Tips & Tricks - Envelope Liners using the Envelope Punch Board

I love the envelope punch board and have spent a lot of time with it making boxes, bows, crackers, tags, shaped cards and yes even envelopes.  Even better I've now found on the web a way to line my envelopes.

First using the instructions included on the envelope punch board I made an envelope to fit a 10.5x14.8cm card, stopping before I stuck it all together.

Next I made a slightly smaller envelope to fit a 10.2x14cm card out of the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper that I'd chosen for my liner.

Because not all of the liner is visible I trimmed the smaller envelope as shown in the photo to avoid extra bulk when putting the envelope together.  Adhere the liner to the envelope as shown in the photo.

Complete your envelope and it looks like this. 

Click on the photo for more information on the Envelope Punch Board.

Tips & Tricks - Which Adhesive Works Best With Which Materials

It's always nice to have a reference for adhesives that you can go to before you try to stick something together unsuccessfully and have to start all over again sometimes having to re cut pieces of the project.

In the 2011/2012 Stampin' Up!® Annual Catalogue they had room for a table showing which adhesives worked best with which materials.  I have taken the information from that table and updated it for some of the newer adhesive options.

2 Way Glue Pen - Permanent & Repositionable - works best with Paper, Card & Glitter

 

Crystal Effects - Permanent & Creates a 3D effect - works best with Paper, Card, Ribbon, Chipboard, Buttons, Glitter & Clay.

 

Glue Dots - Permanent & work well sticking 3D objects - works best with Paper, Card, Ribbon, Chipboard, Buttons & Window Sheets

 Anywhere Glue Stick - Permanent - works well with paper, card & fabric.

Sticky Strip - Permanent & works well sticking 3D objects - works best with paper, card, ribbon, chipboard, buttons, glitter & window sheets.

 Snail Adhesive - Permanent - works best with paper & card.

 Stampin' Dimensionals - Permanent & work well sticking 3D objects and creating 3D effects - works best with paper, card, ribbon, chipboard & buttons.

 Multipurpose Liquid Glue - permanent, repositionable, works well sticking 3D objects - works best with paper, card, chipboard, glitter & clay.

 Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets - permanent - works well sticking paper, card, chipboard & fabric.

Shaker Frames - adheres the same way as Stampin' Dimensionals but shaped to work as a seal for shaker cards.

   Jumbo Sticky Rounds - permanent - works well for creating rosettes, flowers etc using paper, ribbon & fabric.

Click on the pictures for more information about any of the adhesives shown above.

Tips & Tricks - Getting more Use out of your Stampin' Write Markers

All markers run out of ink with use and it's great that the Stampin' Write Markers can be reinked with the Classic Stampin' Ink Refills.  But even though we can reink them it's still a job that's better to only have to do every so often.  

In my early Stampin' Up!® days when I only had a few markers it seemed that the best way to store them was in a mug with the rest of my tools. 

I think most of us have something like this that we store our 'need to have in reach' tools in.

However most of those markers now have tons of ink still in the brush end and very little ink, if any, in the journalling end. 

After finding out this was not a great way to store my Stampin' Write markers I stored them flat in a plastic cutlery tray until I moved them to the Clear Mount Stamp Cases when they were released.

Since then my markers have kept their ink at both ends.  Store your markers in their Clear Mount Cases flat like in the photo above or sitting on the spine. Don't be tempted to make them fit nicely with your clear mount stamp sets which will mean storing the markers standing up.

I hope this helps you get a lot more use out of your Stampin' Write Markers.  If you have any questions feel free to Email me.

Tips & Tricks - Washi Tape Pegs

I'm very fortunate in my Stampin' Up!® world to be surrounded by talented paper crafters.  One of those ladies is Kirsty (StampIN-K).  She graciously shared her Washi Tape pegs with the team at our latest team gathering.

This is the way I've found that works best for me to get the Washi Tape to stick nicely to the peg.

I didn't find it easy using the Washi Tape while it was still attached to the roll.  Yes I used less tape but I found it fiddly so....

I ripped off a slightly longer piece than necessary and laid it flat, sticky side up.  the peg gets placed on to the tape matching one side up perfectly.  N.B. Putting the side with the wire against the edge of the washi tape now makes cutting along the edges easier in the next step.

Using your paper snips trim the tape along the other three edges.

Decorate as you please.  I use Sticky Strip to adhere my embellishment to the peg and placed so it hid the wire.

Tips & Tricks - File Folder Card

This card could be landscape or portrait, it could have one side shorter than the other, it could be a journalling pocket or a gift card pocket.  Once you've got the basics below sorted I'm sure you'll find all sorts of ways to use this technique.

Start with a standard folded A5 card base.

Insert the corner of your card base into the punch board as shown & punch.  The edge should be up against the inside edge of the score guide.

Move the punched edge along to the 3" mark and punch again.

Align the punched edge in the paper trimmer as shown with the groove along the bottom of the punched shape.  Trim to remove the card to the top of the punched shape.

 
Flip your card and repeat on the opposite side.

Finish your card as you choose.

I used: -
 - Teeny Tiny Sentiments Stamp Set - 130042 (wood), 120024 (clear)
 - Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set - 130514 (wood), 130517 (clear)
 - Smokey Slate Cardstock - 131291
 - Midnight Muse Cardstock - 127546
 - Whisper White Cardstock - 106549
 - Smokey Slate Classic Stampin' Pad - 131179
 - Midnight Muse Classic Stampin' Pad - 126860
 - Envelope Punch Board - 133774
 - Word Window Punch - 119857
 - Stamping Sponges - 101610
 - Basic Grey Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon - 126879 

Tips & Tricks - Stamp Sets May Be More Than They Seem

This 'Wishing You' stamp set comes with Christmas greetings in a Holiday Catalogue filled with Christmas samples so it can only be a Christmas set, right?  

Done in Christmas colours, with Christmas themed designer series paper (Season of Style) it makes a pretty good Christmas card.


Well that's what I thought until I saw Jenny Hayward's Post in the ESAD 'Holiday Catalogue' Blog Hop.  Thanks so much for the wake up Jenny!

Now using a greeting from the 'Happy Day' stamp set, 'Birthday Basics' designer series paper and the matching colours, 'Wishing You' is also a Birthday set & a Wedding Set, an Anniversary Set, well a set for anytime you give a present.

Quick Shaped Card Bases using Framelits

Want to do something a little less square for all or some of your Christmas cards this year?

How about a card with a scallop oval border?  You could use any of the nesting framelits, last year I used the labels collection framelits, maybe next year it will be the floral frames.

This is another great card that change the colours and/or the greeting and it can be a thank you, birthday, just for you, wedding, any sort of card.

While this first one took a bit of time to put together with quite a few discarded ovals littering my craft room floor, it's going to be a very quick & easy card to duplicate and make a few of.

When you're cutting the base card use a normal folded card base, this one is a folded A5.  Place the framelit so that a small amount is over the folded edge.  This will mean that when the card is cut that small piece will still hold your card together.

The whisper white layers were cut and then embossed using the Square Lattice Textured Impression Embossing Folder.  Always cut first and emboss second so you don't crush the embossing.

I used: - 

Greetings of the Season Stamp Set - 128030 (wood), 128033 (clear)
Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock - 121681
Whisper White A4 Cardstock - 106549
Gold Foil Sheets - 132622
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad - 126966
Stampin' Sponges - 101610
Big Shot Die Cut Machine - 113439
Ovals Collection Framelits - 129381
Square Lattice TIE Folder - 119976

Tips & Tricks - Simply Pressed Clay

Remember plasticine as a kid and I think a lot of us had our Fimo phase. I remember working with my Mum when she made bead necklaces with Fimo.

I've also tried air dry clay in the past but it always seemed too dry & never that easy to work with and the ones that were easy to work with always needed to go in the oven to dry.  There was one memorable occasion when I messed up Farenheit and Celsius and yuck burning clay does not smell good. 

Received as a Swap from Shirley Fisher.

So I am back in my plasticine phase with the Stampin' Up!® Simply Pressed Clay, it's so therapeutic to smoosh between your fingers and I'm loving how easy it is to get out of the moulds. I've made up a lot of flowers and a few buttons now so I don't have to wait 24 hours for them to dry.




If you've got the Simply Pressed Clay or want to find out a bit more about it before you buy it have a look at the video  featuring Bonnie Thurber from the Stampin' Up!® Home Office.

Bonnie mentioned popping the clay in it's mould in the freezer for a few minutes for the buttons.  I find it helpful if I do this for the blossoms as well.  

Tips & Tricks - How Important Is Your Stamping Surface

I was reminded quite by accident just how important the surface underneath your card stock layer is.

I'd had a fabulous morning out with a friend and came home and decided it was time to make up some spare make & take kits to have on hand for thank you cards.  The afternoon had turned cold and I found myself moving everything I was doing closer to the heater and ended up with my cutting mat, topped with grid paper on the carpet in front of the heater.

I stamped away as usual and this is what happened.  You'll always get some halo effect (gaps in a stamped image across layers) with the Triple Time Stamping technique but wow this was huge.

Realising my error and cursing a bit because I should have known better I moved over to my glass topped coffee table.

Still some halo effect because of the layers but a big difference having a solid surface.

 

Having the layers hides the missing part of the image and creates the Triple Time Stamping technique popularised by Dawn Olchefske.

Everything used to make this project can be purchased through me. Click on the 'Shop 24/7' button below to place your order.