Convention Make & Take - Tag a Bag

The new little Tag a Bag gift bags and Accessory kit are going to be great materials to have on hand this holiday season.  They're fast and fun and perfectly sized for giving a little "something something" to family and friends.  The bags are flat, but at convention they showed us how to turn a cute little flat bag into a cuter little gusseted bag within about 60 seconds.  Check it out:

Here's the bag that started out a flat 5" x 8-1/4", and became a 3" x 2" x 7" gusseted bag.  The stamp is from this year's Ronald McDonald House stamp set "Tag It" (wood mounted item #130300 $22.95/cling mount item #130303 $16.95)  $3 from the sale of each stamp set goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  

It's recommended to use the Simply Scored tool to make the score lines, but the Stampin' Trimmer also has a scoring blade, the Simply Scored just makes a softer, deeper score.

After scoring, trim just a hair off the bottom to open the bottom of the bag.

Pre-fold along the score lines ....

Fold in the short sides first, then close up with the long sides.  I used SNAIL adhesive to secure mine, the Tag a Bag accessory kit also comes with Smoky Slate tape to secure the bags decoratively.  You can add a cut piece of chipboard from the kit to the inside bottom to stabilize the bag, just a little smaller than 2" x 3".

Supplies:

Tag a Bag Gift Bags: (item #131370 $3.95 for 10)

Tag a Bag Accessory Kit (item #130153 $7.95 for 10 large tags, 10 medium tags, 10 mini clothespins, 3 colors of baker's twine -20' ea-, 40 Stampin' Dimensionals, 5" of Smoky Slate self-adhesive strips)

Related items - Tag a Bag Gift Boxes: (item #130927 $6.95 for 8 Kraft food safe boxes with acetate sleeves, 6-7/8" x 2-1/8" x 2-1/2")

Gate Fold Flower Card

This was a fast and fab make and take.  The card is a standard A2 size, only scored at 2-1/8" from either long side.  Using a Simply Scored Board (item #122334) was the key to exact placement of the score lines.  I pre-cut the flowers using the Floral Frames framelets collection in Melon Mambo and Island Indigo.  These flowers were embossed using an embossing folder, but some of the attendees textured them with the crumple-flatten-ink method and it looked great.  The center is a 1-3/8" circle punch.  The card base is Crumb Cake card stock stamped with the Woodgrain background stamp in Chocolate Chip ink.  The border along the bottom is 1-1/4" x 2-1/8" of Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper (Holiday 2012 catalog) and Old Olive card stock trimmed with the Scallop Border punch along one side.  

UNDEFINED

Ladies and gentlemen!  I'd like to introduce to you....

UNDEFINED!

This is Stampin' Up's latest innovation, stamp carving!  While it's not a new concept (just check out Albrecht Durer's work back in 1500) it hasn't been widely accessible outside the art classroom ... until NOW!

Here's what is inside the kit (item # 133402) - you get a thick linoleum block (that grey thing at the bottom left) mounting foam, 4 wood blocks, an Island Indigo Stampin' Write marker, and a "V" carving tool and a "U" carving tool, plus directions and cards to stamp.  You can also get a refill kit that includes just the blocks, mounting foam and linoleum. (item #134808)

First, sketch out your stamp design on plain paper with a pencil, keep trying until you get it just the way you like.  Using pencil is key here, because the next step...

...is where you transfer the graphite from the drawing to your linoleum by placing your drawing face down and rubbing firmly with the back of one of your tools, a bone folder, wood block... something firm but not scratchy.

Here is the transfer of my design on the linoleum block.  I used Stampin' Up's old Craft and Rubber scissors to cut out near the edge of my design, and try to preserve as much of my block as possible for future stamps.

For the carving, start with the "V" tool and carefully outline ALL the inside and outside edges of your design.  Be sure to keep your free hand BEHIND the cutting edge, these tools are EXTREMELY SHARP.  Always cut away from yourself and away from your design.  It is better to turn your block as you cut, rather than try to turn your hand to go around shapes.

Outlined.  Ta-da!

.   

 Using the "U" tool will carve out large areas that you don't want as part of the stamp - the "negative space".  Always carve from the edge of the design outward.  If you accidentally scratch into your design, there's no fixing that.

After carving everything the way you want, test your stamp on some scratch paper to make sure there's no errant ridges that will be transferring ink to your final printing.  Once you've made all your tweaks, stamp  the image on your wood block.  Finally cut your mounting foam to fit your linoleum, and attach it to the block.

This was my first UNDEFINED stamp - I actually made this one at convention.  They gave us each a block and a little linoleum to get started with, and had a station where we could carve our stamps.  This design was inspired by a drawing of sliced through rocks that was the decor in a clothing store.   Turning the stamp 90 degrees each time gave it just enough variation in the background.

Finished project! A 100% Creative Flare Card!  Gives me a warm glow inside :).  I finished off the card with a little Washi Tape from the Witches' Brew collection in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  Washi tape is a great substitute for ribbon stripes on a card, is re-positionable and easy to use.  It also works great to adhere a note inside a card - adds a colorful touch.

I would like to thank Ms. Joan Andre and Ms. Nell Landry for having taught block carving as part of their Junior High and High School Art curriculum.  It's been fun!

Welcome to Reverse Spotlighting

This card is an adaptation of one that I received in a Convention Swap from Cathy Fluellen of Surprise, AZ. I needed a quick "Welcome" card that would be suitable for a man or woman, and this one with a geometric pattern and "Reverse Spotlighting" was perfect.  Fast and fabulous.  Thanks, Cathy!

I cut a 5-1/4" x 4" card front in Very Vanilla to go over a Night Of Navy card base.  It was easiest to place my hexagons first and mark where the final hex should be punched.  Then the large oval was easy to punch using the edge of the card stock as a guide. (Hold the punched "upside down" so that you can see through the window on the underside of the punch and get exact placement) I used the oval template from the Occasions Paper Piercing pack to space the piercing - FYI:  The Large Oval Punch corresponds to the Oval Framelets dies - it's one size smaller that the smallest framelet.  The Very Vanilla card stock was attached to the base using Stampin' Dimensionals to give it some depth.

Supplies:

Fabulous Phrases Set; Hexagon and Large Oval Punch; Occasions Piercing Pack, Piercing tool and mat; Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, and Real Red card stock;  Night of Navy ink pad; Night of Navy Designer Series Paper (now restyled for 2013);  Stampin' Dimensionals; Woodgrain embossing folder and Big Shot; Merry Minis punch pack -little star (discontinued)

Enjoy!

Convention Swaps, part 5

This card was my favorite.  Once upon a time, in my wild and almost unruly youth I was a Naval Officer, and while the ships I worked and lived on didn't have sails, the romantic in me loves the ones that do.  Fortuitously, the "frames" was left over from a previous project where I needed a stack of Crumb Cake card stock Top Note Dies.  

All supplies are available from www.creativeflare.stampinup.net

Supplies:
Stamp set:  The Open Sea (wood mounted item #128454 $26.95/ cling mount item #123032 $18.95, Clear Block D or larger recommended); Simply Serif Mini Alphabet (item #126360 $20.95)

Card stock:  Crumb Cake, Island Indigo, Natural Ivory

Ink:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler

Tools:  Top Note Die, Woodgrain embossing folder, Big Shot, Sponge Daubers, Modern Label Punch

Other:  Linen Thread (item #104199 $4.50 for 15 yards)

Convention Swaps, part 4

This card got quite a few complements at convention, and because Stampin' Up Demonstrators are a very discerning crowd, it must be a good card.  It fits my friend (and fellow Demonstrator) Jan's description of a perfect "WOW" card - as in "Wow, that's really pretty" not "Wow, I would never spend a whole afternoon making that".  This is definitely a fast and fun card, and one I would even demonstrate at a party, it's that easy.  It also looks suspiciously like the mother's day card I posted last May...

1) Stamp "Swallowtail" in Staz-On Jet Black on the Whisper White card stock.  

2) Using sponge daubers, smudge in color on the Swallowtail, starting with the darker color (Cajun Craze) at the center, then smudge the whole swallowtail with the lighter color (Crushed Curry).  Sponge the edge of the white card stock with Elegant Eggplant.

3) Stamp the letters "f" "l" & "y" onto scraps of So Saffron card stock, punch out with Little Labels punches.  Punch a couple long little labels for hinges from Cajun Craze card stock.  

4) Using a piercing tool and mat, poke holes for "eyes" and attach silver mini-brads in place. 

5) After SNAILing all your pieces in place, draw little hinge parts using a the pointy end of a Cajun Craze marker. (Optional.  It's easy, looks cool.  You can even sponge the little hinges around the edges for added effect)

Supplies, available from www.creativeflare.stampinup.net

Stamp sets: 

Swallowtail (wood mounted item #129736 $17.95; cling mount item #123608 $13.95 - clear block F required)

Simply Serif Mini Alphabet (item #126360 $20.95) 

       - this set is my secret weapon - any short phrase I want to think of can be put on any card,  loads of flexibility... This set is a must-have.  LOVE IT!

Card stock:  

Elegant Eggplant 4-1/4" x 11, folded in half long ways 

Whisper White card stock, 4" x 5-1/4 " 

Cajun Craze - scrap 

So Saffron - scrap 

Punches:  

Little Labels Punch Pack 

Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Elegant Eggplant Staz-On Jet Black  

           Staz-On is my preferred ink for stamping in black, and is solvent based - it won't smudge when you go over it with a dauber.

Regals Collection Stampin' Write Markers: (item #131262 set of 10 dual-tipped artist quality markers)

Other:  Silver colored Mini-Brads (item # 122941 $5.50 for 200)
SNAIL double sided adhesive

Convention Swaps, part 3

Back to my convention swaps!  I made about 130 card fronts in 6 different designs to trade with other demonstrators at the Stampin' Up convention a couple weeks ago.  This is design #3 - Fiesta!  

The technique trick for this card is the selective cutting technique.  It works great for matchbook style cards as well as backgrounds!

Here's how:  

1.  Cut strips of Old Olive card stock to be 5-1/2" long and 2-5/8" wide - the exact width of the corners of framelet.  

2.  Weave one end of the strip under the cutting edge of the die and placed my cutting pad just over the area to be cut, leaving the tail end on top of the die.  

3.  Crank it into the Big Shot and back out again without going over the whole piece of card stock so that there are no marks or wrinkles on the rest of the strip.  

4.  Flip the strip and do the same to the other edge.  

Afterwards, I sponged the edges in Old Olive ink, and ran it through the Big Shot with the Honeycomb TIEF.

Supplies available from www.creativeflare.stampinup.net

Stamp Sets:

Mixed Bunch:  wood mounted set item #128442 $27.95; cling mount set item #125537 $21.95 (block D is recommended)

Fabulous Phrases: wood mount set item #128557 $37.95; cling mount set item #120501 $26.95  (block B, C, or G is recommended)

Card stock:

Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight - available together in the Brights Collection multi-pack; item #113190 $6.95 for 20 sheets, includes all the colors listed above.

Ink:

Pacific Point:  item #126951 $5.95

Old Olive:  item #126953 $5.95

Punches: 

1-1/4" Scallop Circle: item #127811 $15.95

7/8" Scallop Circle:  item #129404 $12.95

Big Shot Die Cutting Machine: #113439 $99.95

Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder:  #129378 $7.95

Window Frame Framelets Dies: #129021 $26.95

Sponge Daubers:  item #102892 $10.95 for a dozen daubers.

It was so awesome to get to swap cards with other demonstrators.  It amazed me how all of us could take the exact same supplies and make such a variety of cards!  You're all fabulous!

Enjoy!