Friday, August 24, 2012

Magic Stamp

I know the last posting said next up would be Spellbinders, but I am going to talk about a new to me tool that I wanted to let you know about.  I recently tried the Magic Stamp from Clearsnap and was pleasantly surprised to find out it truly is a "magic stamp".





The retailer description is:  
CLEARSNAP-Magic Stamp Moldable Foam Stamps. Mold and remold this foam pieces into an endless variety of textures and objects. Just Heat; Mold; Cut; and Stamp! Your molded image will remain until you reheat your shape. Great for stamping or stenciling on paper; fabric; and wood. This package contains eight 4x3x1 inch foam blocks. Made in USA.

I had the Magic Stamp in the house for less than a week when I decided I just had to try it,  My 2 sons and I decided to incorporate it into our craft time.  I grabbed my heat gun, magic stamp, a couple of different colors of ink to prepare for our activity.  I then told my sons to randomly choose a couple of items for us to try the Magic stamp on. 

We started with a seashell.  I heated the foam stamp by slowly moving the heat gun over the foam for about 30 seconds.  I then set a seashell on the table and pressed the heated side of the foam into the shell and held it firmly in place for 15-20 seconds.  The seashell impression was well detailed and when we added ink to the foam we discovered we had in fact created a beautiful stamp.  

We also used various other objects including  coins, which we discovered that when you overlap coins and put their impression in the foam they actually looked like bubbles.  With the coins we played around and I was a little disappointed to see the impression on the coins was only minimally visible.

My youngest son decided to go outside and get a leaf so we could try it,  The leaf was beautiful especially when I used both red and brown ink on the stamp.  We played around with the leaf, and saw the depth and clarity of the impression was dependant on the amount of pressure used.  The deeper the impression the longer it takes to reheat the foam to have it return to its original form.

We also tried a rock, a toy figurine, and a plastic baby fork.  The plastic baby fork worked really well but the figurine left a weak unimpressive impression.  I have read that if you make an impression of another stamp (eg a wood mounted stamp) the impression of the stamp will be different then the original impression the stamp would normally make,  I did not test this yet but plan to the next time I play with the magic stamp...tomorrow maybe,

Clearsnap was smart to not just create a block form of the foam stamp but also offers packages of sheet stock so that you can cut the size you need.  Being able to cut to size gives you endless possibilities for your stamp creations.  I must say I do love this product.  I know the Magic Stamp is not new, it has actually been on the market for a few months, but I just recently learned about it and wanted to try it,  So my opinion is that this is a really fun tool that enables your creativity to flow.  My kids loved finding different things to make impressions with and of course like all kids getting dirty is always fun.  I did not let them touch the heat gun but the rest they can do.

I have one warning for everyone...it says on the packaging to keep the heat gun moving as you can melt the foam and oh boy, they are 100% correct.  I was distracted by something happening around me and held the gun still for less than 3 seconds and sure enough the foam melted a bit.  So if you are heating the block be careful to keep the heat moving across the foam and do not accidentally get too close to the foam.

You can utilize both sides of the block  making 2 distinct stamps.  If you like the stamp you create you can leave the impression in the foam to use again.  However if you want to erase your stamp to make another you simply reheat the foam gently gliding the heat gun over the impression until it is completely removed.  Just remember to keep the heat 

The magic stamp is now available at Loonie4scrapbooking for $7.79 + tax for the 8 pack of blocks.  We also carry the foam sheets which enable you to cut the size of foam you need.  The packs of sheet stock contain three 8x10 inch foam sheets in varying thicknesses ranging from 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch.  A third form of the magic stamp is the Geometric shapes pack. This package contains ten foam blocks in assorted shapes; sizes; and colors.  The sheets and geometric shapes packs each cost $6.79 + tax.



The above video will show you the basics,  Use your imagination and have fun!  

Loonscrapper

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Distinguishing between the Spellbinder "ABILITIES"


Spellbinders dies-  distinguishing between the –ABILITIES

If you are new to Spellbinder dies you may wonder what the difference is from one category of die to another.  I figured that if I didn’t know the difference there is a good likelihood others out there don’t know either,  I hope some find it helpful.

Nestabilities have been around since 2007.  They are various die cut shapes at 1/4th and 1/8th inch increments that create beautiful scrapbooking pages. Like many die cut templates they are metal wafer thin dies that allow you to cut, emboss, and stencil all in one. One of the major differences is that with nesting dies you have about 6 or 7 that come in a package that are great for stacking to create a 3-D nesting effect at an affordable price. They are universal and work in most die cutting machines..

Grand Nestabilities die templates are a super sized version of our flagship Spellbinders Nestabilities dies. Incrementing up from our regular sized sets, mix and match with each other or coordinate with original sized Nestabilities dies. 

Shapeabilities dies offer the most cutting and embossing detail in dies available in the market today.   They offer every look from ”sophisticated to whimsical.

Enhanceabilities offer the versatility to add your own creative flair to everything you create! 
Enjoy our latest offering with the Pop-Up die designs, bringing dimension & detail with delicate butterfly wings & playful hearts, perfect for cards, layouts, invitations and more!

From decorative corners to accent pieces each unique die template has been specifically designed to pop up and add dimension to any project. 


Edgeabilities:  Mix and match the cutting Edge with a cutting and embossing Decorative Insert to create custom, beautifully detailed edges for cards, scrapbook pages and mixed media projects. Designed with one inch repeating patterns, mix and match between sets to create more than 72 combinations with the introduction of the first six sets.

Borderabilities are designed to create decorative edges and strips for cards or scrapbook pages, Spellbinders Borderabilities® dies are available in a two sizes and a variety of designs. Grand Borderabilities are 12” and ideal for scrapbooking layouts. The versatile Borderabilities Petite are 5½” long and sold in coordinating sets of borders and decorative strips.

Frameabilities die templates are the easy way to cut and emboss perfect, delightfully detailed frames. Each Spellbinders Frameabilities set includes two nested frames and coordinating accent pieces. They are great for frames, windows and more on cards, scrapbook pages 

M-Bossabilities Folders - Two Designs. Twice the Value.
Double your creativity with the new Spellbinders M-Bossabilities folders. Unique reversible embossing folders give you twice the value and more design options for detailed embossing and letterpress creations. 20 embossing folders flip around to create two different looks! Spellbinders M-Bossabilities folders come in 2 sizes for all your paper crafting needs. Each folder has two designs - one on each side -  for more versatility and value.

Impressabilities are flexible metal templates for embossing your craft project. Use them to emboss the pattern, apply ink to letterpress, stencil through the pattern, or cut apart to embellish with pieces of the pattern. Add the details that make your project special with Spellbinders Impressabilities templates.

With Spellbinders Grand Impressabilities, emboss with Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities dies to create texture on a grand scale.  Add embossed detail to your work.

Cardmakers and scrapbookers alike love Spellbinders “abilities” for the versatility (mix and match) and value or these dies.   I also like that they work on all the leading manual die cutting machines.  I use Spellbinders on my Cuttlebug.  There are a large variety available and we can’t carry them all but if there is one you know you want let us know and we will do our best to get it for you and as always we promise to offer you the lowest price. 

....next up...........
the new Spellbinder Majestic Elements