NJ Stamping Queen

Last weekend Operation Write Home sponsored a Virtual Card Making Party at various times and gave us a week to submit something.  My entry features Close To My Heart Sarita papers including Gypsy, Cotton Candy, Lagoon and Colonial White.  The greeting is from Casual Expressions Occasions and the flourishes surrounding it are from "Swirls Around".  Lagoon ink was used.  This was a fun card to put together!

I have always loved the look of dry embossing folders on cards and am anxiously looking forward to Close To My Heart coming out with a line of them that would coordinate with our stamps. (I don't know of any company plans to do this and I am wishful thinking about it!) In the meantime I came across a Youtube video about making your own embossing folders out of recycled materials such as cereal boxes. This is the video clip that I inspired me. Here are my shamrock cards:




I used my Gypsy to create a page of shamrocks from an Art Philosophy tag on page 50 of the AP booklet. I "hid" the outline and the hole on top so I could just use the shamrock image. I then copied, pasted and arranged the shamrock images on my Gypsy. I used a sheet of white chipboard that I had from another project but I could have used a cereal box too. I used the multicut feature on my Gypsy set for 3 cuts. My blade pressure was 5 and speed was set at 4 with a regular blade. I popped out all the shamrocks and used one of CTMH Finishing Files to smooth the rough edges in the negative part.

I cut 2 pieces of chipboard at 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 and used masking tape at the top to make an embossing folder. (For the folder I used a 12 x 12 piece of cardboard that came with CTMH Memory Protectors. I found that this was very sturdy and more difficult to cut through so I used it as the folder pieces.) Next I put the shamrocks back into the sheet and placed it inside of the folder.



I then applied small amounts of 3M Quick Dry Adhesive to the just the shamrocks. Look for the tiny white dots in the photo. (Be careful not to get it too close to the edge or it may leak through and adhere the other side of the chipboard to that side also.)


I closed the top of the folder over the insert and placed 3 hardcover books on top. I let it dry for about 10 minutes and then carefully peeled back the bottom layer of negative shamrocks.



Then I placed the shamrocks back inside the negative frame before applying glue. I then applied dots of glue to this side, closed the folder, covered it with books and let it dry.


Now when I open the folder it looks like this:


I place my paper in the middle of my folder and run it through my Cuttlebug using from bottom to top: A platform, B platform, embossing folder with paper inside, B platform. (Depending on the thickness of your materials you might want to add a piece or 2 of cardstock or chipboard to apply more pressure to the embossing sandwich.)

Details about the cards at the top of the post: I used Close To My Heart retired wood stamps for the greetings and the retired color "Kentucky Green" which I think is the best match for anything to do with St. Patrick's day and shamrocks. On the first card I chalk colored 2 of the shamrocks with retired CTMH chalks--Kentucky Green. I used a CTMH sanding block to lightly distress the top of the second card. The square mat is made from Pear cardstock and the edges of the scalloped circle were outlined with a Kentucky Green marker.

Here is a cute way to use your stamps for Halloween.  Make a matchbook cover and staple your candy bag inside it.  It is really quick and simple to do.  Cut a piece of cardstock [Sunflower is used here] 3" by 9.25.  Score it at .75", 4.75" and 5.25".  Then stamp an image on the front and back and perhaps the top spine and bottom flap.  I used CTMH September Stamp of the Month, "Thriller." I double stamped the skull image slightly off to give it an eerie appearance.  I used Cotton Candy Ink and Gypsy Ink.  When the stamping is done, staple a bag of snack size candy to the inside--I used M & M's here.  As a business promotion, you could even place your business card inside to show your neighbors where they could learn to do this also.