Thursday, October 31, 2024

Halloween and Day of the Dead Celebration

  Hello and Happy Halloween Gentle Stampers!

Today we have an assortment of treats to share. The season, the magic, the color... the remembrance, enjoy these days. We hope you enjoy and may be inspired by our colorful crafts. 

Hop along using the links with each project and share a little comment treat of encouragement for each of our creative stampers!

Remember When By: Tamara ~see the tutorial here.

I Brake for Stamps: Skellies Set

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Día de Los Muertos

By: Lyneen Jesse  ~see the tutorial here. 


Blank Page Muse Stamps:

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Day of the Dead Banner and Cards By: Maria Giselle Batan ~see the tutorial here.
I Brake For Stamps: Sugar Zen Skull

I Brake for Stamps: Mr. and Mrs. Bones Set


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Vintage Inspired  Dia de Los Muertos card

By: Walter Zemrock  
~see the tutorial here.


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Sugar Skull Shrines
By: Michelle Frae Cummings ~ see more creations here. 


Blank Page Muse stamps: Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls

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Stamp Stickers Art Journal Pages

        By: Kim ~ see more HERE



Blank Page Muse Stamps: Stitches , Take My Hand words




Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Creative Sparks Stamp Set

 I just love the beauty and detail of this Dragon stamp.
 The pictures don't do the 5 x 7 card justice.
 If you love dragons this is a must have stamp. 



Stamps used from I Brake for Stamps:



Other supplies:
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemonade and Spiced Marmalade.
Blending tools
Stazon Ink
Wide tip Sharpie Gold
Cardstock: White & Black
Gold half pearls
Parchment paper
Stamping Platform


Blend the inks on white card stock, start with the lightest color in the middle. then work out to the darkest color.


Using a stamp platform, with Stazon ink stamp the image of the dragon. 


Still working on the platform, I used baking parchment paper with lines over the stamped image to line up the sentiment before stamping. This helps to see if I got the sentiment lined up. Then I stamp the sentiment on the parchment, if it is straight, I carefully remove the parchment and stamp directly on the inked panel.





The inked mat was edged with a Wide tip Sharpie Gold, then mounted on a black mat. 



Please visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

I Brake For Stamps - https://ibrakeforstamps.com/
The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Day of the Dead - Foiled Skull

 Day of the Dead - Foiled Skull

Good day, fellow crafters. It's Tamara once again, with a new post where I will be showcasing my latest card created using I Brake for Stamps and Blank Page Muse products! 

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a vibrant Mexican tradition that honors the lives of those who have passed away. Often mistaken for a spooky holiday like Halloween, it is actually a joyous celebration of life and remembrance. The holiday spans two days, with November 1st dedicated to deceased children (Día de los Angelitos) and November 2nd focused on adults. Families build colorful altars, called ofrendas, filled with photos, personal items, and offerings like sugar skulls, candles, and pan de muerto (a special sweet bread), inviting the spirits of their loved ones back for a visit. Marigold flowers, known as cempasúchil, play a central role, as their bright color and scent are believed to guide souls home. The iconic skeleton figure, La Catrina, also represents the equality of all in death, no matter one’s status in life. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Day of the Dead reflects a deep cultural connection between life, death, and family, emphasizing that death is not an end but part of the human journey.




To create this project, you will need the following: 

Blank Page Muse Sugar Skulls by Michelle Frae

Colored Paste (Colors optional)

1 piece of White cardstock

Blending Pads

1 piece of watercolor paper

Scissors

1 A2 White Card Base

Liquid Glue

Black ink - watercolor friendly

Stamping Platform

Watercolor Pallet

Foam Tape

Fine Tip Watercolor Brush

Heat Tool

Qucik Gel Glue Pen

White Embossing Powder

Various Colors of Foil (Brand/Type optional)

Anti-static Pad

Background stencil: Geometric Pattern     

Watermark ink

Focal Image

  • Place the watercolor sheet into the stamping tool and secure
  • Position and secure the stamp into place
  • Ink the stamp with black ink
  • Stamp the image by applying even pressure
  • Repeat as necessary for a clean image,
  • Allow the ink to dry


  • Dampen the colors to be used in the watercolor pallet with some water and allow it to become saturated with pigment
  • Using the fine-tip watercolor brush, carefully color the focal image.
  • Allow to dry completely
  • KEY TIP: Be sure to keep the brush clean between each color change and do not over-saturate the brush to prevent the colors from running
Boosting the Color


  • Using the Quick Gel glue pen, apply gel to areas where you will be applying foil following the manufacturer's directions
  • KEY TIP: Stick to one area and one color at a time so that the foil does not adhere in unwanted locations
  • Apply the foil gently over the gel and press it lightly.  If the gel is ready, then the foil will easily peel from the foil transfer and remain on the gel.
  • Repeat this step for each of the foil colors to be added.

Background Panel

  • Use white cardstock, colored paste (the color choices are optional), and a blending pad, apply the paste to the card until the desired hue is reached.
  • Once the desired hue is reached be sure to allow the background panel to dry completely. This will prevent the paste from being smeared or removed accidentally in subsequent steps.
  • Using a geometric patterned stencil, place it over the dried background panel
  • Using a complementary colored paste to background panel paste, in this instance gold over blue,  blend the paste over the stencil until the desired hue is reached
  • Carefully remove the stencil and allow the background to dry.
  • KEY TIP: Always clean your tools after using them as a lot of brands of these pastes are meant to be permeate so they will stain the stencil if left to dry.
Sentiment

  • Using white cardstock and colored paste, apply and blend the paste to the same hue as the background panel. Allow to dry completely.
  • Using a stamp platform, align, ink, and stamp the sentiment with watermark ink.
  • Apply the white embossing powder, remove excess, and then heat set with a heat tool

Assembly

  • Trim the background panel to 4.25" x 5.5" using a paper trimmer
  • Use liquid glue to adhere the background panel to the card base
  • Apply foam tape or pop dots to the back of the focal image to add dimensions
  • Remove the backing from the foam tape
  • Repeat for the sentiment
  • KEY TIP: Add some liquid glue onto the foam tape or before adhering into place. The liquid glue will allow a small opportunity for repositioning before the foam tape adheres to the background panel

The stamps I used can be found by following the links in the materials list or you can find them with a quick search on www.blankpagemuse.com. Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Day of the Dead Coffin Card


Hello! I created a 3D project for today's post. I used the I Brake for Stamps Mr. Bones rubber stamp. Isn't he cute? 





I stamped the image on white cardstock using a dye ink. Use a dye ink that will work well with the coloring medium that you are planning to use. 


A stamp positioner was very useful to me in stamping this image since this image is very detailed. The stamp positioner allowed me to re-stamp the image since I missed some spots in stamping. 

This rubber stamp is available mounted or unmounted. To use the unmounted stamp, adhere the unmounted stamp to the door of the stamp positioner, as you can see on the photo above. I used a glue stick to do this which worked really well. The stamp held on to the door during the stamping and re-stamping. To clean the glue off from the back of the stamp and the stamp positioner door, I just used a wet rag.




I used different coloring mediums to color Mr. Bones. I used color pencils for the base layer. A sharp color pencil was very useful in coloring those tiny areas. I then used an alcohol marker which worked well in coloring the hat since this is the largest part of the image. I also used gel pens for accents, coloring over some of the areas colored with color pencils. 


I fussy cut the image leaving a white border around it. I used a craft knife to cut the areas in between Mr.  Bones' arms and body.


I added dimensional glue to some areas and also colored some parts with a shimmer pen.

I adhered Mr. Bones to a 3D black coffin cut with an electric die cutting machine. I added some matting to the front of the coffin for some extra accent. 

This 3D coffin can be used as a decor. I forgot to mention that this coffin can be opened to reveal a hidden message or even a candy bar measuring up to ~1/2". 

I hope you like today's project.

Find more inspiration by visiting the following blogs:

Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!
I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/ 


Please visit my blog, Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts, if you have time.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

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