Modern Traditional Tag - In Progress

Yes, I realize that it's a strange title, but that's the name of the swap category.  Modern refers to the color palette, in this case Pear and Cotton Candy.

This is one of my the ornaments for the tag that I am designing:

It required the masking technique with a little twist, so I thought I would share it today. First I stamped the entire ornament on thin scrap paper and cut out the bird.  I put some repositional adhesive on the backside of the bird, then set the good-side against the stamp exactly in place.

It stuck there well enough while I lined it up on my ornament shape.  I pressed the un-inked stamp down and the bird mask stuck with the repositional adhesive.  Now it is perfectly in place to mask the bird.  Below you can see the mask alone on an ornament, as well as the finished stamp once the mask has been removed.

Also note on the carrier sheet, around the stamp image there is a little line and the numbers 2.5".  This lets me know to set my Cricut at 2.5" when I am cutting this shape on the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge, so that it is the perfect size for this stamp.

Lastly, I cut a rectangle that was 1" X 1 1/4" to fit just the bird.I inked the center of this ornament in Cotton Candy and just printed the bird.  I attached it with foam tape for a little dimension.

I hope to be able to show you the finished tags tomorrow because time is running out!! Tick, tick, tick..

A Study

I'd like to welcome another follower to my blog family.  He is actually a member of my family!!  Hi Dad  ;)   Everyone, this is my Dad.  He's the one who has been baking bread for all their friends.  See my third post to learn more.  My mom follows my blog too, but she gets it by email.  :D

Today's photo is just a little study I did.  I want to use this stamp on some Christmas cards, but I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet.  I tried stamping the wreath up-side-down and altering the bow.  I liked the alteration, but the clear glitz gel turned a bright green on the New England Ivy paper, so I will leave that off next time.

I first stamped the bird's breast in Crème Brûlée, then rolled it very carefully in Cranberry.  I liked that effect.  I was mimicking a photo from the Idea Book.  I'm not sure how theirs was done.  Then I added the clear glitz just for fun.  I think it's maybe OK on the bird.  I also tried it on one of the flowers, but it was horrible, so I wiped it off.

The main effect I was trying out this evening was the tiny cutout flowers.  I built them up with two layers.  I think it was worth the extra cutting, although my right thumb got a bit sore.  ;)  Oh well, such is the price we pay!!

The reason I'm blogging about this is so that people who are new to stamping, etc., realize that what you see on blogs is often not a first attempt (OK, sometimes it is, and I make better ones later...)  But often, I have tried a bunch of things that just haven't worked out.  For example, yesterday, I was going to make a Christmas card with a cardinal and a nest full of eggs - part way through a little voice in my head said, "Wait!!  Don't birds usually lay their eggs in Spring? Just because there are eggs on this sheet of stamps doesn't mean that they meant for you to use them with the branch of holly leaves and berries!!!"  So, I altered my card to just a cardinal on a branch, and used my eggs in the nest to start a page for a technique notebook.  Efficient of me, eh?  And you never would have known if I hadn't told you.

Just don't get too frustrated when things aren't going smoothly.  You would be surprised how many wrong cuts I make, how many poor images I stamp and how many times I just sit and wonder where I thought I was headed with this project. Somehow though, it usually comes together in the end.  Keep on Stamping!!!

Technique Time 8) Masking

I've decided to make a new technique notebook.  I don't know why.  I just decide these things.  I used to have such a thing back in the day, probably 1996, when I was the Arts and Crafts Director at the Girl Scout camp.  That was a fun summer!!  (Another story for my storylane blog!!  Yea.  There's another decision made!!)

Masking Technique:

This is used when you want to combine two images.  I have a cardinal stamp and a branch stamp.  In order to make the cardinal appear to be in front of the branch, I actually have to stamp it first!!

To use this tutorial for the above card, substitute the cardinal for the eggs.

The mask is really dark here because I used it several times before.

I should have shown the cutout against another color, or raised on foam tape.  It would show it off much better.  

Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Fer Talk Like A Pirate Day, we be havin Cap'n Washbucket supplyin advice:

Dakota paper bandanna and shirt!!

When ye have added a new stamp to yer booty, it must be torn from its carrier sheet, but ye don't want to tear the stamp.  So ye will pull it from the edges toward the center. It be possible to rip an acrylic stamp asunder, though I hadn't seen such meself.

Like any new crew member on yer ship, new stamps need to be seasoned, but don't believe Cook when he suggests basil and wolfs-bane.  The ship commanders over at CTMH suggest starting with a light colored ink.  Ye'll ink the stamp up well, mind ye, with a tap, tap, twist, twist, tap, tap, before ye then stamp with it over and over.  Keep this up until ye be getting a nice crisp impression, like a newly minted doubloon.  Yer stamp now be seasoned and you are ready to set sail.

It be best if'n ye remember when inking yer stamp that ye don't have need to press yer stamp very hard into the ink pad, eh?  The ink only needs be on the top fer it to be finding itself afixed to the paper.

Now me and me crew always used to store arrrrr ink pads upside-down whatfor to keep the ink up at the surface, ye see.  One of the reasons we be so attracted to Close to My Heart was how their ink pads have swivel lids.  They be cleverly designed so as to store the ink upside-down for ye!!   Them ink pads also be having the color swatch and name on the front.  That be for when they be stacked like coins fer counting, so you fer can see what be what.  So smart!  I be hooked like shark on chum.

Unlike most pirate crews, Close to My Heart be thinking about cleanliness and be bartering things fer swabbing yer stamps clean.  These be both the lint free My Acrylic Stamp Scrubber, as well as the My Acrylic Spritz Cleaner.

I only just noticed that we be having a StazOn cleaner which be most powerfully exciting cuz StazOn stains your stamps, which not be the end of the world, yet t'would be nice fer to do somethin about.  I be letting ye know how it works OR maybe ye already know and can report back to me.  I be hoping t'will help what with the stains from Archival Black, and what be some of the colors what traditionally stain, being them reds and purples.  I'll be taking a look through my spyglass and be reportin back to ye! ; )

Another thing we be having now is a My Acrylic Spritz Cleaner Refill, a jug o'the stuff fer a fair coin.

Should ye be discovering yer stamps don't be as sticky as what they once be, no trouble, maties!  Make 'em walk the plank down to Davy Jones Stopper.  Rinse 'em in yer sink with a colander so they can't escape and when they be dry, ye'll find the sticky has returned like magic!

When ye've finished yer current voyage, double check yer carrier sheet and be making certain sure what that ALL of yer stamps have been returned to stowage because those stamps be like ghosts at midday! Seriously!  It be much easier to search for one right away before ye bury it. That booty be precious gold.

If'n ye be needin some translatin, that can be a takin care of, but not today cuz today be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

I be owin a special debt o' gratitude ta Cap'n Washbucket A.K.A. my shackled-mate, Andrew.   You  are my rock buoy!  -KC

Stamp Lingo

This is back to the basics.  My sister-in-law, Gail  - Hi Gail!  ; )  - is taking the plunge after being an avid follower of my blog these past couple of weeks and is going to start stamping!!  Gail is a very talented seamstress, quilter, cross-stitcher and smocker (I'm making up some of these words, but that doesn't diminish her skills!!)  She's done a lot of crafts including rubber stamping the "old way."  She just needs to learn about acrylic stamps and some of what has been happening lately.  Basically what I have been learning the past two years.

So here we go, Gail, and anyone else who is interested.

As with anything new, it's all about the lingo, so even though I catch myself saying rubber stamps - it's ACRYLIC these days - and what a difference that makes.  A see-through stamp on a see-through block.  What a concept.  It opens up a whole new world! (Cue music.)

If you were a collector of rubber stamps, they were bulky to store.  Acrylic stamps are thin. They peel off of their carrier sheets, as needed, and are placed on a clear block to be used.  Then after being cleaned they are returned to the carrier sheet - right back to their photo.

Getting started with my double stamp set - It"s Your Day
(available till September 30, 2012
for $5 with a $35 purchase)

 For my example, I am using 4 stamps together on one block as a small collage.  This would have been difficult to do with the old style rubber stamps.  Don't get me wrong.  I loved my rubber stamps, but this is better!!

An important thing to be aware of with acrylic stamps is that they don't have that little spongy part that exist in a rubber stamp between the wood and the rubber, so we take care of that with a sheet of spongy Styrofoam-like material.  This sheet comes with your stamp set and serves both as protection for your stamps in it's package as well as a work surface.  Place it under your scrap paper (a large sheet of blank newsprint works well.)

In the photo above I show the cushiony material on top of my scrap paper just so you can SEE that I am using it.  In all of the other photos on my blog - just know that it is there!!  I'll remind you occasionally.  ; )


The beauty of being able to see through the stamp and block is that you are able to line up your image and stamp it where you want it.  OK, so it's not perfect every time, but it's pretty close.   Take it from someone who did a lot of rubber stamping.  No matter how hard you concentrate, you CANNOT see through wood!

I wanted a bit of a zigzag border, so I  pieced this pattern together all around the edge.  I made some mistakes, but I don't think anyone would really look closely enough to notice.  I sure didn't at first!

Finished card complete with sparkles.