Adding tape/powder to die cut or Cameo cut foam as preliminary to stamping

Foam Cuts using Cameo, now I have even more uses for them as Stamps with MISTI

Cutting foam with my Cameo has been an obsession since I began experimenting with these foam cuts for use with clay/pottery.  Because now these very, inexpensive to produce, foam cuts have even more utility if the "positive" can be used easily as stamps, especially with the MISTI.  This wonderful tool enables restamping perfectly to get more vivid, bold stamped images (see previous Posting and video on how I do this).  I thought I would make it easy for you to crawl through almost 4 years of my experiments with cutting foam by providing direct links to those posts.  Before I do, I have this picture to show you how one cut from that Dollar Tree foam can provide two useful products.  You can actually use both sides (positive and negative) as stamps (or on gelli plate for those playing with that technique), but if any of you have friends dabbling with pottery/clay, you could give them the parts that create raised images, they will be very excited when they start using them.  I have actually sold some to many local potters here.

But as promised, here are all the links to almost 4 years of experiments on cutting and using foam cut with the Silhouette Cameo

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/05/experimenting-and-playing.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/04/now-for-square-one.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/04/back-to-pottery-and-foam-cuts.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/02/finally-putting-it-all-together.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/12/still-playing-like-mad-scientist.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/11/details-on-how-foam-was-cut-using-cameo.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/09/more-foam-cuts-and-impressions-in-clay.html

http://s2.photobucket.com/user/paulinepdm/slideshow/Cameo%20Silhouette%20Digital%20Cutting

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-photos-made-from-impressing-fun.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/using-my-cameo-digital-cutting-machine.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/using-my-cameo-digital-cutting-machine.html

DIY foam stamps can be easily used with MISTI, here's how

As you know, I love cutting foam with my Silhouette Cameo and have lots of postings on this blog on how I do this, and ways I use them, particularly in my clay work.  But I love papercrafting as well and after investing in the MISTI, have come up with ways to turn all those foam cuts (positives) into useable stamps.  I have stamped with them before but often you need a second printing of ink to get nice strong images and the MISTI is perfect for getting that look, so I have made a little video showing you how I do this:

I made a disastrous video earlier showing this but the camera app I was using turned everything sideways in the viewer and I was holding my tablet while filming so you could get very dizzy watching it which is why I made the one above.  However, I forgot to mention in the one above that I coat the sticky side around the foam stuck to packing tape with powder/cornstarch so it won't stick to paper while tryng to position it before inking, so if you don't mind watching a horribly produced video, you can watch this one too.

Ready to make more

Another full 12x18"label sheet with my favorite stickers, have some special requests for these.

More cards first one used stickers second one not

Another card

And my Cameo didn't even ask for a raise

Most I have gotten on a full page sticker label 12"x18", lots of flowers each cut.

 I love my Cameo, and my wide format printer.  After making this card (included in previous post) which I think is even prettier in person:

I decided I needed lots more of these bouquets and filled the sheet with smaller and medium sized flowers which are nice to include on envelopes and inside card, etc, so I created this huge print and cut and my Cameo just cut every bit out perfectly.

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Oops another sticker sheet

When everything is going smoothly, I just want to get as many of these sticker sheets printed and cut ready to use.

Oops another sticker sheet

When everything is going smoothly, I just want to get as many of these sticker sheets printed and cut ready to use.

Another card and another sticker sheet

Can't stop myself this new sticker sheet will be great for fall and Christmas too and I fill in sheet with dragonflies and hummingbirds which I can always use.

More cards made with stickers

I bought this bundle from hungry jpeg a while back  they say that bundle has ended but not sure if the link I have provided would work for purchase.  Anyway, their bundles are awesome and there is so much in them.  Buried way down in part 2, in a file called floral compositions, I spotted an image I particularly liked.  It is shown in this card.  The original image is beautiful, but I pumped up the gamma , maybe I should say down not up? In the software I slid lever to left to darken a bit, then adjusted the lighting a d contrast before tracing, printing and cutting, I love the way these look on white cardstock, I wrap the stickers over top of card so I get part of back decorated, as well as adding a few to inside, and, of course decorating the envelopes makes a birthday enjoyable the moment the mail arrives.

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Here are a few more I made over the  weekend :

quick video on tracing images for print and cut stickers

The whole process of making and using these stickers would take many videos, and I apologize that the video above may not be perfect, did not have time for editing, etc, but there might be some info in it that could be useful.  In the video, I am showing how to trace the beautiful images in the HungryJpeg summer design bundle, in particular, the Vintage Garden images.  You get so much in these bundles for the $$, and best of all, you can use them in items you make without concern about copyright, I have sold a few of the cards I made using these images.  Anyway, for those who might want a little insight into the process I use in making these images into stickers, here is a quick, very rough presentation.  Perhaps I can continue showing additional information in the whole process, we will see.

Making cards using stickers

I have been having a ball making cards using great flowers and foliage, print and cut on full page labels, then arranging them "artfully" on cards.  They are turning out great.  You can see them here.
I love all of the images I have bought from Hungry JPEG, and most of the ones I have used are from here, and here.  Here are a few pics

video silkscreening logo1

The above video  might be helpful for those who want to use silkscreens on their pottery.  Actually, this commission piece enabled me to use almost all of the techniques I have learned, The plate itself was made from a lowfire white clay slab, impressed with a foam texture  that I made using my Silhouette Cameo.  Click here to see original posting showing finished plate. 

In the linked posting, you can see the foam cut I made to create the shape and decoration of the plate

One thing I didn't mention in that entry was that I did all the glazing and decorating on greenware "and" single fired the whole thing at cone 04.  I wanted the front of the plate to be whiter than the clay body, so used white underglaze on the font of the plate, then silkscreened the spanish sentiment on top of the white underglaze, then used clear glaze over the whole thing.  

I have made hundreds of foam cuts on my Silhouette Cameo to use with my clay and in other hobbies,

you can see many of the foam cuts here

Stickers and cards and Cameo

Some time ago I was inspired by an image I saw for a card wish I had credit info for this, but can't seem to find where I saw it several weeks ago (maybe months) :

I had been excited to try to make some similar to this, since I had purchased a bundle of great illustrations from Hungry JPEG, really some great images and gorgeous bundles of illustrated bouquets.  The link to the bundle I purchased is here

When you see the image I used, you can see how much it resembles the above inspiration.
Anyway, I tried several attempts at making stickers to do the job.  Several posts ago, I mentioned how much I love the full page labels I have gotten from OnLine Labels.  I have the 8.5" x 11" size as well as the larger 12" x 18" since I have a wide format printer, I wanted to have this size as well.  I started out with some success which motivated me to print and cut lots of stickers, but I kept messing around until I could not get a close cut and couldn't unravel which "clever (lol)" tricks I employed as I went along.  Needless to say, I got things to cut badly (I will have another post on that, I was going to trash the whole thing, but then found another way to use the messed up cuts --more on that later).

Then there was a thread on Yahoo's Silhouette Users Group with several suggestions on how to correct this problem.  The best solution, as usual, came from Kay Hall here:

So today, I decided to tackle the project "again."  I used the Silhouette Software and traced outer edge of image, grouped them with the print version of the Hungry JPEG image and printed them "from a saved PDF file, of this layout:

Here is the printed version from the PDF file I had saved, opened and printed

Now I can peel off the stickers and arrange them on a kraft card and envelope I made.  The object was to be able to see the Kraft paper through the tiny openings of the finely cut sticker and I think I am very happy with this Finally!!  I was able to fold the stickers around the edges and to the other side of both card and envelope.  I won't go into all the other "failures" but with Kay Hall's instructions I could keep it simple and got the job done.  Hope this helps anyone struggling with making stickers using label paper.  Here also is pic of my settings, using the Silhouette blade "but" I have it set at 8, not 2 as shown on this screenshot.