Experience the joy and excitement of creating cards, boxes, books and home décor items with stamps, dies, stencils and paper! Whether you are a beginner or an experienced crafter, you will quickly learn all about papercrafting through fun classes and beautiful projects.
Hello papercrafting friends! It's beautiful here in the desert Southwest with spring in full bloom. I love sitting outside on my patio in the evenings and smelling the sweet honeysuckle and jasmine wafting in on the cool breeze. My trees have all bloomed and are growing leaves like crazy. So it's a perfect time to turn to Memory Box and Poppystamps, two sister companies that are known for their gorgeous flower dies and creative stamp sets. I have worked very hard to create dozens of brand new samples and a whole new display area. In addition I have a large order of brand new dies arriving any day. Here's a look at our display (be sure to click on the photo to see more detail).
Today I am going to share with you a cool technique that I taught years ago. You can use this technique with any die so look through your dies for flowers, corners or frames and give it a try. I will be using the Memory Box die Honeyblossom Sprig and will share several cards using this die at the end of the blog. Let me show you the finished card:Again, please click on the card to see the shiny detail on the die cut itself. First, I die cut the Honeyblossom Sprig from Neena 100 lb Solar White cardstock and colored it with Copic Markers. When I first taught this technique I used Ranger's Distress Stains which come in a wide variety of beautiful colors. Once the die cut was colored, I placed the die on my craft sheet and pressed my Versamark ink pad all over the die cut. Then I immediately covered the die cut with clear embossing powder. I shook off the excess powder and heated it with my heat tool. At this point you can quickly dip it into the embossing powder again while it's still hot (the powder will stick to the hot embossing) and heat it again. Or you can let it cool, cover it with Versamark ink again and cover it with clear embossing powder again. In any case do it three times to get a nice shiny surface.
Warning: Work on a craft sheet or other non-stick surface because if you work on paper, the die cut will stick to the paper!
And that's it! A fun technique that gives a beautiful clear, shiny finish to any die cut. I completed the card with the Memory Box Tessatina Border down the right side of the card and a sweet sentiment from Stampendous.
Let me show you other cards I made with this die and technique.
Memory Box Journey stamp, paper and Honeyblossom Sprig and Crisp Bows dies. We have both dies in stock. Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig die.
Here are some other cards using this technique; it was fall and Christmas when I made these cards!
I hope you will give this technique a try and please stop in soon and see all the Memory Box and Poppystamps dies and stamps. I will be featuring cards using different products from these wonderful companies in my next few blogs but you can see them all right now when you stop by the store.
Remember, our huge sale is continuing. We have lots of interesting products on sale for prices of 50 cents to $4. Don't miss the bargains. Plus we have new dies and stamps from Penny Black, Impression Obsession and Lawn Fawn. I hope to see you soon.
Valentine's Day is next week and I have created both funny and elegant Valentine Make and Takes just for you! Join me Thursday through Saturday, February 8-10, 10am to 4pm and Wednesday, February 14, 10am to 4pm. You may choose to make any one of the Valentine's Day cards shown below plus a customized envelope! And it's free! These cards are perfect for your honey, your friends or your co-workers. I hope to see you soon!
My funny Valentines are created with Taylored Expressions Foodie Friends stamps and matching dies. I stamped the image, colored it with Copic markers then cut it out with the matching die. Each stamp has a funny greeting for the insde of the card.
Cheesy and Corny (outside) 3" x 3" bracket notecard
Cheesy and Corny (inside) 3" x 3" bracket notecardPizza and Fries (outside) 3" x 3" bracket notecard
Pizza and Fries (inside) 3" x 3" bracket notecard
For each of the cards above I diecut the bracket notecard, stamped a background (TE Brushed Hearts or Luv-a-Doodle) then stamped, colored and cut out the focal image.
For my elegant Valentine, I stamped the large heart from the Memory Box Wirework Heart set in Versafine Black ink on white shimmer cardstock then embossed it in clear. I die cut the center of the heart with one of the hearts from the Memory Box Have a Heart die set. Next I colored the die using the Clarity Stencil Brushes and dye inks. Love these brushes!!! See more samples using the Clarity Brushes below.
I matted the colored heart on one of the hearts from the Memory Box Wrapped Stitch Hearts set. To finish the card I stamped one of the sentiments included in the Wirework Heart set on cardstock cut with the one of the Taylored Expressions Double Ended Flags. This greeting was also embossed in clear. Simple yet elegant.
Please join me for our Free Make and Take all this week and next week on Wednesday.
More Samples with Wirework Heart Set from Memory Box
Here's a photo of the Wireworks Heart stamp set. It includes several hearts, flowers and sentiments. For a video tutorial on coloring and shrinking the heart, you can see Dave Brethauer, owner of Memory Box, here.
For my first sample I stamped the largest heart and colored it with Copic markers.
For this sample I stamped the large heart in black permanent ink on sanded shrink plastic then colored it with Prismacolor colored pencils. Then I cut it out (with scissors, not a die) and shrank the heart. I mounted it on a mat cut with one of the Memory Box Wrapped Stitched Hearts. The border is cut with Poppystamps die Petit Four Border and the "loved" sentiment is die cut with Taylored Expressions Loved Script die. These next two cards are done exactly the same way. The first card with Copics on white cardstock and the second card with colored pencils on shrink plastic. The Happy Valentines sentiment is from Poppystamps and the dot border die is from Paper Smooches. More Samples with Clarity Brushes and Mandala Die from Taylored Expressions
Mandalas are very trendy and this full card size Mandala die is beautiful and versatile. The die cuts the Mandala and the frame.For this first card I die cut the Mandala from turquoise cardstock and left most of the pieces in the die cut. I think it makes a dramatic focal image. I embellished the image with clear Nuvo enamel drops and a sentiment (TE Spring Florals). Design inspired by Regina Mangum.
Next I cut the Mandala from white cardstock and colored it with dye inks and an ink blending tool. The Hello (TE Script Hello) is cut twice and glued together for extra dimension, and the "friend" word is from TE's Friendly Phrases. It is cut with TE's Double Ended Flags die. Design inspired by Melody Rupple. Now to show you how I colored with the Clarity Stencil brushes. For this card I die cut both the Mandala and a background from white shimmer cardstock. Then I used the brushes to apply the ink in a rainbow effect, overlapping the colors. The brushes give the background a soft and shimmery look that is really beautiful. (Design inspired by Jen Schults) The sentiment is from TE's In & out Get Well stamp set.
For my last card, I cut the Mandala from black cardstock and the background from white cardstock. I applied the colors (dye inks) with the Clarity Brushes. The Thanks script die (TE) is cut twice from gold mirror cardstock. (Design inspired by Jean Manis)Come to the free make and take this week and learn more about these wonderful Clarity Stencil brushes! They are a fun and easy way to apply color. See you soon!
Just a Reminder ...
Just a friendly reminder ... The Stamp Act is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. We are closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Stop in soon!
Hello friends and Merry Christmas! Today I would like to share with you how to use your dies creatively to make cards that are essentially variations on a theme. My first card uses the Merry Christmas Background from Memory Box. We have a similiar die from Lil Inker Designs that would work well too. This die cuts out the background panel and the letters that spell Merry Christmas in different fonts. You can cut the die from any color cardstock or it's perfect for the beautiful glitter paper we have in stock right now.
Here are ways to use the background panel and the letters:
Layer the background over colored cardstock or glitter paper
Place Scor tape (double sided tape) across one or more words on the back of the background and insert letters cut from a third color cardstock or glitter paper on the front of the background.
Add a die cut icon such as the fir tree or the ornament.
Warning: Cutting these backgrounds can be addictive! Once you cut the background from one color cardstock or glitter paper, you wll want to cut it from another color to contrast with the first color. This means you will have a pile of red letters, for instance, and need another background for these. And on and on!
Let's look at some examples of these different treatments.
For this card I first cut the background from black cardstock. If you're thinking "black for Christmas?" YES! It is very dramatic and plays very well with traditional Christmas colors of red, gold and silver. Next I cut the background from red glitter paper and placed scor tape on the back of the black background across the words I wanted to highlight. I inserted the red letters on the front of the background and mounted the black background on gold glitter paper. Card done!
For the next card, I took the background I cut from red glitter paper (above) and placed it over a white card. I cut the background again from gold glitter paper and using the technique outlined above, inserted them into the background as shown on the card below. I cut a fir tree from green glitter paper and mounted it with foam tape to the left side of the card. Note: Be sure to cut your additional focal image (tree, ornament, etc) first and place it on your background to determine spacing and which words you want to highlight.
For the final card (below) I used more of the red glitter paper letters on a white on white background. I "hung" the ornament from the christmas word.
Can you see how you can go on and on with the different colored backgrounds and letters? There's no stopping!
For my next set of cards I used the Memory Box Poinsettia Band die. Here's the first card:
I used black again for the background on a white card. I cut the Poinsettia band from gold glitter paper then from silver glitter paper. The die cuts the outline of the petals and the petals separately so I adhered a thin strip of foam tape to the middle of each gold petal and inserted them back into the silver petal outlines which I had glued to the back mat. To complete the card I die cut the Wishing You Manuscript die from gold glitter paper and adhered it to the bottom of the card.
Inside the card I die cut Merry Christmas from silver and mounted it on black then gold.
You can easily make a second card using the die cuts you have left over. Your second poinsettia will be silver petals in a gold outline.
For my next card I cut the poinsettia clear of the attached band and used the Memory Box Grosgrain Ribbon die to cut gold glitter paper to place behind the poinsettia. I cut the poinsettia from both red shiny cardstock and gold glitter paper then inserted the red petals in the gold outline and mounted the gold petals with foam tape on top and to the right of each red petal.
A sentiment from Penny Black's Holiday Snippets and an enamel dot complete the card.
For the third card in this series I used the same colors (in the reverse) and both poinsettias cut free from the band. I cut the Grosgrain Ribbon die twice from red glitter paper and placed the ribbons to look like a package. The tag was cut with an MFT Tag die and the sentiment is from a Poppystamps Christmas set.
I hope this little tutorial ahs given you some ideas for using your dies creatively in trios!
Holiday Hours
The Stamp Act will be closed from Monday, December 18 through Monday, January 1. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2. Merry Christmas!
Memory Box and Poppystamps dies and stamps are perineal favorites and today's samples will hopefully show you why. I used my Oxide inks to make several of the backgrounds including on this first card. Please be sure to click on the photos to see the backgrounds up close.
I used the direct-to-paper technique with several colors of ink, blending the colors with a blending tool then sprinkling a little water on the background to "oxidize" the ink. I used the new Pinpoint Circle Frame to die cut the circle. I created the gold background by die cutting some cardstock with the Penny Black Dots die and sponging on the Delicata ink.Dragonfly Corner – Memory Box dies Pinpoint Circle Frame, Dragonfly Stems Left Corner and Beautiful Day; Penny Black die Dots and Swirls; oxide inks and Delicata Golden Glitz ink; design inspired by Jean Okimoto
Another background created with Oxide inks. I sponged several colors on a craft mat then spritzed them with water and dragged (Tim Holtz) watercolor paper through the inks. I dried the cardstock with a heat tool and repeated layering the inks one more time. I love the "wishing you a " die -- the inside of the card is the next photo.
Wishing You A Beautiful Day – Memory Box dies Pinpoint Circle Frame, Wishing You Manuscript, Antilles Floral Bouquet and Beautiful Day; oxide inks
Oxide ink background 101 -- use direct-to-paper-technique to apply ink to watercolor paper. The sprinkle with water to "oxidize" ink (see spots?). Pinpoint Circle Frame – Memory Box dies Pinpoint Circle Frame, Antilles Floral Bouquet, Tall Cattails, Swirling Stitches and Pointed Leaf; Fired Brick Oxide ink; Memory Box Perky Thank You die and coordinating Thank You Sentiments clear mini stamp set; design inspired by Penny Ward
I die cut the mums then spoged each flower and the stem with different dye inks. Magnificent Mums – Memory Box die Magnificent Mum Bouquet; Memory Box Perky Thank You die and coordinating Thank You Sentiments clear mini stamp set; design inspired by Lindsay Amrhein
You can see Dave Brethauer's video where he makes this card here. I made 6 cards fast by die cutting the 6 borders, three from each set, from 6 colors of cardstock and glueing the borders to a white top folded card. The Taylored Expressions sentiment is perfect!
Stitched Borders – Poppystamps dies Tailored Stitches and Pretty Stitches; Taylored Expressions stamp set A Life She Loved; design inspired by Dave Brethauer
OK, I am slipping in one sample using a new Impression Obsession die called Abstract Florals. I made a background using Oxide inks then die cut the three flowers from it. Abstract Florals – Impression Obsession dies Abstract Florals, Rectangles Frame in Frame 2 and Typewriter Alphabet Upper Case; oxide inks; design inspired by Jenny Gropp
I hope you enjoyed these cards. Stop by The Stamp Act after we return from vacation on Tuesday, September 5 and see all the beautiful Memory Box and Poppystamps die for yourself.
Hello Friends and Happy Christmas in July ... or rather August! Do I hear a collective "ugh?" Well the holidays are coming and I know that you will want a new stamps or dies to inspire you so I am sharing some exciting new things from Memory Box, Poppystamps and Lawn Fawn. These are in stock now so stop in after Tuesday, September 5 and see them for yourself, or call/email me to reserve yours.
Memory Box and Poppystamps dies and stamps
You can see the entire Holiday collection (complete with sizes) from Memory Box here or from Poppystamps here.
Snowman Heart Collage $13.99 -- see a darling card by Laura Fulcher here. Snowy Cabin $5.99 -- be sure to see the tiny fawns, snowmen and polar bears below because they will be darling with this cabin! See a great sample here.Merry Christmas Gift Scroll $8.99 -- this die will cut out all these pieces so you can place one or more colors of cardstock behind the openings or inlay the pieces cut from another color cardstock back into the openings.
Snowscape $13.29 -- can't wait to place the little snowmen into this scene! See a great card here. Sloping Hillside $9.99 -- snowmen, fawns and polar bears -- oh my! Simple Little Snowmen $4.49 -- too cute and great for little scenes. Tiny Fawns $5.99 Tiny Polar Bears $5.99Small Polar Bear $4.49Brilliant Leaf Frame $27.99 -- This frame is gorgeous and it will look wonderful cut from copper paper and layered over an oxide ink background just like the one Dave Brethauer (Owner of Memory Box/Poppystamps) shows you how to make in this video. And we also have the Floral Fantasy die and all the colors of Oxide ink that Dave uses in the video. Brilliant Leaf Border $14.39 -- Same design as frame above but in a border.
Stitched Maple Trio $10.49 -- These maple and oak leaves will look great scattered across the Windy Backdrop die from Lawn Fawn (see below).Stitched Oak Trio $9.39
Lawn Fawn dies and papers
Lawn Fawn Windy Backdrop die $30.99. These stitched swirls make a wonderful windy sky, starry night, or underwater ocean scene. Size: 5½” x 4¼”. See a video introducing this die here.
Snowy Backdrop $30.99 is perfect for creating a snowy scene for your cards! Size: 5½” x 4¼”. See a video introducing this die here. Brand New -- Stitched Woodgrain Backdrop $30.99 instantly create a beautiful woodgrain texture with this large background die! Size: 5½” x 4¼”.
Brand New -- Gift Card Pop-Up Die – This pop-up surprise is sure to make anyone smile! Adhere this gift card pop-up inside a standard sized greeting card, and tuck the gift card inside the slot to create a pop-up surprise. Scalloped and stitched details make this functional die extra cute! Approximate die size: 5½ " x 2⅝”. Magic Color Slider – Everything is black and white… until you pull the tab to “magically” reveal a colorful scene! This fun set of dies contains everything you need (minus the color!) to create an impressive interactive slider, including multiple choices for frame style, pull tab, and some bonus goodies. See a video demonstrating the Magic Color Slider die here.
Let’s Bokeh in the Snow decorative papers –The Let’s Bokeh in the Snow papers is a versatile holiday collection featuring beautiful bokeh patterns and stripes. With hues like holly berry, pine needle and ice blue your creativity will shine bright! Papers are 12” x 12” with coordinating pattern on the reverse. See a video working with this paper here.
Memory Box and Poppystamps other new dies and stamps
In stock now are more new dies. Check these out.
Mini Faeries $6.69 -- Faeries are still very popular and these are very small so they will fit anywhere on a card or page layout. Leafy Ring $15.49 -- you can see a beatuiful card using this die and the Hibiscus Flower here. You can also stamp or die cut a sentiment to fit inside the wreath. I think it is so delicate and pretty.
Sheer Circle Wreath $7.99. What a pretty circle -- use it to highlight any card. Pinpoint Circle Frame $18.79. The center piece comes out so you can use it as a frame or pop it up for a dramatic mat for another stamp or die cut. Jennifer McGuire did an interesting technique with this die here using Nuvo Crystal drops which we also have in stock.
Pinpoint Single Frame $14.59. Stitched Frame $14.59. Love the loops on the corners of this die.Floral Fantasy $27.99. Place over a sponged ink background, various colors of cardstock or inlay colored cardstock back into the openings.
Perky Beautiful Day Die $6.59. What a lovely card this sentiment will make. Use it with the Floral Fantasy frame above.Beautiful Day Clear stamp set $8.99. These phrases coordinate with the die above. Perky Thank You Die $5.99Thank You Sentiments Clear stamp set $8.99
So many stamps and dies ... so little time! The Stamp Act is closed Monday, August 21 through Labor Day so stop in on or after Tuesday, September 5 to see all the new products for yourself. Thanks!
Hello friends. Today's blog is all about dogwood blossoms. Poppystamps has a variety of dogwood dies and I have put together samples using each one. Plus, dogwoods have been a popular floral motif for many years so I am including some samples from the archives. Enjoy!
Oh, I continued the pink and green color theme that I started last week!
This is my favorite card. I love the bird (appropiately called Serene!) as he sits among the falling dogwood blossoms. To add texture to the bird I embossed him in an embossing folder. Sweet Wish – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms, Dogwood Blossoms and Serene Bird; Memory Box die Woodland Branch; Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets; Sizzix Embossing folder; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
For this next card I used the same large Falling Dogwood Blossoms die and combined it with the pretty Monterey Vine die plus some individual dogwood blossoms and a ltitle twine. Thanks 2 – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Monterey Vine (retired (: ; Impression Obsession die Greeting Set; design inspired by Irena Kowalczyk Rudlis
Poppystamps and Memory Box have a number of triptych dies and this card combines two of them. I die cut the Dogwood Triptych from pink cardstock and overlaid it on top of the Stem Triptych cut from green cardstock. The right edge of the white mat is die cut with the Eyelet Stitches die and embellished with Viva Decor yellow pearl pen.
You Make Me Smile – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossom Triptych, Stem Triptych and Eyelet Stitches; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Leafy Vines; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
I used the same technique for this card with different colors.Spring – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossom Triptych, Stem Triptych and Freehand Happy Spring.
Another pink and green card!Fluttering By – Memory Box die Fillipa Corner; Poppystamps die Dogwood Blossoms; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
Be sure to click on this card to see it up close. I cut the Stick Frame die several times and glued them to vellum to make the background. Then I die cut a square opening and framed it and the vellum background in white. I added three branches and lots of dogwood blossoms and a pretty pink "happy spring" sentiment. Happy Spring – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossoms, Happy Spring and Stick Frame; Memory Box die Woodland Branch; Lifetime Crafts die Rectangles; Spellbinders die Classic Squares; design inspired by Olga Direktorenko
The next two cards are examples of what I call "positive and negative" or "2 for 1" backgrounds. First I took a piece of 4¼” x 5½” white cardstock and sponged it with several colors of Memento dye ink. Next I die cut it with the large Falling Dogwood Blossoms saving the individual blossoms. I mounted the die cut "negative" background to black metallic cardstock with foam mounting tape and embellished the card with the Delicate Dogwood, Thanks sentiment and pearl centers.Thanks – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Delicate Dogwood; Paper Smooches die Quote Tag; design inspired by Lezlye Lauterbach
For the "positive card" I took the individual blossoms from the die cutting above and inlaid them into a white die cut background. I added a sentiment and black centers and the card is finished.With Sympathy – Poppystamps die Falling Dogwood Blossoms; Elizabeth Crafts die With Sympathy; design inspired by Lezlye Lauterbach
The Dogwood Corner is a versatile die that easily makes a beautiful card.Corner Sympathy – Poppystamps die Falling Dogwood Blossoms; Memory Box dies Butterflies Cascadia and Leavenworth; Taylored Expressions stamp set Flowers for a Year; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
Here's another treatment starring the corner die. In both cases I cut the die from green then cut it again from fucshia or purple and layered the flowers on the vine. Corner Birthday – Poppystamps die Dogwood Corner; Elizabeth Craft die Happy Birthday; Taylored Expressions embossing folders Dotted Lattice and Leafy Vines; design inspired by Inspiration Station
For this card I simply cut the Falling Dogwood Blossoms die and layered the Heart Swoosh die on top. Heart Swoosh – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Heart Swoosh; Hero Arts sentiment; design inspired by Irena Kowakczyk
Samples from the Archives: Circa 2012
Before there were dies, there were stamps! Remember those days? Memory Box released three wonderful dogwood stamps in 2012: the Dogwood Bloom, the Dogwood Wreath and the Dogwood Branch. I featured these stamps in a class using three coloring techniques. The two Dogwood Wreath cards below are colored with Prisma Watercolor pencils; the Dogwood Branch (first card) is colored with Copic markers; and the Dogwood Bloom (fourth card) is colored with Twinkling H2O watercolors.
I stamped the Dogwood Wreath on white cardstock in Versafine Onyx Black ink and colored the flowers with Prisma watercolor pencils. Then I cut out the wreath (yes with scissors!!!) and mounted it on a Lacy Circle (Spellbinders) cut from white cardstock. I die cut two Tessatina Borders (Memory Box) and glued them across an A2 card. Before I layered on the wreath focal image, I used my Scor It Mini scoring tool to score a line on either side of the Tessatina Borders. This gives the background a little more definition and presence on the card. Finally I layered the focal image with foam tape and add a few butterflies (Martha Stewart punch) and blings. The sentiment is from Memory Box.
The Dogwood Blossom was stamped in Versafine black ink and colored with Twinkling H2O watercolors. The branch die and sentiment are from Memory Box.
Samples from the Archives: Circa 2010
Hero Arts' large Dogwood stamp was really popular in 2010 and I used it in a variety of ways on these card. For the first card I stamped it in red ink on kraft cardstock and added a script stamp below it. The doily die was stamped and embossed in white for a pretty background. Isn't this card pretty? I stamped the Dogwood stamp several times in pink and added a sentiment in brown ink. For this card I colored the stamped image with Copic markers, fussy cut it out and mounted it with foam tape on a stamped background. And the most impressive card of the bunch is this one. I stamped the Dogwood stamp on the back of the pewter (metal) and using metal working tools embossed or debossed the image. Thanks to Kathi Anderson for teaching the class! One more card that while it does not have Dogwood Blossoms, is very springy! I cut the Floral Stem die from white and green cardstock and layered them on top of each other. Then I cut the accompanying flower head die from two shades of pink cardstock and added them to the flower. Next I mounted the flower frame to an embossed background and added a sentiment.Just Saying Hello – Poppystamps die Floral Stem Collage; Taylored embossing folder Leafy Vines; Hero Arts sentiment; design inspired by Marybeth Lopez
New Products Coming: Oxide Inks!
One of the most exciting new products at CHA 2017 was the introduction of the next generation of Distress Inks. Ranger and Tim Holtz have released the new Distress Oxide Ink Pads, a water-reactive dye and pigment ink fusion that creates an oxidized effect when sprayed with water. You can use these inks with stamps, stencils, watercolor brushes and direct to surface. Blend using Ink Blending Tools and Foam. All oxide colors are available in 3” x 3” ink pads and coordinating .5oz re-inkers.
When I watched Tim Holtz’ video introduction I was impressed but not convinced I needed them. Then I watched Jennifer McGuire’s video and completely changed my mind. Please take a minute (well about 30 minutes) and watch these videos to see how these inks are different from all other inks.
The inks should be available later this month. To reserve yours, please send me an email and let me know what you want. They are sure to sell out quickly so don’t delay, reserve today! Individual ink pads will be $6.25 each and you can save 10% by reserving all 12 ink pads. And while you’re buying ink pads, don’t forget to buy another set of replacement foam pads for your Ink Blending Tool because you will want to have pads just for the oxide inks.
New Products Coming: Waffle Flower Stamps and Dies!
We will be stocking a new company soon: Waffle Flower. This company has some very exciting and pretty dies that I hope you will love. All the new products are posted on our What's New Page (click here or on the navigation bar above) and here's a video introductionto the Lacy Layers -- two dies that I think are particularly beautiful. Plus the Waffle Flower Tribal Die and Tribal Bear stamps and dies are perfect for the Southwest! Check them out in this video introduction.
These dies should arrive here in about a week so please stop in and see them for yourself. Very exciting!
I hope you have enjoyed these dogwood cards and the trip down memory lane. Please stop in soon and see all the pretty products for spring and Easter. Have a wonderful week.
Hello friends. Our recent warmer weather and my desire to wish winter away has turned my thoughts to pretty flowers and lush greenery. And no one does flower dies as well as Memory Box and Poppystamps. I recently re-ordered the ever popular Poppystamps die Massa Leaf Frame which lets you make a very impressive card quickly. It cuts all the leaves and the frame so all you have to do is fill the opening with whatever you like. You can see I chose mostly butterflies!
For this first card I chose the very preppy (am I dating myself with that term?) color combo of bright green and dark pink. Be sure to click on the card to see it close up -- on the left you will see the new Eyelet Stitches dies from Poppystamps. They make a really beautiful border and add just that extra little something that finishes the card beautifully.Welcome Spring – Poppystamps dies Massa Leaf Frame, Eyelet Stitches and Dream Butterfly; Savvy Stamps sentiment; design inspired by Mona Pendleton
I used the same color combo on this card, but instead of die cutting the frame I used it to emboss the background. I filled the opening with white cardstock and mounted two butterflies (Memory Box dies Darla and Isabella) in the center.Butterfly Kisses -- Poppystamps die Massa Leaf Frame; Memory Box dies Darla and Isabella.
For the next card I embossed the white mat with the Memory Box stencil Mini Dots and added a vellum layer to the butterfly. Adding little touches like these really “amp” up your cards to the next level!Blue Butterfly -- Poppystamps die Massa Leaf Frame; Memory Box dies Darla and Vivienne; Memory Box stencil Mini Dots.
This soft pink card is oversized (4" x 8") and makes a very pretty statement.
Pink Butterfly -- Poppystamps dies Massa Leaf Frame, Groovy Flower and Classic Ribbons; Memory Box dies Pippi and Isabella.
No matter what color youi choose this frame can handle it! I love the red!
Red Butterfly -- Poppystamps die Massa Leaf Frame; Memory Box dies Pippi and Isabella; Hero Arts sentiment. Card is 4½” x 6¼".
Finally I used something other than a butterfly! What a cute Easter card this frame makes with bunnies and flowers and a stenciled background.
Bunny Frame – Poppy dies Massa Leaf Frame, Chocolate Bunnies and Hydrangea Blooms small; Taylored Expressions die Hippity Hop; Memory Box stencil Texture Disperse; design inspired by Sherry Hester
One final card that shows that this frame is versatile enough to handle a shabby chic design. I love the nuetral color palette.
I hope you enjoyed seeing the versatility of this pretty die.It's availbale along with many others at The Stamp Act now!
Big "Half Dollar" Sale
Spring has given me the "itch" to clean house and move things around the store. As I did, I pulled lots of stuff for the sale table. Before I could even announce it, customers were already scopping up the values. I have a large number of stamps and miscelaneous merchandise on sale for $.50. Plus a large selection of Christmas, Halloween and Fall dies and stamps on sale at 30% off. I do not have room to keep this sale table going indefinitely so please come in before the end of the month -- assuming there's anything left!
Brand New Merchandise
OMG! There's a lot of new merchandise coming your way soon -- like this week! Check it out on our What's New Page (click here or on the navigation bar above) to see all the new goodies. If you see something you want please email me or call me at 915-833-9500 so I can hold it for you for a few days.
One item we just got in is the new larger 10" x 10" Stamp Perfect. I got in 6 yesterday and 4 were sold within hours! The smaller version is out of stock at the manufacturer until mid-March :( so grab this one if you don't have one. This tool is truly revolutionary and trust me once you start using it you will be so happy you have it!
And FYI: I do have a limited number of the bar magnets for the Stamp Perfect if you are interested.
And speaking of the Stamp Perfect, my class this Saturday will show you more than 10 ways to use this great tool. Check it out and sign up. And if you'd rather come at another time, just give me a call to arrange a time.
Well that's all for now. I hope to see you soon at The Stamp Act!
Hello Friends. A friend asked me to order the Memory Box Snowflake Scrollwork Sleeve die for her and while searching for inspiration using this die I found several beautiful and creative examples by the very talented design Pam Sparks. Be sure to check out her blog here.
FYI: Be sure to double click the photos to see a larger version.
Here's a photo of the Scrollwork die. As you can see, it is called a sleeve because it scores the cardstock around three sides so that it will form a sleeve to slip on a card. Frankly I found this to be a bit cumbersome so I cut off the "sleeve" edges and adhered the die to the card front.
Besides the scrollwork die, the other thing today's Christmas cards have in common is that they are either predominately baby blue or bright gold in color. Please keep in mind that the blue is much richer and prettier IRL and the gold mirrorcard is quite hard to photograph. Be sure to double click on each card to see it in more detail.
The Memory Box die Snowman Collage is a real favorite of mine. For this card I cut the main panel from white cardstock using the Stitched Rectangles dies. Next I cut and decorated the snowman (everything is included with the die) then adhered the Scrollwork snowflakes behind the opening. Cute and simple and fast! The sentiment is an old one from Memory Box and one of my favorites.
Here's the die:
And the card:
Snowman – Memory Box dies Snowflake Scrollwork Sleeve, Snowman Collage and Stitched Rectangles; Memory Box sentiment stamp; design inspired by Pam Sparks
I showed another sample with this die in an earlier post ... Let me share it with you again. For this card I sponged the background with dye inks then embossed the Shimmer Stars stencil with pearlescent embossing paste.Snowman Collage – Memory Box die Snowman Collage; sentiment by Hero Arts; Memory Box stencil Shimmer Stars; design inspired by Jenny Griffiths
This card really shows off the scrollwork die. I cut a blue card to 5½” square and centered the Merry Christmas die in the center front panel. The channel die cuts the words out but does not cut above or below the words. I cut two scrollwork dies and adhered them to the top and bottom of the front panel. Finally I added a white cardstock panel inside the card. Pam's original card with this design was bright red and quite stunning too!
Merry Christmas – Memory Box dies Snowflake Scrollwork Sleeve and Fancy Merry Christmas Channel; design inspired by Pam Sparks
I love building scenes so it was a natural to use the Night Before Christmas Town as a backdrop for the big sleigh full of presents. This is a step card cut to 5½” x 11" and scored at 4¼” and 1¼” twice. The front panel is covered with white cardstock embossed with snowflakes, and the back panel is stamped with snowflakes and embossed in white. The rest is cutting and assembling the dies. Once I added the town the foreground seemed very plain so I cut some snowdrifts, glued them on and outlined them with Diamond Glitter Glue (Ranger).
Dashing Through the Snow – Taylored Expressions dies Eventful – Night Before Christmas, Dashing Through the Snow and All Wrapped Up; Impression Obsession cover-a-card stamp Snowflake Background; Cuttlebug embossing folder Snowflakes
For my first gold card, I used several Memory Box dies and layered them on top of each other to form a scene with trees, snowdrifts and snowflakes. The red cardinal and gold deer add just the right pop of color. Deer in Trees – Memory Box dies Snowflake Scrollwork Sleeve, Country Hills Oval Frame, Forest Clearing Oval Frame and Deer Trio; Impression Obsession die Birch trees (cardinal); Taylored Expressions stamp set Rejoice; design inspired by Pam Sparks
Another gold deer stars on this pretty white card.
Birch Tree Deer – Taylored Expressions dies Birch Tree Accessories and Banner Stacklets 1; TE embossing folder Snowfall; TE stamp set A Winter View
I used the scrollwork snowflake die again on this card, hanging the ornament from it. I added lots of medium and small snowflakes and a pretty gold embossed sentiment.
Ornament – Memory Box dies Snowflake Scrollwork Sleeve, Hooks and Caps and Brittaney Ornament; Penny Black die Blizzard; Taylored Expressions die Snowflake Confetti; Memory Box sentiment stamp; design inspired by Pam Sparks
While neither blue nor gold, I had to include this colorful card. The green cardstock was embossed with a new embossing folder from Taylored Expressions (Twinkling Holidays) then cut on the diagonal to form a tree. A strip of colorful paper across the bottom defined the color palette for the presents. A happy sentiment and a few sequins finished off this cute card.
Tree with Presents – Taylored Expressions die All Wrapped Up; TE embossing folder Twinkling Holiday; design inspired by Kim Singdahlsen
I hope these samples inspire you to start creating your own Christmas cards. Thanks to Pam Sparks for her inspiration. Please stop in soon to see these and many other samples in person.
Sale ... Sale ... Sale
All Halloween merchandise is 40% off this week! We've got ghosts and goblins, witches and skeletons so stop in soon!
Hello friends. Check out our new line of Tiny Craft Dies from Memory Box. Though small in size they make a big statement! There are fun designs for Halloween, Fall and Christmas! Add these to a tag or card for the perfect embellishment! Or slip one in a card for a fellow papercrafting friend. They are just $2.99 each.
Here's a board showing each die on a tag -- be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it.
Now here are the same dies used on tags with little scenes of the season! Such fun!
A Word About Storage
Stamp and die storage is always of interest to papercrafters and Avery Elle has recently expanded their line of storage pockets. They discontinued their original storage pockets which we have sold for years in favor of offering small, large and extra large pockets. The large pockets are the same size as the original pockets. Now all pockets will be sold in packages of 50 instead of 25.
As many of you know, for my die storage I use 5” x 5” CD keeper plastic pockets. I find this size fits the majority of dies. I am pleased that Avery Elle is offering the smaller pockets because the CD Keepers I have been using are now discontinued.
The large pockets are perfect for storing clear and cling stamp sets as well as larger dies such as nested dies. The extra large pockets will be good for storing wider and taller stamp sets such as the Taylored Expressions sets.
The advantage to using pockets like these is that when your dies and stamps are stored in the same size pockets, it is much easier to organize them into categories and flip through them easily.
Make and Takes -- Make a free card
I have two delightful cards for you to choose from the next time you stop by The Stamp Act. It only takes a few minutes and you will probably learn something while you're stamping!
Say Happy Halloween with this cute card of Frank and friend taking a selfie!
Or send season's greetings to friends and family with this stunning winter scene.
Stop by the Stamp Act soon -- we'd love to see you.
If you see anything on the blog or website (links above) and want to reserve products or have me mail them to you, just give me a call at 915-833-9500 or send me an email to [email protected]. Gave a wonderful weekend.
Hello Friends. Today I have a miscellany of fall holiday cards. A little Thanksgiving, a little Halloween and a little Christmas. Enjoy!
This card and the next one use the Taylored Expressions Mini Color Blocking die which is only "mini" (4" x 4") compared to their larger version (4" x 5¼”). The scalloped and straight-sided squares and rectangle dies inside the 5 window opening come with the die which adds endless versatility to your layouts.
This card measures 4½” x 4½”. The critters on this card and the next are from TE's stamp set Calendar Critters and the sentiment is from the coordinating (Calendar) Critter Correspondence stamp set.
Celebrate the Season – Taylored Expressions Calendar Critters stamps and coordinating dies; TE dies Mini Color Block, Build-A-Scene Calendar and Snowflakes; Critters Correspondence stamp set; design inspired by Jean Manis
Happy Turkey Day – Taylored Expressions Calendar Critters stamps and coordinating dies; TE dies Mini Color Block, Build-A-Scene Trees, Build-A-Scene Calendar and Little Bits Leaves; Critters Correspondence stamp set; design inspired by Michele Boyer
For a little Halloween fun, I used the new Poppystamps Haunted Mansion set inside the Halloween Circle Frame. I cut the mansion from black and silver cardstock then added scor tape across the window openings on the back of the house, exposing the sticky side through the front openings. I sprinkled on silver glitter to "light" up the house!
Then to make the card seasonal and colorful, I cut a bunch of leaves using the new Poppystamps Fall Leaf Collage and very colorful cardstock. I added the leaves to the left side of the card and colored them with the clear Wink of Stella glitter pen. So in real life they are shiny too!
Haunted House Leaves – Poppystamps dies Haunted Mansion, Hip Halloween Circle Frame and Fall Leaf Collage; Spellbinders die Classic Circles; design inspired by Marybeth Lopez
Now, who says a Haunted Mansion can only be a Halloween house? I used the Haunted Mansion in a winter scene, setting it against a background created with the Birch Tree Stencil and distress inks. I use Viva Decor pearl Pen in White Ice for the trim and added a seasonal greeting.
Haunted House Christmas – Poppystamps dies Haunted Mansion, Old Fashioned Lamp Post, and Old Fashioned Merry Christmas; Memory Box stencil Garden Birch Tree; design inspired by Ilona Zbeig
I love, love, love this snowman! He is so cute and all the little parts to decorate him come with the die. For the shiny background I first sponged a blue background using Memento dye inks then used the Shimmer Stars stencil and Pearlescent embossing paste on top. Honestly this background took 5 minutes to make!
Snowman Collage – Memory Box die Snowman Collage; sentiment by Hero Arts; Memory Box stencil Shimmer Stars; Dreamweavers Pearlescent embossing paste; design inspired by Jenny Griffiths
Last but not least, the new Carved Diamond Pumpkin makes a great shaker card. I cut it twice and sandwiched a bag of sequins in between. I added the leaves and the greeting and the card was finished.
Carved Diamond Pumpkin – Poppystamps dies Carved Diamond Pumpkin, Stitched Pumpkin Leaves and Give Thanks; design inspired by Marybeth Lopez
New Products
We've gotten lots of new fun items in stock -- here's a link to our What's New page -- take a look!
Must Have's for Die-Cutting -- Tools that will enhance your die cutting experience.
Metal Shim -- shims your "sandwich" so you can cut intricate dies more easily. Available for $13.29
Rubber Embossing Mat -- for embossing dies and plastic stencils. Available for $9.99
Score 'n Pierce Tool -- pokes out dies after they are cut and scores cardstock ($11.00)
Adhesive Eraser -- picks up all those pesky bits of stray adhesive ($2.69)
Others: Tweezers ($6.29); Fine tip glue bottle ($5.49); Tombow glue ($4.49); Detail Scissors ($5.99); Wire Snips ($11.00)
Must Have's for Stamping -- Tools that will help you stamp like a pro!
Stamp Positioning Tool -- You have probably heard about the MISTI stamp positioner. Well fortunately other companies are now coming out with similar tools that are less expensive. They are just now announcing them so they won't be available until later in the fall. Here's a new one from Hampton Arts:
The Stamp Perfect tool will retail at $24.99. It has a hinged design with an easy to read ruler, etched grid, foam pad and 2 magnets. It is 7" x 9'. The Stamp Perfect positioning tool allows you precise positioning of your image every time. It will be available in late November.
Powder Tool -- To eliminate stray embossing powder, always treat your cardstock with the EK Success Powder Tool before stamping and embossing. ($5.99)
Acrylic Blocks -- We have a new footed acrylic block that is fabulous. It has a grid on the top so you can easily line up your stamps and foam feet that lets you position your stamp precisely then press on the block for stamping. Check it out on our What's New Page.
Please stop in soon and shop at The Stamp Act! Chloe and I would love to see you!
Yes, Friends, there was a time when dies were new and we were just learning how to use them on our stamped cards. Recently I was cleaning out my stamping desk and found a few card set-ups from February 2012. This set included 3 cards using Memory Box stamps and papers and a few of their very first dies. Fortunately I had instructions with photographs so I decided to find the stamps and make the cards. It was such a delightful afternoon, stamping and distressing, that I thought I would share the cards with you. Perhaps you have some of these stamps in your stash and can make similar cards yourself.
All stamps and dies are from Memory Box and background papers are from 7 Gypsies. And all are long since discontinued.
Butterfly Journey
The focal panel was created by stamping MB's Vintage Record in Versafine Sepia ink on the left then the right side of an off-white cardstock panel. I then stamped Birch Branch Print in pink ink on the top and right side and the Elemental Damask in green on the left side. I distressed the edges with Antique Linen. The pink border on the left was created by die cutting the Bitty Scallop Border from white cardstock and coloring it with Worn Lipstick Distress Stain using the "Direct to Paper" technique.
The butterfly (MB Wonderland Butterfly) was painted with Radiant Pearls, cut out and antennae fashioned from wire adhered to the back. I added gold pearls to the body.
The word journey was stamped in Versafine Sepia ink on off-white cardstock and distressed with Antique Linen.
I assembled the background papers as shown, tearing a square of the 7 Gypsies paper in half for a "photo corner" look.
Eiffel Tower Valentine
For this card the tag frame is decorative paper from Memory Box. I stamped the off-white cardstock panel with the Journey Collage (omitting the word "Journey") in Versafine Sepia ink then stamped Birch Branch Print in Memento Angel Pink on the top third of the panel and Fern Print in Memento Bamboo Leaves on right side of panel. I stamped the Eiffel Tower in back and cut it out then distressed it with Vintage Photo ink. The February Tag is from Memory Box paper. I stamped the word Love and the tiny red hearts to complete this Valentine. Background papers were adhered over a kraft card that was stamped with the Journey Collage stamp.
Chrysanthemum Frame Spring
For this sweet card, I started by stamping theChrysanthemum Frame in Memento Black and coloring it with Copic markers. Next I colored the frame with pink ink and die cut it with MB's Blank Ticket die. I die cut Nestled Bird and Ivy Tendrils, and distressed the edges of the bird with Memento London Fog before adhering it over the ivy to the top of the frame. I punched a border (Martha Stewart lace punch) from dark pink paper and adhered it to a pink cardstock panel that I had stamped with Hero Arts Antique Flowers in Memento Angel Pink. I next adhered the frame as shown over background papers and stamped MB's Spring Sings in Memento Rhubarb Stalk. The sweet little girl's photo is from October Afternoon paper (Farmhouse Collection).
I hope you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane. Get out some of your old stamps and created something beautiful!
If you're looking for something more up-to-date, stop in The Stamp Act anytime and see what's new. Thanks!
It's flowers again! With so many flower dies I could blog a different one every day! Today I am spotlighting the Memory Box dies Zinnia Bouquet and Zinnia Bouquet Background. The background die makes it easy to cut matching background papers for each flower.
Zinnia Gold Mirror – Memory Box dies Zinnia Bouquet, Zinnia Bouquet Background and Stitched Squares; Memory Box stamp Seeds of Happiness; design inspired by Jean Okimoto.
I wish you could see this "in real life" -- the shiny gold mirror paper really catches your eye.
Zinnia Pink Orange – Memory Box dies Zinnia Bouquet and Zinnia Bouquet Background; Impression Obsession die Cutwork Border; Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets.
This card is similar to the one above with the addition of a border die and ribbon.
Zinnia Hello – Memory Box dies Zinnia Bouquet and Zinnia Bouquet Background; Savvy Stamps die Hello; design inspired by Louise Charlton.
Add some rhinestones and a die cut greeting for a quick card.
Zinnia Bright Orange – Memory Box dies Zinnia Bouquet, Zinnia Bouquet Background and Stitched Rectangles and Stitched Squares; Memory Box stamp Happy Day; design inspired by Jean Okimoto.
For this card I embossed the flower die (tops) on white cardstock by using the tan rubber mat with my die cut machine. Then I watercolored each flower and adhered them over the green stems. I added Wink of Stella glitter pen to the centers.
Now for the Butterflies
Here are the Impression Obsession dies I used on the following cards:
Butterfly Block
Square Ornate Frame
Butterfly Block White – Impression Obsession dies Butterfly Block; Lifestyle Crafts die Nesting Rectangles; design inspired by Kitty Caracciolo.
I cut the Butterfly Block from white cardstock then cut a frame using the nesting rectangle dies. The picture does not show it well, but I cut the butterfly again and popped it up on top of the first butterfly for added dimension.
Butterfly Block Painted – Impression Obsession dies Butterfly Block; design inspired by Kitty Caracciolo.
Wow -- lots of color! I colored the Butterfly Block with Copic markers and then to add more interest, I took my Versacolor embossing ink pad and "sponged" ink all over the image and heat embossed it in clear. This really makes the color shimy and vibrant.
Square Ornate Frame – Impression Obsession dies Square Ornate Frame and Butterfly Block; Memory Box die Stitched Squares; design inspired by Kitty Caracciolo.
The Ornate Square Frame (which I did not use on this card) comes with an ornate corner piece. I created a frame using the Memory Box Stitched Squares then adhered the corner pieces to the underneath side of the frame. The butterfly is from the Butterfly Block die.
And a Few Miscellaneous Cards
Here are some more samples I made recently ... I hope they give you some inspiration:
Forest Birthday – Impression Obsession dies Forest and Greetings Edgers; IO Cover-A-Card stamp Bark; design inspired by Kitty Caracciolo.
Super easy card and great for a man's birthday. I stamped the kraft card front with the Bark stamp (6" x 6") then cut the trees (all one die) and sponged them with Vintage Photo Distress ink. I adhered the trees to the card with scor tape rolls (see Tip below). The Impression Obsession Edgers dies cut the top of the word out but leave the bottom attached. I cut the bottom edge to about 1" and adhered the edger word to a strip of brown cardstock. This strip was popped up with mounting tape.
Tip: To pop up a very skinny die like the trees on this card, cut a 2" to 3" piece of Scor tape (double sided tape). I use 1/2" wide or 1" wide Scor tape. Adhere this tape to a non stick surface like a Craft Mat or your desk surface. Working with the length of the tape, use your fingertips and roll the tape into a roll. You can adhere this roll to the back of the trees cutting it to any length you need.
Mountain Birthday Wishes – Impression Obsession dies Boy with Flowers, Mountain Landscape Layers and Puppy Set; design inspired by Harriet Head and Darlene at darscraftycreations.
I wish you could see the card Harriet made using the same paper and mountain die set. It is truly awesome! The paper is the Believe collection from Bo Bunny and one of the papers contains all these colors (and more). The Mountain die set has three mountain profiles so you can "build" your mountains in any number of ways.
Paint Strokes – Paper Smooches clear stamp set I Heart Art; Paper Smooches die Paint Strokes; design inspired by Michele Boyer
Rush Arrow – Poppystamps die Rush Arrow; Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets; design inspired by Jeanne Jachna
I love this very graphic die. I used the same Bo Bunny Believe paper for the backgrounds behind each arrow. Another idea for this same layout would be to stamp sentiments in some or all of the arrow openings. Be creative and have fun! The die also comes with a skinny arrow die.
Boddington Treescape – Memory Box dies Boddington Treescape, Puffy Clouds, Auto Parts, Tiny Village, Stitched Circles and Butterfly Delights; sentiment stamp by Amuse Artstamps; design inspired by Jeanne Jachna
My friend Molly recently moved to Virginia and this is the card I sent her to welcome her to her new home. I embellished the Boddington Treescape scene with cars, houses, sun, clouds, butterflies and a sentiment.
Wedding Cake Card – Impression Obsession dies Wedding Cake and Love Doves; Spellbinders label die
Here are the dies:
Wedding Cake Card – Impression Obsession dies Wedding Cake and Love Doves; Spellbinders label die
I am sorry there is a shadow on the middle and top of this card.
Adhesive Tip: Adhering the two trim pieces on each cake layer can be very tedious and messy if you use glue. White shows every imperfection -- ask me why the my first card took forever to complete! So my tip is to use Stick It Adhesive Paper. Take a piece of cardstock, white in this case, and adhere it to one side of a Stick It double sided adhesive sheet. Cut the cardstock away from the Stick it sheet and die cut the trim pieces from this now self adhesive paper. Important: Be sure to cut the cardstock side so the adhesive side is the back of the die cut.
Now all your tiny trim pieces are self-adhesive and easy to apply to your cake layers.
If that's not clear, stop in and I will show you how to work with Stick It. It is sold in a packet of 5 sheets (8" X 12¼").
Dimension Tip: It is hard to tell in this photo, but the cake layers are curved. To do this I put a double layer of foam tape behind the center of each cake layer. I also added dimension to the wedding couple by die cutting three extra couples from chipboard, gluing them all together then coloring the sides of the chipboard black.
I added dimension to the doves, the cake layers and cake stand by die cutting these pieces from fun foam and gluing the cardstock die cuts to the top of the foam.
Here's another card made with the same Wedding Cake die. This one also features the Impression Obsession dies Ornate Frame Rectangle and tiny flowers.
Sunshine Birdhouse – Taylored Expressions die Little Bits Birdhouse, Picket Fence and Picture Perfect – Sunny Days; TE embossing folder Walking on Sunshine; Memory Box die Marshmallow Clouds, Resting Birds and Mini Heart Collection; design inspired by Jean Manis.
Just a happy and colorful card that anyone would love to get.
I know it's hot and you are probably burrowing into your air-conditioned home, but should you decide to pop out and shop at The Stamp Act, you will be rewarded with a FREE make and take card that's perfect for summer. I would love to be relaxing in a hammock with a cool glass of lemonade, a good book and a powerful fan!
Hello Friends. Summer is in full swing offering lovely flowers and greenery. Today's blog is all about flowers, both summer and spring! Enjoy!
The first cards I will share are created using Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Oh Happy Day. The set includes 4 flowers with matching dies and 2 sentiments -- a real bargain.
Oh Happy Day Flowers – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Oh Happy Day; TE dies Picket Fence, Grass Border, and Cloud Border; Memory Box die Scalloped Border; Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots; design inspired by Shannon White.
I created the sky using the TE Cloud Border die and Distress ink Tumbled Glass.
Red Gingham Flowers – Taylored Expressions stamp and die combo set Oh Happy Day; TE dies Picket Fence and Label Stacklets 3; design inspired by Wanda Guess
My next set of cards uses the Taylored Expressions stamp set Spring Tulips and coordinating die along with TE's Picture Perfect Sunny Days die which really adds the perfect touch!
Spring Tulips Sunshine – Taylored Expressions stamp and coordinating die Spring Tulips; TE die Picture Perfect Sunny Day; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Brick; design by Cindy Lawrence.
How to make stripes on your tulips? Easy. Color tulips with Copic markers, let dry or heat set then make stripes with the Copic blender pen. It "erases" the color!
Spring Tulips Fondly – Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; design inspired by Joan Ervin
Spring Tulips Happy Birthday – Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; TE die Frame in Frame; TE embossing folder Leafy Vines; design inspired by Kendra Wiestock
Spring Tulips Friends – Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; TE die Frame in Frame; TE embossing folder Leafy Vines; design inspired by Shelly Mercado
A big bouquet of flowers is what Impression Obsession's Bouquet Flower die delivers! Everything is included in the die -- a dozen different flowers, lots of stems and 2 different leaves!
You can arrange your flowers in either the Memory Box Garden Watering Can or the Vases die set from Impression Obsession.
Here's the die set from Impression Obsession that I used for the sentiments:
Bouquet Watering Can – Impression Obsession dies 6-in-1-Rectangle Frame, Edgers Everyday and Bouquet; Memory Box die Garden Watering Can.
The Edgers dies cut the words out but leave them attached at the bottom so the bottom can be as deep as you desire. For this card I die cut the frame and attached the words behind the frame.
Bouquet Vase – Impression Obsession dies Vases, Edgers Everyday and Bouquet; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Garden Party.
How appropriate to mount a beautiful vase of flowers on a background embossed with the new Garden Party embossing folder!
Oval Ornate Bouquet – Impression Obsession dies Bouquet and Oval Ornate Frame; Memory Box die Butterfly Delights; design inspired by Kitty Caracciolo.
I cut the flowers twice, cupped them on a soft rubber mat with a stylus then glued them together, offsetting the petals slightly. I punched a tiny circle from yellow or orange paper and glued this in the center of each flower. The gorgeous Oval Ornate Frame has three pieces and I taped these together on the back using Scor tape then added foam mounting tape over this to elevate the frame. I arranged the flowers and added butterflies -- so pretty!
And one more "flower" card where butterflies are the flowers! Thanks Jane!
Tall Bamboo – Memory Box dies Tall Bamboo and Mini Butterflies; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Sheet Music; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets; card by Jane Smith
I suppose it's no surprise that I like to take one product and make many samples so I can show you how to stretch your dies. Today I want to share with you many samples using two Memory Box dies:
Cascadia Butterflies
Leavenworth Butterflies
The good news about these dies is that you get a small, medium and large butterfly on one die. However, the dies are all one piece meaning you cannot use one butterfly separately without cutting it out. I have rarely found this to be a problem versus the advantage of having three size butterflies at my fingertips.
Let's take a look at the samples.
Dreams Take Flight
For this card I cut the Cascadia Butterflies from four colors of cardstock then stenciled each butterfly with a tone on tone ink using Memory Box stencils Mesh and Disperse. The dotted border was die cut with Penny Black die Dots and Swirls and the sentiment added using Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets. I embellished some of the butterflies with silver Metal Decor dots from Hero Arts. Design inspired by Deborah Nolan.
You & Me
I cut the focal panel using Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles then cut two squares each from teal and light green cardstock (1.75") and rounded two corners on each square. I positioned these in the upper center of the panel and adhered them using foam tape. I mounted the largest butterfly, cut from metallic gold cardstock, on top of the squares and die cut the sentiment from the same gold cardstock. This is a cute and easy card and amenable to any color scheme and sentiment.
Lavender Butterflies
I love the colors on this card -- the lavender butterflies floating on the teal background with green dotted accents is so spring like. The opening on the upper left corner of the card is cut with Memory Box die Distressed Baptisia Collage. The greenery is cut with Memory Box die Tall Bamboo and the butterflies with MB Cascadia. I added the sentiment with Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets. Design inspired by Deborah Nolan
White on White
IRL this card is much more impressive -- it just doesn't photograph well. For this card I cut several Memory Box Cascadia and Leavenworth Butterflies from white cardstock and adhered them to a white card. I then cut the Cascadia large butterfly from pink, yellow and blue cardstock and adhered a large Leavenworth butterfly cut from white cardstock over them. You could embellish the card with the butterfly bodies or crytals if desired. Design inspired by Lindsay Amrhein
Vellum
I made three variations on this design. I die cut the focal panel with Memory Box die Stitched Rectangles and sponged it with Distress and Memento inks. Next I cut the Cascadia Butterflies from vellum and sponged them with ink (blue, pink or yellow) then sandwiched them between the Leavenworth Butterflies and butterfly bodies both cut from black cardstock. The cards were finished with a sentiment from Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets stamped on black cardstock and embossed in white. The word "Smile" was cut with the Impression Obsession die Instant Photo Frame (smile) and Penny Black die Hooray Words. Design inspired by Jean Okimoto.
Stitched
Please enlarge the photo to see the stitched border I die cut along the bottom of the green panels using Paper Smooches die Stitched. I added one butterfly and a "Hello" sentiment die cut with Savvy Stamps die Hello. Design inspired by Judy Tuck.
Shaker
Make a quick shaker card with the Cascadia Butterflies by cutting them from white cardstock (die cut with Memory Box Stitched Rectangles) and from a piece of fun foam. Stamp sentiment (from Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets) on the white cardstock before proceeding. Tape a piece of acetate behind the openings on the white cardstock then tape the fun foam piece to the acetate. Fill the openings with tiny beads, stars and glitter and cover the openings with a piece of scrap cardstock. Center the shaker on green plaid paper and center this piece on flowered paper cut the same size as an A2 card. A beautiful card for a lucky recipient.
Sale ... Sale ... Sale
I pulled hundreds of items off the racks for the sale table so stop in soon and shop the bargains! The sale goes on until everything is sold.
Hello Friends! I hope you are planning an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Today I want to share with you a variety of welcome baby cards plus a few other samples for get well and other occasions.
Welcome Baby Cards
This card and the one below it are pretty straightforward. I did sponge the background behind the Welcome die with blue or purple to give the die a little more presence. You could easily turn this into a shaker card too.
Welcome Little One Boy – Taylored Expressions die Welcome Little One; TE stamp set Onesie Twosie with onesie die; design inspired by Jen Shults
Welcome Little One Girl – Taylored Expressions die Welcome Little One; TE stamp set Onesie Twosie with onesie die; design inspired by Jen Shults
Block Party Baby Feet – Taylored Expressions dies Block Party Baby, Treat Toppers Baby and Stitched Banner Stacklets; design inspired by Kerri Michaud
The star of this car is the Cable Knit embossing folder -- it looks just like a baby blanket.
Block Party Baby Safety Pin – Taylored Expressions dies Block Party Baby, Treat Toppers Baby and Stitched Banner Stacklets; TE embossing folder Cable Knit; TE stamp set Little Bits of Baby; design inspired by Kim Singdahlsen
Welcome Teddy Bear – TE dies Little Bits Teddy Bear, Welcome Baby and Build-A-Scene Nursery; Memory Box die Pinpoint Squares; TE stamp set Little Bits of Baby; design inspired by Courtney Kelley
Don't you love this little nursery? Taylored Expressions has such clever Build-A-Scene dies! See how the rug, curtain, lampshade and baby mattress match? So cute!
Nursery – TE dies Build-A-Scene Nursery and Build-A-Scene window; TE stamp set Little Bits of Baby; design inspired by Sankari Wegman
Get Well Soon
It's always a good idea to have a stash of get well cards so if you're going to pull out dies and stamps and papers to make one, go ahead and make several with the same design. For these cards I used the Memory Box die Curved Get Well; Paper Smooches die Bandaids; and Taylored Expressions dies Mini Bloomers and Bloomers Greenery. The papers are from Penny Black's paper pad Beau Jardins. I chose the papers and matching cardstocks then cut flowers and greenery in every shade I needed. I cut the bandaids from kraft cardstock then cut them again from coordinating cardstocks for the hearts. Assembly was quick and I embellished with butterflies and sequins.
Flower Portrait Frame
Penny Black's Flower Portrait Frame die is a very versatile frame with tiny openings all around. The middle of the frame is filled with flowers. I recently used this frame in a variety of different ways.
For this card, I cut the frame from white cardstock three times and glued them together to give the frame more heft and dimension. Then I removed the inner piece, sponged a background of greens and blues, sponged the flowers with red and green and arranged them around the dog.
Bring Me Joy – Penny Black clear stamp sets Man’s Best Friend and Happy Snippets; Penny Black die Flower Portrait; Impression Obsession die Banners and Tails; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Corrugate
Here the frame is sponged with orange and yellow inks. OMG Mom – Penny Black clear stamp sets Man’s Best Friend and Happy Snippets; Penny Black die Flower Portrait; Taylored Expressions die Conversation Bubbles; Penny Black stamps Skyline and Dots in Space; design inspired by Therese Schaffer
For this card I die cute frame and removed the flowers while I sponged the grass and sky background. I colored the flowers with Copic markers and reinserted them into the frame securing them on the back with tape. I also inlaid the flowers centers in white. Black-White – Penny Black die Flower Portrait; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets
Remember in the cards above I cut the frame multiple times? Well that meant I had a lot of "middles" left over. I decided to sponge the middle (background) using Distress Inks Picked Raspberry, Wild Honey and Ripe Persimmon. I mounted the background on textured white cardstock then mounted this piece on a white card with foam tape. The flowers and stems are open except for the centers which I also sponged and inserted in the center of each flower.
Sponged Flowers – Penny Black die Flower Portrait; Penny Black clear stamp set Sprinkles and Smiles; design inspired by Therese Schaffer
One more sample: I embossed the background with the Zig Zag embossing folder then added color to the embossing by holding my ink pad (Memento dye ink New Sprout) perfectly level and sliding it across the top of the embossing. I die cut the frame several times then glued them together over the stamped flower image.
Zig Zag Background – Penny Black die Flower Portrait; Penny Black clear stamp sets Enamor and Snippets; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Zig Zag; design inspired by Elizabeth Allan
Bookmarks
I know these days many people don't need bookmarks as much because they read books on their tablet or e-reader, but bookmarks are still fun to make and give. Taylored Expressions has a new die set called Build-A Bookmark and a new stamp set called Plot Twist that coordinate with their previously released Mark Your Spot Bookmark die and stamp set to create delightful bookmarks.
Tip: Add a ribbon accent that's not bulky by threading ribbon through the die cut opening then tying twine or thinner ribbon around it into a bow.
Bookmarks -- Taylored Expressions dies Mark Your Spot Bookmark and Build-A-Bookmark; TE stamp set Plot Twist
A Few More Fun Samples
Memory Box has several Triptych dies. Perhaps you remember I just posed this sample using the Dogwood Blooms and Stem Triptych dies.
Today I have two samples using the tree Triptych die.
I die cut the tree triptych and the fence from decorative paper that is embossed with a woodgrain design (American Crafts). To bring out the woodgrain, I colored the embossed woodgrain with a Prismacolor pencil (Dark Brown). I glued the tree frames to green decorative paper and added pink flowers accented with tiny crystals.
Tree Triptych 1 – Memory Box die Tree Triptych; Memory Box stamp Seeds of Happiness; Poppy die Johnny Jump Ups; Taylored Expressions die Picket Fence; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
For this card I die cut the Tree Triptych from the front of a top folding card then adhered blue cardstock behind the openings. I inlaid the tree frames and added little flowers, sequins and a sweet sentiment.
Tree Triptych 2 – Memory Box die Tree Triptych; Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets; Poppy die Hydrangea Blooms small; design inspired by Michele Henderson
Switching gears a little, here's a very happy birthday card! I cut the balloons from glitter paper (blue and white which I colored with a yelow Copic marker); cut the candle border from white cardstock then colored it with Copics; and cut the Best Day Ever from blue cardstock. Cute card!
Best Day Ever – Impressions Obsession dies Rectangle Frame 6 in 1, Best Day Ever, Heart Balloon and Candle Border; Penny Black die Balloons; design inspired by Kittie Caracciolo
One more ... my friend Jane Smith made this funny gal -- isn't she hilarious! I love the way Jane made her standing in the corner -- very cleverly drawn lines and coloring. Thanks Jane!
Sylvia – Art Impressions stamp Sylvia; sentiment stamp unknown; card designed by Jane Smith
Have a great weekend and please stop by the Stamp Act soon!
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 hereand 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!
Happy Spring friends! Welcome to The Stamp Act blog. You are reading this blog post in your email, but to see the entire blog including previous posts with links to our Gallery, What's New and Class pages, just click on the blog title above. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please scroll down to the bottom of this post. Thanks!
I love spring when brown yards turn green and dead looking trees sprout tiny new leaves. It’s a time of renewal and rebirth. Taylored Expressions has some wonderful new products that let us express the promise of spring. Their new die In the Garden constructs a whole spring scene while the stamp and matching die Spring Tulips celebrates the colorful flowers of early spring. Let me share some samples with you.
In the Garden Tri-color Primary
So easy! Just cut three panels of cardstock -- you can easily vary the colors -- and adhere to a top folded card. Then cut the In the Garden die from black cardstock for a silhouette look. Add a sun and you've got a cute card that's perfect for many occasions. Supplies:Taylored Expressions die In the Garden; design inspired by Charmaine Ikach
In the Garden Scene
First I created the cloudy sky (which is blue IRL not gray) using the very handy Cloud Border. Then I cut the die from white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers which went surprisingly fast. I could have added some shading on the tree for a more realistic look. I added a few butterflies and a sweet sentiment.
Supplies: Taylored Expressions dies In the Garden and Cloud Border; TE stamp set Spring Tulips; Memory Box die Mini Butterflies; design inspired by Sankari Wegman
In the Garden White
Easy! Cut the die from white cardstock and layer it over yellow cardstock embossed with the "Walking on Sunshine" embossing folder (TE).
Supplies: Taylored Expressions die In the Garden; TE embossing Folder Walking in Sunshine; sentiment stamp from Amuse Art Stamps (discontinued); design inspired by Jean Manis
In the Garden Mono
A variation on the card above using green and blue. The clear sequins remind me of raindrops.
Supplies:Taylored Expressions die In the Garden; TE embossing Folder Walking in Sunshine; sentiment stamp from Memory Box (discontinued); design inspired by Kim Singdahlsen
Spring Tulips Fondly
Stamp and emboss the tulips in clear then color with Copic markers. Die cut the tulips and mount them on a couple strips of decorative paper against a waterclored background.
Supplies: Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; design inspired by Joan Ervin
Spring Tulips Friends
Such a pretty card combing bright red tulips against a neutral background. The tulips were stamped and embossed in clear then colored with Copic markers. The sentiment was stamped on vellum.FYI: Using the heavyweight vellum hides the Scor tape I used to mount it.
Supplies: Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; TE die Frame in Frame; TE embossing folder Leafy Vines; design inspired by Shelly Mercado
Spring Tulips Happy Birthday
Supplies: Taylored Expressions stamp set and coordinating die Spring Tulips; TE die Frame in Frame; TE embossing folder Leafy Vines; design inspired by Kendra Wiestock
Classes
For a look at our Class and Events Calendar including class descriptions and photos of class samples, please click here. This Saturday we have two classes: 10am is 2 for 1 Backgrounds, and 2pm is Stencil Mania.
Make both these backgrounds at once!
Check out the other samples on the class page here.
Create a gorgeous card using several stencils and dies!
Check out the other samples on the class page here.
Thanks for reading the blog today. Please stop in and shop at The Stamp Act soon. This week we are continuing to offer our FREE Easter make and take card and Chloe's birthday discount. FYI: Chloe is feeling much better. I hope to see you soon!
Hi Stamping Friends. I wish I could say that fall is here in the desert southwest, but while it is a little cooler, I am still running the air condiitoner. Hopefully cooler days are ahead. Today I want to share with you the samples for this weekend's classes which feature beautful seasonal colors and lots of techniques.
On the left is a card made with Tattered Angels Winter Trees Glimmer Screens and an embossing technique that is way cool! For the card on the right I used one of the Just Rite Stampers Autumn Blessings stamps and made paper using glimmer mists then die cut the leaf. Both cards use glimmer mists in a variety of colors.
This card features bright candy apple red glimmer mist and a flower stamp from Magenta . I also distressed the background paper with glimmer mist. For the snowflake card at right, I used the Ice Crystals Glimmer Screens, embossed the snowflake then spritzed with glimmer mist. These are very versaitle and colorful products so please join me for this informative class.
Fall flowers can be anything from sunflowers to pumpkins and we will use stamps and die cuts of all these images in saturday afternoon's class. Discover ways to use your stamps and die cuts in new ways; how to create a subtle background using Perfect Pearls; and how to color with Copic markers. here are two more samples we will make in the class:
Please join us for the fun and learn more about the art of stamping!