Monday 2 April 2012

Pretty Papers

Here are a few cards I made with the gorgeous K&Co Susan Winget Speciality Papers - part of my haul from my recent trip to Florida visiting my lovely friend Peggy.

The first one uses one of the papers as a background with a doily cut out using my cricut and a cut file from the internet.  This was colour tinted with Distress Ink (Antique Linen) and stamped with a script stamp over the top.




The pansy topper is from the matching topper sheet and is mounted onto a circle of paper sprayed with cosmic shimmer.  The dragonfly is also from the sheet but I have added a coat of diamond glaze.  The sentiment is a peel off on a nestie edged in Antique Linen DI.  The little flower is also from the sheet.  I've glittered the edge of the paper for a bit more bling.



The next one is an easel card using the same paper set as above. It's difficult to see the Thank You in the photo.  I just love these papers - and to crown it all they were 40% off!



The last one is also from the papers above and I have cut out some of the flowers and semi decoupaged them onto the background.  The edges, flower centres and dragonfly wings are blinged with glitter glue.

The little bumblebee is from a matching sticker sheet, and the little sentiment mount is a nestie.  The 'smile' is from a Tim Holtz word stickers book.


  I absolutely love these papers, they were such fun to play with.  I can't wait to play with my other gorgeous paper pads too.  What do you think?

Unmounting my wood block rubber stamps

Yippee!  I've been thinking about doing this for ages and never had the courage to rip ! till  now .... It's so easy.  I have a ton of wood block stamps - well 15 drawers full in 5 wheelie storage carts (I couldn't possibly count them).  They take up loads of room and as I can't seem to stop increasing my stash,  something's got to give!  So far I've done 24 mostly large ones and am about half way through one drawer!  I  have a big bag of wood and being a crafter I don't want to throw them away but not sure what to do with them.  Any ideas?

Here's a quick how to (there are videos on You Tube)

1.   Put stamp in microwave for approx 5 seconds each  per medium sized stamp (I put 4 large ones in for 20 seconds).

2.   Try to carefully peel away the foam and the rubber together.  You can cook it a bit longer if it doesn't peel away easily.

3.   If the foam tears you can still push it back on but if the foam disintegrates peel it off as well.  So you are either left with a virgin sheet of rubber or with foam backing.

4.    Using a craft knife carefully insert the blade into the plastic picture from the wood and it should peel off easily.

5.    Smooth the picture down onto the (still sticky) foam (check it's the right way up) and trim off the excess with scissors.  You can apply a repositionable adhesive to this surface so when it dries it can be used with an acrylic mount.

6.    If you have virgin rubber (no foam backing) you can use Easy Mount or Cling On on the back.

7.   There are several ways to store unmounted stamps (again loads of videos on this on You Tube) ie in a binder on a thick plastic sheet, in CD cases etc.



So thin without the wood so takes up less space.  I'm so pleased with the results. Why not have a go?