Banana Frog Blog

Project of the Day: Something Fun

Hi Everyone, welcome to my project of the day.  I hope you like what I've done this month, it's been a really fun project to do, using just one set of stamps, Steelfish Outline.  And without further ado, here it is.....

A cute set of alphabet fridge magnets and this is how you make them.  First stamp your letters on plain white card, you may want to think beforehand about what letters you want, I did the whole alphabet but you may want to do extra vowels, certain letters to spell out your family's names or anything you fancy.  I used black Stazon.

Colour in the letters, using whatever colours you want.

Next mount them onto funky foam, I used the stuff that is magnet backed.

You then need to cut the letters out, the great thing about these stamps is that they are pretty easy to cut out, no little fiddly bits!

If you haven't used magnetic foam you will need to add your own magnets at this point.  I also gave mine a quick coat of mod podge to make them a little more robust.  And that's it...simple!!

They will brighten up your fridge....but please, no rude words!!!

xxxx

 

Superlicious POTD

Hi everyone, this month I'm going to share a project I did using just one set of stamps and several different techniques to make your own patterned paper that you can use on projects such as this....

All you will need is Banana Frog Superlicious stamps, some versamark ink, black Stazon, a few different coloured inks,shimmer mist (or similar), clear and white embossing powders and white card.  I also finished mine off with some liquid pearls but they aren't essential.

First stamp the large solid flower, using Versamark, all over the card.  Emboss these using clear powder.  Next spray all over with a paint mist and if necessary remove excess from the stamped images using a tissue.

Next stamp lots of the smaller flowers in different colours and stamp and emboss swirls in white powder.

 
Using black Stazon stamp the outline stamp over the clear embossed flowers.

 
Keep building up layers of stamping using the different shapes in the pack and varying tones of ink.

You should end up with something that looks like this and can be used on a whole variety of projects. 
I added some liquid pearls into the centre of the flowers for another dimension and more texture.

Happy Stamping

Beki xxx 

Featured Stamp: Fireworks (and a giveaway!)

Some sets of Banana Frog stamps are fantastic focal stamps that are super when you want to make a wow card or have a layout on the theme of the set -think Kawaii Kokeshi, Hiya Chick or Its Christmas, Deer. Then there are the other kind. The kind that you can use to make up a gazillion patterns so you always have your own patterned paper. The kind that can be the focus too, but it super at supporting other sets and designs. Some people tell me they are scared of this type of set, they are not sure how to use it and although the would love to, they often fall back on the picture type sets. This is a shame because they are really, really easy to use and so adaptable.

Perhaps my most used of this other kind of set is Fireworks (I must add, that it is quickly followed by It's all about Flourishes) and so I wanted to share 4 different cards where the Fireworks set has been put to use. Mainly as background but in such a way that they form the focus too.

Card 1 - Birthday Wish:

 

This card is one done by Julie Hickey who is also a big fan of Fireworks and it is one of my favourite cards. It is so simple yet stunning. Julie stamped in 3 shades of green in little clusters -a good tip is to start with the lightest shade first and then work through the darker colours. This gives a bit of depth to your background. Julie then die cut her greeting and stuck it over the stamping. To add some typical Hickey sparkle she added some gorgeous gemstones.

Card 2 - Best Friend:

For this card I have simply stamped the fireworks onto a tag shape to use it as the focus of my card. Actually, this card is one that I make time and time again. The elements always work and it always looks effective no matter what colours I put together.

Card 3 - Little Princess:

This card is one that Debbie made and it shows the fireworks as both a background and focal stamp. I love how chunky the fireworks look with the buttons on top against the fine detail of the background fireworks. Debbie stamped the chunkier fireworks on card and then cut them out (you can also punch them out), and then cut spokes round the firework shape leaving a slight edge to add contrast (and of course make it easier to cut out!).

Card 4 - Thanks:

The final card is a fun card that can be adapted to any occasion. It is also a fantastic way to use this set on a layout. I first punched out the circles (I think they are 1.5", 1" and 0.5") and stamped 3 different sizes of fireworks onto the card. I stamped first in one colour (lime green)  and then inked the stamp with another colour (orange) twisted the stamp slightly so that the spokes moved and then stamped down again. The great thing about Banana Frog stamps is that they are clear so you can always see exactly where you are stamping. This made it super easy to get the multicoloured flower fireworks. I then used foam pads to make them stand out and put crystals in the middle for a bit of bling.

So, four easy cards using the Firework set. We would love to see how you use the Fireworks stamps so please do link any pictures, upload them to the Banana Frog flickr group or email me.

If you would like to win a set of the Fireworks stamps, leave us a comment below. The closing date is October 30th at 12pm GMT.

Good luck!

 

 

Featured Stamp :: It's All About Flourishes!

Did you know one the most versatile sets of stamps from Banana Frog -- It's All About Flourishes -- is on sale right now?  This is definitely the right time to add this set to your collection, and I promise you'll use these stamps again and again.

With Halloween just a short while away, I fancied some black and orange crafting, but of course black cardstock is notoriously difficult for stamping, since plenty of inks just won't show up no matter how much you stamp.  Acrylic paint (or embossing powders... or opaque inks...) is a whole other story, so I used an orangey paint dabber to ink my swirl stamp to make a flourish on black cardstock for both a card and a scrapbook page.

 

Paired with Halloween bingo cards from Jenni Bowlin, there's definitely a Halloween swirl in the air!

We'd love to see your Halloween projects this week!  Share a link in the comments! 

Love and glitter,
Shimelle 

Featured Stamp :: Sentimental Style (and a giveaway!)

Have you seen this very pretty label from the Sentimental Style stamp set?  I love it on scrapbook pages just as much as cards.  Sentimental Style comes with plenty of different words and phrases that fit perfectly on this label but you can also stamp whatever wording you might like as the De Louisville letter stamps are just the right size!

It's Giveaway day here on the Frog Blog, so leave us a comment!  Tell me a colour you would like to use on your next project!  One randomly chosen commenter will win Banana Frog stamps!  International entries are totally welcome.

Entries close on the 15th of August and the winner will be posted on the 17th.   

Now click that comment button!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle

 

Featured Stamps :: Budmo Jiggler in a new size!

Wonder just how small the Tadpole sized letter stamps are, in terms of stamping on your projects?  The perfect size for stamping sentiments on all your cards!  I tend to handwrite part of the sentiment, so I used the new Budmo Jiggler set to stamp just 'Happy' and it was perfect for a 6x6 card layered with lots of bits and pieces.  That's an actual, regular sized playing card so you can use that for reference. The letters are stamped with a very old chalk ink pad -- I love the look they get when they are past their prime because it looks worn and bleached!  This alphabet is easy to outline with a pen if you also like subtle inks.  

I'm off to tea with the Red Queen tomorrow -- or a fancy dress birthday party if you must!  So I needed a card fit for a land where everyone's mad.  

Check out the new Tadpole sets here - you're sure to use them again and again!
And don't forget to enter the giveaway that closes soon!  

Happy Stamping!
-Shimelle

 

Featured Stamps :: Swirls & Butterflies (and a giveaway!)

Fancy a little something different with your Banana Frog stamps?  I stamped a design from Swirls and Butterflies onto shrink plastic, then coloured it with Copic markers, cut it out and shrank it with a heat tool.  The second butterfly was punched instead of stamped, but everything else was the same.  I've added them to some fabric flowers to make a pretty headband in my favourite colours!

Today you can win your own set of Swirls and Butterflies!  To enter, leave a comment below saying what you'd like to see demonstrated in my next Banana Frog video!  (See earlier examples here and here!)  One comment will be randomly selected as the winner -- and I'll choose one of your suggestions for my next video, posted here on the 17th!

Comment until midnight (UK time) on the 15th of June to enter.  International entries always welcome!

Happy stamping!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle

 

Featured Stamps :: Hiya Chick!

Two brand new loves: Hiya Chick stamps from Banana Frog (available now!) plus DeLovely papers from Cosmo Cricket...

...equals two handmade cards in a flash!

We'd love to see what you're making with Hiya Chick... or your interpretation of either of these card designs!  Time to get crafty!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle 

 

Featured Stamps :: Prince & Princess (& a giveaway!)

I am suffering from a real lack of nearby four year olds, so I don't often get to make fun little things like this, so with Banana Frog turning four this month, I'm pulling out all the stops!  

 

There's Charming Prince, ready to defend the castle and speak in an incredibly lush accent when met in casual conversation.  Always a nice bonus.

And Fairytale Princess, who gets to wear a big beautiful ball gown and have perfect hair, yet she's actually quite down to earth and enjoys things like feeding the ducks and watching Britain's Got Talent.

And my favourite of all is the castle stamp!  Oh how I love it!

The best part -- you have a chance to win these delightful stamps!  Just comment on this post to be entered.  Entries close at the end of the 9th of May!

Or if you don't feel the luck is with you, they just happen to be on sale right here too. 

Happy birthday Banana Frog!

love and glitter,
Shimelle 

Featured Stamp :: Retro Space (and our winner!)

I love the new Retro Space stamps from Banana Frog!  It's an obvious choice for boy's birthday cards and primary colours, but I thought it would work with something just a touch softer too.  I started by adding green polka dots from the Backgrounds set to the white card, then added a strip of striped Amy Butler paper.  I punched the same paper and overlapped the stripes to give a bit of subtle dimension and stapled a black ribbon across the top.

I used the Retro Space stamps with black dye ink on a green coordinating patterned paper and cut out the image and the greeting.  The rocket ship is attached with a pop dot to make it fly just a bit!  And the stars are stamped with the same ink straight onto the card.  So cute and so easy -- you definitely want this set in your collection!

And before we go...you want to know our winner, right? 

I love Greenwich Park, I use them again and again - they make great little cute paper pieced cards and great on scrapbook pages too!

Posted by: Jeannie Reed | February 15, 2010 at 11:55 AM

Jeannie, I love your choice -- and you were our randomly chosen winner!  Email me at shimelle at gmail dot com so I can get you some stamps in the post!

Have an out of this world day!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*