Banana Frog Blog

Work Out Wednesday :: Madfont

After a little break, Work Out Wednesday is back and we're moving right along through the Banana Frog stamp collection.  This week we're working out BIG, with Madfont -- one of the large sets of BF stamps!  It's the typeface from Mad magazine...which I am ashamed to admit I once thought was the epitome of cool.

Our workout always starts with a quick gift-tag as a warm up!  I'm loving polka dots this summer, so I've paired the big monogram M with the polka dots from backgrounds and the dotty circle frame from Circus Stories, and some summery yellow ink.

Since we're on the topic of sunshines, this punch is an oldie but a goodie!  I love the sunshine design.  Plus I like to have a few cards like this ready to go at all times -- just fill in what the 'happy' is for inside -- happy birthday, happy graduation, happy anniversary or just happy happy!  That little doodled line?  It's the vine from backgrounds -- just remove the ink from the leaves to stamp the doodle on its own.

And then it's time to hit the layout -- and this font is big enough to make a stand-out title.  Stamp on boxes and layer with two shades of ink to create a few words with bold impact.

Let us see what you've stamped with Madfont - one of the new releases in 2008.  I'll see you here next week with another set on show!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Pattern Blocks

A little delayed, but we are definitely working out this week!  (Note to self: cleaning the house should not mean putting the camera lead 'away' in a place you will not remember until 4am.)

This time we are working with Pattern Blocks, a set I once looked at in confusion but have since come to love for its sixties appeal and its easy pattern construction.  The set includes six different patterns that can be duplicated to create borders and backgrounds in a flash.

Tags up first as we get warmed up, and these will be done in seconds.  The pattern blocks fit right along the bottom of the tag, leaving the top for writing a to & from or another short message.  And for anyone out there who bought a sewing machine for their papercrafting -- is it gathering dust?  If so, let's give that machine a workout too!  Choose straight, zig-zag or fancy stitches to go across the tag at the top of the pattern.

Moving on to a retro card as we get in the groove!  These two pattern blocks look great together, one solid and one framed.  Just stamp one corner then look through the clear block to line up each block from there -- clear stamps mean no fancy gadgets, spirit levels or corner squares.  Just look to line it up.  Add some zig zags or cross-stitches to keep it in place and create a frame, then pin your message over the top.  Embellish in the empty space if it suits the recipient of the card!

And we need a layout before we call our workout complete!  I love this block -- so very Mary Quant.  These two girls have a very sixties vibe about them and I'm sure they would wear Mary Quant dresses if they ever have the chance -- they're on the right track with alice bands and beads.  Anyway!  Stamp the Mary Quant block over and over until you've finished a twelve inch border, then add it to your page and stitch it into place.  See if you have anything in your stash that fits in the circles of the pattern -- these little epoxies were just the right size.

If you've got Pattern Blocks at home, get stamping with them this week and let us see what you make!  (And if you don't have it at home, you can get it here!)

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

 

Work Out Wednesday :: Take Note

Well, I guess it's a late night workout for us this week, but it is still Wednesday for a good couple hours!  This week we're working out with a new set -- Take Note.  It has lovely lines for journalling and distressed frills at the edges.

A tag to get us started -- how about something to tie on to a Father's Day present this weekend?  Use the smaller set of lines and couple it with chipboard letters and brown ink for a finished tag in just a minute.  You'll be off and running...

to a card for the next bit of stamping fitness!  Assemble scraps of patterned papers on a card blank and add coordinating ribbon.  Use the same stamp from the tag but ink only the outsides -- clean the lines with a baby wipe.  Add a sticker monogram to the centre for a card with a personal touch.

The large journaling stamp in this set can be made even larger.  Stamp it once, then reink, turn the stamp and look through the clear block and the clear stamp to line it up.  You'll end up with a wide journaling box with frills on both ends.

Fill with lots of writing or just space out what you have to say.  Finish your workout with a simple layout using that journalling box and adding frills to the corners of your cardstock...and your stamps will go from neglect to spoilt rotten in under an hour!

Get Take Note here!

See you next week!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Cuomotype

I think I may be neglecting all the lovely Banana Frog letters with our workouts!  So this week I dug into my beloved letter stamps and realised I have always neglected poor Cuomotype.  Look -- all shiny and new.  And no reason!  It's a brilliant font and so easy to use.  Here we go!

Tags up first...and these are a perfect fit for the three sizes of metal-edged tags in my stash.  A lowercase letter fits right in the middle of a mini tag, an uppercase letter or two fits nicely on the standard size tag and a whole word will fit on the large tag.  Hurrah! 

So...we put them to work!

I am loving the Jenni Bowlin journaling die-cuts for scrapping but they also fit perfectly on cards.  If you want to start including your handwriting but worry it won't look finished enough, try stamping the words then writing over the top, with the letters in the gaps.  Definitely a design that has your custom style when you use your own pen, and the blocky nature of this font makes it easy.

And how about something nice and simple to finish our workout -- a 12x12 page that comes together in no time, just from the scraps on your desk.  Stamp and write the title...

Then use blocks cut from scrap papers and strips for writing a few notes.  If you have more time, you might want to embellish each block individually.  But if you're like me, you've got to run now or you'll miss your train! 

See you for another workout soon!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: What a Star

Wednesday is here so it's time for our regularly scheduled work out!  This week we're working out with What a Star! You just might be able to figure out from the colour of my stamps that I use this set quite a lot...but no fear, they still stamp just fine.  The black staining is really only because I have a very bad habit of demonstrating all day and not cleaning the stamps until the end of the day when I get home...if you don't have bad habits like me, your stamps will stay all clear and pretty.  But anyway!  Let's get to work.

A tag to start us off -- super easy and yet far lovelier than that plain tag that comes attached to a gift bag.  In fact, you can add just the stars to that plain tag and jazz things up.  I'm working with lots of scraps this week, so I was able to stamp three different stars and cut them up to get a happy little constellation.  Attach to a gift or...

Add to a layout!  Lots of scraps on this one, all punched with the square punch to make this page super quick.  That little star-in-a-circle is my favourite...I call it the punk rock star, though none of the samples this week are very punk, it has to be said!

And a thank you card is up next...another scrap punched into a square (and stamped with stars!), a star stamped straight onto the card, then a mix of patterns cut into skinny strips and layered with some trim and staples.  Inside reads 'for being a star', of course!

And a layout is last up -- this week I'm scrapping Eurovision!  What?  You didn't go to a Eurovision party?  They are the height of chic and decorum, I tell you!  Loads more stars clustered up there at the top for the European connection.  (I hope the Top Banana will forgive me for using a non-Banana stamp for the outline of Iceland...but I think I will be just off the hook as I don't think it would be a top seller...seems a bit niche market to me!)

Happy stamping this week, and do let us know what you'd like to see on the next workout!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Postage

It's Wednesday and it's workout time!  In honour of a bit stack of important envelopes that are finally hitting the postbox starting today, we're working out with Banana Frog's Postage stamp set.  This set has a circle for each day of the week, then you can decide whether you want it to look like postage (there's a wavy postmark as well as a stamp outline) or if you just want a date in a circle, with tiny little stamps to fit the days, months and year inside the circle.

Here's the front back of a first little project -- a postcard.  Except one that you don't actually intend to post -- perfect for a note to a neighbour who has been away and you just want to pop a welcome home note through the letterbox and let her know there were no catastrophes in the neighbourhood while she was away.  Use an index card on the back of a photograph, then use the postage stamps to add a little extra touch.  Easy as can be!

To get the look of a real postmark, just ink the wavy stamp very lightly.

Masculine cards always make us worry since so many of us think in pinks and sparkles...but this card couldn't make anyone say your designs were too girly for father's day.  Use a square punch on a handful of scraps, and finish off with the important date in the postage circle -- perfect for adding a custom touch to a birthday or anniversary card too.

And taking it to 12x12...it's a natural stamp for scrappers because we try to always record the dates on our pages to help tell the story.  Dates in a circle make a little change from another date written in a plain straight line.  The font in the centre of the page is FT Rosecube, which is a super useful size.

Your turn!  Let us see what you've been stamping with postage this week!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Paper Chains

I am somewhat worried about the top banana.  You do realise she has put practically everything in the shop on sale?  Including all the stamps?  Even the new ones?

She may have lost it. 

What an excuse to go shopping!  So today we're going to workout with something new....Paper Chains and papers and such from Jenni Bowlin.  All of which is on sale right now.  Hurrah.

Before we get started, I just wanted to show you the trick to the Paper Chains set -- the background and the outline.  Stamp the background shape in a pale colour, then the outline in a darker shade.  There are backgrounds plus outlines for the heart chain, the bunting flag and bunting topper, plus a circle and a rectangle.  Some of the backgrounds have a tiny polka dot if you look carefully.  Then the stamp set also includes an alphabet designed to fit inside the shapes.  You can stamp as many shapes as you need letters and you're all set.

For our tag, I used a chipboard bunting shape from Jenni Bowlin covered in cardstock and patterned paper, then a series of bunting flag outlines and the little tiny letters.  Perfect for a baby shower present.

With exam season upon us, it's time for good luck cards!  This one uses the chain of hearts shadow and outline.  The burst of yellow sun is punched from the envelope, and when you put the card inside, the back of the card shows through.

And for our layout this week, why not put some of your shaped papers to work?  The frame of this layout is cut from a sheet of Jenni Bowlin die cut paper, then filled with KI's cardstock lace.  And this time the letters on the bunting title are rub-ons and I used the stamps for the curly little ties at the ends of the flags.

Happy working out those stamps this week and happy shopping! 

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday Thursday :: Flowery Thoughts

Despite having wasps run me out of my house on Wednesday (seriously, these things only happen to me, don't they?!) I am back a day late with our work out -- we're going to get a work out from Flowery Thoughts this week!  This set has two funky flowers -- we're going to use the retro petals but there is also an explosion of dots to try -- plus lots of options for the flower centres, including a plain circle or your choice of words like 'happy', 'friends' and 'thanks' to make great cards in a flash.

 

We'll start our work out with a tag -- a nice, easy start.  Cut the tag from cardstock and stamp the flower straight onto the tag.  Choose a circle ('For You' works well for a tag you can actually attach to a present) and stamp that on a separate piece of cardstock, then cut out or punch into shape.  Add to the centre of the flower with a pop dot.  Add some extras like sewing the stem and doodling a frame, ink the edges and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Did you catch the news that Pink Martini papers are on special this week at Banana Frog?  So I threw some of those into our work out too.  For this card, cut a block from Strawberry Pop paper, stamp three flowers and cut them out.  Add a word to the centre of just one and let the other two remain empty, with the cardstock colour making the flower centre.  Use ribbons as stems and a pop dot for the flower with the message.

Candy Dots is definitely a fun paper to play with -- I mixed it here with more of the Strawberry Pop and cut the large flowers from the paper.  If you use the adhesive just on the centre of the flower, you can pull the petals up for dimension.  Flowery Thoughts circles also work without their flower stamp, so here I added it to a paper flower, then called in Budmo Jiggler for a bold title to finish things off.

Hope you've still got time to work out some stamps this week!  Let us know what set you'd like to see in the work out next time.

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Greenwich Park

Really, it's Wednesday already?  Even though I totally lost track of when it was last Wednesday, this one has hit me too soon!  Still, no excuse to stop working out!  I promised the top banana that I would make up for my missed week with something a little extra, so I hope you're ready to run a few extra miles on the treadmill with Greenwich Park and vintage papers.

While we were selling goodies at Alexandra Palace, we were also making ATCs to trade and give away with other crafty girls in attendance.  This card was our most popular, and it could also work on a page or as a gift tag. I'm already cheating in step one, as I used the woodgrain stamp from Backgrounds to make the grass for the scene, but you'll forgive me, won't you?  Then stamp the Greenwich Park tree on a page from an old book and cut him out.  (The banana queen thinks I am slightly odd for giving the things I stamp genders, but I'm still going with it.  Now my plan is to secretly get you to do it too, of course.)

To colour the tree, wrap a baby wipe around your finger and lightly tap on an ink pad, then swirl the colour onto the paper.  I love this with the tree as you can pick up some of the brown from the tree outline and blend it just the slightest bit around the edges.

Quite a few people have asked why there are two birds, two hedgehogs and two deer in this set of stamps (and the real answer is because there is no such thing as too many hedgehogs) and that's really because the solid shape is the colour for the body and the outline goes over the top -- though you can use either separately too.  For this one, I stamped the solid bird in light blue and cut him out.  Cut his feet right off!  But he'll be okay...

Because once he is stuck to the card, you can stamp the outline bird right over the top and he'll have legs again!  I love the combination of solid and outline with clear stamps because it's so much easier than it used to be with wooden blocks and gizmos to make things line up, but also because it's forgiving.  I like it when the outline is ever so slightly out of place. 

And yes, you can add an ATC into a layout!

The vintage papers make everything look lovely in a snap, because the natural fading of the paper is pretty even on its own.  I collect my old books from the discard box at the library and at a second-hand store that discounts anything with a broken spine -- so my favourite finds are the ones that already so broken that I don't feel bad ripping out the pages.  And here's a deer outline all on its own instead of with his shadow.  Try both the outlines and the shadows on patterned papers for a different look if you love a bit of busy detail.

And to finish our workout, we go 12x12!  More book paper, plus Narratives paper mixed with Jenni Bowlin paper and cards.  I quite like the giant butterfly with the tiny tree!  And one of my favourite alphabets, Pharmacy.  And there's something about the old book pages with the butterfly that reminds me of the library at the British Museum, with all the displays of insects and animals.  Hmmm...perhaps there's a whole series of stamps in this London Landmarks idea?!  I'll try to skip the dead bug display when it comes to stamp form though.

Don't forget to let us know when you've been using Banana Frog stamps this week!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

 

Work Out Wednesdays :: Budmo Jiggler

Fonts are so lovely, but extra lovely when they have names that are funny to say.  I think Bev chose this font just so she could have people phone her up and ask 'Could I buy a Budmo Jiggler?' because seriously, how bad can your work day be if you get to hear that?  Brilliant.

Also brilliant:  this is one of the new large alphabet sets that now come in a big case instead of two smaller cases.  They still have the holes to go in a binder or on rings.  There's still nothing to throw away.  And they are still just fabulous if you ask me.  Only forget the 'still', because these are new.  And everyone loves new!

Except today I am determined to use some old as well.  Hence the hilariously vintage photographs.  All the projects today have been brought to you by three pieces of paper I have had in my stash since...

2003.

Clearly I was waiting for them to become vintage before I put them on a page.  What was I thinking?!

For our tag workout warm-up this week, I thought I'd go for one of the many printed tags I have collected and make it one of the few I have actually used.  Really I just think they are very cool in theory, so I buy them.  And look at them.  And take them out for several layouts only to decide they don't match and put them away.  Over and over.  But today, no more!  Budmo makes its debut here, for me anyway.  Idea one: stamp in a pale colour on journaling lines, wait for the ink to dry then write over the top with a black pen.

And super quick to put it on a page -- here's the start of that aging vintage paper.  The faded letters in the title is from inking lightly with chalk ink.  More ink will give you a darker impression if that's what you're after.

And on to the card portion of our workout, and idea number two: tone on tone stamping.  Because this is such a chunky, clear font it's easy to read even if your ink colour and your paper colour are quite close.  The ink here is only a shade or two darker than the paper, and yet the letter is readable even at a distance.  Don't forget to stamp your initials for the return address on the envelope!

Our last exercise is to bring the new and the old together: the remaining portions of those ancient but loved vintage papers, plus new stamps and new chipboard.  With all the cute robot designs released recently, I kept looking and thinking the robots were lovely but how on earth would I use them without stealing a small child and forcing him to pose for photos with vintage wind-up robot toys?  But these look like funny versions of a dalek, I think, and that is kinda what I'm like in traffic.  Why take a picture of your satnav?  Because for the third time in one week, you are sat in the same spot and the speed readout says you're doing 0 miles per hour in a 50mph zone.  But anyway...I will calm down, I will, I will.

Stamp away!  Let us know what you want to see next Wednesday and show us your stamping too.  If you're shopping at the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show this weekend at Alexandra Palace, be sure to stop by and say hi!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*