Playing with watercolor...

A few days ago I got to play with SU's new Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper! And WOW!!! Did I have fun!

Of the various techniques I use with my stamp craft watercoloring is my favorite. It's therapeutic. It doesn't require many tools. It's conducive to some artistic flair... what else?! The style it creates asks me to keep it simple... and simply is good! I like simple.

Oh yeah... and one more thing, it downright looks P-R-E-T-T-Y!!!




All of SU's DSP is 12" x 12". So I cut the corner designs to fit a square card... and started playing. I set out my watercolor tray and dripped a few drops of ink from the reinker bottles... and found the perfect brush...



When you brush the ink over the decorative patterns on this DSP it simply resists the ink. The patterns are similar to a white embossed image. You could use a brayer to roll ink on to the paper as well... and it would create the same effect.

(But again, why would I use my brayer when I can use my watercolor brush?!)

Here's a close up shot...




And I couldn't resist... I had to play with yet another color.



There are 6 different designs in this DSP packet. This is just one of them. I'll keep playing. Look for some more pictures soon!

What are these clear stamps all about?!

Yes, I'm late to the party. Everyone else has been playing with clear stamps for years. I've arrived! Finally... and it was worth the wait!

I pulled apart the first package.

Inside was a sticker sheet and a rubber sheet with the various cut-outs of stamp images.

Punched out the first stamp image and then found the matching sticker... and starting working towards assembling this new way of doing things.

Peel off all the extra paper layers... and lay the stamp image on the back of the rubber stamp... this will help the rubber cling to the clear block.

And here's another one...

And then keep on going...

The clear stamp image/sticker on the back of the rubber stamp also helps the stamp cling to the inside of the stamp case. It's good stuff... and smart!

The case itself is streamlined and another smart product... the stamp images are on the outside of the case.

More smart items: the name of the stamp set and the tiny little stamp images are also on the binding. This makes finding the stamp set easy once they are stored...

Have I said yet how I love "smart-products"??? Off I go to assemble my other new stamp sets!!!

And lastly, I'm happy that SU is offering the clear stamps now - for several reasons: they take up less space in my storage, they are cheaper than the wood-mount stamps and I can buy more of them!!!

I can't wait to play with these things!

A quick look at SU's clear mount stamps

Looky, looky! I got some of the new SU's clear-mount stamps!!! And I can't wait to show you a little about them...

The shape of these boxes is similar to the size of a DVD case. It's quite ingenius, if you ask me.



What's even more ingenius is the placement of the tiny little images on the binding of the case! Sooo ingenius!

And the stamp titles as well... right there in plain sight! So when you store them they are easy to find when you NEED them!



A quick point... they even cost less!


Oh, yeah... and... they take up a lot less space!





Don't hesitate... order yours today!

A tip from Lori...

When you purchase card stock also buy the Classic Ink Pad and the Classic Ink Refill. I promise you... you want the ink refill. Several years ago I realized how much more I loved the SU colors when the ink pads were saturated with ink from the refiller.

Below is a sample (however, in a different color) of a stamped image on a brand new Classic Ink Pad and the same ink pad that had been saturated with the refill.







This is why you want to buy the refill. See, I told you ... you should have listened to me! Next time is ok...

Color Coach, 2010-2011 colors

Stampin' Up! has produced a fancy new Color Coach! Thankfully... I still can't wrap my head around all these colors. I need all the help I can get... on the back of each card are other colors that make good combos with this color. In fact, 3 different combos. This tool sure is nice and handy ...


And they sent along the additional cards for the new InColors as well. Now I'm set!




And at the back of the Color Coach they provided a place for you to add your own color combinations. Simply punch out a few color swatches and adhere them to the cards. Voila! Your own library of color combos!!!


Off I go to the stamp room...

Playing with Newsprint, the DSP

One of the first purchases I made from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog was the Newsprint DSP. I love this stuff... I could sit here and make card after card with it!


(Side note: As I sit here and type, my hubby is talking about how intrigued he is of the way I hit the DELETE key. Apparently I move my hand strangely as I slide the ring finger up to the delete key! This is hysterical! I have now had to hit the delete key several times just in typing this short paragraph! Have I said yet how hysterical this is?!)


Back to the post... I also happen to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new Cherry Cobbler paper! That's my next purchase. All I had was one little piece and this project used it up!




This card uses both Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler card stock as well as the Newsprint DSP. I used StazOn black ink and Encore Silver ink to color the edges of the cardstock layers. Stamp set: Word Play (another first-thing-i-do purchase)






Then we move on to the 2nd card of the day... and yes, I really AM hooked on this Newsprint DSP!



This card uses both Basic Black and Bravo Burgundy card stock as well as the Newsprint DSP. I used StazOn black ink and Encore silver to distress the edges of the cardstock layers and leave behind the "dirty newspaper fingerprints". Pretty ingenius, huh?!





Can't wait to play with more of my "first-thing-i-do" purchases!

Entombing coasters...

And yes, I'm using the word 'entombing' lightly. I just don't want these cardboard coasters to start falling apart as soon as someone uses them for the first time. I'd like them to stick around a little longer. Thus...

Let's use SU's Glassy Glaze Enamel ... it's retired. So let's use it up! (I guess we could use SU's clear embossing powder the same way... but let's use up the retired goods first.)


Here's our cocktail party coasters...



And here is a sample of one with a few coats of the Glassy Glaze Enamel embossing powder on them...

The steps to do this? Using your Veramark pad, turn the pad over and lay it flat on the coaster. Press down firmly and move the pad around the entire surface of the coaster. Get out your heat gun and pour the embossing powder over the entire coaster. It will stick to the Versamark ink left behind on the coaster. Hit it with the heat gun and watch the pieces slowly melt together to create a uniform glaze over the coaster.

You can make the glaze thicker by applying another layer of both Versamark ink and the embossing powder. Hit it with the heat gun again... and voila!



A coaster that won't start to come apart when it gets wet.



Taking these steps with the Versamark and the embossing powder will also deepen the colors of the surface. See how it pops?!


If you used the clear embossing powder you might want to do 3 or 4 layers to make it thicker... but that's up to you!


Have fun with your heat gun!

A shadow box for Grampa

Today's craft project: making a shadowbox for my handsome Grampa.

We found some pictures from the 1940's and 1950's and they were just perfect for this project...





Oh the stories that come from his lifetime... wish I could sit and tell all of them. "Bottom line is" he lived quite the life and has quite the sense of humor!