Big Shot Scalloped Bag - By Rhonda Morgan

You can see the original at... http://www.rhondamorgan.typepad.com/ 17 February 2009


I was playing with my SU! Big Shot and the new XL scallop bag die and after making a couple with the regular size I decided to play around with just using pieces! So here is a quick version where I just put paper through it on the side panels - so they'd have the bottom flaps & side scores... I used the new eyelet border punch to create the decorative detail on the flap. And the super cute little tag is from the new 4pc SU exclusive tag set! It was easy peasy and you could do these with any width of DSP you wanted! I can see an ever wider version being made into a purse! This size does fit a gift card!

For today's sample:

Tea Party DSP,
SAB Saffron 5/8' ribbon,
linen thread,
Eyelet border punch
Sticky Strip Adhesive

Big Shot Machine
XL Scallop Bag die
Cutting Plates
SU Lots of Tags 4pc sizzlits die
Multipurpose Platform

For the side view: basically it uses the side panels punched from die, mounted to your "own panel" that becomes the front & back & bottom & top flap.

The Ribbon band goes around the top, which helps to keep the bag "closed"

There's so much that's new and I've yet to get to play with some (most) of it. Still more new sets to design with and DSP's to try... oh my!!

And OMG, today I totally went into excitemet over drive mode when I got a sneak peek at the Occasions Mini catalog that's coming in April! It's a nice perk as a demo'r to get to see things early (insert drool)! We can't post anything for you to see right now, but when I can, I most certainly will!

I hope to get some more stamping time tomorrow! Play play play,... I mean work, work work! Although with all of the school projects spread out everywhere, I will have to clean off some space to work!

St. Patrick's Day Fun

A golden addition…
Filed Under (3D Projects, Holidays, Party Favor, Punch Art) by Samantha on 17-02-2009
http://rubberstampingdiva.com/


Pot O'Gold Punch Art

What’s a leprechaun with out his Pot O’Gold? This pair would make a cute card or scrapbook page (Pics from the St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Savannah or New York?) Or maybe on a sweet little treat box? Filled with chocolate coins? Yummy!

Details: The pot is the 1-3/8" Circle Punch, trimmed down, the edge of the pot is the Word Window Punch. This punch also provides the little stubby feet of the pot. The handle of the pot is a Large Oval with the Small Oval punched out of the middle. The gold inside is half of the Scallop Circle punched out of Brushed Gold cardstock. 1/4" Circles glued or attached with dimensionals, give it a 3-D effect.


Leprechaun Punch Art

It was just too easy to adapt the Punch Art Santa to a Punch Art Leprechaun! He’s basically the same concept…the face is smaller (1-1/4" Circle Punch) and for the moustache: I punched a 1" Circle, and feed this back into the 5-Petal Flower Punch (just like I do the hair for the Cheerleaders!) His hat is half of the Keytag Punch with the Word Window Punch as the brim. A little ribbon and a square of gold cardstock, complete his ensemble. I did add ears this time…it seems to me that with all that gold to guard, a leprechaun would need to have excellent hearing…again, I used the Word Window Punch.

Leprechaun (detail)


I stuck this cute little guy onto a peppermint candy (the other side is covered with gold cardstock) but he would be darling on a card, if you feel so inclined.

Pop Up Card as shown by Meg Loven

We used the Bella Rose Designer Series Paper, the new Fleurettes crocheted flowers (a fun touch!) and the new Wonderful Watercolors stamp set to stamp the flowers and the words. The cardstock colors are Riding Hood Red and Pink Pirouette to match the Bella Rose paper.

Minnie Card From Punches

You can't see it, but the Whisper White Top Note die-cut was embossed using the new Texturz plates (the checkered image). The Minnie Mouse was created using the 1-3/4" and 1" Circle Punches, and the little bow is the Real Red Gingham Ribbon. The larger ribbon on the Top Note is the Real Red Striped Grosgrain. And finally, the stamp set used is from the new Once Upon A Time stamp set.

Valentine Shaker Card

Video taped by Meg

Shadowbox Card by Dawn Griffith

IMPORTANT Info About Cleaning NEW Stamps

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CLEANING your NEWLY PURCHASED stamps:

Many people don't realize just how important it is to CLEAN your NEW rubber stamps BEFORE using them for the first time. I'm including this post (Thanks to Patty Bennett and Pat Huntoon for these tips!) so that you will know how to give them a good cleaning to get a perfect impression from your stamps.



Hmm... does this ever happen to you??? Probably not.. it's probably just me... but... if you have experienced this, I have a solution for you !

When you mount a brand new "bold/solid image" stamp set, do you ever get a splotchy image like this when you ink and stamp it for the first few times?

Well, if you do.. I have a solution for you... grab your trusty Stampin' Up! Sanding Blocks:



and gently sand the rubber - all over - all directions:



then clean your stamp on your Stampin' Up! Stampin' Scrub, re-ink your stamp and VOILA:



Isn't that much better??? Wanna see it again?

Before:

and After:




And now here's Pat Huntoon's versions of CLEANING your NEW stamps...

After the rubber stamp manufacturing process, a thin layer of residue remains on the rubber that needs to be removed before using your stamps. This is especially important with bold or solid images.
Below is a comparison of two images stamped from my balloon; one before conditioning and one after. I made a true effort to really try to get a full image when stamping the "before" image. This side-by-side comparison of the same stamp after conditioning really shows the difference:



Below are several ways to condition your stamps before you use them to help the ink to grasp the rubber and transfer to the paper in the best possible way. These represent the various ways that I use personally to condition my stamps.


StazOn Cleaner
Personally, I think this works the best. The solvent in the StazOn cleaner is strong enough to remove the film on the stamp. I like to douse my stamp with the solvent, rub it several times on my stamp scrubber, then clean it again with my regular stamp cleaner.



Sanding Block
I use this method frequently. Gently sand the stamp with a sanding block in one direction, then 90 degrees in the other direction. Then clean with stamp cleaner. This method tends to freak people out, but honestly, a gentle sanding does NOT hurt your stamp.

Eraser
This was the way I originally learned how to condition my stamps. This is a great solution for removing the film, but it takes some elbow grease! Rub your eraser all over your stamp, then clean with a stamp cleaner and scrubber.





After conditioning, test the stamp by inking and stamping again. If the image looks blotchy, condition the stamp again before using. One additional note -- It is critical that good paper is used for bold stamps. Cheap paper will look blotchy no matter what!


Thank you Patty and Pat for teaching us some great basic steps to stamping some great cards!

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Tutorial on Unmounted SU! stamps

Tutorial on Unmounted SU! stamps - as shown by Michele Tisler

I have had so many people ask me how I mount my Stampin Up! stamps since I don't use the wood mounts that come with them.

The stamps come with the foam cushion already attached to the rubber. When I get my stamps I apply the image sticker to the foam cushion and then trim my stamp.




After I have trimmed the stamp I then coat the foam side with Aleene's Tack It Over and Over adhesive. This allows the stamp to be placed on an acrylic mount time after time without losing the tack on the stamp.

I also use CD jewel cases for storage for my stamp sets. I am able to see the stamp images through the cases and I also use the box labels on the cases so I can easily flip through my cases when they are stored to find the sets that I am looking for.




This makes storage so much simpler when you don't have a ton of space for all those stamp sets you just couldn't pass by. I love SU! stamps...I just don't have the space to accommodate all the wood that comes along with them.

Gina K Design - Gift Bag - Coffee Beans

Coffee Beans Gift Bag. . .


Find more photos like this on Paper Craft Planet: An Online Community for Paper Crafters


Looks great for all your coffee drinker friends!

Recipe Card Greeting Card By Heather

Christmas Tree Tag From Punch By Heather

And this is one of the many uses of the Fantasy Film Paper tutorial created by Jeni Caulkis......