How to Use Chipboard

Copyright Stampin' Up 1990-2007

Chipboard, you know, that cardboard stuff found on the back of a legal pad, is all the rage in the Scrapbook and Stamping community right now. You can find chipboard albums, chipboard die cuts, chipboard boxes and more. You may have seen chipboard featured in a magazine or a package of die cuts at your favorite craft spot. If you are like me, you probably looked at it, shook your head, and asked yourself, what would I do with that?

Well, thanks to a fellow stamper, here are some great ideas for you.

Embellish: You can add any sort of embellishment to your image. Here are just a few:
Ribbon, fancy fibers, eyelets, brads, glitter, crystal effects, additional die cut shapes, photos etc .

Make Your Own:
Need an extra letter, or multiple of a shape? Use your existing die cuts as a pattern, trace and then cut from cheaper or free chipboard. You can cut several bookmarks out of one tablet back – great for stamp camps!

Books & Journals & More:
Chipboard journals and books can be found anywhere (dollar store, office store, even your junk drawer at home).

Journals can be made using the same techniques as listed above or you can cut paper 1/2” larger all around and folding the paper over the edges to the inside of the journal. Snail adhesive or Stampin Up two sided Sticky strip works great for the inside edges.

I found a great chipboard journal example at splitcoaststampers. I thought you might want to check it out:

http://images.splitcoaststampers.com/data/gallery/9016/IMG_2087_by_Wanda_Newman.JPG

Snow Day

Hmmm, snow day in Nashville. I'm still amazed at the difference a little bit of snow makes depending on where you live. I grew up in Chicago and this would be considered a light dusting- but snow is snow and it's always fun. Getting ready to go out with the kids and make some snow angels before it melts.

This also makes a great scrapbook opportunity- I've found that since I've become hooked on stamping, my scrapping has really taken a back seat. Time to get those albums out and back together.

What is your favorite winter story? Favorite scrapping technique?

Please share.

More "Kissing"

In honor of Valentine's day, I wanted to share another fun way to "kiss" a card. Use a craft ink pad and ink the solid stamp image, then take your background stamp and stamp on top of the inked image. To give the finished image and even more exciting look, try twisting the background stamp while you are in process.

Once you have mastered the art of "kissing" see how creative you can get using other items around the house. For example, a dry kitchen sponge, crumpled plastic wrap or waxed paper, bubble wrap is always fun too.

Stay tuned for more ideas on using household items for stamping and to see this technique in color, check out this article from the Scrapjazz website. Some cool ideas for "kissing"

http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Stamping/655.php

New Tool for You

I was just introduced to this neat new tool- perfect for scrapbooking,cardmaking or digital layouts. It's part of the Adobe site and is called KULER.

While I have posted a link to a site that will let you do SU color combinations, this site will let you play with full color palettes, choosing your main color and showing complementary colors, etc.

Plus, there are palettes available for you that others have created. Think of the possiblities.

Here's a link to the site for you to play. I'd appreciate your comments, how can this be used in your scrapping and stamping? Would you like to see more tools like this on the blog?

KULER

Kiss Technique

This technique will be featured at Stamp Camp - but I thought I would share the steps with you since this has become one of the most requested techniques at my workshops.

This technique works best using a bold image stamp (for example the Big Blossom found in the SAB catalog) and a background stamp (one of my favorites to use with the flower is French Script) the addition of words to the flower produces a neat effect.

Here's how to do this:

1. Ink the background stamp (depending on the effect you want use either a dark ink or a medium tone ink)
2. If you want a two tone effect, ink the bold image stamp with a coordinating light ink or just leave the image alone
3. Press the bold image stamp on top of the background stamp
4. Press the bold image on your paper

Some examples of the Kiss Technique in action can be found at the Splitcoast Stampers Gallery (just type in Kiss technique):

Here's one of my favorites--
(Copyright Stampin' Up 1996-2007)

Announcing- Birthday Card Swap

Calling all stampers! Announcing my first card swap.

The theme: Happy Birthday
Number to swap: 10
Requirements: SU stamps and paper, can use any embellishments but SU preferred
Must have at least 2 layers

Sign up by March 1
Swaps postmarked by March 10
Swaps mailed back by March 14

Include SASE with 2 additional stamps in case of extra weight.
Email me with any questions

Getting Started

In the movie Alien, the tag line was, "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream". I wonder if my blog will be the same? Will anyone visit and share ideas? Does anyone really care what one slightly goofy rubber stamping fan is working on? What direction should this blog take? Sharing ideas and resources, talking about what I am working on, or just going with the flow and seeing what happens.

I invite you and your friends to stop by and help shape this site. So let's have some fun!