Card - "Be Yourself" matchbox card

This is the cutest little accordion matchbox card. You can untie and pull the two small matchboxes apart to accordion out your message. Then you could fill the little boxes with some treats or money. Would make a wonderful birthday gift for teens or even a graduation type gift. Just kind of a fun way to give money I think. Most all materials used in this project is from Club Scrap.

Supply List:
Cardstock: Provocraft
Rubberstamps: Club Scrap
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Butterscotch & Espresso inks; Superior Palette Black Noir
Ribbon: Michaels
Crafter’s Pick Ultimate Glue
Glue dots
Wooden plugs: Vermont American Head plugs (home depot)
Small Matchbox template

Instructions:

1. Create two small matchboxes using small matchbox template using card stock.
2. Fold drawer and slider cut outs into matchboxes. Adhere edges using glue dots.
3. Ink edges of both sliders to distress.
4. Take wooden plugs and ink to match. Adhere to one side drawer of matchbox with Crafter’s Pick glue to perform as “handles” for opening the drawers. Let dry.
5. Cut piece of cardstock 2 1/8 inches x 10 inches.
6. Mark along 10 inch length, every 1.25 inches and score, creating 7 folds. Ink edges of each fold.
7. Rubberstamp with black ink postage stamp outline on each of the 8 flaps. Stamp using brown ink the alphabet letters BIRTHDAY inside each stamp outline.
8. Stamp using brown ink small “happy” above the “B” in birthday on first flap.
9. Stamp various sentiments with brown ink and mat on to top of one box, bottom on other box, and onto the front of both boxes.
10. Cut 20 inch piece of ribbon and adhere to back of “Y” flap, then adhere that flap to top of bottom box. Adhere “B” flap to bottom of top box.
11. Fold all flaps in and tie together.
12. Fill drawers with small gift for money for a nice little birthday gift.

Have fun and good luck!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin'

Cards - 8 Easy Cards

8 Easy Elegant Cards
8 Minutes, 8 Supplies, 8 Steps

You can create these 8 elegant cards in an average of 8 minutes or less. You can create these quickly by using the same materials, cutting a circle or oval, using both the positive and negative of each shape. Requires using only 8 supplies in just 8 easy steps.

Supplies:
4 sheets of Black Cardstock (Provocraft)
1 sheet of Patterned Cardstock (Club Scrap)
Gold Accent Pen (Posh Impressions)
Rubberstamps (Club Scrap)
Black ink (Superior Palette)
Versamark ink (Tsukineko)
Gold Embossing Powder (Ranger Industries)
Circle/Oval cutter (Creative Memories)

Instructions:

1. Cut each sheet of black cardstock in half, creating 8 pieces 12 inches x 6 inches.
2. Fold the 8 pieces of black cardstock in half, creating 6 inch x 6 inch cards.
3. Cut patterned cardstock into 4 pieces, each 6 inch x 6 inch.
4. Using your circle and oval cutters, cut various shapes and sizes of circles/ovals from the four pieces of patterned paper as shown in examples. You will use both the positive and negative cuts from the papers.
5. Ink edges of pattern paper with black ink, then mount onto card fronts, trimming edges as shown, if you want black borders.
6. Rubberstamp images and sentiments using versamark ink.
7. Emboss with gold embossing powder.
8. Finish off cards by running the gold accent pen along the edges of the card.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

Cards - Card holder

Card Keepsake Folder

On my sample, for the two center pages, I used two solid cardstocks, I rubberstamped numerous images on each triangular section, but you could easily use patterned paper instead to make the project go a little faster. For my sample, I created (2) 8.5 x 11 pages, but you could make this using 12 x 12 as any alternative option.

Supplies:
(2) 12 x 12 solid red cardstock
(2) 12 x 12 solid cream cardstock
(2) 8.5 x 11 black cardstock
Patterned cardstock (embellish cover)
Music kit Alphabet stickers
Wide black masking tape from Extra Extra kit
Rubberstamps
Black ink

Instructions:

1. Start by taking the 4 solid sheets of 12 x12 cardstock and trimming down to 8.5 x 12, repeat on all sheets.
2. Now cut each of those sheets in half, making them 8.5 x 6, you will end up with 8 of them.
3. Take each one of those and cut from corner to corner, creating 16 right angle triangles. NOTE: If using a pattern paper that you cut the triangle in the correct direction, so that the pattern will be the correct side showing.
4. Rubberstamp images onto the triangles, and ink edges.
5. Start the pattern, by placing a cream color triangle in the upper left hand corner, adhering just the left side of the triangle and tip on the right side of the triangle.
6. Next place a red color triangle opposite direction, over top of the cream triangle, adhering just the sides once again.
7. Take another cream triangle and place approximately 1 3/4th down from the first cream triangle, adhere. Repeat with red, cream, red, etc.
8. When you get to the last triangle you can adhere at the bottom as well.
9. Repeat doing just the opposite placement of colored cardstock, so cream on left side, red on right side.
10. When complete, lay them side by side, determine which side will be your left side, flip it over, this will be the “front” of your card keeper. Decorate with patterned cardstock, stickers, etc. NOTE: Be sure to decorate it as such that you leave a border all around it for adhering the folder together with the masking tape. You may also, at this point, decorate the back if desired.
11. Once the front is embellished, flip back over and lay the two insides, side by side. Start the masking tape a little above the top of the folder, tape down the center carefully, flip the whole thing over carefully, tape the backside. Fold over the flap at the top and finish it off.
12. Tape the outside edges of the entire folder as well, this will keep all of the contents nice and neatly inside the folder.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

Card - CD holder card

"CD Holder" Card

This year I figured out how to make a movie of my kids and put it onto a CD. So for Valentine's day I wanted to send a CD to all the grandparents as part of their V-day gifts. So this is the little holder/card I came up with for transporting the CD safely to them.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Club Scrap
Rubberstamps: Club Scrap
Inks: Ranger Industries
Scissors
Embellishments
Needle/thread, sew machine, or stapler
Bone folder or scoring blade

Instructions:

1. Cut a 12x12 sheet of cardstock down to 10x10.
2. Score a line from top to bottom AND side to side at the 5in mark (the center).
3. Fold in half in one direction.
4. At this point if you want to cut an opening for your CD/DVD, do it now, cutting at an angle. Or you can just fold down the corner at an angle and adhere to the paper with a glue dot.
5. At this point you need to bind it, either staple, glue, sew, whatever your choice is. Make sure to just adhere the non-cd side. On the cd side, you will want to staple (or brad, or whatever you like) at the very top and the lower right hand corner, to keep the cd from rolling out of the project. Fold in half again, creating a 5 in x 5 in square card.
6. Embellish card as desired.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

Card - "Viewmaster"

This card is similiar to the viewmaster. You rotate the circle inside the card and view different images. I also stamped coordinating words with the images.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Club Scrap
Rubberstamps: Club Scrap
Inks: Ranger Industries
Circle cutter: CM
Scissors
Pencil
Eraser

Instructions:

1. Cut a piece of blue cardstock 8.5x5.25 inches. Fold in half lengthwise.
2. Cut a 5/8 inch tab out of the 5.25 inch side of both front and back covers.
3. Cut a 4 in circle from light gray cardstock.
4. Place circle inside card and center. Poke a hole in the center of both sides of the folded card and the circle.
5. Cut or punch a square about ¼ inch from hole centering on the top half of the card front. Mat an additional smaller square behind the first square.
6. Place circle inside card and mark the location of the tab and the square with a pencil lightly.
7. Remove circle, stamp images. Reinsert circle, turn so that images are not visible, repeat marking with pencil, stamping images. Repeat until you have as many images as will fit in your circle. My circle held three images.
8. Erase pencil marks, and ink all edges.
9. Put card together and fasten together with a brad.
10. Stamp sentiment on front.

Finished card measures 5.25 in x 4.25 in.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

Card - Three Fold Window card

This is a fun little card for something unique. I love the pop up cards - they have such great character and depth. All materials used in this sample are from Club Scrap.




Supply List:
5 3/4 in x 10 in cardstock (cover)
5 1/2 in x 11 in cardstock (inside with folds)
Exacto knife
Scratch cardstock
Inks
Rubberstamps
Ribbon

Instructions:
1. Rubberstamp and ink edges of cover cardstock. Score in center at 5 inch mark. Embellish front as you see fit.
2. Score inside cardstock at 2 3/4 in from each edge. At first score line, mark out a rectangle approximately 1 inch wide and 2 inches tall centering the rectangle on the score line at approximately 1/4 inch from the bottom edge of card. Repeat another rectangle on the 3rd score line placing approx. 1/4 in from top edge of card.
3. On the middle score line, measure out a rectangle approx. 3.5x2.5in equal distance from top and bottom edges of card.
4. Use exacto knife and cut the top and bottom edges of all three rectangles.
5. Since I used patterned paper, I had to rubberstamp my sentiments onto scratch plain cardstock (be sure to score in the center) and adhere into the windows of the card. If you use plain cardstock to start with, you can mask off the windows and stamp all around them, then remove masking and stamp sentiments or images into the windows. I also suggest inking edges of windows to give more depth to them.
6. Time to fold the card. I folded the first and third windows out while the main score line folded towards the spine of the card. The middle window folds toward spine while the main score line folds out. Using a bone folder on score lines gives you a crisper fold.
7. Add ribbon to the edges of the cover - on the inside. Then attach the edges of the inside cardstock to the cover cardstock.

Have fun and good luck!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin'

Card - "Box" Card

This is a great little box card for something unique. My kids and I created a couple of these at Easter, we filled them up with little chocolates, tied with a bow, and gave to friends as gifts. All materials used in this sample are from Club Scrap.


Supply List:
7.5 in x 7.5 in cardstock (for bottom/base of card)
4 in x 4 in cardstock (for top/lid of card)
Inks
Rubberstamps
Ribbon
Bone folder
Tape
Glue dots

Base/Bottom instructions:
1. Once you have the score lines (as specified in diagram above), determine which side you want the inside bottom of card to be. Rubberstamp your sentiment in this square. Mask off sentiment and rubberstamp various images around rest of card. Ink edges of cardstock. Flip and rubberstamp if desired as well.
2. Trim off corners.
3. Fold in corners.

Top/Lid instructions:
1. Take your 4x4 in cardstock for lid and rubberstamp now if desired.
2. Score on each side at 3/4th's an inch.
3. Cut on four lines as specified in diagram. Fold flaps under and adhere.
4. If you want to add ribbon just to the lid, do that now. I used tape and tape one end under the bottom of the lid, wrapped it around too the other side under the lid, and taped. Repeat in opposite direction. I then tied a bow and adhered on top with glue dot.

Here is another one I did and incorporated some photos….

Have fun and good luck!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin'

Cards - Fan card

Fan Card

This is a fun project, and a great gift item. There is various ways to make these books, you can make up pretty much and template, then make 5 or 6 of them for a unique project. Patterned cardstock and most all rubberstamps in this project are from Club Scrap.

List of Supplies:

(5) pieces cardstock cut from template (click here for template)
Various ink pads
Various rubberstamps
Large brad
Various fibers
Adhesive

1. Rubberstamp various images, words, etc all over front and back sides of cardstock pieces.
2. Ink all of the edges as well using the ‘direct to paper’ or sponge techniques.
3. Punch a small hole in the base of each of the 5 pieces and adhere together with the brad. This is also where I would add any fibers if you like.
4. Cut photos in a circle to fit into the top part of each fan and adhere. I put photos on both the front and back sides of the fan.

Have fun!
Debbie Weller
A.K.A. DebDuzScrappin

Card - Tag Fold out card

This is an easy and quick project. This would be a great little card for Easter, Mother’s day, Valentine’s – you name it. You could also easily add this to a scrapbook page for extra photos or journaling. Lots of great potential with this little project. You can use just about any two large tags and just modify the below instructions to fit inside the tags. I used the standard Sizzix Scallop Tag die for my tags. Most all materials used in this project are from Club Scrap (www.clubscrap.com) Time & Space monthly kit.

Supplies needed:

6in x 9in piece of cardstock (for inside fold out part)
(2) large tags – roughly 5in x 3.25in (for the front and back)
Scrap pieces of cardstock or pattern paper
Ribbon
Various inks
Various rubberstamps
Hole punch, standard

1. Cut two large tags using diecut machine or template. Ink edges and rubberstamp if desired.
2. Cut two small pieces of cardstock oh roughly 3/4ths inch by 2 inches and add as a hole reinforcement, punch with hole punch.
3. Take the 6x9 sheet of cardstock and ink edges, rubberstamp designs on both sides.
4. Take that sheet and fold in half on the long side (so on the 6 inch side, folded in half with 2 – 3 inch sections)
5. Take that same sheet and fold twice on the 9 inch side, so you have (3) 3 inch sections.
6. In order to attach it to the tags, fold in half on the long side first, then fold one of the next sections to the back, and the other to the front.
7. Adhere the back of the stack of folds to one tag and the very front to the other tag. Now it should fold and unfold like a little accordion book.
8. Decorate the front, back and inside as you see fit.
9. Add ribbon and you are done.

Good luck and have fun!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Joseph's Coat Technique

Supplies List:
~Glossy cardstock
~Brayer
~Rainbow Ink pad
~Dark ink pad (black or navy the darker the better)
~Clear embossing ink
~Clear embossing powder
~Rubberstamp (one with more solid image works best)
~heat gun

1. Using a rainbow inkpad, ink up brayer.
2. Cover entire cardstock with brayered ink.
3. Stamp an image using embossing ink, sprinkle embossing powder on image and emboss image right on top of colored cardstock.
4. Then ink your brayer with dark ink, cover the entire card again with the new color.
5. Let the overcoat of ink dry.
6. Buff the card with a paper towel to remove the excess ink off of embossed image.

This buffing will allow the rainbow colors to show through very nicely. Works really nice on landscape images.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Using Ranger Alcohol inks...I LOVE them...

Ranger’s Alcohol Inks

These are my favorite new product. Here is some great information I gathered about working with Alcohol inks.

1. They are acid free, so no problems with using it in your scrapbooks.

2. They are permanent, although if necessary you can remove with a solvent agent.

3. They are transparent. Works great on glass such as ornaments, microscope slides, and acetate (transparencies), and still allows you to see artwork behind it.

4. They dry extremely fast. This allows the artist to finish up their tasks quickly.

5. Large variety of colors. There are currently 12 colors available, and the color combinations you can make are just breathtaking. Not sure when, but it sounds like more colors will come out eventually.

6. Works fabulously on non-porous surfaces such as glossy paper; metal; acrylic; shrink plastic; mica; game pieces; Mohong tiles; actetate/transparencies; glass microscope slides; and Ceramic tiles to name a few.

7. You can create your background paper or scrapbook page elements using the inks on glossy cardstock. Once the inks dry, you can rubberstamp over the inks, thus creating beautiful works of art.

8. Ease of color coordinating scrapbook elements. You can easily color coordinate the metal brads, metal hinges, and metal photo corners all on a single layout.

9. You can create works of art well beyond the scrapbook. You can make beautiful necklaces, magnets, earrings and pins out of dominoes. You can make fabulous magnets, coasters, and trivets out of ceramic tiles. You can cover a plain wooden or plastic frame with metal tape and then apply the inks to create gorgeous one of a kind photo frames.

10. You can recycle old items. Take an old altoid tin (or nut can, popcorn tin, etc) and use the alcohol inks to recolor covering the current label (printed directly on the metal).

When working with alcohol inks, I highly recommend the method that Tim Holtz uses. You take an old wooden rubberstamp – the kind with a handle attached to the base – and put a piece of Velcro on it. Then you cut small strips of felt to attach to the Velcro. (Club Scrap does carry the hand tool right now as well as the inks). A little alcohol ink goes a long ways. So you just squeeze a little bit – YES it comes in bottles only, not an ink pad – onto the felt. You can use one color at a time or mix them. You can use blending fluid to lighten your project. You just sort of dab up and down. If you want lots of dots, once the first coat is dry, dab just a tiny bit more here and there and the spots will show up.

Rubberstamping 101: Wax Resist Background

Wax Resist Background

Supplies:
~Wax paper
~Glossy cardstock
~Iron
~Stipple brush/sponge/brayer
~Dye ink pad

1. Crumble a piece of wax paper and straighten it out but leave lots of wrinkles
2. Sandwich wax paper between two sheets of glossy paper
3. Iron (no steam) the waxed paper "sandwich."
4. If you hold the paper up to the light, you can see the wax left on the surface. If not enough, repeat ironing.
5. Stipple, sponge, or brayer color on card

Note: You must use dye ink as pigment will not dry on glossy paper.

That's it...good luck!!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Tissue Paper Photo Transfer

Tissue Paper Photo Transfer

Supplies:
~Tissue paper (like you wrap gift with)
~copy paper
~removable tape
~Modge Podge
~Glossy Accents

1. Using either laser or ink jet printer, print your image on regular copy paper.
2. Tape a piece of tissue paper that's a little larger than your image over top of the image you just printed on the copy paper. Tape all four sides down using removable tape. We are going to run this back through the printer.
3. Print image again (this time on the tissue) and remove the tissue paper from the copy paper.
4. Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge to a CD, domino, whatever and carefully lay the tissue paper down, smoothing surface. Be very careful - as the tissue tears very easily.
5. Then apply another thin layer of Modge Podge over top of tissue image and let dry.
6. You can also cover with a coat of Glossy Accents for a final finished look.

That's it...good luck!!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Tissue Paper Stamping Background Technique

Supplies List:
~Tissue paper (like you wrap a gift in)
~Scrap piece of paper
~Acrylic paint
~Plastic coated paper plate

1. Squirt some acrylic paint onto a plastic coated paper plate.
2. Crumble up a small piece of tissue paper - use one piece for each color
3. Dab tissue into paint, "stamp" on scrap paper to get rid of some of the paint, and dab onto your paper.
4. Repeat with other colors until you have reached the background look you desire.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Shaving Cream background technique...

Shaving Cream Background

Supplies List:
Cheap shaving cream
Cookie Sheet
Cardstock
Knife or Spatula
Wooden stick or spoon (for stirring in paint or ink)
Newspaper
Metal edged ruler

1. Squirt some cheap shaving cream onto a cookie sheet in a rectangle as large as your card.
2. Smooth the shaving cream flat kinda like frosting a cake with a knife or spatula.
3. Dot the shaving cream with acrylic paints or reinkers, using up to three colors
4. With the handle of a large paintbrush or wooden spoon, swirl the paint together. This may take a little practice. If you swirl not enough there's not going to be a lot of design on your paper; if you swirl too much the colors will get all muddy.
5. Lay the paper on top of the shaving cream and press down a little to be sure the entire card surface makes contact with the shaving cream.
6. Pick up the paper from one edge and slowly lift. Note: a lot of the shaving cream will come with the paper, that is ok.
7. Lay paper on newspaper and take a metal edge ruler (or spatula). Start on one corner of the paper and scrap the shaving cream off, sweeping the ruler across the cardstock to the opposite corner. Try to do this in one sweeping motion, if you stop in the middle, you may get some extra unwanted lines.
8. Let paper dry and use to layer, or stamp on.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Using Fun Foam

This comes in thin sheets or in various shapes and is found in most craft stores, and has several uses:

Texture Stamps

1. Cut piece of fun foam to size and heat with heat gun.
2. It will shrink a little and darken a little in color
3. Press into an item such as a pile of buttons, fabric, rubberstamp and the texture or image will transfer to the fun foam.
4. You can at this time glue the foam to a block of wood and make a stamp.
5. Ink the fun foam and use as a stamp

Card Embellishments

1. Have an inked stamp ready.
2. Heat fun foam until it shrinks a little and darkens in color.
3. Immediately press the stamp into the foam and hold about 10 seconds.
4. Cut out your embellishment and attach to face of card.

Note: you can re-heat fun foam and the current image will disappear and you can create a new one with the same foam.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Dry Embossing How to...

Embossing - Dry

Supplies:
brass stencil
embossing tool
light table (you can use a window)

1. Put stencil on light table and place the paper you are going to emboss on top. Secure it with removable tape. Make sure the tape is not on an area that you will use as it may tear the paper when you remove it.
2. Rub a piece of wax paper over the paper (helps the tool glide more smoothly)
3. Rub the embossing tool along the edge of the stencil, following the lines. You don't need to rub the area between the lines.

TIPS:

*Your embossed image will be the OPPOSITE of the way your stencil is facing, so be sure you face the stencil the right way before putting the paper on top
*Embossing shows up much better on light colors. You would have to trace your image onto dark colored paper as the light will not show through.
*Don't rub too hard with the tool as you may tear the paper
*You can make your own stencils by tracing an image onto mat board or acetate and cutting it out.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Using a Blitzer

Using a Blitzer

This is a tool that produces a sort of airgun effect on your creations. This is sort of similar to blow art, but you pump a bladder with air rather than blow with your mouth. The blitzer has a spot to hold a marker and a bladder for pumping air onto the top of the marker, causing the marker to splatter a mist onto your creation.

1. Lock the color marker of your choice into the blitzer holder. Be sure to use a new, well inked color marker for the best results.
2. With a quick squeeze, pump the bulb of blitzer. Air is forced through the tip of the marker, blowing out a mist of color.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Some Brayer ideas. to try....

Using a Brayer

Brayer Techniques:
There are 4 basic types of brayers, sponge, soft rubber, hard rubber and acrylic. Each has very different uses and each (except the hard rubber brayer) is a wonderful tool for rubber stampers. Speedball has come out with a plastic handle that works with snap in brayer rollers in each of the 4 types -- one handle, 4 brayers!

Sponge Brayer: The sponge brayer is for getting a nice, even sponged looking background.

Soft Rubber Brayer (red rubber): The soft rubber brayer is my most indispensable tool.

1. Great for inking up fine stamps
2. Make rainbow backgrounds (by running the brayer directly onto the cardstock)
3. Make backgrounds by inking a stamp, stamping the brayer and then running the brayer over the cardstock
4. Applying Liquid Appliqué directly onto the cardstock for that suede feel
5. Running the brayer through a rainbow pad and then over bubble wrap on cardstock
6. Smoothing out the tissue paper after I've covered my cardstock with it for a cool background
7. Smoothing shrink plastic down on the inked up stamp so that the image won't have any air pockets in it
8. Running the brayer over a rainbow pad, spritz the brayer with just a little water and then apply the color to the cardstock for a watery looking background.
9. Running the brayer over an ink pad (rainbow or single color), running it over wet cardstock and then putting rock salt on it. Let it dry 24 hours, wipe off the salt and you have a great background.

Hard Rubber Brayer (black rubber): The hard rubber brayer is used in print making (I think). I don't believe this is use in stamping as far as I know.

Acrylic Brayer: It's great to put either rubber bands or cellophane around and make really cool backgrounds using either rainbow or single color inks.

A brayer is a small rubber paint roller. They have different sizes depending on your needs. Depending on how you ink your brayer you can create different results, including:

1. a wash of color
2. borders and edges
3. repetitive patterns
4. mirror images

Simply roll the brayer over your ink pad, using a roll-and-life motion. Note: running your brayer back and forth will only ink up the same section of the brayer, leaving some of the brayer without ink. Roll the brayer onto your project as desired.

Cleaning a Brayer
Usually good old clean water or stamp cleaner will clean pigment and dye inks from a brayer. If you've got something sticky on your brayer you can clean it with Goo Gone and then clean THAT off with soap and water.

Some more Fun Ideas
for using your Brayer

Rubber Brayer:

*Create stripes: using markers, make stripes on your brayer (this works best if you lie it on its back and turn the roller while holding the marker) all the way around until the beginning and ending stripe meet. Roll brayer across your paper.
*Create wavy lines: using markers, make wavy lines on your brayer (this works best if you lie it on its back and turn the roller while holding the marker) all the way around until the beginning and ending stripe meet. Roll brayer across your paper.
*Create Confetti/Dots/Raindrops: Using markers, make marks randomly on your brayer (you can use different colors) all over the entire roller. Then roll away.
*Create Plaids: Using markers, draw straight lines on brayer. Roll brayer on paper in a criss-cross pattern. You can also outline the stripes for your plaids with the smaller tip of your marker to make the plaid/stripes stand out more. You can also use Rainbow/Kaliedacolor (a.k.a. KC) plaids using a brayer rolled over a KC pad several times then brayering over your paper. Repeat as necessary for the desired depth of color and surface coverage. Then repeat the process in the opposite direction.
*Rainbow Backgrounds: using a brayer rolled over a multi-colored pad several times then rolling over your paper. Repeat as necessary for the desired depth of color and surface coverage. This works great for those scenery & landscape cards.
*Reverse/mirror Image: You’re your stamp rubber side up, color/ink your stamp, and roll the brayer over the image several times, then roll over your paper (works great with trees, flowers etc). Roll the image onto paper, creating a reverse image. If you have an image that you want to face each other (perhaps an animal nose to nose, or kids holding hands, etc), you would brayer over the stamp and roll onto paper, then stamp the original image nose to nose with the first.
*Kissing: Brayer over a background stamp (one with a design of some sort) then use another solid stamp and stamp onto the background stamp then stamp onto your card stock - your solid stamp now has a design.
*Ghosting: Stamp an image on your card several times in clear embossing ink. (Do NOT emboss) Then brayer over your invisible images with regular dye pad and your images will start to appear.
*Resist: Works best with glossy paper. You will need to choose your resist medium (see list below). You color on the glossy card stock with the pens in any way, or pattern you choose then you use the same technique as the ghosting by brayering over with a different color. The pattern that you drew or colored will not let the brayered ink absorb through the card stock therefore becomes the "resist". Possible mediums to try: oil colored pencils (work best with regular matte finished papers); crayons; wax paper; metallic pens; ink; resist ink; emboss ink (try the emboss pens to write a hidden message); rubber cement; masking fluid; white out/correction pen; Gel pens; wax resist sticks; Delta paint.
*Wax Paper Resist: crumple a piece of wax paper; iron (on hottest setting/no steam) wax paper onto white card stock (be sure to use an additional sheet of card stock between the wax paper and iron); press for only 2-3 seconds - this will transfer the wax to both sheets of card stock (if you iron too long the wax will be absorbed into the paper) Ink your brayer and then brayer over card stock. The brayer will resist laying color where the wax paper has left its design (makes a great background paper). Another variation to this technique is to use your stylus tool and with the wax paper on the card stock use the tip of your stylus to write your own message or draw your own design - brayer over to reveal your design or message.
*Use your brayer on those large background stamps to get an all over inking.
*Put a piece of cheesecloth down and brayer over the cheesecloth for a different effect. Try the same on lace doilies, lace, or bubble wrap.
*Brayer over a leaf (two ways to do this: place card stock over leaf or other nature finds and bring out the textured surfaces below; or use the reverse/mirror image technique to pick up the pattern of your nature find.)
*Joseph's Coat: Brayer with a rainbow pad and cover the entire area of your card (glossy cardstock works best). Emboss your image with clear embossing powder/ink on top of the area colored (this technique works best with the more solid image stamps). Then ink your brayer with Black or Navy (the darker the better) and cover the entire card again with this new color. Let the overcoat of ink dry, and then buff the card with a paper towel to remove excess ink off embossed image. What happens is that your rainbow color will then show through. (Great for a landscape card)
*Watercolor brayer: Ink your brayer with a rainbow pad or markers, then spritz with a water bottle, then roll out for a very pretty watercolor look.

Foam Brayer:

~Use your foam brayer for an all over airbrush effect.
~Use your foam brayer with your stencils.
~Use with the KC pads for rainbow effect.
~Use your foam brayer with markers for an interesting look. I've heard that you can make some great tortoise shell, leopard or gemstone looks on glossy card stock.
~You can also use the spritz technique with the foam brayer for a watercolor effect.

Lucite or Acrylic Brayer:

~Put rubber bands around your brayer, roll on ink pad, then roll onto paper for unique background
~Wrap saran/plastic wrap around your brayer, roll on ink pad, then roll onto paper for unique background.
~Wrap fabric netting or the netting from bags of cheese, fruits or marbles around brayer, roll on ink pad, then roll onto paper for unique background
~Wrap cheesecloth around brayer, roll on ink pad, then roll onto paper for unique background.
~Wrap string, yarn, crochet yarn, or fibers around brayer, roll on ink pad, then roll onto paper for unique background string
~You can use your acrylic brayer to roll out paper clay.
~You can use your acrylic brayer to make sharp creases in your card stock
~Crinkle up a piece of Mulberry paper, ink up your brayer with the new Encore pads and give your Mulberry paper a guilded look.
~Faux Suede - squeeze brown liquid appliqué on wax paper or aluminum foil. Roll the brayer until it is coated and smooth. Roll and even coat of the liquid appliqué on your cut out image or a diecut, let it set for a minute then heat with heat gun. This will give you a nice suede feel. Try it with different colors. But be sure to clean your brayer right away.
~Use your acrylic brayer with pigment ink on glossy (takes a little while to dry) don't roll use a quick sliding motion to brush the inked brayer across the card stock, you can also wiggle the brayer. You can make some cool looking plaids or sunbursts. Try the same technique, but tap the brayer around in different areas for an all over color burst.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Distressing paper by sponging on ink....

Sponging

This is a fun and easy background to try. Try experimenting with all different kinds of sponges to create unique backgrounds or even feathered edges. There are a number of different sponges:

1. Cosmetic
2. Sea sponge
3. Kitchen sponge
4. Finger sponge or dauber

You can use them dry or wet, depending on the look you want. You can cut them into different shapes and sizes. Apply ink or pat on a stamp pad to pick up color and then dab onto the card or paper. Sponge over masks, around edges only, or over entire backgrounds. You can even sponge inside of a “reverse mask” or a stencil to create unique effects.

I love using the sponge dauber for edging, keeps my fingers nice and clean. You can also use them to color in images. I highly recommend keeping a separate sponge for each color family.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Add dimension to cards or scrapbook pages...

Layering adds dimension...

Many stamping artists like to create dimension and depth in their creations using layering techniques.

1. Stamp your image.
2. Cut out your image (you can mat or not mat)
3. Use a spacer, like a pop-dot or foam tape and adhere the image to the card.

You can use more than one pop-dot to create multi-dimensional creations as well.

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Watercolor

There is a couple of different ways to do this, this is the way I first learned:

Supplies:
Rubberstamp
Dye based inks
Water mister (squirt bottle with fine mist)
Cardstock
Heat gun

1. Ink up your stamp using dye based inks. You can use a couple of different ink pads to ink up your stamp – just use a corner of the stamp pad and ink as desired.
2. Squirt your stamp 4-5 times with a mist of water.
3. Stamp your image. Remove stamp, water will begin to pool around the image…
4. Quickly take your heat gun and dry the image.
5. You can (without reinking) squirt the stamp again and produce another image – it will just be a tad bit lighter. You can do this 4-5 times, just getting a light image each time.

Another method I tried but was a little disappointed with, is where you ink up your stamp…squirt your paper with water, then stamp onto the wet cardstock. Quickly dry your image. When I did this the whole paper warped, I didn’t have a craft iron handy, so I recommend if you try this method you may want to have an iron around, so you can flatten your cardstock back out.

That's it...good luck!!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Embossing, using a Heat Gun

Embossing is a technique used to raise an image above the printing surface. While there are many embossing effects, the most commonly used technique for stamp work is called thermal (heat) embossing. Thermal embossing requires an embossing agent, usually a powder, which is heated with an embossing or heat gun (which blows hot air out of a pointed nozzle).

The heat gun is extremely hot, so use caution when operating.

Supplies:
Rubberstamp
pigment, embossing, or versamark ink pad
embossing powder
heat gun

1. Ink up the stamp with any pigment, embossing, or versamark ink, do this by lightly taping the ink pad until the image is covered with ink. For large stamps, flip the stamp over, rubber side up, place the ink pad directly onto the rubber and tap until covered.
2. Place the inked stamp down firmly on the paper or cardstock on a smooth flat surface, applying even pressure.
3. Lift the stamp straight off the paper surface.
4. Pour embossing powder over the image. This will stick to the image.
5. Tip the excess powder off onto a folded sheet of paper (or a tidy tray).
6. Tap the back of the paper gently to remove stray grains of powder. You can also use a fine brush.
7. Pour left over powder back into container.
8. Heat the card using a heat gun until powder melts.
9. It will be hot. Allow a minute for the embossing mage to set before touching it.

Note: Be very careful if you try and emboss on vellum or acetate, as the surface will warp if it gets too hot, so hold gun further away and don't rush.

Tip:When using embossing powder, place a couple of flattened round coffee filters on your work table to catch your excess embossing powder when you tap it off your card or artwork. It is simple to lift the coffee filter and pour the embossing powder back into its original container and the embossing powder will slide right off the coffee filter, leaving no residue. The filters can be continually reused.

Embossing isn't just for images stamped on paper! Try embossing on fabric, wood, tile, glass, mirrors, and even terra cotta pots!

That's about it...good luck!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Definitions of Terms, Glossary & Acronyms

- (Email shorthand) Grin

- (Email shorthand) Very Big Grin

3-D Cards: Cards in which dimension is added by mounting the cutout image or item on the card or project with foam mounting tape.

Acetate - a clear plastic that can be stamped on or used as a window for shaker cards. If you want to emboss on it make sure it is Thermo Acetate (overhead projector sheets made for laser printers work well).

Acid Free -- In chemistry, materials that have a pH of 7.0 or higher are acid-free. This term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for alkaline or buffered.

Acid-free Papers: Papers that are free of acid at the time they are made with a pH between 7.0 and 9.0.

Acidity: State of a substance that contains acid.

Acid Migration: The transference of acid from something acidic to something else with less acid or neutral-pH.

Acrylic Paints: Water-soluble pigment paint with a plastic binder.

Adhesive -- There are both permanent and nonpermanent adhesive products. Permanent mounting supplies adhere photos and memorabilia permanently to page. Products such as photo splits, photo tape, glue pens, glue sticks, etc. Nonpermanent mounting supplies hold photos and memorabilia on page without adhesive applied directly to it. Examples are photo corners and photo sleeves.

Airbrush - tool with an air hose hooked up to a can of compressed air or a compressor. Color comes from markers or paints blown with air.

Album -- Blank book used to store photographs and scrapbook pages.

Almost Leather: Product from Co-Motion Rubber Stamps, Inc. that has the look and feel of real leather. It is a foam material on which you may stamp, paint, etc.

Anti-static pad: swipe or dab over your card to eliminate static and those tiny bits of embossing powder that needs to be brushed away.

Archival -- Term used to describe a product or technique used in preserving artifacts, photographs, memorabilia and other items.

Astrobrite paper: Heavy stock paper that is available in a bright array of colors. These colors are rather bold.

Basic Templates -- Templates in basic shapes, such as circles, squares, ovals, etc.

Berol Prismacolors- very soft colored pencils ideal for use with rubber stamps. They can cover stamped lines, giving a hand drawn look. The soft lead makes them great for blending and shading. The largest set is 120 pencils.

Blender pen: A special pen with clear blending ink. Allows you to blend colors together for a nice professional look. Ink can be embossed.

Blitzer: A tool that is used with markers to create an airbrush effect.

Bone Folder: Tool used to score cardstock, many made from bone or hard plastic.

Bookmark Card: A card on which there is a detachable bookmark. Excellent as a gift card.

Brayer: A soft rubber wheel roller with a handle, used for producing backgrounds and other techniques. It is like a paint roll with rubber. Run brayer directly on inkpad and then onto paper.

Border -- a horizontal, vertical or diagonal strip of decorated paper that enhances a layout

Brush Markers - markers with a long tip for coloring directly on stamps or for coloring in images.

Burnish: Polish to a glossy finish.

Calligraphy: Art of hand lettering.

Cardstock -- Thick, sturdy paper available in a variety of weights.

CAYA- (email shorthand) a come as you are swap. You sign up for the swap before knowing the theme. When the theme is announced, you're on your honor to use the stamps that you had on hand when you signed up for the swap.

CK OK (Creating Keepsakes Okay) -- Scrapbooking seal of approval. Items that have the CK OK are considered safe to use in scrapbooking.

CL - Crystal Lacquer

ColorBox - a popular type of pigment pad that has very wet ink so it is good for embossing. Their rainbow pads, paintbox pads, and petal point pads add a new look to your stamp art. Manufactured by Clearsnap in the US. 58 colors available in 280 varieties, including Cat's Eye and Option pads.

Colored Markers: Markers that come in a range of colors and are used to apply color to your image. Care must be taken that you do not leave the tip of the marker on the paper too long or color may bleed out from the image. You may also run the risk of making the paper weak in that area. Do not apply markers too heavily.
Only use water based markers directly on your rubber stamps.

Colored Pencils: Pencils that come in a range of colors and are used to apply color to your image.

Confetti: Sold in a wide range of shapes and mediums. Normally made of metallic material, in small shapes. Some of the most common confetti is stars, dots and squares. You can also purchase it in mixes by themes.

Corner Rounder - small trimmer that rounds corners of paper.

Corner-Edger Scissors -- Scissors that cut corners. Each pair of scissors creates four different types of corners.

Corrugated - paper that is rippled or ribbed (goes up and down).

Corrugated Paper -- Thick, wavy cardstock available in many colors.

Corrugator - tool that ripples paper.

Couching: Is a method by which newly formed sheets of wet paper are laid down after draining. Often felt or cloth is used. The felt or cloths are formed into a wet pad to absorb water. The newly formed sheet is placed on the wet felt. As each new sheet is added, so is a wet felt or cloth. The sheets of paper must be removed from the felt before they dry completely.

Coupon Book: A small book which is creating by making coupons on pieces of paper and then binding them into a book which may be given as a gift.

Crack-N-Peel: See also Sticker Paper.

Crop -- 1. To cut or trim a photograph. 2. A scrapbooking party hosted by an expert who shares techniques, products and information with the group.

Crystal Lacquer - a liquid that comes in colored and clear - when it is dry it enhances images by creating a raised glossy surface.

CS (Email shorthand) - cardstock

Cushion - padded part of stamp between the die and handle.

Deckle Edge: the feathery or rough edge of paper. It can be the result of the run-off of wet pulp or the tearing of paper.

Deckle Cutter- scissors that add a deckle look to paper. Deckle is the natural finish left by the frame on handmade paper. It shows off the paper fibers and looks nice when layered.

Die - cut rubber part of a stamp that is inked to make an impression.

Die-Cuts: Paper shapes which have been cut out either using an X-Acto knife, scissors or a die cut machine. Die-cuts can be used to layer, create a background, or to create an area of an image that stands out above the fold of a card.

De-acidification Spray -- Spray that neutralizes acid in newspaper clippings, certificates and other documents.

Decorative Scissors -- Scissors with a decorative pattern on the blade.

Die-Cut Designs -- Paper designs cut from die-cut machines. Paper is placed on the die and pressure is applied either by rolling or pressing down on the handle.

Dorsing: The use of dorso crayons on parchment or Pergamanio craft to add color to the reverse side of the work.

Double Stick Tape- mounting tape that is foam-backed and sticky on both sides, which comes in squares or on a roll.

Double-Mount -- To place a photograph on two background papers.

Double-Stick foam-backed Tape: Also called mounting tape. Sticky on both sides of the foam. Can be purchased in dots (small circles), squares or in a roll. Used to mount paper images or objects to your project. Has also been used for mounting in shaker cards.

Dry Embossing OR Debossing: Getting a raised paper image or a recessed one by laying your paper on top of a stencil that is on a light source and using a stylus to trace the stencil.

Dye Based Ink- Quick drying, water based ink which is permanent on paper.

Embellishment -- Any scrapbooking extra (stickers, die-cuts, punches, etc.) that enhance the pages.

Emboss -- To create a raised surface by applying heat or pressure. Also known as wet or dry embossing. Dry embossing involves using a stylus and metal template where wet embossing uses pigment ink, rubberstamps, embossing powder and an heat gun. See also Embossing

Embossing ink (AKA pigment ink) - A very wet, thick ink that can be clear or tinted. It is slow drying to allow time for the application of embossing powder. Used on a stamp pad and used with a rubber stamp and embossing powder.

Embossing Powder- a powder that is applied to wet ink of an image and then heated to create a raised edge. It comes in a variety of colors and finishes, including clear and pearl. It also comes in fine or detail, normal and enamel. Glitter can be mixed in as well as other very small particles like tiny confetti.

EP (Email shorthand) - embossing powder

Embossing: Techniques that are used to create a raised edge image on your card or project. The first method uses embossing powder which sticks to wet ink. The excess powder is removed and the image is heated until the powder melts using a heat gun, hot plate or 100 watt light bulb. The second method is sometimes called dry embossing and is the method of using a stencil and stylus to create the raised image. The stencil is placed beneath the paper. Once the stencil is position properly, the stylus is press into the paper along the inside edge of the image. When completed, the paper is lifted and turned over to display the raised image.

Embossing Tinsel: Embossing powder which contains metalic tinsel type confetti or particles.

Envy: Same and an envelope.

Fabric Paint: Permanent paints which are made specifically for painting on fabrics.

Fabrico Ink Pads - multi-purpose craft ink perfect for stamping on wood, paper, shrink art and, of course, fabric. Must be heat set.

Fabric Ink: Permanent inks which are made specifically for stamping on fabrics.

Faux: Not the real thing, but similar.

First Generation- the first stamp impression made after inking. Succeeding impressions are second, third, etc. when made without re-inking.

Fiskars - lightweight brand of hobby scissors available in all sorts of cutting patterns.

Foam Mounting Tape: See also Mounting Tape.

Foil Papers: Metallic foil papers that can be used for layering, creating backgrounds, paper folding, or lining of envelopes. They normally come in squares for origami or in rectangular sheets for stamping and paper crafts. Foil papers may also be purchased in the form of wrapping paper.

Foils - colored foils that can be applied to cards using glue. The result is a shiny raised image.

Fun Flock - used to add fuzzy spots to your work. Great for furry animals or fuzzy trees. Just glue on or mix with embossing powder and emboss.

- (email shorthand) great big grin

Gilding: Art of embellishing or artwork or fixing gold leaf to an object.

Glue Sticks: Glue that is sold in a stick format. There are many brands and it works well for attaching layering paper or cutouts.

Glitter: Shiny bits of metal fragments, available in many colors and grades.

Gocco Printer: Used to print your personal designs, calligraphy or text in a range of colors on a variety of surfaces.

Gold Leaf: Tiny bits of gold flakes that adhere to tacky surfaces.

Halo & Loop: A method of mounting stamps using Velcro instead of wood. The unmounted stamp image is placed on the loop or soft part of the Velcro. The halo or hard part of the Velcro is normally used on an acrylic block with grooves for the halo that allows the image to sit smoothly on the block.

Handmade Paper: Method of making paper by hand normally using a screen type device for the actual forming of the sheet of paper. Handmade paper can add texture and body to your card or work. Many handmade papers have inclusions of fibers, plants, confetti or any other desired items. Some of the most beautiful paper in the world is handmade.

Heat Embossing - see embossing

Heat Gun - hobby tool that resembles a hair dryer to melt embossing powder, but it gets very hot (up to 650° depending on the brand). Used for embossing or drying wet projects. A hair dryer will not work in place of the heat gun for embossing.

Huffing - "huffing" stamps means when you breathe on a stamp to re-wet the ink with your breath. Imagine that you are trying to fog up a window so that you can write your name on it with your finger. It works great with dye ink but not with pigments.

Index - picture on the mount that shows the design of the stamp.

Ink Pad: Felt or foam pads that contain ink. Your stamp is pressed on the pad or a brayer rolled over it to pick up ink.

The stamp or brayer is then applied to paper, leaving behind the ink in the shape of the stamp image or rolled over the paper by the brayer to create a background.

Kaleidacolor dye inkpads - each pad has a raised rainbow spectrum of five color bands. The pads are apart during storage and are slid together for use.

Journaling -- Any words you write in your book or on the scrapbook page, from titles and captions to long descriptions, poems or stories.

Journaling Templates -- Templates with space left for writing.

Kozo - Most common fiber used in Japanese papermaking is Kozo from the Mulberry tree. It creates strong paper with long fibers.

Kromecoat paper - A brand of paper that comes in cover-weight and is glossy on one side. Care must be taken when stamping on this type of paper to be sure you do not smear your ink. Works very well for embossing.

KWIM - (email shorthand) Know what I mean?

LA - Liquid Applique

Layering: A technique in which dimension is added to a project by layering work. Layering may be done with papers, foils, etc.

Layout -- The grouping of pages in your scrapbook that go together. Some layouts fit on one page, most fit on two and some are put on panoramic layouts.

Leaf: A very thin, fragile foil which is applied by using a tacky adhesive or double stick tape or sheets. It is sold in a range of colors and styles. It is easily found in craft stores in the section of wood crafts as well as in stamping sections.

Letter Templates -- Templates in the shape of letters of the alphabet.

Lignin -- A naturally occurring acid substance in wood that breaks down over time. Paper with lignin is not suitable for archival projects.

Liquid Applique - A paint that expands and “puffs up” on heating. Use to draw, write or add highlights to stamped images. After applying to paper heat immediately for a rough texture or wait overnight for a smoother puff look. Can be used on fabric or paper.

Liquid Pearls: A pearlescent 3D paint. You can add water and use like a paint too.

LOL - (email shorthand) lots of laughs or laughing out loud

Loop - See also Halo & Loop.

Lumieres - A permanent opaque pigment paint.

Magic Tape (AKA Miracle Tape or Super Tape) - is double sided sticky tape that can take the heat of embossing. Just lay down strips of tape, cover with embossing powder, foil, gildenglitz, Beedz or other products and heat.

Mail Art - Stamped or embellished postcards, envelopes or cards in clear envelopes which are mailed through the postal system, usually as part of an exchange.

Mask - A paper cutout of a stamped image. Cut out the image slightly inside the outer line.

Masking- The method of stamping an image and then covering it with a piece of paper in the exact same shape, then stamping the next image. The results are that there is no over stamping and you can create depth to your card or project using different stamp images. For block images, you may want to tear a piece of paper in the same type of shape to give the overstamping a fuzzy edge. This will make the image softer.

Memorabilia - Certificates, documents and other items that tell a story. Memorabilia can include souvenirs from trips and mementos from special occasions or historical events.

Metallic rub-ons: A metallic paint that can be rubbed onto your projects, for metallic highlighting.

Mini-Book - Tiny books which are created by binding small pieces of paper into pages and adding a front and back cover. Mini-books can also be made from shrink-art plastic.

Mizuhiki Cords - delicate cords make gorgeous metallic trims. They can be glued to the paper flat and side-by-side in various border designs or tied together for a bow.

Molded Paper - Paper that is made wet and then molded into a shape or image. Clay cookie molds are often used to create a molded paper image that is layered onto a card or used as a decoration that is hung.

Moldmade or Mouldmade Paper - Paper made by slowly rotating a cylinder mold. This process simulates the hand-papermaking process. The fibers are randomly intertwined and stronger than machine made papers.

Mortise Mask - A masking technique in which only the open area of the masking image is cut. This works well for bowls, windows, doors, boxes and handled baskets.

Mount - To adhere a photograph, embellishment or other item to another piece of paper.

Mounted stamp - traditional rubber stamp bought at the store in its finished form of rubber mounted on a wooden block.

Mulberry paper- Japanese paper made from Kozo. Paper which has long fibers that create a feathered look when torn available in various textures, weights, and colors. Excellent for layering.

Oil Pastels: Come in crayon, block or tubes. Easily applied and blended.

Origami - The Japanese art of folding paper into desired shapes and designs. These shapes and designs are almost always 3-D.

Oval Croppers/Cutters - Paper trimmers that cut paper and photographs into ovals.

Over Stamping - The technique of stamping images over part or all of previously stamped images to create a wash or ghosting of images. A wonderful technique for creating backgrounds.

Padding - A rubbery adhesive that is used to bind paper into notepads.

Paperclay - clay that can be shaped and stamped on then air dried or baked to make earrings, pins, magnets, plant marker or wall hanging.

Paint/Ink Eraser: A pencil or brush shaped tool with a rubber tip used to lift, rub off or erase excess paint or ink.

Page Protectors -- Plastic sheets that display and protect pages.

Page Toppers -- Hand-drawn illustrated phrases in bright colors meant to be used as titles at the top of pages.

Paper Crimper: A tool that contains two rollers between which paper is rolled. The results are crimped paper that can be corrugated or may have embossed shapes. The newest crimpers available have shapes such as stars.

Paper Edgers and Corner Tools: Scissor-like tools which allow for a decorative cut edge or corner on you paper.

Paper Punches: Hand held punches used to punch decorative shapes in paper.

Paper Sculpture: Sculpture created using paper. The paper can be formed by cutting, embossing, and molding.

Paper Trimmers -- Paper-cutting tools used by placing paper, lining it up on a grid and moving down a blade.

Paper: Comes in a range of colors, weights, textures and types.

Paper-casting: See also Molded Paper.

Pattern Paper -- Paper with designs repeated on the entire page.

Pearl Ex: A non-toxic pearlescent pigment powder. Mix with other mediums or rub over your stamped projects.

Perforating Needles: Tools used to punch or perforate holes in parchment for Pergamanio. Needles come with single needle to five needles.

Perforating Pad: Pad that is placed beneath the parchment when using the perforating needle tools in Pergamanio.

Pergamano: Sometimes call Parchment craft. Images or designs are traced on the rough side of the parchment paper. Embossing is done on the smooth side. The resulting work often appears almost lace-like on the edges.

Photo Corners -- Paper with adhesive on the back used to adhere photographs to a page on the corners. Used to adhere photos in scrapbooks and photo albums without applying adhesive directly to the photograph.

Photo Splits -- small pieces of double sided sticky tape that you peel off a strip and use for mounting photos, etc.

Pigment ink - Acid-free, non-toxic, fade-resistant, archival,, water-based ink. Thick and slow drying to allow for using with embossing powder. Must be embossed on glossy coat paper or it will not dry.

PolyShrink: a flexible plastic material that will shrink when heated. Works well in making pins and jewelry. It has also been used to create covers for mini books that can be worn as a pendant.

Pop-out Cards: Cards in which the image or item pops out when opened.

Pop-up Cards: Cards that have a image or item which pops up when opened.

Postcard: A flat piece of cardstock which has an image on one side and a message with the mailing address and postage stamp on the other side.

Prisma� Glitter: Art Glitter which comes in a variety of colors in medium to ultra fine grain. It is sprinkled over glue or other types of adhesive to make it stick to the medium.

Radiant Pearls: Brand of paints made by Angelwings.

Post-Bound Albums -- Albums that are held together with metal posts that run through the pages.

Pre-Embossed Paper -- Paper with a raised design. Some of it is thick, like cardstock, and some is vellum.

Punch - A tool used to create small shapes.

Punchies - The shapes created by a punch.

Raffia - raffia fibers are a great alternative to ribbons and bows for a country look.

Rainbow Ink Pads: Inkpads that come in multiple colors on a single pad. Works well for creating an image in a rainbow of colors or for creating backgrounds.

Rainbow pads - inkpads with three or more colors side by side for multicolor stamping.

RAK - Random Act of Kindness - for instance, sending a card or gift to someone for no reason. Sometimes they are sent anonymously. Another nice RAK is to pay the bridge toll for the car behind you, even though you don't know the owner.

Repetition: The repeating of an image over and over. This works well to create a garden from a single flower or a forest from a single tree or the heavens from a single star.

Reverse Image: An image that is the reverse of the stamp image. It is created by stamping your image on a plain rubber surface and then stamping that on the paper or project. Works well for creating a reflection in water or on a mirror.

Roller stamps - stamps on a wheel that let you make borders and wrapping paper. Some kinds have interchangeable pattern wheels and are self inking.

ROTFL - (email shorthand) rolling on the floor laughing

RR- Round Robin - all items are sent to the host/ess then are mailed out with a list of all participants. The person will receive the package, go through it, pick out some stuff, send it on and it goes around like that.

RS (Email list subject line tag) - Rubber stamp related

Rubber Stamp -- A detailed, intricate design cut out of rubber and mounted on wood or foam. A design is made by applying color to the rubber and imprinting on paper.

SB (Email shorthand) - secret buddy swap

Scoring tool: Tool used to score cardstock, many made from bone or hard plastic. Also referred to as bone folders.

Scoring: To break the surface fibers of cardstock or paper to allow for a nice neat precise folding of card without creases or buckling.

Scratchboard: Is a board that has a layer of black paint over a colorful rainbow background. Images may be scratched through the black paint to allow the rainbow of colors to show.

Shape Cutters -- Tools designed to cut shapes (ovals, circles, squares, etc.). The cutters can be adjusted to create different sizes of these shapes.

Shrink Plastic: Commercial grade plastic sheet you stamp on and color in, then pop into your oven, toaster-oven, or heat with your embossing tool to shrink your image/collage into a miniaturized version. See also PolyShrink.

Sparkles: See also Confetti.

Specialty Paper Books -- Books that contain information about different papers, both pattern paper and plain. Some may come with extras, such as templates.

Spiral-Bound Books -- Albums that are secured with a metal or plastic spiral binding running up the side of the album.

Sponging - technique of applying ink or paint to a medium with a sponge. Sponges come in a range of textures and types. Excellent for creating backgrounds or texture in an image.

SSS (Email list subject line tag) - secret stamper swap or Secret Stamping Sister

Stamp Pad: See also Ink Pad.

Stamp Positioner: A tool that is used to position a stamp in exactly the desired location. Works well when creating scenes using several different stamp images. Many of them look similar to a T-square but are normally made from acrylic.

Stencils: Come in brass, plastic or heavy cardstock. They are used to create shapes and images. The stencil has open or cut out areas through which color can be applied to create the image or a stylus can be used to create a raised image.

Stamping: The act of printing an image from a manufactured stamp to a chosen medium.

Sticker -- An adhesive decorative accent ranging in size from a few centimeters across to a full page.

Sticker Paper: Paper that is plain on one side for stamping and embellishing and is sticky on the other side. Crack-N-Peel is a popular brand.

Stippling - Using a big round brush, tap it into ink and tap onto paper. Technique of gentle hammering strokes with a brush on your medium. Excellent for creating backgrounds or applying color in large areas quickly.

Stylus - a stick with blunt rounded ends used to deboss paper. (Also known as a burnisher or a dry embossing tool). It comes in a few sizes and is used when embossing paper using a stencil.

Strap-Binding Albums -- Albums secured with plastic straps that run through a holder directly on the pages and keep the book in place.

SWAP- making cards, bookmarks, postcards, etc. It is up to the hostess. Also a theme is picked out for the swap. It is "correct" to send the hostess a card or small gift.

TAN (Email list subject line tag) - tangent (not RS related)

Tape Roller/Runner -- a device that distributes tape on the back of photographs and scrapbooking pages.

Template -- A stencil used to trace shapes onto scrapbook pages or photographs.

Tent Card: A simple card made from a piece of paper by folding it in half. The fold would be the top of the card.

Thermo Acetate -a clear plastic that can be stamped on or used as a window for shaker cards. Thermo acetate can take the heat of embossing.

Theme -- The overall emphasis of a page or scrapbook.

Theme Album -- A scrapbook devoted to one idea. Some popular them albums focus on birthdays, weddings and school days.

TIA (email shorthand) - Thanks in advance

Tinta Ink: Ink that is used in Pergamanio. It comes in white, gold and a range of colors.

Tooth: the surface texture of paper that grabs or holds the nib of the pen.

TOTW (Email list subject line tag) - topic of the week

TTPO- (email shorthand) Torture the Post Office or Tickle the Post Office. Sending unusual items through the mail unpackaged- like plastic soda bottles, a mini toilet plunger, etc.

Unmounted stamps - dies (the rubber part of a stamp) that have not been glued to a cushion and wood mount.

UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder): A large grain embossing powder. When melted the powder beads up creating a bumpy texture. Further layers smooth out once heated to create the appearance of a glazed tile.

Vellum - a lightweight transparent paper (real vellum is very different from what stampers call vellum -- real vellum is made from the skin of cows or other animals). It can be plain or designed.

VersaMark ink: Acid free, oil-based, non-toxic, clear ink. Creates a translucent ‘watermark’ on card. Also great ofr embossing ink or resist ink. A very versatile pad.

Wash: Using a wet watercolor brush to extend colors of the image.

Water Color Paint: Paint that is applied using water to spread or sometimes thin the colors. It comes in tubes, blocks and in the form of water color pencils.

Water Color Pencils: Pencils which are used to color an image and then a brush and water can be applied to achieve a water color wash or appearance.

Waterleaf Paper: Paper which has little or no sizing, such as blotter. It is very absorbent.

Wet Strength: The strength of the sheet of paper once it has been saturated with water.

WildFiber - Brand method of making paper. Made from a combinations of colored textiles, accents and a dry binder. Can be rolled out, molded or shaped. Once dry, it can be used as is or cut.

Wove Paper: Paper in which the surface is uniform and unlined in a smooth finish.

X-Acto Knife: A craft knife with a small sharp #11 blade used for cutting small intricate designs or details.

Xyron Machine -- also referred to as a Sticker maker. Cold laminate & sticker making system extremely useful tool. A machine that applies adhesive to pages, photos, pieces of paper, die cuts, punchies, and some models can also laminate and make magnets.

Rubberstamping 101: Slide Mount Ideas

Here are some fun ideas to try using slide mounts….

1. Brayer rainbow ink on it.
2. Hang from a safety pin.
3. Staple ribbon on it
4. Rubberstamp words or images onto them
5. Use alcohol inks on them to change the color of it
6. Use embossing ink and powders to emboss on it
7. Run through a xyron to add adhesive and cover in micro beads, gold leafing, glitter, or sand
8. Cover the entire slide mount with pattern paper, cardstock, handmade paper, or fabric
9. Create a mini book using two slide mounts; traditional open book or an accordion type album
10. Use it to frame a portion of an image in a larger photo.
11. Add a magnet on the back and create a fridge magnet
12. Try using rub-ons/stickers either letters or images on them
13. Hang with fiber/ribbon from a brad like a photo on the wall
14. Punch a hole, and hang a charm, tags, or some beads from it.
15. Paint with acrylic paints; also try using crackle medium
16. Color with permanent markers.
17. Link 2 mounts together with wire or jump rings
18. Color with metallic rub-ons or markers
19. Cut slide mount front and back apart, to create two from one.
20. Hinge the front and back open on the mount to create a set of mounts
21. Use modge podge to decoupage cut out images onto the mount
22. Cover with magic mesh
23. Create a tiny shadow box
24. Create a shaker box
25. Punch holes and add eyelets or brads. Using eyelets you can tie multiple mounts together
26. Try using dimensional paint like “make it suede” or dimensional glaze or liquid applique
27. Wrap wire, ribbons, cording, tulle, DMC floss, waxed threads, fibers, or yarns around it.
28. Use in a collage on an altered paint can, clip board, altoid tin, paper bag book, coin folder, etc.
29. Apply Ultra Thick Embossing (UTEE) powder, stamp onto it, then crack for a fun effect.
30. Ink edges of slide mounting preferably using Stazon or Brilliance type permanent inkpads
31. Frame anything, like diecuts, stickers, tiny pictures, quilled designs, punch art, dried flowers, stamped images, charm, words, embellishment, etc
32. Cover the mount with wood grain paper and mount onto a Popsicle stick to create a “sign”; then take a paper doll/paper piecing person to hold it
33. Try adding to a greeting card as an embellishment; try using it on a gate fold card, or perhaps hinged with an opening to the inside of the card.

Rubberstamping 101: Ideas for using Stencils

Stencils are all the rage right now. And it's no wonder. They are a fun and easy way to creatively embellish a page and can be used in such a variety of ways.

Several scrapbook manufacturers make stencils, including some wonderful products by
Chatterbox and Autumn Leaves to name just a few. You can also find blank stencils in a variety of sizes in the office supply section of many stores. You can also create your own stencils using various different fonts you can download for free off of the internet.

There is so many ways to decorate and use stencils:

1. Use for the title of your layout
2. Use to form a key word in your title
3. Use a single stencil for the first letter of a title
4. Use as an initial letter on a page to signify the name of the subject in the layout
5. Layer paper behind the open area of the stencil.
6. Layer ribbons behind the open area of the stencil
7. Rubberstamp on a piece of cardstock to place in the open area of the stencil
8. Staple short pieces of ribbon to it
9. Add brads
10. Add eyelets
11. Hang charms, tags, beads from it
12. Rubberstamp images or words on the stencil
13. Emboss edges of stencil.
14. Ink edges of stencil
15. Don’t throw out the negative part of the stencil, as it can be used as a stencil as well. Just place the stencil pieces onto a square piece of cardstock or pattern paper.
16. Create a shaker box.
17. Cover a blank stencil with pattern paper, fabric, magic mesh, or handmade paper.
18. Brayer using a rainbow ink pad.
19. Run through a xyron and cover with microbeads, gold leafing, glitter, or sand.
20. Paint with acrylic paints and crackle medium for a fun look
21. Wrap wire, ribbons, cording, tulle, DMC floss, waxed threads, fibers, or yarns around it.
22. Apply Ultra Thick Embossing (UTEE) powder, stamp onto it, then crack for a fun effect.
23. Use in a collage on an altered paint can, clip board, altoid tin, paper bag book, coin folder, etc.
24. Try adding to a greeting card as an embellishment; try using it on a gate fold card, or perhaps hinged with an opening to the inside of the card.

Good luck and have fun!
Debbie Weller

Rubberstamping 101: Scrapping with Stamps

Scrapping with stamps, rubberstamps that is… Rubberstamping has been extremely popular in the card-making arena for many years now, but in the last couple of years it has started making its way into the scrapbooking world. There are so many things you can do with rubberstamps in your scrapbooks. The versatility and durability of stamps make them a perfect addition to your scrapbooking toolbox. In this article, I will provide a few ideas and insights on incorporating alphabet rubberstamps into your scrapbooking layouts. There are a large variety of fonts, sizes, mounted or unmounted rubberstamps available on the market today.

To me, scrapbooking and stamping compliment each other and blend perfectly. Alphabet stamps can be used any way that a letter sticker would normally be used in scrapbooking, but provides much more versatility. By choosing inks that match page colors and photos, customizing a stamped title or journaling is easy. Although the initial investment is slightly higher than stickers, stamps are a good value since they can be used repeatedly, in many different ways on different pages. Also rubberstamps are not consumable, creating an added value of the ability to create cards, tags and gifts even beyond the scrapbook with them for many years to come.

BACKGROUND

Rubberstamps come in one of two ways, either mounted or unmounted.

Mounted means that the pieces of rubber with the letters are permanently glued to a wooden block. You then store the mounted stamp as a whole; you just pull it out, use it, clean it and return it to storage. They are convenient to use, but generally cost more and you may run into storage issues eventually.

Unmounted means you will receive just the rubber when you purchase them. Many times you will need to trim the rubber around the image to prepare it for use. Unmounted stamps do not come with the wooden block or the mounting cushion. These can be bought separately if desired. You will need to find a mounting system that works for you. There are some great systems for mounting and/or using unmounteds that are relatively inexpensive. I just recommend you try before you buy if you can. Unmounted stamps are a huge cost saver running you about half the cost of mounted stamps with minimal storage requirements. You will need just a couple of clear acrylic blocks in various sizes to use with your unmounted rubberstamps. Tip: I recommend placing your project onto a mouse pad or magazine when stamping with unmounted stamps, to provide a cushion, this will create a better image.

STORAGE

Mounted rubberstamps are a little more complicated to store than a die cut or sticker. There are several storage options available to you:

1. Use old shoeboxes or pizza boxes. They have the perfect depth and are very cost effective. They are easy to mark and categorize your stamps by theme.

2. Use plastic drawer containers. Depending on the number of drawers in the unit will determine the price. These provide relatively easy access to your stamps and can still be categorized. This is the method I use for my mounted stamps and to make it even more organized, I take gallon size Ziploc bags and cut a piece of cardboard to fit in side it, then I can place the stamps onto the cardboard and sort them by themes. Easy to pull out of the drawers and take with you to crops.

3. There are also a number of companies that produce storage systems designed specifically for rubberstamps. The price varies depending on size. Most of these are portable and are easy to take to crops.

If you go with unmounted rubberstamp, you can store your stamps in 3 ring binders or CD cases and they do not take up near the space the wooden stamps do.

GETTING STARTED

Before you begin to stamp you will need some stamps and inks. Most inkpads are acid-free. I would generally start out with a dye inkpad in black and a versamark pad. As your skills increase you may want to pick up a few other colors, some pigment inkpads, embossing powders and a heat gun. I highly recommend if you are a beginner to practice the following steps on a scrap piece of paper to get the feel for it, before you do the final project.

1. Choose a stamp and an inkpad.

2. Flip your stamp over so the rubber side is up. Lay stamp on desk surface.

3. Hold your inkpad (cover open) upside down and tap it over the rubber image until covered with ink. You do not need to press down; simply tapping the inkpad should do the trick.

4. Once the image is covered with ink, turn it over and place the rubber side straight down on your paper. Press firmly without rocking the stamp. Ensure even pressure across entire stamp – especially important when using large stamps.

5. Lift stamp straight up and off the paper, you should have a clear, crisp stamped image.

6. Wait for image to dry completely. Re-ink the stamp between each image.

7. If desired, you can color image in with colored markers, pencils, watercolors, chalk, or paints.

8. Clean stamps with alcohol-free baby wipes or a stamp cleaning system.

IDEAS

Lettering stamps are one of the most versatile stamps you can own. You can use them for journaling, titles and captions. The possibilities are endless.

Borders. Borders are great ways to accent a page. The borders can be placed on the side, the middle, the top or the bottom of your page. Rubberstamp word images in all different directions. Stamp the words multiple times to get dark and light impressions of the words. Be sure and stamp off the edge of the border and it is ok to overlap words a little – creates a fun look.

Frames. Call attention to a treasured photo by framing it with an embellished cardstock mat. One fun technique is to rubberstamp words or maybe the name of the person in the photo directly onto the photo mat around a photo. You can use different color inks, or one color of ink on different colors of cardstock and frame the photo.

Titles. A title is an important element, and sets the theme for the rest of your layout. Having several different sets of alphabet stamps allows you to create different and professional titles. Don't be afraid to mix and match different letter styles for a very unique look. Letter stamps are extremely popular and available in virtually every size and style. Letter stamps are a good value because one letter set can be used over and over, but look different each time. By choosing different colors, mixing and matching letter styles, or embossing letters with various textures, titles will be both eye-catching and unique. Take it one step further by decorating stamped letters with small images or texture stamps. Try stamping each alphabet letter on individual tags and adhere to your layout.

Accents. Nothing is more frustrating than working on a page and realizing you don't have the right accent. With a healthy supply of stamps you'll never be at a loss for that perfect accent. You can keep it simple by using a single letter as a monogram, which could be stamped on cork, clay, or any number of fun surfaces. Another fun thing to do is rubberstamp words on twill and string across the page. You can rubberstamp on transparencies and overlay photos. You can create your own word page pebbles using glossy accents over the stamped word. Creating embellishments can help the scrapbooker match any theme or mood perfectly.

Journaling. One of my favorite journaling techniques to use, is to print out my journaling in a larger font, leave a word here and there blank through out the journaling, then using the rubberstamps to fill in the spaces with word, then you can change fonts, colors, etc. You can of course rubberstamp out all your journaling, add dates, places, names, etc.

Backgrounds. Create your own background papers using words or even a single alphabet letter in all different fonts, and even different colors. For a very subtle look use versamark ink pad and it will look like a watermark in the background.

If stamping directly onto a scrapbook page seems intimidating, remember that stamped images can be stamped on cardstock, cut out and adhered to scrapbook pages like stickers.

Stamping is an easy way to create personalized, unique pages. From lettering to backgrounds, images to journaling, stamps provide endless opportunities for adding style and pizzazz to scrapbooks.

Rubberstamping 101: Suggestions for Using Eyelets and Brads

Here is a few ideas for using eyelets and brads....

1. connectors on paper piecing for moveable parts
2. attaching vellum
3. accents on journal blocks
4. to "hang" things from
5. center of flowers
6. center of letters
7. spell out words (outline letters)
8. corners of picture mat
9. eyes of paper dolls
10. nails in a fence
11. earrings for a paper doll
12. belly button jewel for a paper doll
13. "stone" in a ring
14. buttons on a snowman
15. decoration on a child's ball
16. stepping stones on a garden layout
17. attach a fibre to a brad to make a yo-yo
18. attach elements on a page by wrapping wire or fibre
19. to form "bullets" for a list of things
20. as an accent on the tail of a letter
21. in the hole of a tag
22. white - as stars on a black or navy blue sky
23. white - as dropping snowflakes
24. light blue - as falling raindrops
25. orange - as pumpkins
26. white - as moonbeams
27. jeweled belt on a paper doll
28. brown - as chocolate chips on a cookie
29. toppings on a pizza
30. M & Ms
31. buttons on a shirt or dress
32. decorations on an Easter egg
33. decorations on a Christmas tree
34. purple - grapes in a cornucopia
35. lights on top of a police car or fire truck
36. center of a pinwheel
37. center of tires
38. tires on a toy car
39. end of antenna on a bug
40. center of fiber spider web
41. hair ornament on a girl paper doll
42. the "dot" on an i or j
43. attach handle to a basket
44. to attach fibers lacing something together
45. attach a sign to a post
46. rocks
47. center of propeller on an airplane
48. on serendipity squares
49. sesame seeds on a bun
50. jeweled skirt on a paper doll.
51. use as a spider and paint a face on it with the legs behind it or use wire for it's legs
52. dots on a ladybug
53. as fillers
54. use as nails on wood (like haunted house windows)
55. Christmas Bulbs on a tree paper piecing
56. eyes on a frog
57. use to embellish the corner of tags
58. borders or titles
59. Attach fabric, twistel or lace to paper
60. use star brads to replicate a night sky
61. ends of a hammock (saw that on a layout at the lss using Brad-Dazzled brads)
62. use on butterfly wings
63. oval nailheads as Easter Eggs
64. shoe buckle
65. dots on a clown suit doll or paper piecing
66. sprinkles on an ice cream cone
67. sprinkles on a cupcake
68. use seashell nailheads on paper torn sand paper to create a beach look
69. You can emboss them and they look very pretty!!
70. Cut card stock or very subtly patterned paper into 1/4 inch strips (the paper shredder is ideal for this) Then assemble making stick letters. Where the papers intersect add an eyelet or brad to hold the letter together. This would be a great handyman layout, looking like construction.
71. Cut or punch tiny circles or squares, and set with an snap or brad. This will make a great string tie envelope if you place one on the outer flap on the right side, and one on the envelope back to match up with the front one. Then the envelope can be folded down and add a length of string from one snap or brad to the other, and wind the string between the two.
72. Black eyelets make wonderful spots on ladybug wings. Red eyelets make great chicken pox!
73. Use eyelets or snaps for body parts for small insects, and use your Zig writer to give them arms, legs, and smiles.
74. Mat your photo on cardstock, and trim the edges so that one is wider than the rest, by about 1/4-1/2 inch. Set a straight row of brads, eyelets, snaps, rivets, etc. to the one wide side.
75. Cut holly leaves, enough for a border. Then arrange them on the layout, but use red mini buttons or brads instead of the die cut berries
76. Use eyelets to layer paper it will give a contemporary look to your projects, and offer clean lines.
77. Use eyelets to adhere photographs to memory pages.
78. With all of the different colors available you can find complementary eyelets for your scrapbook!
79. Use eyelets to secure punched-out images. This technique is very fun.
80. Take a flower punch (or stamp a flower and cut out).
81. Adhere the flower to a piece of cardstock using an eyelet as the center of the flower!
82. Use a different color eyelet than the cardstock and your flower will really "punch".
83. Use eyelets as eyes or polka dots in a dress.
84. Anything where you would have a circle, use an eyelet.
85. Use eyelets as a way to bind mini books.