Video Share (Graphic 45)

Today we would like to share a great video from Graphic 45, showing how to make pleated flowers. We hope you'll enjoy the project in the video. Be sure to check out the fabulous Graphic 45 products at www.franticstamper.com!



Until our next video share, happy paper crafting!

-Frantic Stamper Design Team

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Poinsettia on White (Kathy Berger)

Poinsettia on White

by Kathy Berger


I promised that I would be making Christmas cards throughout the year and that I would share at least one every month, so today's card is part of filling those promises. The card is 4 1/4" square so it can be mailed in a standard a4 envelope, but with consideration taken for the dimension of the poinsettia button.

To make the card I started by scoring the front of my card, 1/2" and 3/4" from the edges (and the fold) using a scoring tool.

I continued the card by cutting a hole in the center of the front of my card with the 1" single square die from Frantic Stamper Precision Die set #1. On the inside of the card front, I used foam tape to adhere a square cut with the quad-size square from Frantic Stamper Precision Die set #3.

I then adhered the poinsettia button inside the recessed square from the front of the card.

And finally, I created a raised frame for the recessed square. I started by cutting a 1" square in the center of a quad-sized square made with the quad-sized square from Frantic Stamper Precision Die set #4 and adhering it to the card front with foam tape. Then I cut a 1 1/4" square using the single square die from the Frantic Stamper Precision Die set #2 in the center of a quad-sized square made with the die from set #3, and adhered it with foam tape.



I hope this card will inspire you to get an early start on your holiday cards! This card may sound complicated to have made, but it was SO simple to do because of the Precision dies! If I can find more poinsettia buttons, this card is going to be one I make more of for this holiday season!

Smiles!
Kathy

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Products Used:

• Frantic Stamper Precision Dies:
• 1" Single Square
• 1 1/4" Single Square
• Quad-Sized Square (1" base)
• Quad-Sized Square (1 1/4" base)
• poinsettia button (substitute: Petaloo Small Jeweled Poinsettia)

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Spring Card (Sharon Jeffs)

Spring Card

by Sharon Jeffs

Here where I live it feels like anything but Spring but that didn't stop me from creating a card that reflected this whimsical idea of the perfect time of the year.

To create my card base I used a Spellbinders Grand die and my Grand Calibur and simply folded it in half.  One trick I will mention is that I folded over the back scallop on the bottom so that I could keep the front scallop without my card rolling off to one side all the time.

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Products used:

• Kaisercraft Sparklets - Cameo
• Frantic Stamper Leaf Backround Stamp
• Distress Inks
• Authentique Patterned Paper
• Prima Birds and Owls
• Prima Flowers

Kittens in Bed (Jennifer Willis)

Kittens in Bed

by Jennifer Willis


Today I chose to color this cute little FranticStamper image of three kittens being put to bed by their mother cat. I stamped it onto white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and then colored it with Copic Markers.

Doesn't the middle kitten look like he is guilty of something? I wonder what mischief he had gotten into that the mama cat is going to scold him for...

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Products Used:

• FranticStamper Kittens in Bed Cling-mounted Rubber Stamp
• Memento Tuxedo Black Dye Ink Pad
• Copic Sketch Markers:
• Wall: E41, E0000
• Bedding and Dress: G0000, BG11, BG10, BG72
• Bed Frame: E77, E79, B99, B97, B21, Y35
• Rug: B99, B97, B21
• Floor: E77, E79, E71
• Picture: E84, B000, G43, Y28
• Cats: T2, T4

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Using Embossing Folders (Sharon Jeffs)

Using Embossing Folders

by Sharon Jeffs


There was a time when Embossing folders were all the rage. The moment they were released they were grabbed but like most crafters, I didn’t really do very much with mine other than run a piece of card through a die cut machine to emboss a background for a card. This is why, despite having a loads of embossing folders, I rarely use them!!

To combat this and try and get more use from mine, I decided to do a bit of internet research to see what other crafters are doing with their embossing folders (including this post from our own design team). I found an impressive range of ideas and from these built a few of my own ...

Wax Paper Embossing

I’ve played with with wax paper on glossy cardstock and love the effect which is why the idea of embossing the wax paper first was appealing...

I ironed the embossed wax paper over the glossy paper after embossing it, I then inked over the cardstock leaving a pretty patterned effect.

Embossed Quilted Effect

Emboss squares of cardstock with different designs then piece together to form a quilt effect.



I chose to ink the raised surface of my embossing folders prior to embossing so that I had some added colour. The embossing folders I used already came in strips so I cut them into sections to piece together to form my quilt effect!

Embossing Acetate

Emboss pieces of acetate then add a layer of paint over the surface and either add a contrasting colour or sand the raised parts for a distressed look.



After embossing my piece of acetate I painted a layer of a sand coloured paint, waited for it to be almost dry them rubbed over it with a scrunched piece of wax paper.  I then repeated these steps using a black paint.

Wet Embossing

Embossing with powders and a heat gun is often called wet embossing and when combined with an embossing folder, can look really effective.



For my card I chose to emboss my card with an inked embossing folder (I used a clear embossing ink) then added embossing powders over this and heat set it.  As an added step I then inked over the whole surface in an alternate colour for added dimension!

Using Diffusers

There is currently a great set of diffusers on the market created by Darice and Sizzix BUT you can also use household items to create your own.



This one was created using one of the Sizzix diffusers, not the main piece but the centre.  Diffusers are easy to use once you get the hang of the appropriate sandwich order.  (For my Bigshot I layered the main base; embossing folder WITH card inside; Diffuser then the top cutting plate - don't use the bottom at all as the diffuser replaces it to get that awesome effect)

Partial Embossing

This technique is fairly similar to the one above with diffusers, the difference is, only a part of the embossing sandwich is placed between the folders so that only a part of the cardstock is embossed.



To create this effect, I placed my embossing folder onto the die cut plates so that the part I didn't want embossed was hanging over the edge then ran it through the machine!

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Products Used:

Wax embossed card
• Sizzix Blossoms Embossing Folder
• Prima Pastel Flower
• Kaisercraft Rhinestones
• American Crafts Brads
• May Arts Crochet Trim
• May Arts Box Pleat Trim
• Distress Ink - Picked Rasberry
• Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade
• Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac
Quilted Card
• Distress Ink - Picked Rasberry
• Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade
• Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac
• Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Memo Pins
• Tim Holtz Swivel Clasps
• Martha Stewart Doily Border Punch
• Darice Animal Prints Embossing Folders
• Trim
Embossing Acetate
• Acetate sheet
• Black paint
• Sand paint
• Cuttlebug Diamond Plate Embossing Folder
• Prima Poppies
• Sheer Ribbon
• Frayed Burlap Piece
• Prima Crystals Swirls
Wet Embossed Card
• Black Twine
• Prima Trinket - Nature Garden
• Judikins Gold Embossing Powder
• Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
• Cuttlebug Textile  Embossing folder
Diffuser Card

• Kaisercraft Floral Trim
• Cuttlebug Textile  Embossing folder=
• Prima Resin Embellishment
• May Arts Box Pleat Ribbon
• Sizzix Diffuser Set
Partial Embossed Card
• Cuttlebug Dots Embossing Folder
• May Arts Scalloped Trim
• Frantic Stamper Madonna and Child Cameo

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Warehouse News (Memory Box and Poppystamps)

Spring release from Memory Box and Poppystamps dies!

With over 80 new dies, the Spring 2013 releases from Memory Box and Poppystamps are sure to please!
Dies range from gorgeous frame sets to gardening theme and beach themed items. There are also several new stamps to choose from.

Hurry on to our new products page for these new dies:
http://www.franticstamper.com/newest-products.html





Happy Crafting,
-Fran
www.franticstamper.com
541-826-2500

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Peacock Card, in 10 (Kathy Berger)

Peacock Card, in 10

by Kathy Berger


I made this super-quick card by inking the FranticStamper Peacock Pair cling-mounted rubber stamp with a Kaleidacolor Calypso rainbow ink pad and stamping it onto a plain white card. I then added a banner made with green ribbon Washi tape by Darice, and trimmed at the edges of my image. (By trimming in this way, I was able to achieve the impression that it passes behind the image, adding the feel of dimension to a flat card.) Lastly, I found three green mini-brads from American Crafts that were the perfect touch for finishing off my card, but since the card is a single layer, I didn't want to punch through the card. So, I simply snipped off the brads' legs and glued their heads to the card with mini glue dots.



I hope you've enjoyed today's Card, in 10!

Smiles,
Kathy

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Products used:

• FranticStamper Peacock Pair Cling-mounted Rubber Stamp
• Kaleidacolor Calypso Dye Ink Pad
• Darice Green Ribbon Stripe Washi Tape
• American Crafts Brights Mini-brads

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Video Share (EK Success)

Today we would like to share a quirky video from EK Success, introducing their 2-in-1 Edger Punches. These cool punches can create both a punched edge on a piece of paper, and a punched ribbon of paper, simply by flipping a switch! Check out the video and then check out the assortment of these punches at FranticStamper.



Until our next video share, happy paper crafting!

-Frantic Stamper Design Team

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Plaid, Day 5 (Jennifer Wilils)

Today we'd like to share some more plaids from our team plaid project, this time from Jennifer Willis.

Distressed Plaids

by Jennifer Willis

Styrofoam Stamp

My plaid project is along the lines of a distressed technique. To create the look you will need a Styrofoam piece such as the one meat or deli items sometimes come on or a plate and a chopstick.



The stamp is really easy to create, just trim your Styrofoam piece to whatever size you like, mine is about 3" x 4" and create indentations in the foam using the chopstick. Colorbox Cat's Eye Ink Pads are great to color the lines in. The stamp is Frantic Stamper's Dragonfly Post.

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Distress Ink Markers

This card was created with the Frantic Stamper's Lines rubber stamps. I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers to color the stamps - when coloring the stamps, to give the background a more distressed appearance, do not worry about getting complete coverage when inking the images.



The floral images is Frantic Stamper's cling-mounted rubber stamp titled Old Rose Botanical, it was colored with Copic Markers.

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We hope you have enjoyed our projects to create plaids and the cards we made with our results. We had a great time experimenting!

We hope you'll give some of the techniques a try, and share with us your cards by leaving a link in our comments.

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Plaid, Day 4 (Kathy Berger)

Today we'd like to share some more plaids, again from Kathy Berger. She got just a bit carried away when we asked her to play and make some plaids...

More of My Plaids

by Kathy Berger

Dye Ink on an Acrylic Block

First I stamped a tan ink pad directly onto an acrylic block, covering the whole block with the tan ink. I then used the edge of a gray ink pad and stamped just that edge in intervals horizontally across the block, and then vertically across the block. I huffed on the block and then stamped the block onto a piece of white card stock.

I thought this plaid was too interesting to cover up, so I opted to use a large open sentiment so I would be able to see most of the plaid. It made a simple masculine birthday card just right for one of my three brothers.

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Wide Copic Marker

To make this plaid I used a Y26 wide Copic marker to make swipes in both the horizontal and vertical direction. I then followed up with lines with the chisel tip of Copic Ciao markers in two shades of green, using the wide side of the chisel tip for the wider bands, and the narrow edge for the thinner lines.

Once again, I felt this plaid had a masculine feel, and made me think of a plaid shirt. That made me think of camping, so I decided to make a card with Riley the Moose on a camping trip.

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Wide Line Stamp and Ink Pad Edge

This plaid started with some light green wide lines stamped with the widest of my Frantic Stamper line stamps. To that I added some red and darker green lines with the side edge of the ink pads dragged directly across the paper horizontally and vertically.

This paper took on a Christmasy feel to me, so I decided to use it to make a Christmas card using the Hero Arts die and stamp set, Reindeer. The snow was made with a Die-namics My Favorite Things die, Snow Drifts.

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Rubber Bands on Acrylic Block

I placed a rubber band lengthwise on a long, narrow acrylic block and stamped with it in dark brown and gray inks. I then used my wide line stamp to stamp tan wide lines to finish the plaid.

The rubber band didn't stamp as cleanly as I had hoped, making this plaid a little less perfect than I had wanted, but I decided to see if I could use the best parts of the plaid, which were on the outer edges, to make a card.

I thought this plaid was a nicely masculine plaid, and a good fit with kraft card stock, so I opted to use it for another birthday card for yet another of my three brothers, the one who really prefers things understated. I think this simple card will do the trick.

Direct to Paper

I had some Adirondack mini-ink pads, so I decided to just swipe one across the paper to create my wide stripes. My narrower stripes were created with the side edge of the ink pad, also swiped across the pad.

This plaid was the last of my really masculine plaids. I thought it would be just right for the youngest of my brothers, the one who in his youth practically lived in the woods, hiking, camping, riding a mountain bike, rock climbing, fishing, and, yes, catching bull frogs. This quick card is just to let him know I am thinking of him.

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Rainbow Ink Pad DTP

This plaid was made by dragging a raised rainbow ink pad directly across my paper, in both the vertical and horizontal directions. This bright and cheery plaid reminded me of Madras plaids of my youth. I thought that the bright colors were perfect for some artistic fall leaves.

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