New flexible push molds for polymer clay, paperclay, etc.

Hi all, here's a few molds that have been added today:






They can be found at:
Nature Spirit Molds
and
Face Molds


ps. A few months ago I got some kittens to keep me company. I have to admit I've always been more of a dog person, but health wise I didn't think I'd be able to keep up with one. These kittens are cute, love to cuddle (for short periods of time before going to amuse themselves elsewhere) and are generally pretty low maintenance :)
Oh no! Kitten pictures!

News, cling cushion mounting foam, polymer clay push molds tutorial

Hi all, I'm happy to announce that my latest CTscan was all clear - My cancer has been in total remission and remains so! I've had some side effects from treatments, but they are entirely manageable. Everything pales in comparison to cancer, so I'm feeling very positive about it all :)

I've made some improvements to my website this week, including adding new buttons to the main store index along with a new product - cling cushion foam for mounting your unmounted rubber stamps. I put up step by step images on the mounting page.



Updates have been made to the flexible push mold instructions. I can't believe I have forgotten to add this string of images that shows just how easy it is to use polymer clay or paperclay with the molds. There is also a few extra pictures about painting your clay. I'm almost done with the example art for a few new molds, I'll make another post this week with the new designs.



ps. To address a question I received about coloring on Stampbord last week:
I have a random assortment of color pencils including Prismacolor, Crayola, Rose Art, Prang etc. They all seem to work comparably on the Stampbord surface. However, the color intensity is at its best when used on the plain white surface. I also make sure my pencils are well sharpened.



Once you add inks or paints to the Stampbord the color pencils will react differently. For instance, alcohol ink, depending on the color and thickness of application tends to dominate the surface. Any color pencil you use over it will be a few shades away from the base color. In other words, you'll still be able to color over it, but it will be more of a transparent tint. Here are some I did with alcohol ink, stazon then color pencil:





For instance, if the alcohol ink is yellow and your pencil is green, the color you might end up with is a light yellow-green. This is usually enough color for me, but you will never get full color intensity when using them over a colored surface. You may also try using different inks, like dye inks or watercolors to stain the surface, which have less of an impact on the saturation of color pencils.

ATC Stampbord rubber stamped wall art project

I recently discovered Stampbord which is a sturdy board (like compressed wood) with a white clay coating. What's super neat about it is you can stamp on it, use all sorts of ink, paint, pencils, markers etc. on it... Then you can take an etching/engraving/scratch tool and carve away the top layer to expose the white clay underneath. I love how easy it is to make highlights, like the light is shining on your artwork.

Anyway, I ordered some ATC size (2.5" x 3.5") Stampbord pieces online (they also come in domino 1"x2" size.) I covered the surface with alcohol inks, stamped with stazon, colored with color pencils and (optionally) put a thin coat of mod podge to protect the surface.



This board is very sturdy, so a regular hole punch won't work - but I used my Cropidile punch tool. That Cropidile is amazingly strong (can punch through tin, wood, chipboard etc.) The board is too thick to set eyelets in, but I glued them into the holes and added beads for hanging on my wall or door. A couple more images on this project on this rubber stamp sheets page.

I've got so much more to do, I'm a million years behind schedule on making example art for my rubber stamp pages.


--
Medical update:
On a personal note, I had a CT scan on friday and have another test on wednesday to screen for cancer. I should know within the next week or so if I'm still doing ok with the Hodgkins Lymphoma. I found out that the radiation treatment damaged my thyroid worse than I thought, so I've been pretty tired lately while my blood levels got all wonky. My new doctor is really nice though, I think I'm in good hands.

Need a gift in a hurry? Domino pendants in 3 minutes or less! + Cleaning tip for StazOn ink

I don't waste money on fancy cleaners. I don't like to waste a lot of time cleaning my stamps either. Instead I just keep a bottle of alcohol (regular medical rubbing alcohol, isopropyl) and a paper towel on my craft desk. Just dump a little alcohol on your paper towel and gently wipe off the StazOn ink from your stamps.



Two rubber stamp sheets (recycling and last domino pendant preview) are now available on the rubber stampspage. I've also added this super quick coloring method using StazOn ink pads on the domino jewelry instructions page.



Pick out a light ink pad color and stamp your background pattern. Optionally, before or instead of background stamping, you can colorize the domino surface by randomly dabbing on the StazOn ink. Use a q-tip dipped in alcohol to lighten the ink and rub it into the surface. This ink is usually dry enough to move onto the next step within a minute.



Stamp your main image with a darker ink over your colored background.



Optionally you can keep going and add additional accents like stamped patterned edges (used brilliance gold pigment ink here) or use a sharpie marker to color the edges, add glitter etc. Then glue on a pendant bail or dill your hole.

Something a little different.

I had an unexpected creative spurt last night after browsing some new vector tutorials and Adobe Photoshop digital artist sites. While I usually stick to a traditional Art Nouveau style, these new images mix in a more fashionably modern twist. I'm not sure if this style will appeal to my base, but they will be available as rubber stamps in a couple weeks.



I was also browsing for quotes yesterday hoping to find nice sayings for the future cards/example art. A few that I thought were pretty:
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched... but are felt in the heart." (Helen Keller)

"Don't be afraid to take one large step because you can't cross a chasm in two small leaps." (Davil Lloyd George)

"Happiness is the best makeup." (unknown)

KrystalKraft Clear Acrylic Pieces & New Domino Rubber Stamps

New product! With my most popular item being domino size rubber stamp sheets, I've decided to put out another one sooner than anticipated - #Bold-121 which will become available for sale in about 1 - 2 weeks (along with the recycling theme mini sheet I previewed in my last post.) I'll update again when they are posted with example art.




I've also been asked what else you can use the domino stamps on. I will be making a special page for the "everything but dominoes" tutorial including stamping on clay for pendants or mosaic tiles, UTEE (embossing powder) jewelry, using the stamps on paper for card panels, stampbord and acrylic pieces.



There has been a product I've always liked to use these stamps with, but found that since not very many stores carry them they are not well known. That's "KrystalKraft" clear acrylic pieces with one side that is pre-treated to accept a variety of inks & coloring media. It looks like frosted glass, but once it is inked/stamped/marker
colored/glittered/glued on etc. it becomes clear. Unlike regular acrylic, plastic or acetate products, KrystalKraft's treated surface is not slippery, making it easy to stamp or paint on for beginners. With a thickness of about 1/8" you can enjoy a glass-like appearance without the fragility!




I am now selling select styles of these acrylic charms, pendants, pin and mini journal kits on my website. If they do well I will be expanding the amounts of shapes I offer. You can check out the new product and tutorial page here: KrystalKraft Clear Acrylic Pieces to Rubber Stamp On!




Also, I have this terrible habit of writing my ideas for new projects and tutorials down on whatever scraps of paper I have laying on my desk. Finally, the pile became unbearable and I went through all my notes and copied them neatly onto one sheet. What I ended up with was a list of over 100 things I need to do, including plans for new stamp designs and at least 7 new tutorial pages for my website. It will take some time to get there, but I swear I'll get them all done!

Kimberly

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. An all natural gum rubber stamp sheet for green minded crafters.

With the economy at a low point I'm sure a lot more people are thinking about reducing the amount of items they buy, reusing old items and recycling trash for either the planet or for turning into new fun stuff. I plan to make a tutorial page of crafty projects you can make with stuff around the house, like soda bottle caps, soup cans, hard plastic from packaging materials etc.

To get me started in my green crafting I've designed a new earth friendly theme stamp sheet. I'll update with project ideas once the stamps become available in about 3 weeks.

Ps. The holiday sheet (gift-005 with the present fairy a couple posts back) became available on my website today.

How do you cut corners during this time of economic crisis?

How are you saving/making money?

I hate to admit it, as I was feeling optimistic for a long time, but I'm feeling the pinch from our economy being in shambles. I've had to work really hard to keep a loose grip on "middle class" standard of living throughout the years. Or at least whatever you call that "class" that is above poverty - the ones that can afford to eat what they want and have a car & insurance, but could never afford to own a home. I fear things getting worse if this trend continues for (many?) years.

In the past I've always believed that in America you can always make more money by working harder / being inventive / creative. Lately it seems much more difficult as good jobs disappear and the general public is trying to save money, so less spending goes to support businesses who are hurting. I don't really know how that cycle ends, but I certainly hope that our next president actually creates tangible change (even if that's not in his power, at least help our government stop wasteful spending.)

And as much as I hate to add to the problem, I was forced to apply for a new credit card this month so that I can pay for my next cancer test (a 4k petscan) and the unexpected expense of some root canals (how on earth can dentistry be this pricey?!)
It makes me feel bad that I can not live within my means, but I live in a cheap apartment with a roommate and I eat as inexpensively as possible for not eating garbage (no junk food here! I <3 Trader Joes.)

The lease agreement for my car is almost up (January) and I've moved to a much more public-transportation friendly town (Portland, OR.) Once I turn in my car I'm saying good-bye (forever?) to the expense of monthly car payments, insurance and gas. That should certainly help my budget! I'm hoping that some of you have also cut corners somehow or found a way to make extra cash and would like to share your tips? As it turns out, my roommate has a Costco membership so the next time we do grocery shopping I will see if there are things I regularly buy that I could get in bulk cheaper there.

I certainly don't want to sound like a sob story, but with this scale of economic stress I don't think it should be a secret when you're having a tough time and need ideas! I plan on opening an Etsy shop in addition to my Ebay store next month to sell some handmade jewelry (like the domino pendants and things I make for example art around my site.) I also hope that I've been of service to you all with my angel policy allowing you to sell your handmade items created from my rubber stamps or molds.

As a business I'd like to expand the products I offer. If you have anything design-wise you're looking for in stamps, I'd love to hear it. (I've gotten a couple requests for Skulls and unusual art in domino sizes, so that is coming soon.) Also, I have an account with Ranger Ink, so in the future I may stock some of their products. They make the Tim Holtz ink pads, distress paints, stickles glitter glues and alcohol inks along with a variety of other neat stuff like UTEE. I'm not sure what people who are already shopping at my site would be interested in the most though. I may carry jewelry supplies like acrylic charms or domino size stampbord for making rubber stamped jewelry. Do you have a product in mind that seems to fit in with my site?

It's been a hard week, the signs of businesses cutting back and people in need is tremendous. Everyone in our apartment complex got a note on their door today from the Oregon Food Bank, which is in charge of donating non-perishable food to families in need. I quote their letter "With the economy at a low point and the cost of gas driving up prices, the number of families needing assistance has skyrocketed - as much as 30% in some areas." There are now collection barrels all over my neighborhood. I'm sure I don't need to mention the stock market, as I'm sure you've heard about that roller coaster ride and this crazy bail out plan... but my bank (WAMU) went under, so all my credit cards and savings accounts have turned into Chase. Others of my money market accounts have been on a steady decline since last year, when I was earning 5% + interest, but now is closing in on 1% (it can go negative) so I've gotta pull my money out :(

Even the big companies I buy wholesale or services from are making obvious cut-backs. Yahoo this week announced a 1,500 person lay off, the second mass-firing this year. The company I buy my mold compound from has cut back on their packaging materials (I don't mind, I hate excess paper waste) but it's gone from nice big boxes with smaller cases all contained inside, to everything dumped in a small box. Thankfully the prices of products have not gone up yet, but since my items are made of rubber I worry about the rising cost at some point.

Super sorry for the long post. I really needed to get it off my chest and it's hard feeling alone when you're scared. I hope that instead of being bummed, this will help spark your creativity on ways to deal with this financial problem effecting so many of us. I also hope that the bright minded people out there are working hard on new inventions, creative projects and alternative energy that will help put the USA back on the right track. We can be great, let's show em how it's done!

Next post will be fun, light hearted and artsy I promise!!!

Kimberly


ps. Anyone out there (on the west coast) have independent dental insurance? (Any coverage you bought on your own, independently of a job or health insurance?) I can't find anyone who will let me sign up without also applying for health insurance (which I can't, cause I'm classified "uninsurable" due to the cancer, so I can only get government high risk pool health care - no dental.)

Three New Rubber Stamp Sheets + Christmas Card

Three new mini 4.25" x 5.5" rubber stamp sheets will be available next week. Sized for use with memory glass, domino pendants and the holiday set for seasonal cards (the cardinal bird stamps also fit on dominoes.) I'll be working on more example art in the next week or so. I also have a really big UTEE / Embossing powder jewelry tutorial page planned! Next will be shrink plastic charms and memory glass jewelry, but one thing at a time :)




Christmas Card ingredients: The Enchanted Gallery stamp sheet #Gift-005's Present Fairy. K & Company Remake 100% recycled green and red pads, stickles stardust, red and green glitter glues, nestabilities die cuts.

Ebay Sale - Hand Carved Bone Pendants only $15 to $25

Hi everyone, it's time for me to clear out my personal collection of hand carved bone pendants. I'm putting them up for sale in my Ebay Store There are many more than what is pictured here, so go check it out :)

These designs will not be made into molds, so if you like something, be sure to snatch up the original carving so you can enjoy the pendant forever!

Halloween Party Invitation - Rubber Stamped Fairy & Cat Card

Is it getting to be that time of year already?! I'm not sure I'm ready! I love the changing leaf colors, but it always makes me feel that time is going by much too quickly. My to-do list right now is out of control. (Literally, I've got 3 pages of notes on my desk for projects/tutorials, business/website update ideas and dreaded upcoming doctor visits. Plus an email inbox with about fifty poor folks I've been meaning to get back to just as soon as I update my gallery pages / figure out answers.) Yikes!



Well here's one small thing I can knock off that list, a Halloween costume party invitation (stamp from Sheet #Fant-118) I used black VersaFine ink (I love that ink pad, perfect for watercoloring/marker-ing over.) The colors were done with a purple color pencil (for floor shadow) Marvy LePlume markers and one Tombow marker (#N89 which is a nice really light gray for a shadow outline.) I used nestablities to die cut the paper shapes and orange peel Stickles glitter glue. Glitter is too hard to photograph, but it's nice and sparkly in person.

Flower Goddess - Rubber Stamped Paper Art Doll

A while back I added a Goddess form to my free paper art doll template page. I finally sat down and made a doll with the flowers and butterfly stamps on sheet #Roma-119.

First you pick out your cardstock and print out the template from my website. Stamp over it with your choice of stamps, color, cut and embellish. I used color pencils and added the vine details by hand. I was thinking about adding eyelets to her hands for hanging. After I cut her out I decorated with flower/leaf paper punches and stickles glitter glue.

Have fun ;)
Kimberly

Green Crafting - K & Company remake paper pads review

The newest paper line by K & Company is called "Remake" and just... Wow! A must have for card makers and rubber stampers!

I was really thrilled when I spotted this new product by browsing the
K & Company website for patterned scrapbooking paper last week. I immediately went to my local craft stores thinking maybe they'd have it/were planning to carry it, but no such luck. It's early (summer 08' release) so there's always hope that somewhere like Michaels or JoAnn will eventually stock it. For now, I found a couple craft stores online through google, but ended up getting it on ebay by searching "remake pad" cost me about $4.50 per pad. (I bought 5 pads, and including combined shipping it worked out to be just under $6 per pad.) If JoAnn or Michaels ends up stocking it you'll likely get it for $3.99.




There are 24 sheets in each pad measuring 4" x 6" with four sheets of each pattern. The really nice thing about this pad is that it's double sided - pattern on one side with a coordinated color solid on the other. I always have the biggest problem when I find a beautiful patterned paper to use in a card, but I can't find a single solid color to match it right. With these pads you don't need to worry about stocking up on those variety color cardstock packs, you've got all the matching solids right here! The thickness and quality is well above average and the color selection is fantastic. The nice wallpaper type repeat patterns add beauty, but aren't so BUSY that they dominate your eyes compared to your stamped image. I'm really glad such a big company is making this quality product, I hope it will reach a lot of green-minded crafters.

As a rule I try to limit my waste, recycle as much as possible and avoid things that are toxic in my crafting. Even if you're not really into the whole recycling scene, by purchasing products like this and/or non-toxic supplies, you're helping to save your health! (From excess air pollution from both manufacturing and tree loss, landfill waste and avoiding that pesky label on supplies mentioning "x chemical is known to cause cancer"/contact or inhalation poisoning etc.) With art supplies I'm always careful!



This paper pad was really well thought out. The inside of the front AND back covers are printed with shapes you can cut out and include in your projects! Plus, have you ever seen something with a 100% post-consumer waste percentage?! (On average I've seen more products with 30 - 70%) Even the ink is made from soy! Now I'd prefer to be able to buy this in a local craft store, so I will be mentioning it to anyone I can talk to that is in charge of ordering at my local stores. Maybe you will too?

<3
Kimberly

ps. I am not affiliated with K & Company in any way, but I'm very enthusiastic about earth conscious crafting. Feel free to repost these images/text or link here if you'd like to spread the news to other paper crafters ;)

Mermaid Card - Rubber Stamping with Stickles Glitter Glue & Transparency Film

I've been meaning to test out stamping on acetate / clear plastic sheets / transparency film for a long time. I once saw a project that had colored the stamp art with glitter by coating the surface with a thick clear glue (like diamond glaze) and then dumping on the loose glitter.

I think I put off the experiment for a while because I hate to get messy. I decided to try using Stickles glitter glues instead. There is pretty good glitter density in these glues. If you don't get as much as you'd like onto the clear plastic sheet, you could always allow your project to dry and then do a double coat (I didn't.)

This card used: Basic Grey "Granola" scrapbook paper pad, StazOn inks (blue, purple, black), Stickles glitter glue and acetate. The mermaid was stamped on acetate (aka projector transparency film or clear plastic sheets) with black Stazon on the front side. I flipped the clear sheet over, sponged purple Stazon around the edges and colored the image with Stickles glitter glue.





Allow glitter glue to dry over night, then flip back over to enjoy the protected glitter shining through the plastic sheet. Any thick clear drying glue can be used to secure it to paper, or hole punch to secure with eyelets.

Note: Stamping on plastic takes practice and a firm hand. Care must be taken to avoid smearing ink on such a slippery surface.

I messed up a couple times... I use my stamps unmounted, which may have added to my initial difficulty of making a firm up and down motion when inking the plastic though. Still, I think clear plastic stamping may not be a project for beginner stampers.

The results are beautiful, and with practice I can see a lot of potential in this method. Especially because you have unlimited options for backgrounds. Depending on how much you color it in, you can use your cardstock or patterned papers to change the appearance of the art.

That's great... but what do ya DO with it?

Sometimes running a one-person rubber stamp business is a very challenging job. I forget simple things like, even though I had a ton of ideas on - how - to use the stamp images I was making, it's not always so obvious to other people. I spend a lot of time collecting and drawing new images for stamp theme sheets. Then, I'm somewhat surprised when the sales are really bad (sometimes it takes many months/all year to make just the investment cost back.) This isn't all bad, once the initial materials are paid off, I'm potentially sewing the seeds for future profit and business sustainability. Though it's hard when I think a design would make an appealing/popular stamp and I'm proven wrong.

While I have always imagined lots of projects for each image, and have sometimes added one or two example art pictures to each
rubber stamp page, I haven't dedicated enough of my time to providing you with project ideas. That's why I've been kicking it into over-drive lately with the creation of this blog & new tutorial pages around my site.

Last week
Tim Holtz was giving away these t-shirts that said "Do you see nothing" on blank space, and then on the other side "Or possibilities?" surrounded with a pretty collage art design. Obviously, most of us need a little help getting started with creative projects. Inspiration is everywhere for me, especially when looking outside at the fauna and flora. If I see a simple line-art stamp I imagine what it would look like colored and what materials it would look good on. Getting from that starting point, the "that might be neat" idea, to the finish project just requires the inspiration and daring. That's right, - bravery - is helpful when stamping/crafting. You have to be prepared to accept a failed project with grace, but if you allow yourself to play - just go for it - you also risk coming up with something AWESOME!

Easier said than done, I know. I spend much much more time thinking about a project than doing it. Now I'm making an effort to change that. As the saying goes, it's better to have tried and failed, than to never have tried at all. Also, I think that once you get going you'll find that you'll succeed more often. How cool would that be?



To start, I think that a few of the flower images on
rubber stamp sheet #Roma-119 may not show their true potential in the undecorated preview form.




I started by stamping the image a couple times on pink and lighter pink cardstock. Cut out the flower shape, then cut out only the center shapes of your duplicates. I've colored the image with color pencil and stickles glitter glue. When the glitter glue dried, I stacked the cut out shapes onto each other with a foam mounting square to create a dimensional look. (Other items used for tag: long rectangles large nestabilities die cut sets, computer fonts for type, birch leaf paper punch by punch bunch.)




This gift tag could technically be for any occasion, I thought about substituting "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Birthday" etc., but something about the flower seemed christmasy. Had I thought of that before starting I may have made this a deeper red theme instead of the pink.

I've also imagined another project with the flowers as wall art. Hopefully I'll get to it soon, but I think it would be neat to cut little green paper vines that creep up my wall and place some of these flowers along the vine. There are also butterflies on this sheet that could be nesting on the flowers or vines as well. These pieces can also be used as embellishments for card making (a replacement for some of those expensive pre-made stickers at the craft store?)
Off to brain storming I go!

<3
Kimberly

Storage Solution For Paper Crafting & Stamping Supplies

If you're like me, your craft desk has been a disaster area for a long time. I have a lot of plastic storage drawers, but I always want so much out on my table. While shopping at target I spotted this $12 bathroom accessory storage rack... and of course it was perfect for holding my ink pads, paints and glues. There's even little hangers on the bottom that perfectly fit my scissors, cropidile and a roll of tape. I put all my cosmetic sponges and ink applicators in a plastic bag, poked a hole up top and hung it off the nail I used to place this on my wall.

Now I can keep all of my most-used supplies in sight, but out of the way!

Making a Tissue Paper Flower Bouquet with Scallop Circle Nestabilities

I've been really interested in paper flower making this summer. I want to make sure I keep my indoors looking vibrant throughout the year, I always get a little sad when the flowers are gone come fall. At first I started out with the plentiful tutorials for accordian folding tissue paper flowers online. Then I found some great crepe paper kits by Martha Stewart at my local Michaels craft store... but I quickly realized I'm too lazy for cutting out so many pieces of individual flower petals... and the floral tape... uck what a sticky nightmare.

Then I stumbled onto the great paper flower tutorials at
Folding Trees They were using tissue paper cut into circles for their flowers. I wasn't quite happy with the way mine were coming out and felt they needed a more realistic scalloped edge. As some of you already know, I recently bought a die-cutting machine and the nestabilities dies. (I made a little tutorial on using nestabilities with rubber stamping, so you can find out more about those here:
Nestabilities Tutorial ) The classic scallop circles dies provided the perfect solution for the look I wanted! I haven't tried the petite scallop sizes yet, but those may even look better if you want more bumps around the edges. You can use any of the sizes around 2.75" to 3.25" wide for a realistic sized flower.

Here's how I went about making them:
1 - First take a full sheet of tissue paper and either fold it, or cut out 3.5" square pieces, to make a stack large enough to cut out the circular shapes. Each flower requires about twelve pieces of 3"ish tissue paper. I made a stack of twenty-four sheets of tissue and ran it through my CuttleBug with the nestabilities die. (Twenty-four sheets may sound like a lot, but it is tissue and the stack is not really thicker than felt or chipboard, so that worked fine. If this feels like too much for your machine, you could do twelve sheets at a time for making one flower instead of two.)

2 -Due to the embossing edge of the nestabilities die, the sheets were pressed just enough to hold them together while I colored the edges with markers. I used a rose colored Marvy LePlume, these are nice markers since the ink is very wet and seeps in from the edges the longer you color in a spot.

If you do not have a die cutter, you could make a similar stack of tissue paper circles by cutting with decorative scissors. In that case, you may need to paper clip the edges together to hold the sheets in place while coloring.

3- Using twelve sheets, poke two small holes through the center of the flower and tie chenille or wire through those holes. Be sure to twist the end tight to form a sturdy stem.

4 - Starting with the top sheet, lift and gently fold holding the bottom near the stem center. My first two flowers didn't look so great, but you'll soon be able to see which types of folds look more realistic. You want to pinch the centers tight, but try to avoid adding creases to the outer edges.

5 - As you get to the bottom layer you may have pulled the flower too much towards the top. Gently fluff the layers out, creating more of a sphere shape.

6 - Try out other colors of tissue and create your bouquet! I put about 12 flowers in my vase and used 6 sheets of tissue paper total for this project.



If you're interested in paper flower making, I also want to recommend a fantastic book I picked up the other day called "Fanciful Paper Flowers" by
Sandra Evertson It has a great deal of beautiful full color pictures, templates and inspiration for using common supplies.

Have fun!

<3
Kimberly