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Create A Bontanical Collaged Frame (Feb 19th)

Create an elegant floral themed frame that glistens in the light! Learn how quickly you can transform thrift store finds and inexpensive unfinished objects into beautiful collaged pieces using paper napkins and dried botanicals.

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Absolut-ly Fabulous Card – Shaped Like A Bottle of Absolut!

by Joe Rotella on February 20, 2012

From the first time I saw the TV show Absolutely Fabulous, I fell in love with it! If you aren’t familiar with it, Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. According to Wikipedia, the series [...]

Rehab on Barbie’s Doll House

by Carole Lassak February 20, 2012

This project showcases the diversity of Amazing Mold Putty and its companion Amazing Casting Resin. On evening not long ago when I got home from work, my two year old grand-daughter greeted me with a doll house door in hand. She excitedly told me a long story about the doll house, Barbie, and the door. The [...]

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Exploding Pyramid Box

by Carole Lassak February 16, 2012

I love to present gifts that are beautifully wrapped and decorated. I want the presentation to be as exciting as the gift. The gorgeous Robin’s Nest papers and embellishment are just the ticket for creating this striking exploding pyramid box. For this exploding pyramid box I chose Robin’s Nest Purple Flower and Glitter Purple Daisy [...]

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Princess Dress Card

by Carole Lassak February 14, 2012

I’m pleased to announce that I am now a member of the Addicted to Stamps design team. I’m going to be sharing all the fun I’m having with their incredible digital stamps. This card features the Dress Garland digi stamp by Sherri Baldy. I printed the image four times using the print-and-cut feature with my Zing [...]

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You’re no longer the man I met on the internet!

by Joe Morgan February 13, 2012

  Hello again! Since Valentine’s Day is almost here, I thought I would make a fun card for all the people who are not looking forward to it.  I am sure that most people can relate or know someone in the situation where their dream date turned out to be a dud in person, or [...]

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February Card Club

by Amy Day February 11, 2012

Another month has come and gone, and the Red Letter Journal card club members have several new and gorgeous cards to show for it!  This month’s theme was using ink in any way except stamping an image.  Let’s check out what the Create and Craft team did! Joe Morgan used what is quickly becoming my [...]

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Lifelong Friends Assemblage

by Joe Rotella February 9, 2012

About a month ago, I used a photo stamp for the first time – Senior Ladies 3 1/2″ x 4 3/4″ (#8671) from Viva Las Vegastamps! – and created a card. Every time I looked at the stamp I imagined more and more about the two ladies it shows, sitting outside, side-by-side…. …They’ve known each other [...]

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Life’s A Beach Card with Sand from Cancun!

by Joe Rotella February 6, 2012

Last June, I was in Mexico for business and had just a few minutes to run to the beach and feel the water before heading back to the airport for the trip home to Ohio. In those short minutes, I couldn’t resist filling an empty water bottle with sand, knowing it might come in handy [...]

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3D Ornament

by Carole Lassak February 1, 2012

I’ve had a long-time fascination with origami. I love the looks of all those intricate folds, but, truth be told, I’m just not patient enough to do all the folding required to create an origami piece. That’s why I loved this project so much!! It has that intricate look of origami, but none of the [...]

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Paperclay Picture Frame

by Carole Lassak January 31, 2012

Welcome to our Blog Hop—Love Cast in Clay!! Amazing Mold Putty meets Paperclay. We’ve got blog candy:  One winner will be picked from the Amazing Mold Putty blog and another winner from the Creative Paperclay® blog. Each winner will receive on 16 oz. package of Creative Paperclay® and a package of Amazing Mold Putty.  Retail [...]

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January Card Club

by Amy Day January 27, 2012

It’s bright!  It’s shiny!  It sticks everywhere, and it was the theme for January’s card club!  It’s GLITTER! The now even sparklier (apparently not a word but it should be!) participants were tasked with using dry glitter in making their cards for January.  Ultra fine or big ‘n chunky – it didn’t matter.  I just [...]

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Shimmering Koi Kimono With Mica and Gold Metallic Leaf

by Joe Rotella January 26, 2012

Sometimes I feel more like a collector than a crafter. I see things, new and old, and say to myself, “Ooo! That’s so nice! I know I can make something with that!” I buy it and then it sits—sometimes for weeks, months or even years. That was this case with the Kimono stamp #2545 I [...]

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Pug Birthday Card

by Joe Morgan January 23, 2012

One of my best friends loves Pugs. She has two of them and their names are Frankie & Piglet. She had a birthday recently, so I wanted to use this cute Pug In Party Hat stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps! to make her birthday card. To start off, I stamped the image on white cardstock [...]

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Reproduction Jewelry

by Carole Lassak January 20, 2012

This pin is one of my favorites. It belonged to my mother. Her brother (my uncle) brought to her as a gift when he was in the Navy during World War II. I’ve always enjoyed wearing this piece of jewelry as a pin, but with Amazing Mold Putty I can now wear a reproduction as a necklace! [...]

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Reclaimed Trinket Chest

by Carole Lassak January 18, 2012

I love searching for hidden treasures in antique and thrift shops.  I found this little gem at our local Goodwill shop. As you can see, it was a little worse for the wear. But, I saw potential I wanted to paint any areas that would be exposed and not covered with paper a dark midnight [...]

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Senior Ladies, Best Friends – A Card For Your BFF

by Joe Rotella January 16, 2012

Until this project, I don’t think I’ve ever used a “photo stamp.” You know the kind – stamps made from photographs rather than drawings. I’ve seen many that have interested me, but just didn’t know what to do with them or how to use them. That brings me to the pound of rubber I received [...]

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Paper Napkin Collage Frame and Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) from USArtQuest

by Joe Rotella January 12, 2012

I’m so excited to be sharing my first project as a member of the USArtQuest Design Team (DT)!  I first met Susan Pickering Rothamel at a scrapbook convention in 2009. She was demonstrating technique after technique all while answering questions from the crowd. I watched in awe. She made everything look so easy, I was [...]

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What Was I Thinking?

by Joe Morgan January 9, 2012

Valentine’s Day is coming soon! I am sure that most of us, at least one time in our lives, could relate to this card. Some people will go buy a nice mushy card, but in the back of their mind they’ll be thinking “I need that card that Joe Morgan made!” Anyway, it’s just for [...]

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Wine Glass Shade

by Carole Lassak January 4, 2012

Robin’s Nest papers are so elegant!! When I first saw this gorgeous paper I just knew I had to use it to make a wine glass shade. There’s nothing like candlelight to add the right ambiance to transform an ordinary meal into a memorable experience. And wine glass lamps are just the ticket. I used [...]

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Blog Hop Winners!!

by Joe Rotella January 3, 2012

Congratulations to “Lee in Texas” and “Yvonne” for winning prizes in the Viva Las Vegastamps! Blog Hop this past weekend!! Lee and Yvonne each won a $15 gift certificate from Viva Las Vegastamps!  Check your email for details on how to claim your prize.  Congrats again and Happy Crafting!        

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Another Year Down The Drain – Welcome to the Viva Las Vegastamps! Blog Hop!

by Joe Morgan January 1, 2012

  Happy New Year!! To kick off the year with a bang, Viva Las Vegastamps! is hosting a blog hop! If you’ve come here from Aimee Fleck’s Blog, then you’re in the right place. To start the hop from the beginning, please go to the Viva Las Vegastamps! blog. If you like blog candy, this hop is [...]

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Split Personalities, Psycho Spiral, Viva Las Vegas Blog Hop – Happy New Year!

by Joe Rotella January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!! To kick off the year with a bang, Viva Las Vegastamps! is hosting a blog hop! If you’ve come here from DeeDee Catron’s blog, Um Wow Studio, then you’re in the right place. To start the hop from the beginning, please go to the Viva Las Vegastamps! blog. If you like blog [...]

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It’s Fruitcake Time!

by Joe Morgan December 26, 2011

I hope everyone had  a Merry Christmas! For my last post of 2011, I wanted to make a card that I have had planned out in my head for quite a while. I know it’s the day after Christmas, but it’s funny, so here it is.  I am sure everyone will get a late card [...]

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Christmas Ornaments Galore!!

by Carole Lassak December 21, 2011

Christmas has got to be my favorite holiday!! Love all the decorations and lights. I’ve been having a blast molding and casting all sorts of Christmas-y things. Amazing Mold Putty is so easy to use and the casting resin gives such great results!! You’ve got to try this out. I’ve got several projects to share [...]

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USArtQuest Design Team Announced

by Joe Rotella December 20, 2011

I first met Susan Pickering Rothamel at a paper crafting convention about two years ago. I watched her create amazing piece after piece with the greatest of ease, all while talking to people visiting her booth. Since then, I’ve read her books, watched her DVDs and continued to visit with her at shows. She’s delightful, [...]

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Circus Themed Card using Viva Las Vegastamps! and Creative Paperclay

by Joe Rotella December 19, 2011

A couple years back, I took a pottery class through the Lifelong Learning program offered by my city’s Parks and Recreation department. We learned to throw pots, work with clay slabs and even did some molding. Back then I used some small face molds to make embellishments for a clay bowl. When it came time [...]

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December Card Club

by Amy Day December 16, 2011

Thanks to our monthly card club, I was able to finish my Christmas cards – yeah!  Five of the six cards I walked away with were Christmas, and they were all beautiful! For December, we had to use at least 2 of the techniques or themes from previous card clubs.  We could choose from dry [...]

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Creating A Collaged Frame With 3D Embellishments

by Joe Rotella December 15, 2011

I met Susan Pickering Rothamel a couple of years ago at a convention. I watched how easily she created beautiful projects with USArtQuest products and purchased a “starter kit.”  I bought her book, The Art of Paper Collage, and was so excited to start exploring the world of mixed media. I stared at the supplies [...]

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My Favorite Fruitcake Recipe!

by Joe Morgan December 12, 2011

For my Viva Las Vegastamps! design team post this time, I wanted to use this funny fruitcake recipe stamp that I have admired for a while now. I used Spellbinders dies for the mat, recipe card, and cake platter that my fruitcake is on. I used a Sizzix embossing folder to add the dot texture to [...]

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Season’s Greetings Side Step Card

by Joe Rotella December 5, 2011

I participate in a card swap at Red Letter Journals. On the first Sunday of every month, about two dozen card makers get together to learn a new technique and trade cards using the technique they learned the previous month. It’s a great way to learn new things, have fun and get some great cards! [...]

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Christmas Picture Frame

by Carole Lassak December 1, 2011

I’m really getting into the Christmas spirit, so this project is one that I can use for many seasons to come. I started with this chipboard frame that I picked up from a $1 bin at one of our local stores. I selected Robin’s Nest Red Sorbet Glitter cardstock to cover the frame because I [...]

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I Like Cats Too!

by Joe Morgan November 28, 2011

  First of all, I have to say that no cats were harmed in the making of this card! Secondly, I love cats and would never eat them!  I was looking through all the stamps that I got in my pound of rubber from Viva Las Vegastamps! and spotted this sentiment about exchanging cat recipes. [...]

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Merry Christmas!

by Amy Day November 27, 2011

Our last day and last holiday -Christmas.  Now it was time to use all of the skills and techniques we had learned during the past two days to create an advent calendar.  Embossing, shading, Wonder Film, crystal lacquer, distressing, and more!  Everything was used on these 25 tags to create a beautiful advent calendar.  We [...]

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Happy Thanksgiving!

by Amy Day November 26, 2011

Gobble!  Gobble!  Day 2 was all about Thanksgiving and fall! We started the day creating a gift bucket complete with a fall table wrap and festive pumpkin top!  The fall table wrap is a special acetate designed and sold by PK Glitz.  It fits great in the bucket we used or wrapped around a candle.  [...]

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Happy Halloween!

by Amy Day November 25, 2011

Welcome to our first day of classes at the PK Glitz Retreat!!!  Our theme for the day?  Halloween! We started the day by making our very own trick or treat bag!  This was also our introduction to Wonder Film.  These double sided adhesive sheets will stick to anything – glass, acrylic, paper mache, card stock, [...]

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PK Glitz Retreat

by Amy Day November 24, 2011

Almost a month has past since the Create and Craft team loaded up in the Paper Crafting Express (aka Betty’s van) and headed to Rocky Hill, Kentucky for a fun filled weekend playing with glitter!  Rocky Hill is the home of PK Glitz and the Rocky Hill Inn where 11 eager crafters gathered for three [...]

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Bowling Ball Spinner Card – Fiesta Lanes (Includes Pattern to Download)

by Joe Rotella November 21, 2011

Sometimes when I browse a collection of stamps, I look for stamps that will work well together to create a scene. When I found these three bowling stamps at Viva Las Vegastamps! I knew there had to be a fun way to combine them. It wasn’t too long before I realized a spinner card might [...]

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Christmas Clipboard

by Carole Lassak November 17, 2011

  As a member of the Amazing Mold Putty design team I’ve been having a blast molding and casting a variety of items. This month I’ve molded rubber stamps, fancy brads, and metal pieces to create embellishments to decorate my clipboard.  After mixing equal parts of A and B putty, I molded my snowflake and [...]

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Merry Christmoose

by Joe Morgan November 14, 2011

For this week’s project, I wanted to make something with Sakura Crystal Lacquer. One of the things I really like about Crytstal Lacquer is that when it dries, it’s not just clear and glossy, it’s also flexible. So, unlike similar products, it won’t crack or break off of something if you bend it. I recently spent [...]

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November Card Club

by Amy Day November 10, 2011

It’s that time again!  Time for the monthly Red Letter Journal card club!  This month’s theme was Holiday cards, and it DEFINITELY got me in the mood for Christmas! My favorite this month?  The prestigious award goes to Carol!  Let me just say, “Amy loves her some sparkles!!!”  Carol started by using a retired PSX [...]

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Shell Shaped Card Featuring a Glitter on Acetate Mermaid!

by Joe Rotella November 7, 2011

Glitter!  Most every crafter I know likes to add a little bling to their projects once in a while, and glitter is an easy way to do it. This little fact may surprise you; glitter was invented by an American cattle farmer named Ruschman during the 1930s! Although some sources say he invented the product [...]

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Halloween Clock with My Little Shoebox Papers

by Carole Lassak October 28, 2011

I had so much fun doing this project!! It all started on a Saturday morning when my DIL Joanna and I went to a garage sale. She was searching for toddler toys; I was along for the ride. But I found this clock begging to be refurbished. I removed the clock mechanism and spray painted [...]

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Beware the Pumpkin Eater!

by Joe Morgan October 23, 2011

  Halloween, my favorite holiday, is almost here! For this weeks post, I made a cute card using three different pumpkin stamps. To start out, I stamped the three stamps on white cardstock, and colored them with Copic markers. I cut out all three of them. One of them includes a graveyard scene in the [...]

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Angel Wings

by Carole Lassak October 20, 2011

Amazing Mold Putty!! Perfectly named. It is amazing—there is no end to the things that you can mold with this easy-to-use medium. You just take equal parts of A (which is white) and B (which is yellow), and knead them together—just like working with clay—until they are completelycombined and there are no streaks. Depending on [...]

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Halloween Treat Boxes and Tag – With A Free Pattern!

by Joe Rotella October 17, 2011

I’m not a big fan of horror stories, scary films, haunted houses and the like. They make my heart pound and I scare pretty easily. Maybe that’s why I prefer the spooky but fun approach to Halloween. When I saw the Eyes Inside Pumpkin stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps! it made me chuckle. The design [...]

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October Card Club

by Amy Day October 13, 2011

Apparently last month was a fluke.  Heaven forbid I post our monthly card club on time two months in a row.  Silly me! This month’s theme was doodling.  Doodling – it’s not just for junior high notebooks anymore! The highly coveted “Amy’s Fav” award this month goes to Betty!  When Betty showed me her card, [...]

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Ouija Board Halloween Card

by Joe Morgan October 10, 2011

Welcome! I’m happy to be posting the first project of my second term on the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team. This month, the folks at The Robin’s Nest provided us with a selection of their papers to use in our projects. As I flipped through the pile, I saw my favorite – Glitter Sepia Trees [...]

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Halloween Lantern with Viva Las Vegastamps!

by Joe Rotella October 3, 2011

I’m so excited to be sharing my first project with you, as a new member of the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team (DT)! It was so hard to pick just one Halloween image from the huge variety of stamps Viva Las Vegastamps! has in their 15,000+ collection that I needed to come up with some [...]

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Moon & Stars

by Joe Morgan September 26, 2011

For this week’s project I wanted to use a couple of stamps that I have had for a while. The sentiment that I used was one of the very first stamps I bought from Viva Las Vegastamps! It reads, “We already have the moon. Let’s not ask for the stars.” It has always made me [...]

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Pixie In A Bottle – The Upcycle Blog Hop and a Your Story Prize Giveaway!

by Joe Rotella September 17, 2011

Welcome to the Upcycle Blog Hop hosted by Tanya, the Scrappy Scavenger. If you’re doing the hop and are here from Dawn’s blog, Strawberry Delights, then you are in the right spot. If you just arrived here and would like to start from the beginning of the hop, please go to Tanya’s blog, the Scrappy Scavenger. [...]

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Swapper’s Day Finds!

by Joe Rotella September 15, 2011

Over the last few months, I’ve seen my crafting shift from card making to more 3D projects. I’ve also started using a variety of materials in combination with paper. I guess I’ve moved in to the mixed media space. I’ve always liked lumpy bumpy artwork. I’ve always been more attracted to sculpture, pottery, carvings, art [...]

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Trick or Treat! Gift Tag

by Joe Morgan September 12, 2011

October will be here soon! So, I decided to make something for Halloween this week since it is my favorite time of the year. For this week’s post, I made a tag that I can attach to a small gift bag of Halloween treats. I started out by stamping the Surprised Kitty stamp on white [...]

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September Card Club

by Amy Day September 5, 2011

Another month has come and gone; and before the Create and Craft team knew what was happening, it was time for another card swap at Red Letter Journal.  I can’t speak for the entire team, but I know I always vow to not wait until the last minute to make my cards; and yet here [...]

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M-113 Steampunk Clock

by Joe Rotella September 1, 2011

Over the past 6 months, we’ve been going to thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales looking for things we could incorporate in to our craft projects. I’ve been especially interested in wooden pieces that I could upscale using paper collage and stamping. One of our finds was a small battery operated clock in a [...]

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Bah! Humbug! Christmas card season is coming! Like it, or not!

by Joe Morgan August 31, 2011

    While browsing though the Viva Las Vegastamps! store, I found this beautiful Angel stamp that I had to have. The card you see here isn’t what I had originally planned to do with this stamp, but once I found the “Grumpy Nightcap Man” stamp that makes me think of Scrooge, I decided to [...]

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August Card Club

by Amy Day August 27, 2011

You know the old saying “Better late than never?”  I’m going to use that as my defense! Red Letter Journals’ monthly card club met on Sunday, August 7.  Unfortunately, the Create & Craft team was unable to attend, but we were nicely represented by Carole’s daughter-in-law, the lovely Joanna.  While I was at our annual [...]

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3D Memorabilia Display – Butterfly Frame

by Carole Lassak August 23, 2011

I discovered a new way to save and display precious photos and memorabilia—Globecraft Memories 3D keeper frames. This butterfly kit comes with the globe, pre-cut designer paper, butterfly cut-outs, and these pieces to assemble the frame. To begin the project I painted a thin layer of 3D Crystal Lacquer on the oval pieces and adhered [...]

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The Off-Season!

by Joe Morgan August 22, 2011

  Hello again! For my post this time, I decided to mix weird and funny (again). While browsing through the Viva Las Vegastamps! online store, I found this sentiment that says “In the off-season, the sugarplums dance in seedy nightclubs.” I knew right away that I could make a funny card with this one, so [...]

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Creating a Letterblock Tray

by Joe Rotella August 16, 2011

It’s Margie’s fault. Maybe Joe Morgan’s too. I’ll tell you about Margie in a minute. As for JoeM… a while ago, he picked up a 7Gypsies Letterblock Tray at Archiver’s. It has sat, among all the other supplies we’ve collected for our crafting dreams and fantasies, waiting for the right moment to turn in to [...]

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Backgrounds with Crystal Lacquer

by Carole Lassak August 10, 2011

I am participating in a card swap next month at Red Letter Journals, one of our local scrapbooking shops. The challenge theme is backgrounds. So, here’s what I came up with. I started with a piece of acetate slightly smaller that my card. I stamped my image—Dragonfly from Earth Art International—on the acetate using black [...]

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Don’t Make Me Get My Flying Monkeys!

by Joe Morgan August 8, 2011

  Don’t Make Me Get My Flying Monkeys! Hello again! For my Viva Las Vegastamps! blog post this week, I wanted to use a witch stamp that I got in my last order. So here is what I came up with. I ended up using three stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! in my project. First, [...]

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Stained Glass Crane

by Joe Morgan August 5, 2011

I was asked by another member of the Viva Las Vegastamps! design team if I could post today in her place because she is travelling for a fun filled weekend. So I agreed and this is what I made! I fell in love with the Stained Glass Crane (#5013) stamp as soon as I saw [...]

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Permanent Masks

by Carole Lassak July 27, 2011

I started my paper arts adventure as a stamper. I still reach back to my roots and dig out the rubber stamps. One of the stamping techniques that I most enjoy is masking. This technique creates the illusion of depth and perspective. The original stamped image is covered with a mask so subsequent stamped images [...]

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The Curse!

by Joe Morgan July 24, 2011

Sometimes, two things collide and the result is a very interesting card. I eagerly opened the “pound of rubber” from Viva Las Vegastamps! as soon as the packaged arrived. Would it have cool stamps? How many would be ones that I would have picked out myself? Would there be any surprises that would really inspire [...]

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Mica Powders and Crystal Lacquer

by Carole Lassak July 13, 2011

I love the stamps from Earth Art International designed by Sue Coccia. For this set of notecards I selected the Hare, Dragonfly, and Horse stamps. I used VersaMark Watermark ink to stamp each image on black paper. VersaMark is so sticky that it acts as an adhesive for pigment powders. Next, I lightly brushed mica [...]

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So who can relate to this card?

by Joe Morgan July 11, 2011

  While browsing in the Viva Las Vegastamps! store a few weeks ago, I noticed the unusually large selection of stamps of different women with unique facial expressions. Then I came across this sentiment (see card) and knew I could put it to use. The two stamps I used are: Lady With Dog  #7546 First [...]

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Coloring Black Lined Stamps

by Amy Day July 3, 2011

Another month has come and gone.  It seems like just yesterday the Create & Craft team was at Red Letter Journal for the monthly card club.  No one knows how fast time can fly like the brave souls who were up until the wee hours of the morning making their cards for today . . [...]

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Sakura Crystal Lacquer Blog Hop!

by Carole Lassak June 29, 2011

Welcome to Sakura Crystal Lacquer’s Blog Hop!! You have arrived from Heather’s blog. First off, I need to credit Joe Rotella, Founder and Creative Director of Create & Craft, with this idea. He’s been creating some outstanding projects using aluminum tape. The shapes I used are from SVG Cuts’ Peony Cottage SVG Kit. The supplies [...]

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Viva Las Vegastamps! Blog Hop

by Joe Morgan June 29, 2011

Welcome to the Viva Las Vegastamps! blog hop! If you are hopping in order, you should have come here from Rebecca Parsons’ blog. If this happens to be your first stop, be sure to visit all the blogs by following the links.  For blog candy, Viva Las Vegastamps! is giving away their “Pound O’ Rubber” [...]

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Hot in Vegas!

by Joe Morgan June 27, 2011

Hi! Today I posted my second project for the Viva Las Vegastamps! design team. As luck would have it,  I just happen to be posting from my room at The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.  I am here with my partner who is here on business to speak at an HR conference (SHRM). Tomorrow, I [...]

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Crystal Lacquer Wrist Cuff

by Carole Lassak June 21, 2011

I have to give credit for this project to my daughter-in-law Joanna Lassak. We were looking through some of my past projects when she suggested making a wrist cuff with Sakura Hobby Craft Crystal Lacquer. To begin I poured a band of clear crystal lacquer on a Teflon craft mat. Next I sprinkled the base [...]

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Gnomes Are Stealing My Sanity!

by Joe Morgan June 12, 2011

Hi! Thanks for checking out my first blog post as a Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team member. I have a strange sense of humor, as you will see in some of my postings. For this project I decided to make a card using three stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! To start out, I stamped the [...]

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Hand Made Flowers

by Amy Day June 11, 2011

A few months ago, the Create and Craft team joined a monthly card swap at Red Letter Journal in Grove City.  Each month, the club meets to create a card using a specific technique.  Over the next month, each member makes a set of 6 cards using that technique.  The cards made over the previous [...]

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Word Book

by Carole Lassak June 7, 2011

The chip board letters for this work book were a gift from Betty Scott, one of the Create & Craft design team members, to celebrate the birth of my first grandchild–eighteen months ago. I will admit that I was totally intimidated by this project and put off beginning it. But once I got started, I [...]

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Once Upon A Time…Illuminated Letters

by Joe Rotella May 27, 2011

Fate has a way of making things happen that are supposed to happen. Earlier this week I had to spend a day in Chicago and caught a flight back home to Columbus at the end of the day. When I got in line at position A1 (shoutout to Southwest!), I was surprised to see a [...]

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Gem Particle Jewelry

by Carole Lassak May 24, 2011

I’m finding that Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer combines with many elements such as beads, glitter, microbeads. These jewelry projects paired crystal lacquer and gem particles. These gem particles are a cross between tiny mica chips and chunky glitter. They are available from Sakura Hobby Craft in three iridescent colors: blue flash, raspberry, and peacock green.  [...]

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Outline Stickers Meet Crystal Lacquer

by Carole Lassak May 10, 2011

Outline stickers and Sakura Hobby Craft 3D Crystal Lacquer are a marriage made in heaven. I’ve been having so much fun with these two products. One projects just seem to lead to another—with no end in sight!! Since I’m always into jewelry, this first project came quite naturally. For my butterfly pin I adhered a [...]

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Book Thong and Kindle Charm

by Carole Lassak April 26, 2011

I’ve been having fun with jewelry findings, beads, and 3D Crystal Lacquer. Both of my sisters are avid readers–one used to be a librarian–and I wanted to make each of them a bookmark. These are so much fun to do. And easy!! To make the charm I cut a word out of an old dictionary [...]

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Easter Eggs with 3D Crystal Lacquer

by Carole Lassak April 13, 2011

Anybody thinking about decorating Easter eggs??? You can definitely add a new dimension to your egg decorations with colored 3D crystal lacquers from Sakura Hobby Craft. I started my egg decorating project by coloring hard boiled eggs. I dissolved a tiny amount of paste dye (the kind used for cake icing) in one cup of hot [...]

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Acetate, Glitter & 3D Lacquer

by Carole Lassak March 23, 2011

Today I have another fun project using Sakura Hobby Craft 3D Crystal Lacquer, acetate, and glitter. I made a tile that I used to embellish the front of a greeting card. This is an easy technique that delivers results that will have folks asking, “How did you do that?” To start, select the stamp that [...]

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We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

by Amy Day March 17, 2011

That’s right Toto!  Riley isn’t in Kansas – he’s in Ohio!  AND he’s getting ready for his debut at Scrapbook Art – Saturday, March 19th. Riley and his girlfriend Sophie are cute no matter what they are doing, but they are especially cute as the cast of the Wizard of Oz.  While my absolute favorite [...]

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Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team Submissions

by Joe Morgan March 15, 2011

Viva Las VegaStamps! Here are a couple of projects I did for the Viva Las VegaStamps! call for design team members. The first one was a butterfly card that I made using an Impression Obsession Cover A Card stamp on two layers, and then a PSX butterfly stamp colored with 3 different shades of blue [...]

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Shrink Film Jewelry

by Carole Lassak March 9, 2011

I am thrilled to be a member of the newly organized design team for Sakura Hobby Crafts!! Twice a month I’ll be sharing a project that uses Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer. For this project I made two pins using shrink film and Crystal Lacquer. Here’s the supplies that I used: rubberstamps, Graphix Matte Shrink Film, [...]

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Love at First Sight

by Amy Day March 6, 2011

Love at first sight?  It’s not a myth.  I have proof that it exists.  I’ve not only seen it, I’ve experienced it!  I didn’t expect it.  I didn’t search for it.  But when my eyes fell upon that sweet face, I knew life would never be the same! I have fallen in love with a [...]

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SVG Blog Hop

by Carole Lassak March 5, 2011

Create & Craft is excited to be a part of this SVG blog hop!! We do a lot of paper crafting using Sure Cuts A Lot software and our Cricut cutting machine. Create & Craft is the only SCAL reseller that offers unlimited lifetime support for SCAL. Even if you didn’t purchase your SCAL from [...]

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Riley the Moose Comes to Ohio

by Joe Rotella February 27, 2011

    For the first time ever, and for a very limited time, Riley is available in central Ohio! Riley is the adorable little moose recently featured in a two page article in Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine (March 2011) and soon to be featured in another two page article in the April 2011 issue! [...]

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Bobbin Lace—A Break from Papercrafting

by Carole Lassak February 24, 2011

In addition to papercrafting, I also make handmade bobbin lace and wanted to share a little bit of that world with you. Bobbin lace is a form of weaving. Threads are wound on bobbins that are manipulated to form patterns. Pins help to support the lace while it is being made. The lace is worked [...]

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Meeting Kari McKnight-Holbrook

by Joe Rotella February 18, 2011

Handmade books and journals fascinate me. I love the different materials people can incorporate in a book, from the pages to the covers to the bindings to the embellishments. They are works of art that unfold before you as you turn the pages. I like how can see and feel the different textures of the [...]

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Tim Holtz Inspired Challenge

by Joe Rotella February 17, 2011

K. Andrew over at Getting Cricky posted a challenge on her blog to create something in the altered style of Tim Holtz.  With only 1 night to work on our projects, Joe M., Betty and I sat down to crank out something completely free flowing. No planning. No fretting. Just  heart-to-hands creating. Here’s what we [...]

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What Every Woman Wants…New Jewelry

by Carole Lassak February 15, 2011

This project started at the recent CHA Winter Conference. At the Aitoh Origami and Paper Crafts booth, they were using their amazing Japanese papers to cover wooden bangle bracelets. So, OK–I made a couple bracelets and was generally pleased with the results. The patterns and colors of their papers are outstanding–beyond beautiful. Yet, there was [...]

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Congratulations Karel – You Won!

by Joe Rotella February 14, 2011

Congratulations to Karel Jennings of Hilton, NY! She’s the winner of our Your Story Package for participating the Getting Cricky Across the 50 blog hop hosted by Kristal Andrew. We selected our winner using Random.org and 60 was the lucky comment number. Karel’s hobbies are reading, paper crafting, needle crafting and sewing. She blogs at [...]

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Your Story Package Giveaway! Cricky Across the 50! Blog Hop

by Joe Rotella February 11, 2011

A Big Cricut Hello & Chirp to each of you! Welcome to the Cricky Across the 50 Blog Hop hosted by K Andrew of Getting Cricky! If you are here from Patricia Logan of MDN Creates then you are in the right spot. If you just arrived here and would like to start from the [...]

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3D Crystal Lacquer, Glitter & Shine

by Carole Lassak February 8, 2011

I love anything that sparkles and shines, so it was only natural that I would pair 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Hobby Craft with glitter. I began this project by printing an image on acetate using a laser printer. Working from the side of the acetate that is not printed, outline one area with the [...]

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Today’s Scrapbook Yard Sale Haul

by Joe Morgan February 5, 2011

This month in our area (Columbus, OH) we’ve marked our calendar to check out four scrapbook garage sales. A scrapbook garage sale gives people the chance to sell tools and supplies they no longer want to others who love to paper craft. Let’s face it, scrapbookers who have been scrapbooking for awhile have more than likely accumulated [...]

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Lovin’ 3D Lacquer

by Carole Lassak February 4, 2011

My head is still spinning with all the ideas and images from the CHA Winter Conference!! After a couple itinerary revisions to avoid the snowstorm in Chicago, arrived home late Wednesday night. Right after hugs and kisses to/from hubby, I got out the 3D lacquer samples from Sakura Hobby Crafts. I just couldn’t wait to [...]

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We’re Back From CHA Winter 2011

by Joe Rotella February 2, 2011

After a week in Los Angeles, CA for the The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Tradeshow, the Create & Craft team is back at home in Columbus, OH. And what a week it’s been! Folks took some great classes, learned some new techniques, connected with familiar friends, met great folks, did some shopping, and [...]

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Barbara Trombley: The Original Glitter Queen!

by Joe Rotella January 30, 2011

Today at the CHA 2011 Winter tradeshow, I had the pleasure to meet Barbara Trombley, the original glitter Queen! Barbara was standing in front of a glittered butterfly, about 4 foot square, that had the most amazing shading I’ve ever seen! And there were rows and rows of glitter in all 100′s of colors and [...]

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Our Trip to Stampaway 2010

by Joe Rotella August 14, 2010

Our trip to Stampaway in Cincinnati allowed us to meet some fantastic designers (Amy Flowers, Joni Russell, Magdalena Muldoon), gave us the chance to learn some new techniques (mixed media collage, metal engraving) and inspired us to start hunting for some really cool ephemera.

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Font Swatch Book Made With SCAL

by Joe Rotella April 15, 2010

Join our SCAL Club, in person in Columbus, Ohio or remote, and create a swatch book of your favorite SCAL fonts! Trade swatches with other SCAL users to discover fonts you can use to take your designs to the next level.

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Cupcake Card

by Joe Rotella January 3, 2010

Nearly everyone loves cupcakes, those pint sized servings of delicious cake covered in swirls of icing. We create this card, with “swirls” of embossed icing, to help celebrate Valentine’s Day.

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