3amStamping Pad

Exploring Hodgepodge Hardware - Part 2

2010-03-09T16:33:16-08:00

Today's Hodgepodge Hardware project features the small flower brad in Styled Silver (#111325). I love using brads to replace the "O" in stamped words - it looks so neat! Just make sure your brad fits into the image.

The small brad is 3/8" in diameter and is just slightly larger than the "O" in "Go Green." Fortunately there is enough space between the letters that nothing else is covered.

Try a box of Hodgepodge Hardware yourself and see what else you can do! To order, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Help Bring Back Crafter's Tool Kit - Ways to Comment

2010-03-09T15:53:40-08:00

Stampin' Up! is asking for comments on their Facebook page about what is your favorite tool in the current Idea Book & Catalog. This would be a good place to post a message that we need the retired Crafter's Tool Kit back. I use mine every day!

You can go here http://www.facebook.com/stampinupfanpage and post your comments and suggestions. Not a member of Facebook? It's easy to join and you can get there by clicking on my Facebook link. It's free! (Don't forget to become a fan of 3am Stamper, too!)

If you prefer to e-mail, send to marketing@stampinup.com. Many thanks!!

Help! We Need the Crafter's Tool Kit Back!!

2010-03-08T20:18:36-08:00

I've been working on a lot of projects since this lovely product was retired last June and I'm really sad that it's no longer available to you. The Crafter's Tool Kit had elastic loops that held the tools (see articles between April, 2009 and June 2009 for details and pictures - just search this site for "crafter's tool kit") plus pockets that held what's now in the Mat Pack (#105826). There was also a front pouch that was the perfect size to hold the Cutter Kit (#106958). The only other tool left is the Paper-Piercing Tool (#116631). I miss the hammer, the long needles, the pliers with wire cutter and especially the Anywhere Punches (1/4" & 1/8") and Eyelet Setter.

I'd like you to help me bring this great tool kit back. Take a look at the articles:

Crafter's Tool Kit - Anywhere Punch

Crafter's Tool Kit - Eyelet Setter

Crafters' Tool Kit - Tweezers & Accessory Pockets

Crafter's Tool Kit - Piercing Template

Crafters' Tool Kit - Long Needles

I see I didn't get around to discussing the pliers before the Tool Kit was retired, so that's another reason to bring it back!

Then, if you think it would be a good idea, send an e-mail to: marketing@stampinup.com and ask them to please bring back the Crafter's Tool Kit. I really appreciate your help!

By the way, the zipper case could be stamped just like luggage!

Add Gentle Texture with Relief Stamping

2010-03-07T21:24:09-08:00

The technique I call "Relief Stamping" is simple, easy and fun, but the results look like a lot of work. All you need is a stamp, ink, paper or card stock and a double-pointed stylus. You can make your images look embossed or debossed, depending upon which side you use for your impression.

Start with a piece of paper or card stock and stamp your image (or greeting) on it. Trace the lines you want with the smaller end of the stylus. You can do this on some sheets of scratch paper for a cushion, but I like the Mat Pack (#105826) with its Piercing Mat for this technique.

After you've traced the image, turn the piece over and re-trace to get the raised (embossed) effect. This will give you a softer impression than Dry Embossing, but it does help give some texture and depth to your image.

For the debossed look, trace the image or greeting face up, pressing your line into the cushion you chose. That's all there is to it! You get a unique look for your image and you didn't need a lot of tools!

Try this technique with your favorite stamp sets and email me at mary@3amstamper.com with a picture/photo/scan attached. Plus, if you are a newsletter subscriber, include the list of supplies used and you'll be eligible for my monthly contest. To sign up for my newsletter, click on the button at left.

Create a Cute Baby Onesie with your BigShot

2010-03-06T09:36:44-08:00

My designing friends at Stampin' Up! created this really adorable baby onesie using a sewing machine and the BigShot Die-Cut Machine (#113439) with just two dies! What a great summer outfit for baby!

Supplies Used:

Stamps & Wheels:

None

Card Stock & Paper:

None

Ink & Color:

None

Accessories & Tools:

109067 Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon
113439 Sizzix Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
113483 Stampin' Up! Pennant Bigz XL die
113469 Scallop Circle #2 Bigz Die
1" wide elastic
Sewing machine and thread
Baby onesie
Fabric

Directions:

Die cut 12 large pennants from fabric using Big Shot and Pennant Die. Cut 1" elastic the circumference of the onesie plus 1". Gather pennants for extra fluff and sew to elastic (sewing machine with stretch stitching works easiest). Overlap ends 1/2" and stitch together. This makes a skirt to go over the onesie.
Die cut seven small scallop circles from fabric using Big Shot and Scallop Circle #2 Bigz die. Fold over five scallops and sew to collar of onesie using hand stitching or sewing machine and thread.
Die cut 10 small scallop circles from fabric using Big Shot and Scallop Circle #2 Bigz die. Gather the circles across three of the scallops on the same double-thread. Tie off.
To create ribbon rosette, tie a knot in the end of Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, then tie a new knot every three inches. Run a needle and thread through each knot to gather the ribbon into loops and tie off.
Tack ribbon to flower, then sew entire piece to onesie.
For the shabby chic look, wash and dry.

Design © Stampin' Up!

To order what you need to complete this project, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

New Class Schedules Posted

2010-03-05T15:43:37-08:00

I've had to change my class schedule for March and I've added the April schedule. Click on the links in Classes & Events to take a look.

Help for Haiti Results

2010-03-04T14:08:42-08:00

Congratulations to those of you enjoying the I {Heart} Hearts (#117010 wood-mount or #118571 clear-mount) stamp set! Your purchase helped Stampin' Up! contribute over $27,000 to the Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund! Thank you so much for your help!!

Free Stuff for Sharing

2010-03-03T20:43:23-08:00

Did you know you can earn gift certificates good for Stampin' Up! products or any of my classes and events just for sharing with your friends? Take advantage of my Referral Program and see what it can do for you! Best of all, your friends can get in on it too! See the full details here.

Exploring Hodgepodge Hardware - Part 1

2010-03-02T20:05:10-08:00

Hodgepodge Hardware comes in two flavors: Styled Silver (#111325) and Styled Vanilla (#112454). Each kit contains 200 pieces, so you get 10 of everything plus 100 matching mini brads to hold the five frames. They may be embellishments, but they're tools, too, that you can use to dress up your projects.

I used the Raised Dots Designer Label Frame in Styled Vanilla on this card, which was designed to be a Fall holiday greeting. Here is the frame in close-up:

I stamped the greeting on a scrap of card stock (the same color as the card front before it was treated to the Sunset technique), then punched it out with the Designer Label Punch (#107590). The label fits neatly inside the frame! Because of the Styled Vanilla finish, I needed to adhere the label with Crystal Effects (#101055) or Multipurpose Adhesive (#110755), rather than Mini Glue Dots (#103683).

Try a box of Hodgepodge Hardware yourself and see what a great tool it is! To order, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Simply Adorned Large Charm Is Here

2010-03-01T17:55:42-08:00

At last the Simply Adorned 1-1/2" x 2" Rectangle Charm (#116799) is available... starting today!

I think it's going to be my favorite for pendants and think of how great it'll look as an ornament!

This will be the centerpiece of my upcoming Creating Keepsake Jewelry class. In this class, you'll be making a pendant with 4 inserts (add your own photos if you want) that you can interchange. Watch for the details to be posted in the next month or so.

Registration Deadline Extended for Sweet Treat Cards

2010-02-28T19:36:03-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that there is extra time to register for the Sweet Treat Card Class on March 13th. The deadline is now March 11th!

There's still time to register for the Wheeling Around one-hour class on March 4th, too. Deadline is March 3rd.

Click here to see more details and register. Each of these classes promises to be a fun time!

Flower Folds Die-Cut Idea

2010-02-27T16:51:38-08:00

I just got my Stampin' Up! Flower Folds Bigz XL Die (#115970) this week and had to try it out! This card is, naturally, quick & easy. I wanted a monochrome effect to do something different, so I chose a Soft Suede and Kraft combination with Whisper White accents.

Supplies Used:

Stamps & Wheels:

118601 Well Scripted Clear-Mount Stamp Set (yes, I really, really love the clear-mounts!!)

118490 Clear-Mount Block H

Card Stock & Paper:

102125 Kraft Card Stock

115688 Soft Suede Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink & Color:

115657 Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

Accessories & Tools:

115970 Stampin' Up! Flower Folds Bigz XL Die

113439 BigShot Die-Cut Machine

113478 Extended Cutting Pads

117630 Extended Premium Crease Pad

114348 Basic Jumbo Grommet

114340 Kraft Corduroy Buttons

114616 Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon

102300 Bone Folder

116631 Paper Piercing Tool

105826 Mat Pack

103683 Mini Glue Dots

104430 Stampin' Dimensionals

Note that the Flower Folds Die-Cut area is longer than 12", so you will have to cut one of the flowers from an extra piece.

The large flower is 4-3/4" wide, as I've attached it, so you will need an oversized envelope for mailing. You can make a custom envelope by folding a matching piece of Designer Series Paper around the card and adhering it together. You'll need extra postage for mailing, too, because the button makes the envelope bumpy.

If you'd like to make this or a similar project and earn some or all of the products used, let's plan a workshop together. Give me a call at (707) 695-3571 or e-mail me at mary@3amstamper.com and let's chat. I look forward to tailoring the project to you!

Help for Haiti Promotion Ending Sunday

2010-02-26T13:54:47-08:00

There's still time to get the I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set (#117010-wood mount or #118571-clear mount, uses Clear-Mount Block C #118486 and optional Clear-Mount Block A #118487) and help out with Haitian Disaster Relief! Over 11,000 of you have ordered these sets, which means over $20,000 to the fund! But hurry, the last day to help Stampin' Up! help out Haiti is Sunday, Feb. 28th. You can read more about it here.

If you think heart images are only useful for Valentine's Day, think again! This quick & easy St. Patrick's Day card went together in a jiffy!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets & Wheels:

118571 I {Heart} Hearts Clear-Mount Stamp Set

118486 Clear-Mount Block C

115370 Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set

Card Stock & Paper:

101768 Green Galore Card Stock

105117 Pumpkin Pie Card Stock

100730 Whisper White Card Stock

101976 Glorious Green Card Stock

Ink & Color:

103040 Glorious Green Classic Stampin' Pad

100047 Glorious Green Stampin' Write Marker

Accessories & Tools:

118402 Scallop Trim Border Punch (free with $50 order druing Sale-A-Bration)

118870 Scallop Trim Corner Punch

105090 Word Window Punch

116630 Modern Label Punch

101049 Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

109030 Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

104332 SNAIL

103683 Mini Glue Dots

To order your own I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set and help out Haiti (as well as get what you need to complete this project), click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Note: the I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set will continue to be available through April 30th. The $2 donation from Stampin' Up! for each set purchase ends Sunday.

What Is Hybrid Scrapbooking?

2010-02-25T15:55:49-08:00

Hybrid scrapbooking refers to albums or pages created in digital papercrafting software such as Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio (#118108) and embellished with traditional items such as die-cuts, brads or buttons and ribbon, etc. Creating albums from individual pages works best for hybrid scrapbooking because the complete printed photo albums don't leave you much room.

With My Digital Studio, you can design your page, including the embellishments you're going to add after it's printed and use it as a template for your hybrid work. You get to place your photographs where you want and not have to print them out separately. That saves you a lot of time and printing!

You can also print a page of stamped images or frames made from resizing punches that you can cut out and attach to your hybrid page. And think of doing a journaling block or a title on a separate page that you can layer. The added titling benefit is that you can lay it out to line up exactly as you want and know that it will print out perfectly!

To order your own copy of My Digital Studio (#118108) and see what hybrid scrapbooking can do for you, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Punches Plus Template Card

2010-02-24T13:27:06-08:00

I thought you'd enjoy seeing a quick & easy All-Occasion card idea using the Punches Plus Classy Brass Template (#109539), which was featured in this week's Tool Time.

I dry-embossed the center circle using the Light Table (#102888) and Stylus (#100663) after I stamped the frame image. The Light Table made it much easier to line up the circles. I turned the layer over to pierce the holes around the frame with the Paper Piercing Tool (#116631), then used the Piercing Template and Piercing Pad from the Mat Pack (#105826) to make the border. Tip: Do the raised piercing last, otherwise you can crush your holes and have to re-pierce.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets & Wheels:

119122 Vintage Labels Clear-Mount Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set (free with $50 order)

118486 Clear-Mount Block C

118487 Clear-Mount Block A

115624 Cornelli Lace Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel

Card Stock & Paper:

105124 Apricot Appeal

115316 Rich Razzleberry

102795 Gable Green

Ink & Color:

115655 Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad

115658 Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad

Accessories & Tools:

115610 Bermuda Bay 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

103661 Stampin' Around Jumbo Handle

102888 Light Table

100663 Stylus

109539 Punches Plus Classy Brass Template

105826 Mat Pack

116631 Paper Piercing Tool

To order what you need to complete this project, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Classy Brass Templates Can Do So Much!

2010-02-23T20:45:04-08:00

I love brass templates for dry embossing, but Stampin' Up!'s Classy Brass Templates are so much more versatile.

I've posted the Punches Plus Classy Brass Template (#109539) because it's typical of the newer brass templates. This one also coordinates with most of the Stampin' Up! Punches and gives you a piercing template besides.

For Dry Embossing:

Line up the image on the front of your card layer and secure with masking or painter's tape. I've used Dotto (#103305), but it stains the brass and is hard to remove (it works great on paper and plastic, though!). Turn the card layer over and rub gently with a scrap of waxed paper. Gently rub your Stylus (#100663) or Empressor Stylus (#100716) over the layer to locate the image, then trace around the edges, creating a raised image. This will work for either light or dark colored card stock and you don't need a Light Table (#102888). The Light Table works great to add a dry embossed image to a stamped layer, but the layer needs to be of lighter colored card stock so the light will show through. The table allows for easy image placement.

For Stenciling:

Place the imge on your card layer and secure with masking or painter's tape. Cover the nearby openings with tape or paper. Use Stamping Sponges (#101610) or Sponge Daubers (#102892) to apply ink around the image.

For Paper Piercing:

Place your card layer on top of the Piercing Mat (the spongy one) from the Mat Pack (#105826). I always place the included Cutting Mat underneath to protect my table. Line up your image and poke holes with the Paper Piercing Tool (#116631). Use the design from either side, depending upon the effect you want.

To order your own Classy Brass Templates and the tools to use with them, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

Streamlining In Process

2010-02-22T16:44:50-08:00

I'm evaluating my 3am Stamping Pad site and looking to make it easier to get around. This process will take me several weeks with my crazy schedule.

I am very open to suggestions that you would like to see. Feel free to leave them in comments below or email me at mary@3amstamper.com.

Sweet Treat Card Sample

2010-02-21T20:00:21-08:00

This is an example of what you will learn to make when you attend my Sweet Treat Cards Class. I made these for my special people for Valentine's Day. The cards you'll be making will be of different styles, but they will all be refillable with your favorite treats. The class will be on March 13th from 1 to 5 pm and costs $30. You can see more details here.

The class will use both the round Sweet Treat Cup (#116802) as seen in the Holiday Mini Catalog and the Heart Treat Cup (#120435) I talked about here. We will also be using the Stampin' Up! Magnetic Movers & Shapers Curly Label Bigz XL Die (#114506), along with Stampin' Up! Holiday Windows (#116821) and Stampin' Up! Punch Windows (#115953) to place the cups easily.

Keep checking back for more samples of what you'll be making in this class. The deadline to register is March 5th, so don't miss out. You can see the details and register here, or click on the button below and guarantee your spot.

By the way, Twitter Followers get immediate notice when I post a examples to my class pages. Sign up by clicking the link at left.

Easy Applique Quilt Square

2010-02-20T09:03:00-08:00

Did you know the BigShot Die-Cut Machine (#113439) cuts fabric? It does - beautifully! This appliqued quilt square was made from die-cut fabric pieces stitched to a cloth square. You can frame it for a fabric art piece, or use it in quilting, to decorate a purse or tote, photo album cover, or a scrapbook page!

Best of all, it uses those odd scraps that you'd usually throw away! The directions and pattern, designed by Stampin' Up!, are ready for download here. A list of supplies used is included.

To order what you need to complete this project, click on the Order Online button at right, then click "Shop Now" to get to the online store. If you have questions, feel free to email me at mary@3amstamper.com or call (707) 695-3571. And you may always leave comments below.

My Next Favorite Thing

2010-02-19T13:26:56-08:00

My next catalog purchase is the Stampin' Up! Flower Folds Bigz XL Die (#115970) for the BigShot Die-Cut Machine (#113439). This die is on page 201 of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog. (If you don't have your own copy, feel free to look in the Online Store). I've seen so many cute ideas made with it that finally decided to get one for myself.

With all the different materials the BigShot uses, Flower Folds die cuts can be used for so many things. It's designed to make 4 flowers suitable for layering, but you could use each flower by itself. At Convention, I saw an adorable brooch made with the die and fabric! I've got a ton of other ideas to do with it, so keep checking back to see (www.3amstamper.com)!