Friday, June 24, 2011

Swartalheim (Day of Adventure)

My rune for the day is Ehwaz (horse). This is an appropriate rune for the day since it is related to travel. It is also interesting that this is the Swartalheim – Day of Adventure. We were supposed to meet friends for dinner at a restaurant. It turns out there are four different restaurants all with the same name. I was at one and they were at another. What an adventure that was!

Today we went to Stampfest in Kissimmee. Some friends went with us. Tonight was the Make N Take. There were 16 vendors (Just For Fun had three tables). I was afraid of overdoing it and I didn’t rush around.  Carole and I went to the Make N Take Friday night. There were 16 vendors (Just For Fun had three different tables) and it was probably one of the better Make N Takes. I posted pictures of my finished cards and my purchases in my artwork photo album.  We had a great time and I was so glad I was well enough to go. This is the list of vendors that participated:

Marco’s Paper – Tweety Jill: we made collage tags using her two new Halloween sets. One is a Vintage Halloween set (16 stamps) and the other is a Trick or Treat set (18 stamps). They are new and I just had to have them both. I also bought the TJ Vintage Halloween Collage Pack. http://www.marcopaper.com/

Sarasota Stamps:  Debbie has these great open design stamps. She stamped and embossed the image of a crab on black paper. With a waterbrush filled with bleach, the crab became almost white. Then using pearlescent metallic paints, the image was colored. By using the bleach and removing the black, less paint was needed. I had to skip the bleach portion because of my breathing issue but Debbie was kind enough to give me the image to color later.  I bought the crab, a flamingo sitting in a martini glass, and three snow people in a bucket. I can’t wait to make holiday cards using them!

Stamp On it: At this table kits were made using Geo Dies. We then used this thin brass strips to flatten the lattice patterns to create these amazing patterns. Once the lattice was folded they were tucked behind each other and then we used a brayer to make the folds crisper. To finish the card we used outline stickers on the center of the design and the corners of the card. If you haven’t seen these dies, this is their link: http://www.stamponit.net/products.php?category=18&secondary=52

Sweet Stamps: At this table we used dye inks to stamp. We colored the image using a waterbrush and the ink inside the lid of the ink. This was a trick I learned a long time ago at the Paper Playhouse. On a strip of brown paper, we used a flourish type stamp with white pigment ink to create a random background pattern.  The large round circles provided but it looked like Spellbinders Grand Scallop Circles. It was a very elegant square card. I bought four colors of Smooch Ink (pumpkin, melon, and tuxedo, sunflower) and a pearlescent top coat. http://www.sweetstamps.com/

Sparkle N Sprinkle: I thought it was only fitting that I start the Make N Take with Margaret and Jill. We used Pistachio glitter and ¾” tape. We used a border punch and placed the tape behind the border edge and liberally poured the glitter over the exposed tape. We then stamped the sentiment in Versamark and covered with White Detail embossing powder and heat set. This was then attached to the card base and a white organza ribbon tied around the front. We learned that if you apply a little heat from the heat gun to the organza ribbon it will begin to shrivel. It is an unusual look and I plan on doing it again. http://sparklensprinkle.com/

Endless Creations: At this table we made a round card. Some of the circles were plain and some of them were scalloped. The cardstock was from The Paper Cut. It’s nice to know you can buy these already cut shapes. We stamped a frog with black ink on green paper and used scissors to cut out. On a white circle we stamped flies with black ink and sponged blue ink to create a sky affect. On white paper we stamped the sentiment with black ink and used a punch to cut it out. There is a sentiment on the inside the card, “Hope your birthday is toad-ally cool.” http://www.shopec.com/store/index.php3

Repeat Impressions: this was a side step card. The yellow cardstock was pre-cut and pre-scored. We stamped sunflowers along the left side and across the bottom. On white paper we stamped a sunflower and a sentiment with black ink. The sunflower was colored with markers and small yellow die cut flowers were glued together, the center colored with a brown marker and attached to the top of the card. http://www.repeatimpressions.com/

Heartfelt Creations: The most interesting part of this table was the instructors were both young men. This card was made from a Grand Nestabilities. The stamped flowers were also die cuts. We stamped a flower image with burgundy colored ink onto white cardstock then rubbed gold ink over the embossed oval die cut and used pop-dots to attach it over the flowers. Using a stylus, we turned the flowers over and made circles on each of the petals before moving to the center. Then we turned the flowers over and made circles in the middle of the flower. This created a realistic look to flowers. The flowers were attached with pop-dots over the stamped image and then a pink pearl was placed in the center of each flower. http://www.heartfeltcreations.us/

Rubbernecker Stamps: At this table we used sponges and distressed inks to create a beach scene. First we used Antique Linen and rubbed the sponge to create a “v” shape on watercolor paper. Then we used Tumbled Glass and a mask to color the water. We used a scalloped edge cardstock as a mask to make clouds. We then stamped a fence and sand dots in Vintage Photo, grasses in Peeled Paint. It is amazing the overall effect knowing it was created mostly with a sponge. http://www.rubbernecker.com/

Me & Carrie Lou: We were given a tea cup that was embossed in gold on watercolor paper. We colored the image by using markers and a waterbrush. After the image was colored, we cut it out and attached it using pop-dots. This was a similar technique that they used for the past two years (the first was a hydrangea and last year was a purple flower colored then covered with Flower Soft). http://meandcarrieloustamps.com/2/

Stamps N’ More: This was a cute idea. We were given tan and dark brown papers and a miniature candy. We stamped a fairy and sentiment with black ink. Then using markers and a blender pen we colored the fairy. Once colored, we used the Smooch pearlescent top coat ink. The sentiment was really funny, “About that Wish… You mentioned Dark, Sweet, Rich… No Problem!” The miniature candy was attached inside the card with a pop-dot. http://www.stampsnmore.com/

Tessler Stamps/Stencils: We made necklaces using a small glass square, a liquid glue, rice/washi paper and holographic paper. We used the glue brush to apply glue to the holographic paper then attached the rice paper. We had to decide what part of the rice paper we wanted to see under the glass then we used the glue brush on the rice paper. Then the glass square was placed over the glue. Once the glass square wasn’t moving, we turned it over then brushed glue on the back to attach the bale. They gave us a clothes pin to hold it while the glue was setting. They even gave us a silver chain to hang it. What a great technique. I would do this again! http://www.scrapbookusaca.com/merchant.mvc

Local King Rubber Stamps: This is a newcomer to Stampfest. They are from Vancouver Canada and were extremely nice. I absolutely love this company! They gave us a product catalog (selling at their booth for $7.99) as a thank you for attending their table at the Make N Take. The card we made used different techniques. The first thing we did was ink the background stamp and placed the paper on the stamp and rubbed lightly. What a great way of using oversized stamps. We were shown a different way to color a stamp using markers. We selected four colors (one color was black) starting with the lightest color rubbed the ink over the stamp. With the second color we rubbed it again on the stamp but not necessarily all over and repeated this with the next color. For the black marker, we tapped the color in a random pattern. She told us not to think about it. Then we stamped the image on a small piece of glossy paper (we could use either side – I used the matte side). When we lifted the stamp we couldn’t believe the result. It was beautiful! I bought Sewing and Stitching set for my friend Mary Lou’s birthday. For me I bought: Thankful Flowers (this had an outline pattern and solid pattern of the same image), Welcome Inn (a door, window and basket of flowers), Relaxing (a window/door chair and two sentiments – one is, “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person”), and Hooters (a set of owls). http://shop.vendio.com/localkingrubberstamp

Just For Fun – 1:  We made a luggage tag using Distressed Stain. I haven’t seen this product yet and they didn’t have it at the show. So I am not sure how much it is. It comes in a bottle with a dauber on the top. We rubbed the dauber over the tag and blotted it on paper to remove an excess ink. Then we stamped a floral image with black in and stamped it on the tag. We turned the tag over and used a magic stamp (the blue foam block that had a swirl pattern on it) and stamped with Wild Plum and stamped the same floral image. Then we pulled a ribbon through the hole at the top.  http://www.jffstamps.com/

Just For Fun – 2: Postage Stamp technique with decorative paper or used greeting cards. We placed a template over the decorative paper and drew a line around the openings in the template. Using stamp decorative scissors we cut around the lines and then attached these pieces to a piece of cardstock stamped with a postage stamp lines. After the pieces were attached, we used the scissors to cut out the square and attached it to the card base.

Just For Fun – 3: Another Postage Stamp technique. This one involved using the template and stamping images over the template. We stippled Butterscotch at the top and Lettuce at the bottom and then stamped grass. We then stamped an Inch worm and a sentiment. We removed the template and cut out the postage strip and attached it to the card base. With a Pearl Pen (I had to buy one because I liked it so much!), we made pearls on the worm. I had a problem stamping the sentiment because I kept catching the edge of the stamp so I placed two quilled roses to hide the mark.

The Paper Cut: By the time I got to this table it was five minutes to 10pm and it was too late to start but I was given a kit. When I got home I took out the papers and followed the instructions. The cardstock was pre-scored and pre-cut. Since I didn’t have any of their sentiments, I used some from Sparkle N Sprinkle and some Got Flowers? It was a step card with the step in the middle instead of the side. http://www.thepapercut.com/

Impression Obsession: This is where I met Rhonda. She showed me how to use the Rocker Stamps. What an innovative product! I can see this helping people that have a difficult time with oversized stamps. The first background was tiny bubbles stamped in green, the second background was larger bubbles stamped in blue. We then placed a template over a piece of white cardstock and drew a line around the opening. This was the guide for the shaker box. In this area we stamped waving lines (there was a debate at the table whether this was water or seaweed) and placed some confetti over the image and then placed the top of the shaker box over the confetti. The stamped background was attached using tape and the small red fish and blue sentiment was attached with pop-dots. http://www.impression-obsession.com/

1 comment:

Donna Ellis said...

Great photo of your goodies, and explanation of what you saw! Thanks, Dawn!