Would you like a spot of Tea?

Our Royal Tea Time stamps are so fun to color, fill with glitter, emboss, etc. They just add an elegant, Fran•táge touch to your party invitations, cards for Mum, and general friendship greetings. When combined with our Digital Downloads Royal Tea Time 1 and Royal Tea Time 2 you can make stunning invites and clever greetings with these great images. Best of all, with FREE Shipping on U.S. retail orders over $50 you can get the whole set and sip in style!

Keep Calm by Cyndi Bundy

Tea Time by Stephanie Lee

Our clever Design Team is at it again with more fantastic examples of this terrific bunch of images!

Janelle Stollfus

Lea Kimmel

Kristine Reynolds

Chalkboard Teapots with Tobi Crawford

This week’s focus on new stamps from our April Release is our fun Teapot series! Fran has just outdone herself designing regal, elaborate, fun, Fran•táge images fit for inviting the Queen to tea!  Plus, we’ve created Digital Downloads of fantastic phrases, invitations, and all time favorite, classic Stampendous images so you can have tea parties all summer long!  Royal Tea Time 1  and   Royal Tea Time 2  Here, BlogStar Tobi Crawford demonstrates a fun technique to get that trendy chalkboard look with our new teapots. At the bottom you’ll see links to other Teapot images our Design Team have posted on their blogs! Take a look:

Hi there! It’s Blogstar Tobi Crawford here with a quick tutorial on the ever-so-popular

“Chalkboard Technique!”

It’s inspired by the beautiful chalkboard art we now see all over the media, print, and of course Pinterest. What you may not know is that you don’t need stamps that are specifically made for the chalkboard look, and you may not know that it’s super easy!!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies: black cardstock, VersaMark pad, Detail White Embossing Powder, white pigment or hybrid ink, and a stamp. Today I’m using Cling King Teapot and Cling Kettle On. (Not shown: white Sharpie)

1. Step one – stamp teapot with VersaMark and cover with embossing powder. Heat until shiny. Once the embossing powder has cooled doodle a white frame around the teapot with a white Sharpie.

2. Using your finger, smudge some white ink around the image to give the black cardstock that “chalky” look.

3. Cut out the chalkboard you’ve created.

4. Find some fabulous coordinating papers and create a card!

That was easy, right? I just LOVE this chalkboard trend and every time I play around with a new image I wonder if it would look good done with this technique – and this teapot (and sentiment) look fab!  Now check out what other Design Team members have done with these Teapots:

Jamie Martin

(an earlier sneak peek post)

Jamie Martin (new post)

Kristine Reynolds

Artist Elements by Rhea Weigand

Quick Stampendous Note: If you’re going to put “everything but the kitchen sink” on a gorgeous canvas like BlogStar Rhea Weigand has done in this post, you should do it while our website is offering FREE Shipping on retail orders $50 or more shipped to a U.S. Mailing Address!!

Hello, this is Rhea sharing one of my favorite new releases from Stampendous.  I chose to design Artist Elements  on a 5×5 canvas.  This little canvas has everything on it but the kitchen sink.   Layers of tinted Fast Finish, Layers of card stock and bunches of aged embossing powders as well as, Fran•táge elements!!!

Yes, it includes one of my favorite things, tinting Fast Finish Decoupage.  Fast Finish is a thin and fast drying decoupage by Beacon.  Tinting it is easy.  In a small container pour a little Fast Finish.  Put a few drops of dye in.  The more ink the darker the decoupage.

For this project we are going to use.  Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick and Faded Jeans.

Apply clear Fast Finish to the canvas and the back side of the paper to apply to canvas.

Only use the tinted Fast Finish on the top of the paper.  Tear paper and do a quilted sections covering the canvas.

Stamp the image with Memento Ink

Dry brush color on the image with these Distress colors.  I like to use chalking applicators from JoAnn’s 

Before we start embossing.  Need to cut apart the Make Art from the rest of the image.  Both this sentiment and brushes will need to be layered with matching card stock and attached to the canvas as shown.

Because we are working on a canvas using Boss Gloss and applying with a brush will work best.  Start by doing the edges with Aged Gold

With Aged Marine, Wine, Scarlet, Ochre, Hunter emboss little puddles leading up to and on the tips of the brushes.

Finally add all of the wonderful elements.  Apply Aleene’s Paper Glaze and spread with finger or tip of bottle.  Sprinkle  white mica first.  Here are the elements used:

• Canary color fragments
• Purple color fragments
• Hunter color fragments
• Marine blue color fragments
• Royal blue crushed glass
• Green crushed glass glitter
• White mica fragments

Elements – NEW for April 2013

Our newest Fran•táge images for Spring 2013 are our wonderful new Elements images.  These are terrific collages of various images on one theme. And our Design Team really had a great time with these! Our Phone Elements can create anything from a terrific card to say “miss you! call me!” to a stylish phone message center! This would make a terrific Mother’s Day image as well for those of you with moms who love their phones!

Phone Elements by Kristine Reynolds

Phone Elements by Cyndi Bundy

Phone Elements by Suzanne Czosek

Check out the cool Elements projects our Design Team Members have posted so far this week:

Kristine Reynolds

Lea Kimmel

Jamie Martin

Kristine Reynolds(2)

Cyndi Bundy

Check back tomorrow for more fabulousness with our new Elements! AND – Be sure to check out our May Challenge – we’d love to see you participate! The prizes are amazing!

New Elements and Project Life by Asia King

BlogStar Asia King is back again to introduce this week’s focus – the new Elements stamps in our April Catalog. These 5 images focus on a collage of several elements on a particular theme, the ones she’s chosen to use are the Typing Elements and Phone Elements. These are big stamps, meant to be the focus of most of a card.

W093 Typing Elements

W094 Phone Elements

Since Asia is in the UK, it takes a little longer to get our goodies over to her. So she’s also bringing the Elements into our Project Life event we did a couple weeks ago.  Suzanne Czosek also did a Project Life page that didn’t get included in the original event, so we’d love you to go look at it as well.

Hello Stampendous Friends! It’s time for another inspiration with Asia King . Today I am playing with Becky Higgins’ Project Life. My super talented DT Sisters have recently provided lots of inspirational eye candy for you with their Project Life pages – in case you missed it, be sure to check it out here. Project Life is all about celebrating your every day stuff so I decided to scrap about the thing that ‘happens’ to me every day….(except the weekends! lol) – my job. One of the things I love about crafting is that it’s a way of recharging my batteries after a challenging day. Crafting helps me to ‘leave’ my work behind. So you might say that scrapping about my work would defeat the object lol .

That’s why in my page I wanted to focus on the ‘little’ things I enjoy about my work place, like beautiful aubretias trailing down the wall nearby, sipping coffee from my ‘Best Wife in the World’ mug (given to me by my hubby, just to clarify!) or shopping in the new Polish deli shop at lunch time. But most importantly – all the lovely people I work with whose optimism and sense of humour really brighten my days .

Let’s start with the supply list:

Stamps: Cling Typing Elements, Cling Phone Elements, Cling Blossom Spray, Perfectly Clear Smashing Notes, Perfectly Clear Big Top Type, Perfectly Clear Vintage Lowercase, Perfectly Clear Vintage Uppercase.

Essentials: Aged Wine Embossing Enamel, Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel, Stamp N Bond powder, Sunflower Micro Glitter, White Detail Embossing Powder.

Other: Project Life page protector – Design A, coffee spritzed papers, alcohol ink markers, clear embossing ink, Sepia or Coffee Archival ink, Black Memento ink, ColorBox chalk inks, selection of photos.

1. Spritz some coffee over white card and allow to dry.

2. Cut two panels from the coffee card to the size of your journaling pockets.

3. Stamp the Typing Elements and the Phone Elements onto your journaling cards with brown ink.

4. Stamp Blossom Spray along the edges and in corners with black Memento ink.

5. Stamp the word ‘office’  in Google colours onto scrap coffee papers with a selection of alpha stamps and using ColorBox inks. Add to your photo some additional journaling and a ‘Google maps’ pin.

6. Colour the flowers with the alcohol ink markers.

7. Stamp an accent letter from the Vintage Uppercase set with clear embossing ink and sprinkle the image with Stamp N Bond powder. Warm the heat gun for a few seconds then heat the powder just until it melts.

8. Quickly sprinkle the image with the Sunflower Micro Glitter. Press the glitter with your fingers to aid bonding.

9. Fix the letter to your card with small staples.

10. Sprinkle your cards sparingly with Aged Wine and Aged Ivory embossing enamels. Heat the powders from underneath.

11. Stamp various expressions from the Smashing Notes set directly onto your photos using clear embossing ink. Heat emboss with White Detail embossing powder.

As you can see, these Elements stamps are just perfect for everyday life scrapbooking, especially documenting your office/working endeavours. Their vintage look adds a really quirky contrast against their modern ‘equivalents’ .

Thank you for popping in here today and I hope you enjoyed reading about this project. As always, I’d love to know what  you think!

Happy crafting!

Big hugs

Asia

Flower Power Layout – by Asia King

No need to adjust your computer monitors – yes, I am sharing a scrapbook page again . Hello, Asia here and today I’d like to share two tips with you. First, how to use Fran-tage ‘blinkies’ to embellish your layouts and second, printing your photos on a transparency for a cool 3D effect.

For my layout I stamped several images from the cling Jumbo Spring Bouquet, Violets and Single Butterfly sets. Some were heat embossed with the Gold Detail Embossing Powder and Aged Rose Embossing Enamel. After colouring the images with Inktense pencils I fussy cut them along the flowers from my K&Co patterned papers.

I wanted my photo to have a 3D look, as if ‘blending’ me and my sweet niece amongst all the flowers. To achieve that I printed the photo onto a printable acetate. Printing on transparencies has endless possibilities – just remember to print on the correct, rough side . I then matted my photo with a patterned paper before adhering it to the page on raised foam pads.

On my layout you can see a few different ways of using Fran-tage products for scrapbooking. The Fran-tage beauties do not have to be limited to the encrusted jewel technique. On my page I incorporated them in the following ways:

1. Using Leaf Green Colour Fragments and double sided sticky tape I created a border around one of the paper panels.

2. Next I swiped Boss Gloss sparingly over the green colour fragments and heat embossed it with Aged Rose Embossing Enamel.

3. I sprinkled layers of Champagne Crushed Glass Glitter and Rose Colour Fragments over Beacon’s 3in1 Adhesive  to create a frame for the photo and decorative corners.

Thank you for visiting today and I look forward to seeing you next week!

Big hugs

Asia

Project Life – Even more fun with Stampendous!!

Becky Higgins’ Project Life has taken the craft and scrapbooking world by storm. Lots of folks have embraced the commitment to simply scrapbook one single page or a two page layout of ordinary life per week. A way to celebrate all that is normal and right with your world, or even the special occasions or big events that happen with some normal life in between.  Here’s the Project Life Philosophy -

The Project Life system includes divided page protectors, books for them, and little, pre-printed cards you slip into pockets next to your photos. It’s designed to be easy and quick for folks who think they don’t have the time for more “creative” scrapbooking.

But what if you have lots of stamps, glitter, glue, and creativity? What if you love embossing, Fran•táging, and breaking out all those goodies you’ve collected? Yep, you can use the Project Life approach, too! You can embrace the trend, AND use your stash!!

We asked Becky Higgins to send us some Project Life Page Protectors, and we challenged our Design Team to see if they could document real, everyday life using Stampendous stamps and other products in the little compartments of the Project Life system! It was out of their comfort zone a bit, but we think you’ll be amazed as always at what they’ve created!  Pop over today to Janelle Stollfus’ blog and then come back tomorrow for some more inspiration. Be sure to leave comments and we’ll have LOTS of Project Life Page protectors to send to some lucky winners along with some cool Stampendous products for documenting your everydays and special days!

Janelle Stollfus

Create Mixed Media Event – May 29 – June 2

We’re extremely excited to announce that we’re going to be a part of the CREATE Mixed Media Event coming soon to Irvine, California.

For 5 days artists from all realms of mixed media creation will visit Irvine for an opportunity to teach and learn a huge variety of craft styles and play with all sorts of projects and products. Amazing instructors will guide folks as they learn metal working, journal techniques, doll making, jewelry crafts, printmaking, mixed media stitching… OH WOW!

On Friday evening an Artist Faire will be open where all sorts of mixed media craft supplies will be available for sale to the public. Attendance at the rest of the retreat is not necessary and there is no fee to enter the Artist Faire and surround yourself with the most delectable goodies imaginable. Stampendous will be there showcasing our Fran•táge Embossing Enamels, Crushed Glass Glitters, Micro Glitters, Mica Fragments, Color Fragments and on and on. Fran Seiford, our Owner and Chief Artistic Officer will be on hand providing a rare public demonstration of the fantastic way these products combine to work with any other mixed media creations and add that special something!  Do join us for this rare treat.

You can find out more about the Artist Faire and about the retreat (there’s still space!) by clicking the logo above! We hope you’ll join us!

Anchors aweigh! Pushing the boat out onto Stampendoulicious waters…by Asia King

Ahoy Stampendous friends! Asia here with a new project to inspire you and to err…. push the boat out so to speak! Today I would like to share a mixed media canvas that features lots of Fran•táge, my beloved napkin art, and a new technique for me – Faux Airbrushing (as featured in the UK’s Craft Stamper magazine March 2013). Let’s cast off and get underway!

Step 1 – supplies:

- blank 8″x8″ canvas

- set of printed napkins with nautical theme

- Decopatch glue, an old brush, fine art sponge (or a regular washing sponge as long as it has fine holes)

- distress inks: Shaded Lilac (not included on the photo), Faded Jeans, Broken China, Pumice Stone

- stencil with various sized circles. I created mine from acetate and die cut Nestabilities circles. You can later use your die cut circles as masks.

You will also need:

- Stampendous Cling Navigateur stamp

- Coffee Archival ink

- Inktense (or water colour) pencils, water brush

- ivory card and a piece of ivory fabric, scissors, paper distresser

Step 2 – covering your canvas:

- peel the top printed ply of your napkin, cut and arrange the pattern on the canvas.

- adhere to the canvas with Decopatch glue, covering all the sides as well. Don’t worry about small creases – let the glue settle for a minute and then smooth the creases gently with your fingers.

- avoid adding any glue on top of the napkins at this stage. You will want to keep the napkin unsealed with the medium.

Now you are ready to add some bubbles!

Step 3 – water bubbles:

- pinch your sponge so you get a nice round tip

- gradually add inks by gentle tapping/dabbing of the sponge through the stencil. Dabbing with the sponge instead of swiping it in a circular motion will create a gradual ‘dotted’ effect, similar to airbrushing (hence the name of the technique)

- to create the ‘bubble look’ keep the centre of the circle uninked. Then depending on your chosen light direction add more ink to opposite sides to create shading

- add layers of overlapping circles. Use your (previously) die cut circles as masks to add more shading. Depending on the location of the shade you can either bring the bubble forward or set it behind another

- work the inks from lightest to the darkest shade

Step 5 – Bling it on!

- swipe Boss Gloss (or an embossing ink pad) along the edges of the canvas> Leave some areas uninked

- cover with Aged Marine Embossing Enamel, tap off the excess, heat set then allow to cool

- swipe embossing ink over the remaining areas overlapping previously embossed parts

- sprinkle with Shabby Blue Embossing Enamel and heat set

- using the technique shown by my fellow BlogStar Tobi in this post randomly add layers of  Champagne, Steel Blue, Royal Blue Crushed Glass Glitter and Powder Blue Colour Fragments

- stamp bunting images onto fabric with a permanent ink. I used a free stamp from July 2012 issue of the Craft Stamper magazine. Alternatively draw several bunting flags with a Sharpie pen and cut out. Adhere to the canvas with hot glue gun and embellish with a string or ribbon.

Step 5: Main panel

- stamp Cling Navigateur onto ivory card with Coffee Archival

- colour the image with Inktense pencils or alcohol markers

- add water bubbles following the same steps as above

- distress the edges of the panel with paper distresser

- using the encrusted jewel technique add Shabby White highlights to the image

Step 6:

- stamp Cling Better Travel sentiment stamp with embossing ink onto acetate

- heat emboss with Black Detail embossing powder

- trim the acetate close to the sentiment

Step 7:

- glue burlap, cheese cloth, buttons and trinkets to the canvas

- crumple the stamped panel slightly and layer over the fabrics

- once in place, seal the image with a layer of Decopatch glue (it will dry clear)

Step 8:

- embellish further with Glossy Accents bubbles

- add highlights to your design with buttons and glass pebbles – can you see my cute ‘ship in a bottle’ below?

Inspiration photo credit

I would love to see your take on the Stampendoulicious ‘Faux Airbrushed’ projects so get crafting and let me know what you create!

Oh, and if you’d like to see more of the close up photos of my project, feel free to hop over to my blog .

I hope you enjoyed today’s inspiration and I look forward to seeing you again next week .

Big hugs

Asia

Tree Poem and Alcohol Inks by Rhea Weigand

Hi, Rhea here again, and today I am bringing you another tutorial with Stampendous. we are going to use CRR164 Tree Poem and Adirondack Alcohol Inks to make your background paper.

The Tree Poem stamp was designed by Fran Seiford of Stampendous using a poem by Lisa Hindsley,  and it is lovely.  The stamp is great for a little note card like I’ve done today or a beautiful tag or better yet mixed media.

Today’s project is quick and easy, taking about 30 minutes.

This is a simple clean note card with a finished inside as well. The background is done with Ranger alcohol inks on glossy cardstock and that’s about it.  The stamp is so lovely I didn’t want to add anything else to it.

You will need a blending tool with pad, you can see it in the the photo.  I prefer to use Krylon 18K Gold Leafing Pen vs. the metallic mixatives from the ink collection.  I get my pen from Jo~Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

These inks can be purchased in most large craft chains and smaller stamp stores.  The colors I used for this project are Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Stream, and Bottle. Slate is in the photo but I didn’t use it.  I always have Slate out in case I want to tone the colors down or deepen them.  It is a must have color.

I worked one color at a time with this project going from top to bottom overlapping just a bit as you can see.  You want to change your pads with each color sorry…keep your colors true on this project.

Now that the first coat is done we are ready to move to the 2nd coat.  This coat you will have to move fast when applying…

Get your yellow ready on your tool and pad.  With the Gold pen dot a couple of places far apart with the gold pen.  Only a couple.   Now quickly work the yellow ink.  See how the gold leaf pen reacts with the alcohol ink? Pretty cool, huh?  It makes it look like marble.  Especially when you get into the darker colors.  Repeat this process for all the colors.

Apply a third coat if you want to deepen your colors, the gold pen will still react.  I did a third coat.

When you are happy let it dry.  You can heat set it if you like.

Now we are going to emboss our image.  But we have to make sure it is really dry.   It can take a little bit because of the leafing pen.  I heat set mine and let set for a while or let it set over night just to be safe.

I used Stampendous Clear Bark Embossing Powder.  You do want to use a fine detailed powder because of the words on this image and all the fine details.

For the inside of the card, using Toffee Crunch Memento ink by Tsukineko,  stamp only the leaves.  I used kraft paper.

Cut to fit inside of card for note.

Finish with a little twine or ribbon.

I hope you enjoyed today’s little tutorial on the Tree Poem.  I would love to read your thoughts and comments.  See you next time!!!  - Rhea

Here is a list of Products

Clear Bark Embossing Powder	CRR164 Tree Poem	Versamark Embossing Ink	Super Smooth Classic Crest from Neenah
Adirondack Alcohol Inks	Large Rectangle Acrylic Handle

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