Tissue Tape Easter Eggs

Today I promised I'd share a little something to help fill the little origami Easter Basket we made yesterday.  We're going to start off by decorating some eggs with Tim Holtz's Tissue Tape!

Supplies:

Tissue Tape or Other Masking type tape
Eggs (hard boiled or blown)
Distress Inks (optional)

Instructions:

1. Tear desired patterns of tape into small sections...I kept mine to about 1/2" in size.  It makes it easier to smooth the tapes out when working with the rounded contours of your egg.

I used 3 different patterns of Tissue Tape plus a pink and white stripped tape.  I think that is Making Memories but I don't really remember anymore.

2. Begin layering the tapes on the egg.  Overlap the pieces of tape a bit to help hold the previous piece down.

TIP: When working with Tissue Tape you will notice it has a tendency to peel up at the edges and can be very frustrating at times.  I found that if I hold the taped sections of the egg in the palm of my hand as I apply more tape it helps the tape stay put.  I don't know if it's due to body heat or ???  but it does seem to work.

TIP: From time to time you may have a piece of tape that just won't stay put usually due to a contour issue (usually because my piece of tape is too long).  I have found that if I make a "relief cut" in the tape where there is a problem I can smooth down both sides separately it solves my sticking problem.

 

3. Continue applying bits of Tissue Tape until the entire egg has been covered.

And your egg will turn out similar to this one....

ALTERNATIVE:

For another look I simply applied some Distress Inks to the tape before I tore it into pieces.  After the ink dries, tear into pieces and apply it to the egg.

And here are my finished eggs in the little basket!

I've got more fun Easter ideas on the way so be sure to check back tomorrow!

Till then ~ have a wonderfully inky day friends!!

Small Origami Easter Basket

This coming weekend is Easter so I thought I'd spend the rest of this week sharing a few little projects to give you some last minute ideas. 

Today I wanted to share a folded origami Easter Basket.  Actually it's very similar to an old hat we used to make as kids but less folding and a little adhesive to make it quicker ;)  I think they are quick enough that you could make multiples in a very short time lending themselves very well to be used as name/place cards for your Easter gathering.

I like to use double sided paper or cardstock for this little project but of course you can use whatever you have on hand. 

Supplies:

1 - 12x12 sheet of double sided pattern paper
Adhesive
Easter Grass/Basket Filler
Ribbon
Stamps (optional)
Scrap Cardstock

Instructions:

1. Fold your paper in half going corner to opposite corner so you end up with a large triangle.

2. Add a dab of adhesive in one of the long pointy corners and fold it over so it is adhered to the opposite side of the triangle as shown.

3. Flip the paper over so you are looking at the back side.

4. Apply a dab of adhesive in the remaining corner and fold it over to meet the opposite side as you did the first.

5. Now pop open the points at the top of your of the folded basket.  Fold one to the front and one to the back sides of your basket.  This is where your double sided paper really shines!

6. To make your basket stand up you're going to grip both of the corners and push it open.  When you do so you want to fold the two bottom points under (similar to a french fry box) as shown...

TIP: To help press the folded bottom well and make my basket level I set it on it's bottom then place a bottle, glass, jar or other round object inside.  You can then adjust the folds as needed.  As you can see from the photo I'm using my squirt bottle for this basket.

7. Now you're ready for decorations.  You can personalize these very quickly with this nifty little stamped banner.  Simply stamp your desired name or sentiment; cut the letters apart and snip the bottom of each letter as desired.

8. If desired, ink the edges of each letter.  Fold the upper portion of each letter over and glue the letters to a bit of ribbon, fiber or twine.  This will form your little banner.

9.  Attach the banner to the front of your basket, fill with decorative Easter Grass or other shredded paper and add other embellishments as desired.   You can keep it simple or get as elaborate as you wish. 

I've got a couple ideas I'm going to share in the next couple days on how to decorate some eggs to fill your little basket so be sure to check back for more fun Easter decorating ideas :)

Vintage Street Market - Dimestore Vogue Kit

Today I wanted to share a few more projects I made using some of the new products offered at Vintage Street Market.  This time I used papers from the Dimestore Vogue kit!!  Oh my, I do love these papers... they are beautiful...very vintage and such fun to use! 

My first card was made using a bit of the gingham print paper, some of the cardstock tags, buttons and sentiments.  I also used the blue foil to make a little pleated boarder that I further embellished with the Soot Tinted Tape!  (those are little dots of Liquid Pearls along the top).  The twist flower is the brown crepe paper that also comes in the kit.

Next is a birthday card I created using various kit elements....background button & pattern print paper was taped down to a piece of the blue foil using the Numbers Tinted Tape; the girl and pennant were both cut from another sheet; the Celebrate sentiment and buttons are from the cardstock die-cut sheet;

I made the rosette from the beautiful blue foil and the ruffled boarder was created using a bit of the brown crepe paper. 

I also used a bit of the Linen Tinted Tape over the stitches...

And finally my Fashion card ...

The distressed looking accent in the corner is actually some of the Aged Tinted Tape with a touch of the Linen Tinted Tape over top.

So now you've had a chance to see both of Vintage Street Market's new paper kits as well as the Tinted Tapes in action. 

What do you think?

Pretty huh?

Well, now's the time to speak up...

Take a stroll over to Vintage Street Market's Store, look around a bit and come back and tell us what your favorite item(s) is(are)... 

It might be one or more of the new Tinted Tapes, maybe it's a vintage theme kit or one of their new paper kits. 

Whatever it is, come back and post a comment telling me your favorite and you'll be entered to win

the Dimestore Vogue Paper kit

and

a spool of the Linen Tinted Tape!!

You have until April 30th to post your comment to be entered to win!!

Good Luck Friends!!

Giant Give-A-Way Coming SOON!!!

A couple weeks ago I told you about something BIG I had planned....

Well, we're getting close to a VERY big Give-A-Way here at Ink Stains!

Not sure if you noticed or not but Ink Stains is getting close to the half a million visitor mark on the SiteMeter Visit Counter (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

I'm so excited...this is a huge milestone (in my mind at least)

and I think that's a great reason to celebrate!!!!

So, as soon as that counter hits the 500,000 mark,

I will post the goodies up for grabs and what you need to do to be entered :)



So, visit often and keep an eye on the counter!

Vintage Postcard Sunday - April 17th

Hi Friends!

I have brought back Vintage Postcard Sundays!!!  I didn't think many people would miss it if I stopped posting them but much to my delight (and several e-mails later) I realized that I wasn't the only one who loves vintage postcards :) 

So here they are...

Just a random selection from my collection!

The Chamberlin Hotel

Fort Monroe, Virginia USA

(Circa 1940's)

???  Not sure what it says ~ it's in a very old world script. 

I can't read the language on the back either but I do know it's from 1927.

Lyon - La Palace du Ponte

(Postmarked - 1909)

Napoli

Riviera di Chiaia

(no date)

Monte Carlo

(1920's)

I hope you enjoy this little bits of history :)

Design Time Saturday - Make your Watercolor Images P*O*P!

Here is a nice little design tip that will really make your watercolor images POP!

Soooo many stamp images these days really lend themselves well to being colored.  While there are tons of coloring mediums out there one of my favorite ways to color is watercolor...  This can be done with watercolor pencils; water crayons/pastels; Distress Inks; etc. 

I love the soft look you achieve by water coloring stamped images but, sometimes they look flat and lifeless....

To help remedy this problem I like to add highlights to my images after I have colored them.  Highlights with watercolor?  YES ~ it is a very simple step that does require a bit of extra time but in the end it's so worth while.  You just add a bit of extra color around the edges to add that extra little something to give your image more dimension and depth.

Below is an image that shows only the highlights ~ I simply added an extra bit of color over the stamped lines to show you what I mean.

and once you see the watercolor image combined with the highlights you will be amazed at how much the highlighted image differs from the original above.

So you see how taking just a few extra minutes to add the highlights to your stamped image will make a world of change.

Just For Fun Friday...Circle Frames

Gosh, this is late today...went with dh to work, shopping @ GFS and had a very tasty Mexican lunch.  

So while I am a bit late with my JFF cards it was a great day :)

I hope you've all had just as nice a day.

Today's cards are made using the new Circle Frames stamp at JFF Stamps.  I did a little measuring and you can fit 4 of the circles on a 5x7" card (the long side).  So you actually end up stamping the circles twice but that's no big deal.  JFF also offers a matching plastic Circle Masking Template that allows you to stamp and ink the circle w/o getting any ink on the rest of your card!

You can of course make a circle template using a paper punch or die-cut machine to create a similar effect.

As far as today's sketch...I used 4 circles along the bottom of the card and added a sentiment above.  You can choose to stamp your background as I did or substitute plain cardstock or pattern papers.

And here are today's cards....

You're Invited Game Night Invitation

I used the game cube stamp and a vareity of inks and Stickles Glitter Glue to embellish the circles.

Oriental Garden Gift Card

I thought it would be fun to make a very springy card adorned with Cherry Blossoms to brighten some one's day!  I used a bit of Smooch ink to highlight the blossoms.  I love that ink!

So there you go a quick and easy card sketch and

2 examples to get you started!

Don't forget...

tomorrow is Design Time Saturday

and

I'm bringing back Vintage Postcard Sunday by popular demand.  I didn't realize people enjoyed it so much.

You asked so it's coming back!

See you then!

Vintage Street Market - Party Games Kit

As promised I am going to share a few projects today that I created using the new Party Games paper kit from Vintage Street Market. 

The paper in this kit contains vintage party images and elements related to parties:

~ The first giant sheet of paper has a collage of game board covers on the front and the back is made up of 6 12x12 squares of monochromatic polka dot patterns.  The square colors are red, blue, yellow, green, orange and pink.   

~ The second sheet of paper has 2 designs (3 of each design) which would work perfectly as 12x12 lay-outs or could be cut apart to use the individual elements.  The elements include alphabet tiles, banners, word boxes, border strips, etc.  The back of the second sheet is a mix of colored polka dots on a white field. 

~ Specialty Papers... Red Paper Foil and Yellow Crepe Paper.

~ Cardstock Die-Cut Shapes (12x12)

You will notice that I also incorporated a bit of the Tinted Tapes here and there...I will point it out where it was used.

"Remember to Play" Card

This first card was so much fun...I knew I wanted to use these cute little cardstock tags on a card together.  They were just too much fun and it is a nice little reminder for everyone to remember to take a little bit of time and play once in a while.  I used the blue monochromatic polka dots for the bottom (though they don't show up due to my flash) and the multi polka dot paper for the top.  I cut a strip of the foil to use as a bit of paper ribbon and the tags and diamonds are from the chipboard sheet of die-cuts.

I inked the edges of the card, tags and diamonds with Stormy Sky Distress Inks & the IBT and used some letter stickers (flat & dimensional) that I've had for years.

"Happy Birthday 2 U" Card

This card was so much fun!  I loved the puppy which is on the collage sheet of paper.  I trimmed the game boards and other elements around the puppy and spinner and paired it again with the blue polka dot pattern paper.  The blue paper was covered with strips of the  Numbers Tinted Tape...of course it would have been very easy if I had done that to start with but I didn't think of it until I already had the darn dog glued down!  Sooo, I ended up cutting the tape very carefully with my Exacto knife to fit around the dog and spinner.

I cut the red foil into strips; pressed & looped it onto a line of adhesive to create the fun ruffled effect along the side.  It didn't look quite finished so I added the bow at the top. 

I then cut around the puppies hand so it could hold the cardstock tag from the kit; covered a chipboard 2 with foil and used more of the Numbers Tinted Tape to cover a chipboard U.  The three little circle accents were also from the sheet of cardstock die-cuts.

finally...

"Fun" Door Hanger

I had so much fun with this project!  The base is a wood door hanger that I bought years ago on clearance at Michaels for something like $ 0.15 (gotta love a bargain!!).  I painted the edges and back with black acrylic paint.  Then I covered the front of the hanger with the game boards and other goodies I had cut from the collage mix that I got the puppy/spinner image from in the last card.  

  

I created a mini collage on a base I cut from the red foil with a Spellbinders label die-cut (no clue what number). The foil label was then embossed using a Sizzix embossing folder and mounted on black cardstock.  I used various elements from both the collage printed paper and the cardstock die-cuts sheet to create the mini collage.  

Finally I created the bow.  I cut the yellow crepe paper into strips; adhered the Soot Tinted Tape down the center of each strip of crepe paper then made several loops which I stacked and added the extra tails.

So there you go...

your first look at the Party Games paper kit and a bit of Tinted Tape from Vintage Street Market!

What do you think?

Pretty fun stuff huh?

Well you know how much I love to share things, today is no different!

I'm going to share a roll of the

Numbers Tinted Tape

AND

the "Fun" Door Hanger

with one lucky reader. 

To enter the drawing all you have to do is tell me what your favorite game(s) was when you were a kid!

This should be interesting since some games span the ages (monopoly, scrabble, life, etc) and other games are associated with various decades (the dating game, pong, pac-man, etc.). 

I can't wait to read all about YOUR favorite game(s).

You have until 4-21-11 to post your comment.

My favorite game?

Well, when I was little I loved to play Checkers and Connect 4 ~ both of which are still around.

When I got older it was Monopoly (hmmm, maybe that's why I like gameboard stuff so much!)

And in the 80's when we got our first Atari it was Pac-Man and Pit Fall...

Yes, I know ~ I'm dating myself terribly with those confessions - LOL!!

Vintage Street Market

Back in December of last year I was surfing the net for vintage ephemera just to see what I could find and might be able to buy ;)  Well as I was "window shopping" I stumbled upon a web-site called Vintage Street Market! 

Vintage Street Market is a nifty little web-site selling all sorts of vintage goodies.  Some items are sold separately while others are bundled into themed kits (such as St. Patrick's Day; Vintage Cowboy A or Cowboy B; Vintage Halloween; etc.).  Now I have to tell you ~ I was thrilled!!  All of this great ephemera in one spot at one place...heaven!

Well, I was looking around their site and decided to check out their blog.  They were talking about some products they had in the works that would be coming out at Winter CHA...   First thougths...Ugh...more stuff to put on my list.  LOL!!  I'm sure we've all felt that way as soon as all the companies start spilling their little secrets with us.   I decided that since the products currently available on their web-site was pretty awesome I'd better subscribe to their blog to see what was to come.

I have to tell you, when I saw their new paper kits and tape I was even more happy than when I initially found their site!  At this moment they have two paper kits.... Party Games and Dimestore Vogue.  AND Tinted Tape....(a.k.a. - Cellophane Tape!!!!!) which comes in 4 different designs ~ Aged; Linen; Numbers; and Soot.  After I saw these goodies I knew they had to be moved to the top of my must have list.  The bad part...they wouldn't be in until late March .... 3 months later!!!!  Ack!! 

In the meantime I contacted Michelle (one of the owners) about the possibility of being featured here on Ink Stains when their products were available.   She graciously agreed and answered a few questions for me to help you get to know them and Vintage Street Market a bit better.

The wait is finally over and I can share these amazing products, people and way cool site with you all!

Vintage Street Market...

Vintage Street Market was created by two friends Michelle Jackson and Allison Rittner and is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado.  Born from a love of all things vintage, Vintage Street Market offers up a bounty of vintage and new products to help you re-create the feel of times long since past.  I have to say that I am thrilled to be able to share this new (to me) company with you all and hope you enjoy it as much as I have...  Ink Stained Roni

On to the questions....

 

Q - How long have you been scrapbooking / stamping / crafting?

A - For as long as we can remember! We both have always been interested in crafts, but especially love the textures of paper-crafting. It’s wonderful how the scrapbooking industry is starting to introduce other crafting techniques such as beading and sewing.


Q - How did your company get started designing their own line of products?

A - We enjoy retro vintage imagery, and wanted to introduce our own interpretation of it. Hence, the oversized paper sizes, and the multi textures. And, we've included coordinating die cut tags in each package. We like how our large papers will appeal to paper crafters, altered artists and decoupage artists. And, can make unique gift wrap!

Our new Tinted Tape is pure practical fun. Each tape dispenser contains over 70 feet of decorative tape. Like the paper, the tape is also very versatile and will have many applications.

Q - Where does your inspiration come from for your designs?

A - We love retro vintage, and are most inspired by the colors, graphics and styles from products of the 1940s and 1950s.

Q - What lines are your favorites?

A - As we have just released our new product lines, we love it all! The tape is so versatile, and we love the variety of the colors and textures in both of our paper collections-Dimestore Vogue and Party Games. Not to mention too, the size of the new papers!

Q - How often do you come out with new lines?

A - As we are just branching out into our own product lines, that remains to be seen, but we enjoy creating new products, and have many great ideas!

Q - Anything special you’d like to share about your company?

A - Wow, I love this question, as our company is based on so much more than just product. We, of course, love the authentic vintage that we carry in our online store, and are excited about our new products, but beyond that, our intention is for these products to inspire memories and create a nostalgic community. We enjoy the shared memories we've been seeing on the blog and on Facebook, and get a kick every time we hear "oh, I remember that!"

Q - Are you an Angel Company?

A - Absolutely-we love to support creativity! Information regarding the program, can be found under our FAQs on the website-www.vintagestreetmarket.com

Q - Do you sell direct from your website and if so what forms of payments do you take?

A - We do have an online store where we sell our own branded product, as well as our authentic vintage in addition to a few other things we just love. Our new products can also be found in local scrapbook stores.

Q - Do you ship internationally?

A -  YES, we do now ship internationally. 

Thank you Michelle for taking the time to introduce my Ink Stained friends to Vintage Street Market.

Now, I wanted to talk a bit about the paper kits today...  Both kits consist of 4 "sheets" of paper and a 12x12" sheet of cardstock "goodies".  I say "sheets" because these aren't your ordinary sized 12 x 12 pieces of paper.  Each piece of paper is actually 24" x 36" which is like getting 6 scrapbook sized sheets of paper in one!   The kits each have two double sided sheets of printed paper which is glossy and reminds me of pages of a magazine, a sheet of single sided foil paper and a sheet of crepe paper.   The sheet of cardstock extras contain tags or other punch-outs that pertain to each kit.   The reasoning behind the large sheets is that they can be used for all sorts of paper craft arenas ~ from scrapbooking; rubber stamping/card making; gift wrapping and party favors; collage and altered arts! 

Both kits come packaged in a nifty kraft colored paper envelope...(Dimestore Vogue shown) I honestly can't decide if I want to leave the envelope intact because it's really cool looking or if I want to cut it apart and use various parts and pieces of it in my projects. 

Here is the assortment of paper in the kit...

and the sheet of cardstock punch out shapes....

and finally...

here are a couple sneak peeks at 2 of the projects I have to share with you that I created from these fun kits...

Created using Dimestore Vogue ~

Created using Party Games ~

I will be sharing the completed projects, directions and other "goodies" in the coming days. 

I hope you stop back in and check out all of the projects I made...

I promise you won't be disappointed.

You never know when a give-a-way might pop up!  ;)