Guest Blogger - Alicia!

This week's Guest Blogger is my good friend Alicia from 'Pieces of Me', and one of my Stampers 12 group.

1. When did you start 'stamping'?

Umm I think this March will be 3 years?

2. Which companies do you prefer/tend to stamp with and why?

The majority of my products are from Stampin Up, mostly because I belong to a Stampers 12 group. We meet monthly and have a minimum purchase of $25 for each class! I think it will be 3 years this March that I have been in this group, so you can imagine I have quite the inventory now!

3. What is your favorite technique?

Well I guess what you will see in most of my cards is a lot of paper layering! I like to use lots of different papers in each card.

4. What is your favorite colour combination to work with?

I don't think I have a favortie, I like the soft subtle colors best from Stampin Up. But after this project I am done with pink for a while!

5. What is your favorite stamp set in your collection and why?

This is tough! I really like Friendship Blooms from Stampin Up, becase the flowers are kinda modern and different, and can be used in a lot of ways!

6. Is there a stamp you wished you owned?

Haha, lots!

7. What project are you currently working on?

Just finished my 5 all occasion cards in pink for a contest I had on my blog! The readers that guested the sex of my baby got put into draw to win 5 all occasion cards in the winning sexes color! So yes I am having a girl! And the lovely Ann www.tragicoptimist.wordpress.com was the winner.

8. What technique would you still like to learn more about?

How to use my freakin scalloped edge punch! grrr that thing pisses me off.

9. Is there a blog out there that inspires you to be more creative?

ahhh I guess this one, it is the only card/stamp related blog I read!

10. What other hobbies do you have outside of stamping?

I like to draw, photography, read and write on my blog!

Last but not least, a photo of your project please and a description of what and how you made it :)

Well since I had to make 5 cards for this project, I basically laid out on my table all the inks, accessories, pens, buttons and paper that I had in pink. Then I would pick an occassion, grab 1 or 2 stamp sets that went with that occasion and then just let my imagination go! I rarely plan out a card, I just start cutting and stamping till volia! The master piece is complete. I won't go into all the details of the items I used in these cards, cause that would take all day! But if you see something you like, let me know and I will tell you what I used!

Thanks!
Alicia

Thanks Alicia for posting! Your cards are awesome!

Make a Scene - Card Challenge #?

My Mom called today and asked if I would like to give anything to an Aunt of mine who is ill, as my parents are making a special trip to see her tomorrow. My answer? For sure I would! Here is the card I came up with (using my new Starving Artistamps of course!):

Colours: SU Elegant Eggplant & More Mustard as well as stickers from the 'Simply Sent' Card Kit.

Punches: SU Scallop Edge Punch

Buttons: SU Button Bouquet

Starving Artistamp: Rupert (isn't he sweet)?

Want to see a close up of Rupert? I thought so...

So, your challenge is to make a card that has a scene! I have put up a new link on the sidebar so you can easily find this post and leave a comment with a link to your finished card. Have fun!

*Check this out! I was so flattered to find out they linked up my Tutorial post! Thanks Tracey :)

Applying Rubber Stamps to Acrylic Blocks

My very first tutorial for you all!

I was so excited last week when my Starving Artistamps Creatures arrived in the mail. But I quickly realized I was unsure what to do with them. They were a fantastic price (just over $3 each) because you only get the rubber - no cushion or wood block. I hadn't thought about the cushion part and thought I could hire my husband (a carpenter) to make blocks for me. Wrong. Ok, perhaps it could have been done with contact cement, but then you still have the cushion issue, and a water solubility issue. So I did some Googling.

That led me to needing to venture into the arena of Acrylic Blocks. I have always used wood based stamps so had no idea what to do. I quickly found out I needed a product called EZ-Mount. Unfortunately EZ-Mount googling for retailers in Calgary turned up nothing. And I didn't want to have to place an order online and wait even longer to use these fantastic sets. So I headed to Michaels today. They have plain acrylic blocks, but nothing for mounting (a word to the wise). So I went to a local Scrapbooking store. Not only did they have the EZ Mount, but they had the acrylic blocks at half the price of Michaels! Woohoo!

So, here we go:

Supplies needed - Acrylic block, rubber stamp & Thin EZ Mount (supposedly it is also sold in thick, there just wasn't that option at the store I was at).

The instructions were all written out on the EZ Mount which was great. First, you peel back the adhesive layer and stick on all of your rubber stamps.

Then cut them out using your rubber scissors (I used my SU Craft Rubber Scissors) as close to the stamps as possible.

Then peel back the static layer, and apply to the acrylic block! The nice thing is that once you are done stamping, the rubber stamp peels off ready to be replaced with the next one you wish to use. One block and a multitude of stamps. Excellent.

Here's the stamped image result:

I shouldn't really compare the wood versus acrylic given I have only stamped using an acrylic block once. But, I did find it to not be quite as comfortable in your hand which might be a tad uncomfortable if you were doing a multitude of cards. Thankfully there is also the option with Starving Artistamps to buy some of their sets wood mounted. You just pay a higher fee.

Now to use this monkey on a card.... off to do some work :)

Christmas Card Hiatus

I apologize for my lack of exciting posts these past few days, and for the next few to come. I am hunkered down and focused on getting my Christmas cards made. Alas it is December 1st and they are no where near ready to be mailed.

Wish me luck. I am going to be very glittered at the end of it all.

Oh, and those very awesome stamps up for grabs? Yep, they went to poster #2 who is also my Mom. Lucky lady. My answer to the riddle was rug. But railing was also very clever!