Cards for Crafters
June 15, 2017
Hello Friends! Today's blog is all about us crafters! How fun are these cards?! They are perfect to send to other "addicted" crafter's and to friends who know about our obessions! Enjoy!
These cards are made with a preciously released set of stamps from Taylored Expressions and the newly released matching dies (not shown).
Taylored Expressions stamps set A Life She Loved, $18.79. Matching dies are $22.99.
My first card is very colorful and features the TE Little Bit Paint Brush die. I die cut the paint brushes from kraft cardstock and the tips from white cardstock then adhered the tips to the brushes. I colored them with the same color Copic marker that I colored the sentiment with.Color My World Paint Brushes – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE Little Bit die Paint Brushes; TE paper pad Rainbow Brights; design inspired by Michele Boyer
This card is similiar except it includes the Little Bit Colored Pencil die as well as the Paint Brushe sand the Paint Palette. I colored the sentiment with colored pencils which show up well on the balck cardstock.
Color My World Colored Pencils – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE Little Bit dies Colored Pencils, Paint Brushes and Paint Palette; design inspired by Jean Manis
You can make a quick background using the focal image in a neutral color and mounting a die cut piece of vellum on top. The paint brushes are stamped in black, colored with Copic markers and glued on top of the vellum. Then it's easy to mount the vellum by placing foam tape on the vellum under the brushes. TIP: I stamped the sentiment on the vellum with Memento black ink and let it dry before I colored it. Alternatively you could stamp it in Versafine black and emboss it with clear embossing powder.
Color My World Vellum – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE die Stitched Rectangles; design inspired by Gayatri Murali
A few layers in different colors adds a fun touch to this card.
Make Beautiful Things – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE dies Stitched Rectangles, Stitched Circles and Frame in Frame; design inspired by Jen Shults
I love the layer son this card. The kraft corrugated card and the white card are both cut with the Stitched Rectangles and splattered with green and blue ink. I added Glossy Accents on top of the ink spots on the palette to make them look more realsitic. Paint Brushes Designed a Life – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE Little Bit dies Paint Brushes and Paint Palette; TE die Stitched Rectangles; design inspired by Melody Rupple
OK, there are crafts other than papercrafting, and knitting and crocheting are very popular these days.
Knitting – Taylored Expressions stamp set with coordinating dies A Life She Loved; TE Little Bit die Needles and Yarn; TE die Frame in Frame and Stitched Banner Stacklets; TE embossing folder Swiss Hearts; design inspired by Melody Rupple
News You Can Use
Recently Jennifer McGuire released a video blog showing 5 Must Have Tools for papercrafters. The Stamp Act has carried all these tools (or something very close to them) and interestingly enough I had several on order when her blog released so they will be coming soon. Here is my top useful tools list:
Stamp Perfect -- If you don't have it (or another similiar stamp positioning tool) you need to run not walk to The Stamp Act and buy one. It is extremely useful and will increase your stamping pleasure as it decreases your stamping mistakes. We have the larger size Stamp Perfect for $29.99.
Fine Tip Glue Bottle -- I agree with Jennifer that a fine tip glue bottle is a must have. We have the Precision Tip Applicator Bottle that lets you apply tiny drops of glue on thin little die cuts. Does it clog up occassionally? Yes. So go to Hobby Lobby and buy some corsage pins and clean the tip out every once in while. Or leave the pin in the bottle as a "lid". Jennifer recommends the Darice Bottles which come 4 to a set and I have those on order also.
Tombow Mono Sand Eraser -- This little eraser can help erase tiny bits of stray ink from your stamping. Very helpful.
Jewel Picker -- is very handy tool with a sticky end that picks up jewels or sequins. We carry the Lifestyle Crafts Quicker Picker Upper and the Embellie Jellie. The Embellie Jellie is an ingenous tool that comes with a small box of a jelly material that you mold into a ball and stick on the end of a wooden skewer. Then just use the skewer to pick up small embellishments from tiny crystals to heavier buttons. I also have the Uchida Jewel Picker on order.
The Scor 'n' Pierce Tool -- ranks as one of my top tools. It has 4 retractable tips: 2 that pierce and 2 that score (ball stylus). When you need to poke paper out of a die this tool’s tip fits into the tiniest holes.
Milwaukee Heat Tool -- gets hotter than other heat tools so it embosses faster. It’s the best!
Die Snips -- make snipping apart dies a breeze. Unlike regular wire snips that are big and clunky, these have a tapered end so they easily fit into tight places to snip dies apart. Check them out – I reach for mine almost every day! And if you need to smooth out the burrs left from snipping, use a Dremel tool with a sanding tip. Be sure to wear safety gogges!!
Tweezers -- I know that using tweezers is a personal preference (passion!) of mine but if you try them you too will love them! We carry the Elizabeth Craft Tweezers which have very thin, curved tips which make picking up the smallest of embellishments or die cuts easy.
Shop for all the tools, papers, dies and stamps you need for your papercrafting at The Stamp Act! And if you are looking for a tool or have a question about a tool, just stop in for some advicce. Thanks for stopping by the blog today.