Friday, July 11, 2008

Idea!!! Clear Blocks

I just {heart} Tarjay! I love that I can go in there and find ANYTHING that I need. I bet you could live in Target! Who was I having this conversation with? I cannot remember. I do remember that the only problem is there is no washer and dryer. You can pretty much take care of everything in the Tarjay though. Coffee pots (and I found this new YUMMY coffee creamer there - International delight White Chocolate Mocha).

I swear that Todd is addicted to S'mores! Everytime we go to the store he is buying marshmallows, graham crackers and hershey bars. The man is nuts for S'mores! NUTS! What could make S'mores even better? Chocolate Marshmallows! (bouncing).

We found chocolate marshmallows at the TARJAY! {nods!}

It's great to find a great thing, like S'mores and find something to make them even better {like chocolate marshmallows}!

Well, I think I found something like that in my stamp stash.
My good friend Mish is one of those people who inspires me to be a more efficient stamper. You have out your supplies - you might as well use them and be more efficient. So when I have to make a supply of cards, I turn to Mish's idea and mass produce with paper, ink, punches. Simplify and make an assembly line of things! Despite my investment in the nestabilities, I still use my punches on occasion, and for this project I could use the punch or the nestabilities.


Did you ever have a wood mounted image you want to use, but you fumble around trying to get it to line it up to fit within your punched image. I always had problems lining up the image. I would try and fumble around, circular filing most of my attempts. If I put the wood mounted image face up on my surface and place the paper down, I had trouble with shadowing and getting a nice clean image!

Edited to add:
Now I know that you can stamp the images first, then punch them out - but that slows me down when I am doing mass assembly. If there was a perfect way to stamp 10 images on a sheet of cardstock, then punch the giga circle punch out with the images perfectly aligned every time - I would do it. For mass assembly, this works better. So for those of you who have space perception issues like me, read on.... This is even more important for nesties owners who want to mass punch their paper. I found it tough to line up the nestie dies (I use a sizzix with my nesties). It always seems to shift the paper slightly and my pre-stamped image is offset! (that makes me :< sad)

One of the items which is now always in my stamping area is clear acrylic blocks. This morning, the lightbulb went off!!!!

I think I have an idea (bouncing)....

First - gather your supplies:
paper, ink, stamps (wood mounted), mono and a clear block.
I had this clear block from (Dah Dah DAH! The Tarjay dollar spot)



Punch out the circles in white cardstock....

Take your mono and place a little dab on the card

place your circle on a clear block

ink up your wood mounted image



place the inked image face up on your work surface
with the help of the clear block, you can easily place the paper
over the wood mounted image


gently press on your acrylic block. The hard surface gives you a nice firm even pressure for
a great clean stamped image
lift acrylic block off wood mounted image and you have a clean image
without shadows. The clear block holds your paper in place (with the mono), so there is no shifting or double imaging. Mass production is now simplified!



Finish your card

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
supplies:
stamps: If the Halo Fits (SU), sentiment (fresh cuts)
ink: black, copics, chocolate chip, pixie pink
paper: white, designer paper (MME/WA)
misc: dimensionals, sakura stardust, ribbon (mayarts/starlistudio), punches (marvy)



22 comments:

Unknown said...

Beth,
What I have found that works is I stamp my image first and then punch it out holding my punch upside down with stamped image showing in opening. I always leave enough space between the stamped images to punch out cleanly. It really is fast.
k

Kelly L said...

Now, how smart is that?!!! I would have never thought of that. I probably would have stamped a gazillion of them hoping that some of them would later fit into the punch well enough without overlapping one another to get the correct amount that I needed. I have actually stamped a whole page of images before to find that they did not fit in the punch without ruining a few. (duh) :) Kel

Vera Matson said...

That is easily the best idea I've seen in a long time. Thanks for sharing it! I just happen to be on my way out to Tarjay myself. Who knows what I might find....

Anonymous said...

What a great idea and you doesn't love Target...i sounld spend hours in there!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Beth, I hate to tell you this, but you are doing this backward - stamp your image first. Turn your punch over and insert your image in the punch and you can line up the image within the punch edges - perfect every time.

Barbara said...

Beth, you are a genius!! I love that idea. I've tried stamping then punching out the pattern but never get it just right. Thank you, thank you!

On the topic of s'mores: just yesterday I saw the most unique gadget for s'more-addicts. In the Harriet Carter catalogue is a microwave s'mores maker. No kidding! Click here for a look.

Lisa Charleton said...

You're BRILLIANT I tell ya! Seriously - that's a fantastic idea!

Toni said...

What a great idea! I will use it from now on. Thanks for sharing!

Swamp Tulip said...

What a great tip. TFS I have a few lonely acrylic blocks so I don't need to run to Tarjay for them but I am headed there this afternoon to find me some of those chocolate marshmallows! OMG - thanks for that tip too!

Teresa

Anonymous said...

That's a cute idea...never thought of using my acrylics to help me in my placements! LOL Thanks for sharing...you learn something new everyday!!!

Lynn Mercurio said...

Genius! What a clever girl you are...don't you love it when you make such fabulous discoveries?!

Cris A said...

BRILLIANT!

Debbie Corbari said...

OMG that is so clever! Love those cards too! So cute! Wahoo!

Chris called to tell me you stopped him in the driveway to go back and get my drugs...I mean STAMPing supplies....

That was 2 hours ago! ACK! WHERE IS HE? I WANT THE GOODIES!

Lorie said...

What a super great idea! I will definitely have to try that!

Jessie/knightrone said...

Your card is super cute, and your idea is fabulous!!

Gabriela said...

A great tutorial. TFS!

Cathy Green said...

What a great idea!!! Thanks for sharing. I just love ideas that use stuff I got for cheap! I'm a Tarjay fan, too! Love that dollar spot. I have found more fun stuff there that I didn't know I couldn't live without! Cathy

Rachel Brumley said...

Great idea! I usually stamp the image first and then punch it out but I like this idea more because it doesn't waste as much card stock.

TFS!

Bonnie Lynn said...

Cool! Someone else who loves Tarjay as much as my family. Now I have to hunt out those chocolate marshmellows. Thanks for the cool idea with the clear blocks. Now to go find mine from Michael's.

Keri Lee Sereika said...

How totally cool is that??? Bethie you still never cease to amaze me!

Heather McNally and Melissa MacDonald said...

SA-WEEEEEEEET card, Bethie! So cute! And I love your idea of how to use the acrylic block and stamp in the circles!!!!!!!

Katie Lyn said...

Brilliant idea!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

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