Thursday, June 19, 2025

Halloween Memory Dex Tutorial — Part 2, The Sequel

 Greetings! You've got Kathi here with the promised sequel to Tuesday's tutorial which showed how I created the front cover, inside front cover, and inside back cover of a Halloween Memory Dex Album which was made with a Black AALL and Create Memory Dex Album Cover. Today's tutorial will share how I created the back cover and spine of my album.

Here's the back cover!


Here's the spine!


Instructions:














Step 1:
Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the witch hat from the Hocus Pocus Clear Stamp Set 570 , the potion bottle, and both ghosts from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 onto white cardstock. Stamp the ghost pair two more times so you end up with six ghosts.














Step 2: 
Fussy-cut all the images.














Step 3:
Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the eyeball from the Be Witchingly Clear Stamp Set 950  twice — once onto white cardstock and once onto repositionable sticker paper. Fussy-cut the sticker paper version.














Step 4:
Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the window from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 onto white cardstock.














Step 5:
Use the finger-tip craft knife and scissors to fussy-cut the window as shown.

Step 6:
Use Copic markers to color the witch hat, all six ghosts, the eyeball panel, and the window. Use a black marker to edge them all. Sorry that there's no photo.

Step 7:
Use the B29 Copic marker to edge the flowers selected from the Ephemera Die-cuts 21 Pumps and Skulls set. No photo again. Oopsie.














Step 8:
Adhere the repositionable sticker eyeball over its counterpart as a mask. 

Sponge Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink over the masked eyeball onto the small panel and onto a 4.825" x 4.25" piece of white cardstock.

Sponge Medieval Blue then Purple DelighVersaFine Clair Inks over the larger panel, blending as you go to create the background panel for the back cover. Heat set when done.














Step 9:
Use a wavy border die to cut white cardstock. Another missed photo op!

Step 10:
Sponge Shady Lane VersaFine Clair Ink onto the wavy die-cut. Sponge Avocado VersaFine Clair Ink over the die-cut and blend. Heat set.

Step 11:
Adhere the wavy green die-cut to the base of the blue background panel.

Remove the mask from the eyeball panel. Adhere the colored window over the eyeball panel so that the eyeball is in the bottom part of the window. 

Adhere all the elements to the background panel.

Step 12:
Adhere the assembled background panel to the back cover of the album. Yep. No photo.














Step 13:
Cut a piece of black cardstock to 2" x 4.25". Layer the Boo Washi Tape 65 over the black cardstock, wrapping it around the back. Use red-liner tape and glue to adhere this piece to the spine.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Layered Trifold Card with AALL & Create Dies

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week at Topflight Stamps our brand focus is on AALL & Create! This is one of  my favorite brands – they make such fun and quirky designs. I used mainly dies to create this trifold layered card.

Lisa Hoel for Topflight Stamps #creativejuicefreshsqueezed #topflightstamps


Lisa Hoel for Topflight Stamps #creativejuicefreshsqueezed #topflightstamps


Lisa Hoel for Topflight Stamps #creativejuicefreshsqueezed #topflightstamps


I used the Furry Forest die set to cut the apertures in the panels as well as many of the elements.

Lisa Hoel for Topflight Stamps #creativejuicefreshsqueezed #topflightstamps

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted daily!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

AALL & Create Die Set - Furry Forest

AALL & Create Die Set - Garden Grace

AALL & Create Die Set - Rustling Retreat

AALL & Create Stamp - Create It Grunge


Studio Light Stamp Set - Grunge Bits
Lavinia Elements Ink Pad - Lime PunchPine
Gel Press prints

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

A Halloween Memory-Dex Album Tutorial — Part 1

Greetings! You've got Kathi here to share a project with you! This week the team's focus is on AALL and Create's wonderful products. AALL and Create has many wonderful Memory Dex Die Sets and black, white, and kraft Album Covers, so I decided it was time to share a two-part tutorial showing how to create and decorate a Halloween-themed Memory Dex album! 

Here's the cover!


Here's a photo of the inside of the album that shows the inside front and back covers and the first page of the album, which I shared on October 14, 2024.


If I were you, I'd go grab a cup of something caffeinated or leisurely because my tutorials are verbose!

Instructions:

Here's a photo of the package and the album itself.














Step 1:
Cut a black cardstock to 3" x 4". Score at .75", 1.5", and 2.25". Fold on the middle (1.5") score line to make a mountain fold. Fold at the .75 and 2.25" score lines to make valley folds.














Step 2: 
Fold the piece created in Step 1 in half. Place the fold butting up to (but not over) the cutting edge of largest die from the Dotted Love Die Set DI-82. Use low-tack tape to secure the die to the cardstock as shown on the photo. Note that the photo has a gap between the edge of the die and that there is a gap where the cutting edge of the die meets the cardstock. The cutting edge of the die is against the craft mat on this photo.

Run the cardstock/die combo through your die-cut machine twice to make sure that the "dex" notches are cut.




 






Step 3:
Add liquid glue to the center portion of the die-cut as shown above. 














Step 4:
Press the two sides together to form a notched ridge which will become the binding for the album.














Step 5: 
Add red-liner tape to the center of the back of die-cut. Apply glue to the rest of the back, then adhere to the inside spine of the album.














Step 6:
Cut two pieces of grey cardstock to 4.75" x 4.125". Place the Cobweb Stencil 144 onto the cardstock. Use a Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge white ink over the stencil onto the grey cardstock. Repeat for the second piece. Edge the panels with the white ink, then. heat set.














Step 7:
Place one of the panels onto the base of a stamping platform and secure with magnets and/or low-tack tape. Place the spiders from the Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 facedown on the image panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the spider stamps and lift. Ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.

Clean and dry the spider stamps and re-position them facedown on the panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the spider stamps and lift. Ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp.

Repeat the above with the second stenciled grey panel. When done, heat set both panels. 














Step 8:
Use a stippling brush to stipple NocturneTulip Red, and Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inks to create some splatter, spotches, and spatter to add visual interest. Heat set when done.














Step 9:
Adhere both spider web panels to the inside covers of the album. 














Step 10:
Cut white cardstock to 4.825" x 4.25". Use a circle punch or die to cut a circle from repositionable sticker paper and adhere to the top right of the panel as a mask. Use a Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink onto the white cardstock. Use another Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge Medieval BluVersaFine Clair Ink around the edges. Repeat sponging with Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink to blend the inks a bit more.














Step 11: 
Use the Dreamy Manor Die Set 66 to cut white cardstock.














Step 12: 
Trim the bottom part off of the die-cut. Cut a strip of white cardstock to 4.825" x .25" and color with T3 and T4 Copic markers. Set aside. Color the haunted house die-cut with Copic markers. Add some splotches of odd colors to shab it up. 

Use the gold Essential Metallic Colorista Markers to color the metal fence on the left. Use a white Posca paint pen to fix any glaring bits to the white woodwork of the house. Use a silver metallic gel pen to add nails to the boards over the window and door.














Step 13:
Lightly trace the house onto yellow patterned paper and cut it unfussily. Place the yellow paper onto the base of a stamping platform secured with low-tack tape. Place the house over the yellow paper. 

Position the cat from the House of Faces Clear Stamp Set 1053 so that it appears in a window. Press the lid of the platform onto the back of the cat stamp and lift. Remove the house and add magnets to secure the yellow paper. Ink the cat stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again to achieve a good impression.

Clean and dry the stamp. Place the house back over the yellow paper. Position the cat again so that he's in another window. Press the lid of the platform onto the back of the cat stamp and lift. Remove the house and add magnets to secure the yellow paper. Ink the cat stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again to achieve a good impression. 

Repeat this process to stamp a third cat because three's the charm. Heat set the yellow paper and set it aside.














Step 14:
Place the blue cardstock panel from Step 10 onto the base of a stamping panel and secure with magnets. Remove the mask from the moon.

Place the bat cluster stamp from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 facedown over the moon on the blue panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the bat cluster stamp, and lift. Ink the bat cluster stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.

Clean and dry the stamp. Repeat the above twice more to create a batty scene.














Step 15: 
Adhere the house die-cut over the yellow cat stamped background. Adhere the grey strip from Step 12 to the base of the panel. Adhere the house over it.

If you've made it this far, kudos!

I'll be back on Thursday with Part Two of the tutorial, which will cover the spine and the back cover, plus the creation of additional Memory Dex cards to add to the album!

01 09 10