Technique--Using Background Stamps by Chrystal Riddell

You may have seen background stamps and wondered, "What in the the world do I do with this?" or "Why would I want to stamp a big patterned square?" You might not have even known it was considered a "background stamp!" This is one of my favorite type of stamps to use because they are the most versatile and fun. They are the type of papercrafting goodie that is meant to be played with and will inspire your creativity. I personally love the Close To My Heart Acrylix the best; each set comes with four different patterns. This makes the possibilities endless! I will be using the houndstooth background from the new "Noted Backgrounds" set.





For this first example, I stamped the image 3 different times using three different colored inks, then used my star to punch them out. What a great way to make a low-cost embellishment!






Have you ever set your project aside because you needed just a little bit of coordinating patterned paper or didn't have the right background sheet to finish the page? Background stamps to the rescue! Here, I used the same color ink as the cardstock, so I could have a subtle tone-on-tone pattern. I use this the most as the base for my pages when they need just a little extra something. Don't worry about the edges of the stamp lining up exactly. Chances are, it will be covered by photos and other papers, but if you are a perfectionist like me, this is where the clear stamps come in handy!






For this last example, I used a Making Memories chipboard element and stamped directly on it. If the edges aren't lining up exactly, use a piece of scrap paper to mask off the part you don't want to stamp over twice, I had an "oops" here, so I covered it with a heart embellishment. Remember, there are no mistakes in scrapbooking!