RUBBER STAMPS

"Cut a piece of red cardstock 3 3/4" x 11". Measure and mark on of the long edges at 4" and 8". Score and fold at both marks, creating a tri-folded card. To create the pointed flap, mark the center of the flap and cut from the fold to the center mark on both sides. On inside of card, stamp greeting using Oriental Brush Alphabet Set and gold pigment ink. Emboss with detail gold embossing powder. Using a Versamark pad, stamp Chinese Newsprint image on both inside and outside of card covering all surfaces. On outside of card, emboss design with detail clear embossing powder. Stamp right over the embossed greeting on inside of card and leave un-embossed to create the watermark effect. Outline both inside and outside of card with gold pen.

Using the Japanese Woman With Flower Stampstone image stamp 5 images with black pigment ink and emboss with detail black powder. Stamp image once on plain white cardstock, once on glossy black cardstock, once on floral paper for kimono and twice on contrasting printed paper for collar and obi sash. Cut plain white image out and color neck and arm only with blush pink marker. Trim flower image off of hand. Cut hair only out of the glossy black image, kimono only (do not cut out collar or obi sash) out of stamped floral image, entire kimono out of one of the contrasting paper images and obi sash out of the other. Run the little obi sash piece through a crimper to add depth to the image. Use a black marker to edge all cut pieces, this will eliminate tell-tale white edges and give pieces a finished look. Beginning with hair, layer cut pieces onto plain white image using glue stick in this order: hair, contrasting paper kimono, and floral kimono. Add obi sash with a small piece of foam tape. Using two small pieces of wire and some seed beads, create two hair ornaments. Glue beads onto wire and then onto layered image.

Using the Versamark stamp pad, stamp Oriental Lantern onto small piece of black glossy cardstock. Emboss with detail gold embossing powder. Add color to image with red and green Radiant Pearls. Cut image out and edge piece with black marker. Shape cut piece to give lantern a curved shape. Add two layers of foam tape (or one thicker foam pop dot) in middle on the back of image. Cut a 2" piece of chain and attach to a piece of twisted wire. Glue to back of the lantern. Attach the two images on upper portion of the inside of the card so it appears that the woman is holding the lantern.

To create the various old coins, use the Old Chinese Coin rubber stamp and a background stamped using the Chinese Newsprint rubber stamp. Stamp 4 coin images with Versamark or gold pigment ink on "rusted" colored card stock and emboss with detail gold embossing powder. Punch two of the stamped images out using a 3/4" circle punch and punch center hole with 1/4" square punch. Outline with gold or copper metallic pens. Punch one of the images centered in 1 1/4" circle punch and outline with copper pen. Punch 4 holes around center image and embellish with copper pen. Punch another of the stamped coin images with a 1" floral punch and punch center with 1/4" square punch. Create a background on the same paper using the Chinese Newsprint stamp with the Versamark pad and detail gold embossing powder. Use a 5/8" circle punch to punch a circle out of the embossed cardstock. Punch a 1/8" hole near one edge of the "coin". Layer these "coins" on top of a piece of cording on the bottom half of the inside of the card. Punch decorative corners at bottom of card if desired.