Masking and background stamping with digital papers

By melissaj17 Wednesday October 7, 2009

Welcome back to Stamp Week at the Hybrid Chick! I hope you have enjoyed the other stamping projects and techniques that have been shared here at The Hybrid Chick in the last few days. I have been so inspired to create, as well as to find all those gorgeous papers used in the previous projects!!

Today I’ll continue the stamping fun with a project that combines digital papers and elements, and clear stamps. I will talk about two easy stamping techniques: masking and creating background papers. By adding a few stamped elements and accents, I easily created a personalized box and card. I hope that you will find my tips helpful and that you’ll try them out!

Here is what I used:
Beginnings digital kit by Kelley Mickus
4 x6 Prints Box by Kelleigh Ratzlaff
Photoshop Elements 6
Epson Premium Presentation Paper
Cardstock (Smokey Shadow and Soft Stone: Papertrey Ink)
Ink (Fresh Snow: Papertrey Ink)
Distress Ink (Walnut Stain: Ranger)
Stamps (Beautiful Blooms, Simply Stationery and Star Prints: Papertrey Ink)
GemsRibbon (Michael’s)
Foam tape, Sewing machine and thread,
Sponge, Detail scissors
Scor-tape and Adhesive

Let’s get started! I first created my box in PSE by clipping the papers onto the box—paper 10 (the gray hexagon paper) to the top and paper 2 (with the lime green and grey image) to the rest of it. For the card front , I created a 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inch document in PSE and added some papers. I saved it and then copied it onto a larger 8 ½ by 11 document so I could print the card front out with the label images (and some images for future project) that I wanted to use on both my box and card, and save paper as I don’t like to waste any paper if possible!

Once I printed everything out, I got to work on the card. I trimmed the card front down about a ¼ inch so that a little edge of the cardstock would show. I decided to sew with a zig-zag stitch between the different papers to give more definition and add a little texture. ( I should have use a lighter or darker thread that would show better!) I sponged around the edges of the card front.

I then cut out each of the tags. At this point I decided to create a mask in order to stamp onto the tag, inside the outlines, without stamping over them. When masking, I find using lightweight copy paper or a post-it note is good. I went back to PSE and printed off the tag again and cut around it, just inside of the line to create the mask.

Then I stamped the bloom image with the white ink and loved how well it coordinated with the paper! I stamped the sentiment to each tag, again with white ink, and sponged all the edges with my distress ink.

Next, I put together the prints box with my Scor-tape. I wanted to create a paper for lining of the box to make it sturdier and to decorate the inside. I found a stamp that is similar to the image on the digital paper. I cut two pieces of cardstock to fit inside the box.

When stamping a background, I start on the bottom and left side and stamp a whole row, trying to maintain even spacing. When I start the next row, I stamp in between two of my previously stamped images below and line up the bottom with the sides.

After all the rows have been stamped, I go back around the edges and stamp whatever portion should be showing in that space.

Before adhering the tags to the box and card, I added a ribbon to each and some gems to the tags. On the box, I popped up the tag with foam tape. Now I have a great gift set ready for the next time the occasion arises!