Paper Piecing with Digital Stamps :: Amy Heller

Hi there everyone! Amy Heller here today with a fun tutorial on paper-piecing with digital stamps. This technique is great for cards, but can also be used for scrapbooking as well. Digital stamps are fantastic in that way, because you can easily adjust the size of your stamp to fit your needs. 

When choosing a stamp to paper-piece, make sure the sections of the stamp are transparent and are not too small or intricate such as tiny berries or flowers. This can result in very difficult cutting later in the process. I like to choose stamps that have well-defined open sections. Today, I'm going to show you with this simple pumpkin, just in time for Fall and Thanksgiving card making.

Note: I'm going to demonstrate this technique using a digital stamp, but you can easily adapt it to any type of stamp. 

 

What You'll Need:

Fine Tipped Cutting Scissors
Patterned Paper Scraps
1 Sheet of Cardstock
Glue Pen
Removable - Double Stick Tape
*Digital Stamp & Photo Editing Software (Or Ink Stamp)
---------------------
Various Card Making Supplies to Complete Your Card.

 

Let's get started. First, open your digital stamp up in your photo editing program on your computer.

Then you are going to re-size your image in the program to fit the size of your card as desired. I created my image at 2.5" x 3" which includes the white space. Now print out your digital stamp on regular printer paper. 

*Helpful Hint: Make sure to take note how your printed paper comes out of your printer, because for the next several steps you are going to need to lay your paper down in the same position - usually the opposite that it came out, depending on your printer.

For my pumpkin, I chose a variety of orange, red and yellow scraps from the Crate Paper School Spirit Collection to create a gradient effect. Varying up the colors and pattern in your paper pieced stamp adds texture and interest.  

Now, using your removable double stick tape and your first patterned paper scrap, position the scrap over the desired area on your stamp from the original print out. Make sure it's secure with the tape. Put your Original print out with the taped on scrap back into your printer in the correct position and print. This is what you should end up with.

Repeat the process with all your scraps until each section of your stamp has a patterned paper print out.

You will end up with several odds and ends pieces of patterned paper with sections printed on them, something like this. Now the fun part begins. Time to get out your fine tip scissors!

Trim out all your sections (along the outside edge) until you have all your pieces completed.

It should look a little like a puzzle. It doesn't look like much now, but it will soon!

Now print out your pumpkin again on a piece of coordinating cardstock to what you'd like to create your card with. I chose kraft, which is a nice neutral and won't be obvious as a bottom layer, as say white might.

Now, take your glue pen and fill in your first section, keeping the glue close but not too close to the edge to avoid seepage. 

Continue this process with all the sections of your stamp.

Now your stamp is finished. If you like, you can also take this a step further. To hide your seams, take your glue pen and gently apply glue to all the black lines of your paper pieced stamp and apply a coordinating glitter. The glitter will lighten or completely mask your stamped lines leaving you with an impacting paper pieced focal point for your card.

*Helpful Hint: Wait until your glue dries with your glitter then take a soft, short haired dry paint brush and brush away all the excess glitter back into your glitter tray. This will create a clean look on your image, and put some of your glitter back into your bottle without wasting it. 

Then just add to your card as you would with any focal image. 

That about does it for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by the Crate Paper Blog today and I look forward to bringing you another tutorial next month! Have a wonderful day!!

*Digital Stamp is from Two Peas in a Bucket :: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/kathy-martin/103252-digikit-thankful/

Comments

[MichelleGB]

What a cool technique! Thank you for the tutorial!

[LollyChops]

I love this technique! Thanks for sharing!

[Becky Williams]

Very cute, Amy!

[Erika M]

You make it look so easy that I may give it a try!

[Lydia Jackson]

What a wonderful demonstration and I love the card as a whole!! Boo-tiful hahaha!!

[Stacey Hansen]

That is gorgeous. So fun I love it.

[Shawn Wenrich]

Awesome tutorial, luv it!

[Kathy Martin]

What a great toutorial Amy! And thanks so much for using my Digital Doodles pumpkin image! You are so good at toutorials....you can do anything! :)

[Lori Gentile]

Amy, this is totally awesome! I love the tutorial and your end product! Thanks for the inspiration!