Paper Trimmer Tip!

Here’s a Paper Trimmer Tip to help you get cleaner cuts!

If you notice that your cuts are not clean – here’s a Paper Trimmer Tip (or two) to help you clean up your act! It’s Tool Tip Tuesday!

I’ve had my Stampin’ Up! Paper Trimmer since it came out – I guess you could say I was an “early adopter”. Or perhaps you would just call me a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator! LOL. Anyway – as I was prepping for a class, I noticed that the edges of my cardstock and Designer Series Paper were looking a little raged when I cut them with the Trimmer. In all honesty, I don’t think I had ever replaced the cutting blade…..

So I did a little work and found that my Trimmer could regain it’s former glory….at least until my Replacement Cutting Blades arrive!

Reading this on your phone or tablet and want a vertical version of the video? Check out the YamStamps YouTube channel (like/subscribe while you’re at it?!) and the YouTube Shorts version of this video!

In brief – order new blades; clean out the blade guide channel; turn the blade 180 degrees! Hope that this Paper Trimmer Tip helps you! Remember that if you need to order those replacement blades (or would like to get a Paper Trimmer) – shortcut to shopping is https://yamstamps.com/shop – or message me for assistance placing an order, if you’d like to pay by etransfer, or if you have any questions about paper crafting tools!!

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Sharing Sunshine

I was overdue in sending out some customer thank you cards – so I’m sharing sunshine with Stampin’ Up!’s new digital download fundraiser – the Share Sunshine pdf!

sharing sunshine cards

These days, my creative mojo is actually starting to come back a bit – in the early days of all this COVID-19 craziness, I found at times all I could do was plod along doing my job and keeping the house from falling down, so I didn’t really have the creative juice to make much. These days, I’m adjusting to our new temporary normal I guess, and my energy and creative flow are returning.

Anyway – I was overdue in sending out some thank you cards, so I whipped a bunch up, using some Designer Series Paper and the Share Sunshine pdf. I printed out the pdf (well, selected pages) onto Whisper White cardstock. I have a colour laser printer so I was able to print out in colour as well. I cut up the sheets, using my Paper Trimmer and whatever dies fit the sentiments, added some coordinating cardstock as mats and was done. The picture shows just a few of the variations. I was able to mix and match the coloured sentiments with papers that coordinated, and added a bit of silver metallic thread as an extra touch. I think most of the cards in this picture use the Best Dressed Designer Series Paper.

Extra tip for crafting in the time of COVID-19 – seal your envelopes using your Aquapainters! I tend to do this anyway, especially when I’m crafting/mailing in bulk. The current style of Aquapainters is on the retiring list but there will be a similar but different option in the new catalogue.

envelope sealing trick

Try not to be horrified by the state of my working spot LOL. If you can’t tell, I reuse grid paper as long as possible! It gets used first for in person classes (not right at this moment, obviously), and then once it’s too inky, if it’s not covered in adhesive, it moves to my craft area where I use it until it gets crumpled, covered in adhesive or whatever… (oh and the aquapainter tip is a little stained. What can I say? I use my crafting tools!)

Anyway – I’m looking forward to sharing sunshine with others – I’ve got cards going out to members of my demonstrator group and those who have purchased with me in the first part of this year. Sending happy mail is a great way to let others know you are thinking of them, even if you can’t be with them in person. If you want happy mail in the form of the new Stampin’ Up! Canada catalogue (goes live in June) – be sure to fill out this form! (FIne print – must be a resident of Canada and not have a demonstrator that you work with already)

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Tool Tip Tuesday – Simply Scored

A semi-regular feature here…maybe more semi than regular?! Anyway – thought I’d dust this category off again! Today’s featured tool is the Simply Scored Tool! Scoring your paper crafting projects means that your folds will be crisp and professional looking, especially if you’re using the Thick Whisper White or Thick Very Vanilla Cardstocks, or doing fancy fold type cards (like in my online Clever Cards Class!).

Simply Scored Tuesday Tool Tip
Simply Scored Tool – Item 122334

Stampin’ Up!’s Simply Scored is a grooved board that you can use to create precise scorelines in your paper crafting projects. It comes with a two headed scoring tool, and a set of place markers to mark your spot if you’re doing multiples with the same scorelines. It can accommodate 12″ x 12″ sheets of cardstock and is marked in 1/8″ increments.

Along the top there is also a centre zero line (that’s what I call it, I’m sure there’s a proper name for it but I don’t know what it is…) – so you can score/mark 1″ from the centre on either side (less math to do…).

Helpful Hints

  1. Apply gentle pressure, and draw the scoring tool along the channel (vs trying to push down very hard)
  2. I find it easier to hold my wrist still and move my whole arm
  3. If you are having trouble keeping the scoring tool in the channel, try using the pointy end of a bone folder. Some of my customers prefer this method. I think because the bone folder is flat, there’s less chance of going off track?
  4. I used a metallic marker (Stampin’ Up! used to sell them – you could also try the White Stampin’ Chalk Marker?) and drew along one of the channel lines. I find it helpful for if I’m doing a diagonal point-to-point score line – I line the points up along the marked channel.
  5. If you misplace the scoring tool, the Take Your Pick Tool has a double sided scoring head. (Ask me why I know this….)
  6. Even though you score, you may find that your edges don’t line up perfectly – for example, if you’re scoring your cardstock to create a card. Align the edges of your card, and then run the side of your bone folder along the fold where the score line is. You can kind of “cheat” the fold to be sure that it’s sharp but also so that the edges of your cardstock are aligned. (again, ask me how I know this…)

I really do value my Simply Scored Tool for my paper crafting. One of my favourite crafting tools for sure! Click on the link to see it in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store.

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Manic Monday – Crafting Tips

On this Manic Monday I thought I’d highlight a few crafting tips that I shared in the recent Live session I did on the YamStamps Facebook Page. The shortened video version is below, but thought I’d highlight a few things if you like to read vs watch…

crafting tips still from video
full video below….

Distinktive Stamps are more photorealistic and have multiple depths on the same stamp. Crafting Tips for good distinktive images: To get a clear image of all the different depths, it helps if your ink pad is not too juicy – you can rub the surface of the ink pad with the back of a spoon or your bone folder to push excess ink into the pad vs having it on the surface to get better definition in your stamped image. The stamp set used in the video is Forever Lovely; another distinktive stamp set example is Baby Bear.

Crafting Tips with the Small Grid Paper: Positioning multiple step stamps and coordinating framelits. In the video, I use the Stamparatus to stamp the images – because once they’re in the right place on the plates, you don’t have to think about it again! My tip – stamp onto the Small Grid Paper so you can see where your image will end up. Position your card stock and mark where the corners of the cardstock are on the grid paper so you know where to place it for future reference.

You can also position the framelit over the stamped image and mark where the side edges of the framelit are on the grid paper so you have it for reference. You can use the grid paper when stamping with the stamparatus, then remove it and place it onto your Big Shot plastic cutting plate as a reference for placement of the framelit – just be sure to remove it before you cut!!

That way, your reference sheet will be intact and ready for future use.

Last tip you might have picked up in the video – put your Big Shot Die Brush and foam pad into a small shallow box to catch all the bits (and store everything together! I used an old cardboard box (it actually held my carvable stamp set, remember that one?), but you could also use one of the full wide stamp cases.

Here’s the shortened video – it’s also on the YamStamps YouTube Channel (quick link yamstamps.com/youtube) – you can subscribe by going to yamstamps.com/youtube subscribe !

How do you prefer to get your crafting tips & tricks? Video? Written format? Let me know so I can be sure to have you covered for future tutorials – leave me a comment below or message me!

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Frugal Friday Video Tip!

Semi-regularly, I’ll post a Frugal Friday idea. Today’s idea helps you to get more life out of those icky, old glue sticks. You know, the ones you didn’t quite get the cap on correctly, or haven’t used in ages so the glue dries up into a hard, yellowy lump. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out my video to see!! LOL. Don’t forget if you’d like to stock up on more glue sticks, they’re only available while supplies last…

This Tool Tip was shot on my iphone…so at one point things aren’t quite perfectly framed….but you’ll still get the idea! The video is embedded below, if you can’t see it, click here to go to the video on the YamStamps Youtube channel.

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