Christmas is Coming!

Can't believe there are only two weeks before Christmas!  Robin has some great stamps in her store for the holidays, so if you are a last minute crafter (like me), head over and order some for your holiday cards.

This card uses Kiss Me You Fool.  Such a sultry image, isn't it?  Perfect for a Christmas card for your significant other!

Thanks for dropping by.  I'll be back in the next few days with more Rubber Romance holiday inspiration!

Design Team Call

Are you a lover of Rubber Romance Stamps? If you are then this design team call is for you! Rubber Romance Stamps is looking for a few designers to join our DT for a six month term (November 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011).

Here are the requirements:

1. Must maintain an active blog and post one Rubber Romance project to your blog per week.

2. Post one project/tutorial to the Rubber Romance Blog per month, may be combined with the weekly posting on your own blog.

3. Participate in one extra project per month (could be a challenge or blog hop).

4. Link the Rubber Romance blog, Rubber Romance Etsy site and fellow designers’ blogs on your blog.

5. Upload your weekly projects to SCS, the Rubber Romance Yahoo group and PCP .

What’s in it for you?

1. Six Rubber Romance stamps of your choice the first month of your term and three stamps each month after.

2. A 30% discount on any other Rubber Romance Stamps you wish to purchase during your term.

3. Access to the Rubber Romance Yahoo group (a great place to share ideas and fun Rubber Romance projects).

4. Your blog linked on the sidebar of the Rubber Romance blog.

How to apply:

Send and email to Robin195708@yahoo.com (owner and illustrator of Rubber Romance stamps) attaching three of your favorite cards or projects (Rubber Romance Stamps are not necessary to apply, but we would love to see them if you have them).

Please also include:

1. Name and address

2. Email address

3. Link to your blog

4. Link to any online galleries you use

5. Other design team positions you currently hold

6. A bit about you and why you would like to join the design team

The call will be open until Wednesday October 6^th and the new members will be notified by the 10^th.

2-4-6-8 gift box

Hi, Kathy here. I'm going to show you one of my favorite packaging items to make. I first made one of these 2-4-6-8 boxes at a stamp camp about eight years ago. It's named for it's equal 2 inch sides, but you can make the sides any width, as long as all four are the same you will end up with a square shape. I've been putting them together ever since for easy gift packaging. I'll show you how I did this one.I cut my card stock to 8.5 x 10.5. Then I scored it along the long side at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 inches. I turned the card stock and scored one of the short sides at 2.5. Then you snip the scores along the short side (from the edge into the first score line).
Fold along all score lines. Apply a strong adhesive to the bottom squares and along the .5 inch edge. Fold up the box and tape together.Here is what the undecorated box will look like. I squeezed in the sides a bit to bring the top together.
Now the fun part! I decorated my box with some striped paper and Rubber Romance Judy (the atc sized one). I colored her with copics and cut and mounted her with some nesties.
I used a scrap of yellow card stock to make the topper. I punched a decorative edge along the bottom. Then I put it over the box and punched holes through all the layers with a crop-a-dile. Tied a bow and done!
Here is a look at the completed box again. I think it makes a cute little gift or party favor presentation.

Thanks for stopping by today, and have a great day!

Tutorial - Ink Embossing and Fake"Letterpress"

Good morning.  Happy AUGUST!  It's Wendy here, and today, I'm playing with ink embossing and fake "letterpress." 

I love the effect that texture adds to cards.  But since cards are often meant for mailing, its important to keep mindful of the effect of both weight and heft.  That's when embossing comes in, with such gorgeous and subtle effects. 

Today, I'm taking it one step further, based on a technique that Tim Holtz demonstrated at the recent stamp show that I went to.  He "letterpressed" a tag with distress inks.  It was gorgeous.  I wanted to experiment with it on a printed background to take a look at how much more depth it would offer.  I started with a scrap piece of subtly printed Anna Griffin paper

Next, take a plastic embossing folder - this one is from Tim Holtz's line with Sizzix - I love them because they are just a little bit bigger, and will cover the a2 size with the emboss.  If you look carefully, you can see that the left side has a raised/embossed image - and the right side has the mirror of the design, in deboss/recessed.  When the paper goes through the machine, it is pushed out from the raised side, and into the recessed side, giving you the image on paper.

I used chalk in for this project because chalk in is much more opaque and I wanted the printed image to be somewhat covered.  A dye ink, which is transparent, will not do that.  Ink up the RAISED side of your plate with your chalk ink

Lay the printed sheet print side down CAREFULLY over the inked image and carefully close your folder, taking care not to shift your paper at all

Run it through your machine, and you end up with this gorgeous textured piece that no longer looks like the Anna Griffin paper, but the print from it gives the piece additional depth because it was not a solid

Now, stamp and color your rubber romance image - see how her lower back stamped poorly?  When that happens with me, I normally just use the image like normal.

Then I go in with a pen and fix the line.  It is important to wait in the very end to do this, because the pens do not always work with the color mediums and can smear depending on your ink

Now assemble your card and you are done.

Cutie Pie Onesie

I've seen lots of onesie, tee shirt and dress cards. I thought the Rubber Romance Cutie Pie line would make great onesie cards. So I gave it a try, it was so quick and easy, I wanted to share the project with you.I know there are many templates out there, but I decided to just wing it. I have plenty of onesies in my house so I took a look at one and free handed a template. I then traced it on my desired cardstock. The fold is at the top and that is where the shoulders go (you don't cut this part) so the card will stay together. Here I've used PTI Spring Rain cardstock.
Next I embossed my card with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.
To add some decorative trim I cut some scalloped circles, then cut out the center with a regular straight edged circle.
I layered the scalloped trim around the leg holes and neck opening. After adhering them, I turned the card over and trimmed off the excess from the back.
Now, for the fun part! I added some eyelet (snaps) along the bottom edge. Then I stamped my Rubber Romance Cutie Pie Owl on white cardstock, colored him with some copics, then added stickles. He is mounted on a scalloped square. Isn't this a fun and easy project? These would make great thank you notes for a new mom, and it wouldn't take too long to make up a set.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you give a onesie card a try.

Tutorial: Decorated Snack Pack

Hello everyone!! It's Wendy here with a tutorial for a decorated snack pack, a great little pick me up for a gym buddy or a crop buddy.

Start with the Yoga Girl image, stamped on Bazzill Simply Smooth paper. To get a perfect "match" with your paper, stamp the pant part of the image on the paper, and then cut it out and paper piece it to your colored image (I am using some Basic Grey scraps). 

Finish coloring image in, using matching colors to your paper scraps.    After you're done coloring, cut her out and set aside.

Measure cardstock base to width of ziploc sandwich size bag

Fill your baggie 1/3 way full with trail mix

push out all the air, "zip" the top up, and fold it down twice and tape in back to secure

Fold your cardstock base in half, adhere a strip of coordinating striped paper to the back, a 1/2 oval cut from the same paper as the pieced pants of the image, then adhere the finished image to the top.  Use letter stickers to spell your message, then staple to the top of your snack bag

Enjoy.

Rubber Romance Easel Card

Hello stamping friends! I have been seeing lots of easel cards recently. I thought they looked difficult, so I resisted for a long time. I finally checked out this tutorial on SCS and realized how simple they really are to put together. Once you get the general idea, you can make them any size.

My mind started spinning with all the possibilities for easel cards with my Rubber Romance stamps. Rubber Romance offers such great sentiments as well as images, it makes for lots of great combinations. Here I used Katie and the "Birthday Diva" sentiment. I also made one with Hyacinth and the garden sentiment (here). I've got a few more combos up my sleeve that I'm working on, too.

Here is a view of the lower half of the card. You can see the sentiment inside. Katie is colored with copics, paper pieced and touched with glitter. Ready for a party!

If you haven't tried an easel card, give it a try. And check out the fun sentiments Robin has available here, they coordinate so well with the divas.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, hope this inspired you to try an easel card. If you get a chance to try a Rubber Romance easel card, leave a link in the comments, I'd love to stop by and check it out.

Tutorial - clear cards

Good morning everyone.  It's Wendy here today.  The Rubber Romance girls are so sophisticated and modern. What better way to send a hip handmade card than to make them clear?

It is easy to do, with the plethora of transparencies out on the market. Make sure they are thick enough to stand up on their own when tented.

The trick to clear cards is to remember you have to work with both sides of each addition so as to hide the adhesive tracks, etc. Thus, when cutting paper, remember to cut TWO, one for your image or element, and one for the back side.

Here, since it is the end of the school year and I need to make thank you cards, I chose the Teacher Teacher image.

Cut your card base just like any other card. Score in the middle, using a bone folder to make the fold extra crisp. Here, I am using a transparency from Luxe.

Color your image and cut into rectangle.

Matte the image to give it a frame on the clear card front. To make the letters look more chalk like, trace over them with a white gel pen. Cut a corresponding piece of paper of the same size.

Place your image to approximately where you want it on the card and punch a hole on the left side.

Weave your ribbon through the hole and tie a bow.  Next, adhere the image to the top, and with your corresponding piece of paper, adhere THAT piece to the exact other side of where you adhered the image on the inside of the cover of the card - this hides the adhesive tracks.  Cut a plain piece of white paper for the inside to write a message, and adhere. Adhere a corresponding piece to the backside of that sheet to hide the adhesive track.  Finally, punch your message and adhere. Attach corresponding piece to back side to hide the adhesive.

You're done! A quick card, but unusual with visual punch.

 Thanks for stopping by.

It's All About Me....or So I Wish.

Hi!  This is Sherry from the Design Team and today I have a card for this week's Crazy4Challenges Sketch Challenge.  I used the Rubber Romance Image, Brooke and a Book.  I chose this image because Summer starts next weekend (Yes, I know technically Summer doesn't start until mid-late June...but the party starts NOW!) I really would LOVE to be at the beach or by the pool with a book and a margarita.  But alas, I have responsibilities so I must live vicariously through Brooke.  Hopefully, you can enjoy her sunshine too.

For my card, I started off with an image stamped on white card stock and I chose two patterns of paper (both from the Pink Paislee line 365 degrees) to stamp the image on as well.

Next I started coloring my main image with my Prismacolor Pencils.  I normally use Light Peach to color fair-skinned people, but since Brooke IS sun bathing I used Seashell Pink to give her a little bit more color.

 Then I finished coloring my image with the exception of the blanket and bikini top- which I am going to paper-piece with the patterned paper.

 Next I added some Ranger Glossy Accents to the Margarita Glass.

Then I added some sheen to the sunglasses with a Sakura Glaze Black Embossing Pen

While the Glossy Accents and Sakura Glaze are drying I start assembling my card.  I decided to machine stitch around the base panel- just because it was fun. 

Then I did some paper-piercing and added ribbon and buttons.  Finally my main image was ready to be added and this is the end result:

Aaaahh.  Can't you just imagine relaxing in the sun with a book.  I know I sure can.  I hope you enjoyed the project today and I hope your Memorial Day weekend is Fun and Fabulous!

Sentiment Stamps that Inspire

Lately I have been on a layout kick! I don't know about you, but I look for inspiration in a lot of different places. Stamps can even be a way to inspire. I was looking through my Rubber Romance stamps and I came across a fabulous sentiment. It inspired me to look through my photos to find one that would perfectly match. I stamped my sentiment right onto the cardstock. I then stamped the "sun" part on a small piece of pattern paper and placed it inside the other stamp. I created sun rays coming off of my stamp with pattern paper strips.So next time you are looking for inspiration, try digging into those sentiment stamps!
Designer~Julie Detlef

Little Pedi Kit

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for tins. I have a whole box full of them ready to be altered and filled with fun. This cute little tin is super easy to make into a pedicure kit.

I found the lime green pedicure essentials at Michaels' in the dollar bin. Added a bright bottle of nail polish and there you go, tin filled.

Now for the fun part. I decorated my tin with Trisha from Rubber Romance. I colored her with copics and added plenty of sparkle with stickles and rhinestones.

I think she would be a perfect party favor for a girls' weekend or spa themed party.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful day yesterday and were totally spoiled.

Recipe:

Stamps: Rubber Romance Trisha

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: PTI ssw, Only Orange, Tempting Turquoise, DCWV Citrus Stack

Embellishments: copics, nesties, stickles, rhinestones, SU ribbon

Wine Bottle Card

Hi, everyone.  It's Sherry from the Design Team and today I want to share with you a card that I made over the weekend.  I was just browsing the web and I stumbled across this site called Mirkwood Designs that has a page FULL of templates for card-making and boxes.  When I saw the champagne bottle template, I just KNEW that I had to make a wine bottle card with my Rubber Romance stamps.

When I printed the template I increased the scale to 140% because the original scale was just too small for me.  Then I cut out the wine bottle and started decorating!  

I used the RR stamps Time is the Maker and the Vino.  I chose this patterned paper from Webster's Pages because it reminded me of a wine bottle label and the colors blended with the color of my card base.  The wine bottle cork is actually left over cork from when I was making tile coasters and using that for the backing.  I cut out a little piece for the top. 

I made the paper flower using the Webster Pages and cutting out different size blossoms with my Nestabilities.  You could also use punches if you don't have the Nestabilities.  I spritzed them with water and also with some Glimmer Mist, crumpled them up and then layered them on top of each other and put the brad through the middle.  Then I attached it to the card.

I would love to know what you think!  If you try out any of the templates from Mirkwood Designs, please share with us!  I can't wait to see everyone's creations!   

Stamping and Layouts

I know we use our stamps for lots of card making, but don't forget about them for those layouts too. I love to use stamped images for embellishing my layouts. Sentiment stamps are wonderful to use in layout titles as well. I used Rubber Romance's Girly Girl stamp in this double page layut I created of my youngest daughter.Here is a close up to show the stamping details better:
So next time you are working on layouts, don't forget to pull out those stamps!!!