Here's a new project that I just completed for a sketch challenge sponsored by Another Stamp Company on Rubber Stamp Chat. The challenge was to create a card with a similar layout to one that was posted. Everyone who participated was entered into a drawing for a few sheets of free stamps.

Here's how I made the card:
1. Using my new stamps from The Enchanted Gallery, I stamped the images of the women onto gray card stock I had cut into 1.5" squares using black StazOn ink.

2. After the girls were stamped, I colored them in using colored pencils.

3. Once the gils were colored, I attached each gray square to a larger square of sparkly lilac card stock. Once that was done I set the girls off to the side.

4. Using silver pigment ink, I stamped a pattern using a flourish stamp (available at Michael's) onto the left side of the card.

5. I sprinkled on some "Stuck on You!" bonding powder over the flourishes and applied Rainbow Silver Stampee Foil using the traditional pouch laminator method (there's a video tutorial of this method on the right column of this blog).

6. After the foil was applied, I cut two thin strips of paper, which I layered, to run down the center of the card. The bottom paper has a geometric gray and white design, and the top is a white vellum with a small polka dot pattern.

7. Once I glued down the center strip of paper, I used 3 dimensional double sided tape to attach the girls to the right side of the card.

Wish me luck on those free stamps!

♥ Stacey

Using Glitters

Did you know that in addition to carrying a full range of stamping foils, Stampee.net also sells embossing powders and glitters? At several trade shows we've shown samples of stamped images that incorporate glitter and we've been asked over and over again how the look was created.

This is a domino that is stamped with one of the images in the stamp set "Four Modern Women" from The Enchanted Gallery. This look was achieved by stamping the image on the domino with VersaMark ink, and then sprinkling on a clear embossing powder (fine) with rainbow glitter (also available in red, blue, gold and silver) mixed in. Both of these products are available at Stampee.net. 


This is one of the easiest ways to incorporate glitter into your stamping projects and you can get a wide range of effects just by mixing colors and varying the ratio of glitter to embossing powder. 


Added bonus, you ask? The glitters are more durable when mixed with embossing powders as opposed to using some form of adhesive to attach them to your projects! Enjoy!

♥ Stampee Diva

May Color Tag Challenge

Here's my finished product for the May Color Tag Challenge swap coordinated by Inky Whiskers on Rubber Stamp Chat forum. The challenge was to create 4.35" x 2.75" tags to swap with other members using a specific color scheme. This month the colors were orange, turquoise, cream and each stamper had to pick a fourth color to add. Neutrals were freebies.

Aside from the tag challenge set up by Inky Whiskers, I knew I would be incorporating Stampee Foil into the design. I wanted to use the distressed foil technique (May 2009), because the bottom layer of ink that shows through the distressed foil could easily add the fourth color to my scheme.

My final color scheme: orange, turquoise, cream and gold.

This is how I created the tags:
1. The tags were cut out of a cream colored parchment style card stock.

2. The edges of each tag were aged with a combination of Slate and Meadow Adirondack alcohol inks from Ranger. I just took a few drops of each color on the dabber and added a bit of blending solution. Then I started with the dabber off of the tag and brought the color onto the edges and blended. This gave the tag a nice aged effect that coordinated with the distress technique used to apply the Stampee Foil. Tim Holtz has a great YouTube video tutorial showing the different ways the Adirondack inks can be used. Watch Tim's fancy video.

3. Using a large french script stamp inked with Encore gold pigment ink, both from Stampin' Up, I stamped the background image over the whole card.

4. Using the distressed foil technique I applied Stampee Foil in Aquamarine over the entire background image. Note: when the aqua foil is removed, small areas of gold pigment ink are revealed.

5. After the background was completed I used an embellished Cherish stamp (Stampin' Up) inked with the gold pigment ink, to stamp the image in the top right hand corner of the tag.

6. I then used the distressed foil technique to apply Orange Stampee Foil to the newly stamped image.

7. My tags were ready for swappin'. :)

♥ Stacey

Product Review from Firecracker Designs: Stamp-N-Foil Fish

Domino Art and Stamp-N-Foil

For the purpose of this tutorial I'll be creating the domino with the blue background and the pink metallic dress.

Here's what you'll need: 1 roll of your favorite color of Stamp-N-Foil (I'm using Hot Pink), 1 jar of Stamp-N-Foil bonding powder, a black StazOn ink pad, 1 VersaMark ink pad (or any color pigment ink-the foil is opaque so the ink won't show through), a heat tool, a package of dominoes, a background stamp (I'm using a swirl pattern), and a foreground stamp (I'm using a dress on a dress maker's form).

When purchasing dominoes for stamping, the most common and inexpensive are the "double six" dominoes and they're available at most Wal-Marts, Targets, etc. They come in packs of 28, so one pack should last you quite a while.

The first step is to ink up the background stamp with your StazOn ink pad. In this example I used a swirl pattern in the background so that my main image would pop out.

Lay your background stamp flat on your work surface with the image face up. Now, lay your domino, blank side down on top of it and press straight down. Since my stamps were unmounted, stamping this way gave me a nice even pressure. Carefully remove the domino from the stamp.

Dry the stamped image using your heat tool. This step is optional, but we're going to color the domino with markers in the next step and I like to make sure there isn't any wet ink left that will make my colors muddy.

I chose to make the background of my domino a blue gradient. To create this effect, color the entire domino with the lightest color in the gradient with a brush tip marker.

Next, quickly take the darker shade and color one end of the domino with that color. You want to do this step before the first color ink dries because we're going to blend the two colors together in the next step.

This is my favorite step! To blend the two colors together, while they're still wet, lightly tap your finger over the area where the two colors come together. You will begin to see the colors blend. Just play around with this technique until you get a result you like.

Once you've got the background coloring the way you want it, dry the ink with your heat tool. We're going to sprinkle on some bonding powder and we don't want it sticking to our background ink.

Once your background ink is dry, you want to ink up your foreground stamp using your VersaMark ink pad. If you don't have a VersaMark ink pad you could use any color pigment ink you have on hand. Since the Stamp-N-Foil is opaque you won't see the ink behind it anyway. (Stamp-N-Foiling is a great way to use those pigment colors you only use once in a while!)

Using the same stamping technique we used to stamp the background image, stamp the foreground image.

Sprinkle the Stamp-N-Foil bonding powder over the stamped image (this part is just like embossing).

Tap off any excess powder. Remember, wherever the powder is, the Stamp-N-Foil will stick.

Heat set the Stamp-N-Foil bonding powder using your heat tool until the powder becomes glossy.

While the Stamp-N-Foil is still hot, place a piece of Stamp-N-Foil over the domino. Smooth out the foil with your fingers as you press it into the image area. Don't go crazy with the smoothing/pressing; you don't want to pull it off. Just make sure the foil is firmly set in place on the melted bonding powder. Allow the domino and foil to cool until it reaches room temperature and then slowly peel off the foil.

The final product can be sealed with Mod Podge (I like the look of the Gloss), and used for keychains, magnets, jewelry, etc.

Stamp-N-Foil, and Stamp-N-Foil bonding powder: available at www.stampee.net.

Stamps: off of the #Bold-121 sheet of stamps from www.TheEnchantedGallery.com.

Markers: Dee Gruenig's Signature Series Tropical brush markers.