IndigoBlu Challenge DT

IndigoBlu – Tutorial to make a Stamped Tag

Hello Welcome!

Today I am revisiting a tag that I have made previously for the IndigoBlu ‘Anything Goes’ January 2016 Challenge, and by request I have created a full tutorial. You can visit my previous post by following this link IndigoBlu, Winter Scene picture Frame Tag

IndigoBlu 21Jan16

For those of you that are new to stamping, and perhaps have wondered how to tackle a project like this, I’m hoping that I can encourage you to have a try.

Follow the photos step by step, to create you own, and then (if you’re feeling brave) I would love from you to share what you have made.

A couple of tips to consider when you begin stamping collages

  1. Decide on your colours, 3 or 4 at the most that tone together well
  2. Decide which stamps you are using and then clear everything else away
  3. Choose stamps that  relate together in some way because this will give you the best chance of pulling together a coherent scene.

 

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STEP 1 – Create your tags from a good smooth stamping cardstock. Decide on the stamps you are using.

 

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STEP 2- Only these stamps are the ones used to create the scene, selected from the sets in step 1. It is a good idea to keep the selected ones in your workspace so you don’t get overwhelmed, or too caught up in making choices.

 

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STEP 3 – Choose 3 or 4 inks to create your scene. Cut yourself a tag shape from a good smooth stamping cardstock.

 

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STEP 4 – Using blending foam, begin to colour tint your tag, adding the colour little by little. use small circular motions starting on your craft mat and working your way onto your card. I have left a plain white tag in shot so you can see the difference the colour tinting makes.

 

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STEP 5 – When you are happy with the amount of colour tinting, stamp your base image to begin creating the focal point. In my case here I have used a frame, because I want to stamp a little scene inside it.

 

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STEP 6 – I want to create a woodland scene, and need to create the landscape. I tore scrap paper in a ‘wiggely’ line to represent hills. Using the blending foam (but not applying more ink) I brushed from the scrap paper in downward strokes onto the tag, keeping within the frame – the result can be seen in the next photo.

 

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STEP 7 – Remove the scrap paper, check you are happy with the look of the hills you have created. Try to add the colour little by little, you can always add more repeating step 6.

 

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STEP 8 – My woodland scene will be created with these stamps, 2 tree stamps and 1 deer. I have stamped them in a darker ink to stand out within the frame.

 

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STEP 9 – The focal point is stamped, so now the plain-ness has to be addressed on the rest of the tag. The other stamps I have chosen, when partially stamped make a subtle background. I have inked just a small section of the text, and stamped just the small sections. To make this easier it is best to NOT use an acrylic block and hold the stamp as I am in the photo. Ink the stamp just once and continue stamping so the image fades each time.

 

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STEP 10 – Repeat techniques in step 9 with another decorative stamp and a different coordinating colour.

 

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STEP 11 – The smaller decorative stamps can be used on an acrylic block to make them easier to hold.

 

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STEP 12 – Continue with the decoative stamping, making sure you have a good mix of all the colours you chose to use at the beginning. It is a good idea to have scrap paper beside you, when using the darker colours for background stamping, it is a good idea to make the first stamp onto the scrap and stamp a second time onto your work (without re-inking) – this is known as second generation stamping.

 

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STEP 13 – Continue stamping the background until you are happy. Try to keep the background images paler than the main focal image. Also, do not be afraid of leaving a bit of white (unstamped) space, it adds a bit of calm to your work.

 

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STEP 14 – To give the main image some context it is good to add a title/greeting/saying etc. I have chose a word, and stamped it in the same colour as the main images onto a separate piece of card.

 

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STEP 15 – Cut out the word and colour tint (using same technique as step 4)

 

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STEP 16 – Attach the word to your tag. You can use foam pads for added dimension, alternatively you can stick it flat and it will still look effective. I had decided when I started that the tag will purely be stamped and embellishments will be kept to a minimum, so with that I decided to add only 3 flat backed gems below the word in a coordinating colour to complete the look.

 

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Completed tag in green. When compared with the original tag I had made (at the top of this post) you will see it is basically the same, just slightly more tinted. The beauty of hand creating is that no two pieces are identical.

 

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This tag has been created using exactly the same stamps and step by step process but in different colours, and the effect is totally different.

 

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Both of the tags in the final photo here have been created in exactly the same way, and I hope I have taken away a bit of the mystery in creating a piece of artwork like this.

I would love your feedback, as to whether you have found this helpful and if you have any other questions then I am more than happy to try and answer them for you. Feel free to connect with me via any of my social media channels at the top right of my page.

Thank you so much for visiting, hope to see you again soon.

 

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