Tapestry Stamp Techniques

Zebra Pendant and Gift Envelope

It's amazing to think that a project could work so well with just two stamps! Today's project is a clay pendant (using our Zebra peg stamp and some greenery) inside a gift card using the same stamps plus a sentiment. So. Are you ready?

Stamps -
Zebra mini stamp
Sprig stamp - 9 Buds Branch Open Mini stamp
"Thinking of You" mini sentiment peg stamp

Papers -
White card stock strip - 3.75 x 7.25 inches
Black card stock scrap

Inks -
Versacolor Sage and Green Tea;
Archival Black

Other Tools and Accessories -
RST Positioning Template - Small Shapes (I used the Thin Heart from this template)
Colored Pencils - Fresh Green and Pine Green
Gold Paint Pen

Materials used in Pendant -
Polymer Clay
Black acrylic paint
Clay tools
Black cording
Large Square Pendant

Instructions -
Take the White card stock piece and, using scissors or an X-acto knife, trim both ends in a free-form wavy pattern.Then measure about two inches from each end and mark lightly with a pencil (this will be your stamped area).

Then stamp the following:

 
Imagine that the paper will be folded at the mark you made earlier and then stamp the Zebra in Sage ink around the borders of the paper and where you made the mark.

 
Then stamp the Branch stamp in Sage ink. Stamp the Branch stamp again, this time in Green Tea ink.Then move to the bottom portion of the paper strip and prepare to stamp.

On the bottom, two inches from the end of the paper strip, stamp the Branch in Archival Black ink. Color some of the leaves with the two Colored Pencils.

Next, fold both ends at the 2-inch mark and edge both of the ends with the Green Tea ink pad. Glue the paper to form an envelope.

Make the Heart Medallion -
Stamp the "Thinking of You" sentiment on White card stock using Black ink. Line up the Thin Heart from the template and shade with Green Tea ink. Cut out the heart and glue it to a piece of Black card stock and trim away the excess. Use the Gold paint pen to make dots around the edge of the heart. Glue the heart to the top flap of the envelope. Then use the Gold Paint Pen to make dots along the wavy border of the top flap and along the portion of the envelope under the flap.

Now make the Zebra pendant.

First make the mold. Take a metal pendant (I used the square one from Nunn Design) and place a ribbon across the inner surface. Fill the pendant with polymer clay. Spritz the clay with a little water (this will work as a release agent when you stamp on the clay).

Then stamp the zebra in the middle of the pendant, followed by the greenery stamp around the edges. Then bake the clay, still inside the pendant for 25 minutes at 275 degrees. If unsure of your oven temperature, use an oven thermometer. Use the ribbon to remove the mold.

Then fill the pendant again with clay. Spritz with water. This time, press the mold you made into the clay until surplus clay squishes around the edges. Clean up the excess clay with a clay modeling tool. Bake the clay, still in its pendant, for 25 minutes at 275 degrees.



Remove the clay piece and colorize it using Black ink. Place it back into the pendant and it's ready to give away or to wear!

 

 

 Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

 

Guy Card with Deep Winter Morning Stamp Set

Here is a list of supplies and tools needed to make this Deep Winter Morning Father's Day card! (Of course, you can make this card for any guy in your life by substituting out the "Brother" sentiment). Use the large rectangular pendant as a mold and if you happen to hand deliver the card, you can confiscate the polymer clay embellishment after he has read your lovely note (everybody knows that guys don't save greeting cards). Place the clay piece into your waiting pendant and you can even wear it around him-- he'll never miss it!

 

Stamps -
Deep Winter Morning stamp set
“Love You” sentiment mini stamp
“Brother” block stamp

Papers -
Card stock half-sheet, folded – any color
White card stock quarter sheet
White card stock scraps
Brown card stock scraps

Inks -
Versacolor Green Tea, Pinecone, Umber, Evergreen, Umber, Khaki, and Sage

Tools and Embellishments -
RST embossing templates – Arches, Rectangle
Ribbons
Gold Paint Pen – Fine Point
Polymer Clay and Paints
Rectangular Metal Pendant (used as a mold, optional on card)

 

Here's the finished pendant.
Grab it and run!

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

 

Hummingbird Cafe Tall Heart Embellishment with Card

Our Hummingbird Cafe stamp set works beautifully on paper and on polymer clay. Come along as we make a heart-shaped embellishment and a card with this stamp set (don't forget the pendant!).

Stamps
Hummingbird Cafe stamp set
Postmarked Love mini peg stamp

Papers
White cardstock half-sheet, folded
2 White card stock quarter-sheets
White card stock scrap

Inks
Versacolor Lapislazuli, Green Tea, Khaki, Cyan, and Sage;
Archival Black

Other Tools and Embellishments
Embossing folder of your choice
Colored Pencil - Yellow
Gold Paint Pen - Extra Fine
RST positioning template - Small Shapes
PopIt! Shapes - double-sided foam tape
Polymer Clay
Heart Pendant (optional)
Ribbon
Heart Brads

Instructions
Take one of the quarter sheets and run it through the embossing folder. While you are using the die cut machine, run a second scrap piece of White paper through the same embossing folder. Set both pieces aside for now.

Take the second quarter sheet and prepare to stamp the following around the border:

 
Stamp the Flower in Lapislazuli ink.

Stamp the Flower again, this time in Khaki ink.

Stamp the Flower a third time, in Green Tea ink.

Stamp the Leaf in Cyan.

Stamp the Sprig in Green Tea ink.

Stamp the Sprig again, this time in Archival Black ink.

Stamp the Hummingbird in Archival Black ink.

Take small scissors and cut out the center of the stamped panel, around the stamped images. Then take the Gold Paint Pen and make squiggly marks about 1/4 inch from the outer border of the stamped panel and 1/4 inch from the inner border of the stamped panel. Then use the Sage ink pad to distress the outer and inner edges of the panel. Glue the stamped panel to the embossed quarter sheet you made earlier (you will attach the pendant, with heart brads, to the embossed panel and then attach that panel to the card base, to hide the backside of the brads). Set aside for now.

Make a Tall Heart embellishment (for detailed instructions, visit our earlier blog, Nature's Path pendant).

Attach the heart to the stamped panel with ribbon and prepare to make the sentiment medallion.

Make the sentiment medallion
Using Lapislazuli ink, stamp the Postmarked Love stamp on White paper. Line up the square shape on the Small Shapes positioning template and shade a silhouette with Cyan ink. Cut out the resulting  sentiment/diamond and glue it to a slightly larger piece of White card stock that you embossed in the first step of this project. Attach the sentiment medallion to the card with double-sided foam tape.

 
Here is the finished card, with a polymer clay heart embellishment. I used the metal Tall Heart pendant as a pattern for making my polymer clay heart, shown here by itself. 

 
If you like, you can opt to use both heart embellishment and pendant!

   I sure hope you enjoyed today's blog.

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

Little Posy Basket Square Pendant with Card

Imagine yourself in the middle of springtime in a grassy spot in the middle of a field of wildflowers. Sound good? Okay then, make sure you have a basket for bringing a little picnic and for carrying back some flowers as a remembrance of the day...

Stamp set
Little Posy Basket stamp set
"let's do lunch!" mini sentiment peg stamp

Papers
Lavender card stock half-sheet, folded
Brown card stock
Pale Yellow card stock
Purple card stock scrap
White card stock scrap

Inks
Versacolor Pinecone, Hyacinth, Grape, Umber, Evergreen, and Sage;
Encore Metallic Gold

Other Tools and Embellishments for Card
Embossing folders of your choice
Mini Scor-it Board (optional)
RST positioning templates - Arches and Small Shapes (Small Shapes optional)
Gold Paint Pen
Ribbon

Materials for Clay Pendant
You will need the Little Posy Basket peg stamp set (set used in these images is Nature's Path)
Square Pendant (LPS-SP)
Clay and accessories
X-acto knife
water and a fine mist sprayer is helpful
acrylic paint
foam or small artist brush
plastic clay-making tools are helpful
fine sand paper
a toaster oven
and some heavy-duty glue (I like to use E6000 or a similar glue)

Instructions
Take the Lavender card base and run it through the die cut machine using the embossing folder of your choice. Then edge the card base with Bark ink. Set aside for now.

Locate the Brown paper and use the Scor-It Board to emboss a rectangular pattern on the paper, using four strokes of the stylus.

Then stamp the following, around the border of the Brown paper:

Stamp the Basket in Pinecone ink.

Stamp the Flowers in Hyacinth ink.

Stamp the Flowers again, this time in Grape ink.

 

Stamp the Sprig in Gold ink.

Then cut out the frame, around the outer border where you just stamped... and inside the embossed square you made with the Scor-it board. Edge the inside and outside edges of the frame with Pinecone ink. Edge the outer edges with the Gold Paint Pen. Set aside for now.

Locate the Pale Yellow card stock and run it through an embossing folder. Lay the Brown frame on top of this piece and trim the Pale Yellow piece so that it is only slightly larger than the Brown frame. Edge the Yellow piece with the Gold Paint Pen and then mount the Brown frame to the Yellow paper with double-sided foam tape. Glue the resulting ensemble to the card base.

Make the Pendant Centerpiece
This set of instructions uses images from a different stamp set; simply follow the instructions using the Square Pendant and Little Posy Basket stamp set instead.

 

Because we want the images to be raised instead of concave, we will first make a mold out of the polymer clay. I love molds because they allow you to re-create the same design over and over with a single mold. Just think of the jewelry you can make to sell or give away. By the way, Rubber Stamp Tapestry is an angel company which means that you can use our images to make products to sell.  Not all rubber stamp manufacturers are angel companies so it is a good idea to ask before using rubber stamps to make items that you intend to sell.

Although this photo shows a completed pendant, use the ribbon
in this way to remove uncured polymer clay from the pendant.

Take the metal pendant and place a ribbon inside, which will serve as a method for removing the polymer clay once it is baked. Now fill the space with clay. Make sure the clay is not above the rim of the metal. (I like it only slightly recessed) Spray the clay with water, which will serve as a release agent so the rubber will not stick to the clay. Then use the stamps in the set to create your own little garden!

Bake the mold. Leave the clay inside the pendant to bake it, making sure not to heat the polymer clay over 275 degrees (for 25 minutes) to avoid the release of fumes. Bake it on a piece of card stock or cardboard.

After completely cool, remove the baked clay from the metal heart with the ribbon you placed inside the metal pendant. Note: the clay will bend and it has a lot of flexibility.

Next, place the ribbon back in the metal pendant and fill the pendant with polymer clay. Spray lightly with water, then place the baked mold over the clay-filled pendant and press until the excess clay squishes out of the sides.

This images shows a different pendant for the purposes of illustration.

I used a clay tool to remove the excess clay as shown in the photo above.

Gently remove the top piece of clay and bake the soft polymer clay, inside the pendant, for 25 minutes at 275 degrees. If you are unsure about the temperature, use an oven thermometer.  Do not over bake or heat over 275 degrees. Cool completely and remove from pendant.  Lightly sand edges with fine grade sand paper.  At this point, before putting the clay back inside the pendant, is the best time to add color to the clay.

 

  
It it better to first remove the fired clay from the pendant before working with color, to avoid painting the metal.  If you forget (like I did in the above photo), no big deal, just scrub the paint off of the pendant with a plastic dish scrubber.

Next, take a piece of foam and some thinned acrylic paint and colorize the clay, working the color into the recessed areas of the clay. Do this quickly because acrylic dries pretty fast. You can use either a brush or a sponge. Spray lightly with water to disperse the color before the acrylic starts to dry. For quick drying, you can put it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes.  Cool completely.

Lightly sand the outside rough edges and surface with a fine grade sandpaper and then glue the heart into the pendant. Mount the pendant on a chain and you are ready for the party!

Make the Sentiment Medallion
Stamp the "let's do lunch!" sentiment in Evergreen ink on a piece of White paper.

 

Then stamp the Basket in Grape ink under the sentiment, at an angle.

 

Stamp some Flowers in Hyacinth ink.

  Stamp the Flowers again, this time in Grape ink.


Stamp the Sprig in Umber ink.

Then line up the smallest arch from the RST Arches positioning template
and, using Sage ink, make a silhouette around the sentiment.

 

Then finish up by cutting out the medallion and attaching it to the frame on the card.

So, that's it!

... Well, almost. In case you want to make the card without the pendant, here's how it would look:

Here I used the "thinking of YOU" sentiment peg stamp, with White card stock, Brown card stock,
Grape and Umber inks, along with our "Small Shapes" positioning template and a Gold Paint Pen.

 
And here is the pendant by itself!

 I sure hope you enjoyed today's blog. Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

 

Spring Blooms

This week's project is Spring Blooms, a set with delicate filigree flowers that have a boatload of detail that shows up beautifully when used in polymer clay!

Stamps -
Spring Blooms stamp set
NEW! "congrats" mini peg stamp

Papers -
Light Cocoa card stock half-sheet, folded
Pink card stock half-sheet, folded
White card stock quarter-sheet
White card stock scraps
Burgundy card stock scrap
Dark Green card stock scrap

Inks -Versacolor Umber, Old Rose, Burgundy, Split Pea, Sage, and Green Tea

Tools and Embellishments -
Embossing folders of your choice
RST positioning template - Triangle
RST blending foam
Glitter (use either glitter pen or glitter glue)
Ribbon
Oval Pendant
Clay and accessories

Instructions -
Take the Light Cocoa and the Pink card stock pieces through the embossing folders. Tear the Light Cocoa down the middle and glue it on top of the Pink piece. Scuff the edges of the resulting card base with the Umber ink pad. Set aside for now.

Take the White card stock quarter-sheet and align the Triangle positioning template in the center. Then use Old Rose ink and a piece of blending foam and make a triangle stamping guide and prepare to stamp around the triangle.

 
Stamp the Flower Cluster in Old Rose, stamping a second time before re-inking, for added depth.

Then stamp the Tiny Flower in Burgundy ink.

Stamp the Tiny Flower again, this time in Split Pea ink.

Stamp the Leaves in Sage ink.

Stamp the Sprig in Green Tea ink.

Use glitter glue or a glitter pen around the inside of the triangle shape you made earlier.
Cut the stamped triangle out, taking care to cut around the stamped images.
Glue the stamped paper to the card base and prepare to make the sentiment medallion.

MAKE THE SENTIMENT MEDALLION

On a piece of White paper, stamp the "congrats" sentiment in Green Tea ink.
Then stamp the Tiny Flower in Green Tea ink.
Stamp the Leaves in Sage ink.
Then cut around the stamped images and glue the resulting cut-out on top of a piece of Burgundy paper (at the top) and a piece of Dark Green paper (at the bottom. Trim away the excess. Use PopIt! Shapes tape to attach the sentiment to the card, just below the tip of the stamped triangle.

Ready to make the pendant?

Detail of the pendant using Spring Blooms stamp set

MAKE THE PENDANT
Since the instructions for the pendant are exactly the same every time, please refer back to the Nature's Path blog and simply replace this week's stamp set and pendant with the one shown in that particular set of instructions. Once you have finished the pendant, attach it to the card, tie your ribbons, and you're finished!

In today's project, I used the Oval Pendant from Becky Nunn to form the oval centerpiece featured on this card. This photo shows the card with the polymer clay oval only...

OTHER VARIATIONS -

You can always include the metal pendant on your project. This photo shows how you can hide the chain through a small hole cut in the card. In this photo, we show the chain coming out of the bottom of the card simply because it's so pretty!

 
Pendant with chain

What do you think?  We would love to hear from you! 

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

African Daisy Card and Pendant Combo

Today's project features the African Daisy stamp set, an ensemble that shouts DELICATE! We will make a card and a very usable accessory to the card, a heart-shaped pendant. If you have this stamp set already... go get it! If you don't, you can see it here.

Stamps -
African Daisy stamp set
"Hello Sunshine" sentiment mini peg stamp
Sun mini peg stamp

Papers -
Black card stock half-sheet, folded
White card stock quarter sheet (4.25 x 5 inches)
White card stock scraps
Black card stock scraps

Inks -
Kaleidacolor® Creole Spice ink pad (Yellow and Orange inks);
Versacolor Split Pea, Orchid, Green Tea, Sage;
Archival Black ink pad

Tools and Embellishments -
Embossing folder of your choice
Rubber Stamp Tapestry positioning templates -

• Circle
• Arches
• Tiny Rectangle

Clay and Accessories

INSTRUCTIONS
Take the Black card stock half-sheet and run it through the die cut machine, using your favorite embossing folder.

Next, take the Circle template and line it up in the center of the White quarter sheet.
Use Split Pea ink and a piece of blending foam to make a circle silhouette.
Trim the top and bottom edges of the white quarter sheet with a pair of scissors, using a wavy free-form pattern.

Next, stamp the outer border of the paper:

Stamp the African Daisy in Orange ink (from the Creole Spice ink pad).

Stamp the African Daisy again, this time with Yellow ink (from the Creole Spice ink pad).

Stamp the African Daisy a third time in Orchid ink.

Stamp the mini Leaf in Sage ink.

Stamp the mini Leaves in Green Tea ink.

Stamp the tiny Botanical element in Black ink.

Stamp  the mini "Hello Sunshine" in black ink.

  Then take the tiny Botanical Element stamp and, using Black ink, stamp along the border of the Circle.
Use a piece of foam scuffed in Yellow ink from the Creole Spice ink pad and edge the top and bottom of the stamped panel.

Glue the stamped panel to the Black card-base and prepare to make the pendant.

Make the Pendant
Since the instructions for the pendant are exactly the same every time, please refer back to the Nature's Path blog and simply replace this week's stamp set and pendant with the one shown in that particular set of instructions. Once you have finished the pendant, attach it to the card with a ribbon... and prepare to make the sentiment medallion.

Make the Sentiment Medallion

 

Take the Tiny Rectangle positioning template and, using Sage ink and a piece of foam, blend a rectangle onto White paper. Then take the Botanical Element stamp and sage ink and stamp around the border of the rectangle. Then stamp the Sun in Black ink at the bottom of the rectangle. Cut out the rectangle and smudge the edges with the Yellow ink from the Creole Spice ink pad. Set aside for now. 

On a piece of White card stock, stamp the "Hello Sunshine" mini stamp in Black ink. Locate the small circle on the RST "Arches" positioning template and, using a piece of foam and the Yellow ink from the Creole Spice ink pad, smudge a circle around the sentiment. Cut the circle out. Then glue the circle to the rectangle you just made. Glue the resulting ensemble to a piece of Black card stock and trim away the excess, leaving a thin border of black. Now attach the sentiment medallion to the card.

 

But wait!
For those of you who are not ready to tackle using polymer clay, here's an alternate version of this card.

Simply fasten a vertical ribbon to the card before attaching the sentiment medallion (which will now go in the center of the card) and then add a bow (tied to the vertical ribbon) under the medallion.

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

Petite Poppies Card with Pendant

A little obsessed with this "new" medium, I've been exploring some of our earlier stamp sets to see how they stamp on polymer clay. Fun! Today's card includes a piece of jewelry that hangs beautifully on a card for a double-duty gift for that special person.

Please refer to our Nature's Path Pendant blog entry for complete instructions on making the pendant.

Stamps -
Petite Poppies stamp set
"Just for YOU" sentiment peg stamp

Papers and Other Materials-
Goldenrod card stock half-sheet, folded
Dark Blue card stock - 4-1/8 x 5-3/8 inches
White card stock
PopIt! Shapes double-sided foam tape
White Sculpey III polymer clay

Inks - Versacolor Sage, Lavender, Cyan, Neptune, Green Tea, Bamboo, Split Pea, and Pinecone

Tools and Embellishments -
Rubber Stamp Tapestry Positioning Templates - Rectangle and Arches
Blending foam
Ribbon
Pendant (I used Large Pendant Rectangle - Antique Silver)

Instructions -
Take the positioning template and Sage ink and, using a piece of foam to blend the ink, make a guide for stamping: Make a rectangle in the center of the White paper, then use the outer edges of the template to make a second border around the rectangle.

You will stamp in the lighter area between the center rectangle (where the pendant will eventually rest) and the outer portion you just blended.

Stamp the Flower in Lavender ink, stamping a second time before re-inking for added dimension.

 
Stamp the Flower again, this time with Cyan ink.

Stamp the Flower a third time, using Neptune ink.

 
Stamp the Berries in Bamboo ink.

Stamp the Leaves in Sage ink.

Stamp the Leaves in Green Tea ink.

Stamp the Leaves again, this time with Split Pea ink.

Stamp the Tiny Leaves in Pinecone ink.

When you have finished stamping, trim around the rectangle and any stamped images coming out of the rectangle, leaving a thin border of white. Then glue this stamped piece to the Dark Blue paper, leaving an unglued portion between the stamped panel and the dark blue paper, which will later hold the chain of the pendant. Next tie the ribbon around the card front. Now glue this piece to the Goldenrod card base.

SENTIMENT MEDALLION

Template, Split Pea ink, and blending foam make the sentiment medallion easy!

Take the sentiment peg stamp and Neptune ink and make an impression on a scrap of White paper. Then stamp some flowers and Leaves in Green Tea ink under the sentiment. Line up the circle from the Arches positioning template around the sentiment you just stamped and make a circle silhouette using a piece of blending foam and Split Pea ink. Then cut out around the shaded circle and the protruding leaves you just stamped. Attach the resulting medallion to the ribbon and you're almost done!

Pendant on card

NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE PENDANT (See blog entry for Nature's Path Pendant - complete with photos)
We'll make a mold for the pendant so we can make the images raised instead of recessed.

MAKE THE MOLD
Take the pendant and fill the space with clay.  Make sure the clay is not above the rim of the metal. (I like it only slightly recessed) Spray the clay with water, which will serve as a release agent so the rubber will not stick to the clay. Then stamp with the Petite Poppies set onto the clay.

Bake the mold. Leave the clay inside the pendant to bake it, making sure not to heat the polymer clay over 275 degrees (for 25 minutes) to avoid the release of fumes. Bake it on a piece of cardstock or cardboard.

After completely cool, remove the baked clay from the metal heart with an Exacto knife, being very careful not to cut yourself.  Goggles or protective eyewear should be worn when using the knife. Insert the knife blade between the metal and clay on the outer edge until you can lift the clay out of the metal.  Remember, this clay will bend and it has a lot of flexibility.

MAKE THE POLYMER CLAY PENDANT
Next, refill the metal pendant with polymer clay and spray lightly with water. Then place the baked mold over the clay-filled pendant and press until the excess clay squishes out of the sides.

Gently remove the mold. Bake the clay (it can stay inside the pendant) at 275 degrees for 25 minutes.  If you are unsure about the temperature, use an oven thermometer.  Do not over bake or heat over 275 degrees. Cool completely and remove from pendant.  Lightly sand edges with fine grade sand paper.  At this point, before putting the clay back inside the pendant, is the best time to add color to the clay.

Next, take a piece of foam and some thinned acrylic paint and colorize the clay, working the color into the recessed areas of the clay. Do this quickly because acrylic dries pretty fast. You can use either a brush or a sponge. Spray lightly with water to disperse the color before the acrylic starts to dry. For quick drying, you can put it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes.  Cool completely.

Lightly sand the outside rough edges and surface with a fine grade sandpaper and then glue the polymer clay rectangle into the pendant. Mount the pendant on a chain and you are ready to add it to the lovely card that someone special is sure to appreciate!

   Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

 

 

Thank You Card with Nature's Path

This week we wanted to show you how nicely Nature's Path, the new set we introduced with our first-ever polymer clay project, works on paper! This week we have some other new stamps, including "a BIG Thank You" and our nifty cruiser bicycle.

Stamps -
Nature's Path stamp set
"a BIG Thank You" sentiment peg stamp
Cruiser Bicycle

Papers -
Sage Green card stock half-sheet, folded
White card stock

Inks - Versacolor Umber, Ash Rose, Pinecone, Bamboo, and Sage

Tools and Embellishments -
RST Positioning Templates - "Oval Small" and "Small Shapes"
PopIt! Shapes (I used Square) double sided foam tape
Sheer Ribbon

Instructions -
Take a White quarter sheet and prepare to stamp the following:

Stamp the Flowers in Umber ink around the border of the paper, stamping a second time before re-inking for added depth.

Stamp the Flowers again, this time in Ash Rose ink.

Stamp the Heart Vines in Pinecone ink.

Stamp the Open Leaves in Bamboo ink.
Then edge the paper with the Sage ink pad.
Wrap and attach the ribbon around the bottom portion of the quarter sheet. Then glue the quarter sheet to the folded half-sheet.

Stamp the Medallions -

CENTERPIECE
Take the "a BIG Thank You" sentiment peg stamp and, using Pinecone ink, make an impression on White paper. Then take the Oval - Small positioning template and some Umber ink on a piece of blending foam and smudge an oval shape, centering the sentiment in the template. Cut the oval out. Then stamp the Heart Vines in Umber ink around the outer edges of the oval. Mount the oval onto the card base using foam tape.

Using Pinecone ink, stamp the Cruiser Bicycle on a piece of White card stock. Take the Small Shapes template and center the Hexagon shape around the stamped sentiment. Use Ash Rose ink and a blending foam to smudge the shape around the sentiment and then cut out. Glue the bicycle medallion on top of the ribbon and you're finished!

 

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!

 

Nature's Path Pendant

Clay is such a wonderful medium. My definition of clay has always been "that magical stuff that dreams are made of." Since leaving my clay background as a full time, production potter for over 25 years - for papercrafting, I have not looked back. Yet, on occasion I have missed the versatility of clay and especially the use of negative and positive images in mold making.

Introducing our newest set, Nature's Path, which was made especially for polymer clay, precious metal clay (pmc), art silver clay, etc.  Nature's Path also works beautifully on paper!

Working as a potter was a messy job. Clay dust was everywhere and I was not a neat potter at all. I got wet clay in in my hair, on my face, down my legs and up past my elbows. 

Now I have discovered polymer clay. Just 25 minutes in a toaster oven at 275 degrees and it is done!  At one time I was such an art snob that I never would have considered using "plastic clay." To me, if a piece of clay was not fired to cone 10 in a reduction atmosphere then it was not "real." Boy, have I come a long way :)

 Instructions:

With only three woodsy peg stamps, Nature's Path turns polymer clay into a beautiful piece of jewelry!

Materials -
You will need the Natures Path peg stamp set
Clay and accessories
Exacto knife
water and a fine mist sprayer is helpful
acrylic paint
foam or small artist brush
plastic clay-making tools are helpful
fine sand paper
a toaster oven
goggles or protective eyewear
and some heavy-duty glue (I like to use E6000 or a similar glue)

 

Because we want the images to be raised instead of concave, we will first make a mold out of the polymer clay. I love molds. You can re-create the same design over and over with a single mold.  Just think of the jewelry you can make to sell or give away.  Rubber Stamp Tapestry is an angel company which means that you can use our images to make products to sell.  Not all rubber stamp manufacturers are angel companies so it is a good idea to ask before using rubber stamps to make items that you intend to sell.

When choosing rubber stamps for polymer clay, I have found that the more detailed the better.  Since our images are tiny and highly detailed, they lend themselves well to polymer clay and the mold making process.

Back to the instructions.

Take the pendant and lay a  piece of narrow ribbon (I use an organza) inside the pendant. This ribbon will help you remove the clay once it is baked.

This shows how to use the ribbon before filling the pendant with clay. This helps when removing the clay from the pendant.

Now fill the space with clay.  Make sure the clay is not above the rim of the metal. (I like it only slightly recessed) Spray the clay with water, which will serve as a release agent so the rubber will not stick to the clay. Then use the stamps in the set to create your own little garden!

Bake the mold. Leave the clay inside the pendant to bake it, making sure not to heat the polymer clay over 275 degrees (for 25 minutes) to avoid the release of fumes. Bake it on a piece of cardstock or cardboard.

After completely cool, remove the baked clay from the metal heart, using the ribbon.  Remember, this clay will bend and it has a lot of flexibility.

Next, place the ribbon back in the pendant and refill the pendant with polymer clay and spray lightly with water. Then place the baked mold over the clay filled pendant and press until the excess clay squishes out of the sides.

This images shows a differently shaped pendant for the purposes of illustration. I used a clay tool to remove the excess clay as shown in this photo.

Gently remove the mold (the top heart). Bake the resulting piece inside of the pendant at 275 degrees for 25 minutes.  If you are unsure about the temperature, use an oven thermometer.  Do not over bake or heat over 275 degrees. Cool completely and remove from metal pendant.  Lightly sand edges with fine grade sand paper.  At this point, before putting the clay back inside the pendant, is the best time to add color to the clay.

 

  
It it better to first remove the fired clay from the pendant before working with color, to avoid painting the metal.  If you forget (like I did in the above photo), no big deal, just scrub the paint off with a plastic dish scrubber.

Next, take a piece of foam and some thinned acrylic paint and colorize the clay, working the color into the recessed areas of the clay. Do this quickly because acrylic dries pretty fast. You can use either a brush or a sponge. Spray lightly with water to disperse the color before the acrylic starts to dry. For quick drying, you can put it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes.  Cool completely.

Lightly sand the outside rough edges and surface with a fine grade sandpaper and then glue the heart into the pendant. Mount the pendant on a chain and you are ready for the party!

 

Nunn Design’s Pateras are gorgeous! They are cast in pewter and plated in precious metals and are made right here in the USA and you don't have to worry about lead or other toxic materials. You can see the rest of the Becky Nunn's findings that we sell here. 

I sure hope you enjoyed this new adventure and that you will stay tuned. We have great plans for other pieces of jewelry and paper crafting embellishments... in clay!

Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!