This means that for every 2 stamp sets you buy at regular price, you will get the 3rd one of equal or lesser value for FREE!
Whether you like to use stamps in card making, scrapbooking, journaling, planning, or to create texture in art journaling or mixed media, we’ve got stamps for you!
Quick Rules: 1) FREE stamp will be the least expensive of the 3. So, if you choose two stamps at $17.95 each and one at $13.95, the $13.95 will be FREE!
2) If all three stamp sets are the same price, one will be FREE!
3) The only stamps NOT included are the Stamp of the Month, any Hostess Rewards stamps, any stamps in the Workshops on the Go, any included with Cricut cartridges AND the Animal Greetings stamp set that benefits Operation Smile.
4) Of course, you can purchase as many as you want for the deal!
5) Add all the stamps you want to your cart and the system AUTOMATICALLY figures out which ones are FREE! –
Today’s Artful Adventure is exploring a technique using stamps and tissue paper. This is great for getting crisp images onto areas where using traditional stamping methods may not give you the desired look. Be sure to see below the video for some additional information.
Since this provides a translucent look, any color of tissue can give you some great layering possibilities.
I used Ranger’s Glue N’ Seal to adhere the tissue, you can use any product you like for this collage-type method. Products like Mod-Podge, liquid matte medium from Liquitex, Golden’s Gel Medium, or anything you prefer will work for this method.
If you like the stamp set I used, it is the ‘Treasured Friendship‘ set from Close to My Heart, and is available in the current 2015-21016 catalog.
I hope you’ll try this method and feel free to share with us over on the FaceBook group!
Now, since it is Make It Monday, let’s move on to see what is next this week. Be sure and visit Karen at PhotosKeptAlive.com to see how she was inspired by a sketch!
Celebrate everyday with word tags. They are such an easy way to decorate for seasons and holidays.
In honor of Valentine’s Day this week, here is some love.
Last week I told you about using blocks to hang tags on, and how to prepare them. I finished my first set of tags, and thought about the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. So I just wanted to pop in and show you how they turned out.
I decided that for my first set I would just go ahead and get a set from The Little Blue House. I wanted to get them ready for this week, since Valentine’s Day is approaching, and that way, everything was ready for me to just put together. You have to appreciate a project like that, right?
Fun elements add interesting touches.
Like many paper projects, the more layers of interest and different elements, the more interesting something becomes. This heart shape was used for the letter “o” in the word “LOVE” and I think that was such a fun idea. Many of the little swirls you see on the different blocks were sections of flourish.
Coating the letters with Liquid Glass gave much more dimension than just the plain paper letter.Let
The letters were cut from cardstock. You could die-cut letters, cut them with an electronic machine such as Cricut or Silhouette, or even hand draw letters for your tags. I know many of you love to do hand lettering!
The letters were then coated with Close To My Heart’s Liquid Glass. Even though you can see tiny bubbles in these close-ups, they really are not that noticeable. I love how much more dimensional the letters become!
Love My Family word tags. The tag on the right is for a family photo.
Here they are all together. The block on the far right is ready for a small family photo. My family has grown so large with grandchildren that I may just put one in of them! Who better, right?
On a side note, I actually made these at the store during one of their available times to get together with other crafty friends. The lady next to me was making a cute set for summer, and she told us that she is going to hang hers on the wall, because she doesn’t have space for the blocks. Yes, nobody is going to make you hang the tags on blocks if you don’t want to.
After moving twice this past year, plus breaking my ankle last summer, it really put a crimp in my creativity! Now that the holidays are past, I am ready to move on. So let’s get busy!
Word tag blocks with tacks to hang individual tags to make a word.
Today I want to introduce you to the foundation pieces of a great idea that you can change out all year long to decorate for seasons and holidays! By themselves, you’re probably wondering why I think these are something I would should you how to make. Trust me, you understand as we go on.
Last week I met up with one of my sister scrapbookers from the Scrap Happy online group, and she introduced me to the cutest little local store, The Little Blue House. They have a great mix of scrapbooking and decorating craftiness in their store, and we had so much fun. Among the many projects they offer, is one they call Words for All Seasons. The concept uses a foundation of paper covered blocks to hang individual tags on, which spell out a word or phrase. They sell kits for making the most darling tag sets, as well as the block sets. I’ll link you there later in the post! I really debated just making my own blocks, but I knew I would never do it, so I purchased their blocks and was ready to get on with my project! Today, I’ll share the process of making the block foundation pieces.
Sanded blocks ready to use.
These blocks are in four sizes. Thank goodness they were already cut and sanded. Would I have ever done this if I had to do that part myself? Probably not. You just have to know when you should pay somebody else for work they have already done!
Tiny text makes old dictionary pages perfect for this project.
Pages from an old dictionary are perfect for covering the blocks. The text is small and won’t leave a lot open space. Remember, a lot of this is going to be covered up with your tags.
Paper adhered to the blocks.
I used a liquid matte medium to adhere the paper to the blocks. I opted to apply the medium to the block and then place the paper on, and smooth it out. I found that putting the medium on the paper first, made it too wet, and I had a hard time smoothing it out.
You can place pieces straight or at angles, or both. They are your blocks, do what makes you happy! I have several people in my life that hate the way I make things all crooked. In their opinion, everything should always be nicely squared in any arrangement.
Make sure that you always have your gluing product under and on top of your paper so that it sticks well.
Trim off the excess paper from the edges.
When the paper is dry, trim any excess paper from the edges. I found that just using scissors was the easiest.
Gesso or paint the end of the blocks.
To cover the naked ends of each block, I used a bit of gesso. You could use paint, any color you want! However, remember that we are going to use these for the base of word tags for all year. However, if everything you do must include lime green and you feel that you must paint lime green ends, they are YOUR blocks.
Ink the edges to add a little more depth and interest.
Now you can add a bit more depth and interest to the blocks by sponging on a bit of color. I used Chocolate by Close To My Heart.
Upholstery Tacks will hold each tag.
You will need a way to hang the tags on the blocks. Since the tacks will show, use something that you don’t mind seeing. Upholstery tacks are perfect! Tap them in near the top edge of each block.
Each individual block hangs a tag with a letter or decorative element.
Be sure to visit The Little Blue House online, so you can see the cute little tag sets they already have packaged up for you! Or better yet, visit their store in Keller, Texas. (This post was written with their permission.)
Here are some stops to check out on this week’s Make It Monday Blog Circle.
Learn how to use Masks in Artisan 5 with this quick video http://wp.me/pdovL-kM @PhotosKeptAlive
@daydesigning is creating simple one-layer Valentine’s Day Cards today http://bit.ly/20AjBoU
Upcycling items doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult! Here is a decorative plate used to create a bit of wall decor with a copy of one of my favorite photos of my grandmother.
Decorative plate with cutwork edge is recycled into home decor with family heritage photo.
When I was washing this plate, I realized it was actually meant hold a pillar candle. Guess how I figured it out. There was a label on the back that said so! So much for my detective skills.
This decorative with cut work edges was chosen for this project.
That floral paper is a piece of scrapbook paper from the CTMH La Vie En Rose ensemble! I love it. Here is a peek at the paper pack.
Close To My Heart La Vie En Rose Paper Pack
After measuring the center of the plate, I knew how large to cut the scrapbook paper to use for the center of the plate, and also decided how large I would print the photo of my grandmother. I printed the photo on inkjet Presentation Paper to get a nice photo to use. If you have a photo on photo paper, that you don’t mind cutting, you can certainly use a regular photo.
A circle of decorative scrapbook paper cut for the center, and the heritage photo printed and cut in a circle.
After cutting these out, I used Liquitex Matte Medium to adhere them to the plate. Apply a thin layer on the plate and then lay the paper down and smooth down. Apply a thin layer over the top of the paper and smooth it down. Lay on the photo while still wet. If it is already too dry, just add a bit more of your medium. Then layer another thin layer over the top, and be sure to smooth out any air pockets.
Be sure to wipe any excess off the edge of the plate before it dries. Baby wipes are always great to have on hand in your crafting area!
The scrapbook paper was cut in a circle and placed in the center of the plate.
Decorative paper and photo adhered to the center with matte medium.
Select a ribbon or other piece of fiber to use hang your plate. I decided to make the loop long, and create the bow at the top of my plate. You could certainly just run the ribbon through the holes and create your bow at the top of the loop if you want to.
Finally, I added some crystal pieces that had come from an old lamp. They are rather large, and that is part of the reason I selected a bold pattern for the scrapbook paper, as well as made my hanging loop so long. Each one helped balance out the other parts of this project.
Decorative plate turned into home decor by adding scrapbook paper, photo, ribbon, and crystals.
Photos can live in other places besides frames and scrapbooks. I hope you’ll give something like this a try!
The Make It Monday Blog Circle is always great for some inspiration and ideas!
View the catalogs online or download! 
Now, since it is Make It Monday, let’s move on to see what is next this week. Be sure and visit 
The Make It Monday Blog Circle is always great for some inspiration and ideas!