Stamp with Michele

Vellum Paper or Cardstock Uses

Last month for my Technique Clubs in Waterloo, IA and in West Des Moines, IA  I used vellum for a beautiful card.  It seems I have not used as much vellum lately but with spring & summer approaching I believe I will use it a little more.  For this reason I thought I should share a little information I have gathered over my 6 years of stamping.

Stampin’ Up! carries 2 weights of Vellum- paper & cardstock. This is see through paper that adds much beauty to any project. I seem to almost always use the cardstock vellum as it seems the paper vellum would tear so easy but I am sure it can be used for most of the ideas below.  It is just my preference.  What would you use Vellum for?

Dry Embossing -You would use cardstock vellum for this technique. Stamp your line art image using our Classic ink or White Stazon ink. After it has dried, turn the cardstock over onto our foam mat & use a stylus to go over the stamped lines. You could then color it in if you wish using the Aqua Painter or Blender Pen using our ink, Pastels (chalk), Watercolor Crayons or Watercolor Pencils. Turn it over to place it on your card or project.

Wet Embossing -

You could use either weight for this. Just make sure you have your Heat Tool very hot prior to aiming it toward your project so it will not take as long to melt the embossing powder. I used to not heat it up first & then the Vellum would melt or curl quite a bit. You can get a good feel for this after just trying it a couple of times to see the difference. It looks very elegant using White, Gold or Silver embossing powder.

Color it to match your project-

you can take a foam brayer just barely dampened & roll it over Classic ink color of choice. Then roll it over your Vellum for a smooth finish. If you use the rubber brayer it could be darker colored & not as evenly covered.

Soften your project-

if what you have stamped on your cardstock is too bold you can add vellum to it to soften your stamped images.

Stamp your words on it-

if you want words on the card or scrapbook page but still want to see what is under it you can just stamp the words on the vellum & layer on your project.

Tear it-

you can tear it just like you would cardstock. It evens adds more if you then sponge the torn edges.

A Card-

this is very pretty to wheel or stamp a design on the vellum & make it your card. Then use smaller pieces of cardstock layered to be able to stamp words inside the card & allow for signing it.

Wedding Invitations-

you can print on the cardstock vellum & attach it over stamped cardstock.

After you use the vellum you then have to try to attach it so the adhesive will not show. Here are a couple options you can use:

• Use brads or eyelets in each corner.
• Use Snail adhesive under some of your stamped images so it will not show so easily.
• Use Snail adhesive along the inside edge or across the top & tie a ribbon over it.
• I have bought some of the adhesives they say don’t show but sometimes they still do. Sometimes they show more on one color of cardstock versus another. The darker cardstocks seem to show it more.

Reinker Uses

1. Re-ink your stamp pads: Use the coordinating re-inkers to keep those 48 Stampin' Up! colors bright.  You really don't have to buy a new ink pad when one drys up.
 
2. Shaving Cream Technique: Use them to make your own background paper using cheap shaving cream.  It is a little messy but so much fun.
 
3. Use with a Paintbrush, Aqua Painter or Blender Pen to color your stamped images.
 
4. Make a beautiful glitter Christmas Ornaments.  I know Christmas is over but you can remind me next year.
 
5. Mix Crystal Effects and Re-Inkers- you can even add dazzling diamond glitter to this for a nice effect on your stamping project
 
6. Color the white flowers in the Pretties Kit to match your project.
 
7. Bubble Background Technique- nice background for water or fish cards.
 
8. Re-ink your 48 colors of Stampin' Up! Markers #1. 
* Stampin' Up! does NOT recommend doing this. It is just something some that can be   done to extend the life of their markers. You do this at the risk of ruining the marker and thereby having to replace it anyway. Carefully and gently remove the wide tip of the marker. Fill a small container with the coordinating color of re-inker. Place the brush tip of the marker that you've removed into the container that has the re-inker fluid in. Allow to soak from 10 minutes to 24 hours depending on how dry the tip was. Add several amounts of re-inker to the barrel of the marker. Re-insert the brush tip into the barrel of the marker. Do so gently and carefully.  I have never done this but have been given these instructions by other demonstrators.
 
9. Re-ink your 48 colors of Stampin' Up! Markers #2. 
Another suggestion from a long-time demonstrator is to not remove the tip from the barrel.  Just put some re-inker into a clear film canister and let the marker sit in it for a while. The marker will suck up all the ink it needs. Then wipe the tip & replace the cap.  Lay the marker flat to allow the ink to travel to the small tip as well. It's a lot less messy!
 
10. Dye Ribbon: Use the re-inkers to dye white ribbon to have matching ribbon for your project.  Make sure to let it dry prior to using it.
 
11. Marble Technique for a different background using real marbles.
 
12. Bubble Wrap or Sandwich wrap dabbed in reinker to make a unique background.
 
13. Sponging your projects.
 
14. Baby Wipe Technique.
 
15. Polished Stone Technique using metallic reinker also.
 
 
 
Tip: Use rubber gloves or ziplock bags on hand to keep from getting ink all over your hands for some of these projects.

Ideas for using brads

Right now brads seem to be used more than eyelets.  I came across this list from another demonstrator that I thought might help some of you get more ideas of how to use them.  I hope you enjoy the list & maybe some of you will share some of the cards you make with them. 

70 Ways to Use Brads

1. connectors on paper piecing for moveable parts
2. attaching vellum
3. accents on journal blocks
4. to "hang" things from
5. center of flowers
6. center of letters
7. spell out words (outline letters)
8. corners of picture mat
9. eyes of paper dolls
10. nails in a fence
11. earrings for a paper doll
12. belly button jewel for a paper doll
13. "stone" in a ring
14. buttons on a snowman
15. decoration on a child's ball
16. stepping stones on a garden layout
17. attach a fiber to a brad to make a yo-yo
18. attach elements on a page by wrapping wire or
fiber
19. to form "bullets" for a list of things
20. as an accent on the tail of a letter
21. in the hole of a tag
22. white - as stars on a black or navy blue sky
23. white - as dropping snowflakes
24. light blue - as falling raindrops
25. orange - as pumpkins
26. white - as moonbeams
27. jeweled belt on a paper doll
28. brown - as chocolate chips on a cookie
29. toppings on a pizza
30. M & Ms
31. buttons on a shirt
32. decorations on an Easter egg
33. decorations on a Christmas tree
34. purple - grapes in a cornucopia
35. lights on top of a police car or fire truck
36. center of a pinwheel
37. center of tires
38. tires on a toy car
39. end of antenna on a bug
40. center of fiber spider web
41. hair ornament on a girl paper doll
42. the "dot" on an i or j
43. attach handle to a basket
44. to attach fibers lacing something together
45. attach a sign to a post
46. rocks
47. center of propeller on an airplane
48. on serendipity squares
49. sesame seeds on a bun
50. jeweled skirt on a paper doll.
51. use as a spider and paint a face on it with the
legs behind it or
use wire for it's legs
52. dots on a ladybug
53. as fillers
54. use as nails on wood (like haunted house windows)
55. Christmas Bulbs on a tree paper piecing
56. eye on a frog
56. use to embellish the corner of tags or
57. borders or
58. titles
59. Attach fabric, twistel or lace to paper
60. use star brads to replicate a night sky
61. ends of a hammock (saw that on a layout at the lss
using Brad-Dazzled
brads)
62. use on butterfly wings
63. oval nailheads as Easter Eggs
64. Buttons on a dress
65. shoe buckle
66. dots on a clown suit doll or paper piecing
67. sprinkles on an ice cream cone
68. sprinkles on a cupcake
69. use seashell nailheads on paper torn sand paper to
create a beach
look
70. Use your imagination!!!