Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

Thank you to all who visited our Hanukkah Blog blog hop over the past month! We received so much positive feedback! As I promised in yesterday’s post, today I have the tutorial for you on creating this box that will hold eight tea lights (2 rows of 4).

I started with the instructions on Tanya’s blog for a box that holds one row of four, and adapted it to make it wider. To start with, you will need two pieces of card stock. One that is 5 1/4″ x 8 1/4″ for the base of the box, and one that is 6″ x 8″ for the sliding cover.

To make the bottom of the box, score the 81/4″ side at 1/2″, 1 1/8″, 7 1/8″ and 7 3/4″.

Then turn it 90 degrees and score at 1/2″, 1 1/8″, 4 1/8″, 4 3/4″

Snip out the corners as shown below

Snip one of the fold lines on each corner to make tabs, then fold, glue, and assemble.

To make the cover, score the 8″ side at 5/8″, 3 3/4″, 4 3/8, and 7 3/8″

The fold and assemble! If you want to decorate the cover, it is easier to do that before you glue it together.

To stamp on the tea lights, you actually stamp on tissue paper. Use your 1 3/8″ circle punch to punch out circles of tissue paper. The easiest way to do this is to fold the tissue paper several times, then place it between sheets of copy paper and punch. Stamp your desired images on the tissue paper. Punch a small hole in the center of your design, and slide this over the wick of the tea light. Use your heat tool to melt a thin layer of wax over the tissue paper. (Note: Do not try and hold the tea light while doing this! set it down on the table.) Have fun!

I have a fun fold card for you today. This is a triangle trifold card, and it is super cute! It looks tricky, but the Simply Scored makes it so easy.

Stamps: Packed for Birthday
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight
Card Stock: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Other: Tempting Turquoise ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Simply Scored, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate

Because they are so fun, and I think you would enjoy making one too, I put together a tutorial, so you can make your own.

Supplies:
3 ½” x 10 ½” cardstock
3 ¼” x 3 ¼” cardstock (for inside if desired)
3” x 3” cardstock for front
17” of ribbon
Simply Scored score tool
Simply Scored diagonal plate
Ink and stamps to decorate

Score the card base at 3 ½” and 7”.

Switch to the diagonal score board, and score each of the outside squares. Make sure that the scores are going in the same direction.

Fold each side in towards the middle, then fold the triangles out.

Fold the card up, and tie the ribbon around it, with the bow on the right hand side. Glue your front square on top, being sure to place the glue only in the top left corner. Continue to decorate as desired.

When the card is opened, it will look like this:

Would you like a PDF version of this tutorial? You can download it for free here. I also make my tutorials available for Kindle or Nook. (Though it may be a few days before this one shows up.)

Looking for info on Stampin’ Up’s retiring stamps and accessories? You can find them here!

Have you seen a wiper card before? I was lucky enough to get one in a Stampin’ Addicts swap last fall. I recreated itwith a summery theme, and I’ve been making it all weekend! The Simply Scored with the new Diagonal Plate makes it easy enough that we made it at the Fun Folds class yesterday, a Sale-a-Bration workshop today, and even with my after-school kids’ class tomorrow!

Stamps: Perfectly Penned
Ink: Poppy Parade
Paper: Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper
Other: Simply Scored Board, Diagonal Plate, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Here’s a tutorial so you can make your own!

Supplies:
Two pieces of cardstock, 4 ¼” x 8 ½”
One piece of cardstock, 1 ½” x 3”
Simply Scored score tool
Simply Scored diagonal plate
Designer Series Paper, ink, and stamps to decorate

Score each of the 4 ¼” x 8 ½” sheets of cardstock at 1 ½” and 3″.

Score the 1 ½” x 3” piece diagonally at the 1 ½” using the ruler on the LEFT side.

Fold all pieces along the score marks.

Adhere the wiper piece to one of the larger pieces as shown below. Make sure that the top of the diagonal score is touching the top of the card.

Put glue on the outside scored section of both pieces and adhere the edges of the two larger pieces together and decorate as desired.

Would you like a PDF version of this tutorial?You can download it for free here. I also make my tutorials available for Kindle or Nook. (Though it may be a few days before this one shows up.)

I had a Fun Folds private card class this weekend. We made some great cards using the Simply Scored! It makes fun fold easier to do, and therefore more fun! One of the cards we made was a swing card using the Labels Framelits.

Stamps: You’re My Type
Ink: Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper
Other: Simply Scored, Labels Collection Framelits, Big Shot

I put together a tutorial for the class, so they would be able to recreate the card. I have it here for you as well.

Supplies:
5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of cardstock for card base
1 7/8” x 5 ¼” piece of designer series paper
Two 3 ¼” x 4” pieces of cardstock for image
Labels Framelits
Big Shot

Score your card base at 2 1/8” and 4 ¼”

Fold it in half on the 4 ¼” score and then back at the 2 1/8” score.

Adhere your designer series paper to the outside small panel.

Place your Label Framelit so that it is half on the designer series paper. Make sure that ONLY this part is covered by the top cutting pad. This will allow you to cut out only half of the design. I use a Post-It note to help hold the Framelit in place.

Stamp two copies of your focal image.

Adhere these to both sides of the “swinging” portion of your card. And voila!!

Would you like a PDF version of this tutorial? You can download it for free here. I also make my tutorials available for Kindle or Nook. (Though it may be a few days before this one shows up.)

As I mentioned yesterday, I followed Cindy’s fabulous tutorial to make the Jewish Star Card that I showed you yesterday. I learned some things along the way, so I wanted to put together a tutorial for others to enjoy as well. You can use either thin card stock or patterned paper. (I recommend Stampin’ Up Designer Series Paper.) For this tutorial, I will be using card stock. Here is my finished card:

Supplies needed:

• Card Stock or Designer Series Paper
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Paper Cutter
• Scoring Tool (such as Stampin’ Up’s Simply Scored)

Start with a piece of card stock or Designer Series Paper that is 10” x 8 3/4”.  Mark the top of the paper at the halfway point of 5”.

Using your ruler, draw a 10”  line from each of the bottom corners to the midpoint that you marked.

Cut along those lines, and you should now have an equilateral triangle that is 10” on every side.

Place one of the sides flat against the left edge of your Simply Scored (or other scoring tool). Score each point at 4 3/8” and 5 7/8”. Rotate the card stock to score all three sides.

Fold the corner in towards the center on the score line closest to the middle, then back out on the score line closest to the tip.

Repeat on all three sides.

Cross fold the outsides, over and under, tucking them in and alternating, all of the way around. Now you have your finished star!

For a more finished look to your Jewish Star Card, you may wish to line the inside.

• For one layer, create a 5” Equilateral Triangle. Start with a 5” x 4 3/8” piece of cardstock, mark the midpoint at 2 1/2” and follow the same steps above.
• For a second layer, create a 4 1/2” Equilateral Triangle. Start with a 4 1/2” x 4” piece of cardstock, mark the midpoint at 2 1/4” and follow the same steps above.

After creating these once, I made templates of all of the triangles that I used, to make the creation of multiple cards easier.

Again, here is the outside of the card:

And here it is opened up:

Stamps: Shalom
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze
Paper: Baja Breeze Textured Cardstock, Not Quite Navy Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock
Other: Simply Scored, 2 3/8” Scallop Circle Punch, 2 1/2” Circle Punch

Would you like a PDF version of this tutorial? You can download it for free here. I also make my tutorials available for Kindle or Nook.

Thank you to everyone who visited my blog over the weekend! as I promised during the hop, I have a combo tutorial for you today — how to enlarge your Matchbox AND how to create an easel for it as well. First of all, you need Stampin’ Up’s Matchbox Bigz XL Die. (If you don’t already have this, read to the end for a special offer.) This is what the final project looks like:

The to create the regular matchbox bottom, you need a piece of cardstock that is approximately 6″ x 5″. This creates an adorable box that is unfortunately about an inch to short to hold a gift card. To compensate for this we are going to start with a piece of card stock that is just a bit larger than 7″ x 5″. Fold this in half so that your folded piece is now 3 1/2″ x 5″. Place this on the Matchbox die so that the folded edge is towards the middle of the die, and the two open sides are just at the edge of the cutting line. (Thank you to Carmen for the original tutorial on this.)

Run this through your Big Shot as usual. When you take it out, unfold the piece that you cut. It should look like this:

Fold on all of the score lines, and put it together just as you would a regular Matchbox. As you can see your final project is slightly larger than a regular Matchbox, and can now hold a gift card!

The next step is to create a cover and the easel. For the cover you want to start with a piece of cardstock that is 6 1/2″ x 3 3/4″. Score this on the long side at 3/4″,  2 7/8″, 3 5/8″, and 5 3/4″. (Have I mention recently how much I love my Simply Scored? Love it!!)

Next you need to create a base for the easel mechanism. Start with a piece of cardstock that is 2 1/8″ x 4 3/4″. Score it on the long side at 1 7/8″ and 3 3/4″.

Now fold under the piece that is 1 7/8″ and glue it to the underside of the cover. Next fold up the bottom part, so it is touching the top. (Is this too confusing? Do I need a video?)

Create your focal point image and attach it to a mat that is 2 1/8″ x 3 3/4″. The top of this mat is then glued on to the folded up part of the easel mechanism. (Are you still with me here?)

Now fold the cover on its score lines and fold into a sleeve for the matchbox. For the final step, attach something to the cover that will catch the end of the easel and prop it up. Here I used a little cut out coffee cup on a Stampin’ Dimensional.

I hope this tutorial was helpful. I welcome your questions and comments!

Oh, right, the special offer! From now through October 31st, I am offering free shipping on any order that includes the Matchbox Bigz XL die. Send me an email for complete details. And don’t forget! If you join my team of Craft Therapists before the end of October, you can get either a FREE Big shot or $100 worth of the Stampin’ Up products of your choice. Click here for more details.

Have you been wondering about Stampin’ Up’s triple layer punches? They are really cool concept — three punches in one!  Triple Layer Punches incorporate three punched images in one great body style—presenting you with numerous layering and designing options. Watch this helpful training video to triple your know-how about these innovative punches!

(If you are getting this in your email, you will need to go to the actual blog post to see the video. If you would like to get this in your email, click here to subscribe.)

The most important thing I have found when using these punches is that they must be used flat on the table, not punched in the air. You can see the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch and the Doily Triple Layer Punch in the Online Store.

The polished stone technique is another one that I waited a really long time to try, thinking it would be harder than it was. I’m happy to report that is another fun and easy way to add the Wow factor to your paper crafting!

Supplies needed:

• Cotton balls
• Rubbing alcohol
• Classic reinkers (2 or 3)
• Glossy white card stock

First, wet your cotton ball thoroughly with the alcohol. Then add two or three drops of each of the colors to the reinker directly on to the cotton ball. Here I used Rose Red and Pretty in Pink.

Begin dabbing your cotton ball around the glossy white card stock. Try not to dab in the same place, as you do not want the colors to look too muddy or blend too much.

When your card stock is completely covered, let it dry for a few minutes.

Now you are ready to finish your card!

There are variations on this technique which include either a metallic reinker or shimmer paint. You can add drops of these to the glossy white card stock before you start dabbing with the inked up cotton ball. If you use one of these, you may need to heat set your project, or use an acrylic sealer.

Have fun with this technique, and let me know what you create!

Ever hit a wall when you are trying to come up with a card design? I know I do! I was cleaning out all of my old swap cards, getting ready for the new catalog which starts TOMORROW (!!) and I was thinking that while they use stamps and paper that are no longer available, the basic layout and design of the cards are still good. Heck, most of them are great! So I started using My Digital Studio to sketch them out. As I worked on it (for hours) I realized that other people might be interested in this too! So I put all of the sketches together in a handy dandy PDF. It is 27 pages long, and contains 51 sketches, because there is an extra one on the title page. If you are interested in purchasing the PDF, it is $5. All you have to do is click the PayPal “Buy Now” button and I’ll send the PDF out to you as soon as I get your email.

Let this book of sketches spark your inspiration! Containing 50 sketches, plus a bonus one on the title page, it is sure to get your creative juices flowing. The sketches are clean, elegant, and easy to read. All are done in shades of gray, so as not to influence your color choices. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The Baby Wipe Technique is one of my favorites — it is super easy to do, and yields fantastic results! Your results are limited only by the colors of reinkers that you have.

Supplies needed:

• Stamp that has a solid image (as opposed to a line art image that can be colored in)
• Classic Reinkers in at least two colors
• A clean, fresh baby wipe
• A tray or plate to put the baby wipe on

Fold your baby wipe into quarters and place it on the tray.

Add several drops of each of the colors of reinker to the baby. You are basically creating your own ink pad. I used Daffodil Delight and Real Red to create the same look as the gummy worms that I wanted to use on the card.

Use this newly created ink pad to ink up your stamp, then stamp on your card stock. If you use colors that are very different, like I did with yellow and red, you may want to clean off your stamp each time before inking it up.

After you finish creating your piece, finish your card as usual. Below is my completed project.

Stamps: Bugs & Kisses
Ink: Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Whisper White
Other: 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, Large Tag Punch, Extra-Large Tag Punch, Sweet Treat Cup, Real Red 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon

Remember, this adorable Bugs & Kisses stamp set will be discontinued after June 30th, as will ALL of the 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon.

I’d love to see your creations with this technique! Be sure to leave me a comment if you make something!