Reach for the Stars

Hello! Hostess Tami here with a graduation card for your "star" graduate. It features stars stamped and embossed in black and white on cream and black cardstocks. A black and white color scheme for graduation is traditional, but I liked what the addition of cream and tan did for this card...

Mix'd Media Inx and Embossing Powders were used on this card. They are a great choice when using high contrast colors because they are so creamy and opaque; you'll get wonderful coverage.

To bring in some white to the stars stamped and embossed in black on the cream cardstock, I outlined and filled in some of the designs using a white gel pen. You can also see the Smooch Spritz on the dictionary paper better in this closeup...

A stamp set with versatile elements is a good value; like this Stars4You set from The {Stamps} Of Life. I used it on a baby invitation in April: A Star Is Born and I have plans to use it again for a Father's Day card and a 4th of July Card too. Take a look at stamp sets you have and see if there are elements that can be used for purposes other than the theme of that set.

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Mix'd Media Inx: Jasmine and Black
  
• Mix'd Media Inx Embossing Powder: Jasmine and Black 
• Smooch Spritz: Gingerale and Gold Glow
• Color Catcher

Other Products:

• The {Stamps} Of Life: Stars4You
• My Sentiments Exactly: Multi Classic
• Bazzill: Prismatics: Black, Almond Cream and Kraft Cardstocks and Antique Book Papers: Antique Dictionary Page
• Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry
• White Gel Pen

Tools:

• Trimmer, Scissors, Heat Gun and 2" circle punch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 piece of kraft cardstock and fold in half to make card.
2. Cut a 2 5/8 X 5 1/2 piece of dictionary paper and place in Color Catcher. Spritz with Gingerale and Gold Glow Smooch Spritz and set aside to dry. When dry, mat on a 2 7/8 X 5 1/2 piece of black cardstock and adhere to card front about 1/2 from left side.
3. Stamp and emboss star circle on black cardstock using Jasmine Inx and Embossing Powder. Punch out and adhere at lower right of card.
4. Stamp and emboss "reach", "for the" and "STARS" on cream cardstock using Black Inx and Embossing Powder. Trim in strips close to words. Adhere "reach" at upper left of card with "for the" about 1/8 beneath it. Then adhere "STARS" across center of star circle.
5. Use large and medium stars to stamp and emboss using Jasmine Inx and Embossing Powder on black cardstock and Black Inx and Embossing Powder on cream cardstock. 
6. Cut out stars, add details to cream pieces using white gel pen, then arrange and adhere stars as shown.

We have new projects for you EVERYDAY here on the Clearsnap Blog, so please come back tomorrow to see what's new!

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Enjoy

Good morning Steph here. Today I'm going to show you a card which is perfect for the men in your life. It always seems a little more difficult for us to create a masculine card, so I was thrilled to receive a stamp set from Woodware with masculine elements.


Clearsnap Supplies:
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Blackbird
Jumbo Rollagraph Wheel Crackle
Smooch Inks Siren, Sundance, Snickerdoodle, Pool, Azure
Design Adhesives Lots of Thoughts
Donna Salazar Mix'd Media Ink and Embossing Powder - Denim
Stephanie Barnard Ink - Artichoke, Blueberry


Other Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Stamps: Woodware Clear Stamps
Dies: Spellbinders
Twine: The Twinery


Creating an easel card is an easy process when using Spellbinders dies. I die cut the card from black cardstock, then cut an additional layer from black cardstock which I adhered on top.





This stamp set came with a definition which I stamped in Blackbird on white cardstock. Since this was going to be my background, I stamped the definition until my panel was covered. I then wrapped it with Twine before adhering it to the card.





The image was stamped in Blackbird and then die cut into an Octagonal shape. I then "painted" the ship with Smooch Ink. The hull layers were painted with Siren and Snickerdoodle. The flag was painted with Siren and the sails were edges with Sundance. The sea was inked with Denim Inx, then Pool and Azure Smooch were added on top. A larger base was die cut from black cardstock and the stamped image was added to the card with foam adhesives.





Cutting another panel of white, I inked the Rollagraph Wheel with Artichoke Ink, then inked the edges with Blueberry Ink before adhering it to the base. I stamped the Earth stamp in black and die cut it into a circle and matted it with black. This is the stopper that holds the card upright. Using Lots of Thoughts Design Adhesives, I covered it with Denim Mix'd Media Embossing Powder. Cutting it to size, I matted it with black cardstock and added it to the card with foam adhesives.


Thanks for stopping by today.


Steph
www.stephaniescraps.blogspot.com

Vintage Father's Day CAR-d

Hello! Hostess Tami here with a vintage inspired Father's Day card to share. Father's Day is just a few weeks away, so now is a good time to start thinking about a card and gift for the special Dads in your life.

This card was made with two different inks --- ColorBox Archival Dye Ink, which is sheer and works well for background stamping when you want to stamp and emboss an image over it. And Mix'd Media Inx; thick, creamy and opaque, and wonderful when embossed. Stamps are from Hero Arts...

By using two different inks, you an create contrast between the background and focal image. The background script stamping is sheer and matte, and the antique car image is slightly raised and shiny...

Bo Bunny's Double Dot Cardstocks; which are tone on tone in distressed patterns, add to the vintage style of the card.

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Mix'd Media Inx: Mossy, Patina, Black and Wisteria
  
• ColorBox Archival Dye Ink: Seattle Sky
• Top Boss Embossing Powder: Clear
• ColorBox Stylus & Tips

Other Products:

• Hero Arts: Vintage Car, Old Letter Writing and Celebrate Everyday
• Bo Bunny:  Double Dot Cardstock: Chiffon Double Dot and Coffee Vintage
• Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry

Tools:

• Trimmer, Scissors and Heat Gun

Thank you for stopping by today, please come back tomorrow to see what's new!

InLinkz.com

Celebrate

Good morning Steph here. 

This stamp is such a joy to work with and I have used her in numerous ways.  Today, I wanted to show you how she can be used as a birthday card or any celebration you need.

Clearsnap Supplies:
Donna Salazar Mix'd Media Inx and Embossing Powder - Black
Siren Smooch

Other Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Pattern paper: GCD Studios
Stamps: American Art Stamps, the Stamps of Life
Dies: Sizzix

I stamped the image and sentiment in Mix'd Media Inx and then embossed them. This combination provides a nice crisp, clean image everytime. I used a little Siren Smooch Ink to add some color the wine glass, her necklace and the flower in her hair. I love how easy it is to use Smooch Ink and how easy it is to get into little areas. Plus, it dries so quickly!!!

I then die cut the image with a Sizzix die and then created a larger mat from cardstock. She was then added to the card front with foam adhesives.  The sentiment was slipped under the image.

Thanks for stopping by today.


Steph
www.stephaniescraps.blogspot.com

Birthday Smooch

Hello! Tami here with a birthday card that features several different Clearsnap products and a couple of handy techniques...

The stamp set, Wish Big from Hero Arts, caught my attention as I love stamping on book paper, and these stamps have that element already incorporated in the design!

I wanted the card to be colorful, but fit the vintage-style of the stamps. So I decided to use several bright shades of Smooch Spritz on a kraft paper background - that way the card would have some color, but not be rainbow bright. Using the same supplies and techniques on white cardstock would totally change the look of this card...

The balloons needed to be cut out so that they could be adhered to the background, but what to do about the thin strings? The easy answer is to stamp your design twice - once on your "fashion" paper and once on your background. Then cut out the design from the "fashion" paper - minus any skinny elements and glue it in place over the stamped image on the background. You'll be able to line up the cut out portions exactly and this technique adds some dimension too...

Another technique to try, when you want your background to have some "texture", but not be too bold, is to use Watermark Ink. The great zig zag pattern background was stamped using Watermark Ink...

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Watermark Ink
• ColorBox Pigment Ink: Black 
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink: Blackbird
• Smooch Spritz: Splash, Gingersnap, Sea Kiss, Cherry Ice, Sun Kissed, Citrus Tickle and Vanilla Shimmer
• Top Boss Embossing Powder: Clear
• Color Catcher

Other Products:

• Hero Arts: Wish Big and Zig Zag
• Bazzill: Prismatics: Black and Kraft Cardstocks
• Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry
• 3D Foam Squares
• Black Fine Tip Pen

Tools:

• Trimmer, Scissors and Heat Gun

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a 4 X 12 piece of black cardstock and fold in half to make card.
2. Cut 2 - 4 X 6 piece of kraft cardstock. Place one at a time in Color Catcher and spritz using all colors - spraying one all over, and about 1" around all edges of the other piece, which will be used as a mat; let dry.
3. Trim "smooched" mat piece to 3 3/4 X 5 3/4 and adhere to card front.
4. Cut a 3 1/4 X 4 3/4 piece of kraft cardstock and stamp with zig zag background inked with Watermark Ink. Let dry, or speed up dry time with heat gun.
5. Stamp balloons toward left side of kraft background piece using Blackbird Chalk Ink.
6. Adhere background to a 3 1/2 X 5 piece of black cardstock and adhere to card front, centering it on all sides.
7. Ink balloon stamp with Black Pigment Ink and stamp and emboss, using Clear Embossing Powder, on "smooched" kraft cardstock piece. 
8. Stamp and emboss sentiment on "smooched" kraft cardstock piece using Black Ink and Clear Embossing Powder.
9. Cut out balloons - minus the strings and the sentiment.
10. Adhere the balloons over the stamped balloons on the background.
11. Outline the edges of the sentiment using black pen, then adhere at lower right side, using 3D dots.

Thanks for visiting the Clearsnap Blog today, please come back tomorrow and see what's new!

 
www.tamisanders.com

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Rolling Along...Printed Vellum Tapes!

Hi - Jean Okimoto here - remember vellum?  We already know how well Rollagraphs work with masking tape - now try them with vellum,  available in so many pretty colors.  It can be challenging to stamp on vellum - Rollagraphs make it easy, and Scor-Tape makes it stick!

Clearsnap Products - View the 2012 Catalog* here

• Jumbo Rollagraph Inking Handles (*Page 69)
• Design Wheels - Wordwords, Simple Dots and Floral Flourish (*Pages 71-73)
• Jumbo Ancient Page Cartridges - Coal Black, Foxglove and Turquoise (Page 69)
• ColorBox Gray Whale Chalk Inkpad (*Page 7)
• Limited Edition ColorBox Arctic Deep Chalk Inkpad (*Page 7)
• ColorBox Stylus and White Blending Tips (*Page 81)
• Peridot Glitter (*Page 55)

Stamps

• Memory Box Journey Collage and Makes Me Smile

Other Supplies

• Cream Textured Cardstock
• Memory Box Aloe Cardstock
• Vellum - Turquoise, Pink and Yellow
• Pink Felt
• Pink Tulle
• 2" Wide Scor-Tape
• Diecut Machine and Plates
• Sizzix BigZ Eileen Hull Flower Layers 9 Die
• Screw Punch
• Tape Dispenser (use the blade to cut the stamped vellum strips)
• 1/4" Brad

Directions

• Snap the Coal Black Cartridge and Wordwords Wheel into the handle
• Rotate the wheel until the seamline is about 1/4" above the spindle notches, then stamp the design on turquoise vellum
• Repeat the process with the Foxglove Cartridge, Simply Dots Wheel and pink vellum
• Repeat the process with the Turquoise Cartridge, Floral Flourish Wheel and yellow vellum
• Air-dry the inks
• Attach the tape to the backside of the stamped vellum and cut it into 5/8" strips
• Tear or cut the strips and attach them to a 5-1/2" square card
• Stamp the top portion of the Journey Collage on cream textured cardstock with Gray Whale, trim it and edge it using the Stylus, Tip and Gray Whale
• Stamp the greeting on Aloe Cardstock with Arctic Deep, trim it and edge it with Arctic Deep
• Cut the felt and two layers of tulle with the Flower Layers 9 die
• Alternate and stack the felt and tulle flowers and punch a hole in the center
• Cover the head of the brad with Scor-Tape and dip it into a container of Periodot Glitter
• Assemble the card, using foam dots for the greeting

http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/inkollage/

It's Your BIRDday!

Hello! Hostess Tami here today with a Spring*y birthday card... or should I say BIRDday card!

I used the Trees2Build stamp set from The {Stamps} Of Life, which is a TREEmendously cute set! So cute in fact, that I wanted to play with all the parts {and I TRIED really hard to do just that!} For a perfect pairing, I used ColorBox Premium Dye Inks to stamp with. Their bright, vivid colors match well with the clean, crisp lines of the stamps.

I liked the "graph paper" tree, so I stamped it on lime cardstock using Spearmint Dye Ink, then stamped the trunk with Chocolate Ink. I wanted to cut it out and use 3D Foam Squares to adhere it to give it some dimension. So I stamped the trunk again on the aqua cardstock so I could line up the pieces again easily...

And for extra added dimension, I decided to stamp and cut out some leaves to adhere to the branches...

 
The tree needed some grass, so I used the top of the other trunk stamp to make grass along the bottom...

To add a POP of color, the birdie was stamped on yellow cardstock with Chocolate Ink and the wing was filled in using Tangerine applied with a beauty swab...

The sentiment was also stamped on yellow cardstock with Tangerine Ink...

I thought it would be fun to do a repeat of "it's your birthday", so it is stamped down the side on lime cardstock with Spearmint Ink...

And for a finishing touch --- "tweet" is stamped with Blueberry Ink on yellow cardstock - it's that design principal of THREES - had to have another yellow element!...

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Stephanie Barnard ColorBox Premium Dye Ink: Spearmint, Blueberry, Tangerine and Chocolate

Other Products:

• The {Stamps} Of Life: Trees2Build
• Bazzill: Kraft Cardstock, Prismatics: Classic Yellow Green, Baby Blue Medium, Intense Yellow and Suede Brown Dark Cardstocks 
• Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry 
• 3D Foam Squares

Tools:

• Trimmer, Scissors and Beauty Swab

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