Layering stamps tutorial
Master the art of layering stamp designs with Christine Smith’s easy step-by-step guide
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The stamp layering trend has been around for a couple of years now, and with the recent influx of tools to help get the perfect placement when stamping, it has never been easier to achieve a layered look! This month Creative Stamping has teamed up with Altenew to provide a gorgeous layering Mistletoe stamp design, and you can probably tell by looking at my cards, that this is my favourite image from the set.
In this feature, I take you through a step-by-step guide on how to achieve a layered look using the jolly Santa image from your free stamp set. I also show you how to mix up the layering effect by adding a heat-embossed image – this gives touch of luxury for the holiday season. You can also stack up your stamped layers on different pieces of vellum to give different shades of the same colour, but here I have used it to create some perspective on a foggy winter’s day.
There are two main ways you can use these layering stamps, either with an acrylic block or a stamping platform. Both give equally good results, but I find when I want that precision, such as adding the coloured areas to the Santa image, a stamping platform is a must! This is also a fantastic tool when you don’t quite have the colour you need in an inkpad. For example, for the Santa’s face on these cards, I mixed Rose Quartz Altenew Ink and Tattered Rose Distress Ink to create a skin tone. The advantage of using a stamping platform instead of an acrylic block is that you can repeatedly and effortlessly stamp in the exact same place as many times as you like. The alternative is using acrylic blocks, which are useful for stamping multiple images in a short space of time. All of the mistletoe and holly images on my cards are stamped this way – I stamped and heat-embossed the outline multiple times first, then stamped next layer, then the next – much like an assembly line!
Whichever way you choose to layer your stamps, you’re sure to get that wow factor of effortless colouring, and this free stamp set is the perfect staring point!
Place the Santa outline stamp onto cardstock right-side down, close the stamping platform to pick up your stamp, then secure the panel using the magnets provided. Apply Charcoal ink to the stamp and close the stamping tool to transfer the ink onto the cardstock, repeat if necessary
Begin to colour your image using the other stamps. Place the hat stamp directly over the image, check the alignment is right, then close the stamping tool to pick up the stamp, ink it, then stamp your impression
Repeat Step 2 using the face stamp, making sure to align the image over your stamped outline impression as before. Achieve a skin tone by layering different tones of pink and peach ink
You will need
- free stamps
- white 11x14cm card blank
- white, green, pink & plum cardstock
- gold mirror card
- acrylic block
- Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Stamping Platform
- Apple Blossom Merry Christmas die
- Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders die set
- Sue Wilson Contemporary Poinsettia embossing folder
- Sue Wilson Festive Collection Gingerbread Man & Woodland Collection Birch Tree Forest die sets
- Puffy Heart & Rose Quartz Altenew Ink Cubes
- Pale Tomato, Lime Green & Field Greens Hero Arts Dye Ink Cubes
- Tattered Rose Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
- Lawn Fawn Smitty’s ABCs stamp set
- manual die-cutting machine
- alcohol markers
- Ranger Perfect Medium Ink
- Bright Gold & True White Cosmic Shimmer Detail embossing powders
- gold Crafter’s Companion Luxury Printed Snowflake Vellum
- Diamond Frost Cosmic Shimmer glitter powder
- Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue
- 3D foam pads
- heat tool
You will need
- free stamps
- white 15cm-square card blank
- white, pink & plum cardstock
- gold mirror card
- acrylic block
- Sue Wilson Contemporary Poinsettia embossing folder
- Puffy Heart, Morning Frost & Evening Gray Altenew Ink Cubes
- Pale Tomato, Lime Green & Field Greens Hero Arts Dye Ink Cubes
- Apple Blossom Merry Christmas die
- manual die-cutting machine
- Ranger Perfect Medium Ink
- Bright Gold Cosmic Shimmer Detail embossing powder
- gold Crafter’s Companion Luxury Printed Snowflake vellum
- Diamond Frost Cosmic Shimmer glitter powder
- Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue
- 3D foam pads
- heat tool
You will need
- free stamps
- white 10.5x14.5cm card blank
- white, green, pink & plum cardstock
- gold mirror card
- vellum
- acrylic block
- Sue Wilson Rambling Berries embossing folder
- Sue Wilson Australian Collection Melbourne die set
- Puffy Heart, Morning Frost & Evening Gray Altenew Ink Cubes
- Pale Tomato, Lime Green & Field Greens Hero Arts Dye Ink Cubes
- Lawn Fawn Happy Happy Happy stamp set
- Avery Elle A Tag For All die set
- manual die-cutting machine
- Ranger Perfect Medium Ink
- Bright Gold & True White Cosmic Shimmer Detail embossing powders
- Diamond Frost Cosmic Shimmer glitter powder
- Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue
- 3D foam pads
- heat tool
You will need
- free stamps
- white 10.5x14.5cm card blank
- white, green, pink & plum cardstock
- gold mirror card
- vellum
- acrylic block
- Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Stamping Platform
- Sue Wilson Contemporary Poinsettia & Rambling Berries embossing folders
- Puffy Heart, Rose Quartz, Morning Frost & Evening Gray Altenew Ink Cubes
- Pale Tomato, Charcoal, Lime Green & Field Greens Hero Arts Dye Ink Cubes
- Tattered Rose Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
- alcohol markers
- manual die-cutting machine
- Ranger Perfect Medium Ink
- Bright Gold Cosmic Shimmer Detail embossing powder
- Diamond Frost Cosmic Shimmer glitter powder
- Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue
- 3D foam pads
- heat tool
You will need
- free stamps
- white 15cm-square card blank
- white, pink & plum cardstock
- gold mirror card
- acrylic block
- Sue Wilson Contemporary Poinsettia & Wintry Frame embossing folders
- Puffy Heart, Morning Frost & Evening Gray Altenew Ink Cubes
- Pale Tomato, Lime Green & Field Greens Hero Arts Dye Ink Cubes
- Apple Blossom Merry Christmas die
- manual die-cutting machine
- Ranger Perfect Medium Ink
- Bright Gold Cosmic Shimmer Detail embossing powder
- gold Crafter’s Companion Luxury Printed Snowflake Vellum
- Diamond Frost Cosmic Shimmer glitter powder
- Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue
- 3D foam pads
- heat tool
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