Stamp of Excellence, Inc. Imagination Destination through Creation

Special Day Flowers

    Anyone that has taken many classes with me know I truly love to pull out a stack of magazines and use them as the bases for creating cards and books.  We tear out picture of images, bold, bright or soft colors, and words, lots and lots of words.  Anything that makes our hearts sing.  Then the fun begins when we tear or cut these images and words and start collaging them with some of our stamp images from stampofexcellence.com.

    Toady's blog is along this line.  I want to show you a fun way to "go green" creatively. First, find a page in a magazine, or try wrapping paper, that color wise touches your heart.

    Can't you almost smell these glorious roses?  Loved this image!  First step, find your perfect page and tear it out. Next, take a #8 shipping tag, and with one of our Glue Brushes GLB699, spread a thin layer of The Ultimate! Crafter's Pick™ glue over most of the tag.  I like to leave the corners and edges a little under glued so when you tear away the paper the entire tag is not covered, (explain later).

    Turn the glued tag onto the back of your magazine page trying to land on the part of the image you most want. (The image needs to be at least an inch or more larger than your tag on all sides.)  Turn back over and use a bone folder to adhere the image to the tag, making sure any air bubbles are smoothed out and that the glue is thin and even.  Let dry naturally or use a heat tool to speed glue drying time.  Once dry, hold tag with the back facing you. Using the tag edges to help, roughly tear the excess page away from your tag.  For a vintage aged effect it is nice if the tears are not all straight and if small edges or corners of the tag are not covered with the printed paper.  In other words, you don't want this to come out looking perfect.

    Next, pick one or two ink colors to sponge around the edges of your tag front inking more heavily where the colored paper is missing.  If you enlarge my finished tag you may be able to see what I mean.

    Now comes the creative part, stamping complementary images to your pictured tag.  To complete my tag I first die cut two sizes of scalloped tags.  I stamped Special Day Flowers 3025G  and embossed with Black Diamonds embossing powder. Glued small white tag to larger pink tag, and with 3D dots attached the image tags to my #8 rose tag. To accent the flower theme, using Tim Holtz® new Sizzix Mini Butterfly set, (love these!!!), I cut two rose colored butterflies and two soft pink velum butterflies. I used pink ink to edges the two velum butterflies and glued them to the flower version. For bling, I ran a line of Cotton Candy Stickles™ down the body of each butterfly.  Once dried I glued the two part butterflies to the tag. For the last perfect touch, I added two matching lengths of perfectly pink ribbon.

    This magazine picture art is so fun, easy and affordable!  I will do a few different tags and post them in the coming days as time allows.  Please give this technique a try and let me know what you think.

    May creative bliss be yours,

                                       Judi 

 

Newly added Art Gallery!

    Our newest project here at Stamp of Excellence, Inc. is to bring you original art photos displayed in our art gallery.   On the left side bar of our blog you can find art work directly by entering Our Art Gallery.  In the middle of the web site Home page, stampofexcellence.com, or at the bottom of each page, you can find Art Gallery as well.  Either of these will connect you directly with all the current art samples we have posted at this time.

    There is so much to do in building our web site, stampofexcellence.com, and starting this blog!  If only days were longer.  Keith is extraordinary!  My son knows SO much about computer programming.  Bobbie and Lou Ann have also been great at learning and helping as time allows~~I am so blessed to be surrounded with the love and support of such amazing people as we explore this new path together! 

    The cameras are a collection of Beefy's a dear friend sold him for $5.00!  Way cool!  This photo; Beefy, (Keith), Bobbie in pink and Lou Ann standing.  Thanks guys for all your efforts.  I would not have attempted this without each of you!!!

    Thanks for dropping in and getting a glance at us hard at work.  We would love for you to check out our new gallery and let us know what you think.  

    Hoping the remainder of your weekend is blissful!

                                                                    Judi 

Everyday Life

    Just wanted to slip this radiant red greeting in before I dig into all the work here at the Stamp House today.  Yesterday I introduced you to Sylvia who works next door.  Her art was inspiring, and I was grateful she let me take pictures, (personally I hate to have my photo taken!!).  So, I made her a fast thank you note to run over this morning with some Dove® chocolate enclosed.

    This is a great card when you have only a few minutes but want something powerfu!

    Started with oatmeal colored card stock.  From stampofexcellence.com I inked Parisienne Script 3203P with Rangers Old Paper Distress Ink™ and imaged twice, top and bottom.  Then, with two of my favorite products, Aged Mahogany Distress Ink, also Ranger, and my own top pick design, Flourish Corner 8354I, I inked the flourish with lots of the rich red die.  Before stamping both corners I misted several times with our luscious Radiant Red Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer BLM167.  This helps activate the water color affect of these amazing inks which gives this, worn with time, aged look we all love.  Thanks for teaching us this trick Tim Holtz®!  Before stamping the quote I sponged the edges with more Mahogany, and misted the entire front with additional Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer.  Once dry, I deeply inked my Everyday Life 3251E quote and centered on the card. 

    That wasn't hard.  You can recreate this same look in no time at all.  It's the light mist of water or Radiant Shimmer that truly sets the vintage feel of this style art.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

    Got to go. . . Tim Holtz® supplies from Ranger just came in the door with my dear, sweet UPS man!!!!

 

    May bliss find its way into your day!

                                                Judi  

Face to the Sunshine

    Sylvia Hooper, my daytime neighbor, walked into my shop several days ago with this huge shadow of worry and uneasy about her.  First things, first, we gave her Dove® chocolate to help calm her, then learned she was designing poster art boards to build support for a YMCA in Fremont County where we live in Cañon City, Colorado.  
    Obviously Sylvia NEEDED lots of Tim Holtz® vintage papers to display all her aged documents. We helped with fancy edge scissors, punches and tape as well.  As she would return with supplies it was a joy to see her personal transformation.  I love witnessing how art can lift a persons spirits and build their self confidence. 

    When Sylvia arrived with her finished project it was truly as if the sun followed her inside.  She was glowing with pride!  And, she should have been, it was a great, successful effort!

    Just above her hand is an article about Helen Keller who came to Cañon City to help support YMCA in the day.  I was so surprised!  Helen Keller was such an amazing teaching woman of courage and strength and she had been here in my home town of 22 years.  Wow!

    My art is for these two gifted women, Sylvia Hooper and Helen Keller.

    Once again I used a tag already inked.  You can almost make out that I used a Sizzix Tim Holtz® Rays embossing folder on the tag to represent the sunshine.  Distressed the tag edges and sponged Dried Marigold Distress Ink from Ranger on both the tag and torn quote paper. From stampofexcellence.com's  Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer collection I misted yummy Orange Marmalade Bliss Mist BLM 169 to add sparkle to the tag. With Rangers Jet Black Archival Ink™, I imaged Rosie 1074D and Sunshine 3243D from Stamp of Excellence, Inc.  Colored Rosie with shimmering paints, cut out, added foam for depth and adhesive and finished with accent fibers and a crystal butterfly. 

     Thank you Sylvia, how kind of you to gave us credit on your finished work.  I am so proud of my friend for the huge effort she went to in creating this eye catching work of art which will live on in our local History Center!

    Sylvia, thank you also for reminding me how much reward I receive back when given an opportunity to help someone else!  This is what I love about my chosen carreer.

    To find your own sunshine, try adding bliss to another's day and see what rewards come your way.

                                                            Warmly, Judi

 

Needed a Laugh and a Break

    As you can see, it is late, I am still making custom stamps to be picked up tomorrow when the store opens. Needed a laugh and a break and thought the blog would be more fun than inking dry pads.  So, I grabbed the camera, went into my tiny hallway and took a picture of one of my favorite famous faces.

    Do you love this picture?!  It always makes me think of one of my favorite, "easy to watch", movies, IQ. It's a heartfelt love story with Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, and my favorite, Walter Matthau, (because my Pappadad looked just like him), playing Albert Einstein.  Just like this picture, the movie always makes me smile!

    Late last night I added one of Albert's quotes to my web site, stampofexcellence.com, along with a very lavender greeting card.  Because it's late, and I need to finish my custom orders, I will share my Einstein art with you and get back to work.

Simple, simple card;

Fancy edge scissors to trim the top piece of card stock.  Used Soft Lilac Memories™ dye ink for shadow square.  With Violet Memories™ dye pad, (both pads from Stewart Superior), I inked and stamped our large Dragonfly 4034G, and Live Life 3239E quote, both Stamp of Excellence, Inc. images.  Misted the entire front with our Purple Passion Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer BLM166 for extra highlighting shine. Punched two holes to run two lengths of sheer ribbon through and simple as can be, done!

    Hope Albert also brought a smile to your face.  If you are in the mood for a feel good movie, check out the 1994 IQ.

    Good nite, may your dreams be blissful,

                                                            Judi 

 

There is a Season

    "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heaven", Ecclesiastes 3:1.  Spring is such a welcoming new season of growth and renewal.  And here I am at this new season of my life and career with Stamp of Excellence.  My purpose is growth; personally, technologically, and entrepreneurially. This blog and web site are first steps in this new direction.  What is your purpose?

    Check out the beginning signs of Spring in your own surroundings while I share a few photos of the new season around the Stamp House.

New front door sign:

New sidewalk chalk to add to the always present WELCOME:

New growth, which to me shows great faith and belief that longer and warmer days are on their way!

And, a card to reflect the above:

How tos:

Needed this card fast so I grabbed a tag already inked with Spring colors. In black Archival Ink™, from Ranger, I stamped Three Tulips 755E and A Season S222G both from stampofexcellence.com, on white card stock.  For sparkle I misted both the tag and card stock heavily with Whipped Honey Butter Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer BLM153, also from SOX, (Stamp of Excellence, Inc.).  Before cutting images out and foam taping them to the tag I painted them with LuminArte Twinkling H2O's. Added a flurry of bright fibers to tag hole, kissed the top edge with a 3-D dragonfly and done, quick as can be! 

    I pray the warmth and hope of this lovely new season will bring moments of bliss to your heart!

                                                    Judi

Forever Friends

    When my son Matt and I started our rubber stamp store together 20 years ago,(he was just 10), our goals were to create a business that would bring FUN to our small town, make friends, (we were fairly new to Canon City), and to become part of the community.  Thank you God, we met   each of these goals in abundance!!    

    It's the amazing, entertaining, and wildly talented people I have been privileged to meet and become close friends with that have been my largest blessings from this surprising stamp business. They say, "It takes a long time to grow an old friend".  But, the investment in time can have wonderful results!    

    Meet my dear, dear friend Sally Cooper.  Sally may be one of the most creative, talented and generous women I have had the honor to know for these past 15 or more years.  Plus, she just happens to be gorgeous! (But I forgive her that and love her anyway.)  Even though she and I only see each other a few times a year, when she comes to town it is always the highlight of my day!  

    Can you see what is in her hand?  Yea! gifts!  Let me show you what delightful treasures Sally made for me.

     How clever is this little stand of spools?  A small clothes pin on the back holds the calendar board. which is stamped with our Parisienne Script 3203P.   This will sit next to my computer to help me keep track of time.  Do you love the tiny little accent flower above the calendar.  It is so Sally to add the last perfect artistic touch!

      In the photo you can't tell, but Sally created the Silver Roses and Chocolate tray with chalkboard paint.  I just love it, but had NO space this large to hang it in the store.  So, I hung it in my restroom next to my favorite pictures of Paris from my extended family son Josh. They look great together don't you think?

    Now for the art my terrific friend Sally inspired.

    Green with Envy BLM160 is the Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer shade I spritzed my completed card with. This little greeting was actually quite simple.  With clear pigment Ranger Distress Embossing Ink™,  I imaged Forever Friends S167G, from stampofexcellence.com. onto a small tag and embossed with green powder. The top layer of green card stock I cut with fancy edge scissors and highlighted with a bit of Tim Holtz® Peeled Paint Distress Ink™.   An inexpensive trim for cards and tags is to fray the edges of 3/4 inch strips of fabric to tie into your holes.  Your friends might be "green with envy" when they see what a delightful card you can create in a mere matter of minutes.

  Sally more than just for the playful presents, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a treasured and true friend.  Your cards and visits have been a tender part of my life for all our years of friendship.  Bless you for your remembrance of me and my store! (And thanks for the photo opp.)

    May friends also bring a touch of bliss into your days  ~~  

                                                                                   Judi

 

 

Shopping Frenzy

    Today post is a little self serving. I want to visually give you a peek into my world at Stamp of Excellence, Inc. so you can see for yourself why I can not be one of those people who blogs every single day. My retail store, we call the Stamp House, is intense! It is quite small and we literally have products and art hanging from the ceiling to offer as many treasures as possible!!!

So, here goes . . .

    First the card this blog inspired ~

    

    Meet George and Thelma,174L & 172F, my personal favorite shopping tag team.  Is George so excited about his good spouse duties with his eager wife Thelma? I stamped the happy couple on white card stock with black Archival Ink™ from Ranger, painted them with Twinkling H2O’s from LuminArte, then Bobbie cut them out. (Thanks Bobbie!) Next, I cut a small tag and with Inkssentials™ ink blending tool and foam, layered Shabby Shutters & Peeled Paint Distress Inks™ all from Ranger. Using black Archival Ink™ again, I imaged our Shopping Frenzy! 3063D quote from stampofexcellence.com.  Finished the tag by distressing all edges and applying Vintage Photo Distress Ink™ to give an aged feel. Added a short piece of sheer ribbon to which I attached a Tim Holtz® Trinket Pin and Word Stick reading WISH, (Isn’t that what all of us women do when we shop?), both from idea-ology™. A little mounting foam for cut outs, large corner rounder punch for the bottom edges of card stock and easy as can be the card is completed! 
    Now, brace yourself for my first ever internet look inside my world of art from Stamp of Excellence, Inc.

  

    This is immediately to your right as you walk through the front door.  No warm up to my store. Volumes of supplies await you the second you step inside!  There are loads of Hearts, Flowers, Gardening, and on the right,  4th of July images.

     Do you think Colorado artist get excited about anything with Tim Holtz® name on it? His new winter/spring Sizzix line just started to arrive two days ago. YEA!!! Can't wait to play!

      As you can see, Halloween, (not loaded to web at this time ~ we're adding as fast as time allows!), Asian, Butterfly, Dragonfly, Critters and Tree stamps are all in great demand her at the Stamp House.

    

    This is the customer side of my cash register table.  Aren't the jewel tone bottles of Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer too inviting?!  You can almost see some of our Angels & Cherubs from our Spiritual line to the left.

     This is just a fast look around, but trust me the entire store looks like this.  Honest, it’s the only way I can offer all these goodies in such a small, but imaginative space! 

    Hope George, Thelma and I didn’t scare you off. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look inside my little Stamp House. Please visit again soon!

                May your day be blissfully happy,

                                                            Judi

 

Go Confidently

    I’m sharing this tag art today because it has meaning to me for both of my amazing sons. First, the quote, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!”, is just about my all time favorite quote and was on a bookmark I gave my precious son Matthew the last time I saw him before his death 12 years ago. The Eiffel Tower 8220G, Airplane 8179C and Compass Rose 8193C, are a nod to Keith, my younger son, who has set his goals to receive culinary training from Le Cordon Bleu in the heart of Paris. 

    This tag was actually a gift I gave Keith, better know as Beefy, before he and his awesome friend Josh went to visit Paris and Le Cordon Bleu last Autumn.  The stamps used on this piece are all available at stampofexcellence.com. These are images my customers and I use a lot at the Stamp House because Paris art always seems so vintage and romantic.  

    Creating this tag I used an Inkssentials™ ink blending foam tool to blend layers of Scattered Straw, Wild Honey and Dried Marigold Distress Ink™ by Ranger. Using Jet Black Archival Ink™ also from Ranger, I imaged the travel stamps plus Paris Cancellation 3208B and Bib Institut 3209B both from Stamp of Excellence, Inc.. A few shimmering blast of our favorite, Whipped Honey Butter Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer BLM153, gives the tag a warm sunny glow. Selecting the right fibers and tying them in a larks head knot is always such a great accent to top off each special tag of art.   

    We never know what the lasting effects will be when we give little gifts from the heart to the people we love.  Tag art doesn’t take long to make, but it might just be the perfect way to tell someone you care.              

        May artful bliss touch your heart!

                                            Judi

 

Hey Girlfriend!

            Three of my all time favorite things, besides my customers/friends!!!, here at the Stamp House, aka, stampofexcellence.com are; Tag Art, Domino Art and Gifts!  I Love, truly love to find that special treasure that will make a friend smile. Wrap it just so, so that the presentation is every bit as exciting as what waits inside, and finish it with the perfect tag!

     This flowery Tootsie rolled gift was for my sweet, dear friend Shania who had a day off from kindergarten and spent it coming to visit me!  I’ve missed my 5 year old girlfriend and wanted to make the visit special and fun.

    To create this; the #8 tag is inked using an Inkssentials™ ink blending foam tool to apply Spun Sugar and Fried Brick Distress Ink™ by Ranger. With Jet Black Archival Ink™, also from Ranger, I imaged Jewel, 1018L, and repeatedly stamped Hey Girlfriend!, 3119D, both from stampofexcellence.com. 

     To add excitement to Jewel’s wardrobe, I painted her with Lumin Arte Twinkling H2Os and Gelly Roll glitter pens. To highlight and add brilliant shimmer to the finished work of art I misted the entire piece with Radiant Red Bliss Mist Radiant Shimmer from who else, stampofexcellence.com. To complete the look several different strands of fiber were looped through the hole in a larks head knot.

    How simple! Two stamps, a few ink pads and paints . Extra twinkle from gell pens and Bliss Mist and I was ready to delight my young friend!  

    So often it’s the little things we do for others that truly makes our day brighter!    

                  I hope your day is full of artful bliss as well!    

                                                                                Judi