Combining my two hobbies -- Stitching and Stamping!

Most people think of card making when you mention rubber stamps but there is so much more you can do with your stamps! A year ago I wrote a blog showing that you can stamp on coffee mugs and now I've been Stamping Outside the Paper again by using fabric.

I had a challenge from an embroidery group I am a member of (Counties Embroiderers' Guild) to stitch something on a square of fabric using three assigned colours. I was given red and two shade of purple threads as well as a small piece of even-weave fabric to work with. At first I had trouble trying to think of what to stitch as I usually work with embroidery kits or from instructions. Then I had an 'AHA!' moment when I realised I can stamp on fabric.

I had never done this before but I've seen pictures online of projects like bags, shirts, towels and coasters stamped with StazOn black ink so I decided to give it a try. The hardest part was choosing which stamp set to use for this project. I chose the large butterfly from the Beautiful Day stamp set, which is now retired.

I use StazOn black ink to stamp the image because it is a permanent ink which works well on non-porous surfaces. I liked the look of the large spaces on the butterfly image as they would be easy to fill in with the three colours I had to work with.

I first stitched the centre parts of each wing with solid red thread using a long and short stitch. Since I didn't want the same colour to be touching each area of the wings I combined a couple coloured threads to create a varigated looked on some parts of the wings. I used the dark purple thread to outline the wings and create a contrasting body for the butterfly.

I am very happy with how this project turned out. If you are like me and enjoy stitching as well as stamping then you should try using your stamps on some fabric. I'd love to see what you create!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #CreativeTherapy #KeepStamping #RubberStamping #Embroidery #Stitching

How to make a fabric face mask you can stamp on!

Now that things are slowly moving towards a 'new normal' I am gearing up to have crafting classes in my home again. To protect my students as well as myself, I decided we should all wear face masks while crafting in close proximity.

I looked online to learn how to make homemade face masks and once I found a design I liked, which I could easily make with materials I have here at home, I got started on sewing the masks. However, being a creative person I had to decorate them as well!

I started with a 5" x 9" (12.5 cm x 22.5 cm) rectangle piece of material which was not porous and had a flat surface so I could stamp on it. I marked 2" (5 cm) in from each corner and connected the marks with a diagonal line which I then cut off as shown in my video.

I folded down each long side 1.5" (3.8 cm) and ironed it in place, making a crease. I then folded over each short end twice to make a sleeve for the ribbon and sewed it in place. Next I folded back the long sides and placed a few small stitches on an angle to make a pleat which created a 3-D effect. You could even colour the image in with permanent pen like Stampin' Blends to make it prettier.

To finish up I pulled the ribbon through each sleeve, leaving a loop on the bottom of the face mask. After placing a bead on the ends of the ribbon I was able to secure them with a double knot. To wear the face mask, place the loop over your head and around the back of your neck. Tie the ribbon into a bow on the top of your head to hold the mask in place.

I hope you are able to follow my instructions and will make your own face mask to stay safe and healthy. Don't forget to decorate it with your favourite rubber stamp!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #Punches #Covid19 #FaceMask 

Magic Colour Slider Cards

I've seen lots of videos of magic colour slider cards online and I have been wanting to try this technique for a long time. I finally found a stamp set that lends itself to this technique; the Dressed To Impress Photopolymer Stamp Set. The solid outline images are perfect for colouring in which is why I used them for my cards.

I modified the way I made my cards from those I'd seen online so that they aren't too bulky. Most videos I watched used dimensionals to pop up the front so that the window sheet slid more easily. Also the videos I watched didn't make cards, per se, they only made the fronts which did not open however you could write your message on the back.

After a long night's thinking -- which is why I don't get much sleep -- I came up with an idea to use designer series paper on the front to hold the sliding mechanism. I also didn't like that the space was left blank after pulling the window sheet up to reveal the coloured image, so I decided to stamped on the rest of the window sheet which turned it into a hidden message!

I created my first card with the lipstick image and the sentiment that fits it perfectly -- Be As Bold As Your Lipstick! I chose a colour combination to match the Stampin' Blends I used for the lipstick: Rich Razzleberry, Lovely Lipstick and Smoky Slate. I used the layering ovals for the cutout and to make a frame in Lovely Lipstick. I also used white embossing powder for the sentiment on the front of the card and the little arrow on the pull tab. The inside of the card has a sentiment from the Stitched All Around Cling-Mount Stamp Set.

Once I completed my first card I had lots of ideas to do more cards so I decided to create a video showing how to make one. My second card used the shoe stamp and the matching Best Dressed DSP. This time I chose Granny Apple Green, Lovely Lipstick and Purple Posy for my colours which match some of the colours in the DSP.

The video (below) shows how to make the card and mentions the dimensions however I had to make a few adjustments since this was a landscape card which I hadn't tried to make before. In the video I explain how to figure out measurements for different sized apertures.

Here are the measurements I used for both cards:

*** Standard A6 card size base = 14.8 cm x 21 cm scored at 10.5 cm (5-3/4" x 4-1/8")

*** Whisper White cardstock (two pieces -- inside and front) = 14.3 cm x 10 cm (5-5/8" x 4")

*** Designer Series Paper = 14.3 cm x 10 cm (5-5/8" x 4")

*** Whisper White cardstock for insert = 14 cm x 8 cm (5-1/2" x 3-1/8")

*** Window Sheet for insert = 14 cm x 8 cm (5-1/2" x 3-1/8")

*** Scrap piece of cardstock for the sentiment on the front, the aperture frame, and the pull tab.

You can see a list of the products used under the description on my YouTube video.

After making this video I realised I didn't have to stamp the second image on the window sheet since I could have just cut it out of the white cardstock and glued it to the window sheet instead because you won't be seeing the bottom of the white insert.

I now have another idea for making a different magic colour slider card which will use less window sheet so . . . watch this space!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #Stamparatus #DressedToImpress #MagicColorCard #SaleABration #LovelyLipstick

Stamping Outside the Paper!

I know the title of my blog is Papercraft Addiction, but sometimes I need to do crafting without paper. Crazy thought, I know! However I did used ink and stamps, so it's still a hand-craft.

I watched a video online and then attended my upline's technique class to learn how to stamp on to a ceramic mug. The main things you need to know to do this technique are that you use StazOn ink and bake the mug at 180 degrees Celsius for at least 20 minutes to make the ink stick to the mug. You can then colour the image with Stampin' Blends and re-bake it to fix the ink to the mug. However I am not sure the image would stay on if you wash the mug in a dishwasher, but I don't have one so I can't test that theory.

At the class I attended I was able to get a good image after only a couple tries and then I was asked to help other students as I seemed to have mastered the technique. I was so impressed with how easy it seemed that I went out and bought 10 mugs so I could make some to sell at my monthly craft markets.

Well, I don't know what happened from when I learned the technique to the day I tried to stamp my own mugs because it seemed so simple before, but when I was doing it at my own home I kept having problems. Fortunately I could wipe off the ink before it dried and try, try, try, try again!

I think my first problem was that I attempted to put too many images on the mug in one go. The mug kept slipping and smearing the images. I then decided to only use a couple of stamps and eventually I got an image that I was happy with. I thought I had finally figured out the correct pressure, angle, and speed, but no! I continued to wipe off more ink than I kept on the mugs.

I would say this technique is best for patient people or stubborn ones like me, as I was determined to get all 10 mugs stamped! My frustrations were increasing as I couldn't understand why it had been so easy the first time I did it only the week before.

I learned a lot from my mistakes though, like the images don't go on straight because the mug is curved. That is why most of my sentiments are at quirky angles, but I think it looks like it was meant to be that way. At least that's my story and I'm sticking with it!

Finally with multiple adjustments in stamp placement . . . trying it while standing . . . trying it while sitting . . . rolling the mug from the left . . . from the right . . . and even backwards . . . I was finally able to get all 10 mugs stamped and baked.

The next step was to colour them. Although after having so much trouble stamping the images I was afraid of messing them up, but I persevered. I used the Stampin' Blends to colour each mug. I started with the easy one -- the panda holding a balloon. Then I coloured the daffodils and discovered that even though the mugs had been 'heat set' in the oven the Blends would smear the black ink if I rubbed too hard or too long in one spot.

After a bit of a learning curve, I finally got the hang of how to colour each mug without ruining the image. I even found out that the Color Lifter works like an eraser to remove the ink, even the black ink which had already been baked on. It was really handy in fixing some of the smeared images. And if I didn't like the colour/shade I used I could go over it with a different colour and the previous ink would come off.

So here are the final, coloured mugs which I hope to sell at my markets. I am a bit worried that the images will come off when the mugs are washed so I think I will add a note to them saying they should be gently hand-washed.

Since I didn't use paper maybe I should change the name of my blog to Stamping Addiction or Try Try Again Crafting or Trying Crafter or just Stubborn Crafter Who Won't Give Up! What do you think?

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