Stamping on Candles Tutorial

Stamping on Candles
By Michelle Hoffman

Supplies:
Candle- any size- for this tutorial: 6” x 2.8”
Tissue paper- 1 strip 9” long by 2 1/4” wide & 2nd strip 9” long by 1 1/4” wide
Wax paper (not shown)
Stampin’ Around jumbo wheel- So Swirly
Stamp set containing greeting- Peaceful Wishes
Stampin’ Around jumbo cartridge- Bravo Burgundy
Classic ink pad- Always Artichoke
Cellophane clear wrap- 24” x 20”
Ribbon- Satin Purely Pomegranate- 24”
String- 12”
Heating tool

Step By Step

Step 1
Remove candle from packaging. Wheel stamp across first strip of tissue paper (9” x 2 1/4”). Set aside.

Step 2
There are two ways to do step 2:

A: Using the smaller strip of tissue paper, 9” x 1 1/4”, stamp greeting at the left edge of the strip of tissue paper. Stamp the greeting again, this time 3/4” to 1/2” away from the right edge of the strip. This will allow you to place your greeting both on the front and back of the candle. By allowing a 3/4” to 1/2” space at the right edge of the strip, you will have an appropriate space between the front and back greeting when you attach the strip to the candle. Set aside.

B: Cut the 9” x 1 1/4” strip of tissue paper in half. Stamp the greeting on the two halves. Set aside.

Step 3
Look the candle over for imperfections, choosing the least marked side for the front of your candle. Wrap the strip of tissue paper with your wheeled image around the candle, placing it where you want it. The seam of the tissue paper should be on the back of your candle.

Step 4
Cut a piece of wax paper the height of your candle. Wrap the wax paper around your candle, being careful not to move the strip of tissue paper on the candle. Smooth the wax paper over the candle, gathering the ends at the back of the candle. This will be your “handle” to hold to avoid burning your hand when using the heat tool.

Step 5
Turn your heat tool on and allow it to warm up before you aim the heat at the candle. Once you feel it is sufficiently heated, aim the heat at the candle, keeping the tool straight and level. The tip of the tool should be about a 1 1/2” to 2” away from the candle. Heat the candle with a slow and even stream of heat, being sure not to concentrate the heat for too long in one place. You will be able to see your progress beneath the wax paper. The melted image will be shiny and the ink will spread out a tiny bit. If you miss any spots, you will be able to see the dull tissue paper through the wax paper. Simply go back over that spot with your heat tool, being careful not to aim the heat at the other areas already completed.

Step 6
When you need to reposition the wax paper, carefully peel it off the candle. If you have an unfinished area, such as seen above on the right side, it is best to peel the paper off starting at the melted part and working your way to the end of the tissue paper that has not yet been melted into the candle. When you reposition the wax paper, be careful not to use the part of the wax paper that has melted wax on it. Find the unused portion of the wax paper and apply that to your candle. Otherwise, the candle wax on the wax paper will get melted back on to the candle and you will get unsightly wax puddles on your image.

Step 7
When you have sufficiently melted your image on to the candle, peel the wax paper off. Repeat steps 4 to 7 to melt the greeting on to the candle. Your candle will then be completed and should look like the above picture.

Step 8
Cut the cellophane clear wrap to 24” x 20”. Lay it on your work table and stand the candle in the center of the wrap, with the front of the candle facing you. Pick up the upper left corner of the cellophane wrap and gather the diagonal corner (lower right corner) to it. Repeat with the remaining two corners.

Step 9
Tie the string tightly around the cellophane just above the top of your candle. Tie your ribbon around the string, gathering the ribbon into bunny ears to make your bow. Trim the ends of the ribbon with a “blue ribbon” edge or a diagonal cut.

*Tip:
Since the ribbon used here is wide, fold it in half and then tie it around the candle. Return the ribbon to its original width to make the bow.

Step 10
Your project is now complete!

Variations
-Place another wheeled image in place of the greeting.
-Instead of wheeling your pattern, stamp images onto the tissue paper, cut the images out and melt them into the wax.
-Use colored cellophane in place of the clear, keeping in mind the stamped images will not be visible through the colored cellophane.
-Hang beads, a charm, tag, or other embellishments from the ribbon.

Card: Lovely As A Tree- Masculine Birthday

This card was created using a sketch made by Maria Bell on her blog, Stampin' Inspirations By Maria. This sketch can be found at http://stampininspirations.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-candy-challenge-day-2.html


Supplies:

Stamp sets: Lovely As A Tree, God's Blessings

Outlaw Designer Series Paper


CS: Blue Bayou and Kraft


Classic Stampin' ink: Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Blue Bayou


SNAIL adhesive


Vintage brad


Sanding block


Stampin' sponge


Techniques: Distressing, direct to paper, sponging


If you have any questions, please be sure to ask.


Have fun stampin' and creatin'!

Dyeing Fabric Flowers

Dyeing Fabric Flowers

by Michelle Hoffman

Supplies
Fabric flower from Pretties Kit
Small stamp container
Paper towels
Spray bottle
Reinkers- 1 light color with 1 contrasting color
Paintbrush or Watercolor brush
Tweezers

Step by Step

Step 1
In small stamp container, add a few drops of water or two sprays of water from a spray bottle. Add approximately five drops for medium to dark colors, and ten drops of the lighter colors.

Step 2
Swirl the reinker and water so they mix. Then add your fabric flower in to the mix.

Step 3
Using your tweezers, push the petals down into the mixture for even coverage. When you are satisfied with the shade, take the flower out of the container and lay on triple folded paper towel.
*Note: You do not need to turn your flower over as the ink will saturate both sides.

If you do not want to add shading to your flower, skip step 4 to step 6.

Step 4
Taking your contrasting reinker, add a couple of drops to the lid of the stamp container.

Step 5
Dip a fine tip paintbrush or watercolor brush in the reinker and apply it to your flower, starting from the flower center and going towards the tips of the petals.

Or for a different look, apply the contrasting color with the brush along the edges and tips of the petals.

Don’t panic at the major contrast in colors. The next step will dilute the color.

Step 6
Mist the flower with one spray from a spray bottle and use the watercolor brush to smooth out the color. This will help disperse the color evenly.

Step 7
Set the flower on paper towels to dry. The colors lighten as the fabric dries.

After the flower is dry, you can add more color to the flower if you want. Just repeat the steps mentioned above.

Additional suggestions:

Add an embellishment to the middle of your flower for a finishing touch. A brad, button or bead will work nicely. If the flower does not have a hole in the center, use a 1/16” circle punch to add the hole. Then attach your brad through the hole.

Pop-Top Cans
by Michelle Hoffman

Supplies:
Pop-top can (I used a 4 oz can)
Safe Cut can opener- (I used one by Chefmate found at Target)
Paper Cutter
Scissors
Coluzzle®, other cutting system, or 1 3/4” circle punch
Crystal Effects or alternate strong liquid adhesive (to attach bottom lid to can)
Mini Glue Dots or alternative adhesive (to attach flowers to tag)
Sticky Strip (Red Liner Tape) or alternate strong adhesive
2-Way Glue Pen
Card stock- 8.5” long by 1 7/8” wide strip (here I used Regal Rose), 1 3/4” circle (here I used Certainly Celery), Whisper White for flowers
Stamp sets: Stampin’ Around jumbo wheel- Flitting By; Canvas Background; Designer Label
Inks: Stampin’ Around Jumbo ink cartridge- Pretty in Pink; Classic Stampin’ Pad- Certainly Celery
Punches: Designer Label; Spring Bouquet Flower; 1/8” circle punch
Ribbon: 2 pieces- 8.5” long each (here I used Grosgrain Light Orchid)
Assorted ribbon pieces- 4” long or less (here I used Grosgrain White, Rose, Light Orchid, Celery) Pieces of cardstock or other paper for filling the can
6 Hershey Kisses or other goodies
Optional- Pearl Ex and hair spray (to add shimmer to your project)
Optional- Fray Check (to prevent the ends of the ribbon from fraying).

Step by Step

Step 1
Using the safe cut can opener, open the bottom of the can so that you keep the top of the can intact. (It is best to use a soft or safe cut can opener because it opens the can from the side of the rim instead of the bottom of the rim to prevent jagged edges).

Step 2
Soak the can in hot water or use a cleaner such as Goo Gone to remove the label and glue. You don’t want any bumps showing from beneath your paper.

Step 3
Place the chocolates in the can first, and then fill the rest of the can with the crimped paper.

Step 4
Using a liquid adhesive such as Crystal Effects, place the glue along the lip of the rim.

Step 5
Place the lid back onto the bottom of the can and press it firmly down.

Step 6
Place a book on top of the can to firmly press the lid down as the glue hardens. I place a piece of cardboard between the can and the book to avoid imprints on my book.

Step 7
Take the card stock (here I used Regal Rose) and cut it at 1 7/8” wide by 8.5” long.

Step 8
Using “Flitting By” Stampin’ Around Jumbo wheel with jumbo cartridge (here I used Pretty in Pink), roll out the design on your strip of card stock.

Step 9 (optional)
Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Pearl Ex to a travel sized bottle of hairspray (here I used Flamingo Pink from Assortment 3 from Stampin’ Up!). Shake gently. Spritz on your cardstock for a shimmery look. Don’t spray too close as that creates splotches. You want a light mist on the paper. Also, since it is a spray, it will spray on items around your work area, so place old flyers or such underneath and around your project. Let the card stock dry (this takes just a few minutes).

Step 10
Once your card stock is dry, apply Sticky Strip (also known as Red Liner tape) to the back of it. You can use glue dots instead, but I have found that they tend to show a bumpy pattern. Peel the backing off of the Sticky Strip or Red Liner tape.

Note: You want the can to face you this way so that when you adhere the card stock to the can, the seam is at the back of the can, the side not facing you.

Step 11
Adhere the card stock, with the seam at the back of the can, as mentioned in the above note.

Note: You will want to overlap the CS ends slightly but not where it is too bulky. The width can be adjusted shorter to accommodate another layer of CS or made wider in place of the ribbon.

Step 12
Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 8.5” long each (here I used Light Orchid grosgrain ribbon). Attach Sticky Strip (or Red Liner tape) to both pieces of ribbon.

Step 13
Peel the backing off of the Sticky Strip (or Red Liner tape) and adhere one piece of ribbon to the bottom rim of the can, starting over the seam of the card stock. Adhere the second piece of ribbon to the top rim of the can, starting over the seam of the card stock.

Note: I adhered the ribbon over the top rim, but you can adhere the ribbon just below the top rim if you prefer that look.

Step 14
Stamp an image from Designer Label Punch kit on to matching card stock (here I used Certainly Celery card stock and Classic Stampin’ ink). Punch the image out using the Designer Label Punch.

Step 15
Place Sticky Strip (or Red Liner Tape) on the back of the label. Adhere to the front of the can, in line with the tab on top of the can.

Step 16
On Whisper White card stock, punch out two matching flowers using the Spring Bouquet Flower punch.

Step 17
On Regal Rose card stock, punch out two holes using the 1/8” circle handheld punch. Open the “mouth” or bottom of the punch by pulling down on the tab. Retrieve your two punched circles.

Step 18
Apply liquid glue to the Regal Rose 1/8” circles (here I used a 2-way glue pen)

Step 19
Apply a mini glue dot to the center of each flower on the back side, and adhere to the label on the pop top can.

Step 20
Apply ink (here I used Certainly Celery) to a small portion of the Canvas Background stamp. Stamp your image on matching card stock (here I used Certainly Celery). I find it easier to apply a solid image of a large stamp like this one if I stand up and apply pressure to the stamp while pressing it down on the paper with both hands.

Step 21
Using the Coluzzle (or other cutting system), cut out a 1 3/4” circle.

Step 22
Insert the 1 3/4” circle into the 3/4” circle punch so that the card stock is covering half of the 3/4” circle. Punch that section out.

Step 23
Turn the 1 3/4” circle over to the plain side, and adhere a strip of SNAIL adhesive to the end of the circle, opposite the notched section. This way when you place the circle on top of the can, it will not stick to the can until you are ready to adhere it in place.

Step 24
Lift up the tab very slightly to allow room for the circle to slide beneath the tab, and adhere the circle when you have it in place.

Step 25
Cut ribbon into lengths of 4” or less, or use scrap pieces of ribbon. (Here I used two of each color: Rose, Light Orchid, White, Celery grosgrain ribbon)

Step 26
Lift the tab slightly, and slide the ribbon half way under the tab. Tie the ribbon into a knot. Cut the end of the ribbon on an angle.

Note: You may want to trim the ribbon as you tie each piece so that you don't miss an end as you add more ribbon to the tab.

Step 27 (optional)
To protect the ends of the ribbon from fraying, I use a sewing product called Fray Check. It can be found in any fabric/sewing store or sewing department. I apply it to all the ribbon ends.

Step 28

Finished project (top view and front view).

Serene Sunflowers- "Thinking of You" card

I enjoyed making this card since my favorite flower is the sunflower. My friend Lisa showed me how to do the rock n' roll technique on the center of the flowers. It is a simple technique yet adds dimension to stamped images.

Here are the materials and instructions to recreate this card:

Card stock: Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
Ink: More Mustard, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Sage Shadow, Basic Black
Stamps: Serene Sunflowers, Sincere Salutations, Weathered background
Accessories: Moss gingham ribbon, stampin' sponge, SNAIL, scissors, paper trimmer, Stamp-a-majig

The dimensions of the card base (Sage Shadow) is the standard 5.5" (wide) by 4.25" (long). The second layer, More Mustard, measures 5" (wide) by 4 & 7/8" (long). The top layer (Very Vanilla) measures 4 & 6/8" (wide) by 3 & 1/2" (long).

*Tip- My friend Alicia gave me this great thrifty tip: cut out the center of the card stock layer when the center is not visible on the rest of the card. You may use a square punch or paper trimmer to cut it. Then you have the option to use the cut out portion of the card stock for another project. How great is that? :)

If you plan to make several of the same card, you may want to hold off on cutting the Very Vanilla card stock, as it will save you time to stamp on the entire sheet instead of each piece.

Fold the Sage Shadow card stock in half. This is your card base. Then, ink up the Weathered background stamp in Sage Shadow. To get an even coverage of ink on your card stock, lay your card stock on top of the stamp and rub the card stock into the ink, or press down on it, being sure to touch the entire surface to the inked stamp, without moving the paper. Lay the Sage Shadow card stock aside for now.

On the Very Vanilla card stock, stamp the images from the stamp set, Serene Sunflowers. This is a two-step stamp set, which means that you will be layering images one on top of the other. This gives a dimensional look and provides additional color when you use a different color for each layer. For two-step stamping, you want to stamp the lighter color first, and then stamp the darker color on top of the lighter color. So with this stamp set, you will want to stamp the larger sunflower petal image in So Saffron, and then stamp the smaller petal image in More Mustard, stamping directly onto the So Saffron image. If you have trouble lining up the two images, use the stamp-a-majig, a great tool for positioning your stamps. After you have stamped your flower images, ink up the center image with More Mustard. Then, using the rock n' roll technique, roll and rock the stamp edges in Close to Cocoa ink, and stamp in the center of your flower images. Next, using Sage Shadow ink, stamp the leaf image of your choice on or near the flowers.

After your sunflowers are complete, ink your stampin' sponge in creamy caramel and sponge a light layer on the blank spots between the sunflowers. Be sure to turn your sponge in various directions frequently to avoid sponge marks. If you haven't cut the Very Vanilla card stock to the appropriate measurements, now is the time to do so. Then, ink your greeting stamp in Basic Black and stamp the greeting on each stamped piece of Very Vanilla.

Before you adhere the three card stock layers together, you will want to attach your ribbon to the stamped Very Vanilla card stock. I tied the ribbon around the card stock and double knotted it on the front of the card. To keep the ribbon in place, add a bit of SNAIL to the ribbon on the back of the card stock. Then, adhere all three layers together. Your card is now complete!

If you have any questions, please post them and I will do my best to answer them.

Have fun stampin' and creatin'!

Note: All supplies are from Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted.

Alterable Lunch Tin

This is a lunch tin I altered at a fellow demonstrator’s stamp class last week (thanks, Christine!). It is very easy to decorate and fun to see how a plain white tin can be transformed into a work of art.

Here are the instructions for altering this particular size and style lunch tin:

Lunch Tin (can be purchased at Michael’s, Joann Fabrics on-line only, Archiver’s, on-line craft supply stores)
Designer Paper- Holiday Harmony (from SU!’s Holiday 2007 mini catalog)
Cardstock- here I used River Rock and Whisper White (from SU!’s Fall & Winter 2007 Catalog)
Classic Ink- Mellow Moss (or Always Artichoke)
Stamp set: Letterpress Alphabet
Grosgrain ribbon- Always Artichoke
Assorted pieces of ribbon and fibers (Wal-Mart and JoAnn Fabrics)
1 1/4” circle punch
ModPodge
Foam brush
Sticky Strip
Stamp-a-majig

If you have touched the tin with your fingers a lot, you may want to take a clean, damp cloth and wipe the tin. This way any oils that were transferred on to the tin will not prevent the glue from adhering to the tin.

You will want 4 pieces of Designer paper- 2 strips of 2 designs. Cut each piece at 12” long by 2.5 inches wide. On one strip, line up your 1 1/4” circle punch at the top of the paper, in the middle. Make sure that only half of the circle will punch the paper out as you do not want to punch the entire 1 1/4” circle out of the paper. When you have punched this piece, lay it aside. Take another strip of paper, and turn it over so the design you want is facing down, apply ModPodge in a thick layer across one of the four pieces of paper. When the paper is covered well, turn it over (without laying it back down) and line it up on the front bottom of the tin with the ends lining up evenly on the sides of the tin. Adhere strip to tin. Turn the tin around so that the back is facing you, and repeat with the second strip which matches the first. Turn the tin back around so that the front is facing you. This time, adhere the strip of paper with the half circle to the front of the tin, with the circle going around the latch. Then turn the tin again and add the fourth strip. When all four strips are in place, brush a very thin coat of ModPodge on to the paper to seal it.

While the paper is drying (takes only 5 minutes or less to dry), cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon 22.5 “ long. Apply sticky strip to the back of the ribbon. When the paper on your tin is dry, adhere the ribbon to the tin where the two different patterns of paper meet.

Using River Rock card stock, cut 5 squares measuring 1.25 inches wide by 2.25 inches long. Cut the Whisper White card stock to measure 1 inch wide by 2 inches long. Using Mellow Moss or Always Artichoke classic ink, stamp a letter on each piece of Whisper White card stock to spell the word “cards”. To be sure you stamp the letters straight, use the stamp-a-majig for this step.
Adhere the stamped Whisper White pieces onto the River Rock paper using sticky strip or SNAIL. Then, adhere each letter onto the tin with ModPodge or sticky strip. Start from one edge of the tin to the other to be sure all your letters fit. Then, using several different types of ribbon and fibers, tie them onto your handle.

Your project is now complete! If you have any questions, please contact me. I apologize that pictures do not accompany these instructions. I don’t have a lunch tin or the same paper to duplicate this project in a picture tutorial for you.

Have fun stampin' and creatin'!

*Note: All supplies are from Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted.