Sneaky Crafty Tip - Small Stamps Star and Moons Background

Clear Heat Embossed Small Stamps Stars and Moons Background

Hi there, today I'm going to explain how I made this stars and moon background using small stamps from multiple stamp sets. For the process video on how I do this please check out the you tube video below or by clicking here:

Often our stamp sets contain small images that are often left unused or we don't know what to do with them so I thought hey, why not make a background with similar themed little stamps.

I got the inspiration for this from the small star stamps in the Hand Lettered Holiday Stamps set from My favourite things. This stamp set has lot of small star images and so too did my space themed, birthday celebration and a christmas stamp set which I got off Aliexpress.

First of all I place all the little stamps I'm going to use for this background onto an acrylic block for safe keeping. I'm paranoid that I will lose them so by using an acrylic block I know exactly where they will all be whilst I get other resources ready to make this background.

I decide to used an A6 sized navy blue cardstock and I place it into my We R Memory Keepers stamping platform. I then place the little stamps so they stamp in one corner of the navy card front. As I'll be heat embossing this background I use my anti-static powder tool to make sure the embossing powder only sticks to the places where I've stamped my images. I use clear embossing ink to ink up the stamps, close the door on my stamping platform and press really well to make sure I get a good image.

As I've positioned the stamps to stamp on one corner of my notecard, I can save time by turning the notecard upside down and re-stamping. Now I decide to heat embossed what I've stamped. Before I sprinkle on my clear embossing powder I lay down a sheet of non-stick baking paper with a crease in the centre - this crease is to collect the excess powder and make it easy to pour back into the container. Once covered in embossing powder I use my heat tool to melt the powder.

I replace the notecard in my stamping platform so I can fill in the gaps of the background by re-placing the small stamp images where they are needed. Once again I clear heat embossed those images.

The result is a wonderful raised background with a bit of shine. You can use any combination of small stamps that you may have in your stamp sets to carry out this technique and make your own background. I'd love to see what you come up with.

I use this stars and moons background to create space themed cards below, click on the links to see how I made them.

Space Cards Using Stars and Moons Background

Stellar Space Window Birthday Card

Starry Space Shaker Birthday Card 

Happy Crafting!

Mel Crafting.

Christmas Card - Engineering Tree

Engineers Christmas Tree Card

Once again, I'm inspired to use Altenew's Engineers Rule stamp set. This time I created a simple single layer Christmas card and here's how I made it happen.

Firstly, I masked a triangle onto dark navy blue notecard. Placed the notecard in my We r Memory Keepers stamping platform and arranged various stamp images from the Engineers Rule stamp set inside the masked triangle. Closed the door on the stamping platform to capture the stamps then used versa color ink in Hyacinth to stamp the images onto the card.

In order to define the triangle (tree) outline, I used a white gel pen to draw a dotted line along the inside of the masked area.

I then removed the masking tape and used my heat gun to dry the ink.

For the sentiment, I used "happy holidays" from My Favourite Thing's Hand Lettered Stamp set. I placed the sentiment stamp under the 'tree', stamped it with clear embossing ink and heat embossed the sentiment using silver embossing powder.

To finish off I adhered the notecard to a silver card base using double sided tape.

All done! Hope you liked this card and can draw inspiration from it for your own creations.

Happy crafting!

Mel Crafting

Christmas Card - Engineer's Blueprint

Engineer's Blueprint Christmas Card

I'm slightly obsessed with the Engineers Rule stamp set by Altenew I recently purchased so here is another card inspired by that stamp set.

This time I was going for the look of a blueprint image well-known to be used in the drawings world and thought it would be similar if I used light colored inks on a blue cardstock and here's how I went.

I took a A6 piece of navy cardstock and placed in my We R Memory Keepers stamping platform. I them arranged the varioius engineering tools and equipment from the Engineers Rule stamp set around the outside of the card before closign the door on the stamping platform to grab the stamps.

Using Hyacinth Versa Colour ink I stamped these images a few times using my stamping platform. I decided to use the lilac Hyacinth colour over a white pigment ink because it gives a more subtle look which appeals to me.

To make sure the ink was dry I gave it a quick drying with my heat tool before rubbing my anti-static powder bag tool all over the notecard in preparation for heat embossing.

I decided the sentiment "Wishing you a Merry and Bright Christmas" would look good on this card. As a bonus it meant I could utilise stamps from both My Favourite Things' Hand Lettered stamp set and Simon Says Stamp's Holiday Greetings Set 1. I stamped these using clear embossing ink and then heat embossing it all using white embossing powder.

To finish off I adhered this note card to the front of a silver card base using double-sided tape.

Overall I really am fond of the outcome of this card. I love the look of it, the idea of it and the masculinity of it - it's hard to make cards for guys sometimes! If I were to make this card again I would probably place the words closer to another so the sentiment is more centred in te middle of the card but that is the perfectionist in me coming out.

Hope you enjoyed the card and can draw some inspirations from it for your own creations.

Happy Crafting!

Mel Crafting.

Christmas Card - Engineer's Christmas

Engineer's Christmas Card

This is the first card of many that I intend to make using Altenew's Engineers Rule stamp set. I also used My Favourite Things' Hand Lettered Holiday stamp set too.

Firstly I took some black note card and stuck it to my We R Memory Keepers stamping platform using low tack masking tape.

Then I arranged the various tools and images in the Engineers Rule stamp set around the edge of the black note card. I used Versa Color in Hyacinth to stamp a surrounding border of engineering tools and images.

Using clear embossing ink I stamped Happy Christmas from MFT Lettered Holiday stamp set. Then I hear set it using white embossing powder from ranger.

To complete the sentiment I stamped "wishing you a" above Happy from Simon Says Stamp's Holiday Greetings Set 1. Then I used letters from an alphabet set to stamp "engineer's" above Christmas. I used Stampin Up whisper white ink for both.

Finally, I adhered the notecard to the front of a silver cardbase using double-sided tape.

I quite liked the watermark look of the border and I love how masculine this card turned out. Please note this card was largely an experiment, I would have liked to line up each part of the sentiments much straighter to give a cleaner and more engineered look. However, it hopefully gives a good idea of what I was trying to achieve and gives you inspiration to create something similar.

Happy Crafting!

Mel Crafting.