Abstract:
A craftwork accessory may provide a portable and/or easy-to-use tool to help users&#39; accurately and repeatedly apply stamp impressions and the like to items such as cardstock. The accessory may include a base portion, one or more elevated side portions and cover portion. The side portions may define a workspace for arranging the item. The cover portion may be movably attached to the base portion or a side portion, for example, by one or more hinges. In operation, the item and stamp may be aligned in the workspace and the cover portion may be pressed onto the stamp to stick the stamp to the cover portion. The cover may then be opened, the stamp may be inked, and the cover portion may be closed and pressed onto the item to stamp the item. The accessory may include alignment indicia on the base portion, side portions and/or cover portion to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp. The accessory may also include fastening mechanisms, such as magnetic elements, to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present application relates to tools for generating craft items, such as cards, and kits for generating craft items. 
     2. Related Art 
     It is increasingly popular to make craft or handmade items such as cards, announcements and the like. Not only are the custom cards fun to make for crafters, the cards are appreciated more by the recipient. To help those that want to make a single birthday card or hundreds of wedding invitations, a wide variety of card blanks, toppers and embellishments are available. Stamps and stamp kits provide a great way for the average crafter to add professional quality graphics to their items. However, it can be difficult to properly align the stamp and/or get a clean impression on the item. If a clean impression is not made on the first attempt, the stamp must be realigned in exactly the same position or the item will be unusable. 
     To address these problems, a variety of tools have been developed to help apply stamps to items. However, these tools present their own problems. For example, printing press apparatuses may allow for repeated stamping in the same position, but they are costly and bulky. Often, these devices also make it difficult to see how the stamp will look on the item before making an impression. Smaller, portable items, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,573, generally allow a user to see how the stamp will look on the item before leaving an impression, but it is difficult to realign the stamp in the same position if a more than one impression is required. 
     Accordingly, a need has long existed for an improved craftwork accessory item. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a craftwork accessory may provide a portable and/or easy-to-use tool to help users&#39; accurately and repeatedly apply stamp impressions and the like to items such as cardstock. The accessory may include a base portion, one or more elevated side portions and cover portion. The side portions may define a workspace for arranging the item. The cover portion may be movably attached to the base portion or a side portion, for example, by one or more hinges. In operation, the item and stamp may be aligned in the workspace and the cover portion may be pressed onto the stamp to stick the stamp to the cover portion. The cover may then be opened, the stamp may be inked, and the cover portion may be closed and pressed onto the item to stamp the item. The accessory may include alignment indicia on the base portion, side portions and/or cover portion to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp. The accessory may also include fastening mechanisms, such as magnetic elements, to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and technical advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIG. 2  shows a base portion of an exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIGS. 3 a - b    show side portions of an exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIG. 4  shows a cover portion of an exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary craftwork tool; 
         FIG. 7  shows a flow chart of an exemplary method of operation of an exemplary craftwork tool; and 
         FIGS. 8 a - g    shows a series of depictions of an exemplary craftwork tool while performing the steps shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The elements illustrated in the Figures interoperate as explained in more detail below. Before setting forth the detailed explanation, however, it is noted that all of the discussion below, regardless of the particular implementation being described, is exemplary in nature, rather than limiting. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary craftwork accessory  100  is shown. The accessory  100  may include a base portion  110 , one or more elevated side portions  120   a ,  120   b , and  120   c , and cover portion  130 . The side portions  120   a - c  may define a workspace  112  on the base portion  110  that may be used to place the item to be stamped or otherwise adorned. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the accessory  100  may include three elevated side portions  120   a - c . In other embodiments, more or less elevated side portions may be provided. The cover portion  130  may be moveably attached to the base portion  110 . Alternatively, or additionally, the cover portion  130  may be attached to one or more side portions  120   a - c  and/or the base portion  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the cover portion  130  is attached to the base portion  110  by a hinge assembly  140 . Other mechanisms for moveably attaching the cover portion  130  to other components of the accessory  100  may also be used. These may include, for example, brass hinges, piano hinges, non-hinge assemblies, and the like. 
     In one embodiment, the overall footprint of the accessory  100  is about 8″ by about 10″. In other embodiments, the width of the footprint of the accessory  100  may be between about 5″ and about 15″ and the length of the footprint of the accessory  100  may be between about 6″ and about 16″. These sizes typically allow the accessory  100  to be compatible with most common cardstock and the like while maintaining portability of the accessory  100 . Other sizes may also be used. Alternatively, or additionally, the accessory  100  may be sold in various sizes, such as extra small, small, medium, large, and extra-large and/or in various colors. In some embodiments, different colors may be used for different components of the accessory. 
     The components of assembly  100  may be made of any suitable material. For example, rigid or semi-rigid materials such as acrylic, metal, tempered glass, cardboard and the like may be used. The components may be made of the same material, or different components may be made using different materials or combinations of materials. The assembly  100  as a whole may be made of a unified construction, subsets of components made of a unified construction, or each component may be separately constructed. 
     An exemplary base portion  110  of an exemplary craftwork accessory  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The base portion  110  may be made of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material, such as acrylic or the like. The base portion  110  may be translucent or opaque, clear or colored. The base portion  110  may define some or all of the footprint of the accessory item  100 . For example, the base portion  110  may have a width of about 8″, a length of about 10″, and a thickness of about 3/32″. Other sizes may also be used. The base portion  110  may include indicia  114  ( FIG. 8 a   ) to facilitate of an item on the workspace  112  of the base portion  110 . The indicia  114  may include, for example, grid lines, ruler markings, and the like. The indicia  114  may be printed or laser etched onto either an upper or lower surface of the base portion  110  itself. Alternatively, or additionally, additional components including indicia  114  may be placed under or atop the base portions  110 , such as a piece of grid paper, to facilitate alignment of the item on the workspace. Optionally, the bottom of the base portion  110  may be made of a material having a suitable coefficient of friction to impede movement or slippage of the accessory  100  during normal use (also referred to herein as a “non-slip” surface). Alternatively or additionally, such a material may be attached to or applied to the bottom or the top of the base portion  110 . 
     Optionally, the accessory may include a fastening mechanism for securing the item to the work space. In one embodiment, the base portion  110  may include metal or other ferromagnetic material  118  ( FIG. 5 ) for cooperating with a magnet  119  ( FIG. 8 b   ) placed on top of the item to secure the item on the workspace  112 . Alternatively, or additionally, the ferromagnetic material  118  may be disposed above or below some or all of the workspace  112 . Other mechanism may also be used to fasten the item to the workspace  112 . For example, a top surface of the workspace  112  may have a coefficient of friction that impedes movement of an item placed thereon. 
       FIGS. 3 a - b    show exemplary side portions  120   a - c  of an exemplary craftwork tool. In  FIG. 3 a   , a top view of an exemplary side portions  120   a - c  are shown. The side portions  120   a - c  may be made up of a single piece or multiple pieces. The side portions  120   a - c  may be disposed to the top of the base portion  110 . Alternatively, or additionally, one or more of the side pieces may be attached to another part of the base portion  110 , such as a side of the base portion  110 . In one embodiment, the side portions may be attached to the top of the base portion  110  and have a thickness of at least about one-eighth inch so as to define a workspace  112  that is about one-eight inch deep. Other thicknesses may be used, such as one-quarter inch, one-third inch, one-half inch and the like. In some embodiments, one or more spacers  113  ( FIG. 6 ) may be provided with the accessory to reduce the depth of the workspace  112  relative to the elevated side portions  120   a - c . Spacer  113  may be, for example, a foam pad. The spacer  113  may have a thickness proportional to the depth of the workspace  112 , such as a thickness corresponding to one-half or one-quarter the depth of the workspace  112 . Any other ratio may also be used. 
     Each side portion  120   a - c  may be the same thickness and/or width, or each side portion  120   a - c  may vary in thickness and/or width. For example, each side portion  120   a - c  may be about three-quarters inches wide. The width of the side portions  120   a - c  may vary with the overall footprint of the accessory  100 . In some embodiments, the width of a side portion  120   a - c  may be between about five percent and about twelve percent of the length or width of the overall footprint of the accessory  100 . 
     The side portions  120   a - c  may span some or all of the length of a side of the accessory  100 , and each side piece  120   a - c  may span a different length of its corresponding side. In some embodiments, the side portions  120   a - c  may span at least one-fifth of the length of the side of the accessory  100 . In other embodiments, the side portions  120   a - c  may span at least one fourth, one-third, or one-half of the length of a corresponding side of the accessory  100 . Other lengths may also be used. The inner part of the side portions  120   a - c  may abut the upper surface of base portion  110 , or one or more of the side portions  120   a - c  may include a recessed portion  124  that provides a gap between the upper surface of the base portion and a surface of side portion  120   a - c . An example of this is shown in  FIG. 3 b   . The recessed portion  124  may allow a user of the accessory  100  additional alignment options, such as when creating a border on the item. 
     Optionally, the side portions  120   a - c  are dimension to allow for the inclusion of indicia  122  for facilitating alignment of the item and/or stamp or other embellishment items. In some embodiments, indicia  122  may be disposed in one-eighth inch increments along one or all of the side portions  120   a - c . Other increments, such as numbers, gridlines and the like, also may be provided and different indicia may be placed on different side portions or within the same side portion. The indicia may be laser etched or printed to the side portion, or may be on a sticker, decal or the like affixed to one or more of the side portions  120   a - c . Combinations of techniques and/or indicia may also be used. In addition, any of the techniques for providing any indicia on any of the components of the accessory  100  may be used to provide indicia on any of the other components. 
       FIG. 4  shows a cover portion  130  of an exemplary craftwork tool. The cover portion  130  may be dimensioned similarly to the base portion  110 , or may be dimensioned differently. In one embodiment, the cover may be about 8″ wide by about 10″ long. Other sizes, such as sizes appropriate for an accessory  100  having an overall footprint in the ranges discussed above, may also be used. The cover may be made of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material, such as acrylic or the like. Preferably, the cover is translucent so as to allow a user of the accessory  100  to see the workspace even if the cover is closed. In other embodiments, the cover may be opaque. 
     Preferably, the cover includes indicia  132  for facilitating alignment of the item and/or stamp. For example, indicia  132  may include one-quarter inch gridlines, one-eighth inch, and the like. The indicia  132  may be, for example, printed or etched onto the cover  132 . Other methods of placing indicia  132  on the cover  130  may also be used. In some embodiments, the cover portion  130  does not include any indicia  132 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary craftwork tool. As illustrated, the accessory  100  includes a base portion  110 , side portions  120   a - b , and a cover portion  130  attached to the base portion  110  by a hinge assembly  140 . In addition, a piece of ferromagnetic material  118  is provided under the base portion  110 . The ferromagnetic material  118  may be secured in position by a non-slip surface  116 , which may be attached to the base. Alternatively, both the ferromagnetic material  118  and the non-slip surface  116  may be attached to the base portion  110  independently. 
       FIG. 6  shows a cross sectional view of another exemplary craftwork tool. Similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the accessory  100  includes a base portion  110 , side portions  120   a - b , and a cover portion  130  attached to the base portion  110  by a hinge assembly  140 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a piece of ferromagnetic material  118  is provided in a recessed portion of the base portion  110 . Additionally, an element  115  having indicia for alignment is also provided in the recessed portion of the base portion  110  so as to be visible by a user looking down on the workspace  112 . Element  115  may be, for example, a piece of grid paper or the like. A removable spacer  113  is also provided in the workspace  112  to reduce the depth of the workspace  112 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a flow chart of an exemplary method of operation of an exemplary craftwork tool and  FIGS. 8 a - g    shows a series of depictions of an exemplary craftwork tool while performing the steps shown in  FIG. 7 . Initially, a user opens the cover portion  130  of the accessory  100  at step  710  (as shown in  FIG. 8 a   ). The user then aligns the item in the workspace  112  and optionally secures the item in place at step  720  (as shown in  FIG. 8 b   ). In the illustrated embodiment, the item is secured in place by placing a magnet  119  on top of the item. Next, the user aligns the stamp on top of the item in a desired position at step  730  (as shown in  FIG. 8 c   ). In the illustrated embodiment, the user places a “Happy Birthday” stamp on the item. At step  740 , the user closes the cover portion  130  and presses down to secure the stamp to the cover portion  130  (as shown in  FIG. 8 d   ). The user then opens the cover portion  130  and inks the stamp at step  750  (as shown in  FIG. 8 e   ). Once the stamp is inked, the user may close the cover portion  130  and press down to impress the image on the item at step  760  (as shown in  FIG. 8 f   ). As a result, the item is left with an impression of the stamped image as shown in  FIG. 8   g.    
     As should be apparent to one in the art, if a clean impression is not made on the first attempt, the user may reapply ink and/or repress the stamp as necessary. Additionally, because both the item and the stamp are secured in their portions, the user may re-ink the stamp with various colors and apply the new impression to the enhance or otherwise alter the image on the item, or create multiple copies of the same item be aligning a new item in the same position and restamping. Additionally, the top of the cover may be used in a similar manner to stamp items that are not placed in workspace  112 , such as oversized items. Referring to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 a - g   , a user can (1) place an item to the right of the accessory  100 , (2) align a stamp on the item, (3) open the cover  130  and secure the stamp to the cover  130 , (4) close the cover  130  and ink the stamp and (5) open the cover  130  to stamp the item. Other methods of operation may also be apparent to one of ordinary skill. Thus, the accessories  100  described herein provide solutions that offer a portable and easy-to-use tool for creating high-quality stamp impressions for a wide variety of uses. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.