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What have I left out of this basic card-making handout?

I'm giving a three hour workshop on basic cardmaking at my church this weekend and I decided to make a handout for people. I'm expecting about a dozen ladies and we'll play with my rubber stamps and punches and I'll show them how to make envelopes and do stamping and then I'll let them play.

So what essential instruction have I left out? Do you think i need to write anything about punches? (insert paper, press down!)

Cardmaking

Basic tools and Equipment

The most basic requirements for cardmaking are glue, scissors, paper and pens? you can use almost any kind of these, down to a sheet of white printer paper and scraps from the wrapping paper drawer, but here are some of the possible options:

Cutting Tools

- sharp scissors

- decorative scissors

- Paper trimmer

- Cutting board, metal ruler and craft knife

Adhesive

- Gluestick

- Elmer's glue or other 'white' glue

- Double-sided tape

- Foam tape

- Glue dots (available in many sizes)

- Adhesive 'runner'

- Mounting tabs

Paper

- Cardstock

- Coloured paper o Printer/photocopy paper o Patterned Paper (for scrapbooking) o Wrapping paper o Tissue paper o Paper offcuts/scraps Writing/Colouring Tools

- Gelpens

- Greylead Pencil (HB)

- Markers

- Coloured pencils

Decorations

- Ribbons/wool/braid

- Brads

- Buttons

- Stickers

- Rub-ons

- Stencils/templates

- Paper punches o Border punches o Corner punches o Shape punches o Hand-held punches

- Rubber stamping o Rubber stamps o Ink pad o Embossing pad (special clear ink) o Embossing powder o Heat gun

How to make an envelope from scrapbooking paper

  1. Print out the envelope template.
  2. Tape the top and bottom edge of the template sheet to the back of a sheet of 12x12 paper.
  3. Carefully cut along the lines of the template with your paper trimmer, craft knife, or sharp scissors.
  4. NOTE - the printed template has a small gap between the edges of the paper and the edges of the shape This is due to limitations of the printer - to make it easier to glue, extend the side flaps to the edge of the template sheet.
  5. Lay a metal ruler along the ruled edges of the template and fold them over it. Press down firmly to crease the envelope.
  6. Glue the flaps with a small gluestick.
  7. Fold the envelope together and press down.
  8. Alternatively, print/photocopy the envelope template on coloured printer paper and skip step 2.

Rubber Stamping

Stamping is very easy? all you need is a rubber stamp and some ink. There are many different types of ink pad on the market now, including dye inkpads, pigment inkpads, embossing inkpads, 'chalk' inkpads, and special inkpads designed for using on metal or fabric. For basic cardmaking, use pigment inkpads in whatever colour you prefer. You can also colour the stamp with special markers, or with some kinds of regular marker - it depends on how quickly the ink dries? if the ink dries too fast, you won't be able to stamp the image.

Make sure the stamp is clean and tap it down on the inkpad gently but firmly. DON'T squish it down or it will get too much ink on it and make a messy image. Then stamp down on the card. Do NOT move the stamp or press down too hard on the edge/corner or you'll get a double image? For the sharpest image, press down on the center of the stamp with the palm of your hand and lift the stamp straight up.

To make nice sharp multiple images, reink the stamp between each stamping? Alternatively, keep on stamping until there is no ink left on the stamp, and you'll get a 'ghosting' effect which makes a very nice background for other stamps.

Between colours, clean the stamp by stamping it onto damp paper toweling or tissues. It doesn't matter if there are small traces of old dry ink in the crevices of the stamp, but you don't want to contaminate a clean ink pad with other colours?

And if you are mixing rubber stamps on the card, make sure that the first colour/s are dry before you stamp new images over the top.

How to emboss with rubber stamps

  1. IMPORTANT - Lay down several sheets of white paper on your work surface before you start embossing. Embossing powder is very fine and it goes everywhere, but it can be easily reused if you have paper down to catch it...

  1. Select your ink pad and embossing powder. Clear embossing powder is designed to go on top of coloured ink to let the ink colour show through. Coloured embossing powder goes on top of clear ink (but if you only have coloured ink it will still work? it is opaque and entirely covers the ink underneath)

  2. Ink the rubber stamp on the ink pad and stamp down on your card. Do NOT move the stamp on the paper or you'll get a double-image. Gently press down on the back of the stamp while keeping it in the same spot. If you are doing a repeated stamp, quickly stamp your other image/s making sure to reink the stamp between each image.

  1. Quickly pour embossing powder over all the places where you have ink on the card. It will seem to use a lot but that's okay - most of it can be recycled. Pick the card up and the excess powder will fall onto the white paper beneath. Put the card down, and before you do anything else, carefully pour all the extra embossing powder back into the container to use again.

  2. Tap the card on the paper to remove the extra, and if there are any stray specks, blow on the card to remove them. If any spots don't have enough powder on them, resprinkle the card and repeat the process?

  1. Plug in your heat gun and turn it on. Do NOT try to use a hairdryer for this - it is too strong and it will blow the embossing powder right off the paper. Hold the heat gun about two inches above the card and aim it at the embossing. The powder will melt and turn shiny very quickly. Put it down and let it cool down and dry for at least one minute before you touch it.

NOTE - you can mix different colours of embossing powder on one card, either by stamping/powdering the images one at a time, or else by sprinkling more than one colour of embossing powder onto the image. HOWEVER if you mix different colours at once you will not be able to separate the excess powders from each other, so do NOT put them back into the original container - pour them into a new container instead. It is also possible to quickly re-emboss the image while the embossing powder is still wet. Sprinkle the second colour over as soon as you have embossed the first one and it should stick.

Reply to
Karen AKA Kajikit
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You might want to tell them to be SURE and put the punch on a firm surface and press down well. Some punches don't complete the cut if you don't.

Hugs, Rach

Reply to
Rach

I am still learning and experimentingwith rubber stamping. I've had a lot of trial and errors..lol but its a lot of fun! You were very thorough with your instructions, but you might want to mention the difference between the wetness and drying time of dye inks vs pigment inks when it comes using embossing powders. I still have to remember that pigment is wetter and takes longer to dry, if you dont have a heat gun to dry it. Good luck! :-)

Linda C

Reply to
Linda C

One other tip about using markers on rubber stamps. If the ink dries on the stamp, just breathe on it and then stamp. The great thing about using markers is you can use more than one color on the stamp.

Reply to
Cathy

Does that actually work? I tried colouring stamps with regular markers and the image was too dry and wouldn't stamp, so I gave up. Do you really have to have the special ones to make it work?

I'm a stamping novice myself so I've figured it out as I went along... somebody showed me how to do embossing years ago and I thought it was a great technique, but I never really got the tools to do it until just now - I finally bought a heat gun last week! And I've got a drawer full of rubber stamps but I haven't used them very much...

My favourite thing is to use a marbled ink pad and to stamp all over the card and make a nice variagated card... I like direct-inking too, but that's a technique for another lesson.

Reply to
Karen AKA Kajikit

I'm experimenting too! Nobody's ever sat me down and given me a proper lesson in how to do this stuff... what IS the difference between different types of ink pad? All I know is that they exist... I've got a dozen different pigment stamp ink pads.

Reply to
Karen AKA Kajikit

Yup it works, but you have to "huff" on the image after you've colored it... you know how you breathe on glasses to fog them before you wipe them off? thats huffing... it puts microscopic water molecules on it... and rehydrates the ink...

so color, huff, stamp! :D

Reply to
RJ

Karen...dye ink pads are basically just that.....liquid dye and because of the water content they dry quickly but will often 'bleed' if you use watercolours or some fiber tip markers etc. Pigment inkpads are generally sticky ( I think they contain a glycerine-like substance) so you can sprinkle your embossing powder and it will stick to the image. You can stamp just the same with them but you need to leave extra time to dry or heat set them or they will smudge. Dye ink will fade over time...pigment ink is less likely to fade but there are some hybrid inkpads around now, i.e., dye inkpads that are waterproof once dry and some that you can emboss with if you are really quick...LOL The clear embossing pads like Versamark are very similar to the pigment inkpads without the pigment added.....only it's stickier....and some embossing pads have a slight pink tinge to them!!!! These are great if you want to use decorating chalks to colour your image and you need to see where to put each colour. I tend to use artist pastel for this technique as they are a bit stronger in colour than the chalks....but they still give a more subtle image.... like a watercolour image. Go here for everything you ever wanted to know about rubber stamping:

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It is a brilliant site for everything stamping!!!!! By the way...I noted that you seem to dab your stamp lightly on the inkpad. Here in the UK and many of the sites I have visited recommend you place the stamp.....wooden back down on the table and lightly tap your inkpad over the stamp. You are less likely to be heavy handed and get too much ink clogging up fine detail. That is they way I ink up and the resultant image is generally crisper.

To use markers to colour your stamps you need to use either Marvy LePlume, Crayola Brush Markers or one marked specifically for stamping purposes......I think Whispers have stamping pens also. Ordinary fiber tipped pens are not really juicy enough and dry too quickly to be effective. If you use a brush marker they are pretty wet and allow time to add different colours. You may just want to 'huff' over the stamp before making your impression if you have been colouring a large stamp.

HTH

Reply to
Marilyn

The one tip I can share that hasn't been mentioned is to use an anti-static bag or a USED dryer sheet on your cardstock before you stamp and emboss. You only need to do it when you're embossing or using other powders. If you don't have an anti-static bag, a used dryer sheet is a cheap alternative. I really like my Embossing Buddy (Stampin' Up) over the dryer sheet though. The anti-static bag removes all the excess moisture and oils (from your fingers) from the cardstock. Just rub it over the cardstock, stamp, then emboss. You won't wind up with little stray specks of embossing powder around your stamping!

By the way, I use my dye ink pads for my general stamping and card making, especially since they dry faster than pigment based pads. For embossing, I'll use pigment based or Versamark.

Have fun with your class!

Reply to
Deb in AR

Thanks for all the info Marilyn!

Reply to
Karen AKA Kajikit

Not having made too many cards, sounds good to me.

Teresa in MD

Reply to
Tazmadazz

Reply to
Linda C

Reply to
Linda C

Yep...a used dryer sheet. A new dryer sheet can leave a residue on the cardstock, hence, a used dryer sheet. :-) I wipe it all over the piece of cardstock I'm going to be embossing. But, I tend to get messy with my stamping. LOL Of course, if you're a neat embosser, you can get away with just rubbing it over the area that's going to be stamped.

Reply to
Deb in AR

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