Today, I’m showing you how I’m sending sunshine Stampin’ Up! style!
In case you hadn’t heard, a new trend is here: Sharing Sunshine (#ShareSushine). You fill a box with any yellow items you can find, and send it to someone to let them know you’re thinking of them. Stampin’ Up!’s June monthly crafting kit, Paper Pumpkin, focused on sharing sunshine. The kit contents, delivered in a bright yellow box, contained cards that featured sunshine and caring. We created the cards and decorated the box and sent it to a friend.
Unfortunately, the kit sold out. But you can still share sunshine using Stampin’ Up!’s Mini Paper Pumpkin Boxes. A package of 10 boxes costs just $7.50. Decorate them any way you like, fill with goodies, and send.
Sending Sunshine
The boxes come in plain white. I colored the box above with Stampin’ Up!”s Sponge Brayers and Balmy Blue ink, layering on the ink until I received the desired look. I didn’t strive for a perfect solid color; I wanted it to look like sky with a few wispy clouds overhead.
To create the sun, I used the Stitched Shapes Dies (large circle) and the Stitched Triangles (itty bitty triangle) to die cut the images from one sheet of the Playful Patterns 6 x 6 Designer Series Paper. I stamped the sentiment from the June Paper Pumpkin directly on the box using Memento ink. Don’t have that stamp set? Stampin’ Up!’s Under My Umbrella and Sending Sunshine also have sayings appropriate for a box of sunshine.
I added a piece of yellow tissue paper and a handful of fun, yellow items. Ready to send to a friend!
Take a look at this YouTube video showing how I created the box. (It’s a replay of a Facebook Live.)
Bonus Days are Back
Through August 3, receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon for each $50 purchase (before tax and shipping). Beginning August 4, redeem you coupons. There is no limit on the number of coupons you can collect or redeem. Use them to purchase brad-new product fro Stampin’ Up!’s August-December Mini Catalog, which goes live August 4.
Thanks for stopping by today! Here’s a list of products used to create today’s project. Click on the graphics to go directly to my online store to shop 24/7.
Let’s talk about ink and what to use for your rubber stamping projects.
You want to get started rubber stamping but you don’t know where to start? Last week, I posted information about the basics of rubber stamps as well as a short video. See that post here.
Today, let’s talk ink.
Ink Choices
Choices abound in this category – from classic, dye-based ink available in an array of colors; to Memento, a general-purpose black ink; to Stazon, a permanent black ink; Versamark, a clear, watermarking ink; and craft ink.
Classic, Dye-Based Ink:
I recommend starting with a few coordinating colors of classic, dye-based ink. It absorbs into the card stock, dries more quickly than craft ink, and is acid free.
Stampin’ Up! Brights Ink Assortment
Stampin’ Up! offers full-size foam pads in fifty different colors of ink, so you have lots of choices. Be sure to purchase a refill with your pad so you’re able to reink your pad after a lot of stamping.
Neutrals Collection Ink Refills
There’s also a smaller selection of mini ink pads called Stampin’ Spots. These one-inch pads are available in eight colors. They’re perfect for travel, easy to store, and great for use with the Stamparatus.
Stampin’ Spots Assortment
Stampin’ Up! also sells uninked Stampin’ spots, allowing you to create your own mini pads with refills.
Uninked Spots
Brand-new pads are quite fresh, meaning they have a lot of ink. So, a light touch is important. When inking your stamp, it only needs a tap-tap-tap on top of the pad to apply ink. Don’t feel you have to press hard to get good coverage. If you find you have ink marks on the edges of your acrylic blocks, you’ll know you’ve applied too much pressure.
These pads have a unique design that stores the foam pad upside down so the ink stays at the top of the pad. Stamps inked with classic ink clean easily. Just use Stampin’ Up!’s Simply Shammy or the Stampin’ Scrub with the stamp cleaner.
Memento Black Ink:
This is a good basic black ink pad. I find myself grabbing for this pad if I need a black. It’s a perfect water-based ink to use when coloring with Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Up’s alcohol markers. It’s a nice, all-purpose black ink. Pads are available in Stampin’ Up!’s catalog and online store as well as refills.
Memento Ink Pad
Stazon:
Stazon is a quick-drying permanent ink. Stampin’ Up! offers this in both Jet Black and Saddlebrown. This permanent ink is perfect when used with watercolor techniques (your image won’t “run”) and nonporous surfaces like vellum and window sheets. Stampin’ Up! offers a Stazon refill as well as a Stazon cleaner.
Jet Black Stazon
Versamark:
This ink helps you create a tone-on-tone effect on colored paper or a watermark image. Use this pad if you’re planning to heat emboss any of your images. A pad and a refill are both available from Stampin’ Up!.
Versamark
Craft Stampin’ Pad:
Stampin’ Up! offers this permanent ink in white. The pad comes uninked and you add the refill before you start stamping. Images stamped with the craft ink often need a longer drying time. Or, heat set with the Heat Tool.
Craft Ink and Refill
Here’s a short video explaining the ink selections:
Receiving a handmade card in the mail delivers a lot of joy. But creating a handmade card brings even more joy.
You want to start making your own greeting cards and get started rubber stamping, but you don’t know where to start.
I’ve been crafting greeting cards for more than twenty-five years, building my collection of stamps, ink, and paper slowly. I became a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator almost ten years ago (wanted to get the discount), and I’m sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned.
During the next few weeks, my blog will focus on topics of creating handmade greeting cards with rubber stamps, ink, and paper. Geared toward beginners, I’ll include a few photos, a video, and a short narrative description.
Today’s entry focuses on the basics of stamps.
Stamps
You’ll need good quality stamps. The most popular stamps on the market today are photopolymer and cling red rubber. (The cling brand is exclusive to Stampin’ Up!).
As a side note: Many sites and stampers offer a variety of wood mount stamps for sale. In the past, Stampin’ Up! created its designs in wood mount, but the company has since transitioned to the photopolymer and cling red rubber. They’re easy to store and easy to use.
Photopolymer: transparent, clear stamps that allow you to achieve precise alignment, to build scenes, and to layer images easily. I recommend placing a thick mat (like Stampin’ Up!’s Stampin’ Pierce Mat) underneath your card stock to ensure a good, solid stamped image.
An example of one of Stampin’ Up!’s Photopolymer Stamp Sets
Cling: classic, red rubber stamps have a highly adhesive label that helps them stick easily to clear blocks.
One side of Stampin’ Up!’s Cling Mount Stamp Sets
The flip side of Stampin’ Up!’s Cling Mount Stamp Sets
Using Rubber Stamps
For both photopolymer and cling, remove the stamp from the stamp case and from between the clear sheets. Place the image on a clear block (they come in a variety of sizes), and you’re ready to stamp. Need another image? Gently remove the stamp from the clear block, place it back in the package, and retrieve another image. Place on the clear block.
Clean your stamps between use with Stampin’ Up!’s Simply Shammy or the Stampin’ Scrub and Stampin’ Mist.
Enjoy this short video reviewing the tips above.
It’s that easy. Look for my next post which discusses ink and what kinds to use for which projects.
Please let me know if you have questions. I want to help you get started rubber stamping.
Here’s a link to Stampin’ Up!’s 2020-2021 Annual Catalog. Click here.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Kim
Need to Purchase Supplies?
Click on any of the links below and go directly to my online store to shop.
It’s always sad when Stampin’ Up! releases its last-chance list, its announcement of retiring products. But we know something has to go to make way for new and awesome offerings in the upcoming Annual Catalog which goes live June 3, 2020.And, I’m telling you, the catalog is fabulous. (Demonstrators received their first peek at the new catalog today! Let me know if you want to join and get the same perks!)
This card features a number of products that won’t be around much longer, including the Perennial Birthday stamp set, the Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots, and the 2018-2020 In Colors of Call Me Clover, Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, and Blueberry Bushel. Think stamp pads, ink refills, card stock, coordinating Designer Series Paper, ribbon, and more.
Last-Chance List
Click here to see the entire list of retiring goodies from the Annual Catalog. It includes stamp sets, ink, Designer Series Paper, framelits, punches, embossing folders, ribbons, embellishments, adhesives, and more. If there’s something you want, I encourage you to order it sooner rather than later. Several items have already sold out. Some of the items on the list are also discounted!
Click here to see the list of retiring product from the January-June 2020 Mini Catalog.
Order directly from my online store at: kimquade.stampinup.net or contact me directly to place your order! I’d love to help!
Just a couple of quick notes:
The Stampin’ Blends are not retiring; they are just being repacked. Single light and dark options will not be available in the new catalog, so if you need replacement singles, order them now.
The Layering Circles, Squares, and Rectangles are also not being retired, but they are being repackaged for the next catalog.
Hinge-Step Stamping
Stampin’ Up’s stamp positioning tool, the Stamparatus, helped me achieve the fun design on the front of this card. This tool is a must-have for rubber stamping. It helps you perfectly align stamp images, stamp multiples of the same project quickly and precisely, and get complete ink coverage. It works well with cling stamps and photopolymer stamps.
The Stamparatus was created by stampers for stampers, so it has all the features you want: two strong magnets to help keep the paper in place; a foam mat for use with photopolymer stamps; rulers on two sides for quick measuring; two open edges so you can use larger paper; two reversible plates for four sides to work with; and magnet storage area. Additional accessories include grid paper, a deluxe foam mat, and a cool carry bag.
Watch this video to learn more about the hinge-stamping technique.
Product List
Click on any of the graphics below to be taken directly to my online store where you can purchase the items discussed in today’s post!
I’m sharing a new how-to video showing the masking technique with Stampin’ Up!’s Timeless Tulips stamp set.
I hope you enjoy this quick video I recorded demonstrating how to use a Post It Note and rubber stamps, ink, and paper to create lifelike images for your card making. This technique works with a variety of stamps and images. Be creative and see what you can do.
Here’s the tulip card I demonstrated. See this blog post for details.
Here is another card I created using one of Stampin’ Up!’s 2020 Sale-A-Bration stamp sets, The Gang’s All Meer. It shows how I used a mask with the cactus to give them a real-life appearance.
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video. Please let me know if you have questions about this or other techniques!
On Another Note
Stampin’ Up!’s Annual Catalog is nearing the end of its run. The sales period ends June 2. A retiring list publishes April 22. We do know the 2018-2020 In Colors retire. They include: Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover, and Blueberry Bushel. So, if you love these colors and need ink pads, ink refills, card stock, ribbon, Stampin’ Write Markers, Stampin’ Blends, or Designer Series Paper containing these colors, get them now. They’ll go fast once they are officially announced on the list.
All-Inclusive Kits
Looking for something fun and creative to do during our stay-at-home time? Stampin’ Up!’s all-inclusive kits offer a great value. This link takes you to the online store where you can view these kits. They include: Looking Up Card Kit, Notes of Kindness Card Kit, and Lots of Happy Card Kit. You may need additional adhesive; be sure to include a SNAIL or Glue Dots with your order.
Lots of Happy Card Kit
Notes of Kindness Card Kit
Looking Up Card Kit
Thanks for stopping by today! Please let me know if I can help with any of your crating needs!
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The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of Kim Quade as a Stampin’ Up!® Independent Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up!
