Stamping & Cardmaking ideas

Sometimes we forget that we don't have to just stamp on white card and colour in . . .

The Stampin' Up! colours make such gorgeous combinations, why not use blocks of coloured cardstock behind your stamped image?

These projects are Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" cards that fit into footy card swap folders, and I had fun playing around with different combinations to see which one I liked best.

On the right you can see the pretty colour combination I chose. The middle image I have inked the stamp using the Old Olive and Calypso Coral Stampin' Write markers direct to the rubber.

The left hand image is inked in black, then I've done a tiny light-handed touch of watercolour to the flowers and leaves to bring them out from the background.

For the left hand image here I chose a greeting stamp as the main image with the leaf sprig stamped in Mint Macaron behind the scallop circle. The 2nd card has the panel attached at an angle for variety and in these 3 cards I have used a black journalling pen to draw a fine outline around the main panel to lift it off the background piece.

Very small changes but giving you quite different looks.

And how did I do the colour blocks to start with?

I cut 1/2" strips of card stock and adhered them to heavy photocopy paper. I chose photocopy paper instead of Whisper White card just in case I decided to cut some of it out with Framelits - it would be easier with the thinner base layer, even though most Framelits will cut through 2 layers.

I then used my trimmer to trim them down to the size I required for the fronts of my ATC's.

Ready to stamp on and experiment with.

Why not try blocking some colour card behind your stamped images on your next project? And let me know how you go! I'd love to see your finished results too.