My STAMPALOOZA

A clear jar – challenge! – Window Sheet! Challenge solved! 

As you can see, I have stamped the jar from the “Perfectly Preserved” stamp set in versamark ink onto a piece of our awesome window sheet.  Then I embossed with black embossing powder.  If you have our NEW heat tool, there are 2 settings, and you can emboss on the low setting without melting the window sheet.  I CAREFULLY embossed with the old heat gun (only one setting – high!), by keeping the gun moving back and forth across the embossed area until all powder has melted. 

Then I cut the shape out with the jar from the “Cannery Set” framelits.  After this was done, I didn’t like the curved line at the bottom of the jar – so I just scraped it off with my fingernail!  In a perfect world, I would have masked the stamp with tape in that area when I inked it with the versamark, or removed the embossing powder with my fingernail before I embossed the jar, but the adhoc approach worked, thank goodness!

Next, I cut a slit in the plastic, right outside the jar line, to insert the ribbon.  I used my craft knife to “grab” the ribbon and pull it through the slit.  Since the Framelit cuts about 1/16″ outside of the stamp image, there is just enough room to make the cut.  I pulled both ends of the ribbon so that it sat flat on the “jar”.

For the label, I tried stamping it in basic black on the shimmer paper (my favorite label material, since it is a little stiffer than the whisper white paper).  That was not quite dark enough for me, so I tried it with versamark and black embossing powder, and that result was PERFECT!

I snailed the back and attached it right over the ribbon. 

Now it is time to attach the “eyeball” layer.  I adhered two glue dots to the back of the clear jar, right behind the label, so you cannot see them from the front.  Then I snailed the back of the “eyeball” layer just across the center where the ribbon would go, and wrapped the ribbon around that layer.  

Now I punched a 1/16″ hole through both layers of the jar (window sheet & eyeball paper), near the top of the jar (see example).  This is for the spider’s fishing line!  Feed the end of the fishing line through the hole (make sure SPIDEY is still attached!) and add a dimensional over the end.  I adhered several more dimensionals to the back of the “eyeball” layer, and pressed it down to the spiderweb card front. 

I think we are neeeearrrly finished!  Tune in for tomorrow’s wrap up!

Until then…Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Rubber Stamp!

My Jar of “eyeballs” started with the large white circles side of the Old Olive sheet of Polka Dot Parade DSP.   I  stamped the other side (white polka dots) in basic black with the jar stamp from Perfectly Preserved, and cut it close to the outside stamped line (fussy cut).

I flipped it over to the other side and with a sponge dauber and whisper white ink, I pressed it into each large circle, with a little twist.

Next, I had to find a “retina” image for the eyeball, basically a few small concentric circles.  There is a small flower in the “Lacey & Lovely” stamp set that has the perfect image:

I inked the center with Rich Razzleberry marker and pressed the stamp with my fingers (Yep, no clear block!)  Using this method, I stamped the image on all of the white circles, sometimes in the center, sometimes near the edges.

 Now I had to find a black center for the eye!  The smallest punched dot I could find was from the Owl Punch!  (see those teeeeeny tiny dots at the bottom of the picture?)  I squeezed a dot of crystal effects to the center of each retina and, using a straight pin to pick up the black dot, pressed it into the crystal effects.  I set this aside to dry for a few minutes.

The final step for this part of the jar is to squeeze a larger dot of crystal effects over each eyeball, spreading to the edge of each circle.  This has to dry for at least 8 hours – preferably overnight.  I hope these look like eyeballs as much to you as they do to me!

Next up: A Jar and a Label (Day 5)!

Until then…Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Rubber Stamp!

Spooky Spider!!

This little guy was “fussy cut” and then prepared to slide up and down on his own spider web.

The view from the back shows the two bits of dimensionals that have been placed so there is a slot in between for the web (fishing line).  A small circle was punched and stuck to the dimensionals:

 The fishing line will feed through the slot so spidey can make his way up and down it!

Next Step: Jar of Eyeballs (Day 4)

Until then…Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Rubber Stamp!

LABEL MAGIC!

We have a lovely label die in the Apothecary Accents Framelets collection that is a long rectangle with two “bumps” on each end perfect for brads or securing ribbon through holes. It is a bit long for some sentiments, and I found I can get it the perfect length using this technique.:

First I stamp my image and then center it vertically under the die. I shift the die close to the left side of the stamped image and run it through the Big Shot. With the label still in the die, I shift the die to the right side of the image and run it through the Big Shot again. Now I have the perfect length for the sentiment!

Next up: Day 3 – Spooky Spider!

 Until then…Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Rubber Stamp!

 Halloween always brings out the creative juices!  There used to be costumes made from scratch, much partying (and recovery time)…but I digress… that was MANY moons ago and these days, paper, ink and stamps satisfy my creative muse instead!

I had the opportunity to participate in a card-front swap of stamp sets in our new Holiday Mini catalog.  The stamp set I chose is called “Monster Munchies” and by the time the card came together, I had 4 stamp sets, an embossing folder, 2 sets of framelits, and flotsom from oodles of techniques (some I think I made up!) spread across my stampin’ table!  If you’d like to follow along with the process, I’ve broken it up into several posts – this was a looooong process!

Starting with the spider web layer, ink the spider web embossing folder with versamark ink, but only on the raised side.  After running this through the Big Shot, cover the paper with clear embossing powder, and gently brush off all the excess powder from the raised surface, leaving the powder in the spider web cavities.  Melt with the heat gun.  Spray with Silver Foil Smooch Spritz.   (Smooch always creates an amazing effect – and the silver is impressive!)  The embossing powder acts as a resist, and remains shiny and white against the silver background.

Next up: Day 2 – creating the label…

Until then…Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Rubber Stamp!