1. These are the colors I used: Worn Lipstick, Picket Fence, and Barn Door. I’m ready for Valentine’s Day!

2. I squeezed the bottles to create puddles of stain on my nonstick craft sheet, making sure that the applicator tips didn’t touch the colors of stain that were already on the sheet. *NOTE: You can do this technique by using Distress Ink stamp pads as well. The key to the marbleizing technique, however, is the white stain. Simply rub the stamp pads onto the craft sheet next to the white stain and continue as shown.

3. I took a piece of kraft cardstock and ran it through the puddles, allowing the colors to mix and blend on the cardstock. This was how it looked after absorbing the first round of stain. I decided that I wanted more coverage, so I wiped my sheet clean and added more stain puddles.

4. In order to help the cardstock absorb the stain more quickly and help the colors blend, I gently spritzed the cardstock with water. My water had a small amount of Perfect Pearls in it which added a lovely shimmer to the background. I continued adding layers of stain until I was happy with the background and dried the cardstock with my heat tool.

Here’s the finished card. I stamped gently onto the marbleized background using Barn Door ink with the heart from Back to the Basics. The bold swirl paper is from our product partner Canvas Corp.

I went digging through my stamps to see what I could put together to create a unique sentiment. I stamped the square from Bold Blocks and added the sassy handwritten phrase from Sigh Gush Gasp. A little extra glitter gel pen on the sentiment and some Scrappers Spools from Karen Foster Design were the final touches. I can’t wait to try new color combinations with this marbelizing technique. Be sure to share your projects if you give it a try!

I want to share a step-by-step with you today featuring a card I recently created.

I know, I know…………you’re thinking, “a card created by Jill”?  I realize that cards aren’t really in my comfort zone (I’m more of a layout-girl), but I promise you that you will not be disappointed.  This card is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step-by-step:

1. Cut a 12×6 piece of cardstock and score in half (I used Kraft, my fave).  Now you have a 6×6 card base.

2. Cut a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of cardstock out of another colour.  Cut another piece of Kraft cardstock 5 1/4 x 5 1/4.  Attached to the card front.

3. Lightly spray with Glimmer Mist in your favourite colours.  Let dry.

4. Tear a thin strip of dictionary paper (yes…..right out of an old dictionary) and attach for a flower stem.  Cut 2 “leaves” from a pattern paper and doodle.  Stitch through both with your sewing machine.

5. Use adhesive decorative tape (I used FunTAPE by KikiArt) to make “grass” at the base of the stem.

6. Use your favourite mSB stamp sets to stamp on pre-made felt flowers/petals (I used Timelines).  Add a decorative button to the centre of the flower.  Attach to card.

7. Attach title stickers (or you could stamp this as well) to the card.  I also hand wrote the “you” of my title.

8. Attach a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of pattern paper to the inside of your card and stamp with the Sigh Gush Gasp stamp set.  Embellish.

9. Send card to someone special.

Here is another card I made using the same mSB stamp sets.

enjoy your day,

I started with a piece of paper from Tim Holtz’s Resist Kraft Stash notepad and clear-embossed the dots using the myStampBOX Backgrounds set of stamps. It adds a subtle texture and shine that’s wonderful to see in person.

Here’s a closer look at the background. I love the tone-on-tone pattern! The sentiment was stamped using the Sigh Gush Gasp sentiments. I just adore this set of stamps! The funky hand-scribbled look is fresh and fun. This time I paired the sentiment with a new Lifestyle Crafts layered die that looks like it was made just for these stamps. I love it when that happens! I hope you try using kraft as the main color on your craft projects. Be sure to link us up if you do. Happy stamping!

Supplies: myStampBOX Backgrounds and Sigh Gush Gasp stamps; Ranger Archival ink; Karen Foster Scrappers Spools, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tim Holtz Kraft Resist Paper Stash, Lifestyle Crafts dies, American Crafts Foam Adhesive Dots, Sakura gel pen.

So, I’m a HUGE fan of mini books and with the stash of mSB stamps, seriously just amazingggg coolness, I decided to create up this mini, “Our Love Soars”.  I wanted to go outside the normal colors of pink for loveeeee and went with a play on different colors with red & blue.

Beware:  Photo heavy….since I’ll show you how I worked the different mSB stamps inside along with all the fun fun details & pages throughout this mini.  I usually work lots of stamps in my minis’.  I LOADED this mini up with a big dose of mSB eye candy!!!

A tidbit about this book….My boyfriend, Gianluca, & I have been together for a little over a year.  He’s Sicilian and lives still in Italy (Turin, Italy).  “Our Love Soars” across the distance of 2 continents, across that big ocean of the Atlantic, 2 different languages, many flights, many long hours on those flights, many miles (or kilometers)…yet it’s all worth it, he’s so worth it. “Our Love Soars” in bringing us together in many parallels.

One of my favoriteeeee mSB sets, Bold Blocks, used here in the phrase,“Who is that?”

Using the mSB, Color Me Sentiments, here in “hello hello”.

A couple of different mSB sets used on this page, Symbols (heart),

{yeahhh, I think I was singing the Black Eyed Peas when I made this )}

Yes, many many miles for love!

But the phrase “crazy stuff” from mSB Bold Blocks was just perfect because he’s like a child with a new toy when getting a new comic book! )

This is quite a common play on words between Gianluca & myself…it’s the norm ))

Soooo…hope you enjoyed my mini & inspiration!!

Now, I (Marsha) also had a song to inspire me. You know: the kind of song that you hear on the radio and then stays with you all day or (in this case) all week? When I was thinking of our theme ‘Baby, Be Mine’, I had the Bob Marley song ‘Is this Love’ stuck in my head. I had to take it as a sign and started to create my project around it!

I created my funky fabric flowers using the myStamp BOX Funky Flowers set to stamp on denim with StazOn inks. I then cut the stamped flowers and leaves out and machine stitched them onto hand-cut pieces of felt. I used cardstock and another piece of felt to create the grass. The flower stems are stamped directly onto the photo mat.

I took the glass from the shadow box frame (Ribba from IKEA) and stamped part of the lyrics on the outside of the glass with myStamp BOX Mini Alpha using StazOn inks. I used the same inks to stamp the swirl from the Funky Flowers set onto the inside of the glass.

The photo I placed in the frame is one of my favorites that I took during a (table top) photography class. It features two figurines that have been in my possession since childhood!

So… we hope you enjoyed our projects & inspiration!
Grab up some mSB stamps & create it up!!

Supply List for Wendy’s mini:

mSB Stamps –
Bold Blocks
Color Me Sentiments
Symbols
Friday Night Stencil
Programmed Robots
Repeat After Me
Seal It
Road Trip
Sigh Gush Gasp

Other -
Cardstock – Recollections (Ocean Blue), Paper – My Mind’s Eye (Stella Rose), October Afternoon (Rocket Age), Fancy Pants Designs (It’s the Little Things), Cosmo Cricket (Odds&Ends), American Crafts (Amy Tangerine), 4×6 Chipboard Covers – Creative Imaginations (Bare Elements), Glue & Seal (Ranger) – Matte, Inks – Ranger (Broken China, Fired Brick), Binder Rings –  7 Gypsies, Color Wash Mist – Ranger (Adirondack – Red Pepper), Smooch Spritz – Clearsnap (Vanilla Shimmer, Ginger Ale), Color Mist – Studio Calico (Mister Huey – Calico White, Bonny Blue), Glimmer Mist – Tattered Angels (Olive Vine, Pattina), Glitter Heart Metal Stickers – Making Memories, Wood Heart – Studio Calico, Brads – Making Memories, Tapes – Tim Holtz, K&Co (Smash), American Crafts (Amy Tangerine), Rub-ons – 7 Gypsies, October Afternoon, Kaisercraft, Puffy Fabric Hearts – Making Memories, Heart Trinket Pins – Maya Road, Letter Stickers – Recollections, October Afternoon (Rocket Age), American Crafts (Thickers), Foam Glitter Star Stickers – Darice, Word Stickers – The Girls Paperie (Authentique), Label Stickers – Jenni Bowlin, Pearls & Bling – Basic Grey, Kaisercraft, Dimensional Stickers – American Crafts (Amy Tangerine).

(ink, a MyStampBox circle stamp from the Border Lines collection, an acrylic block and paper). First ink half of the circle:

Stamp the first half circle at the edge where you want your border to begin:

Next, re ink half the stamp and line it up next to the last image.

Continue stamping half circles until you have completed your border and you have a fun addition to your layout or card:

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamping the sentiment with the Sigh Gush Gasp set right on the masculine patterned paper also helps add to the look:

If you have other ideas about how to manly up your cute stamps, I’d love to hear them and if you take this challenge I’d love to see them!

Rebecca

However this weekend we are celebrating NSD and are sharing some of our beautiful layouts with you. And since celebrations are (mostly) nothing without presents, we are giving out a stamp set to  one of you leaving a message today or over the weekend (deadline Sunday 6pm, EST). A winner will be announced on Monday on this blog.

And now – be inspired and enjoy our projects!

by Sue Sykes: Using the Border Lines sets, I stamped and heat emboss 10 squares, and used markers to colour in the squares.  I cut our the centres and then attached them to photos and cut each square out.  I used one side of the box and the circle to create the “10″ in my title, using the same technique as the squares. The banner was created by affixing an American Crafts letter sticker to cardstock.  I then inked my banner stamp with Versamark and stamped over the letter, centering it on the banner.  I sprinkled with clear embossing powder and heat embossed the entire thing – sticker and all!

by Marsha Valk: I’ve created a lay-out using Colour Me, Borderlines and Roadtrip. First I sprayed my background with mists, then I stamped and embossed the Borderlines images and then I taped all my pictures in place. The title is stamped on patterned paper and then cut out and adhered to the lay-out.

Supplies used: all paper: Studio Calico Metropolitan kit, the mists are self-made (Talens Ecoline, with added Ranger Perfect Pearls), embossing powder: AC Zing! Metallic Finish Blue, Versamark, and Stazon Rusty Brown for the ‘You are here’ and the date (stamped with an office date stamp). iPhone photo apps used: Instagram and Hipstamatic. The journaling reads something like: ‘How have I lived without an iPhone for so long? I’ve had mine for a Month now and it’s always at my side. E-mail, internet, Facebook all within an arms reach! But the most fun are the photo apps. They make even very mundane things look awesome!’

by Wendy Morris: I used the following MSB stamp sets – Sigh Gush Gasp, Seal It, Symbols

by Jolene Johnston: the layout uses Summer Alphas and Snapshot. It also uses papers from our product partner Core’dinations.

by Allison Cope: Allison used stamps from many different sets including Funky Circles, Graphic Borders, Timelines, Pennants and Birthday Numbers

by Jill Hildebrand: I used the Colour Me stamp set with bright yellow acrylic paint, and stamped slightly off the top of the layout.

by Birgit Koopsen: I used “Seal it!”, “Repeat after me” and “Timelines”. She added different buttons in the centres of the seat it stamps to create the graphic border at the bottom of her photo.

by Agata Pfister: Agata used the Let it Snow! stamp set and embossed with holographic powder.

by Janet Zeppa: Janet used the pennants set to create this banner.

by Jaine Drake: I’ve used Colour Me, Friday Night Stencil (in the background) and Snapshot! The film strip was stamped on a transparency.

by Rebecca Keppel: Rebecca used Snapshot, Symbols and Sigh, Gush, Gasp to break up her journaling.

Enjoy your NSD and have a creative weekend!

Happy Stamping,

Love,

My first post here on the MSB blog as a new design team member & happy to share up the 4/27 Color Challenge!!

Color inspires me in many ways whether it be in home decor, fashion, scenery, buildings, etc….lots of great inspiration can be found in color!

Today, I’d like to challenge you to use this palette of colors that I was completely inspired by Pinterest (love love love this site for all sorts of inspo):

So, using this great combo of color, I created this fun mini book using a great mix of MyStampBox stamps!!

Also, be sure to check out the full list of stamp sets used in this mini at the end of this post!

And a few close up pics…

Fun mini, eh?!

Here are the MyStampBox stamp sets used in this mini….

Road Trip

Graphic Borders

Symbols

Sigh Gush Gasp

Friday Night Stencil

Seal It

Hope you enjoyed this fun color challenge & feel free to play along using the color combo featured above.

Share up your link in the comments!!

For most of us it was a challenge to work with these subtle hues, but the end products are all spectacular! Get inspired to leave your regular colour range and try out a new and different palette.

Marsha Valk stamped and embossed on felt with the “Abundant Blossoms” and used white gesso on plaster eggs. She finished the eggs with the solid shapes of the Abundant Blossoms set.

Allison Cope used the oval stamp from “Back to the Basics” for her egg shapes. The background is done with the checkered stamp from “Graphic Borders” and the sentiment comes from “Straightforward”.

Jolene Johnston’s Easter Card was stamped with the flower shape from “Oversized” onto the background. The sentiment is from “Mention It!”.

Birgit Koopsen created a pastel coloured travel diary. She used “Seal It” stamps and the bracket from “Just add Notes”.

Jaine Drake hid her Easter eggs in this sweet little birdhouse. It comes with a matching tag and is decorated with stamps from “Border Lines”.

Agata Pfister let little button rain drops come out of her rain cloud from “Wishing you Sunshine”. The sentiment is from “Mention It!”.

Rebecca Keppel made this Spring colour inspired layout of her daughter. She stamped the “Colourful Companions” Butterflies on white cardstock and used “Summer Alpha” letters for part of her title. *smile* comes from “Sigh, Gush, Gasp”.

Janet Zeppa created the eggs in this cute Easter basket with the oval shape in our “Back to the Basics” set.

Sue Sykes used “Colourful Companions” and “Mini Pennants” with her patterned paper. The sentiment comes from our popular “Straightforward” set.

Linda Abadie outlined the Colourful Companions butterflies on this card, coloured some of the spots in and used a sentiment from the “Itty Bittys” set.

Jill Hildebrand stamped “Floating Leaves” on green acrylic paint for this Passion Play layout and used “Lots of Dots” letters for part of her title.

We hope to get you to take out your pastels and try a new favourite colour combination.

To you and your families a very HAPPY EASTER from the entire myStamp BOX team!

For my inspiration, I let this photo inspire my colours as well as the heart shape stamp and the swirls on my pattern paper.   For my sentiment I used the Sigh Gush Gasp set and the heart is from the Bits and Pieces set.   These sets are so easy to work with and the ways they can be used are endless!! 

I hope this photo will inspire you to start creating some wonderful things for your loved ones and that you all have a great Valentine’s day!

Happy Scrappin’

Here are a few detail shots so you can see the stamps being used up close.

The colourful companions set has many different shaped butterflies you can use and the sigh gush gasp set has many different sentiments, perfect for any project. 

Happy Scrappin’

We are taking this day to get inspired by it’s symbol – the red poppy – and to show you a collection of beautiful red projects:

by Agata Pfister

by Jolene Johnston

by Stephanie Ackermann

by Jaine Drake

by Cari Locken

by Jill Hildebrand

by Melissa Wright

by Eva Pizarro

by Maryfrances Fabbri

by Kristen Swain

Our designers have been busy and created an abundance of wonderful designs. Check out what they create in the Summer:

Happy Birthday Card by Jolene Johnston

Thanks You Card by Eva Pizzaro

Sigh Layout by Jill Hildebrand

Gruta do Lago Layout by Virginie Delbecq

Ready, Set, Grow Layout by Tracey Taylor

Thank You Card by Agata Pfister

Hope you enjoyed the pretty display!

Happy Stamping,

I’m not one to read high-fashion mags or watch all the FashionTelevision shows on TV.  I do, however, catch the odd episode of America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway.  I think if I wasn’t a farm-wife, mother-of-three & teacher……I would have been a home decorator or fashion designer.  Oh, you laugh, but I know I could have made it {so easy to say while I sit here in my butterfly pajama pants sipping a diet pepsi — lol).

So…it is only fitting that I created some layouts for this month’s post that were totally inspired by the colours & textures of the fashion industry.

Layout #1 was inspired by this 1960’s number — I can just imagine my mother & aunts in this outfit.

And here is the layout:  “LIVE”  –  this layout has a clean & crisp look with a retro feel.  I used the colours RED, WHITE & a touch of BLACK; all inspired by the photo.   I used the myStampBOX stamp sets: Your Story & Border Lines.

Layout #2 was inspired by the colour & textures of this photo.  Notice how the outfit is somewhat monochromatic, with lots of layers and dimension.

And here’s the layout:  “DISTANCE”  –  by using vintage lace, a handmade fabric flower & jewel accents, I created a monochromatic layout, much like the inspiring outfit.  I stamped the title “DISTANCE” multiple times down the centre of the layout in both white and brown ink.  I used the stamp sets: Tall Solids I and Tall Solids II.  I outlined the title in black marker to give it definition.

My 3rd layout was definitely inspired by the colours & incredible patterns of this next runway outfit:

If anyone knows me, I love pattern paper — really… anything goes … any colour, any pattern, any paper.  I love mixing bold colours together and all kinds of patterns in my layouts & projects.  So… you can only imagine how this outfit inspired the bold colours of this next layout:  “I love 35″.

I chose four {quite} different pattern papers — in colour & design — and used them on this layout.  The three circles are hand-cut from bold floral prints and the square border, from a more whimsical print.  I used the Wishing you Sunshine stamp set to create flowers, adding Ranger’s glossy accents for dimension.  I created part of the title using the What’s you number? stamp set.

And, lastly, who couldn’t be inspired by this incredibly beautiful dress?

I was instantly drawn to the gorgeous, pink, flowing fabric on the bottom of this dress and the tailored, silver lines of the top.  I wanted to create a “pretty”, soft layout that was airy & fresh.

The Sigh Gush Gasp stamp set was the perfect choice for creating this layout.  I added hand-journalled writing inbetween for some interest.  The shiny,  silver pearls and vintage, grey paper & ribbon really pick up the colours of the fashionable top; while the pink, tulle flowers are a great addition for a soft look.

I hope you have enjoyed MY TAKE on creating layouts inspired by yesterday & today’s fashion-on-the-runway.  You can visit the myStampBOX gallery to see more close-up photos of these layouts.

I challenge YOU to dive into your own closet to find inspiration for your next layout.

smiles,

jill

You will need a tag {a card or whatever paper you are choosing to work with will do fine}, ink, myStampBOX acrylic stamps and block, and chipboard as seen here:

Begin by stamping your image on your base:

Next, place your chipboard over your stamped image {make sure this is where you want to adhere it}

Now, line up your image by looking through the acrylic block and gently apply pressure {try not to rock too much, just apply lightly because the chipboard will soak up the ink fairly easily}:

Your finished image will look like this:

Now adhere and embellish and you have a great finished product!

We are still celebrating today, May 3rd and 4th!

We want to celebrate with you and invite you to come visit all of our blogs.

Here is how our NSD blog hop works: You follow the link on this post to Cathy’s blog (at the end of this post) and after checking out what she has in store for you will find a link to the next blog and so on until you are back here. Make sure to leave a comment on every blog you visit!

We have designed sketches for you and challenge you to use our sketches for inspiration. Once you have created your own project from one or more of our sketches, you leave a comment on this blog with a link to your creation on your blog. You have until May 4, 6pm to add your link under this post. Make sure to include your name and city. Can’t wait to see your projects! You can get a second entry by commenting on all participating blogs:)

We will choose 2 winners, who will receive a stamp set each. Prize 1 will be Funky Flowers, prize 2 our latest addition, the new small set Kind Flower.

Now let’s get started. My sketch is for a simple card with a greeting. Have fun playing with it!

I made some variations to the sketch and stamped a sentiment from Sigh Gush Gasp directly onto the card. Instead of using two different card stock colours for the front, I stamped dots from the flower centre onto the left side of the card and added a ribbon as a divider. I used the new Kind Flower set for this card, created 3 different flowers, cut them out and popped them on 3 different levels to give the card some dimension. Hope you like it!

Now it’s off to Cathy’s blog, have fun visiting! Make sure to leave a comment wherever you go!

Happy Blog Hopping!

Love, Bettina