Blog Hop - Stamps and Inks by Ann Butler

How lucky I am to have been asked by Ann Butler, once again, to be a part of this blog hop using her stamps by Kelly Crafts and her inks from Clearsnap.  This is the first of two "hops" showcasing these products.  (I'm keeping the other new set under wraps till the next blog hop in January.)

My idea was to use this wonderful EZ-De's Flourish 2" Alphabet stamp set for personalizing gifts.  Here I made a sweet pillowcase for one of my granddaughters.  (I will be making another for her little sister too.)  I love the size and the style of the letters.  They are so versatile and can see them used over and over in any variety of projects.

I also used another set of Ann's stamps from her line of "faux quilting" stamps in this project to show how easy they can be used to make an fun and interesting design.  By changing ink colors you can create your own personalized look. This project uses both of the color of Colorbox Crafter Inks by Ann Butler.  I decided to add a few more embellishments to make the pillowcase a bit more decorative.  I went to another of my favorite tools - Sizzix Big Shot and Dies.  I fused fabric to a iron-on interfacing and then die-cut some flower shapes and some flourishes.  Completed the flowers with small, smooth buttons and some fabric ties as pillow closures.

This alphabet set is easy to use and line up.  I can see using it to personalize any wearable or other object with a name or monogram.

Here is another easy project I was able to make this afternoon.  This little banner will be a nice addition to my many handmade Christmas decorations and would make a sweet gift.  For this project I used a double-sided fusible batting, that I sandwiched between two pieces of fabric.  Then rectangles 4" x 6" were cut from the fabric.  The bottom of each was cut into a "V".  Using regular card stock, I cut 3" x 3" squares and stamped with ink the letters.  The edges of the paper were trimmed with pinking shears and "dashes" were made around the square to look like "faux stitching".  The letter squares are glued onto the fabric rectangles, then finally embellished with die-cut holly leaves and red shiny berries.  They attached to a simple red cord with tiny wooden clothespins.

I love banners and I can see using these Alphabet stamps in many different banners.

Now you can simply start or continue to hop through the blogs and find some wonderful ideas for these wonderful new stamps.

Here is the list to follow:

Ann Butler

Cindi Bisson

Lisa Fulmer

Cheryl Boglioli

Madeline Arendt

Plucking Daisies

Lisa Rojas

Candice Windham

Sharon Reinhart 

Theresa Cifali