New Page for Free Digis

We've created a free digis page and have added some new winter themed tickets.  Click on the image to get this one and others. No need to login or signup to get these free digis from StampersBest!

The Angel is in the Details

I'm so excited to be a part of Ink Stains 5th Anniversary Celebration!  Roni is one of our beloved Design Team Members here at StampersBest.  

As the owner of StampersBest.com, I have little time to craft these days.  However, I love, love, love artwork, painting, sewing, stamping, the works!  I'm so glad Roni asked me to be a part of this hop :-)

{To go to the start of the hop: http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/2012/11/ink-stains-5th-anniversary-altered.html

Roni is giving away some wonderful prizes on this hop (see her blog), including a Vera Bradley bag full of crafting goodies! You can also enter to win prizes by being a part of this hop by creating your own altered Altoid tin by Dec. 8th, so come play along....}

For my project, I stamped, embossed, glued, painted, colored, and sewed a pillow for the inside of my keepsake box.  I even created a matching button for the little pillow, reminiscent of an old velvet chair.  Here's what I did:

The Stamping, Embossing, Glittering, Painting, Coloring...

(Pictured below) top view of altered tin

Outside Tin Cover Top:

Duke of Windsor Rubber Stamp, StampersBest

Blue embossing powder

Versamark Stamp Pad

Watercolor Paper

Watercolors

Water Pen (instead of paint brush)

Cherub with Rose Rubber Stamp, StampersBest

Blue Glitter

Button covered with glitter

The button was made from a brown plastic shirt button, blue glitter and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.

For the glitter edges, I used layers of Ranger's Glossy Accents (thicker than the Mod Podge) with the blue glitter.

The Sewing Part of the Project....

Inside of Altered Altoid Tin:

Silk Men's Tie (include the stiffener layer when you cut the tie)

Glue, like E-6000

Altered Tin Printable Template, see pdf below.

The Coloring Part....

Markers Used:

I used the "Ink Stained" Sharpie brand of permanent markers to line the edges of the tin and clean up the glitter edges.  They worked great on metal.

More Stamping and Coloring.......

Bottom of Altered Altoid Tin:

Houndstooth Rubber Stamp, StampersBest

StazOn Black ink

Watercolor paper, again

Jewelry pieces (for the feet)

E-6000 glue

Red ribbon with adhesive tape for around the outside bottom of the tin.

(Pictured above is the bottom view of the tin)

Altoid (R) Tin Printable Template for fabric or paper, click here.

I've provided a printable .pdf file that has the patterns for the tops, insides and bottom of an Altoid Tin (above).  It's free to use for YOUR altered tin project.  Thanks for stopping by :-)

Veteran Card Maker

Pam Tetreault of North Carolina is a member of the Operation Write Home Blog Circle, an inner group of card makers that many would call pros at their craft.  She has quite a few family members that are serving or have served in the military. She is a dedicated card maker, "I know just how important 'mail from home' is. Every time my husband has come home from a deployment, in tow is all the cards or letters we have sent to him, we still have them all," says Pam.  Her many travels around the country recently included a stop in Kansas to donate, in person, over 300 hand made cards to Kris (OWH midwest shipper).  I asked Pam if she would share her story with us and include some tips on how she does it. 

Above, Photo of Pam, taken by her son, November, 2012



How long have you been making cards?

Pam: When I first started making cards, I was making them to send to my brothers units which were deployed to Iraq. There came a time when my husband and neither of my brothers were "down range" and I went looking for somewhere to send my cards to. I found an organization called "Angel Stampers For Soldiers" and sent them cards for a long time until they closed up.  I had been looking for an outlet to send my cards to because no one in my family was deployed and I so wanted to share them with others.  I am not sure when or how I found OWH, but I sure am glad that I did. 

Where do you get inspiration/ideas for the layout?
Pam: I "LOVE" sketches and most everything I make comes from a sketch.  When I see a sketch I like, I print it out.. I then turn the paper around to see what it looks like from all four angles, then I get started on making a card." See an example of a sketch on OWH's Stars and Stamps Blog, http://operationwritehome.org/sketch-challenge-145/

How many of your family members are in the military?
Pam: All the men in my family are either currently serving or are retired. My husband is in the Army and just recently passed into his 24th year of serving. Our son is in the Air Force and just two days ago re-enlisted to serve another four years.  My dad is retired Army and retired Civil Service as well. I have two brothers, one recently retired after serving 20 years and the other is still Active Duty.

Do you ever get help when making a large group of cards?
Pam:  I am a loner when it comes to making cards...  however I am going to be getting with some spouses in some companies in our battalion that are already down range. We are going to be making cards for them to send to their soldiers.  The rest of our battalion (including my husband) will be leaving the end of January and I will do it as a battalion and on a company level. I can't hardly wait to do this, it's something I have wanted to do in the past, but wasn't really able to.

"When I set out to make a bunch of the same card, I make one and then make multiples from it.  Whenever I cut a bunch of paper before making the initial card, I usually end up not using what I had cut and so I have stopped doing that," says Pam.

Pam's first tip when stamping:  " I do everything in sets of say 4, 5 or 6. So I lay out all the pieces to be stamped and go one after another. This makes it go rather quickly to get them all stamped.."

Pam's embossing tip, "For these cards, the panel to be embossed wasn't too big, so I could lay 4 pieces in the folder.. two stacks of two.  You can actually do three at a time.. it will take a bit more to crank it through, but it can be done.  I just did two stacks of two for these."

Photo above shows all pieces cut and/or punched out.  "I cut and punch everything first so that I can then do an assembly line to put them together," says Pam.

"Photo above is how I do the adhesive in lots of either 4, 5 or 6.. I was making 25 of these cards so I did sets of 5.. this makes it go rather quickly," says Pam.

Embellishment preparation tip, "I stack layers together to punch through for the brads.  In this photo, I have three layers stacked up which are two pieces of card stock each.. so there are six pieces that I am punching through.. doing this makes it go really quickly. I usually punch through two to three groups at one time."

Pam provides a little trick, "when I use brads on a card and I want the outer edge to lay smoothly on the card.. I use a piece of Scor-Tape over the brads."

Pam's punching trick is, "I punch all around the outside of the piece of card stock, then if I need more, I trim away the outer punched area and repeat with the center area.  By doing it all around the outside, I can usually get all the pieces I need in a matter of seconds by punching one after another."

Pam's #1 suggestion to those new to card making is:  "Find some blogs or card making websites that have lots of samples. There is nothing wrong with "casing" another's card...  the more cards you make, the more your confidence builds."


Another good bit of information is, "Do not buy up everything you see others using.  I have so many things that I purchased and might have used once or twice. Over time I have either given the item away to another crafter or donated them to a charity."

Thanks, Pam for taking the time to share your story with us!  You make it look easy by being so organized and it is inspiring for us all.  Everyone can visit her blog, http://airbornewifestamping.blogspot.com



Profile in Card Making

Last year, Operation Write Home sent 649,497 handmade cards* to Heroes serving overseas.  I wanted to share with you the story of one OWH card maker, Kathy Asper, aka Mrs Asperin of Wisconsin.  Kathy made her first batch of 241 cards (one boxful) last October while recovering from hip replacement surgery.  When I found out about Kathy and the volume of cards she has donated, I decided to ask questions and pick up some tips in the hopes of inspiring those new to card making.  Here is our exchange:

Susan (me): What inspired you to send your first card to OWH (or other organization)?
Kathy: After visiting the OWH website, seeing the tutorials and sample cards, and especially receiving
the emails from Sandy, I was hooked!

Susan: For those new to cardmaking, just making one card takes quite a bit of time....Do you
make the first one, and then make multiples? Or do you just start with an idea and make
multiples from the get-go?Kathy:  I usually spend a few cards to start with. Then, spend quite a bit of time experimenting with different colors, papers, techniques, embellies, etc. until I find one that I like. THAT then becomes my template for multiples. I either put this original in an A2 cellophane envy, (so that I don’t accidentally use it!) or scan/take a photo for future reference.

(Above) Grouping of hand made card by Kathy Asper

Susan: What is your favorite time-saving tool in creating many cards at a time?
Kathy: Paper trimmer.  I have a hard time cutting a straight line without one! And I like my deckle edge
scissors.

Susan: Where do you get inspiration/ideas for the layout?
Kathy: Blogs, Cardmaker Magazine Card Swap members, OWH and in my own little head!

Susan: What is your favorite holiday to make cards for?
Kathy: Christmas, closely followed by Easter.

Susan: Do you ever get help from family members or friends when making a large group of
cards?
Kathy: I’m a hyperactive adult who needs to be “busy” when riding in a car or watching TV. So... a lot of coloring and fussy cutting has occurred while watching Netflix programs or going on day trips with my beloved hubby. My church has a monthly stamp/scrap club (we affectionately call ourselves “Scrampers!”) that helped to assemble some of these cards. They asked to help on the next batch, too!

Susan: What are some words of advice you would tell someone just starting in cardmaking
that you learned in the beginning?
Kathy: View the OWH tutorials and use sketches!

Susan: What pitfall would you advise a new cardmaker to avoid?
Kathy: Make sure to have enough adhesive on hand and some extra blades for your paper trimmer.

Susan: Do you have a personal connection or reason that drives your cardmaking?
Kathy: Several friends and family members have served in Afghanistan and other places around the globe. I pray for them, and send card packages, but wished that I could do more. OWH helped meet that wish!

Susan: Any additional comments?
Kathy:  Would like to thank those who support OWH, and especially appreciate the dedication of the OWH team that gets our cards to our Heroes!

(Above) Photo of Kathy and as she describes her "cheerleader for all things crafty, my hubby of 35 years, my best friend, Rich."
* Source Operation Write Home 2011 Annual Review

Holiday Treat Bag Template

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, we've made a FREE printable template for holiday treat bags. Photo above shows our 'Spider Digi Background' printed on cardstock.  Use different color papers or stamp and decorate as desired.  Hint: Print the template on the underside of your patterned paper. Optional: To re-inforce the bottom of the bag, cutout any 2" x 3" paper and glue or tape in place.

This is made to fit an 8.5" x 11" and A4 sheet of paper.  Enjoy and happy treat-bag making!

Files included: .pdf  .png and . jpg
HOLIDAY TREAT BAG TEMPLATE Click Here to Download  

Snowman Tiles

Our snowman expert, DT member, Marianne S. has stamped our 4 snowman onto 4" square ceramic tiles.  You can use the tiles as coasters (after sealant is dry) or just decorative plaques. StazOn ink and permanent markers are needed for this project!  

Note, be careful when stamping on the tile since it is a slick surface.  Here is what they mine looked like after stamping.  Let dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Using your desired colors of markers color in your image.  I decided to just color parts of the images to accent the stamps.  Again, make sure your image is dry before moving on.



Step 3:  Using your desired color of Distress Ink and foam applicator add color to the surface of the tile to add some color.  Use a circular motion just as you would on paper.  I decided not to add color to the image itself, just around the image. 

Above is a closeup photo of part of two tiles: the left one has been colored and the right one hasn't.

***OPTIONAL  Step 4:  Cut a square of felt that will fit onto the back on the tile and adhere it using Glossy Accents.  You can also spray a coat of sealer to the top of the tile to help protect it. I didn't seal mine because they are for my personal display.  Follow directions on the can if you use the sealer.

Supplies Used....

StampersBest Rubber Stamps:Snowman Hugs, Snowman's Best Friend, Snowman & Birdies, Snowman Caroling. We now have a special price for all 4 stamps! See special.

Additional supplies:  4 inch square tiles, StazOn black ink pad, Bic color markers, Distress Ink pads, ink foam applicator. 

Optional supplies:  felt, Glossy Accents adhesive, spray sealer.

Project by StampersBest DT Member: Marianne S.

Happy Birthday OWH!

We're celebrating Operation Write Home's birthday with new releases and a bonus offer!

Now available - 3 new OWH fundraiser rubber stamp sets, designed by Sandy Allnock, founder of OWH.  

For a limited time, when you order all 3 of these new OWH stamp sets together, you'll receive a free CLEAR ClingStamp Storage Card AND (1) sheet of cling cushion mounting foam! Of course, you can order any of the OWH fundraiser stamps by themselves, and we donate $1 to OWH for each one sold.

Order yours today, click here.
Note to all new StampersBest customers, you'll receive an OWH logo freebie stamp for stamping the back of your donated cards.

OWH Birthday Celebration StampersBest GIVEAWAY!!!
Everyone that orders any of the OWH fundraiser stamps in the month of September is automatically entered in our giveaway.  At the end of the month we will randomly select one winner to receive $25 in StampersBest Rewards Dollars - good for anything in our store :-) Good luck! Thanks for your support of OWH.