Let’s Get Creative
Whenever a new catalog comes out there is so much I want to get but you know there’s that pesky thing called budget. So while I want it all now, I know I have to pace myself and add the new products over time.
One way to extend and expand your creativity is to use items you already have on hand in new and creative ways One simple way is to pair our ink with common household and craft stash items to create unqiue backgrounds. It’s like making your very own on of a kind Designer Series Paper. It’s fun and doesn’t take any special skills so it’s suitable for all levels of crafters.
Let’s take a look at five different techniques using items you probably aready have on hand.
New Use for Plastic Wrap
Don’t throw out your plastic wrap just yet! You can a crinkled up piece of plastic wrap to create beautiful backgrounds for your cards. Here I took a piece of plastic wrap, tapped it on my ink pak, and dabbed it on some Basic White cardstock. Just keep adding color to the paper until you have achieved a look you like. Every background will be unique and can be used in your projects. Check out how I used mine.
This card features the new 2023-2025 In Color Moody Mauve but you could substibute any of the current Stampin’ Up! colors to get the look you want. While I kept the card monochromatic, you could even add two or three colors to create a totally different vibe.
Sponges aren’t just for cleaning
Next I took a piece of a craft sponge – it’s a little different from the sponges you use in your kitchen but I would imagine those would work just as well but would have a larger pattern. Here I dabbed one side of the sponge on my ink pad and then tapped it on the paper. I went for an all over look but you could cover as much or as little as you like. I used the new Boho Blue for this one.
Using Rubber Bands in a New Way
Rubber bands are great for holding things together AND for stamping. I think is technique is one of my all time favorites. Very, very easy to do and really give a unique look to your projects. Just grab a handful of rubberbands, wrap them around a clear block, going in all directions. Once you have a good amount on there, tap rubber band cover block on your ink pad and then stamp on your paper. Be sure to use a Stampin’ pierce mat to get a good, clean stamp.
For some reason this technique made me think of stones or granite so I used the new Pebbled Path for this cards. What do you think?
Feathers, Ink, & Water
This next technique is a little messy and takes a bit of time but I do like the finished result. For this one, I added a drop of the Wild Wheat ink refill to a clear block. Then I spritzed it with water and spread it all over the block with my Aqua Painter. Once the ink was all over the block, I pressed a feather to the block to remove some of the ink, then used the block to stamp on the paper.
Depending on the size of your block, you will need to repeat the steps several times to completly cover your cardstock. This is a pretty messy technique so I recommend you protect your work surface with scrap paper and wear disposable gloves if you don’t want ink all over your hands.
Washi Tape
Yes you read that correctly – you can use washi tape – carefully – to create beautiful and unique backgrounds. For this background, I layered strips of washi tape of varying widths all over my Basic White cardstock. Be careful to only adhere the ends of the washi tape to the scrap paper. Just very, very lightly adhere it to your card stock. The reason you don’t want to press it firmly onto your cardstock is so you don’t rip the cardstock when you are removing the tape.
This method is also messy so again I recommend you cover your work surface with scrap paper and wear disposable gloves. Once you have a pattern you like, take your stamp pad and lightly press it down on your cardstock. You may need to repeat this step to get good coverage.
Once you’ve covered the cardstock as you want, let it set for a few seconds and then carefully remove the washi tape. What’s left if a beautiful stripped design.
I absolutely LOVE how this turned out and I love the beautiful Copper Clay color. Even though this method was a little messy I would do this again. I don’t recommend using blending brushed to add the color as that would more firmly adhere the washi tape to the cardstock making it more likely to rip then removing the washi tape.
Check out my video tutorial
Measurements and Supplies
For each card, I used a cardbase measuring 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, scored at 4 1/4″. The background layer is 4″ x 5 1/4″ and the DSP measures 1 1/2″ x 5 1/4″. I used a scrap of Basic White for the sentiment but use whatever size you need for your chosen focal point.
The Stampin’ Up! supplies used include:
- 2023-2025 In Color cardstock, Classic Stampin’ Pads, Designer Series Paper, In Color Dots, and 3/8″ textured ribbon (not my favorite – not good for bows, just knots)
- Basic White cardstock
Everything else was just stuff I had laying around my craft room. You can click on the button below to go to my online Stampin’ Up! store to purchase the new 2023-2025 In Color products beginning on Tuesday May 2nd
For more inspiration, you can grab my FREE Sketch Design E-book. It’s got 6 card designs with measurements in both metric and imperial. Get your copy today! Happy Stamping!
