Getting More Out of Your Background Stamps

Like many of you, I have loads of pretty craft items…some that have never been used and others that never get put away because they’re so useful.  Background stamps fall into the latter category in my craft room.  I love how many different techniques and projects you can apply them to, so today, I wanted to share a couple of ways to get more out of these amazing tools and make a fun hanging planter window card in the process.

CREATING A UNIQUE BACKGROUND WITH STAMP KISSING

Stamp kissing is a fun and easy way to add texture and pattern to solid stamps.  When I saw the new Graduated Horizontal Stripe Background Stamp, it reminded me so much of mini blinds…so I combined it with the Branch Shadow Background Stamp to create this unique image that looks like you’re peering out a window on a sunny day.

•  Place the Graduated Horizontal Stripe Background Stamp face up on your work surface and ink it up with Beachside Ink (Color Fuse Ink Set #9).
•  Place the Branch Shadow Background Stamp face up on your work surface and ink it up with Clover Ink (Color Fuse Ink Set #10).

•  Carefully lift up the inked Branch Shadow Background Stamp and lay it face down on top of the Graduated Horizontal Stripe Background Stamp.
•  Holding the stamps together with one hand, press lightly around the surface of the stamp sandwich to ensure good ink transfer.  Lift up the top stamp carefully and set aside.

•  Trim a piece of white cardstock to 4.25″ x 5.5″.
•  Place the cardstock on top of the “double-inked” stamp carefully and run your fingers around the surface to ensure a good transfer.  Lift up the cardstock for the magical reveal!

ADDING TEXTURE TO DIE-CUTS

My other favorite way to use background stamps is give texture to intricate die-cuts.  Because intricate die-cuts have such little surface area, even a bold background stamp will look completely different when stamped onto the surface.  Here I’m using the Cheesecloth Background Stamp to give the Macramé Planters die-cuts a woven appearance.

•  Die cut white cardstock with the Macramé Planters die.
•  Apply Chill Ink (Color Fuse Ink Set #12) to the Cheesecloth Background Stamp and press each rope hanger die-cut onto the stamp (use a piece of scrap paper on top to keep your fingers clean!).

DIECUTTING THE FLORAL PLANTERS

•  Take the pots that were die cut out of white cardstock in the previous step and apply Pumpkin Ink (Color Fuse Ink Set #2) all over with a blending brush.
•  Apply Cinnamon Ink (Color Fuse Ink Set #3) to just the edges of the pot die-cuts with a blending brush to create a dimensional terracotta planter.
•  Die cut peach, pink, and teal cardstock with the Small Flowers #3 die and shape them using a ball stylus.
•  Die cut a couple of shades of green cardstock with the Leaves and Greenery die.

CARD ASSEMBLY

•  Stamp a sentiment from the Frases en Espanol stamp set onto the stamped background panel with crisp black ink and adhere it to a top-folding A2-sized white card base with tape runner.
•  Trim a piece of white cardstock to 4.25″ x 5.5″ and die cut a frame out using the largest die in the Inside Scallop Rectangles Die Set.  Adhere on top of the background panel using strips of foam adhesive.
•  Adhere the rope hangers to the pots with liquid glue, then pop them up on top of the card front using foam adhesive.
•  Arrange the greenery and flowers in each pot and adhere down with strong liquid glue.
•  Add a drop of Vanilla Milkshake Vintage Drops to the center of each flower to finish them off.

I hope you enjoyed this fun window scene card project and thanks so much for stopping by today. Be sure to check out Rubbernecker Stamps on Instagram or visit their Facebook Fan Group for tons of inspiration!

Supplies Used:

Note: This post contains affiliate links.  This means that I receive a small commission if you purchase a product through some of the links in this post or below at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support this blog!

Graduated Horizontal Stripe Background Shop at: RN	Branch Shadow Background Stamp Shop at: RN	Cheesecloth Background Stamp Shop at: RN
Macrame Planters Die Shop at: RN	Small Flowers Die Shop at: RN	Leaves and Greenery Die Shop at: RN
Inside Scallop Rectangle Dies Shop at: RN	Frases en Espanol Stamp Set Shop at: RN	Color Fuse Ink Set #2 Shop at: RN
Color Fuse Ink Set #3 Shop at: RN	Color Fuse Ink Set # 12 Shop at: RN	Color Fuse Ink Set # 9 Shop at: RN
Color Fuse Ink Set # 10 Shop at: RN	Color Fuse Inks Shop at: RN	Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Shop at: SB | CCS
Versafine Onyx Black Ink Shop at: SB	Picket Fence Life Changing Brushes – 4pc Shop at: SB | SBP	Paper Blossoms Tool Kit Shop at: SB
Cutterbee Scissors Shop at: SB | SBP	Foam Adhesive Strips Shop at: CCS	ATG Tape Runner Shop at: SB
Foam Squares Shop at: SB	Vanilla Milkshake Vintage Drops Shop at: SB	Zig Two-Way Glue Pen Shop at: SB | SBP