Stamped Pattern

Well, you may be wondering a few things but baby wipes are for more than a baby’s bottom (and hands and faces)  Actually, you can use baby wipes to create a pretty interesting stamping technique with very little fuss and muss about it.

What you need:

• Baby Wipes (of course)
• Reinkers: These are little containers filled with stamp ink so you can refill your stamp pads.  You will want to use several colors.
• Stamps
• Cardstock

Directions:

1. Take out two or three baby wipes.  You can do this with one but I like to have a few to prevent it from staining through.
2. Place the baby wipe onto a piece of paper or discarded cardstock to prevent staining your table with the ink.
3. Now that you have the baby wipe ready, take one of the reinkers, it is best if you start with the darkest color, and pour some of the ink onto the baby wipe.  You will want to make little drops of color so you have several dots of ink on the baby wipe.
4. Take the second color and repeat the process.  Don’t worry if you overlap the colors since this will only add to your finished craft.
5. If you are using a third color, fill in the white spaces of the baby wipe around the other two colors with your third reinker.  If you are using four or more, keep repeating the step until your last reinker and then fill in the white.
6. Now that your color palette is ready, take a stamp and use the baby wipe as a stamp pad.  Stamp the image onto a piece of cardstock

The image that will be stamped will pull up all the colors you placed on the baby wipe and you should be able to do more than one image with the temporary baby wipe ink pad.  Once you are finished stamping, throw away the baby wipe and used the stamped image for scrapbooking or for a card.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Stamp Ink:

The first ink that I am going to look at is regular stamp ink.  Many, and I mean many, companies produce this ink and you can find it in almost every color that you can imagine.  My favorite inks tend to be Chocolate Chip and Night of Navy, both of which are Stampin’ Up Inks.  I find that you can do just about anything with the inks from sponging, stamping, and using to color with so this is the more versatile of inks since there are many different uses for it.

Craft Ink:

Also known as pigment ink, this is a thicker ink that has a lot of color.  I often use craft ink to add a bit more punch and the white craft ink on black creates amazing results.  One of the best traits about craft ink is that it takes longer to dry than regular stamp ink.  This may seem like a pain but in actuality, it can allow you to create some pretty amazing effects with it.  Since you have some time until it dries, you can add sparkles or you can add embossing powder to create beautiful craft inked and embossed images.

Since this ink does take a bit longer to dry, I try to avoid using it for everyday stamping needs and only pull it out when I want to create an effect or I want to stamp white onto a surface.

Versa Mark:

This isn’t actually an ink as we would commonly know it but I have overused my versa mark to the point where I needed to purchase a new one.  Versa Marks are clear ink that can be used for a variety of effects. It is a wonderful ink to use since it resists color and it can create beautiful watermarked images.  The main use of versa mark has to be with embossing.  Since it takes a bit longer to dry and it is clear,  many people will stamp an image in versa mark before coating it in embossing powder, which they melt.  The end result is a stunningly embossed image.

Staze-On:

The last type of ink that I will look at is staze-on. This is actually a permanent ink, instead of a waterbased ink.  This means that without a proper spray, your stamps will become stained by this ink.  If you are overly conscious of your stamps and hate having stained stamps, then I would recommend that you avoid staze-on.  If you don’t then you can do a lot of things with staze-on. This has actually become one of my favorite inks since the colors come out a bit more vibrantly than regular stamp ink.  It is also an excellent ink to use if you are stamping anything besides a card or scrapbook page.  I like to use staze-on when I am stamping plates or tiles but it can be used for a lot more.

Although I would love to say that you only need one or two stamp inks, there is always a purpose for all of the inks, and if you are like me, you will quickly reach the dozens when it comes to ink pads.

Happy Stamping,

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo credit: © Pakowacz | Dreamstime.com

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Of course, stamping didn’t hold me long before I burst onto the scrapbooking scene and I quickly began to produce stamped scrapbook pages much to the delight of everyone who saw them.

That delight, of course, led to me needing to experiment with new techniques and I quickly realized that I wanted to produce more than a stunning page, I also wanted to produce stunning effects with very little effort.

This activity is definitely one of those stunning effects that is easy to do and can look great on a card or on a scrapbook page.

What you need:

• Cardstock
• paper cutter
• clear embossing powder
• stamp
• stamp ink
• heat gun
• versa mark

Directions:

1. Prepare your cardstock by cutting it to the dimension you want and then stamping it with an image. In my case, I started with a butterfly from Stampin’ Up and colored it in with watercolor pencil crayons.
2. Once your image is finished, allow it to dry if you used markers.
3. Take the versa mark and stamp the clear ink over the entire surface of your image.  Make sure it coats the entire image and cardstock.
4. Pour embossing powder on the image and cardstock.  Make sure you use a lot and tap off the excess onto a piece of paper before you return it to the container.
5. Using your heat gun, melt the embossing powder until it is completely melted.  If you do not have a heat gun, you can melt it by heating the back of the cardstock, carefully, over an electric burner.  Do not use a gas stove to do this.
6. Before the embossing powder cools, take the embossing powder and coat the image and cardstock again.  Make sure you tap off the excess before you continue.
7. Melt the second layer of embossing powder completely.
8. Repeat again if necessary until you have a thick layer of embossing.  This varies depending on the type of embossing powder that you use.  Some brands only require two layers while others require 3 or 4.
9. Once you have placed the last layer on the image, place it in the freezer while it is still hot.
10. Allow it to cool completely. This should only take about 2 minutes at the most.
11. Remove from the freezer and carefully crack the cardstock where you want the cracked glass effect to be.  Play around with it until you are happy with it.  Make sure that you do this carefully since too much bending can cause the cardstock to split completely.
12. Now that you have your cracked glass, assemble your card or your scrapbook.

To bring the cracks out a bit, you can sponge ink on the embossed surface.  Make sure you take off the excess so you are only left with ink in the cracks.

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you need:

• Transparent Glass Plate
• Colored Tissue Paper
• White Tissue Paper
• Stamps
• Stamp Ink
• White Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Before you begin stamping, it is very important that you cover your work area.  I have, on more than one occasion, stamped tissue paper only to have the stamp image bleed through the tissue paper and onto a table for a permanent image on my table.
2. Now that your area is ready, cut out a circle of white tissue paper that fits the bottom of your plate.  Set aside.
3. Cut the colored tissue paper into one inch squares, set aside.
4. Take a stamp and cover it with stamp ink.
5. Stamp the image onto the white tissue paper carefully.  It is better if you use a solid image instead of one you need to color but if you need to color it in, do so carefully with markers.
6. Allow the ink time to dry.
7. Once the ink is dry, cover the bottom of the plate with white glue.  Try to make it as even as possible.
8. Press the white tissue into the white glue and smooth it into place.
9. Take the white glue and place it on the bottom sides of the glass plate around the white tissue paper on the bottom.
10. Place the tissue paper down on the plate until the entire bottom is covered.
11. Put the plate upside down and allow the glue to dry completely.

At that point, you will have a finished plate that is beautiful and matches the holiday that you have made it for.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Stamped Candles

By Sirena Van Schaik

I love candles whether they are tall, short, scented or plain; there is just something about surrounding myself with lit candles as I either work or simply enjoying a good book. Candles can be very personal but I have found that the most personal candles are the ones that you make yourself.My personal favourite are hand stamped candles. They can be personalized to reflect the bearer, the occasion or the recipient. They can be tailored for a space or for a romantic evening. The sky is the limit with a stamped candle and they are very simple to make.

Before you read my helpful little how to, sit down, fix a lovely cup of tea and start brainstorming some of the many ways you could use a hand stamped candle.

What you need:

• Candle(s) – Don’t purchase candles that melt completely, instead, purchase ones that tend to melt in the center. This is for safety reasons since you will be using tissue for the stamped images. Also, I have used other colored stamps but I find straight white works the best.

• Tissue Paper – Yes, this is the tissue paper you find in gift bags. You will want to use white for this craft.

• Stamps – I used a basic set from Michael’s in the candles above but you can use any type of stamp. My personal favorite is Stampin’ Up.

• Heat Gun – You can buy heat guns in many craft stores but make sure you purchase one that is designed for embossing cards. A Heat Gun is an electric tool that emits a burst of hot air. It is similar to a hair dryer except it doesn’t produce as much wind and it produces more heat. Trust me, don’t use a hair dryer.

• Stamp Ink – The color will depend on what you are creating. I used a soft blue for the candles above but don’t feel it is necessary to use the same thing.

• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out pieces of tissue paper that are large enough for your stamp. Place it on top of a sheet of paper since the stamp ink will bleed through the tissue paper when you are stamping.

2. Ink your stamp with the desired ink.

3. Press stamp to the tissue paper and then pull off. Your image should be on the tissue paper. If it didn’t work, simply through the tissue paper away and start over. You can color your stamped issues but it can be very difficult since the tissue paper will bleed and tear.

4. When all your images are stamped, trim the excess tissue paper off. You will want as little overhang as possible.

5. Arrange on your candle until you are happy with the setting. Once you have them arranged, take off all of the pieces except one.

6. With your heat gun at a slight angle, heat the tissue area. The tissue will become transparent when it has been melted enough. Make sure you move the heat gun around to prevent beading on the candle surface and do not over heat. All of the edges of the image should be melted into the candle when it is finished.

7. Repeat with any other images that you want on the candle.

And voila, you are finished and you have a beautiful hand stamped candle that can be given as a gift or as kept for a special occasion. The only problem with hand stamped candles is the fact that no one ever wants to burn them.

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