CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop: Stamp Your Own Designer Paper

For this month's Close To My Heart product spotlight, we're showing you how to stamp your own designer paper!  These ideas couldn't have come at a better time with the Stampaganza Buy 2, Get One Free stamp sale going on right now and the retiring stamps list also announced.  If you're starting here at my blog, hopping is easy: just click on the link to the next blog to hop around.  If you're already hopping, then you should be arriving from Lori's blog, and you'll visit Wendy next.  We have about a half doze consultants showcasing stamping techniques, so you'll enjoy hopping along.

My first card uses the Family Love stamp set.  (You'll be seeing more of this great stamp set if you'd like to stop back soon.)  I used some of the smaller stamps to stamp the Twilight strip and the Cocoa bottom portion.  Here's a hint that helped me with the Cocoa piece: starting at the top with the rectangular tile stamp, stamp it in the center and then stamp to the left and to the right to make the first stripe.  For the next row, stamp to the left and right of center.  For the next, row, begin in the center.  Continue with this pattern so that your piece is balanced.

To make the sentiment frame, I first inked up the stamp in Twilight and then rolled it in Cocoa ink.  I quickly stamped it onto a piece of Colonial White cardstock that I cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.  (I also cut the mat from a piece of Florentine B&T.)  The flower was also cut with the Cricut on the same B&T.  (I used my fingers to bend the petals to give the flower some dimension.)  A Mocha Opaques adhesive pearl finished it off.

This next card has a rustic feel to it thanks to the A Journey and Universal Backgrounds stamp sets.  I started with a Colonial White card base.  I stamped the wood grain stamp from Universal Backgrounds with Chocolate ink to completely cover the card front.  On the Olive piece, I stamped the trees in New England Ivy in first and second generation.  Tearing that piece also added to the rustic feel.  On the Outdoor Denim piece, I used the same color ink to "walk" the shoe tread stamps across that piece.  Again, the sentiment piece was cut out using the Cricut.  It's actually a square base, but I tucked the rest of it behind the Olive strip.  I am loving the Durables Studs as fun, hardy, masculine embellishments!

Both of my card sketches are from the Originals how-to guide.  (Unfortunately, this guide is no longer available, but I am expecting some exciting how-to programs in September!  We'll see then if my prediction is correct.)

Now, it's time to go check out Wendy's stamped background on her beautiful layout next!  I'd love to know what you think of my cards before you leave.  Thanks!