Rubber Inspirations

CHA - Chicago

2007-07-15T18:10:00.000-05:00

I will be leaving later this week to attend my first ever CHA convention. I am lucky to be taking two on my design team members with me and a dear friend. Look forward to sharing some of the ideas we bring back.

Father's Day......

2007-06-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

Geeze - for a person who makes cards, do you think I could actually get some made on time..... Well, here I am making my Fathers Day cards 2 days before.

This first one is for my husband. I stamped Ship Collage by River City Rubber Works on vellum and colored the image on the back side with alcohol markers. I then adhered it to a slightly larger piece of white, then red, then tan cardstock.

I cut red cardstock slightly smaller than my square card so I would have a fine white border. I passed the blue cardstock through my corregator before mounting it on to the red.

My tip for using a corregator - trim the sides to the desired size bit leave the length about a half inch longer. The corrugator uses up length and if you cut it to size your finished piece will be too short. You can trim the length if necessary after its corrugated.

I adhered the corrugated panel and the image to the red base. I created tabs with my MiGill punch (you could also put one end of a paper strip in a circle punch). I stamped Happy Fathers Day (from Stamping Sensations - I love that set) on the white and edged it slightly with red ink. I mounted the tabs and added big eyelets through all the layers (go Cropadile!). Then I just mounted on my square white card.

This card is for my Dad (gonna arrive late...sigh...)

The layout and process was very similar, it just an A2 card instead of square and has a few less layers.

The background was made by combining wax paper technique with the alcohol ink polished stone. I crinkled up wax paper and ironed it on to glossy cardstock (protect your iron!). Then I dabbed Stonewash, Denim and Stream Alcohol Inks and blender solution over the surface.

Now - to actually get some gifts!

Teacher Thank You Notes

2007-05-30T15:40:00.000-05:00

I needed to make 3 thank you notes to give to my children's teachers. I don't really like to make multiples of the same card over and over (short attention span I guess).

But I really wanted to use this cat image from Pink Cat Studio. Somehow the cat reminds me of a teacher. Maybe its the glasses, or maybe the calm, unruffled look (so unlike me when I hang out with my kids for too long). So I decided to play around with variations on a theme. I decided to alter the color scheme and the technique on the cat's clothes, but keep the card layout the same for all of them. I also kept the same blue panel on all of them to add to the challenge.

Here is the trio.....

For this first one, I used alcohol based Prismacolor markers to color the entire image. The patterned paper is the DCWV Pocket Full of Poises Pack.

For this card, I colored the cat and glasses with the Prismacolor Markers. Then I used a very fine stylus to doodle a design on the sweater and scarf. I colored the sweater and scarf with Prsimacolor pencils. The doodled design appears white.

For the last card, I again colored the cat and the glasses with the Prismacolor Markers. Then I paper pieced the scarf and the sweater using the background paper. By stamping and cutting out the scarf and sweater on different parts of the patterned paper, I got the different colors. The patterned paper is the DCWV Pocket Full of Poises Pack.

It was kind of fun to see how changing the color and technique changed the card. I might try something like this again sometime. It might make a very nice gift set of coordinated thank you notes.

Butterfly Kisses

2007-05-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday to you all!!! We've been having beautiful Spring weather here on the East Coast, so I decided to pull out my Butterfly Kisses stamp set and put them to use! I stamped the butterflies on vellum paper and embossed them with a glittery white EP. I then watercolored the back of the image with a waterbrush and my Wild Plum and Sunshine Yellow Adirondack Ink Pads. IRL it almost looks like stained glass, so pretty and elegant. The background behind the butterflies is a Cuttlebugged piece of cardstock and I went over the embossed areas with my Clear Stardust Gelly Roll pens (these are soooo cool!) to give it some extra sparkle. I used various images from the same set to stamp a background onto the green base with a Versamark pad.

The sentiment is also embossed with the glittery white EP, I then used a smidge of sheer ribbon and a bit of silver cording to finish it off!! I hope you enjoy and have a Fabulous weekend!!

Tumbled Tile Coaster

2007-05-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

I love working with these tumbled tiles to make coasters. I like how they feel so substantial and alcohol inks work beautifully on them.

These coasters could be a pretty quick and easy Father's Day gift - and if they are careful, the kids could even help create the colored background (but remember, alcohol inks are permanent inks).

How I made this tile:

You can find tumbled tiles in most home improvement stores. The tumbled tiles are better than glazed tiles for coasters since the can hold moisture better. It is a good idea to look through the tiles and choose ones that are smooth and have few holes so any stamped images will stamp cleanly.

Other supplies you will need are:

A selection of Ranger Alcohol Inks in the colors you desire. Include one of the Metallic Mixatives if you wish,
An alcohol ink applicator
Alcohol ink blender solution
Ranger Archival ink for stamping your image
Stamp

Before beginning, put a small amount of Blender Solution on a paper towel and clean off the tile to make sure there is no dust or oil.

I wanted my coaster to have an aged stone look. I chose Carmel, Ginger and a small amount of Denim for my colors. I also wanted a little glitz, so I also used a small amount of Copper Metallic Mixative. Different people have different methods of applying the inks - here is what works for me.

I choose a primary color (Carmel) and apply the most of this color to a clean felt pad. Then I choose a secondary color (Ginger) and apply less of that. Then I choose a third color and apply a small amount of that to the pad. I add a small amount of blender solution (the more solution you add, the less intense the colors will be).

I "pounce" my applicator on the tile surface, turning it as I go to keep the colors random. I just keep pouncing until I'm happy with the coverage (don't forget to color the sides of the tile as well). If the colors are not intense enough, you can add more alcohol ink to the felt. If you really don't like what you are creating and want to start over, you can clean off the tile with blender solution. It will still be somewhat stained, but lightly enough so you can try again.

If I want to add some Metallic Mixative (in this case copper), I add a SMALL amount to the same felt pad I've been using and add a little squirt of blender solution. Then I pounce on the metallic in the same fashion. A little metallic goes a long way.

Let the alcohol inks dry completely. Then ink up your stamp with the Archival Ink and stamp it onto the tile. Keep in mind that the tile surface may not be perfectly smooth, so you may need more pressure than usual to get a good image.

I put the tile in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes to heat set everything. This step may not be necessary, but it makes me feel more secure.

The last step is to put something on the back of the tile to prevent the tile from scratching furniture. I like to use the cork shelf liner available at home improvement stores - but you could also use felt.

This tile uses the Ship Collage stamp by River City Rubber Works. The stamp and all the alcohol ink supplies are available from Rubber Inspirations.

Tres Chic!

2007-05-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

Bonjour mes amis! Comment allez-vous? :)

I recently was lucky enough to win some great Ranger products. Naturally, I just had to try them out! Two things that I received were Memory Glass and Memory Foil Tape (Brass). These are two products that I had never used so I was ready for it to be a challenge, however it was much easier to use than I thought. I decided to make a glass pin using Adirondack Alcohol Inks (Lettuce, Wild Plum and Stream) and the Ooh-La-La stamp set.

First, I applied lines of each color of ink on to the applicator. I added some drops of Blending Solution to blend the colors. I gently tapped the inked up applicator on to the glass, being careful not to over mix the colors and set it aside to dry. The alcohol inks dry very quickly so this only took a few minutes. I stamped the perfume bottle and Tres Chic on a 2x2 inch piece of white cardstock using Archival Ink (Jet Black). I took the inked glass piece, the stamped cardstock and then another glass piece and sandwiched them together. I went around the edges with the foil tape and then burnished it with a paper creaser to make sure it had a good seal. I added an adhesive pin back to the other side and Voila! A Tres Chic pin! :)

Magnetic, Acrylic Post-It Holder

2007-05-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was at Target and I saw a 2 pack of Acrylic Photo Frames with magnets on the back. They were something like $2.50 for the pack of 2. I snatched them right up and brought them home waiting for just the "right project". So the other day when I sat down to stamp, that "right project" popped into my head. I proceeded to pull out my new pack of Great Expectations Paper and cut it to 4x6 since that was the size of my photo frame. I then took out my new Ooh La La Stamp Set stamped the perfume bottles onto white cardstock using black ink, then I colored it with colored pencils. I mounted that onto some light greenish cardstock and put it onto my paper I had previously cut. Then I chose my sentiment. I decided that the Just A Note from Everyday Greetings was just the right one to use. So I stamped that, also in black on white cardstock, mounted it onto the same green cardstock I had used before and then mounted that. Then I slipped that into my frame. Now for the last step. I applied my post-it notes to the frame by using Tacky Tape. I love that stuff! It's good for everything! I sat back to admire my work. But it was missing something. So I got out my package of RSVP Pens and cut a strip of my printed paper to fit, rolled it up and stuck it inside the pen. Now I had to figure out how to attach it to the frame. I decided to get out that trusty Tacky Tape again and use it to attach a piece of Light Pink Grosgrain Ribbon to the inside of the frame so that I could just tie the pen on. And there you have it! A Magnetic, Acrylic Post-It Holder with matching pen.

A Paisley Flower

2007-05-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

When I first saw the Paisley set on the Rubber Inspirations website, I knew I would have some fun with it!

I immediately was inspired to use the single paisleys as flower petals.

I knew I wanted this to be bold and bright. So I used bright colored markers to color in the paisleys, and then cut them out.

Using the stem of the paisley flower from that same set stamped on white cardstock, I played with the cut out paisleys and arranged them until I had them how I wanted them to look. I layered each paisley petal in its place, and glued it down.

I added Crystal Stickles to the smallest petals to give them some *bling* and dimension, then added the white button.

Before gluing the layers down, I added a bit of black ink to the card using the DTP (Direct To Paper) technique.

Oh, about that awesome swirly polka dot flourish stamp......

Stay tuned to Rubber Inspirations for their exclusive line of stamps!

Peony card

2007-05-07T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Peony is my favorite flower. I have fond memories of my Grandmother's peony bushes - enormous clouds of beautiful light and dark pink flowers. I have quite a few (like um... 30 or so...) peony plants in my garden. But somehow mine just can't compare to my memories of my grandma's (she was a plant wizard).

Anyway - when I saw the Stamping Sensations Plate called Destination Orient, I fell in love with all the peony images (and the fish... but that is another story). So here is my first peony card. Of course - after I finished the whole thing, I realized by the leaf shape that this is probably a mum, not a peony. But humor me - its still a peony in my mind!

How I made this card:

For the background, I used my new Ranger colorwash sprays from RI!! These are so fun to use. For this background, I randomly stamped the small peony (could be a waterlily - but go with me on the peony theme) in Versamark ink and embossed in clear on watercolor paper. I wanted a lighter tone so I spritzed the embossed paper with water and then sprayed the background lightly with Cranberry color spray (do this in a box to contain over spray). I also added a slight amount of Stream color spray to the top and bottom. Since I did not want an intense blue color, I aimed my spray as if I was spraying above and below the paper - so only some of the over spray went on to the paper. then I spritzed with a little more water to blend. After a couple minutes I blotted the excess ink with a paper towel and allowed the piece to dry.

I embossed the flower image in Ranger Queens Gold on lightweight watercolor paper. I also embossed the "Thinking of You" form the Stamping Sensations set Small Sentiments angled with the flower stems. I colored the image using my water brush and Meadow and Cranberry inks. (I just squeeze the lid of the ink pad against felt while the case is closed. When I open it, I have a nice little splotch of color on the inside lid that I can pick up with the waterbrush.)

I trimmed the paper around the image and created the corners using a half inch circle punch. I mounted the image on a green matte and added white mini brads. Then I just assembled my image and background on a green matte and mounted it on an A2 size card.

Monoprinting with Alcohol Inks

2007-05-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

Today I have a fun background technique for you to try. It's so easy to do, and creates stunning background effects! The technique is called Monoprinting, and it can also be done with re-inkers, or Inkabilities inks, but the effects that the Alcohol Inks create with this technique are truly spectacular!

So the first thing you need to do is gather your supplies together. You'll need non-stick work surface to work on. I'm using a silicone craft mat, but if you don't have one of these handy tools you can also use a glass cutting mat, or even a disposable aluminum baking tray. Please don't use anything that food will come in contact with after you've tried this technique. For example, that Pyrex backing dish might look like a perfect surface, but you won't want to eat the brownies you make in it afterwards!

You'll also need some glossy paper, Blending Solution, and Alcohol Inks. I recommend purchasing them in every color available, advice which I've followed closely as you can see above! You might also want to pick out the stamp that you'll be using to finish off your creation. I chose the Sailboat Collage stamp, which influenced my ink color selection.

Pick out one to three ink colors to use for your background. For this sample I wanted to create a look that was reminiscent of the ocean, so I chose Stonewashed, Meadow, and Slate. You don't have to use three colors, and in fact, if this is the first time you're trying this technique I'd recommend starting with only one. I'll show you how to make just a few drops of ink last forever and create some beautiful backgrounds in just a bit!

The first thing you're going to do is take one of your bottles of Alcohol Ink and scribble the color across your craft mat. Put the tip directly on the mat, and squirt out a stream of ink. Do the same with a second color, but don't overlap the colors or they will blend too much and get muddy, place them next to each other instead. If using a third accent color, just place a few drops randomly in between the ink lines like I've done in the picture above with the Slate ink.

Now the fun starts! Randomly drip Blender Fluid across your lines of ink. Take a piece of glossy paper, and lay it down on top of the ink (glossy side down). Press and smoosh (technical term) the paper a bit to blend the ink and spread it to the edges.

Carefully peel your paper up and take a look at the background you've created!

Now if you're satisfied with your background, you can stop here and skip this next step. I like to add a little additional texture though, and this is a fun way to do it!

Take your bottle of blender fluid, and shake it all over your background while it's still wet. The object is to get drops of fluid on your paper. The blender fluid will separate the inks and push them around on the paper, creating drip marks.

Let dry, then finish off your Masterpiece, and you're done!

Ok, so I showed you the more advanced project first, which is a little backwards, but look how cool it is! Now I'm going to show you the simplified version, but with a little twist!

When you use multiple colors you can only get one or two good prints from the inks you scribble on your craft mat, any more than that and the colors blend too much and don't look so pretty. When you use just one color, you can get multiple prints just by adding more blending fluid!

So go ahead and blob a line or a scribble of your favorite color Alcohol Ink on your craft sheet (I used Wild Plum in this sample)and add some blender fluid.

Smoosh (there's that technical term again) your paper into the ink and peel it up. This will be your darkest print. Add some blending fluid to the ink left on your craft sheet, and press another piece of paper into the ink. Peel up and repeat until you no longer like your results.

If desired you can shake some dots of blender fluid onto your backgrounds while they're still wet to add some drippy looking texture. Let dry and use on a card!

I have one more background to show you using this technique. In the card shown below I did a two step process to create the two separate tones of color. First I laid down a line of Lettuce Alcohol ink and pressed my paper into it. I peeled it up, and cleaned the ink off my craft sheet. Then I put down a line of Stonewashed ink, and pressed the other side of my paper into it. Added a few drips of blender fluid, and let dry.

Have fun with this technique, experiment, and if you make something cool, upload it to A Shade of Blue, and share the link!

Enjoy,
Anne

Getting Creative with Paper

2007-05-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

Hi All!! This is my first contribution to the Rubber Inspirations blog!! Since I'm still waiting for some of my stamps to arrive from RI, I decided to get a little creative with the paper packs I already have from them!! These are really quick and easy to put together.

This view is from above. I used the Pockets Full of Posies paper pack to cover the tin and the lid. The container used to house tea bags but can be filled with anything......perhaps some chocolate.....sorry, back to the post :) I stacked 3 silk like flowers that I picked up somewhere and placed a large brad through the center and glued it down to the lid. It looked kinda plain to me so I decided to add some seed beads around the edge. This Glue works great with the beads and has many other uses too! To adhere the paper around the tin I used my favorite adhesive for projects like this Tacky Tape. I then just tied some ribbon around the tin, added a flower and brad to the knot and voila!! Finis!!! Here's a view from the front.

Now on to the Jumbo Paper clips...These can be purchased just about anywhere, like the office supply store etc. I used my cuttlebug to die cut the flowers from chipboard coasters and also The Glitter Stack patterned paper. I glued the paper to the chipboard, then used a hot glue gun to sandwich the paperclip in between the flowers. I had some little buttons laying around, so I tied some cording through the holes then glued them to the centers, added a little ribbon and that was it!! Quick and easy gifts in no time!

I hope you enjoy these projects!

Rubber!

2007-04-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

I'm setting a bad example... It's been my turn to post to the blog for about 4 days now, and I'm totally slacking. I'm doubly bad because I was supposed to post a tutorial for an Alcohol Ink mono-printing technique, but I haven't had time to make up my samples. I haven't been sitting around doing nothing though; the first set of Rubber Inspirations orders went out the door this morning, and everyone who ordered will be getting new toys to play with soon!

As these awesome stamps and supplies started showing up at my door last week, I got to really see for myself how awesome these products are. So instead of the tutorial today, I want to show you the stamps that we're carrying from Stamping Sensations instead. I fell in love with the images as soon as I saw them, but getting them in my hand cemented the deal. You're never going to find unmounted rubber sheets of this quality for a better price!

First of all, these sets are HUGE! You can't really tell from the images on-line how big they really are. Rubber Inspirations is mainly carrying two sizes at this time; a large 8.5"x11" sheet, and a smaller 5"x7" sheet.

The large set, Loving You, Father is shown above, retails for $21.95 and that includes a sheet of EZ-Mount cushion.

You can kind of get an idea from the picture above how large some of the images included are, but here's a close up for you...

This cute teddy bear stamp from the Sweet Bundle set measures just over 4 inches square! These large images are not only great for cardmaking, but also for scrapbooking and altered arts. They're fun to color, but they also are awesome for techniques like paper piecing, and if you want to show off a background technique, the collage images are perfect for that!

Of course many of the sets have both larger and smaller images included, so if you're not sure about using the larger stamps, you still have plenty of gorgeous images to choose from.

Now did I mention the quality? As you can see, the rubber is a dark blue, which hides all of that nasty ink staining that can occur over time to your well loved stamps. It's also a nice thick plate of rubber, so your images will stamp crisp and beautiful every time. I just know you're going to love these stamps as much as I do!

If you have any questions about any of the stamps or products Rubber Inspirations carries, feel free to email me and I'll help you however I can!

Have a great day!

Anne

Gift Sets

2007-04-23T08:38:00.000-05:00

Need a fun gift for a friend that is heading on vacation or trip to the beach?

Invited to a Housewarming Party or a morning coffee group, and you wish to bring something special, but tired of bringing the same store bought cinnamon raisin coffee cake?

Well, I just might have the right thing for you!

Not only will you be bringing something special to your next get together, but it will surely be the topic of conversation!

You can make some uber cute and easy gifts too, with just some Frappachino holders & spray paint…..or other cardboard 4 pack bottle holders, or even a 6 pack holder will work too!

I will show you two projects I made, along with some ideas for you to create and fill one too!

Coffee gift set

~project credits~Tea & Coffee stamp set from Pink Cat Studio - Rubber InspirationsPrinted paper by Rhonna Farrer/Rubber Inspirations~inside~Splenda and sugar packets, 2 Millstone coffee packages, 1 Coffeemate powdered creamer, coffee stirrers, Splenda Mocha flavor Blends packets

With my first Frappachino holder I spray painted it a mocha brown semi-gloss color. You do want to do this in a well ventilated area, (I worked in my garage), and cover your area with many layers of newspaper or another type of cloth. Spray paint, as you well know, is very, very messy and has strong vapors.
Please follow all the instructions on the can carefully.

One even coat worked well, which darker colors usually will cover well with one coat of paint.
Allow to dry completely. I waited overnight.

Beach Gift Set

~project credits~Life's A Beach-Beach #1 stamp set from Pink Cat Studio - Rubber InspirationsPocketful of Posies, DCWV ~inside~sunblock, bottle of water, sand shovel, beach ball

To create the texture of sand on the holder for the Beach gift holder, I used Krylon’s “Make It Stone!” in the lightest shade. It is a textured spray paint that is a bit tricky, and it took me a bit getting used to, to get good coverage. My suggestion is to do at least 3 coats of paint, and allow it to dry before the next application before applying the next coat. Really, trust me on this one.

(Where is that *DOH!* Smiley when ya need him? LOL)

Now comes the fun part! Alter and embellish your holder!

Your theme may determine how you alter your holder. I of course chose a coffee stamp set for my coffee gift set, and a beach stamp set for my beach gift set.
But, you do not have to do it that way. You make it special and let your creativity shine!

Any variety of patterned papers, cardstock, rubberstamps, ribbon, embellishments, and stickers are just some of the things you can use for your project.

You can use your imagination as what you wish to do with your holder. If you are stumped for ideas, see the list of below that I have come up with……

*Pedicure/Manicure…files, emery boards, clippers, polish, toe seperators, polish remover, cotton balls, lotions, spa socks/gloves
*Movie night….popcorn, candy, tickets, gift certificates, soda pop
*Chocolate Lovers….need I say more?
*Tea Lovers.....A mix of some flavored teas
*Hot Chocolate Lovers…..Hot chocolate packets, marshmallows, plastic spoons
*Kitchen Gadgets…..small kitchen tools, fun for Bride to be or Housewarmings
*Golf Lovers…..tees, balls, gloves, anything small for your favorite golfer
*Fishing Lovers…..lures, bait, fishing line
*Gardening…seed packets, small tools, gloves, plant sticks

*Sushi Lovers...use your beautiful Asian stamps to embellish, and visit your local market for seaweed wrap, rice, soy sauce, chopstick, bamboo mat, and other Sushi items.
*New baby….bottle, pacifier, bibs, small toy, washcloths, small baby needs

*Kids.....for boys, fill it with Hot Wheels and small action figures. For girls, costume jewelry and small dolls. Possibly enclose a gift card inside as an added bonus.
*Papercrafters….tools, stamps, small punches, Prima jars, hand punches, stickers, embellies
*Pen/Pencil caddy…..cut water bottles in half, (below the holder) glue them in place in the holder, and you have a cute caddy for pens and pencils! Wonderful for teachers gifts!

You can use tissue paper in yours for a pretty gift presentation.

Wrap clear or transparent colored cellophane around it and tie ribbon around the top for and extra special wrapping for your gift!

I hope my projects and suggestions have given you a few ideas to get you started on making a project that will boost your creative mojo!

Have fun and enjoy!

Life's A Beach!

2007-04-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

I got to play with new goodies from Rubber Inspirations the other day! Yay me! So here it is, my first card as a Rubber Inspirations Designer:

I had a good time with this card. Bright is normally not my thing. My favorite colors to work with are Purples and Greens. And subdued Purples and Greens at that. So this card was out of the box for me! But I like the way it turned out. Here's what I used to create this oh so fun card!

Supplies: White Cardstock, Orange Cardstock, Pocket Full Of Posies Paper Pack (try saying that 5 times fast-- I couldn't even say it once with out flubbing it. LOL), Life's A Beach- Beach #1 Stamp Set, Lemonade Grosgrain Ribbon, Festive Fuchia Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Ink, Colored Pencils

O.k. so, I took kind of... how do I put this... an unconventional route to making this card. I started out by coloring my stamped image. And then came the daunting task of find paper that was just right for my oh so strangely colored image. LOL O.k. so it wasn't so daunting. I just started flipping through the Paper Pack and found it almost immediately. It was perfect! It was as if the paper had been calling to me all along telling me what colors to color the image. (Can you tell I haven't been getting much sleep. LOL) So I picked out cardstock to mount the image piece on to give it that extra pop against the yummy paper I had chosen. I ultimately settled on Orange. After all, the colors I used were out of the box for me so why not go with it. Then as I went to mount the yummy paper onto the card base I decided it needed ribbon. So I chose two colors to compliment my card and set about trying to figure out how to lay them. A fellow RI designer suggested I see what it would look like if I criss-crossed the ribbons. Yes, now that's the ticket! After attaching my newly criss-crossed ribbon I mounted my yummy paper onto the White Card Base and then attached my image. Ahhh but it was missing something. I needed a sentiment to balance it out. So I took a scrap piece of the yummy paper and tried out a couple of different colors to stamp my sentiment in. I ultimately decided that Black looked the best so I went with that. Then I finished the card off by stamping the sentiment in black in the lower left hand side of my now finished card. And so there you have it! My very first card as a Rubber Inspirations designer.

Evolution of a Card

2007-04-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a card design or idea does not always translate well from my head to the paper, as was the case of the original version of this card. I was very unhappy with how it turned out so I chatted with another RI designer and we bounced around some ideas on what I could change to make it into something that I was satisfied with.

I definitely needed to take the original card apart and start over. Since I use a liquid glue (Mono Multi) to create my cards, it was not easy to take it apart. Imagine me at midnight with a heat gun and palette knife trying to salvage pieces of my card.

This is the final result, which looks nothing like it did to start except for the main image.

Image: River City Rubber Works-Sunflower Bucket
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket-Wanted

I am quite happy with how it turned out. My advice....never be afraid to re-work a project until you are satisfied with it.....and maybe try working a little earlier than midnight. LOL

Rubber Inspirations Grand Opening!

2007-04-16T21:31:00.002-05:00

It's finally here, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Rubber Inspirations is open for business!

Our goal at Rubber Inspirations is to encourage you to unleash your creativity through stamping, scrapbooking and papercrafting! We are now offering you the tools to do just that! Come check out the brand new Rubber Inspirations stores!

Rubber Inspirations

Friendship

2007-04-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

My first creation as a Rubber Inspirations designer and I made this card using these beautiful stamps from the Oriental #1 set.

Patterned paper is from the Pocketful Of Posies pad, and it has just the right amount of glitter added to the center of the petite flowers. I added crystal Stickles to her purple flowers on her sleeve, and the one in her hair, to give her some glitter too.

I also chose this particular paper because I thought that the pattern in the paper resembled the mountains of Asia.

The symbol means friends/friendship.

Up to the Challenge!

2007-04-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

A fellow Rubber Inspirations designer and I were discussing some of the new Pink Cat Studio images that I recently received. She had a hard time falling in love with a certain Fluffy Hat so she challenged me to make something cool with it. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I got right to work, bound and determined to create a Fluffy Hat masterpiece!

Images: PCS - If the Shoe Fits
Paper: DCWV Glitter Stack

I think I did it justice! And now there will be no more disrespect for the Fluffy Hat! :)

Ranger Inks

2007-04-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! Last week our first order of Ranger products came in. Yes, we're going to be carrying the entire line of Ranger Inks and accessories!

I love these products, and you're going to love them too! Why? Well, I thought you'd never ask! Let me tell you about them...

I have to say that the thing I love most about the Ranger line of products is that everything coordinates. They're so easy to use because it takes all of the guess work out of the process for you.

Ranger has made an Adirondack Ink Chart for you to use to help find coordinating colors. Just pick any two or three colors in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) and you'll have inks that go together. Inks from each color collection also work well together.

Now if that's not cool enough for you, Ranger also provides coordinating product lines. The Adirondack line includes Color Wash Spray's, Pigment Pens, Alcohol Inks, Paint Daubers, Dimensional Pearls and Embossing Powders! All of these products are available in Earthtone colors that also coordinate with the Lights and Brights palettes.

We'll also have the entire line of Archival Inks. These pads are a wonderful hybrid ink; dye based, but waterproof! They're great for watercolor techniques or any other time you don't want your inks to bleed.

I can't forget the Tim Holtz Distress Inks either! These are waterbased pads that stamp great, and are completely washable (so they're great for kids to use). They're designed to bleed and blend when sprayed with water, but won't dilute or turn off shades! There are so many great techniques these pads can be used for! They also come with a coordinating line of Distress Embossing Powders, specifically designed to emboss with an aged, antique look.

Is that enough for you? Are you excited yet? Well there's even more. We'll have the entire line of Stickles, Ice Stickles, Liquid Pearls, Perfect Pearls, Big and Juicy Rainbow Pads, and so much more I can't list it all!

Keep checking back, because every day we're a little bit closer to our grand opening, and in the mean time we'll keep you entertained with some wonderful projects, and fun techniques to try using these great products! Also, don't forget to submit and application for our design team. We'd love to see your artwork!

Hugs,
Anne

Last Minute Easter Idea - Mini Treat Basket

2007-04-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a quick, last minute Easter idea, try creating this Mini Treat Basket!

Images: Pink Cat Studio, Easter Set

Cut a piece of cardstock to 6" x 6". Stamp Easter images randomly with watermark ink. Score at 2" and 4" both horizontally and vertically. Cut the vertical score lines only as far as the first horizontal score line. Do this on opposite ends. Fold the center cut section up. Fold and overlap the other cut sections so they meet at a point and glue. For the handle, cut another piece of cardstock 1" x 6". Stamp Easter images randomly with watermark ink. Glue to the inside of the basket at each pointed end. Stamp an Easter image on white cardstock. Color and mat with a coordinating color. Glue to the basket. Tie a coordinating ribbon around the basket handle. Fill with Easter grass and your favorite Easter candy.

Call for Designers

2007-03-26T19:04:00.000-05:00

Do you live and breathe papercrafting?

Do you love playing with the newest, hottest products on the market?

Then you might be perfect for our design team!

We're looking for papercrafters to create samples for the Rubber Inspirations catalogs, website, and blog. If you'd like to be considered for our team, please submit a photo or a scan of your best work, along with a paragraph (500 words or less) describing you and the reason(s) you stamp, scrapbook, and/or papercraft to applications@rubberinspirations.com.

Designers will be asked to make regular submissions as well as weekly posts to the Rubber Inspirations blog. Please only submit your work for review if you're able to fulfill a regular commitment. In exchange for the hard work and dedication of our team members, they'll receive some of the coolest supplies out there for free and/or discounted prices!

Submit your application today because we can't wait to see your work!

Sneak Peek!

2007-03-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

Rubber Inspirations will be carrying the entire line of Pink Cat Studio rubber stamps. These stamps are very whimsical and so much fun to create with! Here is a sneak peek at a couple of projects made using the Coffee and Tea set.

Images were stamped on white cardstock that was wrinkled, smoothed out and then rubbed with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen). The background paper is DCWV Old World.

Background paper is DCWV Old World.

To create this tea box, you will need 5 square medium weight chipboard coasters. Choose a background paper and cut 4 pieces to 4"x4". Round the corners using a corner rounder punch. Glue the background paper to 4 of the coasters. Stamp the tea images, color and adhere to one of the coasters with background paper. Punch 5 evenly spaced holes on both the left and right sides of the 4 coasters. Tie the 4 coasters together using a coordinating ribbon. Glue the remaining plain coaster to the bottom of the box with a strong glue.

Coming Soon...

2007-03-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

Rubber Inspirations

Encouraging you to unleash your creativity through stamping, scrapbooking and papercrafting!

Get all the latest updates on Rubber Inspirations products and specials, along with some fun inspirational projects!