Warehouse Wednesday: Tim Holtz Buzz at the NY Stationery Show

Tim Holtz Buzz at the NY Stationery Show

Hi bloggers!

The New York gift and stationery show is under way….. and while we don't attend, sometimes exciting cross-over products make their debut at the stationery shows. The big buzz right now is about Tim Holtz new venture into that market. On his blog, he unveiled a series of fantastic items all Tim Holtz fans are sure to love.

The collection is entitled "District Market" and will be available in stores in September. Yes, September is a long way to wait….. we know!

First up are 4 collections of note cards. These would make a great gift, or a nice jump-off point for cards. You can ink them up, distress them, add geegaws and doodads and make them your own.



Next are Matchbook Notepads and Spiral Journals. The small notepads are a stylish way to jot down little notes. Perfect for carrying in your purse. The Spiral Journals are very nice with their fabric covers. They come in 2 sizes, in sets of 3. We have not heard yet if they will also sell them singly….




Next is something I'm very excited about. I can think of a million possibilities for these fantastic burlap covered canvas panels! Mix and Match them to create a "quilted" wall hanging or use them singly as a message board. They can be used as a base for a collage masterpiece or on their own merit as a ready-made grungy wall hanging.



The last page of the product release features 2 items: Tissue Wrap (printed tissue you can use in a variety of ways), and tote bags. The tissue will come on a roll 12" wide by 9 yards. It's perfect for cutting, crumpling, gift-wrapping, collaging, etc…. and the totes are fabric, lined, and have zippered pockets! I'm not sure of the exact size yet, but I smell a new purse in my future!!!



As soon as we have more information, we will post it on our website and start taking pre-orders. As of today, we don't even have any pricing information yet….

Enjoy!

Hugs,
-Fran
www.franticstamper.com
541-826-2500

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Tip Tuesday: Transparencies (Clear Acetate Sheets)

Today the team would like to present some tips for using Clear Acetate Sheets, also known as transparency sheets or transparencies.

Tip #1
Die cut and emboss transparencies! If you want to stamp on them,stamp your design first then die cut or emboss.

Tip #2
When stamping on transparency, use StazOn or Archival ink.

Tip #3
Consider a transparency for your card base. Fold it in half with a bone folder. Add papers and embellishments to both sides (to cover up glue tabs and such).


(This clear card was stamped with white stazon and highlighted with a yellow paint pen.)

Tip #4
Die cut your shape or punch your border in a transparency, then use it as a stencil with inks or embossing/moulding paste. If you use dye inks, all you do to clean is run under water. Store and use again.

Tip #5
You can also use transparency die cuts as reusable masks.

Tip #6
There are transparencies made for inkjet printers. I can run the transparency through my printer with the images that I want and then overlay them on my project.

Tip #7
You can decorate several individual transparencies and then layer them to create a collage look. Add rubons to one layer, stamp another, stickers on another, etc. for a unique dimensional look.

Tip #8
I love to punch out transparency shapes that I then run through my xyron. After, I pour transparent glitter over the adhesive layer to create a glitter embellishment.

Tip #9
Color transparencies with alcohol inks for a wonderful effect...or use NAIL POLISH on them to create a stained glass look. Stamp on one side and color on the other for best results.

Please feel free to leave your tips and comments! We love to get feedback from our readers!

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Sketch Sunday: ATC #2

Today I have another ATC sketch for you. The squares are designed to be "inchies." Create your own inchies or use Inchie stamps by InkaDinkaDo, available at FranticStamper. The small ATC platform is a fabulous platform for sharing the even smaller "Inchies" art!

I hope you will enjoy it and give it a try!



If you do choose to try it the design team would love to see your creation! Upload a photo somewhere (Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, etc.) and then share a link with us in the comments. To share all you need to do is add the following codes to your comment, and then replace the word "link" with the actual link to your photo:

      <a href="link">My ATC</a>

Your comment will then contain the words "My ATC" which will link to your photo. The design team really looks forward to seeing your work!

Until the next time,
Kathy

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Bottle of Love (Design Team Project)

by Sharon Jeffs

Bottle of Love

The gift to give to those you love.



I love May. It's that special month in the year when you get to celebrate that special lady in your life who made you who you are, made everything better when it all went south and listened when you needed to fire off at someone. Your mum.

My mum has always been there for me, even when I didn't want her to be. She stood by me during those rebellious teen years and forgave me for everything I ever put her through without a second thought. Which is why this is such a special time to me, especially now that I have my own children who I how will value their mum as much as I do mine.

So, what do you give someone who has everything and has nothing they really want?

I decided to create that unique gift that came personally from me.



I began by painting the inside of the bottle with pink paint. Once the paint was dry enough for the bottle to be played with, I took out a scrap of sponge and Gold Paint and sponged this randomly over the outside of the bottle.



For a bit of bling, I threaded an assortment of beads onto clear bead string and tied this around the neck of the bottle and fastened it with a secure knot. As a person who loves to decorate anything that sits too long, I couldn't leave the cork as it was so I adhered a flower to the top and added more beads to a decorative pin that I stuck through the cork.

Finally, I created a card by folding a scrap in half and stamping it with an inchie stamp from the Frantic Stamper store then colored it. To personalise my gift I printed a poem onto a piece of paper and stuck it to the inside of the card.



The poem I used goes like this -

• This is a very special gift that only you can see;
• The reason it's so precious is
• It's just to you from me.
• Whenever you are lonely or ever feeling blue;
• This gift is your reminder that
• I'm always here for you.

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Technique Thursday: More Maya Arts Trim Flowers

More Flowers from Maya Road

Today's technique was supposed to be a few cool coloring tricks using Cuttlebug embossing folders, but its author is a little under the weather, so we will be saving that one for next week. In its stead, we would like to share a couple more videos from Maya Road.. first, a wonderful spiral flower bracelet you can make with zipper trim, and then a beautiful rosette made from satin pleat edging. We hope you will enjoy them. And don't forget, these and other wonderful trims from Maya Arts and others are available at FranticStamper .

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Warehouse Wednesday: Growing Fast!

Growing Fast!!

Just when you thought: "What else can they carry?", I'm pleased to say we continue to grow our inventory on a daily basis.

We've just received a gigantic shipment of stamps from Aladine, a French stamp company, and are working fast and furious to add all wonderful stamps to the site.  Earlier this week, we added new Inkadinkado cling stamp and clear stamps.  Last week, it was Technique Tuesday stamps.  On the scrapbooking front, Little Yellow Bicycle, K&Co., My Mind's Eye and Webster's Pages are now fully stocked with the newly released lines.

Next week, we are expecting 3 new collections from Bo Bunny, a new line from October Afternoon, tons of new Sew Easy stitch piercer heads and threads and so much more.  We've got a ton of new Prima flowers, KaiserCraft products, Hampton Arts stamps, Prickly Pear stamps and collage ephemera to add to the site too.  The list goes on and on!!  (It's definitely too much for 1 person full time to keep up)

One of our most exciting purchases is that we will soon be carrying the ENTIRE line of Copic Sketch markers along with their refills!  We will also add the 36 new CIAO colors and reduce our pricing as well!   The only bummer is that we have to wait 3 weeks for delivery.

What would you like us to carry?  We're always interested to know.  :-)

Happy Creating!

-Fran
www.franticstamper.com
541-826-2500

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Tip Tuesday: Using embossing folders

Today the team would like to present some tips for using embossing folders.

Tip #1
When I get a new embossing folder, I try it out with a piece of copy paper or scrap cardstock so I can see how the pattern looks before I use my pretty papers in it.

Tip #2
If you don't yet have a die machine, you can run embossing folders thru a pasta machine.

Tip #3
Consider embossing one sheet with two different folders. Half one and half the other. Makes a great shabby chic background!

Tip #4
Ink up the inside of your embossing folder & then run your paper through. The ink will transfer giving you a whole new effect! Make sure to use non-permanent inks and clean your folder right away.

Tip #5
You can stamp a design onto the flat part of the embossing folder (on the inside) and then emboss. The ink design transfers to the paper. (A Tim Holtz idea!)

Tip #6
Selective embossing can be done by placing a piece of chipboard outside of the folder and adjusting the sandwich slightly. On a Cuttlebug, use the A plate and a C plate, and add shims if necessary. The folder will only emboss where the chipboard shape is placed.

Tip #7
Thin metal or chipboard can be embossed in folders. Just be careful not to let the sandwich get too thick.

Tip #8
Really thin materials like velum or lightweight papers emboss better if embossed along with a piece of cardstock; it helps to keep the embossing folder from breaking the thin material.

Tip #9
Small embossing folders can be tricky to emboss with on larger pieces of paper since their edges often leave marks. Replacing one of the embossing plates in the sandwich with a piece of chipboard or polymer embossing mat (like the Spellbinders 12"x12" Polymer sheet, WIZ-RUBB.$16.99) that covers the pattern of the embossing folder but doesn't extend to the edges can eliminate those extraneous marks!

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Sketch Sunday: Scrap #4

Today's sketch is for a square scrapbook page with 3 photos.



Happy Mother's Day!

For all the mothers out there reading, we hope you will have a wonderful day of celebration today.

Do you have any special Mother's Day stories to share with us? We would love to hear them! Please leave a comment.

And, as usual, if you do use this layout the design team would love to see what you make. Upload a photo somewhere (Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, etc.) and then share a link with us in the comments. To share all you need to do is add the following codes to your comment, and then replace the word "link" with the actual link to your photo:

      <a href="link">My Page</a>

Your comment will then contain the words "My Page" which will link to your photo. The design team really looks forward to seeing your work!

Until the next time,
Kathy

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Something Special Saturday: two holidays this weekend!

Two Holidays This Weekend!

Today is National Scrapbooking Day and tomorrow is Mother's Day. In honor of the two holidays, I would like to share a CD album I made for my mom. Each of the tags you can see tucked into each page has part of a poem and a photo (of mom's four children and three grandchildren) scrapped on it.



The papers I used are all from the Je T'Adore collection by Making Memories (and for the record, J'adore these papers! They are absolutely gorgeous!) The dimensional flowers were hand-cut from those papers and layered. The letters were gel stickers I had hanging around that just happened to match...and magically I had all the letters I needed to spell "MOTHER".

To make the album, I glued three CD folders together, back to front. I then added a ribbon around the album to tie it closed. Next I glued on front and back covers and decorated the front of the album. I covered the front edges of the CD folders where they were glued together, and then covered the inside pages. Lastly I made the six tags and decorated them with the poem and photos.





I hope you and my Mom will enjoy it!



What are YOUR plans for National Scrapbooking Day? Are you going celebrate by going to a crop or perhaps having a shopping spree at FranticStamper, or do you have other plans for marking the day?

And how about Mothers' Day? Will you do anything special to commemorate the day? What was your favorite Mothers' Day from the past? The design team would love to hear your stories! Please leave a comment!

Smiles,
Kathy

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Mini-BottleCap Bracelet (Design Team Project)

By Lis Whiting

Mini-BottleCap Bracelet

I was sitting at my very messy craft table and decided to make something other than a card for my project. And since I like jewelry as much as I do card making, I decided to make a bracelet with some of the new bottle cap supplies at Frantic Stamper!

I love the new mini bottle caps and as soon as Fran had them on her website, I ordered a package. These mini bottle caps are so cute! I just knew I had to make a charm bracelet out of them!

I went to the local craft store and picked up a silver plated chain, some jump rings and a lobster claw clasp. I ran home and started to work on my design. I measured the chain to 7 ½” and cut it. (I didn’t realize how strong this chain was and the ring I cut kind of ricocheted across my craft room!) I attached the lobster claw clasp with a jump ring.

To prepare my caps, I drilled a small hole in the side of each one.

Then came the fun part! I looked in my paper stash for some fun pictures because I wanted to make a Mother’s Day bracelet with children’s pictures. You are not going to believe where I found some. I had purchased some Webster’s Flash Cards a while back. The package had a preview card with miniature pictures of the different flash cards on it; THAT is what I used. I took a ½” punch and punched out the images that I wanted (the first one went zinging across my craft room…) and used glue dots to add them to the inside of the caps. Darice makes clear epoxy domes to match the size of the mini caps; I added these on top of my images.

Now, if you know me, you KNOW I have to have bling! I added a red acrylic gem I had. I also found a pretty letter that I liked and made one charm an initial charm.

I used jump rings through the drilled holes to attach the cap charms to the bracelet.

I put the bracelet on and have been wearing it since! It has such a nice tinkling sound when I move. I love the pictures, too; they are old timey, colorful and fun to look at. I think I may have to make matching earrings and a necklace!



I left my caps plain on the backs but you may want to:
      Color them with alcohol inks
      Stamp them with designs using StazOn inks

As for the insides of the caps, you may want to try melting some UTEE to fill the caps instead of putting pictures in them.


I hope that you enjoyed this project. I sure did!

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