Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig Stamp Positioner

I've written the directions for this several times and shown people several times how to use this stamp positioner. Well, here's my first attempt at putting a video here for those who need to see it again!

Faux DS paper technique

This card is made by mimicking designer paper by using a wheel stamp and a single image stamp for the background. I've made a tutorial for this for you here. Try it and let me know how you make out!
The Template grid is here!

All stamps, paper and ribbons used are by Stampin' Up!

Chickadee Card Candy

I was trying to get a chickadee for a Christmas card, and if you follow this blog, you know how I like to make things look real. Here's the chickadee I made with two oval punches, small star punch, 1" circle punch, 1/8" circle punch, and scissors. I tried taking pictures while I was working on the bird, so some of the pieces were modified a bit, and after I took the one of all the pieces, I decided I needed another piece, so that's why there's a couple of extra pictures in the file for pieces.
Let me know if you have any problems with the directions and how you like it!! TFL

The inks are More Mustard and White Craft and the directions can be found in the PDF file that is here.

Tea Bag Holder Gift Card

This is NOT my idea, but when I saw these I thought they were so cool and very easy to make! If you can, check out Sassiangel's gallery on SCS. She's made a lot of these, and has some great ideas for gifts for the Christmas season!! Anyway, I thought these were so cute that I've made some and I also cased her Lovely as a Tree design and stamped that on mine. Here's the picture:
On the left is the mini composition book and on the right is the tea bag holder. The tree has white liquid applique on it to make the snow. I used the Ski Slope DS paper and to give it a little glitz, which you can't see in the picture, I stamped the tree on Shimmery White cardstock. All stamps and supplies are from Stampin' Up!

I have added a PDF file for you to download and print out on cardstock if you wish for the tea bag holder. The page will print on printers which allow 1/4" margins, and there are 2 on a page! Enjoy! And, thanks, Sassiangel!!

Scrap Storage

If you're like me, you have TONS of itty-bitty pieces of expensive cardstock that you just don't want to throw away because you might need it. I always check my scraps when I'm making a card and want a certain color because often I find just what I need there. After several attempts at storing them I've finally found the solution. This is a picture of the Clipitup! by Simply Renee and it works great. This is the base unit, and it stands about 18" high and turns. I have all my cardstock sorted by color into 8 1/2" x 11" page protectors (kind you get at the office supply store) and now I can find it!
You can get an extention for the top to put another tier on, too.

Paper trimmer problems??

Well, here I am again, shopping for a new paper trimmer and thought I'd see what all the experts on SCS said about trimmers. I read everyone's report on all the different trimmers and since I wasn't ready to remortgage the house to buy another one, I decided to fix my Fiskars trimmer.
What's wrong with it? Maybe you have this problem, too... the markings all wear off and I can't tell where I'm cutting! (Yes, the blades get dull quick too, but I don't have a fix for that other than buying new blades!)
Here's my solution to the problem of markings wearing off:

Use permanent markers and redraw all the lines. (This isn't so bad because you can color "special" lines like the 4.25" one in another color!)

Now, this works for awhile, but these lines also wear off, so purchase a roll of Grip-tak clear vinyl self-adhesive. This is truely CLEAR. Contact paper is not clear, it is a little frosty, so it won't work.

Remove the arm carefully so you don't break it and press the Grip-tak down on the metal and smooth out, removing all wrinkles.

Finally, use your craft knife to cut around the edges of the metal plate and remove the excess! Voila! Almost good as new!!

Lace Medallion Card

This card was done for a challenge on SCS, and several people wrote me and asked for directions for the outside lace, made with the punch so I decided to post the information here. Because the medallion is so large (4.5" in diameter) the card measures 5.5" x 5.5". You can use any corner punch to do this, and the tutorial for making the inside medallion is great and can be found here.

For my medallion, I did not have the specific die set that was used on that tutorial, and after some fooling around ( like making a scalloped circle, which doesn't work well, and several different

size circles) I decided on the 3 3/8" diameter circle. This size used with this punch allows the center to pop right out easily. If you use a larger circle, you'll need to cut a bit with a craft knife to get it to pop out. On the card I used all vanilla cardstock, but in these directions I am only showing how to make the lace on the outside of the circle, so I'm showing it made with colored cardstock.







So, to make the pieces for the outside (you'll need 16 for this size circle) you need the punch without the corner adapter and you only need scraps of the paper you want to use, as the pieces are small.

Position the punch along the edge of the paper as shown and punch.


I've drawn black lines on the punched piece so that you can see where I snipped it with scissors.


After you snip it, you have one of the 16 pieces you need and you glue them with a spot of glue under the outside edge of the medallion.
(To take these pictures I am showing a solid circle here, but you would have already punched out the center!)
The colors I used in the card are Old Olive, Ruby Red, and Pretty in Pink and the stamp set for the inside of the medallion is Snow Swirled.

Cracked Glass Cardinal

This technique works great for the antique look but can work well with most any image. This is the Cardinal Christmas set from Stampin' Up!





Materials needed:

• Cardinal Christmas stamp set
• Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Brushed Gold, Vanilla cardstock
• Basic Black, Mellow Moss and Sahara Sand classic ink pads
• Chocolate Chip reinker
• StayzOn Black ink pad
• Versamark resist ink pad
• Glassy Glaze embossing powder
  
• watercolor crayons

Directions:

1. Stamp the mistletoe branch repeatedly around the vanilla cardstock with Mellow Moss ink.
2. Stamp the verse over and over around the mistletoe branches in Sahara Sand ink.
3. Stamp the cardinal in the center with StayzOn and color in with watercolor crayons.
4. After the image is dry, press the Versamark pad over the entire front of the image and sprinkle with embossing powder. Repeat this 2-3 times until the image is completely coated evenly (no paper shows through and no bumps). Set aside to COOL completely.
   
5. Fold the Always Artichoke cardstock in half to form the card, attach the brushed gold piece vertically on the front as shown. Stamp the "Merry Christmas" in the bottom-right corner of the card in Basic Black ink.
6. Bend the cardinal embossed piece to form cracks in the surface of the embossing. Repeat for the effect and number of cracks you want. Place one drop of Chocolate Chip ink on the front and rub around with a cotton ball, letting it seep into the cracks. (Sometimes it's easier to get in the cracks if you bend the cracks open a bit while sliding the cotton ball across them.)
7. Wipe off the excess ink from the cardinal piece with a clean paper towel and mount on Bravo Burgundy. (I find that heavy embossing like this needs a strong glue to hold it, as the cardstock has been warped and does not like to lay flat; So, I use the Tombow Multi Liquid Glue, especially in the corners, and hold it together with clothespins on the corners until dry.
8. Affix this to the front of the card as shown.
   

Harvest Pumpkins

I know it's been awhile since I put anything new here, but I've been busy with my new stamp room. I've been looking for just the right desk for my stamping room because I was running out of space. (Doesn't that happen to everyone??!) Anyway, everything else slid along the way while I was moving the computer, pulling cables and all trying to get this office situated just the way I wanted it. Here's a picture of my stamping station. I'm so happy with this and I thank everyone online that I wrote to and asked questions about how they liked this and that. The corner desk is from French Envy, yet I had them NOT put the knobs on that they were going to and ordered instead the drawer pulls online from an Antique Hardware site. I still have 5 empty drawers, too!!

Anyway, I know this post is called "Harvest Pumpkins" and I was going to put directions here for making the pumpkins and stems and leaves as someone asked about the card.
Here's the finished pumpkin:

To make this pumpkin you need the large oval punch and you punch 5 ovals from Pumpkin Pie cardstock.
Sponge each piece with Chocolate Chip ink around the edges. (I took a Pumpkin Pie marker and drew in the seams for shadowing after the pumpkin was together, but they look good without doing this!)

Glue the pieces together to make the pumpkin shape.





The stem is made from another scrap of Old Olive cardstock that already had some holes punched in it.
Here's a diagram to show you how you can cut these from the scraps; The oval has been punched out and the black lines denote where to cut with scissors:

Glue this piece that you cut out behind the top of the pumpkin and you're all set!

Now, leaves can be made with a circle punch, as well as a flower punch. Here's how to make the shape for leaves:

Punch a circle from cardstock and slide the circle back into the punch and punch the circle along the black line. If you have trouble getting the circle back into the side of the punch, put a sticky note on the circle to extend it into the punch!




Lots of things use this shape, ears on animals, for example.

Moonlight Madness!!

Moonlight Madness is a name I gave to a special class I'm offering soon, so check the "Events" at the bottom of the page for dates and times! Here's a card that uses that technique of stamping a silhouette, masking off a "moon" (or a sun) and then sponging (or brayering) in a sky. I prefer to sponge because I can get the gradient colors around the orb correctly. (I also have a lot of trouble getting the lines off my brayered skies!) Anyway, here's the card for today, that uses a new set from the Holiday Mini, Season of Friendship. I really like this set, and I'll post one for each season on my gallery on Split Coast Stampers, so check them all out!!

Materials you need for this card:

• Black cardstock (3 3/4" x 5")
• White cardstock (3 1/4" x 4 1/2")
• Bashful Blue cardstock (5 1/2" x 8 1/2")
• White gel pen
• Iridescent Ice embossing powder mixed with White embossing powder
• White Craft pad
• Classic pads: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Pacific Point, Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy (I know... that's a lot of BLUE!!)
• sponge
• sticky notes
• circle punch (I used the 1 1/4" one)
• Versamarker
• Embossing Buddy
  
• Season of Friendship stamp set

Directions:

1. Stamp the tree in Basic Black on the white cardstock.
2. Punch out a circle of sticky note and place over tree where you want the moon to be.
3. Rip more sticky notes (I used 2, depends on the size) and place them horizontally across the bottom where the horizon is. (about 1" above bottom of tree) You rip them to give the horizon a more natural jagged look.
4. Begin sponging with the blues, starting with Bashful Blue and ending with Night of Navy, in a circular pattern, following around the moon. Every time you change a color, leave about 1/4" of previous color not sponged over and work outward away from the moon. When you get to the horizon, you should be sponging with Night of Navy.
5. Remove moon mask(sticky note) and horizon masks. Place horizon masks in the white "snow" area around tree to make it look like moguls and sponge lightly with Bashful Blue to add the shadows.
6. Remove all masks and wipe across cardstock with Embossing Buddy.
7. Stamp the snowflake 3 times with Craft white ink, dust with mixture of embossing powder and heat set.
8. Very carefully, use the Versamarker and go over the moon, sprinkle with mixture of embossing powder and heat set.
   
9. Finally, take the white gel pen and put some "snow" in the crooks of the tree.
   

Birds of a Feather

The owl in this set inspired me to create more birds from punches, so I've been punching and gluing to put together some more "card candy" for my customers. So far, I've come up with a mallard duck, a swan, and today did a loon, using the Boho Backgrounds set from Stampin' Up!
The directions for the loon follow.

This first picture shows the pieces that I put together (minus the water and tail feathers-oops!) to make the loon.

First, stamp the image in black on white cardstock from the Boho Backgrounds set. Then use the Medium oval punch to punch it out as shown. (You might have to stamp it twice to get both pieces.)
Then use the Small oval punch to punch out the wing - one from the image and the other from black cardstock.
Put a sticky note on the back of each piece and slide them back into the punch and punch out the other side to make the "sort of" crescent shape.
To make the following:
Neck (black): Small oval punch, punched twice and then trim a bit off the "chin" area to get rid of that hook formed by the oval punch.
Head (black): 1/2" circle punch
Beak (black): one point of small star punch
Tail feathers (black - not shown): one point of large star punch
Eye (Real Red): 1/8" circle punch

To assemble:

Use a glue pen to affix the neck to the back of the body as shown.













Glue the head onto the top of the neck:

















Glue the beak so that it points upwards slightly, and the eye on as shown:
















Glue the black wing on top of body:

















Finally, use a black marker to put dot in center of eye, and add the tail feathers that I forgot to put into the first picture. The tail feathers get glued onto the back of the body.
Since loons are a sleek bird, I thought it needed water and made that with the scallop punch, which I punched three times on Not Quite Navy paper and used the "garbage" from the punch to glue across the loon body. After all three pieces so that the tips of the waves are slightly below and to the left or right of the previous layer. Use a white gel pen to put the white on the tips of the waves.

Season of Simple Grace

This card uses the Scandinavian wheel along with a verse from the 2007 set, Star Studded Season, which just seemed to fit, but of course, you can substitute one of the verses from the Season of Simple Grace for this!

Materials needed:

• Bravo Burgundy cardstock cut to: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and 4 3/8" x 2 1/8"
• More Mustard cardstock cut to: 4 1/2" x 2 3/4"
• Old Olive cardstock cut to 4 1/8" x 1 7/8"
• Elegant Eggplant cardstock cut to 2 3/8" x 3 3/4"
• vanilla cardstock cut to: 4 3/8" x 2 5/8" and 3 7/8" x 1 3/4"
• Gold Glory embossing powder
• Elegant Eggplant and Versamark pads
• Old Olive standard cartridge
• Embossing Buddy

Directions:

1. On the larger piece of vanilla cardstock, roll the Scandinavian wheel in Old Olive and then affix this to the larger piece of More Mustard cardstock.
2. On the smaller piece of More Mustard cardstock, wipe with the Embossing Buddy and then stamp the verse on one end; Emboss with gold and then affix this to the piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock.
3. Stamp the three wise men stamp in the center of the other vanilla cardstock and then mount on the Old Olive and then the small rectangle of Bravo Burgundy.
   
4. Put all mounted pieces on the front of the card as shown in picture.
   

Season of Grace

This card is made with the new set from Stampin' Up! (available TODAY!) called Season of Simple Grace.
All images are stamped in Basic Black, except the verse on the center panel, which is embossed in gold. Here are the materials list and directions for making this card:

• Basic Black cardstock: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and 4 3/8" x 2"
• Baja Breeze cardstock: 1" x 4"
• Close to Cocoa cardstock: 2 1/8" x 1 1/2"
• Kiwi Kiss cardstock: 1 3/4" x 1 1/2"
• More Mustard cardstock: 4 1/8" x 2 1/8"
• white cardstock: 4 1/4" x 1 7/8"
• masking material
• Gold Glory embossing powder
• Versamark
• Embossing Buddy
• Basic Black classic pad
• Basic Black marker
• Dazzling Diamonds glitter
• Barely Banana marker

Directions:

1. Stamp in black: Star in top and center of Baja Breeze; shepherds 1/4" down from top of Close to Cocoa; wise men along bottom 1" of More Mustard.
2. Clean the shepherd stamp well and make sure it doesn't leave a mark on paper before doing sheep. Make a mask of just the sheep. Color sheep with black marker and stamp on top-left side of Kiwi Kiss. Re-ink and stamp again on right side, slightly lower and mask this sheep. Re-ink and stamp again, level with first sheep and to the left of second sheep. All the sheep fit on the top 1" of the Kiwi Kiss paper.
3. Use the photo to affix your stamped images to the front of the card.
4. I put the Dazzling Diamonds in the center of the star with a glue pen.
5. Stamp the Holy Family in black on the right side of the white cardstock, about 1/4" in and 1/4" up from bottom edge. Color in the faces, hands with Blush Blossom marker and halos with Barely Banana marker. Make a mask for all 3 images on the stamp and place over stamped images.
6. Sponge around the center of the image with the following inks, working your way out to the edges: Summer Sun, More Mustard, Ruby Red, and Bravo Burgundy. Blend the sponging so that the colors radiate out from the cradle. The Bravo Burgundy takes the most time, but just keep sponging until the paper is all burgundy completely to the left edge of paper. If you want to add a bit darker color on the edges, sponge black in the corners, continuing the circular pattern started.
7. Remove masks and to make the image "pop" go over the black stamped area of this image only with the fine point end of the black marker.
8. Wipe the piece with the Embossing Buddy and stamp the verse on the left side, slightly above center with Versamark ink and emboss with gold.
9. Affix the main image on the black cardstock and place over the center of card as shown in picutre.
   

Happy Harvest Shaker Box card

This card uses the Stampin' Up! stamp set Happy Blessings which will be on sale October 1 - January 18, 2009. The card measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is meant to be hand delivered. You might be able to get it through the mail with a bubble envelope, but I just like to set it out on a table to display. Here's the list of materials you will need and directions to make the card:

• Happy Blessings stamp set
• 5" x 5" Old Olive double-sided scrapbook paper (sponged around edges with Chocolate Chip ink)
• Chocolate Chip cardstock in following sizes: 3 1/8"x 3 1/2", 3" x 2 3/4"
• Really Rust cardstock cut to 5 1/2" x 11"(sponged around edges with Chocolate Chip ink)
• More Mustard cardstock cut to 3 1/4" x 3", 1 1/2" x 3"
  
• Baja Breeze cardstock cut to 2 3/4" x 2 1/2", 2 1/4" x 3 1/2"
• white for stamping images and one tab punch
  
• Old Olive cardstock cut to 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" with center punched out with square scallop punch
• 8 copper mini brads
• white gel pen
• colored pencils or other coloring media for coloring images
• 17" of 1/4" More Mustard grosgrain ribbon
  
• 14" of 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon
• Stampin' Dimensionals
  
• One 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 1/2" clear plastic box*
• various beads in different fall colors
• 1/16" or 1/8" punch (handheld - not anywhere punch!)
  

Directions:

1. Fold the large Really Rust cardstock in half and sponge around front edge of card.
2. Sponge around edges of DS Old Olive paper and affix in center of card with 4 copper brads in the corners.
3. Stamp images on white cardstock, color in, and cut around as shown in picture. I stamped the crow on the scarecrow's right arm.
4. Affix the corn stalks image to the larger Baja Breeze cardstock so that it is about 1/8" from the right edge and centered vertically.
5. Affix this to the smaller Chocolate Chip rectangle, then to the More Mustard rectangle, and finally to the larger Chocolate Chip rectangle.
6. Put double-stick tape on only the bottom edge and both sides of this piece so that the tag can slide down in behind it. Affix this entire image to the right edge of the card leaving about 1/16" of Really Rust showing on the right edge.
   
7. Affix the scarecrow with Stampin' Dimensionals to the smaller rectangle of Baja Breeze cardstock.
8. Punch out the center of the Old Olive cardstock with the square scallop punch.
9. Slide the Old Olive "frame" down inside the box on the front side of the box. The "front" of the box is the side that the flaps don't show on when folded all up closed. Punch 4 holes with either the 1/16" hole punch or the 1/8" hold punch in all 4 corners. You will have to keep the box open on both ends until it is punched. Every time you punch a hole, slip a copper brad in and open it up to hold the frame in place.
   
10. Once all 4 corners are in place with brads, affix the scarecrow to the inside of the other side of the box with adhesive so it stays in place.
    
11. Fold the bottom in and secure with tape on the back side, add beads or other shakers, and fold the top down and secure with tape on the back side.
    
12. Wrap wider Chocolate Chip ribbon around edge of box, center of ribbon on bottom (I used double-stick tape to hold the ribbon in place.) Tack down the end so it hangs over the front-top of box.
13. Wrap More Mustard ribbon around box, placing it in the center of the Chocolate Chip ribbon and tie in knot at top.
14. Punch a tab punch out of white cardstock, fold in half and stamp the pumpkin on one side and color in. Sponge around the front edges with Pumpkin Pie ink. Affix this to the short end of the smaller piece of More Mustard cardstock.
15. Stamp the verse below the tab and use the corner rounder to round the bottom corners of the tag. Slip it into the pocket created by the cornstalk image assembly.
16. Use the white gel pen to make "stitch" marks around the bottom edge of the tab on the More Mustard, around the cornstalks on the smaller Chocolate Chip piece, and around the DS paper on the Really Rust card.
17. Use strong adhesive to affix shaker box to left side of card as shown.

*See links for sources!

Stampin' Springer!

I'll be working hard at getting things (stamping projects) that I do up here on this blogspot, which is all new, so there's not much here yet! Just give me a day or two! LOL

Liz & Emma