Hi friends! Do you ever feel limited by your background stamps and want new ideas to add interest to them? Well, today I’m going to share an easy way to add interest AND dimension to your background stamps! I think you’ll find this to be fun, and this technique works with any background you have in your stash! For my card, I’ll be using May Background of the Month and May Kit of the Month as well as distress oxide inks. Let’s get started!
I stamped the May Background of the Month onto a white card panel using black permanent ink. I love how detailed this background stamp is – if you look closely, you’ll see that Unity inserted script with the background design for added interest! And because it’s a red rubber stamp, the details are AMAZING when stamped onto a card panel. I always say that very little needs to be added to Unity stamps because of the level of detail included in them!
Getting back to my card, after I stamped the image onto a card panel, I added distress oxide ink in shades of blue using a technique called Ink Schmooshing. This is another way of placing color onto your card panel besides the basic ink blending. I placed the ink directly onto a glass media matt, sprayed it with a bit of water, and then tapped the card panel over the ink. I repeated this process until I was satisfied with the coverage on my card panel. I left some white space deliberately to add interest.
TIP: If you’re using regular cardstock, use less water and allow each layer to dry before adding more ink. You can use watercolor cardstock if you prefer, but you may need to stamp the image a few times since watercolor cardstock is so pigmented. Watercolor cardstock can hold more water though!
In the photo above, you can see all the detail in the Background of the Month stamp as well as the cool effect from ink schmooshing!
Next step was to add interest and dimension to the background!
I love using this technique when I need to add more detail and interest to my cards! In the photo above, do you notice the black card panel peeking out from the background? Wonder how it got there? Here’s what I did to achieve this look:
- Trim down your card panel to 5.25×4. You can go slightly smaller if desired, but trim it just enough that a white card base (5.5×4.25) peeks out from behind the card panel.
- Using a set of nesting set of dies in whatever shape you prefer (rectangle, oval, etc), choose a die that is about half the size of the card panel. Tape it into place on the card panel so it doesn’t move out of place and run it through your die cut machine. For my card, I used a set of deckled edge dies.
- Using a die from the same set that is larger than the one from step #2 but smaller than your card panel, die cut a piece of black cardstock.
- Adhere the trimmed down outer layer of your card panel onto a white 5.5×4.25 card base. Next, adhere the center layer of the card panel over the black die cut panel, and then adhere both over the outer layer. NOTE: Be sure the pattern on the card panel is lined up correctly before adhering it down!
Isn’t that an awesome technique? I love how much beauty and interest that black card panel adds to my background!
Now that my background is finished, I can add another element of interest and a sentiment. Since the background is my focal point, I wanted to add something that would blend in nicely with it, so I chose the rose stamp from May’s Kit of the Month. I applied the same shades of ink from my distress oxides via ink schmooshing, fussy cut it out, and adhered it in the lower corner of the card panel using foam tape. Then I stamped my sentiment, trimmed it in half, and placed it around the rose. I love how the rose blends in with the background stamp. There is a nice balance of white, black, and blue color to this card!
I hope you learned a new technique to jazz up your backgrounds! You can choose any color combination you want as well as any design of nesting dies! Get playful with your cards! Unity has a set of square and circle scalloped dies that would be perfect for this technique! Find them here.
If you are interested in learning more about the Background of the Month membership, click here.
