Stamp Action

Limited Edition Distress Inks for Spring 2012

Breaking News!!! 

Ranger has created a new seasonal palette of Distress Inks for Spring 2012.  This is the third time a group of three colors has been released in a limited edition set, and if the first two were any indication, these will sell out quickly.  New for Spring 2012 are Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade, and Shaded Lilac, colors that simply shout "spring."  They're soft and pretty and reminiscent of the first blooms in your garden. The Spring set of inks is $17.99.

And more good news:  the requests for re-inkers for the Seasonal palettes have been deafening so Ranger has finally relented and created re-inkers for all the Seasonal colors.  So if you purchased the Fall or Winter Limited Edition Distress ink palettes, be sure to ask me to reserve the re-inkers for you.  They should arrive in about a week!  Re-inkers are $5.59 each.  If you want to see how the new Spring Ink colors fit into the overall Distress Ink color palette, click here to see a video of Tim Holtz introducing the new colors!

Upcoming Classes

Saturday, May 5 – One Set of Stamps, Four Cards

10am – Take one set of stamps and a few pieces of decorative paper and cardstock and make four cards.  Learn how to maximize possibilities of your stamps!  To see all the samples in this class, click here 

2pm – Make four really cute birthday cards using one set of stamps and two pieces of decorative paper!  We will embellish them with my new favorite “bling” Candi Dots and add a bows to our birthday presents with the Crisp Bows die from Memory Box.  To see all the samples in this class, click here.

 

Saturday, May 12, 10am and 2pm – Penny Black Sticker Cards

Penny Black stickers are known for expert coloring and the new set “Petals and Wings” is a perfect example.  Full of vibrant colors and beautiful images of flowers, birds and butterflies, the stickers make lovely cards.  We will pair the stickers with decorative papers and make two backgrounds with distress inks.  Embossed papers and punches will also add a very artistic flair to these cards. To see all the samples in this class, click here.

Spellbinders New Edgeabilities Dies

This week I had a chance to play with three sets of the relatively new Spellbinders’ Edgeabilities dies.  To be honest with you, I thought they merely cut a decorative border as so many border dies (and border punches for that matter) do.  Well, I was in for a big surprise.  Each Edgeabilities set contains 2 distinct types of dies: Cutting Edges and Decorative Inserts that do not cut, but do emboss beautiful patterns into your design.  These edges can be combined within one set or among all the sets to create custom, beautifully detailed edges.  For the card I made on the left (BTW – it’s perfect for Mother’s Day!) I used 7 dies from 3 Edgeabilities sets.  It was great fun to mix and match the dies to see what different combinations produced!  Check out the sets we have in stock soon!

Speaking of Dies

Have you ever die cut something and couldn’t get the @#$%^&!! Paper out of the die?  The other day I had a great idea for a card and reached for the gorgeous new Spellbinders Floral Oval die to die cut a background mat.  It took me forever to get the paper out of the die and even thought I was slow and careful, the poor piece looked battle scarred when I finally got it out.  The customer who was going to buy the Floral Oval die set quickly returned it to the shelf because they didn’t want to go through the hassle.  I couldn’t blame them but I was n determined to find the secret to getting stubborn, stick die cuts out of the dies.

            Thank goodness for the Internet.  I “googled” my inquiry and quickly discovered a tip that sounded like it would work.  It was late in the day and Chloe was ready to go home, but she was patient with me as I grabbed the die, cardstock and the secret weapon – wax paper.  I layered the die (always cut side up when using the Grand Calibur machine), the wax paper first then the cardstock.  I nearly held my breath as I ran it through the machine – and viola!  The cardstock almost fell out of the die!  Oh, was I happy!!!

So if you have a stubborn die (such as the beautiful Tessatina Border from Memory Box) try this tip.  You will be die cutting to your heart’s content with no !@#$%!!

Baby Liam’s Shadowbox

I have a new grandnephew name Liam and I wanted to make something to welcome him so I decided to make a shadowbox full of all things baby.  This picture really does not do justice to this wall art piece.  The stamped images are from two (baby) Layering Collage stamps from Outlines; the polar bear and elephant are stamps and dies cuts from Memory Box; Liam’s name is spelled out in chipboard letters; and the photo mats are die cut with Spellbinder dies.  The border around the outside is die cut with the scallop die from Memory Box and the background paper is from Pebbles.  The shadowbox is from 7 Gypsies.  This was a fun project that could be reproduced for any number of special occasions such as graduation vacation or Mother or Father’s Day.  Let your creative juices flow and you will come up with an idea.  BTW:  We have the shadowboxes in stock in white ($19.99) and I can order them in black and in a number of different configurations.

Miscellaneous Samples

“Goosebumps Texture Spray” -- This fun card showcases the delightful Petite Umbrella and Puffy Clouds dies from Memory Box but with a new twist.  The acetate layer on top of the card is sprayed with a new product from Tsukineko called “Goosebumps Texture Spray.”  I know you can’t really see it in this photo, but IRL the acetate feels textured  and looks just like a rainy window!  Goosebumps comes in both a shimmer and a matte finish and is simple to spray on any surface.  It dries relatively quickly and can be sprayed on any number of surfaces.

 

New Die Cards – I love the Piestra Tile die from Memory Box because it makes a very easy and tailored card.  I die cut the top half of the border then stamped the greeting “hello” and finished by die cutting the bottom half of the border.  I adhered a thin strip of yellow cardstock behind the die and added a few teal pearls for a pop of color.

And speaking of the quickly upcoming Mother’s Day, this card will perfect convey your love.  I die cut the La Rue Heart in red and the Savannah Border in green, and mounted them over the beautiful roses embossed background (Lifestyle Crafts/Quickutz).  This stunning card is quick and easy but really elegant.

What’s Coming Up at The Stamp Act

As summer quickly approaches, we are thinking of creative ways to entice you to pass the hot summer days stamping.  Look for ….

A new line of fun jewelry products that are quick and easy but can be funky or elegant

Children’s Classes – make jewelry, scrapbooks, banners and other fun and decorative items using stamps, dies and loads of fun embellishments.

We’re Hitting the Road – Do you have a rubber stamping group that needs a little inspiration?  Ask me teach a class or demo techniques or products for your group.  Meet in your location or at the store – call 915-833-9500 for details.  Out of town group?  Call me and we’ll see what we can work out.

Private Classes – If you cannot attend our regular classes, call me to arrange a private class. 

Thursday Holiday Workshops – Don’t wait until the last minute to make your holiday cards this year, join us for our Holiday Workshops on Thursday afternoons and have them all made by Halloween!  Workshops will start in July.

Please give me feedback on what you would like to see us do.  We want to be responsive to your requests.  Call me (915-833-9500) or email me (hellopolly@aol.com) with your ideas.  Thanks!

New Cards with Memory Box Dies

Hi friends.  There’s a big wall covered with Memory Box dies and stamps today at The Stamp Act.  A few lucky people braved the bad weather Saturday to snatch up some of them, but there’s plenty for everyone.  Let me share with you some new cards I made since the new shipment landed and let me acknowledge generous inspiration from the MB blogs.  FYI, the card on the left is one of the cards we will make in the "White on White" class on Saturday, April 21 at 10am.  More information below.

This stunner is perfect for a wedding card or Mother’s Day wishes.  I used a new embossing folder (roses) from Quickutz for the embossed background; the MB La Rue Heart; and the MB Savannah Border.  I added a pearl in the center of the heart.  Sweet, simple and very impressive.

For this card I die cut the MB Modern Landscape out of kraft cardstock and mounted it on MB blue distressed dots paper and then on a white card.  I added a few white clouds to the sky (MB Puffy Clouds die) and a punched heart over the house.  The sentiment is MB too and the tiny envelope is a stamp mounted on the side of the sentiment stamp.  The green globes are Candi Dot embellishments (my new obsession) mounted over the die cut trees.  So cute!!!!

Need a quick thank you card?  This one’s so quick and easy you won’t believe it – and when you make one card you will have enough pieces left over to make several at once.  Simply die cut the MB Pop-up Thanks die out of yellow cardstock and then out of several colors (scraps).  Push the letters on the yellow cardstock to the back of the card and tape them down with Scor Tape (double-sided tape).  Add twine (we have it by the yard in many!)  and mount this piece to the green folded card.  Then cut the pop-up thanks letters on the scrap cardstock free so you can pick up each letter in different colors and fit them into the letters on the yellow card front.  You will have extra letters to make more cards!

Here’s a really fresh card that is copied from one that Kitty Caracciolo posted recently.  I die cut the Poppystamps small Madison Window and Shutters from white cardstock and mounted them together and onto the blue card.  Next I cut the Poppystamps Picket Fence and mounted two Poppystamps Grassland Borders behind it and one in front of it.  This piece was then mounted to the bottom of the card adhering it only at the bottom.  Next I die cut the MB Arboscello Tree from white cardstock and painted it using a watercolor brush and Distress Stains Tea Dye and Peeled Paint.  Once it was dry I mounted it using foam tape on the leaves and ⅛” scor tape on the tree trunk behind the picket fence.  As the final touch to this scene, I die cut the MB Spring Border out of three colors of cardstocks; cut off the flowers; and mounted them using Glossy Accents on the tall grasses.  So pretty and so reminiscent of spring!

 

“White on White” Class, Saturday, April 21 at 10am

I showed you one of the cards for my “White on White” class above, and now I’d like to share the other two cards. First let me say that’s it is very hard to photograph white cards and second, glitter looks awful on camera.  So trust me that this card is very impressive in person!  This is a multi-layered card starting with the background (Hero Arts Antique Flower Background); embossed background (Tim Holtz Damask embossing folder); frame created with Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles and labels 10; and finally MB Chloe flower die cut from white glitter paper.  There are several other added touches but you will have to come to the class to discover all those! 

This card is a clear card and the background is die cut with the MB Debutante die then embossed (Damask folder).  The star of the card is the MB Fuschia Sprig flower.  Helping create a very warm scene are a few butterflies cut with the MB Butterfly Delights die.  There’s more to learn in this card too so please join us!  For more details on this class, please click here.

Upcoming Classes: April 28 -- Punch Flowers

On April 28 we will have two classes that are all about Punch Flowers – well kind of.  Some of the flowers and greenery are indeed punched, but others are die cut so it’s a good mix of the old way of creating tiny flowers and the new way.  In the morning class, we will decorate the Poppystamps Grand Madison window with a wreath made from punched flowers and greens.  To complete the scene we will add die cut ivy (Poppystamps Ivy Tendrils) and flowers to the window box (Poppystamps Grand Madison Flower Box).  The background is so cool – I used the Tim Holtz brick embossing folder and … well you gotta come to class to find out more!

The second card in this class is equally impressive.  I used the Quickutz Roses embossing folder and cool technique color to background light pink.  The elements of the focal image include spellbinders Floral Ovals (gorgeous!!) and Ribbon Banners; sentiment stamp from Penny Black (Gratitude clear set); punched flowers and greenery.  The pink on pink is a soft color combination which would make a lovely wedding or Mother’s Day card.

In the afternoon we have two different cards each using dies for the flowers.  For the first card I used the MB Arboscello Tree and the MB Flower Mound dies as well as MB Viola paper.  For the second card I used the new MB Grove Branch and Fancy Blossoms dies as well as another Quickutz embossing folder (Damask) colored this time in blue. 

For more information on the Punch Flower classes please click here.

Upcoming Classes: May 5 -- One Set of Stamps, Four Cards

Take one set of clear or cling stamps and create four different cards for birthdays or other festive occasions!  It’s easy and I will show you how in these two classes on Saturday, May 5.

Here are the sets I used and the cards I made (small versions) click on the card to see a bigger version or click here to get class details.

 

   

    

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please stop in and support your locally owned stamp store.  For those of you from out of town give me a call (915-833-9500) or email (hellopolly@aol.com) if you see something you want.  We are happy to fulfill your order!!!

 

 

Easter Tuckaway Cards

Hi friends.  Thanks for stopping by.  I had a few minutes to play recently and decided to make a few Easter cards.  The first cards I made were the popular tuckaway cards which can be very addictive because they are so quick to make and all the wonderful dies we have offer endless possibilities! The card above (sorry about the lighting -- it is the same card and paper!) is really fast because I simply cut the paper (Karen Foster) in the 3 sections and adhered it to the base card.  I used the largest die from the Spellbinders Nested Egg set to cut the opening and adhered the cute chick to the egg.  Because of the sentiment across the top of the paper there's no need to add anything else.

 

This one is my personal favorite.  The soft papers (The Paper Company), cute bunny (Penny Black) and darling egg (Poppystamps) really make a cute whimsical card.  Inside you see little eggs (Spellbinders' egg die set) hiding in the grass across the bottom of the second panel (cut with grass die from The Cat's Pajamas).  The two sentiments are from A Muse and they are stamped and then die cut (Spellbinders).

For these two cards I used very colorful papers and a border of hopping bunnies (Inkadinkado).  Here they are open:

 

The papers really make these cards!

 

 

 

 

One more!  The Easter eggs on the yellow paper were perfect for covering the egg die cut!

 

 

 

 

 

I also had time to make two more cards for Easter:

This stamp is the Egg Topiary stamp from Impression Obsession.  I colored it with colored pencils and maounted it on some very soft papers.  The pink and white twine (May Arts) is new to the store and we have it in many  colors.

 

 

Have you heard about the new Viva Decor pearl Pens?  They are fantastic -- just a little squeeze and you've got a luscious pearlized flow.  Here I used a variety of colors for coloring the Easter Egg Tree from Outlines Rubber Stamps (remember they are cloisng so if you see something from them you like nab it fast! -- we have several in stock right now)!  Plus, see the pearls in the corners of the card?  Notice how the colors match?  Well it's no accident.  Just use you pearl pens to create your own flat back pearls by applying the pearlized liquid to acetate or wax paper.  Let them dry, pop them off and glue them down with Glossy Accents or your Sakura fine tip glue pen.  I coclored the tree first with Copic markers then applied the pearls to the eggs.  The green "dots" are also created with one of the pearl pens (Kiwi).  The lighter colors are very pearlized and the darker colors are more like enamel.  Very fun and very quick!

Classes this Saturday

Saturday morning we will be using two layered collage stamps from outlines Rubber Stamps to make "Girlfriend Cards."  Here are the other two cards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you can join us.  Just call me (915-833-9500) or send me an email (hellopoll@aol.com) for more information.

    

Saturday afternoon we will explore the possibilities of a wonderful new collection of shabby chic stamps from Alesa Baker and Impression Obsession.  You will learn creative mounting techniques and how to make an “open book” with stamps and Spellbinders Labels 7 die.  You will also learn how to stretch the creative possibilities of one stamp!  I hope you can come!

What's New At The Stamp Act

Several cling-mounted stamps from Donna Salazar that match Spellbinder dies

Spellbinder's new Dies: Nested Tea Cups, Sewing Elements, Classic Edges 1 and 2, Decorative Inserts 6, Floral Ovals, Romantic Rectangles, Lattice Motifs and Girly Grunge Label words from Donna Salazar

Inky Antics Elegant Floral stamps and beautiful sentiments

 

 

New stamps from Penny Black, Hero Arts and many more! 

Lots of new papers: Graduation, Americana, Woof (dog bones!!!), birthday and lots more!

Thanks for stopping by today and please shop at The Stamp Act soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This shaped card is made with Spellbinders Grand Labels 4.













Easter Classes

Well it’s been a while since I blogged – we’ve been very busy receiving lots of exciting new merchandise and making wonderful samples to show you.  I do want to welcome all my new subscribers and encourage you to email me (hellopolly@aol.com) of you have any questions.  Remember I am happy to mail order items in stock and to special order items we are out of.

Last week brought a sad bit of news however, and that was that the Outlines Rubber Stamp company is closing.  This company's stamps are not only beautiful but very creative.    I immediately placed an order for some of their most popular stamps – fingers crossed that I get them!  The card on the left was made with their Bunny Layered Collage stamp and their Alphabet stamp.

It’s ironic then that my Easter classes this year feature Outlines Bunny and Easter layered collage stamps.  Saturday morning we will use the bunny from the Easter Collage in two cards.  The lettering on the “Hoppy Easter” card is from their alphabet stamp which is so easy to use because you simply stamp and then cut out the square letters!

This card also features the bunny and the carrots he's ready to eat! 

 

 

 

 

We will also use a cute set called “Easter Hugs” from Stampendous to make a card and and an Easter egg candy box.   

 

 

Saturday afternoon we will make a darling shutter card again featuring the Outlines Bunny and Easter collage stamps.  Remember, you do not have to cut these shutter cards because we sell them in packs of 10 in bright or pastel colors.  I love the little bunny on the cover – the stamp (Outlines) is called “Hide and Seek” and I colored it with Copic makers.  I hope you can join us to make these colorful, cute cards!  To get more information on our classes, please visit the Classes page at www.stampactelpaso.com or call me at 915-833-9500 or email me at hellopolly@aol.com.

 

Memory Box Stamps and Dies

As most of you know, Memory Box stamps and dies are hot, hot, hot!  We got a huge order in recently and it’s selling out fast.  This new spring collection naturally features creative flower dies as well as new butterflies and dragonflies.  There are two new Easter Egg dies, one large and one smaller, as well as borders and corners, branches and leaves, and wonderful large frames.  Memory Box’s sister line, PoppyStamps, famous for its very popular window dies now has added shutters and doors!  And my personal favorite die is the darling little umbrella.  Of course I had to play with these dies so here are some samples.

 

Easter Dies

Here are some samples of the PoppyStamps Easter Egg set.  There are two dies: a solid egg die and an intricate overlay egg die.  The advantage of buying both is that the solid die cuts the cardstock just the right size to fit behind the overlay egg die.  Memory Box uses the same concept with their butterfly dies, Christmas ornament die, and new frame dies.  For the first card I used just the solid egg cut from Basic Grey Kissing Booth paper.  The card itself is cut with the Memory Box Catillion Die and folded in half.  The grass is cut with The Cat’s Pajamas grass die and the butterfly is cut with a Spellbinders die.  The greeting is a Memory Box stamp.

The next card features both the solid and overlay dies in reverse prints.  For the final card, I cut the opening with the solid die and placed the new Bubble Daisy Border being the opening.  The sentiment is from the Stampendous’ “Easter Hugs” clear stamp set.

Umbrella Die

My first sample features a raindrop background that is so easy to make.  Simply stamp a polka dot stamp (I used Hero Arts “Raindrop Background appropriately enough!) in dark ink on white scratch paper.  Secure a piece of acetate on top of the stamped image with removable tape.  Using the stamped image as your template and Ranger’s Glossy Accents, make tiny “raindrops” on the acetate.  Set aside and let dry then cut to size.  I cut a background with Spellbinders Labels 20 and stamped my sentiment (Memory Box) on it.  Next I attached the acetate using Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher.  The clouds were die cut from felt with Memory Box’s Puffy Clouds and the Umbrella was cut from polka dot paper.

My next umbrella card features new paper from Jillibean (Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup, Shortening).  I love the Spring colors!  Here are some hints for making this card or one like it.  First, I cut off the handle of the umbrella so I could position underneath the top so it would look a little more realistic.  Second, tie the ribbon around the handle, put a micro-glue dot under it and “glue” it to your work surface.  It’s much easier to tie the bow if the handle is secured!  Finally, I taped the decorative paper to the card then added the score lines with my Scor It Mini.  The sentiment on this card is from Hero Arts and actually the stamp is “sending you sunshine and laughter.”  Because it’s a clear stamp, I simply cut off the “and laughter” and stamped only the beginning of the phrase.

 

Flower Dies

OMG – is this white on white card gorgeous!  The card is A6 size (4½” x 6¼”) and all four sides are covered with the new Tessatina border die.  The mat for the focal image is cut with Spellbinders Labels 8 and scored on the Mini Scor It.  I cut a frame with Spellbinders Ovals and filled it two flowers cut with Memory Box Prim Poppy and Dancing Tulips.  To embellish the tulips and make them look realistic, Memory Box designed their Tulip Petals dies which cuts four layers of petals that you can adhere to the top of the Dancing Tulip.  Final additions to this card include ribbon, Candi Dots and a die cut dragonfly (Willow – the smaller of the two dragonflies).

 

To showcase the new Spring Flower Dies and MB’s new Viola Paper collection, I decided to make a mini book.  For the cover I die cut the new Orchard Tree Frame and embellished it with tiny flowers made with the Punch Bunch 5 flower corner Punch.  The tiny butterflies are from the Memory Box Butterfly Delights die.  The sentiment for the cover and the pages inside are from an Impression Obsession clear stamp set called “In the Garden.”

Here are the pages inside and the items I used on each page – all papers are MB’s Viola collection:

 

Darice Embossing Folder “Scroll Frame” -- center cut out

MB Prim Poppy die

MB Willow Dragonfly die

Candi Dots “Winter Blues”

 

 

MB “Vintage Dreams” stamp

MB Butterfly Delights die

MB Dancing Tulips and Tulip Petals dies

Spellbinders Flower Pot die

Candi Dots “Winter Blues”

 

MB “Blank Ticket” stamp and matching die

MB Tessatina Border die

MB Butterfly Delights die

MB Fuschia Sprig die

Candi Dots “Winter Blues”

 

Spellbinders Labels 10 die

MB Wild Blooms die

MB Tessatina Border die

Candi Dots “Winter Blues”

 

 

Dogwood Stamps

MB also has three wonderful new dogwood stamps: the Dogwood Bloom, the Dogwood Wreath and the Dogwood Branch.  These stamps will be featured in an upcoming class with 3 different coloring techniques.  The Dogwood Wreath is colored with Prisma Watercolor pencils and the Dogwood Branch is colored with Copic markers.  I haven’t made the final card in the trilogy but I will use a different coloring medium for it – maybe Twinkling H2O’s?

 

And for even more MB Dies….

I want to share with you two cards I made from samples I saw on one of the MB blogs.  I created a set of cards in different colors of distress dotted paper (MB) using MB’s Orchid Branch stamp.  The sentiments are all (but one) from MB too.  This would be a nice set of cards to give to a friend or to simply have on hand.   

The second card features the MB Thanks Script die and the MB Meadow Leaf die.  Simply die cut white cardstock and decorative paper with the dies and combine them in any way that pleases you.  Quick and easy and oh so pretty!!!

 

What Else is New at The Stamp Act

There are many more new items in the store.

Cosmo Cricket “Baby Jane” mini paper pad

Pink Paislee London Market mini paper pad

Jillibean Soup Blossom Soup mini paper pad

Prima mini paper pads: en Francais, Sun Kiss Vinetta and Nature’s Garden

Doodlebug Glitter paper white

Tim Holtz new book: Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2

New stamps from Impression Obsession, Outlines, Stampendous, Penny Black and many more!

New dies from Spellbinders: Nested tea Cups; Sewing Elements; and

Viva Décor Pearl Pens in lots of gorgeous colors and Paper Soft in several colors

 

Please stop in soon and see all these wonderful items for yourself!!!!

 

 

Rolled Flowers

Today I want to share with some information on Rolled Flowers.  These flowers are very popular embellishments for cards and scrapbook pages right now because they are quick, easy and very realistic looking.  They are quick because of all the wonderful dies we can use to create the flower “base” if you will.  The chart on the left shows you the difference in the Spellbinders dies.  It's a little hard to show clearly how pretty the flowers are -- stop in and see the chart and samples in person for a better understanding of the choices you have.

The card on the left is created using the Scalloped Posie, Large Posie and Small Posie dies from Memory Box.  I used a quilling tool to roll the flowers and a glue dot to secure them to the base.  Then I added sparkle by squeezing glitter glue (Ranger Stardust Stickles) onto an acrylic block and painting the flower tops with glitter. 

 

While the Memory Box flowers are very compact with even edges, either smooth or scalloped, Spellbinders has three very different looks for its rolled flowers dies.  Their first three flower dies, Spiral Blossom 1, 2 and 3, each have distinctive edge treatments. 

SB1 has a ruffled edge and when it is rolled (or quilled) it looks like a rose. 

 

 

 

SB2 has a lacey scalloped edge and the flowers made with it are very whimsical. 

 

 

 

 

SB3 has a “pointy” edge and looks similar to a dahlia when rolled. 

 

 

 

Spellbinders also recently released their Bitty Blossoms Die set which includes three flowers dies and three leaf dies.  The large and medium flowers in the set look like roses when rolled and the smallest die can be made into a flower bud.  The included leaves are very realistic looking with nice veins.  All of these dies can be used with cardstock, decorative paper, wool felt and even fun foam. 

Which to choose?  If you are using the flowers on cards, you might want to choose the smaller flowers.   However the larger Spellbinders flowers can be cut into two pieces so you can create a medium and small flower as well as the original large flower from one die.  To learn more about these flowers and to get hands-on experience, take my Rolled Flowers class March 24 at 10am.

FYI:  All the dies are in stock now so shop now!

 

Embossed Die Cuts

This Saturday, March 10 at 10am and at 2pm, I am teaching a class called Embossed Die Cuts.  This is a very popular technique that gives your dies cuts a whole new look. The die cuts are painted then embossed to a shiny, almost metallic finish.  The Memory Box Spring Border die cut is embossed on card at the left.  Here are some other samples:

 

 
Call me (915-833-9500) or email me at hellopolly@aol.com to register for class.  I guarantee you will love this new technique and the cards you make!

 

Lots of Great Classes Scheduled

The class calendar is filling up with classes covering lots of different topics and techniques.   Just click on the link to read a class description and see the samples.

Thur 3/15 and Sat 3/17 at 10am – Male Birthday Cards

 

 

 

 

 

Sat 3/17 at 2pm – Girlfriends!

Wed 3/21 at 9:30am – Gift Card Book

Sat /24 at 10am – Rolled Flowers

Sat /24 at 3pm – Memory Box Die-Mania

 

What’s New At The Stamp Act?

Here’s a list of brand new things that are either in stock or coming to The Stamp Act soon!

 

Copic Markers – The new 2012 release of 12 new Sketch marker colors is in stock and the new colors are gorgeous!

Memory Box Dies and Stamps – did you know that now there will be shutters for the very popular window dies?  Plus 2 doors!  We can build a house!!!  And the new order (which should arrive early next week) will have a whole bouquet of unique flower dies – they are so very cool.  Plus new butterflies and dragonflies, new borders and frames, Easter eggs and gorgeous papers!  Shop early for best selection!

Spellbinder Dies – Besides to popular rolled flower dies, we have several of the other new dies including: Nested Tea Cups, Sewing Elements and Labels 25!

 

 

Stampendous New Release – New clear and cling stamps from Stampendous with themes from vintage to botanicals to girly (like the Rose Corset above) to travel (Paris especially) and masculine.  These stamps are very different from recent releases so come in and see them!

Embossing Folders – Embossing paper is making a comeback and we’ve got a good selection of new embossing folders from Darice (priced at $5.99) and soon from Quickutz and Spellbinders.

Impression Obsession – New stamps that are all very vintage!  The new Alesa Baker collection is just wonderful and I can’t wait to make collage and vintage cards using these new stamps!  This order will arrive late next week.

Easter – To be honest with you, most of my vendors didn’t even include Easter in their new releases so I have had little to choose from.  I did find some darling Easter stamps at Outline Rubber Stamps and they were just delivered!  Come and see !!!

Inky Antics – Their new Elegant Florals collection truly lives up to the name “elegant.”  The flowers are just beautiful and the sentiments are set in a very stylish font.  Our Elegant Florals class will be Saturday, April 14 at 10am and 2pm.

 

Thanks for reading and subscribing to my blog.  Please stop in soon and shop.

 

 

 

Valentines Banners

Hi friends.  Today my topic is banners.   This week I used my Spellbinders Pennant dies (2 sets: Nested Pennants and Lacey Pennants) to make two banners and a card. 

For my first banner I used new papers from Doodlebug (Sweet Cakes) and Basic Grey (Kissing Booth) plus the three bears from the new Penny Black “Raindrops and Kisses” set to make a colorful and cute Valentine banner.  I chose coordinating cardstocks, die cut the scalloped background pennants (largest size) and mounted the colorful die cut pennants on top.    I then die cut circles and hearts and added the bears which I colored with Copic markers.  To display the banner I strung wired string through the scalloped holes in the top of each pennant leaving extra on each end.  I added buttons and bows for a final colorful punch!  Hint: I enhanced the bear’s “U” with Enamel Accents in white from Ranger.

My next banner is a card!  I die cut the second largest lacey pennant from gray cardstock and the pennant in white.  Then I stamped the pennant in Hero Arts Antique Flower Background (so pretty!) using Angel Pink Memento ink and decorated it with the coordinating “Nestabling” clear crystals from Want-2-Scrap.  Finish the card by stamping the sentiment (Penny Black “Raindrops and Kisses”) and die cutting it with Spellbinders Ribbon Banners.  The final touch was to add a few crystal hearts (Amuse).  A lovely card for a loved one!

 

I loved the pink and gray combination so much that I made a banner of 5 pennants using the same combo of colors.  I die cut the pennants and decorated them with the same Antique Flower Background stamp from Hero Arts.  Next I die cut a pink and gray hearts (Spellbinders nested hearts plain and scalloped) for the center panel and decorated the heart with a matching pink pearl heart from Want2Scrap. I finished the other panels with die cut circles (Spellbinders) and die cut “LOVE” letters (ironically I chose Spellbinders Romance alpha which is now retired).  I plan to give this banner to my friends Casey and Kris who are celebrating their first Valentines as newlyweds.

The Cat's Pajamas "Admit One" clear stamp set

Here's a bithday card I made with the TCP ticket set.  The tickets are line up so you can easily die cut a strip of tickets.  Here I cut three tickets and decorated them with some of the stamps in the set.  The "8" is for the child's age, but you could easily stamp the actual birthday too. It's qucik and easy and any child would love it!  The colorful paper is Basic Grey.  If you like this set let me know and I will hold one for you -- they are extrememly popular and have sold out several times!

Memory Box Savannah Die

This unassuming border die might not catch your eye the first time you se it, but look at the impact it adds to this card.  Of course the paper is gorgeous (Pink Pasilee Nantucket collection), but the die really adds a beautiful finishing touch to a quick card.  Finish it with your sentiment of choice (mine is by Memory Box too).

 

Too cute.  For this card (which is a reproduciton of one I saw on the Memory Box blog) I used the Twiggy Tree and the Puffy Clouds dies.  They key to making it is to die cut a bunch of clouds and arrange them behind the tree.  Then pop up the other clouds on top.  You will also cut away any branches you don't see in this photo.

This card is also adapted from on I saw on their blog altough I added the Twiggy tree in the foreground which I think adds a nice perspective.  Making this card is a little tedious, but worth it when you see the finished card.  I use Glossy or Matte Accents by Ranger as my wet adhesive and I apply it with a toothpick.  The dies used in this card are: Small Madison Window, Small Window Box, Wildflower Patch, Ivy Tendrils and Nestled Bird from PoppyStamps and Twiggy Tree from Memory Box.

Have a great weekend and stop by and see what’s in store for you at The Stamp Act!

 

 

 

Valentines Stamping: The Cat’s Pajamas

The Cat’s Pajamas makes wonderful stamp sets not only because they contain very clever designs but because they are packed with many little stamps that make a huge impact when stamped together!  Our Thursday, February 2 class will showcase these stamps and I will share a few samples with you today.  Most of these samples are inspired by samples on the various companies’ blogs.  For more information on our Thursday class, click here.

“Admit One” Clear Set

The first set I will showcase is the “Admit One” clear set.  I chose a variety of papers (from all different vendors) and brought them together with some die cut hearts, ribbon and red twine.  The ticket of course is the star of the card and every little stamp on the ticket is in the set!  The ticket is die cut with the Big Ticket die.  I love this die because you can cut a single ticket or a line of tickets quite easily.  Hint:  Die cut the ticket first then stamp the ticket outline and add your other stamped images.

This card uses a completely different color combo (Doodlebug Sweet Cakes papers) but again the ticket is the centerpiece of the card.  I love the “seal” stamp which can be added as a background.  I inked the stamp in Memento Rosebud ink then stamped it off on scratch paper first so the stamped image on the ticket would be lighter.

To finish this card I die cut the TCP Heart Trio (it cuts 3 hearts at once!) from 3 different papers and layered them together to form the heart.  The tiny “I love you” is part of the same set.  The border below the ticket is cut with the TCP Circus Border die.

“Love Letters” Clear Set

Another TCP clear set that’s full of wonderful little stamps is “Love Letters.”  This set also has a matching die called the Stamp Trio die.  Unfortunately it was back ordered at the time I made these cards so I had to use other tools to add the postage edge.  On some of the samples I cut the stamps out using postage edge scissors – I cut away from the stamped edge but it still gave the postage look.  For a more authentic postage stamped edge you could cut the stamp out with scissors.  That was far too tedious so I used my Japanese screw punch to punch out the semicircle edges and this worked great.  Needless to say I am looking forward to receiving the die!

Who would think of using cherries paper for a Valentines card?  Well, it’s cute and colorful and forms just the right background for the three “love” stamps.  Hint:  To add color to the middle of the stamps while still leaving a white border, I created a reverse mask using Eclipse paper.  This let me adhere the reverse mask over one stamp at a time and sponge on a little Memento Pear Tart ink.  To finish the card I added a little green ribbon and a heart die cut with TCP’s Heart Trio die.

This card is just so much fun.  Again I took my color theme from the colorful background paper which is actually a holiday paper (My Mind’s Eye 12 Days of Christmas Merry and Bright)!  I stamped 9 stamp outlines (it’s easy with clear stamps!) and then added the inside designs.  The bear and his heart are from another wonderful set called “A Beary Good Year” which lets you add all kinds of little holiday icons to the bear to celebrate every holiday and card-sending occasion throughout the year!  Love it!  The “letter” the bear is holding is made with stamps from the “Love Letters) set.  Hint: I enhanced the bear’s eyes and nose with Enamel Accents in black from Ranger.  By the way, the mat behind stamps is the reverse of the background paper!

We now move from bright to more somber colors to create a card perhaps better suited to men.  The decorative papers are from My Mind’s Eye (State of the Heart and Love Me collections) plus one paper from the new Basic Grey Kissing Booth collection.  I used the same reverse masking technique described above, this time using Memento Angel Pink ink.   The frame around the stamps is created with Spellbinder’s Mega Curved Rectangles.

The color theme for this card is classic black, white and red (check out our “Black, White and Red” class here).  I stamped and white embossed the sentiment (from TCP’s Simply Said set) on black cardstock and adhere this to the red background.  Next I added two postage stamps using Memento London Fog and Lady Bug inks.

What a cute little bear bearing a Valentine heart and letter to the lucky recipient of this card.  The script strip (say that 3 times fast!) behind the postage stamps is stamped with the new Newspaper background stamp from Hero Arts.  The rest of the card’s images are similar to ones described above.  See the airmail border in the lower left?  It’s in the set too!

Whew!  That’s a lot of cards from two sets of stamps!  Let me share with you some other stamps and dies coming from TCP this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black and White and Red

Saturday, Feb 4 at 10am our class will be all about Valentines in black, white and red!  We will start by making a fun criss-cross card with an insert.  The decorative papers are by Kaiser (Ebony and Ivory) and stamps by Memory Box and Hero Arts.  The hearts are die cut with the Spellbinders Nested Hearts.  The next card we will make has an embossed background (Cuttlebug embossing folder) and a focal image made with Spellbinders nested hearts and heart circle dies.  The red rhinestone heart is by Want2Scrap and matches the nested hearts perfectly.  Our last project in this class will be making a candy presentation package using black and white papers and the same nested hearts.  For more information on this class please click here.

 

Everything’s Better with Chocolate!

Giving chocolate candy is traditional at Valentines and in our Saturday afternoon class on Feb 4 I will show you how to make the presentation as yummy as the candy!  First we will make a darling card with a whimsical sentiment.  Next we will a cute topper to put on a cellophane bag of chocolates.  Both these samples are made with My Favorite Things “Who’s That Chocoholic” stamp set. Lastly (photos not ready at posting time, but you can see them now on our class page – click here) we will make 2 more candy presentation ideas.  Please join us for this fun class!

 

What’s in Store

New dies and stamp from Memory Box and Poppystamps – get them now as they sell out quickly!!!

New papers from October Afternoon (Kitchen Cupboard); Pink Paislee (Nantucket); Kasier (Ebony & Ivory); Basic Grey (Kissing Booth); Doodlebug (Sweet Cakes)

Stop in soon!

Valentines Stamping: Hero Arts

Happy New Year stampers!  I know it’s been forever since I blogged.  After returning from vacation I was confronted with “undecorating” the house, switching the store around to put Christmas merchandise in the ‘corner” and bring out the Valentines stamps, etc.  I quickly discovered that I had no Valentines merchandise.  Ugh!  That meant I had to do some quick ordering and fortunately my vendors responded quickly so we have lots of wonderful Valentine-themed merchandise in stock.  And that’s what I want to share with you in the next few blogs.  Most of these samples are inspired by samples on the various companies’ blogs.  If you are interested in making these cards, come to our "Hugs and Kisses" class this Saturday, January 28 at 10am.

 

Hero Arts

Here’s a great example of using individual (clear) stamps (from the new XO set) to form a background.  Choose your stamps, mount them on an acrylic block, stamp in Versamark ink and emboss in opaque white EP.  I added a yellow scallop border (Memory Box die) and a heart (The Cat’s Pajamas Heart Trio die).  Another tip:  the “sending hugs” stamp was one long sentiment and I needed it to be short so I simply cut the two words apart and it fit my heart perfectly!

 

This is another example of using all the stamps in one set to make a lovely card.  I stamped the various words in Memento Rosebud and Dandelion.  I added a bit of ribbon, some crystals and 2 die cut hearts for a very colorful and fun card.

 

 

I love this card!  And it is simple – no cutting!  First make a revere mask by die cutting a (Spellbinder) heart from Eclipse masking paper that is cut as wide as your card.  Adhere the Eclipse paper to the front of a white cards (A2 size) and stamp the XOXO (from the XO set) in Memento Lady Bug ink.  Remove your Eclipse paper to see your “XO heart!”  To finish the card add the sentiment (same set) stamped in black Versafine ink and embossed in clear on vellum.  Hint: To elevate the vellum over the heart, use small pieces of foam tape hidden behind some of the letters!

 

Here’s a great year-round card that’s made with the new set “Year Round Sentiments.”  I think it’s self-explanatory but here’s a hint.  Stamp the sentiment first and key your hearts off the sentiment from the bottom up – they will all line up perfectly!  I used various Memento inks.

 

Love this colorful card!  Start by stamping the new Zig Zag background in Memento Angel Pink ink.  I have found the best way to work with these large background stamps is to ink them well and place the folded card directly on the stamp.  Then I use a small acrylic block to rub the paper into the stamp.  Carefully remove the paper and you should have a very clear, crisp image.  Once your background is finished, ink the “friends” heart (from the new 4 Hearts cling set) in Memento Rosebud ink and stamp on white cardstock.  Cut out leaving a small white border all the way around.

Next ink the XO heart in Versmark, stamp on blue cardstock and emboss in white.  Cut out the blue heart.  Mount the two hearts, add some paper scraps and wired string and stamp the sentiment (from Year Round Sentiments) in black.

I will be back tomorrow with another post with Valentines from The Cat's Pajamas!

Classes ... Classes ... Classes

I love calendars and especially like making calendars with stamps!  Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28 at 2pm) we will make this calendar which is mounted inside a 7 Gypsies Printers tray which conveniently has 12 openings!  The good news is that you can mount your calendar pages wiht just a little double sided tape so you can update the calendar next year!  If you are interestedin attending the class, give me call at 915-833-9500.  Can;t come this Saturday?  Just call me and we will make a date that's convenient for you!

Thanks for stopping by.  Please come in an see what's new -- here's a few things to tempt you:

Memory Box and Poppystamps -- tons of new dies and stamps -- gorgeous!!!

Art Impressions -- A whole collection of very funny "Girlfriend" stamps and sentiments -- you gotta see these!!!

Deadbeat Designs -- Hot Air Balloons and sayings to coordinate; new sentiment stamps; lovely new delicate fern stamp.

Decorative Papers -- Colorful, cute, bright and bold -- you need them!

See you soon!

 

 

Holiday Stamping Express

Jump aboard our “Holiday Stamping Express” this Saturday (December 17) at 2pm and in 2 hours you will make 5 quick and easy – yet very impressive – Christmas cards!  Our round-up of cards includes 2 snowmen, a beautiful flourish die, and 2 Christmas trees.  Here are the samples – for more info on the class, click here.

Penny Black “Frosty Snowman”

Penny Black “Snowflakes are Unassembled”

Memory Box snowflake crystal

 

 

 

 

 

 Penny Black tree from “Let it Snow” clear set

 “Twinkle” from same set

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penny Black “Twinkling” tree

Sentiment from “Let it Snow” clear set

 

 

 

Hero Arts “Snowman and Snowflakes”

Sentiment from a Hero Arts clear set

Snowflakes from Memory Box Crystalline Die

 

 

 

 

 

Memory Box “Distressed Jingle Bells” background stamp

Memory Box La Rue Flourish Die

Memory Box Christmas Carols background paper

Hero Arts sentiment

 

 

 

 

Give me a call at 915-833-9500 to register!  No stamping experience needed!

 

Christmas Thank You Cards

Saturday morning (December 17) at 10am we will be making Christmas thank you cards although most of these cards would work throughout the year.  We will be using some Memory Box stamps, dies and pretty papers.  You can get more information here.  No stamping experience needed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stamp Act Gift Cards

Stamp Act gift cards are always the right choice for any of your stamping friends or family.  If you buy a gift card of $25 or more, we will give it to you in this darling gift card holder shaped like a mitten cap!  Just open the cap to reveal your gift.  Aren’t these just too cute?  The idea came from the Just Rite Stampers blog.

 

Holiday Hours

Please make a note that The Stamp Act will be closed from Friday, December 23 through Monday, January 2.  From January 3 through the 13^th we will have a huge clearance sale.  More details on that next week.

 

17 days until Christmas!!!  I know all of you are so busy but I hope you’ll grab a glass of eggnog or hot cocoa and read this post.  As usual I have many samples to share with you.  If you see something you like, please give me a call (915-833-9500) and I can hook you up with all the supplies to make your own!

 What’s New at The Stamp Act?

The Viva Décor Pearl Pens are here and I am sorry to say I have not played with them yet – stay tuned for more details on how they work.  I have lots of colors in stock!

New (to us) Memory Box Dies arrived yesterday and another order will be coming soon.  Stop in and check out the Catillion or the Scalloped Edge 5” x 7” frame dies – they are fabulous for either flat correspondence cards or for fold over notes.  Watch for my upcoming class in Faux Letterpress using these dies.  The popular Deer Trio, Star of Wonder and La Rue Flourish are in stock now plus the new Crystalline border, Charlotte border and Pop Up Joy. 

    

And don’t miss the Madison Window Die (Small) – it is hot, hot, hot!  The Grand Madison Window is out of stock so it may be a while before it comes back – so don’t miss your chance to snag the small window while you can!  I’ve got plenty for everyone but they are bound to sell out too!

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

   

New Classes this Week

Where to start? How about this Saturday’s classes?  Dec. 10 from 10am to Noon, we’ll take one stamp, the new Penny Black Poinsettia Script background, and use it to create multiple cards.  We will use both the new Tim Holtz Distress Stains and the Winter Limited Edition Distress Ink pad trio with the stamp – and the results are stunning.  The cards are quick and easy but very impressive!  Here’s a peak at 2 more samples:

  

 

For the card on the left I added a poinsettia I cut with the new Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia die.  The sentiment on this card is from an (old) clear set from Impression Obsession.  The "Celebrate the Season" sentiment above is from the same set.

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4pm we will make the cutest ornament (or gift tag) using the Want 2 Scrap Lacey Ovals Nestboard and Nestabling self-adhesive crystals to decorate the ornament.  The central image will be from Just Rite Stampers new Blizzard Buddies set.  On the back of the ornament we will use a reindeer die cut (Spellbinders die).  You will love this elegant ornament so please join us for the fun.  In this class we will also make a gift card holder – sample is in my head and I promise it will be perfect too!

 

 

Thursday, Dec. 8 our afternoon holiday workshop is entitled “It’s All About Santa!” and, as the name implies, we will make cards featuring the jolly old man!   First, our Cowboy Santa (all stamps from Deadbeat Designs) reminds us who's  in charge of this Ho-Ho-Holiday!  Next our Santa Globe card shows the jolly elf and his reindeer flying over the housetops inside a snow globe.  See the Ho-Ho-Ho-tag?  It’s made with a Tim Holtz fragment charm stamped with Stazon ink.  The Santa Globe stamp and Grand Snow Globe die are from Memory Box.  While we’re talking about the Santa Globe stamp, here’s another example of the stamp used behind the Grand Madison Window die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last card shows Santa dancing and prancing – maybe on December 26^th??  This stamp from Impression Obsession is so cute and jolly – simply stamp, color with Copic Markers and distress the edges with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  Add a little Stickles glitter glue (I used Frosted Lace), a sentiment from Hero Arts and a few metallic décor embellishments (also Hero Arts) and you’re done!

 

 

Here’s another Santa card that I couldn’t include in the class because we ran out of the Graphic 45 paper needed to make it.  This style of card is called a pyramid card.  I chose to use 2 sizes of Spellbinder’s Labels 22 dies to cut the picture of this old fashioned Santa.  Then I used the same size die to cut my signature skinny borders then mounted the photo cut outs on the skinny borders to get a framed piece.  This frame was then mounted over the portion of the Santa that was originally cut out.  The pyramid design highlights portions of the Santa picture drawing attention to the picture and giving it more presence.  Try this technique with other pictures of stamped backgrounds.  It’s fun and impressive!

Classes December 17

Sat, Dec. 17 from 10am to Noon, we will make Holiday Thank You Cards.  For the card on the left, I used the Twig and Berries, Perched Reedbird, and Thanks script dies from Memory Box as well as their “Candy Cane” paper.  For the card on the right, I used the Fredward Bear stamp and die from Memory Box as well as their Santa Hat die and “Beary Good” paper.  Inside this card, the fun continues when a “thanks” cut from the “Beary Good” paper pops out at you!  This is cut with the Folding Thanks Die from Lifestyle Crafts.

One more Thank you card showcases the Memory Box Arborscello Die in a white on white setting.  Leave it plain or embellish it with glitter – this tree has a very elegant look!

 

 

 

 

To prove it’s not too late to make Christmas cards, on Sat, Dec. 17 from 2 to 4pm, we will have a class called Holiday Stamping Express!  Join us to make several quick and easy cards featuring snowmen, santas and all kinds of holiday icons!  Samples coming soon!

Other Fun Samples!

Is this the cutest card?  The Peppermint Rosette is cut from some red and white striped paper from Amuse Art Stamps with the Memory Box Rosette die.  This die cuts a vertical strip 1½” wide so when you adhere the ends and “smash” it flat, the rosette is 3” wide.  To make it thinner, simply cut off ½” vertically so the rosette will be only 2” wide.  Wrap the “peppermint candy” in cellophane, tie with ribbon and adhere to card.  The background stamp is made with the Memory Box Twinkle Ball stamped in Versafine Crimson with a sentiment from Amuse Art Stamps.  The Scallop border is made with a border punch from EK Success.

For a non traditional Christmas card try these colors.  I embossed the background with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder (run it through twice to get the width).  Then using the Memory Box Classic ornament, I cut 3 solid backgrounds, and using the Snowflake Ornament, I cut three decorative ornaments.  Glue the two together using Glossy Accents and thread some pink wired string through the hole at the top.  Cut 2 Frostyville Borders from the same pink cardstock and mount these using Glossy Accents at the top and bottom of the card.  Mount the ornaments, tie 3 bows and glue these at the top of the wired string.  This is a really pretty card!

 

One last sample.  Who can resist this darling snowman from Penny Black (called "Warm & Cold"). I stamped him in black Memento ink, colored him with Copic Markers then cut him out.  The wavy ground is pasrt of the stamp and I extended the look to the sides of the card.  I mounted him wiht foam tape to a blue cardstock "sky" and stanped and embossed a few small snowflakes.  The "Twinkle" sentiment is from a new Penny Black clear set called "Let it Snow."  What an easy and ahppy little Christmas or winter wishes card.

That’s enough for today – please stop in soon and see these samples and lots more in person!  Thanks for reading the blog today.