Using & Storing Unmounted Rubberstamps

Oh this is one of my favorites.

What are unmounted rubberstamps you ask? They are just the pieces of rubber with the image and no padding or wood mount. Many places online, sell unmounted for half the price of the mounted stamps. You can buy single images or entire sheets of images for a lot cheaper than mounted images.

How do you work with unmounteds?
You find a mounting system that works for you. There are a couple of different ones that I am familiar with, there may be others but these are the ones I have some knowledge of…

1. Vinyl Clings. I believe you can buy cling sheets and attach them to your rubberstamps. I have never tried this, but have gotten a few clear vinyl rubberstamps and they work great.

2. Halos (Velcro). I started out using this, but found it difficult to use very small images or alphabet letters, as they wouldn’t stay clung tightly to the Velcro and regularly fell off. Worked fine for large images, but I do a lot of alphabet letters, so it wasn’t working for me.

3. Padding only. You can take your sheet of rubber and attach it to a sheet of padding and then trim out your images. Peel the backing off your padding and you are good to go. I have a couple of these and they work fine.

4. Aleene’s tack it over and over. This is my method of choice. Now keep in mind this doesn’t work well will all companies rubber. I have rubber from Leave Memories and Rusty Pickle and both of them do NOT work well using this method.

Most of my unmounted stamps are from Club Scrap and Club Stamp and mounted using the Aleene's Tack it over and over method and works absolutely perfect for them.

Here is how to do it:
1. Flip rubber over so the backside is up. Squeeze a little bit of the glue onto the back side, spread around the rubber using a foam paint brush. I only put enough glue on to leave a very thin white coating on the back of the rubber. Less is better, you can always add more if need be.

2. Let this dry until you no longer see white, I generally leave it over night.

3. Now it will be fairly sticky, I usually stick it to my hand (or maybe my pants, it will pick up a lil lint) a couple of times to make it not quite so sticky.

4. Now is time to cut out your images. I use a pair of non-stick scissors by Tonic. But if you do not have non-stick scissors you can use regular scissors, just rub them on some embossing ink and that will keep them from getting too sticky. If they get all gummy, you can use UN-DO to remove the goo. I trim out the images fairly close to the image but not too close. I do not want the edge showing up when I stamp my image, so I cut close enough to ensure that.

5. Now I store my "images" (that is the sheet of paper with the images that comes with your unmounted stamps) in a 3 ring binder.

6. The Unmounted stamps themselves, I store in CD cases. I label the case using my label maker, and then store them in a turn-style storage unit. Eventually I will run out of space but for now this is working for me.

So that is about it, other than if you do not have padding permanently on your rubber, I recommend doing your rubberstamping on a foam pad (like a mouse pad) or even an old magazine, just something that has a little give in it. This will allow you to get a much cleaner image when you stamp it.

Hope this step by step tutorial helps!!

DebDuzScrappin - Debbie Weller

Digital Hybrid - Coffee Cup insert

This first example is a great project - I made these for all the grandmothers for valentine's day. I just created the digital 'layout' - printed it out and then trimmed it out - slip it into the coffee cup and vola' a great gift for the grandparents!

These make wonderful “Teacher” gifts. I love to do a ‘class’ photo and a ‘my son & teacher’ photo, with a few appropriate transparency quotes.

Supplies needed:

* ClubScrapDigital digital kits
* Acrylic Photo Mugs (these particular ones I picked up at Dollar Tree)
* Scissors
* Printer

1. Your first step is to take the paper insert that comes with your specific mug and use it as a template for creating your new layout. You can either scan it in or just draw a pencil outline around it and scan that in.
2. Using this scan you can modify it to meet your needs and begin creating a fun photo layout.
3. Print out your layout either at home on printer, or upload and have printed professionally. You can just resize your canvas size to a common size that your professional lab can process like 8x10 (or whatever is just larger than your mug design) – when they print it professionally, the extra space will just print out as white, and you can just trim the excess off.
4. Trim out your layout to perfectly fit into your mug.

Digital elements as shown in these two mugs in photo are from Club Scrap:
Green pattern paper - “Refresh” digital kit.
Red pattern paper – “Wheels & Sprocket” digital kit
“You & Me” transparency – “Fizz” digital kit

Not only do these make good seasonal gifts and teacher gifts, but I have also made them up and given as retirement gifts to co-workers, to my relatives with photos of them and their kids, would make a great new baby gift for the new mom, the possibilities are endless!!

Good luck and have fun!
Debbie Weller
a.k.a. DebDuzScrappin

Outta town...and another Valentine's day project!

I made this for my hubby for Valentine's day last year. I just created this from free form writing out the letters and then adding the extra thickness at the binding to be able to add photos of my boys. I bound the book with book rings - and I attached a bunch o ribbon tied to the rings - I love all the ribbon!!

The papers used on this project are from the "from the heart kit" from ClubScrap.

Thanks for stopping by...Deb

Greeting Card storage box

So with the two weeks off over Christmas, I made loads and loads of cards from all of the Club Stamps' Greetings to Go kits, right? Well I usually keep all of my cards in a specific drawer - but the drawer is fairly small, so I can only store cards that are roughly 4.5x5 size. Well in the GTG kits you get three different sizes each month and the sizes vary greatly depending on the kind of card we get to make. So not all of the cards fit into my desk drawer.

Now in my desk drawer, I sort the cards by category, right? So I decided last night to do a project similiar to the expandable folder project I did a few weeks ago and posted - but make it large enough to hold the larger sized cards that I have been making. And this is what became of my idea...

The box roughly measures 6x6x12 - just perfectly for using 12x12 printed cardstocks to create it. I used all the great cardstocks from Club Scrap's (They are so awesome because they are printed and thick and yummy, perfect for this kind of project!!) Gimme a Ring kit.

Supplies:
(3-4 pieces) 6x12 Mat board
12x12 plain & printed cardstocks
bookbinding glue & foam brush
bone folder
Scoring tool
Ribbon, roughly 48 inches long
Decorative elements

Instructions:
1. Cut 2 pieces of 12x12 cardstock in half to get (4) 6x12 pieces of cardstock. Using your scoring tool, score lines every 3/4 in across the length of the 12 inch piece. Fold back and forth, creating an accordion fold, reinforcing each fold with the bone folder. Once done, you will need to adhere the end of one accordion piece to another - creating just two accordion pieces. Set aside for now.

2. Take a 12x12 and mark a line at 3in and 9in. Apply bookbinding glue to one of the mat board pieces and adhere to the center of the 12x12 leaving 3 inches on each side. (This mat board piece will be the base of the box.)

3. Apply bookbinding glue to one of the 3 in sides and add another sheet of matboard (this mat board piece will be the back side of the box), leaving a small gap (size of gap depends on how thick your mat board is, thick matboard=more space, thin mat board=less space, standard matboard=apprx 1/8 in). Repeat adding mat board (this mat board piece will be the front side of the box) to other size.

4. Flip project over and apply bookbinding glue to one of the showing mat boards, this is going to be the back side of the box we are working. Adhere another 12x12 cardstock. Flip back over and fold the cardstock down over the other side of the matboard to cover it, adhere with book binding glue.

5. Cut a piece of cardstock to cover the rest of the front side of the showing mat board (3x12) and adhere with bookbinding glue.

So now we basically have the base, the front, and the back, that can fold up into a square U shape. Now we proceed to create the top with front flap.

6. Adhere a long strip of ribbon to the backside of the box, centering the middle of the strip of ribbon at the back of the box.

7. Cut a strip of cardstock (roughly 2x12) to cover the ribbon, adhere with bookbinding glue.

8. Take a piece of cardstock 12x12 and score a line at 2in and 8in. If desired (I ran out of mat board) adhere a piece of mat board in the center of the 2 and 8 in section, you will also need to cover the mat board with paper too. Adhere with bookbinding glue the 2in flap to the back side of the box.

Now you have the box basically made and it is ready for the inserts. Here you will need 12 pieces of 6x12 cardstocks.

9. If you want to cut sections out of your pieces, you need to do that now. Starting at the front, adhere one 6x12 to the first accordion fold using the bookbinding glue, repeat adding each 6x12 sheet to an accordion fold.

10. Once you add the last piece, you will still have the last fold left, adhere this to the back of your box.

11. Adhere the front section to the front of the box.

12. Now you can embellish as desired. I used my rubberstamps and stamped the a greeting for each section - and for the birthday section, I did three separate ones - one with a stamp of guy (for mens birthdays), one with a stamp of a gal (for womens birthdays), and one with a stamp of kids (for kids birthdays). I added flowers as well.

Hope you find this tutorial helpful. Good luck and have fun!
Deb Weller aka DebDuzScrappin

Valentine's Day - Treat ideas - Mini bottles, more

"Sweet Treats” assortment
#1 – Fill cellophane baggie with candy hearts, trim a piece of dark pink cardstock the width of the baggie by about 2 inches, rubberstamp faint image onto cardstock along with “Happy Valentine’s day” and “Small heart” image (Club Scrap) in black ink, fold in half and staple onto the baggie.
#2 – Cut a piece of white cardstock, rubberstamp “Double heart” image (Club Scrap) in pink all over cardstock. Fold in half and adhere two of the sides together. Run both of the ends through a crimper, open up the package and fill with candy. Now close the open end in the opposite direction as the bottom end and adhere closed.
#3 - These tiny bottles are mini water bottles sold by the case from Target. What better way to recycle a water bottle than by filling it with yummies and decorating it?

Good luck and have fun!
Debbie Weller
a.k.a. DebDuzScrappin

Digital Hybrid - PhotoCube - Valentine's Day Gift...

This is the Valentine's Day gift I made for the grand- parent's last year - I am a huge fan of doing Hybrid projects - you know what I mean - mixing digital with non-digital to create something fun and unique!!

I picked up these clear acrylic cubes at the Dollar store and then just proceeded to finish the project as described below.

Supplies needed:

~ClubScrapDigital “From the Heart” digital kit
~Acrylic photo block
~Paper trimmer
~Printer
~Adhesive

1. Create a new layout in your digital photo editing program, 3.5 x 3.5 (or whatever size your acrylic block holds).

2. Using this new layout, create a total of 6 mini layouts.

3. Print out your mini layouts either at home on printer, or upload and have printed professionally. You can just resize your canvas size to a common size like 4x6 – when they print it professionally, the extra space will just print out as white, and you can just trim the excess off.

4. Trim out your mini layouts.

5. Open up your acrylic box and adhere your mini layouts to the box inside.

6. Put your acrylic box back together for display.

All digital elements in these layouts are from Club Scrap’s January 2008 “From the Heart” digital kit.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial! Have fun!! Debbie Weller

Valentine's Day "Hanging Mobile"

Me and my boys made this fun mobile as a craft project. When we get bored, we get busy!! This hangs over our table from the light fixture. The majority of the materials used here are from ClubScrap!

Supplies needed:

~(2) 12x12 cardstocks (for mobile itself)
~Cardstock scraps (for cutting hearts)
~Red furry fibers
~Black waxed thread
~Various beads
~Ribbon
~Sizzix “Heart” diecut/machine
~Modge podge
~Crafter’s Pick adhesive
~Scissors
~Pencil
~Rubberstamps and ink
~Bone folder (score tool)
~Hole punch

Instructions:

Mobile:

1. Using modge podge adhere the (2) 12x12 pieces of cardstock together, back to back. Let dry.

2. Using a pencil, lightly draw a circle from edge of cardstock in a spiral pattern into center of the cardstock insuring to leave about 1.5-2 inch width. This doesn’t need to be perfect, you won’t notice once it is done and hanging.

3. Using scissors, cut along the lines you drew in step 2. Once cut, erase any pencil marks.

4. Rubberstamp valentine day images and/or sentiments onto the mobile.

5. Adhere fuzzy red ribbon to edge of mobile, the full length, using Crafter’s Pick liquid adhesive. Let dry.

Hearts:

1. Using the sizzix machine, cut out 5 hearts per 3D heart.

2. Using bone folder, score a line down the center of each heart, and fold along that crease.

3. Adhere all the hearts together back to back, but before you adhere the last heart, insert the end of one of the wax threads. Let each of these hearts completely dry before proceeding.

4. Add beads as desired on the waxed thread just above the 3D heart.

Add heart strings to Mobile:

1. Using hold punch, punch a hold in the center of the mobile in various locations along the mobile.

2. Run the end of the waxed thread through that hole, add a large bead, and tie off.

3. On the 3D heart located in the very center of the mobile, add a piece of ribbon at the top – to use to hang the mobile.

The majority of the supplies used in the photo example above are from Club Scrap’s January 2008 “From the Heart” kit.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial! Have fun!! Debbie Weller