MISTI

Posted in Tools & Products I like by lisababitz

MISTI

I must confess that I am a bit of a “craft tool addict” and get much pleasure in purchasing and trying out all the latest tools and gadgets that I can get my hands on. I see a project I like, and I immediately check out the supply list and the tools that were used! Anyway, I recently discovered a tool that looked very interesting. (Thanks for sharing this, Verna!) It is called the MISTI (Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented).

Very briefly, you use this by placing your stamp (clear or red rubber cling) on the acrylic lid. The paper is placed on the black foam (or in that section with the foam removed). When the stamp is inked up and the lid is closed, the stamp comes in contact with the paper and your image is produced. If you open the lid and close it again, the stamp hits the paper in the exact spot it did the first time. You can see the You Tube video describing and demonstrating it HERE.

Why the MISTI looked interesting to me:

I often have trouble fixing a less than perfectly stamped image when parts of the image did not stamp or when there was uneven ink transfer. This can happen with any stamp, but I often have trouble with large frame and background stamps or with larger solid image stamps.

I use a stamp-a-ma-jig a lot when I need precise placement of my stamps, and I really like it and get great results with it. I use it to try to fix poorly stamped images as well. However, because there is a small amount of human error involved with lining up the stamp against the stamp-a-ma-jig positioning tool, my stamped image sometimes ends up less than perfect when I need to go over the image a second time. Sometimes it works great, and sometimes I get an image that looks a little blurry because it is just a touch off. The MISTI works like a stamp-a-ma-jig in that the stamp is placed on and remains in a fixed position on the acrylic block, but the hinge keeps the acrylic lid from changing position so you know exactly where the image will end up no matter how many times you stamp it. Because re-stamping is so easy, you get great results when trying to get a darker or more solid image with the solid stamps as well because you can stamp and re-stamp as many times as necessary to get the desired results.

I also have a bit of trouble using the stamp-a-ma-jig with the really large acrylic blocks; I find it hard to line up these blocks against the positioning tool properly. With the MISTI, you line up your stamp using the grid marks provided (or by initially placing the stamp right on your paper where you want it), and then it stays in position on the acrylic lid until you are done with it.

There are several videos demonstrating how to use MISTI for perfect placement of stamps, for creating backgrounds and for general stamping tips. Check them out at http://mysweetpetunia.com.

Here are a few of the images I stamped using the MISTI so you can see how it works.

This first example is with the bride and groom stamp from Gina K Designs “Always and Forever” duo stamp set. It’s a large, solid stamp that makes a silhouette type image. Because this is a red rubber cling stamp, I’ve removed the foam insert from the left side of the MISTI. I placed my paper in the lower left corner, although you can place it anywhere as long as it stays in the same place until you are done stamping the image.

I stamped the image by inking up the stamp and closing the acrylic lid. Without moving the paper, I re-inked the stamp and closed the lid again.

For comparison purposes, the image on the left was stamped the traditional way using an acrylic block on foam on a table, and the image on the right is the one from the MISTI, stamped several times. Both were stamped with Gina K Christmas Pine ink. (There is nothing wrong with the left image. It is beautiful and could be used as is, but if you want a richer image, it is easier to achieve it with the MISTI because you can stamp it and re-stamp it.)

For this next sample, I am using a clear stamp so I put the foam insert into the left side of the MISTI. (I ordered additional grid paper that can be place on top of the foam if needed for placement, but there is also a built in grid on the acrylic lid. I also just discovered that there is a downloadable grid on the site where this is sold as well.) I am using the optional magnets I purchased to hold my paper in place. For this sample, I intentionally stamped the image very lightly to get an incomplete image. The stamp is from the Gina K Designs “Fabulous Frame” stamp set.

Leaving the paper in place, I re-inked the stamp and closed the lid again. Perfect!

Here is one more comparison where the image was stamped traditionally using an acrylic block on a table (pictured on the left) and with the MISTI (pictured on the right, stamped several times). This stamp comes from the Gina K Designs “Inspiration Mosaic” stamp set.

My MISTI just arrived in the mail yesterday, but here are my initial thoughts:

I can see this tool being really helpful for use with stamps from which I often have trouble getting good images and for re-stamping when needed.
I can see this tool being really helpful for making multiple copies of a stamped panel by leaving the stamp in place and replacing the paper in the exact same spot.
It works great with clear and red rubber cling stamps. You cannot use it with wood mounted rubber stamps as they are too thick and the wood can’t cling to the acrylic lid.
I am not sure if this will replace my stamp-a-ma-jig or will be an additional placement tool; that remains to be seen!
I have not had this tool long at all (a day!) so I cannot comment on its durability.
My MISTI squeaks when the lid is opened and closed, and I noticed that it squeaks on the You Tube video as well. I’m not sure if that will go away with use. (Not a big problem for me at this point, and she claims it will stop squeaking with time in her FAQ section on her blog.)
The part where you place your paper is not large enough to hold a whole piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper (or 12 x 12 for scrapbooking) so the paper must be trimmed before you can stamp. (REVISION (1/13/15): CHECK OUT BANJO58’s COMMENT BELOW FOR A WAY TO USE LARGER PAPER – AWESOME SUGGESTION. THANKS FOR THE TIP!)

Overall, the positives seem to FAR outweigh the negatives at this point, and I look forward to using this tool a lot!!

ADDITION TO POST (1/13/15) – I’VE BEEN USING THIS TOOL A LOT SINCE I’VE GOTTEN IT AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. I AM ACTUALLY CONSIDERING ORDERING A SECOND ONE AS THERE ARE MANY PROJECTS I HAVE WORKED ON RECENTLY WHERE SEVERAL STAMPS WERE USED ON PROJECTS THAT I WANTED TO DUPLICATE (LIKE CHRISTMAS AND THANK YOU CARDS). HAVING MORE SURFACE SPACE TO KEEP STAMPS POSITIONED WOULD BE AWESOME. DEFINITELY NOT NECESSARY, BUT REALLY NICE. BIRTHDAY, MAYBE?….. 🙂

To order a MISTI, go to mysweetpetunia.com or amazon.com.

At this point, she sells out quickly. I signed up to follow her blog by email and received word that she was going to have them available for sale at 9:30 (central time) last Friday. By 9:33 she was sold out! I’m not sure how many she had to sell, but I was lucky enough to get my order in before they were gone! I actually put the additional items I wanted (grid paper, magnets to hold the paper in place, and the recommended cleaning solution) in my cart earlier in the day and kept the page open and up on my computer until it was sale time. I had set a timer so I wouldn’t forget or lose track of time (am I crazy?!), and at 9:29 I started refreshing the page until the item became available. At this point, all I had to do was add it to my cart and pay which was done with paypal so I just had to enter my password and was pretty much finished. A little stressful, but worth it! (Reminds me of the Tickle Me Elmo and Wii frenzies!!) I placed my order on Friday night, and it was delivered on Monday. Pretty awesome!

UPDATE (March 20, 2015): IT APPEARS THAT THE MISTI IS NOW IN STOCK (AND MUCH EASIER TO ORDER!) AND AVAILABLE AT mysweetpetunia.com or at amazon.com. (March 20, 2015)

This really may be the Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

Thanks for checking out my post!

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18Nov2014

Mod Squad Challenge – Tag Time – (WINNER – Third Place)

Posted in Cards, I'm Honored by lisababitz

Mod Squad Challenge Winner (Honorable Mention)

Mod Squad Challenge Winner (Third Place)

(November 18, 2014)

(The host/hostess picked the “Top 3” which will be featured on PINTEREST.)

~~Click HERE to see the winning announcement.~~ (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

~~Click HERE to see the original challenge post.~~ (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

Click HERE to see the original tag post.

Thanks for checking out my post!

17Nov2014

Tea Bag Fold Christmas Tree Tag

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Holiday Cards by lisababitz

Tea Bag Fold Christmas Tree Tag

This tag was made for the Mod Squad Challenge – Tag Time – where we are to make a Christmas tag. (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

And it is also being entered in the Perfectly Rustics Challenge No. 36 – Embossing – where we are to use wet or dry embossing on our project. (http://perfectlyrustics.com/2014/11/17/prdc-36-embossing/)

It is also being entered in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – We’re Seeing Stars – where we are to include a star on our project. (http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-were-seeing-stars/)

For this tag, I created a Christmas Tree using the tea bag folding technique. Click HERE to see how it is done. The paper used to make the tree was Pine Green Plaid by Paper Pizazz. The trunk was made with a scrap of Gina K Christmas Pine card stock and embossed with the Tim Holtz Alterations wood grained embossing folder. The polka dotted card stock behind the tree is the back of Basic Grey’s Grape Vine from the Plumeria collection. The large tag itself was cut from Gina K Christmas Pine card stock using the Tim Holtz alterations Moves & Shapers Bigz Die – Tags and Bookplates and embossed with the Sizzix (Stampin’ Up) Stripes embossing folder, although it’s hard to see that it is embossed in the photo. The greeting is stamped from a portion of the sentiment stamp from the Gina K Designs “A Gift For You” duo stamp set (retired?). (The whole sentiment didn’t fit on my mini tag.) The greeting was stamped with versamark and gina k Christmas pine embossing powder. The mini tag that it is mounted on is cut from a Heartfelt Creations die from a set called Decorative Flower Pot (HCD 732). The silver star charm was colored with Copic Marker E49 to make it match the rusty pin better. It was pinned to the ribbon along with the mini tag. The back is covered with a white panel which covers the ribbon and provides a place to write the “to” and “from” information for this gift tag.

Here is the tag on a card base. For the red panel, I used Gina K Cherry Red card stock and embossed it with the Cuttlebug D’Vine Swirls embossing folder. The card base is more of the Basic Grey paper used on the tag.

Thanks for checking out my project!

This content uses referral links as described in the disclosure policy on my sidebar.

17Nov2014

How to Make a “Tea Bag Fold” Christmas Tree

Posted in Tutorials by lisababitz

How to Make A “Tea Bag Fold” Christmas Tree

To make this Christmas tree, you need 3 squares of paper; a 3″ x 3″ square, a 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square, and a 2″ x 2″ square. Card stock will work, but it is much easier to fold paper. Also, you will only see one side of the paper when you are done folding each piece so it does not have to be printed on both sides. In my paper above, the back of the plaid paper is white.

Start with any one of the squares you cut. You are going to make 4 folds. You can either fold it by hand or use a scoring board.

First, fold the square in half. (For this fold, it is easier later if you fold the paper in both directions – fold it once, then open it up and fold it back the other way.)

Unfold it. Turn it a quarter of the way around and fold it in half again. (For this fold also, it is easier later if you fold the paper in both directions – fold it once, then open it up and fold it back the other way.)

Unfold it. Now fold it from corner to corner on a diagonal.

Unfold it. Do the same with the other corners.

When you are done, you should have these folds.

Pinch each of the corners so it looks like this.

You want to push in the sides labeled 1 & 2 in while flattening sides 3 & 4 as shown standing up in the overhead view. (It is easy to push in sides 1 & 2 if you folded the first fold both ways as instructed above.)

This is what it should now look like, lying flat on the table. (I’m including a photo of the printed paper I used on my sample from this point on to make it easier to see the folds.) From this point, it is much easier to work with it lying on the table.

Take the top panel (on either side) and fold it to the center. Look at the third photo before you fold it to see how this fold looks when it is done. (You are lining up the outside, diagonal edge with the middle line.)

Do the same with the other side.

This piece is complete. Do the same with the other two squares you originally cut out. Then arrange them into a tree by tucking the points of each into the slightly smaller piece and attach with a bit of adhesive. Make a trunk from a scrap if desired.

Here is the gift tag I made using this technique.

(Click HERE to see the original project post with this tree.)

Thanks for checking out my tutorial!

17Nov2014

Lots of Dots Christmas Tree Tag

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Holiday Cards by lisababitz

Lots of Dots Christmas Tree Tag

This tag was made for the Mod Squad Challenge – Tag Time – where we are to make a Christmas tag. (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

This tag is also being entered in the StampTV MIUM Challenge – “All Things, Great and Small” – where we are to incorporate both large stamped images and very small stamped images into our card design. I used the small polka dotted circle stamp to build my tree and a larger greeting stamp. (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

Finally, it is being entered in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – We’re Seeing Stars – where we are to include a star on our project. (http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-were-seeing-stars/)

I used the larger polka dotted circle stamp from the Gina K Designs “Fabulous Holiday Fillers” stamp set and gina k Christmas pine ink to create the Christmas tree on ivory card stock. I used a stamp-a-ma-jig and graph paper to line up the circles. Then I colored self-sticking rhinestones with Copic marker R89 and adhered them in the spaces between the stamped circles. The greeting is from the Gina K Designs “Merry Tree” duo (retired?) stamp set and was also stamped in the Christmas pine on ivory card stock. Gina K red hot and Christmas pine card stock was also used. The cream colored background card stock is My Mind’s Eye Nutmeg “Boy” Southwest Paper from the Indie Chic collection and was embossed with the Hobby Solution Lattice embossing folder. Red raffia and a silver star charm finished off the tag.

Thanks for checking out my project!

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