How To Get The Most From Your Paper Crafting Stamps

Laura shares five different projects focusing on specific how-to techniques and ideas which can be used using just about any stamp, paper pack and, or color scheme out there!

Stamps are an investment.  We buy them because they seem like a long-lasting, worthwhile, crafty purchase. We justify the expense, promising ourselves that we will get tons of use from them and they'll be super practical. And guess what? That is completely true.

Today, I challenge you to bust out one of those stamp sets (and hey, if you realllly want to... go buy a new one, I won't tell) and try some of these simple techniques and ideas to get some use out of those great stamps! 


1.  Layer Your Stamps:
Stamp a background over an outline image.  To create the tag on this card, I stamped the polka-dot background, and then the tag outline and sentiment right over it.  Polka-dots are my FAVORITE; they just make me HAPPY!  Think about what stamped images you can add a pattern to. (a polka-dotted tree, teacup, or cloud? ADORABLE.)    

 
2. Trim and overlap stamped images:
To create this candy tube, I stamped and trimmed the background square, and then stamped the flowers on patterned paper and cardstock.  I trimmed them, and layered them on, using foam tape to add some dimension. (Remember how I love polka-dots? Well, I love foam tape almost as much!)

 
3. KISS! (Keep it simple, silly!)
Grab the one or two stamps you like the best and let them work their magic. Don't get bogged down in the details.  On this card I used two stamps, added a bit of colored pencil, tied a piece of twine, and called it DONE. It took less than 5 minutes.  YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!!!

 
4.  Repeat, repeat, repeat:
Take a stamp. . .just about any stamp. . .and make a background.  To really add some depth, try "second-generation stamping", where you stamp twice before reinking. Stamp, stamp, ink.  Stamp, stamp, ink. Got it? ;)  Make sure you stamp over the edges to make it look more like an actual piece of patterned paper.  And on this card, I didn't even do the entire background of the card.  A nice stripe at the bottom was enough.  (Add "simple" to my list of favorite things, right after polka-dots and foam tape!)

 
5. Think Outside of the Box:
On this card, I wanted to use the square backgrond stamps in a new way.  So I stamped them on cardstock a few times, and then after I trimmed the squares, I trimmed them each in half.  It made a fun easy design that fills my card. (And lookie there. . .polka-dots, foam tape, simplicity! ahhhh!)

Remember, nothing I've shown you today is groundbreaking or complicated. But sometimes we all need a refresher, and an inspiration to look at our stamps in a new way.  I hope you'll take one (or two, or five) of these ideas, and you'll dive in and CREATE with what you love! 

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Laura loves bright colors, graphic patterns, clean and simple everything, polka dots (and chocolate!) She is a card-maker and stamper at heart, but also enjoys creating all kinds of paper-crafty goodness! Her work has been published in Paper Crafts, CARDS, CardMaker, Simple Scrapbooks, and Crafts 'n Things. 

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Design Principles: Proportion

Posted by megamay (Megan):

Last month I discussed the first of five design principles - balance. This month I am moving on to proportion. Proportion isn't as easy to explain as balance. Who am I kidding? I have trouble spelling it! 


However, it is definitely worth taking the time to learn about because it is a very important aspect of design.


Here are a few principles of proportion to keep in mind:


1. usually the human body is used as a scale - especially in architecture and paintings. Alterations to the scale with respect to the human body can be used to achieve interesting results. Buildings with a larger than average scale can make one feel small and insignificant. In fact, many churches were designed with that effect in mind. Alternatively, a chair shaped like a oversized hand can be used to make a statement and be outrageous.


2. Large proportions make something eye catching or impressive. - Again the example of a church comes to mind. Gothic style cathedrals used large proportions to create a sense of wonder. Large bold prints on a pillow, or quilt similarly draw the eye when contrasted with a more simply colored sofa.


3. Large patterns can overwhelm small objects - A large print on a small pillow can draw the eye, but the same print on a baby's dress might be overwhelming.


So, how does this apply to scrapbooking? 


The print example relates to scrapbooking because the choice between large and small prints is important. Probably the most important proportion rule to keep in mind in scrapbooking is the golden ratio, the rule of thirds if you will. 


This can be used for the ratio of colors, the placement of photos paper and embellishments, and even the composition of your photos. 


I found this diagram of good and bad proportion and think it's just perfect! it's from Blue Moon's online art class:

The first example of good proportion is pretty much the rule of thirds. 


Halves and quarters are bad, thirds are good.


Here are some scrapbook layout examples. For this page I used a sketch, but notice that the main interest is situated not on the horizontal half point of the page, but about a third of the way up. 


Also, about two-thirds of the color is pink, and the other third is white/black/blue. (disregarding the kraft) 


Finally, notice the scale, the photos are small, so the details are small. The larger letters in 'LOOK' really stand out because they are larger than everything else.

Here I went the opposite way. The photo is LARGE! The tiny pins and spool of thread would have looked silly with a photo this large, so I went with larger letters, large bold circle accents and even a larger scaled polka dot print. 


Also, the photo takes up about a third of the page.  The title/journaling block takes up about a third of the non photo block.

Finally, on this page, the center of the photo block is situated just above where a line would be if the page was divided into thirds.  The smaller polka dot print works here with the smaller scale of the photo. Compare this polka dot print to the one above. The large flowers, however, are a bit out of place and therefore serve to add some interest and draw attention.

 

Supplies used in this reveal: