Unity's September Store Hop

Welcome to Unity September Store "Hop," when we feature the exclusive store kits.

I got to play with the all about the journey kit, which still fits right in line with my inspired mood lately.

TIP: I did not have any pearls in the right color, so I just colored them with my copic

 Rather than hopping, Angela's got all of the samples from the entire DT loaded at Unity's blog.  If you haven't taken a look yet, hop on over and take a gander.
Happy Saturday to you!!

(I design for unity stamp co)

Tutorial - Ink Embossing and Fake "Letterpress"

Good morning.  Happy AUGUST!  Today, I'm playing with ink embossing and fake "letterpress." 

I love the effect that texture adds to cards.  But since cards are often meant for mailing, its important to keep mindful of the effect of both weight and heft.  That's when embossing comes in, with such gorgeous and subtle effects. 

Today, I'm taking it one step further, based on a technique that Tim Holtz demonstrated at the recent stamp show that I went to.  He "letterpressed" a tag with distress inks.  It was gorgeous.  I wanted to experiment with it on a printed background to take a look at how much more depth it would offer.  I started with a scrap piece of subtly printed Anna Griffin paper

Next, take a plastic embossing folder - this one is from Tim Holtz's line with Sizzix - I love them because they are just a little bit bigger, and will cover the a2 size with the emboss.  If you look carefully, you can see that the left side has a raised/embossed image - and the right side has the mirror of the design, in deboss/recessed.  When the paper goes through the machine, it is pushed out from the raised side, and into the recessed side, giving you the image on paper.

I used chalk in for this project because chalk in is much more opaque and I wanted the printed image to be somewhat covered.  A dye ink, which is transparent, will not do that.  Ink up the RAISED side of your plate with your chalk ink

Lay the printed sheet print side down CAREFULLY over the inked image and carefully close your folder, taking care not to shift your paper at all

Run it through your machine, and you end up with this gorgeous textured piece that no longer looks like the Anna Griffin paper, but the print from it gives the piece additional depth because it was not a solid

Now, stamp and color your rubber romance image - see how her lower back stamped poorly?  When that happens with me, I normally just use the image like normal.

Then I go in with a pen and fix the line.  It is important to wait in the very end to do this, because the pens do not always work with the color mediums and can smear depending on your ink

Now assemble your card and you are done.

(I design for rubber romance stamps)

Tutorial - Decorated Snack Pack

Hello everyone!! Popping in with a tutorial for a decorated snack pack, a great little pick me up for a gym buddy or a crop buddy.

Start with the Yoga Girl image, stamped on Bazzill Simply Smooth paper. To get a perfect "match" with your paper, stamp the pant part of the image on the paper, and then cut it out and paper piece it to your colored image (I am using some Basic Grey scraps). 

Finish coloring image in, using matching colors to your paper scraps.    After you're done coloring, cut her out and set aside.

Measure cardstock base to width of ziploc sandwich size bag

Fill your baggie 1/3 with trail mix

push out all the air, "zip" the top up, and fold it down twice and tape in back to secure

Fold your cardstock base in half, adhere a strip of coordinating striped paper to the back, a 1/2 oval cut from the same paper as the pieced pants of the image, then adhere the finished image to the top.  Use letter stickers to spell your message, then staple to the top of your snack bag

Enjoy!

(I design for Rubber Romance Stamps)

TIP - Altering letters

Just a quick tip.  Your alcohol based markers (BIC, SHARPIE, COPIC) work on any surface.  Remember them to assist in altering letters next time your color isn't quite right - and stretch your supplies further.

Here, the green just faded into the background of my layout way too much.   You can barely see it

 

A brown sharpie:

and it looks much much better

Tutorial - Clear Cards

The Rubber Romance girls are so sophisticated and modern. What better way to send a hip handmade card than to make them clear?

It is easy to do, with the plethora of transparencies out on the market. Make sure they are thick enough to stand up on their own when tented.

The trick to clear cards is to remember you have to work with both sides of each addition so as to hide the adhesive tracks, etc. Thus, when cutting paper, remember to cut TWO, one for your image or element, and one for the back side.

Here, since it is the end of the school year and I need to make thank you cards, I chose the Teacher Teacher image.

Cut your card base just like any other card. Score in the middle, using a bone folder to make the fold extra crisp. Here, I am using a transparency from Luxe.

Color your image and cut into rectangle.

Matte the image to give it a frame on the clear card front. To make the letters look more chalk like, trace over them with a white gel pen. Cut a corresponding piece of paper of the same size.

Place your image to approximately where you want it on the card and punch a hole on the left side.

Weave your ribbon through the hole and tie a bow.  Next, adhere the image to the top, and with your corresponding piece of paper, adhere THAT piece to the exact other side of where you adhered the image on the inside of the cover of the card - this hides the adhesive tracks.  Cut a plain piece of white paper for the inside to write a message, and adhere. Adhere a corresponding piece to the backside of that sheet to hide the adhesive track.  Finally, punch your message and adhere. Attach corresponding piece to back side to hide the adhesive.

You're done! A quick card, but unusual with visual punch.

 Thanks for stopping by.


(I design for rubber romance stamps)

Tutorial - Easter Place Setting

Good morning everyone! Today I have a project for place settings for Easter.

I modified a tutorial I did last easter for this one.

Cut a piece of double sided cardstock weight paper to 6x6". (I am using Basic Grey's new Kioshi line).

Round the four corners.

Score at 2" and at 4" Take your paper, turn it one turn, and score again at 2" and 4". You should have a tick tack toe pattern of scores, with nine squares.

Fold at your score lines, and cut from side of paper 2" to middle score lines on the top and on the bottom.



Fold it up, punch a small hole

secure with mini brad

cut a .75" strip from the same paper, and adhere to top

Color your Rubber Romance Image - this is Marcie Has Something to Say.

Cut out colored image and adhere to basket

Use stickers or stamps to name the basket for your place setting. At the brunch, I will fill this up with some easter "grass" and jelly beans or something like that.


Enjoy!

(I design for rubber romance stamps)

Unity Thursday 3-11-10

Good morning everyone!! Today, we're Rockin it Unity Style again!!!

Its been a very unseasonally wet year for us. This little rain girl is so perfect.



I tried using a cuttlebug folder to emboss while inked. I did not love the effect, but somehow, it looked a little "wet" to me, and so, I used it as a rainy sky in this card.

I hope you have a wonderful day today! enjoy your hop through everyone's blogs!

(i design for unity stamp co)

tutorial - Window Candy Card

Good morning everyone. Today, I'm making a just because window card, to give a pick me up piece of candy to a special someone.

Cut cardstock to 6"x12" and score at 5 7/8" and 6 1/8"
Fold at scores. (I use a straight edge to ensure a crisp fold)

Using a circle cutter (this is CM), cut a circle from top left quadrant of front of card


Make another circle to act as a frame, and adhere. Adhere flower, and candy piece (mine is caramel).
Stamp and color your Rubber Romance image. Since the cardstock is flat, a straight color on the present may make the card a bit too flat.
To fix that problem, paper piece the present part. Stamp image again on two printed patterned papers, cut and adhere. Adhere to your card with pop dots. Anchor the entire image with two strips of paper going both sideways and upwards (I am using a paper frill).
The card is a bit top heavy, so it does not stand up well. But that's not going to matter to the recipient, who will eat the candy... :)

Enjoy.


(i design for rubber romance stamps)

Tutorial - Chinese New Year Red Envelope

Chinese New Year is one of the biggest holidays of the Chinese calendar, and it is this coming Sunday! It coincides with Valentines Day this year.

It is Chinese tradition to give red envelopes with money to the children in the family, to bring prosperity in the coming year. Since they're paper based, I thought I'd make some this year. This is the template I used - please bear with me - I drew it by hand so its not pretty and graphic. My skills in photoshop are very limited. (I also scanned it in pdf - if you want me to email it to you please just leave me a comment or email me and I'll go ahead and send it to you). This is supposed to be a drawn image on a normal 8.5x11" sheet of paper.


Cut it out and use as a template. Trace it over red paper and cut out. I have seen it where people use all kinds of paper. My feeling is - it must be red. These are "red envelopes" - using another color is like saying let's have an easter puppy or easter bear. No no no... it must be the easter BUNNY... and in my house, red envelopes must be red paper....
Or if you don't mind the print lines, just print it directly onto the backside of your main base paper.

Cut it out and fold along the score lines.
Adhere your edges

It is the Year of the Tiger, and luckily, Tiger stamped images are not too hard to find. This one is from Inkadinadoo - Asian Characters. These are clear stamps.

I stamped directly on to orange paper, and then on the back side of the scraps of red. I am going to be piecing these and needed two colors. (**Note: the top left tiger was stamped in Memento. The image was slightly blotchy - so I restamped with versafine in the rest of the images).

Cut out and piece...
Then embellish your envelopes. The text stamps are from CTMH, and the die cuts are from Spellbinders.

Happy Chinese New Year to you!! May the Year of the Tiger bring you health, happiness and prosperity!