Let's Rock 'n Roll!

I made this card for my dear friend, Carolina, whose grandfather passed away on Saturday.



I used the "Rock and Roll" technique.
It's a technique I use all the time. It's so quick and easy to do. All you need are at least two colors to work with.

Always remember to work with your light colored ink pad first!
You do NOT want to get dark ink stains on your light ink pads!

I will show you how I made the flower in the front with the word "heart" on it.


Stamp set: Holidays & Wishes
Ink pads: Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate
Punch: 1-1/4" Circle Punch
Accessories: Sponge Dauber

I am just inking up the word "heart" so I bring the word up to the edge of the lightest colored ink pad (Groovy Guava) and ink it up.



Then I carefully rock the edge top, side, and bottom of the word in the darker colored ink pad (Purely Pomegranate).



Stamp to see the pretty two-toned image you get with this simple technique.



For the flower, I used three colors.


Stamp set: So Many Scallops (Sale-A-Bration)
Ink Pads: So Saffron, Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate
Punch: Scallop Circle Punch

Ink the stamp in the lightest color (So Saffron).



I found that when you "huff" on the stamp when doing this technique, the lighter color tends to pop more. You can see a difference on the rubber before and after I "huffed" on it.

Before:
After:


Here's how I "rock 'n roll" in Groovy Guava:




Here I "rock 'n roll" in Purely Pomegranate:




A bit hard to see the So Saffron, but it is definitely there!



Punch out the flower and the word.



Sponge the edges with the sponge dauber to give the punched edges some dimension.



Happy Stampin'!

Trimming your rubber stamps

I just got asked about trimming Stampin' Up! rubber stamps.

The best pair of scissors for this job is the SU! Craft & Rubber scissors.
These scissors will cut through the rubber like butter!

Now I am very particular about the way I trim my stamps. I get in very close to my images and so I finish off the details with my Paper Snips. The thin blades of those scissors will get into the tightest of corners.

Don't forget to keep an Adhesive Remover nearby when trimming your rubber stamps. These things are so handy in taking off the gunk that accumulates on your blades.
Just a few quick swipes and you are good to go!

I just finished trimming 18 stamp sets for a few of my Japanese clients.
Here's a sample of my work:





Thank goodness that the Sale-A-Bration and Occasion Mini catalog stamp sets are all diecut!