Good luck to all starting school today! I thought I’d get us all back to school by doing a Tutorial Tuesday! This Circles Card tutorial is an example of what you’ll get when you subscribe to the YamStamps Newsletter. Each week brings paper crafting information and inspiration – whether it be a heads up about current promotions, upcoming events or ideas that you can use in your crafting.
First of all the tutorial will have a photo – here’s the Circles Card photo
Next, there will be a list of supplies and measurements in some format or another…LOL. The Item numbers are beside the item description and are usually links to see the item in the online YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada store.
Stamp Sets: Beauty Abounds (148726) Swirly Frames (146519) Well Said (148796)
Ink: Pear Pizzazz Ink Pad (147104) Crumb Cake Ink Pad (147116)
Paper: Very Vanilla Cardstock (101650) – 5.5″ x 8.5″, 3.25″ x 4″, scrap Pear Pizzazz Cardstock (131201) – scrap Crumb Cake Cardstock (120953) – 3.5″ x 4.25″
Accessories & Tools: Layering Circles Dies (141705) Pressed Petals Specialty Washi Tape (149585) SNAIL Adhesive (104332) Die Cutting Machine
Then step by step instructions: 1) Fold larger piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock in half to create cardbase, set aside 2) Diecut the 1-3/8″ diameter circle from the centre of the Crumb Cake cardstock, set both pieces aside for now 3) Stamp the smaller, solid circles in Pear Pizzazz randomly over the smaller piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock 4) Stamp the larger outline circles in Crumb Cake randomly over the smaller piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock 5) Adhere a piece of Pressed Petals Specialty Washi Tape along the lower portion of the Cardstock 6) Adhere the cardstock onto the Crumb Cake Cardstock (covering the hole from the die cut) then to the cardfront. 7) Stamp “hello” in Crumb Cake onto scrap Very Vanilla cardstock and die cut with 1-1/8″ diameter circle 8) Diecut 1-5/8″ circle from scrap Pear Pizzazz cardstock 9) Adhere the circles together, then to cardfront.
So then you can recreate the project on your own – or change it up and customize it to suit your needs.
The first newsletter of each month is the biggest one – with a variety of projects/techniques and news, and each week following usually focuses on one project or news item. The newsletter projects are not shared elsewhere in the YamStamps media world – so only subscribers see them! The first September newsletter is due to come out TODAY at 1pm Eastern, so be subscribed before that time to receive it! Starting in October subscribers will receive an additional bonus newsletter with an exclusive holiday project tutorial!
Hope you enjoyed this Circles Card Tutorial! Any questions or feedback – please leave a comment below or message me!
I love this effect! For this card, we tapped the Balmy Blue ink pad onto the inner surface of the Country Floral Dynamic Embossing Folder. (A Sale-a-Bration Level 1 reward – you can select it for free with a $60CAD product order!). Tap onto the side with the Stampin’ Up! logo. Once there’s an even coating of ink, place your cardstock inside and run it through the Big Shot – don’t forget the special sandwich for these extra thick folders – Regular Platform, folder with cardstock inside, top Plastic Cutting Plate only.
Clean up for this inked embossing folder technique is also super easy – I just run the folder under the tap and pat dry with a paper towel. Stampin’ Up!’s inks are dye based so they’re water soluble.
The sentiment is from Flourishing Phrases (available in red rubber clear mount or red rubber wood mount), and it’s punched out with the new Story Label punch which is available for purchase during March as part of the Sale-a-Bration Coordination product suite. We used a sponge dauber to add a bit of Balmy Blue ink around the edges of the label. I am using up some of the Organdy Ribbon I had from my earlier Sale-a-Bration order – because if you blinked….it’s gone again! I think everybody who had been waiting on it jumped in to order and it’s unavailable once again in North America (this time gone for good).
However – there are LOTS of new regular catalogue items available to select for free as well as the original offerings (other than the ribbons, obviously…). You can go to the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store and check out the Sale-a-Bration options currently available. Remember that we are now into the “March 31 or while supplies last” phase of Sale-a-Bration. I shared a strategy for planning out your Sale-a-Bration redemptions on the YamStamps Facebook page a while back. Stampin’ Up! manufactures their own stamps in the US, so they are better able to quickly deal with varying levels of demand for stamp sets, but the accessories and tools tend to be sourced from outside the US and so are often affected by shipping times.
In the meantime, we will continue to Sale-a-Brate until the end of March! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or need assistance placing your order. Comments are working again, too, so feel free to leave a comment for me!
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…
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.
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!
I love coordinating crafting products, and Stampin’ Up! has a whole bunch of them. I used some to create this die cut edge card which is made easier by using a Stamparatus!
I actually found it a bit tricky to take a photo of this card as I had to have it lying flat so that you could see the alignment of the image and the edge! Hope you get the idea.
I love how the flower framelit coordinates with the flower stamp, but the accent stamp is left to peek out.
I am planning on doing a Facebook Live to show how I created this die cut edge card, but essentially I used the Stamparatus and the Stamparatus grid sheets. I figured out where the image would end up on the inside edge of the card by marking where the edge of my cardstock was on a grid sheet, and then stamping onto the GRID sheet rather than the cardstock to create a reference guide. I left this grid sheet in the Stamparatus so I knew where to place the cardstock (especially because I chose not to place the cardstock in the corner of the Stamparatus). I stamped a second grid sheet the same way, marking the edge of the cardstock, but then I also placed the framelit over the stamped image in the correct alignment and marked the edges of the framelit. The framelit extends JUST beyond where the side edges of the cardstock are.
Once I stamped the back inside edge of the card, I then prepped to die cut the front edge of the card. You’ll want the Magnetic Platform for the Big Shot to make it even easier. Once the Cutting Plate was on the Platform, I placed the second grid sheet on it, then aligned the front edge of the cardstock with the marks on it. I then placed the framelit onto the cardstock, lining up the edges of the framelit with the marks on the grid sheet. You can use a bit of washi tape or adhesive tape to hold the framelit in place securely, then remove the grid sheet so you can use it again (otherwise it would be cut and all your reference marks would be gone!). Place the top Plastic Cutting Plate in place, and die cut.
Seriously. Just be sure to “like” and “follow” the YamStamps Facebook Page so you’ll be notified of the Live video for this die cut edge card, because I’m starting to confuse myself. LOL.
In any case, I promise, once it was set up it was pretty straight forward…LOL.
If all goes according to plan, I’ll share the die cut edge card “how to” on Thursday. If you aren’t able to make it to the “live”, the recording will be available after the fact on the YamStamps Facebook page. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact me! Stampers Club Members made this card in February – why not join us starting in March and see what we get up to next month?! Check out the YamStamps Events Page for other upcoming dates!
Tuesday Tool Tip (while it’s still – barely – Tuesday LOL). What’s the Difference between Stampin’ Blends and Stampin’ Write Markers?
Colouring is still such a popular past time and stress reliever! Stampin’ Up! products are great for colouring – you can stamp images of your choice and then colour them in – for bonus points you can even use them on a project instead of hoarding them….but one question that has popped up in my classes lately – what’s the difference between Stampin’ Blends and Stampin’ Write Markers?Here’s a quick rundown:
Stampin’ Blends
What’s the Difference: Stampin’ Blends Markers
Rectangular shape marker
Double ended – bullet tip and brush tip
Alcohol Based Colouring Tool – best used with images stamped in Memento Ink
Ivory, Bronze single shades and Colour Lifter available
Purchase Individually or in Coordinating Shade Duos
Stampin’ Blends tend not to show “streaks” or colouring lines – as with most alcohol based markers, they blend well to give a more “solid” colour image. The coordinating light and dark shades make it easy to blend and create shadows and highlights for more professional looking results. You can layer the colour to increase the intensity and add more shadows as well. There may be a bit of “bleed” or spreading of colour with these tools, so best to leave a tiny margin by the image line until you know how much your colour will spread. The intense colour will also tend to bleed through the cardstock. The Colour Lifter tends to “push” the colour out of the way, so may help create highlight areas or disguise small areas of spread. These colouring tools are great for colouring, but not suitable for use directly on rubber stamp or photopolymer stamp surfaces. Alcohol based markers are often used by manga / comic book type illustrators.
Stampin’ Write Markers
What’s the Difference: Stampin’ Write Markers
Traditional round barrel shaped marker
Double ended – brush tip and fibre tip fine point (great for writing)
Dye Based Colouring Tool – best results with images stamped in StazOn, but can be used with dye based inks as well
Available in all 50 Stampin’ Up! shades (all 4 Colour families and all current In Colours), plus Basic Black
Stampin’ Write Markers are a great way to get your hands on all the base Stampin’ Up colours for your crafting needs. They are dye based inks, so can be used to colour images on cardstock, or you can use them to apply colour directly to the surface of your stamps before stamping. Great for quick colouring, or colouring in traditional colouring books – there may be bleed if a lot of colour is laid down, but not to the extent of the Stampin’ Blends. I also love using the brush end of these markers for brush lettering. Don’t overwork the surface when you’re using these to colour as you may end up with the paper “pilling”.
Both types of these colouring tools can have a place in your crafting room! There are advantages to each of them. If you’re just dabbling in adding colour to your stamped images, you may want to start with the Stampin’ Blends, since you can start with just one or two colours and shades – for example, if you like floral images, pick a green and a red or pink to start. If you want to get your hands on many coordinating colours quickly, perhaps start with the Stampin’ Write markers since you can get a colour family (or even better – the new colours assortment) to build your collection quickly. Once you’ve been able to “play” with the tools, you’ll know how they fit into your crafting style and won’t be wondering “What’s the Difference?” any longer!
Hopefully this has helped a bit – but if you have any lingering questions, feel free to contact me! You can also check out the recording of the Facebook Live I did a little while ago on the YamStamps Page, showing how Memento and Staz On inks react with both of these types of markers as well as an Aquapainter. If you “like” the YamStamps Page, you’ll get notifications of whenever I go live with a video in future! See you in cyberspace…
Happy Valentine’s Day! I get to spend the day doing things I love to do! We are having a make-up date today for the February Card Class that was supposed to happen last Wednesday, but was weather delayed. I thought I’d share this video from last year when I was on Halton Insider, showing some quick and easy Valentine’s Day decorations. If you want to see more videos, please be sure to subscribe to the YamStamps YouTube channel. I do still post videos….in fact, I should be due to upload something in the near future. (that’s not really a teaser, that’s more of a “make sure this is on my to do list” thing LOL).
