Coffee

Fun New Products

May 03, 2016

Hello Friends. I hope you had a good weekend. Today I'd like to share with you several samples that I recently made with new products that have arrived at The Stamp Act. You can see all the new products on our What's New page here and see these cards and more in our Gallery here.

The Mad Rider from Art Impressions

A friend of mine lives in a senior community and recently traded in her car for a golf cart. I thought this stamp was a perfect way to commemorate the occasion! I stamped Mad Rider, colored her with Copic markers then cut her out. I drew the sidewalk and mounted it at the bottom of the cute house paper. One thing I love about Art Impressions is that they always have really cute sentiments to go with their stamps. The sidewalk sentiment is sold separately -- Mad Rider comes with the "Born to be Wild" sentiment (see below). Design inspired by Diane Zechman.

For this version I stamped The Mad Rider and die cut it with Memory Box Pinpoint Squares. Where the two papers met I added a Ric Rac Border die from Taylored Expressions. The retirement sentiment is also by Art Impressions. Design inspired by Tammie Koehnen.

To Go Please by Art Impressions

Who hasn't had a day like this? I think I am having one today because I took my car in for maintenance and the service rep just called with the price to fix the driver's side window -- Wowza! I think I need that special cup of coffee!

For this card, I die cut Penny Black's Love Cup die from orange, white and kraft cardstock and glued it together. I added the bright pink heart and the straw cut from striped yellow paper (both are part of the die set). The background is green cardstock punched with the EK Success Binding Edge Border punch; I added the stitched line with one of the dies from the Stitched die set by Paper Smooches. The notepaper is white cardstock stamped with an Impression Obsession Grid Stamp. Embellishing this piece are some yellow and white twine and a little strip of bright pink, polka dotted washi tape. The sentiment (Art Impressions To Go Please) was stamped and die cut with Memory Box die Stitched Ovals. The final embellishment was a scattering of coffee beans die cut with Impression Obsession Coffee Set.

The inside sentiment is Bad Day by Art Impressions. I stamped it then die cut it with Memory Box Stitched Squares. The cute little coffee cup is Memory Box die Coffee to Go Small.

Triptych Dies from Poppystamps

These are the new Triptych Stem and Triptych Dogwood Bloom dies from Poppy dies.

For this card I die cut the Triptych stem from green cardstock and the Triptych Dogwood Blooms from white cardstock and glue the white frames over the green -- they were designed to match perfectly! Then I die cut the Stems Triptych from blue cardstock and inserted these pieces on the back to form the background. Finally I die cut the Dogwood Blooms from yellow cardstock and inserted the flower centers. "Spring" is die cut with Poppystamps die Freehand Happy Spring. A really clean and simple Spring card.

Did you know this is Teacher Appreciation week? I made this card for my niece Jennifer who teaches high school geography in Central Texas. She will be honored at an awards ceremony this week because one of her students wrote an essay about how she inspired him to succeed in his studies. That makes the blackboard quote above especially appropriate for her. For the front of the card I used Memory Box die Jumbled Alphabet and inside I used Taylored Expressions stamp set Make the Grade and the TE die Blackboard.

I love this die. It's very graphic and makes a very quick and easy card that is appropriate for lots of occasions including "guy" cards! I used Poppy die Mod Hex Background and Poppy clear stamp set Hope and Thanks. Design inspired by Irena Kowalczyk.

The last card I will share with you today is made with Penny Black's stamp set Totally Fabulous. I have three good friends with black poodles and I know they will love this card. I stamped the elegant lady and colored her and the dogs with Copic markers. The sentiment stamp comes with the set. Fun!

Please stop in soon and see all the new fun products! Thanks!

Posted at 03:56 PM in Art Impressions, Coffee, Memory Box, Penny Black, Poppy dies | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stamp and Die Combo Sets

March 25, 2016

Hello friends and Happy Easter! I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend with friends and family. Easter always reminds me of hot cross buns, a spiced sweet bun made with currants or raisins, marked with a cross on the top and traditionally eaten on Good Friday, marking the end of Lent. So last weekend I baked these buns and packaged them to give to friends. They are really delicious and surprisingly easy to make. Here’s a link to the very informative video I followed.

Stamps with Matching Dies

One of my favorite papercrafting items are stamp sets with coordinating dies. You will find stamps and dies sold as combo sets, or stamps and coordinating dies sold separately. I am often asked whether to stamp first then cut out, or die cut the shape first then stamp on top of the die cut?

The answer is simple: If the dies are open such as these from Taylored Expressions Sunny Days combo set, you will stamp first, line up the die on top of the stamped image (because it’s open and you can see through it) and die cut second.

If the dies are solid, like these from Paper Smooches Little Lovin' 2, and you cannot see through them to line it up on a stamped image, so you will cut the shape first then stamp on top of the die cut.

My personal favorite: the former. I like to stamp first then die cut.

Today I would like to share with you some fun cards I made recently using 3 stamp and die combo sets from Taylored Expressions.

Simply Succulents

The Simply Succulents set contains all the stamps seen on the left and 3 matching dies. Here are samples made with these. FYI: Watch for an upcoming class with the succulents stamps!

Hello Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; TE die Picture Perfect Frames Smile/Hello; TE embossing folder Brick; design inspired by Melody Rupple

Color Block Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; TE die Color Block; design inspired by Pam Sparks

Get Well Circle – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; Memory Box dies Scallop Border and Stitched Circles; TE embossing folder brick

Smile Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; TE die Picture Perfect Frames Smile/Hello; Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles; TE embossing folder Brick

Block Party Hello – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; TE die Block Party Hello; TE embossing folder Weathered; design inspired by Gayatri Murali

Get Well Flower Box – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles; design inspired by Gayatri Murali

Get Well Sky – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Simply Succulents; Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles; TE die Cloud Border; design inspired by Kerri Michaud

Happy Hens

The Happy Hens set includes 6 stamps and dies to cut the single chicken and the two chickens.

Smile Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE dies Picture Perfect Frames Smile/Hello and Skinny Mini Party Borders; TE embossing folder Chicken Wire; design inspired by Sankari Wegman

Shaker – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE dies Frame in Frame, Skinny Mini Party Borders, Easter Confetti and Grass Border; TE embossing folder Chicken Wire; Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles; design inspired by Kendra Wietstock

Scallop Stitched Border – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE die Stitched Scallop Border; design inspired by Shelly Mercado

Hen House Red Check – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE embossing folder Chicken Wire; Memory Box dies Stitched Squares and Stitched Rectangles; My Favorite Things die Stitched Speech Bubble Edges; design inspired by Stephanie Kraft

Chicks on Egg – Smile Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE dies Picture Perfect Frames Smile/Hello and Egg Stacklets; TE embossing folder Chicken Wire; design inspired by Kerri Michaud

Block Party Hello – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE dies Block Party Hello, Little Bits Sun and Cloud and Grass Border; TE embossing folder Chicken Wire; design inspired by Courtney Kelly

Black and White – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Happy Hens; TE stamp set Made in the Shade; My Favorite Things die Rounded Banner Stax; design inspired by Kim Singdahlsen

Koffee Time

This fun set contains 5 sentiment stamps and dies to cut the coffeemaker and 2 mugs.

Perk Up Mugs – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Koffee Time; Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles; Paper Smooches clear stamp set Birthday Bash (face); design inspired by Courtney Kelley

What’s Brewing Coffee Machine – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Koffee Time; Authentique paper pad Infused; Memory Box dies Stitched Rectangles and Mini Heart Collection

Thanks a Latte – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Koffee Time; Memory Box die Coffee on the Go Small; TE dies Little Bits Mug and Teacups; Paper Smooches die Stitched Flourishes

What’s Brewing Frame – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Koffee Time; Paper Smooches die Stitched Flourishes; Impression Obsession die Borders 1

I hope you enjoyed learning more about stamps with coordinating dies and seeing samples of cards made with combo sets. Be sure to check the Gallery for new cards posted and the class page for new classes. Stop in soon to shop and have a happy Easter!