Magic Stamp ‘After Party’ By Judi Kauffman for The Queen's Ink

I came home from teaching the fun-filled ‘Magical Land of Magic Stamp’ class on August 7 with stamped bits of newsprint that the students gave me as a souvenir. I planned on using them for an art journal page.

 

As usual, one thing led to another and as I tore the paper into pieces for my collage I decided to go in another direction. I glued everything to a 12” x 12” sheet of mustard gold cardstock and stamped over it, using the blocks I made in class as part of the demo.

Then I cut the square into Artist Trading Cards that I’m going to take back to The Queen’s Ink as a souvenir for each of the students to pick up on their next trip to the store! There were 14 students and I was able to make 15 ATCs, one for Patti and the gang.

The photo above shows the collage before it was cut into pieces. It is relatively random, but I did try to keep some of the image-based pieces (like the lion) from getting lost. Here are some close-ups to show how I overlapped the scraps:

The photo below shows how I did the cutting. Two rows at the left are 3.5” wide for a yield of 8 ATCs and 2 scraps. Two rows to the right are 2.5” wide for a yield of 6 ATCs and 2 scraps.

As you can see from the photo above and the close-up below, I ‘cheated’ when cutting the row at the far left to keep the whole lion’s face instead of chopping it.

Because I wanted to end up with 15 ATCs, one more than the number of students, I overlapped the two 3.5” wide scraps from the rows at the left to give me that all-important fifteenth card. (I considered keeping the remaining two scraps but did something radical – I put them in the recycling bin! And left them there…)

Next stop, the ‘After Party’! Time to take each of the ATCs to the next level!

I stamped each one ‘Best Day Ever!’, distressed the edges of the rectangles with the same ink (my go-to dark teal green) and started coloring, adding embellishments to each as a final touch.

I used:

• Rubber Moon ‘Best Day Ever!’ stamp by Sunny Carvalho
• Dye-based ink in dark teal
• Prismacolor colored pencils
• Elizabeth Craft Designs Glitter Dots peel-offs (Transparent/Gold)
• A white gel pen
• A fine nib black pen
• A copper metallic paint pen
• Scraps of alcohol ink-altered Shimmer Sheetz

By popular request, I will be teaching The Magical Land of Magic Stamp again in the fall!!

Here are the finished ATCs:

22 + 93 = _____ ? 14 x 2 = _____ ? By Judi Kauffman for The Queen's Ink

Simple arithmetic, right? Not necessarily. The first equation refers to how I feel after teaching Make an Impression and The Magical Land of Magic Stamp classes at The Queen’s Ink on August 6 and 7 and after spending both days helping with the Trunk Show event where my own limited edition rubber stamp sheets were for sale.

From the neck up I’m 22, batteries 100% recharged, my head so full of ideas that I’m surprised I don’t topple over, enough energy for three people and great memories spinning around like the gymnasts at the Olympics. From the neck down I’m 93 with tired feet and knees, ready for a nap right after breakfast, and if you asked me to carry my purse across the room I’d have to demur. 

So: 22 + 93 = 1. Yours truly.

How about the second equation, 14 times 2? There were fourteen students in each class with some people attending both, so 28 people wasn’t the actual head count. But my version of math isn’t traditional. I’m factoring in the following facts: Each person created and/or painted well over a dozen pieces of Delight Air Dry clay (the count was higher on several tables). Factor in the 150 blocks of Magic Stamp that were used to stamp envelopes and folders and cardstock and newsprint (or went home in pristine condition, waiting to be used later). Multiply that figure by the number of ideas that were shared, the number of projects envisioned.

So: 14 x 2 = an infinite number.

I wasn’t the only one whose head was spinning! A student who has worked extensively with polymer clay thought that Delight was, literally, a delight. One student has already planned her own Magic Stamp class. (She’s going to teach the other teachers where she works.) Another is heading to India with stamps she bought, as well as a big stack of lightweight Magic Stamp blocks.

A little detour: I once put a carry-on suitcase filled with Magic Stamp blocks into the overhead bin of an airplane using only one hand to lift it and the men around me looked on in amazement and applauded, thinking (incorrectly) that I must be some kind of bodybuilder instead of just a person traveling with foam blocks!

The photos in this blog post are from the Make an Impression class. Photos and a re-cap of the Magic Stamp class will follow later.

The projects you’ve seen so far are the samples I made to illustrate how the clay pieces could be put to use.

The photo gallery that follows shows students’ work.

By popular request, we’re going to schedule a repeat of Make an Impression this fall! And we will have enough sheets of my deep etched red rubber stamps to have another trunk show. Magic Stamp classes will continue as well.

Be on the lookout for dates and times!

Wildflower Tags - By Judi Kauffman for The Queen's Ink

  

I’m back with my first project for August, a trio of wildly easy Wildflower Tags and a bonus tag that uses the same base layers but with a twist. Instead of wildflowers, it features three round embellishments and takes less than five minutes.

I had a double dose of inspiration: Tim Holtz’s Wildflower dies (it was a must-have set the minute I spied it) and Mother Nature’s wildflowers that are growing along the roads between here and the home of friends who live out in the country. I think that Tim really captured the delicacy and variety of these amazing plants, don’t you?

BEFORE WE START

You may want to look back at the card and tags I designed for a previous post (Royal Stamping). Or maybe you’ve got a great memory and already noticed a few things that feel familiar! Yes, I have used the same polka dot Washi tape, and I made simple tags again.

Why?

Because it’s a great way to connect the dots (pun intended), using the same supplies in several ways to show how versatile they can be. I don’t want to buy something, use it once and then never need it again, do you? Plus, I have a long attention span for things I like to do, and I just love making tags in small series. Stamped tags one time, tags with embossed and sanded Shimmer Sheetz and die cuts the next (or as I call it, working ‘By the Batch’ method…).

As a designer, exploring something in depth has always made sense to me. As a teacher, inspiring other people to do the same is one of the best ways I can think of to turn everyone into a designer! It’s easy to gain confidence when you make several of something – no ONE thing becomes too important or precious, making mistakes and figuring out what to do about them gets easier and easier.

INSTRUCTIONS

If you are an experienced paper crafter, scroll through the photos and head straight to the supply list. Make tags just like mine or use them to inspire your own versions.

If you are new to paper crafting, follow the steps below.

1. For each tag, cut a 3” x 5” rectangle from glittery cardstock or any solid color cardstock or designer cardstock that you prefer. (I used light pink and dark pink for the Wildflower Tags, sandy peach for the Bonus Tag.) Punch a quarter-inch hole, centered and about a half inch from the top edge. Cut off the corners at whatever angle looks good to your eye. Option: Use a tag-shaped cutting die. Design strategy – Use heavyweight cardstock for the base of your tag or glue two layers of lighter weight paper together.

2. Emboss a piece of Shimmer Sheetz with any dot pattern folder and lightly sand to tone down the shine and reveal the core color. Sand one side for raised dots, the other side for de-bossed dots. Rectangles shown measure 3.5” x 4” or 2” x 3.25” for Wildflower Tags, 2” x 4” for the Bonus Tag. (I chose Pink Iridescent and Light Pink Iridescent for the Wildflower Tags, Fire Opal Gemstone for the Bonus Tag.) Use a strong hold double-sided adhesive tape to adhere the rectangle to the tag, centered from left to right. If you want extra dimension, use foam tape. Design Strategy – Leave a border at the bottom equal to the border on the left and right sides, or allow the Shimmer Sheetz to extend all the way to the lower edge. It looks good either way.

3. Die cut lots of wildflowers. For strong contrast and bolder looking silhouettes choose black cardstock. For a softer look choose mauve or whatever color goes well with the cardstock and Shimmer Sheetz you selected.

4. Complete the tag fronts by adding the die cut wildflowers and Washi tape, or embellish further by combining vintage lace, buttons (with shanks removed), the die cut flowers and tape. For the Bonus Tag use only three round embellishments like buttons, oversized brads or low-relief dimensional scrapbook stickers (no wildflowers). Options: Glue only some sections of the flowers in place, leaving some areas free for added movement and dimension. Use Glossy Accents to add a bit of shine to selected areas of the flowers as shown in the photo below.

5. Add wide sheer ribbon tails, fine paper twine and a polka dot bead secured by a knot, or a polka dot ribbon loop to the top of the tag. Design strategy –Avoid thick or fragile elements like the button cluster or glass bead if your tags are going to be mailed in an envelope.

Things to Do With Tags: Tags can be used on gifts, card fronts, in art journals and tag books, or as ornaments.

SUPPLIES

• Shimmer Sheetz in Pink and Light Pink Iridescent, and Fire Opal Gemstone
• Sizzix 661190 Wildflowers Thinlits Die Set by Tim Holtz (7 Pack)
• Dot pattern embossing folder(s)
• Glittered cardstock in light and dark pink
• Cardstock in black and mauve or other colors of choice
• Ribbon, bead, cord
• Washi tape
• Buttons and other embellishments
• Optional: Glossy Accents

Flock of Birds: Envelopes - By Judi Kauffman for The Queen's Ink

 

I’m back as today’s guest designer with a project that ranks high among my favorites – Envelopes! It’s kind of my signature. No plain envelopes. And since envelopes are inexpensive bits of ephemera, destined to be torn open and tossed out, they’re a wonderful surface for experimentation. Hope you’ll join me…

The project title, Flock of Birds, reflects the fact that I stamped a LOT of envelopes. Two dozen, to be exact, though I’m showing only nine of them here.


I’ve always worked ‘By the Batch’ method. In fact, that was the title of the last book I wrote*.

I picked a versatile stamp and stencil set by Nathalie Kalbach (available at The Queen’s Ink, of course, in-store or via mail order). It has a foam stamp with two sides (detailed and a solid silhouette), a cling-mounted rubber stamp, and a stencil with masking pieces.

My theory is this: If I’m getting out supplies and making a mess I want to have a bountiful outcome. Kind of like baking a double batch of cookies instead of a half-batch…plenty for later!

(*If you’re curious: My book is now discontinued, but it can sometimes be found on Amazon.com or eBay. It’s called By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More.)

INSTRUCTIONS

Throughout these instructions, I’m adding ‘Design Strategies’ (in italic font) – tips that explain not only HOW I did something, but WHY. Yes, it means more words to read, but I hope you find them useful!

1. Stamp a batch of A2 (or other) size envelopes using the three bird stamps from the set (two foam stamps, one rubber stamp). Use the stencil and sponged-on ink to add plants, or position stenciled branches in the bird’s beak. Refer to the photos for placement, taking care to position the bird(s) off to one side to leave room for a mailing label. Use a single bird, or several. Design Strategy: I used a large size homemade rainbow inkpad so the colors vary within each bird. If you don’t have a multi-color pad, solid colors work fine! I used only one bird stamp per envelope, but you can combine them so you have birds peeking in from both sides of the envelope. This works great with long #10 business envelopes.

2. Smudge and smear ink onto and around the stamped images. Also, lightly smudge inks onto some mailing labels. Set labels aside till step 4. Design Strategy: Stamp and cut out masks of the birds if you want to keep crisp edges. Use a sponge and skip the masking if you are going for a more random look with the colors.

3. Get out the colored pencils, a white opaque ink pen, and a couple of fine line black pens and add more color and detail. Refer to the photos to give you some ideas. Design Strategy: Stick with only a couple of colored pencils if you want your envelopes to resemble mine. Customize to suit your own eye – More colors, markers (but skip the paints – wet media will cause envelopes to ripple). As shown in several of the photos, especially the two below, you can add an eye to the bird even though there isn’t one on the stamp.

 

4. Add a mailing label to each envelope. The post office will thank you! Stamp the beak or a portion of the bird’s body onto a label and ‘fussy-cut’ it so that the bird will appear to look like it’s in front of the label, or holding it in its beak.

5. Smudge extra ink at the upper right if you want to highlight the spot for the postage stamp. Design Strategy: If you know what stamps you’re going to use you can plan the smudged area so it is just slightly larger than the stamp!

SUPPLIES

• Stampendous n*Studio Bird Stamp and Stencil set by Nathalie Kalbach, NKCFS02  (Available at The Queen’s Ink, in-store or via mail order)

• Dye inks in shades or brown, orange and red or colors of choice
• Colored pencils in mustard and aqua or colors of choice
• Pigma Micron 01 and 1 in black or other fine nib black pens
• Gelly Roll Medium in white or other white opaque ink pen
• Artist’s sponge for smudging inks
• A2 smooth finish envelopes in ivory (shown) or colors of choice

Royal Stamping - By Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of The Queen’s Ink blog!

For this, my first post, I thought it only fitting that I feature stamps that Patti Euler designed. I chose NB-034I, NB-031H, and SC-015D -- one stamp with text running up the side and across the face (Royal Beauty), one with no text (just the lovely face), and one that is text-only (a Shakespeare quote).

The key to the quick and easy card and tags is a limited palette: Predominantly espresso, teal, red, and shades of pink.

If you are an experienced stamper:

Scroll through the photos and head for your stamps, inks, and colored pencils to create your own version of the card or tags. I stamped an allover pattern on cardstock for the background, but designer papers are another option.

Beginners or anyone who wants to duplicate the projects precisely as shown:

I hope you’ll find the instructions thorough and easy to follow. I have included little detours I call ‘Design Strategies’ to explain the WHY of the projects along with the HOW.

If you have questions leave them in the comments section of the blog and we’ll answer as soon as we can. (I’m somewhat old-school and am not at the computer every day.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using Espresso or any dark color ink (Eggplant, Sepia, Navy) stamp images onto uncoated white cardstock. Leave an inch or two between the images for easy cutting and tearing. *Design Strategy: I rarely stamp in black or use black embossing powder. Other colors feel richer, more lively, unexpected, and more interesting to the eye.
2. Cut out the stamped rectangles, with or without the attached words that are part of the stamp. Tear around the edges of the words to create separate elements, as shown, or if you prefer smooth edges use a craft knife and straight edge for all cutting.
3.  Color with pencils and markers as shown or as you prefer. *Design Strategies: No need to be realistic! I used a bright teal marker to intentionally color outside the pupil on the eyes for one of the tags (it makes the Queen look so pretty, don’t you think?). I added a row of Glitter Flowers peel-offs on the eyebrows for the other tag, some Glitter Dots peel-offs to her headdress, and used a trio of colored pencils on the eyelids on the card. Instead of drawing spiral curls in a dark color, I used peach so they are a subtle element instead of a bold addition. Note that the torn edges around the quote and the words on one of the tags are colored with the same trio of colored pencils (teal on two sides, peach on the third side, raspberry on the fourth).
   
   
4. Layer the elements onto tags made from stamped or purchased patterned cardstock or onto a side-fold 6” square solid color card base. *Design Strategy: To further unify the colors and incorporate another handmade touch, distress the edges of some of the layers and the edges of the tags with dark teal (shown: Stream). Use a sponge dauber to add the ink or simply pull the edges of the cardstock across the inkpad. Beginners, practice with scrap cardstock till you get the hang of it.
5.  Embellish and accent the card and tags. I used Glitter Flowers and Glitter Dots (peel-offs), scallop punched circles (cheeks and base of crown), feathers (crown), and washi tape. *Design Strategy: Transparent Glitter Flowers and Glitter Dots allow the colors below to show through! (I love ‘em!) Trace the cheek line at the left side of the stamped face onto lightweight paper and use it as a template for cutting the scallop punched circles. This ensures that the curve will match the stamped image when glued in place.
   
   
6.  Reinforce the holes on the tags with a contrasting circle. Add fibers. *Design Strategy: I used a reinforcement die from a ‘Tags & More’ die set, but you can punch a 5/8” circle with a 1 /4” circle in the center if you don’t have the die. I saved the small center circles and used them as an accent at the bottom right corner on the card! (Did you notice them?
   
   

SUPPLIES

• Stamps: NB034I, NB031H, SC015D available exclusively from The Queen’s Ink
• Inks in Espresso and Stream (Ranger) or other color(s) of choice
• Colored pencils in teal, peach and raspberry (Prismacolor) or colors of choice
• Dark teal marker (Winsor & Newton ProMarker)
• Uncoated white cardstock
• Uncoated pale aqua cardstock (6"x12", folded to 6"x6")
• Scalloped circle punch or die
• Washi tape
• Paper glue or double-sided adhesive tape
• Foam dots
• Transparent/Silver Glitter Dots and Glitter Flowers peel-offs (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
• Other embellishments - feathers, fibers
• Scissors

A Royal Welcome - Judi Kauffman Joins The Queen’s Ink Blog!

We did it! We lured Judi Kauffman out of retirement to teach classes for The Queen’s Ink, and now we’ve enticed her to post on our blog several times a month.

Judi is endlessly inventive, and we’re so excited to have her as part of the team. She has been my friend since the day we met, and a designer, writer, teacher, and product developer within the craft industry for a long time. She carved her first linoleum block while she was still in grade school, later went on to earn a BFA in printmaking and an MFA in fibers. These days she spends endless hours doing what she calls ‘creative puttering’…I could live happily ever after in her studio where we have frequent play days.

We look forward to your comments and hope you’ll invite your friends to subscribe to the blog. If you have a project in mind that you’d like to see, Judi’s happy to put your requests into the lineup.

Please join me in giving Judi a royal Queen’s Ink ‘WELCOME’!

Patti