The iKross for my Workbox3.0

I just got an iKross and installed it in my Workbox3.0.  I absolutely love it.  It frees up my workspace and holds my iPad at eye level.  I think it's perfect!

It folds up almost flat against the workbox.  I centered it right under the middle drawer.

 This is the slot that the stand goes in.  It came with 2 holders and I bought 2 extra as I plan to mount one next to my bed, one under a kitchen cabinet.....maybe even on beside the bath tub!  LOL!

You can take the stand out of the holder and use it on your table, or desk, or anywhere.

And it will pull out quit aways from the workbox shelves just in case you want to watch a video up close.  I think I can also use this to create youtube videos.....if I ever get enough time.

It's going to be perfect for watching how-to videos or Hallmark movies on youtube while I get crafty.

Here's a link to the one I bought on Amazon....but there are other versions as well.  Just google i-pad 12" wall holder.

I also cut a Joann's self-healing cutting pad to the size of my workspace just for added protection.

To the left, you will see that I've attached a Tonic Studio's Table Tidy with the 2-pocket Tidy and the Tiny Tidy.   Just some more table height storage.....must keep my workspace clear!

Very happy with today's addition to my Workbox3.0.

To see my scrapmabob makeover click here.

To see my new workbox3.0 chair with heating pad pocket and storage saddle, click here.

To see my review of the workbox3.0, click here.

To see my upcycled denim scrapbook caddy, click here.

To see my paint bucket, click here.  These last 2 items are on the floor and hold tools for everything I need.  Altered to go with my denim themed accessories for my workbox.

Hope you've had a crafty day!

Outside the box.....again!

I just have to giggle sometimes! Here's a mountain watercolor scene and if you can look at just the background, it's not so hot. I can see why mom was going to toss it out. But....add a few rubber stamps...trees, grass, flowers....and kids playing in the hills...and it's just not too bad!



I don't know many watercolor painters who would give up their paintings to allow someone like me to stamp on them! And I'm not so sure there are many stampers who would stamp on someone's watercolor painting! But you have to understand....these were going into the trash! LOL! And I really am sort of a recycle queen when it comes to art stuff!

And I couldn't resist the little playground scene on this one. Most of these stamps are from A Stamp of Excellence in Canon City and we took these over and gave them to the owner (Hi! Judi!!!) But I have to say - what a great idea....stamping on trash!



Wonder what you can find in your trash to stamp on!!!

Oh, when I said "outside the box" I meant "in the trash!" LOL!!!

More freedom with your unmounted stamps!

Well, when I saw this at the store, I had to grab it! It's a Memory Essentials Rollergraph by Clearsnap. You can take any unmounted (thin) rubber stamp and put it on the adhesive roller and make a border. Oh! Wow!!!



But then I saw that it also has an inker. Now how ingenious is that system? But it was a bit complicated for me to figure out how to install it..so I decided to do a picture tutorial on this. When you take the ink pad out of the package it looks like this



There's a "hole" in the back"



and that "hole" has to go around this "prong".



There are tracks that it slides in on.



You simply click it back into position



And the cover for the ink pad cancome on and off.





Take the cover off and push the ink pad forward so that it rests on the stamps.



The handle on the original roller comes off and the roller stnaps down into the ink pad holder



Like this





And then you just start to roll over your paper:




These are MSE stamps that I put together to make a border. I have to say that these flourishes went on the roller just perfect!



And these are from Crafty Lady:



The possibilities are just unlimited! New borders! Wow! Now, you cannot use this with stamps that you ahve applied to EZ Mount as it is too thick to go around the roller. But your clear acrylic stamps...it works great!

And from Linda at Clearsnap:

you can rinse off the adhesive strips and the water will somehow rejuvenate the tackiness of the tape, so you can use it a bunch before you need to peel the first layer of tape to expose the fresh one underneath. There are 5 layers of tape on each wheel.

They also suggested purchasing multiple wheels and just leaving your stamps on the wheel. Yet another great idea from Clearsnap!!!

Altering your rubber stamps!

Oh! GASP! CUT UP my rubber stamps???? Well, maybe after you pick me up off the floor! I USED to be such a purist. My stamps had to be perfectly clean, in order, sitting on the shelves. Row after row after row. Even the wood was clean!

First there were a hundred stamps, then two hundred.....then a thousand...then two thousand....no, I'm not a stamper at all! But I can't resist a cute little stamp! And they literally took over my work space. So I unmounted all of them!

Once you unmount your stamps (it took 2 full weeks....and I saved 75% of my space) you get some kind of freedom. I can't really explain it....but it is a new kind of freedom - to PLAY!!!

Example 1. I might use this stamp a handful of times as it is. A nice western collage.



But I decided to cut the stamped image apart and use the individual elements from it. Now, I know, I can mask and stamp, but that seems a bit of work on a lazy day!



Dare I cut the actual stamp apart, I thought???



What freedom! Of course I did it! And now....do I count this as ONE stamp or as 4? LOL! I think I will get a whole lot more use out of it this way!



Example 2. I truly like this stamp. But I don't like it as a border. I wanted the sky to be open so it would "flow" upwards....not limit me to the size of this stamp.



So I whacked the top off!!! But look what happened! I absolutely LOVE this stamp now!!!



Ya gotta be BRAVE to do this!!!

Example 3. Do you ever have so much open space in a stamp that you get that "smudge" from the ink? Oh I do this all the time! And it can ruin a card in half a second!



So, yes, I cut the inside out!



Don't worry, I left the inside perfect, so I can put it back and have the original image. But I can also stamp anything else in the center of the rope now!



All of the above stamps are from Talkabout Images. So reasonable I can buy 2 of each!

And next....the reverse. Why not take little stamps and create a collage out of them? One of my readers has been so generous and has sent me supplies for the local home school moms. This last batch had a lot of tiny little stamps in it, some dated back to 1996.


Because I unmounted them, I could then collage them back together to give an interesting new look to something over 12 years old!



And yes, different brands as evidenced by different types of rubber:



Put together on Sunday International's thin mount:



The stamp will go to the kids as a collage. But they can still cut it apart if they don't like what I did!

I know so many stampers who get bored with what they have. I say "UNMOUNT IT ALL! Cut it up! Make new collages! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!"

And YES! I have unmounted ALL of my Stampin' Up sets! Even the ones on wheels! LOLOL!!!

After all, I've got to downsize this year...I've got to save on space! I've got to plan for hubby's retirement and a one level, 2 bedroom condo!

I'm just not sure I'm going to succeed!!! I do love stamps!!!

PS. If you are going to do this, use KIA or Tim Holtz scissors, and cut as close as you can to the image you want to preserve. I use EZMount to back them with and I'm still looking for my favorite acrylic block....but I do like several different brands.

Talk about images

OK, that's the name of a brand new stamp company that I worked for this weekend! And for those of you who attended the show today, here's the tutorial I promised.

Start with an acrylic tag. Well, of course, you can use any shape and as I showed today, you can use clear transparencies as well.



Any 3 colors of alcohol ink. I used Ranger, but Pinata inks will work as well.



Using felt on a wood block, apply ink to the "count of 2".



It will absorb into the felt and look a bit like this.



Dab it onto the acrylic until the acrylic is covered.



If you don't like what you get, clean it off with blending solution and start over. I like what we got for this one. This is called polished stones and I first learned this technique from Michelle Bodensteiner in the summer of 2004. Thanks Michelle!!!



Next, take a stamp. I'm using stamps from Talk About Images. If you want to purchase any of these stamps, feel free to email them. talkaboutimages@yahoo.com



Ink it up with permanent black ink. I like either Jet Black Archival ink, or black Stazon ink.



Ink right into the alcohol ink, same side.



Let dry just a little bit. You don't want wet ink for the next step, but if you wait too long, it won't work.



Using Viva paper towels (remember....Mom said "always use Viva!"), start wiping off the black ink.



It will wipe off all the black ink AND wipe off all of the alcohol ink where the image was stamped.



And the end result is a cool see-thru look!



Many of us learned this technique by mistake! We stamped something we didn't like, tried to rub it off....or accidentally rubbed off an image that we liked! Ranger University teaches this as "alcohol ink resist". Is it "resist" or is it "rub-off"? Either way, it's a truly fun technique! Just something else to do with your rubber stamps!

And then I added a snowflake flower to the top! Just too cute!



Stay tuned! Today is the technique. Tomorrow I will post pictures of all the different stamps I used to do this technique with at the show today. And then on Tuesday, I'll blog more about the flowers and how to make them. Just so many fun things to write about, but I worked a really long day today and right now....I think it's time for the heating pad! LOL!