Buy One Stamp, Get One 1/2 Off

It's a new month, which means it's time for a new coupon here at Creations Galore. This month, purchase one stamp and take 50% off a second stamp of equal or lesser value. Valid on all rubber, wood mounted, cling, and clear stamps and sets. Take 50% off your fourth, sixth, and eighth stamp too! 

Click here to download the coupon. Print it or show it at checkout via your phone or tablet. Don't miss the newest arrivals for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. For additional ways to save at Creations Galore, click here.

Creating Gorgeous Backgrounds With ColorBox Blends

Paper Crafters, we're excited to share a great product new to our store. ColorBox Blends from Eileen Hull is crafter's ink in an easy to use, innovative applicator. They hold 10 times more ink as a stamp pad, and stamps onto fabric, canvas, wood, and more. 

There are so many uses for this ink and the applicator keeps your hands clean. Blend colors, distress edges, highlight embossing, and use as an everyday stamp ink. 

We created the above card with the blends. To achieve the same look, uncap the applicator, tap the sponge onto the surface, and use a circular motion to distribute the ink evenly. We love how well the colors blend with each other. The pigments create a third color when you blend and overlap them. We used this design on white cardstock for the butterfly and card background but can't wait to try it on canvas and other projects! 

In addition to backgrounds, we tapped the blue applicator onto the sentiment and stamped with it. We recommend using the heat tool to set the ink. The large background was dry embossed after completion. To enhance the raised design, lightly glide the applicator over the embossed areas. The butterfly was stamped and cut from a matching stamp and die set from Stampendous. 

Hurry into Creations Galore to try these fun inks for yourself and pick up the supplies to create your own handmade greeting. 

Quick Tip: Glossy Accents

Bring your images to life with the help of Glossy Accents. This miracle product is always close by while we're working. It can be used as an adhesive when needed, but it's designated purpose is what we're showing off today. 

Glossy Accents is a clear, three dimensional medium. It adds dimension to distinct areas on any scrapbook page, album cover, rubber stamped image, or home decor project. Simply squeeze the bottle onto your desired area and allow to dry. Use the small nib or your finger to move around the product if desired. The result is a glossy, hard surface, almost like an epoxy sticker! 

Today we've added it to the flames of this Stamps By Judith image to add shine and a hint of dimension. Add the product to a dog's nose, holly berries on a Christmas wreath, a glass jar, and more! The possibilities are endless. 

At Creations Galore, we're always striving to bring you great products and techniques to make paper crafting fun and easy. Stop in soon for more samples created with Glossy Accents and pick up a container for yourself.

We Love Valentine's Day: DIY Cupcake Toppers

Good morning, Paper Crafters! Creations Galore has welcomed new Valentine's themed stamps, stickers, and paper collections, and it has us excited about Cupid's special day! We're positive that these cupcake toppers will get you excited too! 

Gather your favorite valentine themed inks and stamps, strips of cardstock, and toothpicks! After stamping your design or sentiment onto the paper strips, wrap them around the toothpick. You can use double sided tape, a tape runner, or liquid glue to hold them in place. Leave as is or cut a triangle out of one end to create a pendant. Not a fan of stamping? No problem! Use border stickers or patterned paper strips to achieve the same look.

Product Spotlight: KaiserCraft Clear Stamps

Good morning! Today we're showing off gorgeous sentiment stamps from KaiserCraft. These large, bold stamps are the perfect addition to your scrapbook layouts and handmade cards! Here are a few cards Nicole recently created with the stamps: 

Gorgeous, right? Now let's take a look at the stamp sets from KaiserCraft. All of the sets are $4.99 and available in store at Creations Galore or in our online store. To purchase from our online store, simply click the link below each picture. As always, shipping is FREE with orders of $50 or more! 

True Friendship (Set of 4)

Life (Set of 1)

Confidence (Set of 3)

Smile (Set of 2)

Product Spotlight: Specialty Stamping Paper

Hello! Thanks for joining us today. We're showing off one of our favorite products, Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper, now available in our online store. 

The Specialty Stamping Paper is a unique matte coated paper perfect for creative stamping and coloring—use ink, paint, emboss and embellish! The smooth stamping surface is excellent for:

• Tim Holtz Distressing techniques
• Creating colorful backgrounds
• Embossing with pigment inks
• Direct-to-surface ink techniques
• Creating cards and scrapbook pages
• Mixed media and journaling projects

We discovered this great video using Specialty Stamping Paper and Distress Stains to create a woodgrain background. In the video, she points out that the paper is like high definition for stamping, giving crisp and clear results to your images. Watch it now: 

Torn Paper Garden Demo with Stamps by Judith

A new shipment of Judith Stamps has arrived to Creations Galore. We love Judith images, especially the interactive stamps. Watch the video below to learn more about how the stamps work together as Judith demonstrates a torn paper garden. 

Stop into Creations Galore at 3164 Coronet Way in Green Bay, Wisconsin soon to take a look at our selection of Judith stamps, along with 10,000 square feet of other paper crafting products!

Halloween Ideas using the Tree For All Seasons from Stamps By Judith

Are you a fan of Judith's Tree For All Seasons stamp? With Halloween just a few months away, we bring you a few ideas for adding horror to your tree! 

Flip the Tulip Stick stamp upside down to create a ghost. Just add eyes and a little trail...

Mix the cauldron with the sentiment 'What's Brewing' for a fun treat...

What combination of Judith Sticks and Stubbies would you use to spread Halloween cheer? 

A Behind The Scenes Look

Here's a peek at the preparations for yesterday's Interactive Stamping Class. We had five wonderful ladies stamping, coloring, and creating. To learn more about this class, visit us here.

Nicole brushing up on her stamping and
coloring with water based markers before class. 

A technique that will be shown in class. 

Making sure the class handouts are full of the most up to date information.
Every Creations Galore class comes with extra resources, notes, and tips. 

Student packets. Attendees of the Interactive Stamping Class received notes, a packet of
Stamps By Judith paper, and a coupon for 15% off all items discussed in class!

We hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at how Nicole, our Creative Genius, prepares for one of her classes. Join us in learning a new technique by attending one of the many classes offered at Creations Galore. You can take a look at our current class calendar here.

Stamping With Markers

Do you remember seeing this card available as a Make N Take this week? It's made with A Muse and Bazzill papers, Unity stamps, and Marvy markers... wait. Markers? 

That's right! Stamping with markers rather than an ink pad allows you to achieve multiple colors without too much fuss. Today I'm sharing a quick tutorial on how it's done!

You'll first need a surface to stamp on. You could create squares, circles, or any other shape. I chose Spellbinders Labels One Dies. 

Gather together your stamp and markers. Marvy markers are my go-to product for this technique, but I recommend trying it with whatever you have on hand. 

This step is simple... Color your stamp! This is a great technique for floral stamps... Color your petals with one color and the stem with another. For this example, the outer edge of the apple was colored green, the heart red, and the center and stem brown. 

Behold, a nice, multicolor image!  

To create color consistency, I inked up the sentiment with the same brown marker rather than using an ink pad in a different brown. 

Gather the final components of your card, adhere together, and ta-da! You've got a card to send off to a special someone. 

There's still a few days left for you to make this exact card at Creations Galore in Green Bay. For more details on our weekly Make N Takes, visit this link. 

Interactive Stamping Tutorial

I've received many questions in regards to last week's Make N Take and how to create the image. Therefore... IT'S TUTORIAL TIME! You too can create a similar image using the interactive stamps from Stamps By Judith. 

Score your 8.5" x 5.5" cardstock at 4.25". I used A Muse Cardstock -- colored on one side, white on the other -- perfect for handmade cards. No need for text inserts!

Adhere the patterned paper (4" x 5.25") to the front of the card. My favorite adhesive is the MyStik Permanent Adhesive. Refillable, adjustable comfort grip, and super duper PERMANENT! 

I colored the image using Copic markers; therefore picked appropriate ink and paper. For today's card, I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Paper Cut White. Stamp the image first on a white piece of cardstock (3.25" x 4.25") and a second time on scrap paper. 

Cut out the image stamped on scrap paper to use as a mask.

Use the Judith Grass stamp multiple times while using the mask and a few times without to create layers of grass. 

Replace mask and stamp the Judith Sm. Hollyhock twice. 

Stamp the Judith Stick Weed on each side of the flowers. 

Finish by stamping the Judith Tall Daisy several times. 

Start by coloring the basket. For new Copic users: Look for the gray band on one side of the markers. It identifies which side has the brush nib and eliminates the annoyance of opening the cap, discovering the chisel, recapping, and opening the other end :)

I start by adding the darkest color (E37) in the areas where the light will hit last. As well as next to the vertical lines of the basket. 

Add the medium color (E35) next, blending it with the darker color.

Finish with the lightest color (E33).

Repeat to color in the handle and top of basket. Add E37 right under the top of basket to create shadows, as well as touch up the vertical lines of the basket if they were lightened during blending.

I've mentioned several times on our little blog that the COLORLESS BLENDER DOES NOT BLEND! :) But it creates some great special effects and highlights. For this card, I made several lines with the Colorless Blender along the vertical lines, to the top of the basket and to the top of the handle to create highlights. 

It's now time to color in the rest of the image. As you can see, I like to mix and match my Copic marker styles. I store all my markers together horizontally in a small cabinet with six pull out drawers (divided by color family). Because of that, I prefer the Ciao markers, which have a much more visible number on the body of the marker. Which marker style do you fancy?

I didn't do too much blending for the flowers. To color the daisy, I added a circle of Y08 to the center and colored in the rest with the Y02. 

I used the same technique with the hollyhock. I added a dot of the V17 and then colored in the rest with the V12. I blended any noticeable dark dots with the V15.

Next I used the G21 to trace over all of the stems.

I used the standard fine nib on the Original Copic marker in G29 and G24 to color the blades of grass. The fine nib is nice for writing or adding straight lines. However, you can use any Copic marker style.

I finished blending the two grass colors with the G21 and added more of the G29 to the grass at the bottom and right side of basket for shading.

Now that your image is stamped and colored, used Distress Ink in Dusty Concord and the foam applicator tool to color the edges of your white cardstock.

To do this, first add a piece of foam to the velcro on the applicator tool (this tool can also hold felt for alcohol inks). Lightly tap the tool to your distress ink pad.

Starting off the paper, work in small circles toward the center of the cardstock. Add as much or as little of the ink to create the border you prefer. 

For this card, I wanted a significant purple border. Therefore, I dragged the edges of the cardstock along the ink pad to get some added definition. 

Adhere image to the front of your card. Next I added a sentiment from Just Rite's Fancy Tags Cling Set.

Add your sentiment using foam risers, write a greeting on the inside, and ship it off to a dear friend.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it has inspired you to start stamping! 

For more information on Copic markers and how to blend, check out our upcoming Copic 101 class on Saturday, July 23rd.