedo
Markers: Crayola
Sakura gold gel pen
Martha Stewart scoreboard
August 3, 2012
Unmounted Stamps
Yesterday I talked about the different kinds of stamps you can get, including unmounted rubber. That post was partly inspired by a recent order of stamps I received. It's the first time I've bought unmounted stamps. Alas, I didn't think about what's required to mount them when I ordered the stamps and now find myself with several sets of stamps I can't use.
Why's that? You need to mount stamps on cling foam, and I've discovered that none of the craft/art supply stores near me carry it. Which means I won't be able to use these until I place my next order - and order myself some cling foam.
In the meantime, I've been learning how to mount unmounted stamps. According to this video by Bombshell stamps (found through a quick google search), it's pretty easy.
So, buyer beware. If you're getting unmounted stamps, buy the cling foam right away or you'll find yourself staring wistfully at your new stamps unable to use them. Though, having the stamps does mean you can figure out how much cling to buy.
Simon Says Stamp (the next store I need to place an order with and so the only store I've checked for cling foam) sells EZ cling mounting foam in 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, thick (1/8") or thin (1/16"). Lucky for me, my stamps equal a full 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, so I'll only need one sheet and should have minimal waste. Unfortunately for me, I won't be placing that order for a few weeks yet...
In the meantime, I've been learning how to mount unmounted stamps. According to this video by Bombshell stamps (found through a quick google search), it's pretty easy.
So, buyer beware. If you're getting unmounted stamps, buy the cling foam right away or you'll find yourself staring wistfully at your new stamps unable to use them. Though, having the stamps does mean you can figure out how much cling to buy.
Simon Says Stamp (the next store I need to place an order with and so the only store I've checked for cling foam) sells EZ cling mounting foam in 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, thick (1/8") or thin (1/16"). Lucky for me, my stamps equal a full 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, so I'll only need one sheet and should have minimal waste. Unfortunately for me, I won't be placing that order for a few weeks yet...
August 2, 2012
Stamping Basics: Types of Stamps
There are 4* major types of stamps you can buy. And here they are:
1. Wood mounted. These are the most expensive, mainly because they're the longest lasting. Red rubber allows for deep impressions with lots of detail, and the wood backing means stability. They're hard to store unless you have a lot of room though, which is why there are other options out there.
2. Cling mounted. Cling is a foam padding added to the back of rubber stamps that sticks to an acrylic block. Note, it's not sticky on its own (though I've seen warnings that it will adhere permanently to blocks if stored on them), it just 'clings' to the block. Sometimes the stamp face is printed on the back, sometimes it isn't. (Note, I drew the line on the back of my unprinted stamps to help with alignment.)
3. Unmounted rubber. Yesterday I got my first order of unmounted stamps. They come... unmounted. It's just a thin sheet of uncut rubber with your stamps. These must be mounted either on cling or wood in order to be used. Sentiment stamps and sheets of images have to be cut out.
4. Clear stamps. These are popular due to their ease in placement (it's easier to get proper alignments when you can see what and where you're stamping). You have to clean them properly and store them out of sunlight or they'll deteriorate quickly. These have sticky backs that again cling to acrylic blocks for stamping. You also have to condition these to remove oils (I've noticed the newer stamps I get don't have the problems I had with older sets with regards to stamping clearly without splotching). This is easily done by lightly rubbing an eraser over the stamp (a trick I only recently learned. I was beginning to despair that my stamping was just horrible when I stumbles across this trick. I'll do a longer post about it later).
Acrylic blocks come in different widths, shapes and sizes, both with and without grid markings. I find the grid helps when placing stamps, and it's best to have an acrylic roughly the same size as your stamp (if the acrylic is too big, you may press down the sides and get ink stains on your paper).
For a more detailed view of the pros and cons of rubber vs clear stamps, as well as pictoral evidence of why storing clear stamps properly is important, check out Mementos In Time's post about this.
* I say 4 because that's what I know (and own) right now. But as I'm constantly learning new things...
1. Wood mounted. These are the most expensive, mainly because they're the longest lasting. Red rubber allows for deep impressions with lots of detail, and the wood backing means stability. They're hard to store unless you have a lot of room though, which is why there are other options out there.
2. Cling mounted. Cling is a foam padding added to the back of rubber stamps that sticks to an acrylic block. Note, it's not sticky on its own (though I've seen warnings that it will adhere permanently to blocks if stored on them), it just 'clings' to the block. Sometimes the stamp face is printed on the back, sometimes it isn't. (Note, I drew the line on the back of my unprinted stamps to help with alignment.)
3. Unmounted rubber. Yesterday I got my first order of unmounted stamps. They come... unmounted. It's just a thin sheet of uncut rubber with your stamps. These must be mounted either on cling or wood in order to be used. Sentiment stamps and sheets of images have to be cut out.
4. Clear stamps. These are popular due to their ease in placement (it's easier to get proper alignments when you can see what and where you're stamping). You have to clean them properly and store them out of sunlight or they'll deteriorate quickly. These have sticky backs that again cling to acrylic blocks for stamping. You also have to condition these to remove oils (I've noticed the newer stamps I get don't have the problems I had with older sets with regards to stamping clearly without splotching). This is easily done by lightly rubbing an eraser over the stamp (a trick I only recently learned. I was beginning to despair that my stamping was just horrible when I stumbles across this trick. I'll do a longer post about it later).
Acrylic blocks come in different widths, shapes and sizes, both with and without grid markings. I find the grid helps when placing stamps, and it's best to have an acrylic roughly the same size as your stamp (if the acrylic is too big, you may press down the sides and get ink stains on your paper).
For a more detailed view of the pros and cons of rubber vs clear stamps, as well as pictoral evidence of why storing clear stamps properly is important, check out Mementos In Time's post about this.
* I say 4 because that's what I know (and own) right now. But as I'm constantly learning new things...
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