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Step 1
Stockpile blank cards and cardstock to serve as the background for each project. Stamp, fold, cut, tear or layer the material, which is available in a variety of sizes, colors, weights, textures and finishes.
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Step 2
Ink and press a rubber stamp to transfer its design to paper. Whether you buy wood-mounted, foam or unmounted designs (that must be temporarily adhered to an acrylic or wood base to stamp), you'll get the best results by flipping the stamp over and pouncing the ink pad onto the design instead pressing the stamp onto the ink.
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Step 3
Create the image with an ink pad. Experiment with different sizes and types; dye-based inks dry quickly but may fade over time, while pigment inks have richer colors but longer drying times. Solvent inks are ideal for slick surfaces and watermark and embossing inks can be shaded with chalk or used when heat embossing.
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Step 4
Detail stamped designs by coloring or shading with markers, chalks, metallic rub-ons or colored pencils. Use a cotton ball, chalk applicator or your fingertip to apply chalks and rub-ons. Build color by applying several layers rather than adding a single heavy coat.
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Step 5
Add bling with glitter, microbeads and sequins. Apply a thin layer of glaze, liquid adhesive or double-stick tape to portions of the stamped image, sprinkle the embellishments on top and tap off the excess.
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Step 6
Trim images and projects with cutting tools like sharp scissors, a paper trimmer or a crafts knife and ruler. Offered with rotary, guillotine or safety blades, trimmers feature guidelines to help you align the paper to make straight cuts. When using a crafts knife, be sure to cut over a self-healing mat to protect your work surface.
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Step 7
Adhere stamped accents to cards, tags or scrapbook layouts with adhesives like liquid glue, glue sticks, adhesive dots (for tiny pieces), spray mount (for large surfaces), foam squares (for added dimension) or double-stick tape.
