Three Goals Achieved Using Three Stamps Sets That Cost $3 Each

I've usually been getting my paper in multicolor packs. I open them up and then put them into a couple of hanging file folders so I can get at the individual sheets without struggling. I sort the old stuff into the new so all the cardstock of the same color is together and keep the whole bunch of about 150-200 assorted sheets in 3 hanging folders. It's almost time to open a new pack. Most of what I would call the "guy colors" seem to be used up but certain other colors like light pink and purple seem to still be in plentiful supply so goal number one in making this card was use some of these "leftover" colors.

Goal number two was to use some of the stamps I just got. I scored some nice $3 Brenda Walton Inkadinkado clear stamp sets this weekend and they fit the colors better than the Christmas stamp set I was thinking about using. Unfortunately these were very ink phobic, at least when it came to using Memento inks. The ink just beaded up on the stamp. I had to use chalk ink to get a good image.

Goal number three was to make something nice, but at the same time keep it simple, mostly be a stamping card. After glittering two of the images and hand cutting one out I am not sure I kept it as simple as I wanted, but it was worth it.

Here's the end product of these goals. Click on the image for full directions if you want to read more.

What do two Xryon machines, a Cuttlebug and a heat gun equal?

They equal this really quick amazing card that never made it online last year. I don't know why. The images were done for it. I just needed to find the name of the embossing folder and the cutting cartridge. It would have been easy to finish but it never gone done until now.





There's no stamping involved, but it uses 3 different machines, 4 if you count the heat gun, and two different embossing techniques - dry and heat.

Anyone remember the Xyron Personal Cutting system? It was one of the first generation electronic cutters and used 6x6 mats with LeapPad like books to select the image. It's discontinued now but that's where the large purple flower shape came from. It had some really nice shapes you're going to see coming up in some of the nicer simple cards that I made years ago that I'll be mixing in with some of the more complicated newer stuff in the coming months. I should probably update the card to use one of the newer cutting machines or mega sized punches but since I don't have a commercial sponsor to promote, I'll just stick with my original Xyron PCS flower since its got nice chunky petals that fill the card front.

The large purple flower is heat embossed with a rather unconventional technique that I came up with up that actually created a large glittered image that did not shed glitter all over the place. Essentially I made my own glitter paper, but just out of the image so there was no waste. How do you that? I'm going to leave that as an evil teaser. It's all explained in full on the direction sheet you can get by clicking on the image.

New Rubber!

I have been to two rubber stamping/paper crafting shows so far this summer and have picked up a ton of new stamps and a lot of unmounted rubber images that I had to stick on cling foam and cut out but got for about a third of what I would have had to pay if they were on wood. Ok maybe its gonna end being more like half by time I get more binders and add in the cling sheets for the binders but I could have never afforded this many images if they had been premounted on wood and its going to save me a lot space and they are real rubber. I love the acrylics for the same reason but rubber just seems to work well with any ink and the clear stamps are hit or miss sometimes.
I mainly got stuff that fit three main categories:

• Really cool words
• Images that can be colored
• Images suitable for Flowersoft, usually in combination with coloring.

I'm not expecting to get a lot of cards done this month but using the new stuff is going to be the theme so it will be lots of coloring - Copic mostly but maybe I'll throw in new colored pencil and watercolor pencil techniques I learned at the shows.
I also have 24 older cards I scanned to finish putting online as well. Those might actually get some time this month. We'll have to see what I really feel like doing after putting in long days at work.
Here's a quick index view of the uploads since my last post if you haven't found them on the website already. Click on them to get the directions and larger views:

	This butterfly escaped the last posting and was found in hiding.
	He was not alone either.
	Mostly Stampin' Up!, except the paper
	New rubber and Copics!
	Even the Cricut machine wanted to play with the new rubber!
	More new rubber, sayings and Copics
	New and old rubber, Copics and distressing for an any occasion male card.

Dragonfly and Butterfly Invasion!

First, the contest answer was actually very easy. All you had to do was look in the Amazon Associates Store I have set up. It has all the products I have used that I can find on Amazon. The stamp sets are where you would find an image and until this week there was one that was not used on any of the cards that you can quickly scan in the index - this one. There are three butterflies on the set. By the way they are selling the set for only $6.08 as I write this, which is less than I paid for it. Hopefully they aren't discontinuing it. There is another design I will be posting a few days as well using the same stamp set and the same materials below.

These are the cards I have made so far with the set and my favorite little patterned stack and my favorite cardstock stack for the summer. The ink and markers are there too.

Click on any of the card to get full directions.

These two are new as well but use different stamp sets. Click on any of the card to get full directions.