Wobble Card !

My good friend Lisha gave me some Wobbles to try. Wobbles are little plastic springs that have adhesive to attach to your card and to an embellishment. When they are in place the embellishment wobbles sideways.

Here is my first wobbles card which is a Housemouse colored with Copic markers and Memento inks. I love this stamp as it is perfect for so many celebrations. I purchased it to make a theme card for "Celebrate Freedom!" Our camp theme this year, but I have already made that card and a Father's Day card and a graduation card. It is very versatile.

Today I have been working with some new stamps that are from Clear Dollar Stamps and Our Daily Bread Designs.  The theme for The Great Family Adventure this year is CELEBRATE FREEDOM!  Freedom from sin, Freedom from fear, Freedom from sickness and Freedom from this world.  I think it is going to be a great camp!

The inks are Memento with Copic markers.

Father's Day Card

Here is a card that I created for Father's Day.  Paper is "My Mind's Eye" , Rubber Stamp is Tim Holtz, Sentiment is Stampin Up.

Mounting Rubber Stamps on EZ Mount Stamp N Stor

Rubber Stamping has changed in the 6 or 8 years since I started.  Wood handled stamps are fast giving way to either clear stamps or traditional (usually red, but can be other colors) rubber stamps that can be mounted on clear plastic blocks (or any slick surface, I have even used a drinking glass as a block).  The beauty of the clear block is that you can see through it a little better for your stamp placement. 

They are also easier to store AND easier on the pocket book!  The downside is that I tend to buy unmounteds and not get them mounted until I perform my annual evening of sitting down and mounting all the stamps that I bought this year.  I kind of lose the momentum of inspiration that I had when I purchased the stamp if I don't use it shortly after I purchase it.  However, due to the dollar savings I foresee many unmounteds in my future.  I decided to show you how I mount them today with a few pictures.  I use a hot knife.  They can be purchase at any craft store.  Be warned however that these things get really hot!!!! 

I have used mine several times, but this past week I managed to burn myself  

1.  Assemble the knife.

2.  Plug in the knife and let it heat up on its wire stand. 
3.  Place a self healing mat or several layers of paper or something that will keep the knife from scratching the work surface.
4. Trim your rubber close to the edge of the imprint. 
5.  Peel back the sticky adhesive side of the EZ Mount paper and place your stamps on the foam.  Blank side of the stamp to the adhesive side of the foam.

6.  On the other side of the foam, peel the white paper backing off of the foam.  Slicing will be much easier as you are cutting through the foam without the attached white paper.
7.  Begin slicing around the edge of the unmounted stamp.

Remembering How Much I Love Embossing

The last Stampin Chix gathering we spent some time watercoloring embossed images.  This was the first time that I had used a watercolor brush....the kind that holds the water in the brush.  Marianne showed us how to use Distress Ink stamped onto a craft mat for our watercolor ink.  The bottom three cards were completed by Marianne.  Thanks for bringing me back to embossing, Marianne! This was SO MUCH FUN!  We discussed how it had been a long time since we had embossed and how it used to be so popular.  This technique is probably responsible more than any other for who started into a card making hobby.  I know that it is what hooked me.  There is something about the first time you see that image raised up before your eyes...and the thought rolling through your head of "I can do that?!"  Above is some of our finished work.  The images that we used to emboss are reverse images.  They are embossed in white.  Then the flowers are water-colored.  Did, I say that we had FUN doing this?  I can't wait to do some more!  The images are Hero Arts Clings, sold at Archivers

More Flower Making with Stampin Chix

This weekend I went to Memories Expo with the Stampin Chix.  We all had a great time and bought lots of goodies.

Saturday I met with some friends and we made a few paper flowers.  I truly enjoy watching these flowers come to life.  These are made using punches from Punch Bunch and McGill.  We used the book Paper Bouquet by Susan Tierney Cockburn as a guide.  Here is our finished work.

These were made using the cupping, pinching, and bending/folding techniques as described in the book.  As a final touch we spritzed with glimmer mist.

Embossed Lily watercolor

Yesterday I finished a card that I started at the Stampin Chix Saturday meeting.  Thanks Marianne for teaching us these card layouts and reminding me how much I enjoy embossing!