Sponging to Soften the Look of a Card

Sponging is a fabulous way to soften cardstock edges, to add colour to the edge of cardstock to avoid using another cardstock or paper layer, to gently soften stark white cardstock.

Either use a full size sponge or cut it into six or eight trianges. Dab it into your inkpad and gently apply it by gently dabbing or dragging to your cardstock or paper. Gently really is the key as it's easier to add colour than take it away.

One way to use Sponging: -

- Birthday wishes (Sincere Salutations) stamped in Red Riding Hood Ink and punched out with a wide oval punch.

- Softened by sponging the same ink around the edges.

- Then add to a card.


All supplies used Stampin' Up!®
Stamp Set - Sincere Salutations
Paper - Pink Pirouette, Whisper White and Riding Hood Red Cardstock, Bella Rose DSP (you can get 72 of these cards out of one pack of patterned paper)
Ink - Red Riding Hood Classic Ink Pad
Punch - Wide Oval
Accessories - Paper Trimmer, 6mm white grosgrain ribbon, Adhesive, Stampin' Sponges ($7.75 for 3, page 156 of the current Idea Book and Catalogue)

What to do with Chipboard?

At the end of last year I agreed to show the Cards Unlimited cardmaking group I belong to how to use chipboard. But I needed to find out how to use it myself before my turn in September this year. Now I've done my research I think you might see a bit more of it on my Keryn's Cards blog.

There are a multitude of ways to cover chipboard and use it in your projects on the web. I've searched and narrowed it down to 16 that I think are the most usable.

- covered with pigment ink using a sponge dauber.

- trace shape onto designer series paper, cut out, adhere and sand edges. Sponge with dye ink using a stampin' sponge or sponge dauber

- sponge with pigment ink, when dry stamp with a dye ink.

- heat emboss using versamark and gold embossing powder and heat tool

- Two way glue covered with dazzling diamonds microfine glitter.

- Image stamped in stazon ink and coloured with watercolour crayons.

- covered with two way glue and covered with strips of 6mm grosgrain ribbon

- sponged with pigment ink, when dry heat emboss image over the top.

- placed face down over an inked background stamp

- Brayer and rainbow ink pad

- Use a sponge dauber to apply Stampin' Pastels using light colours first and then seal.

- sponged with ‘Encore Metallic’ ink and heat set.

- Stamped with a Stampin’ Around wheel and dye ink.

- Photo applied the same way as the Designer Series Paper.

- sponged with pigment ink then glue on microbeads using crystal effects..

The chipboard I used is Stampin’ Up!® - On Board Essentials.

I'd love to see the projects you create using any chipboard techniques that you see here or find on the web. Leave me a comment so I can see your blog post or send me a picture by EMail.

September 2009 - Uses for Ribbon

With the fantastic ribbon bundle promotion that Stampin' Up!® is running during September 2009 it seemed appropriate to put together a tutorial on all the uses that I've found for ribbon. All projects shown use Stampin' Up!® product although some may be retired due to the age of the project.

As a handle for a gift bag.

Tied to a paper clip for a quick and easy embellishment.


Tied round the bottom of a popsicle card to keep it shut.

To tidy up the edge of a lollipop gift box.

To decorate and tie closed a triange gift box.

With hodgepodge to create a bookmark.

Tied around a card as an embellishment.

Used as a pull on a hidden message card.

Ends stuck to the back of a layer with another small piece tied in a knot.

Used to keep a box in a bag closed.

Pull tie for a waterfall card.

Used to hang a message on a gift box.

Ribbon Weaving

Tied in a bow to embellish the top of a greeting card holder.

These are just a few of the things I've used ribbon for. I hope they'll be able to spark your imagination.

Using a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (Stamp Positioner)

I own a Stamp A Ma Jig (SAMJ) but it's not something that I've used often in my crafting. However, when I have demo'd it at workshops there's always been one guest that really loves the idea of perfect image placement.


Scroll down to see how to use the SAMJ: -

I've stamped the solid flower image from 'Heartfelt Thanks' twice after colouring it with More Mustard and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers.


I then stamped the matching line image on the first one using Close to Cocoa and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers without using the SAMJ.



I like the offset look of this image but if you like exact placement it may be screaming at you. Keep scrolling down to see how to stamp the same image using the SAMJ.


Place the clear plastic sheet, rough side up, into the L shape of the guide.


Ink up your stamp as before and stamp it onto the plastic sheet using the guide for placement.


You now have an image on the plastic sheet. Using dye ink that I am it will never be a perfect image. Position the image on the plastic sheet in the position you want the image on your cardstock.





Line the guide up on the corner of the plastic sheet. Remove the plastic sheet and reink your stamp and stamp placing the stamp into the guide as before.




Here's my finished image.

Here are two cards that I made up with my stamped images.


Thanks for making it to the end. I would love to see what you've made with your SAMJ's. Leave me a comment on this post with a link to your projects.


If you would like to purchase a stamp positioner contact me at keryn.campbell@xtra.co.nz. New Zealand residents only please.

In Colour Markers

I was so excited that in our 2009/2010 Idea Book and Catalogue we've got individual markers for the four main colour families. But of course due to the limited time frame for the in colours we haven't got markers in those colours.

Other demonstrators have been talking about using In Colour reinkers and blender pens to create In Colour so I thought I'd give it a go.

I got out a brand new blender pen and two in colour reinkers - Riding Hood Red and Pink Pirouette.

I found the best way to remove the foam tip from the blender pen after trying tweezers with just a sharp tug holding it between my thumb and finger.

Use the reinker bottle to slowly drip ink into one end of the blender pen.

Use some scrap paper or even better a paper towel to catch any residue, this is a messy process. I then inked the other end with Pink Pirouette and a slightly used blender pen with Pacific point and Kiwi Kiss.

Of course I had to try them out so I stamped the outline flower image from 'Heartfelt Thanks' using Black Stazone ink. If you clean this immediately using the Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist you will be able to clean the stamp. Leave it any longer and it will stain.

This is my coloured flower.

Just a few things a found it in the process: -

- Using a used blender pen with a well functioning nib works better, more room for the ink.

- The blender pen markers seem wetter than the Stampin' Write Markers.

- Pink Pirouette is really too light when mixed with the remaining blender fluid.
- I'm going to store these markers away from my blender pens. It could be very easy to have a nasty colouring accident if they got confused.

Technique Tutorial - Punched Frames

This tutorial is to show you how to use two punches at a time to create frames instead of a solid shape.

The punches I've used today are all from Stampin' Up!®: -

1 1/4" Circle

Scallop Circle

Star

Large Star

1/2" Circle

Five Petal Flower

1/16" Handheld Circle Punch

3/4" Circle

To make a scallop circle frame. Punch a circle using a 1 1/4" circle punch from your chosen cardstock. Centre your circle scallop punch so that the punched circle is in the centre and punch. Here is your frame.
Another one the same as the scallop circle but using two different size star punches.

Your shapes don't have to be the same size. Using a 1/2" circle punch punch a circle in your chosen cardstock.

Align the 5 petal flower punch over the punched circle.

and punch.

This one's a great idea for getting small circles to thread ribbon or cord through into a small shape that is too hard to hold.

Punch your small hole first with a 1/16" hand held circle punch. It's rather hard to see in the photo.

Position your small sized punch over the small circle hole in the position you want it to be. I used a 3/4" circle.

and punch. You now have a hole to thread your ribbon or cord through.

Think of all the possibilities using, ovals, tags, flowers, squares and any other shape you can find.

I got the inspiration for this tutorial from a video on Jacque Pederson's website - Stamp Happy. Thanks Jacque.

February 2009 - Layout to Card

Late last week my Stampin' Up!® Upline Sharlene Meyer had a card on her blog that she'd made using the leftovers from an earlier Scrapbook Layout that she'd created. Aha I thought what a great way to have cards on hand, what a great way to use scraps and what a creative way to tidy up and also what a great tutorial for Stampin' Scrap.

Here is the LO that I created first. I used sketch no. 28 from 'The Little Shop of Sketches'.

Supplies used all Stampin' Up!® -

Stamp set - Sprinkles

Cardstock and Papers - Yoyo Yellow, Brillian blue, Pumpkin Pie, Brilliant blue Designer Series Prints

Ink - Versamark, Pumpking Pie Classic Ink, Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Marker

Punches - Large Star and Star

Other - Paper Cutter, Snail Adhesive, Cotton Balls.

I was then left with the leftovers sitting on my desk. Obviously I had to add something to replace the 12x12 Yoyo Yellow card and a main image to replace my photo. I replaced the yoyo yellow 12x12 with a yoyo yellow 14cm sq card blank and added a stamp set, ink pad, cardstock and a marker to create to create a central image.

Starting with the 14cmx14cm card blank I used the heart background stamp from the Sprinkles set and repeatly stamped it to cover the card using Versamark Ink, creating a watermark background.

Then taking whisper white cardstock cut to 13x8cms for my main image I stamped the largest star from 'In the Stars' stamp set in brilliant blue ink.

The large star was again stamped this time on a post it note, making sure that one part of the image had the adhesive on the back. Cut out the star just inside the lines and place it over the first stamped star.

While the image is covered stamp around it and over it with a smaller star in Pumpkin Pie ink using second and third impressions. By this I mean ink your stamp and stamp once on scrap paper and then stamp the second and third times on the card. When you've stamped around the first star, move your post it note mask to the next image and repeat.

I felt looking at the star images sitting on the yellow card blank that it needed a small amount of yellow to tie the two together so stamped a smaller star in the gaps using a Summer Sun Stampin' Write Marker. I then edged the whisper white card by running it through the brilliant blue ink pad.

Using the leftover strips of pumpkin pie cardstock and brilliant blue dsp from the LO snip three of them shorter and cut a triangle in one end. Place them as shown in the photo above. Adhere to the base card and adhere the whisper white cardstock over the top.

Punch a couple of small stars from left over cardstock and attach to the card as a finishing touch. You could add a greeting with a stamp or rub on to the bottom right hand corner if you wished.

Now tidy up a little less than you had before.