Thursday, November 27, 2008

Make old Stamps over into brand new Die Cuts! (Stamp on the back of schtuff)

Migraine made a new friend: Flu (or Food Poisoning?) Whoever he is, I don't like him.

Here's a pre-prepared post (that makes it sound like the instant mashed-potatoes of the stamp world, LOL but hopefully it'll be useful to ya)....


Economically, times are tough, but we get tired of the same ol' same ol' stamps, right? Well... You know me, always looking for cheap ways of trying to make old stamps do new tricks. I'm especially twitterpated about this trick 'cause it can stretch your budget BIG time! (I sound like a used car salesman,* I'm sure, but I am SO stoked! heehee)

'Backwards Stamp & Cut.' (A silly way to say: stamping on the back of paper & cutting it out.)

The only problem with this technique is that it'll make you not want to sell your old sets. But it's a snifty way to use up your scraps of patterned paper. I'm always wishing for new flower die cuts, but don't have the moulah (and die cut selection seems so limited anyhow.) It's fun with a beautiful vine stamp, and it's even easier with flowers.

Can you guess the stamp set that the flower up there was made with?
Hint, it's from Stampin' Up!

DIY die cut shapes
with old stamps


Supplies you need:

any ink
any shape stamp
any paper (great way to use scraps)
scissors
any embellishments you like

Supplies you don't need (heehee):

a die cut machine & die-cuts or templates...



Step 1) Take a piece of patterned paper (or better yet scaps!)

Of course, you can also use plain cardstock, or stamped, embossed, printed from your computer.....



Step 2) Stamp your image on the backside of the paper
(Any ink will do. You won't see it later)

Ever notice that the details in the styles of stamps seem to be the quality that does them in them trend-wise, while the shapes stay eternal. You hafta love the shape of this Doodle This flower but I've gotten bored with the details. Stamping it on the back of plain or patterned or stamped paper gives you the look of a brand new die cut.



Step 3) Cut the shape.

I like to rough cut first (at left) it makes the fine cutting easier (at right.)



Step 4) Add details.

The stuff on here is wee faux stitches in black marker, with clear gel pen over it for some fun gloss & then Copic marker around the edge.



Step 5) Add any embellishments you like.

I used white flowers from Kaiser, which I have to blab about because for $1.99 (for 50 flowers) they made me exceedingly happy... I'm very fussy about my paper flowers, and I was particularly impressed by Kaiser's brilliant packaging. Often these types of flowers arrive crumpled, but not these! They're stacked attached to each other and come pristine: Clever! Better yet, you can colour them while they're stacked and your colouring won't wreck their shape. (You will get bleed-through, potentially, but I find I can always use more than one of a colour anyhow... and preserving the pretty shape is worth it to me. There are medium sized paper flowers too.

There's a punched flower (Cornflower from Martha Stewart) and a glass bead sewn on there too. The leaves are vellum:



Potential ideas for embellishing your flowers:
(saving all that money on stamps & die-cuts means we can splurge on the essentials right? hehehe)
  • More layers of different Backwards stamp & cut flowers
  • Center shapes punched or cut (circles squares...)
  • Regularly stamped/embossed flowers
  • Punched flowers
  • Felt flowers, silk flowers, or primas...
  • Heat embossed, Cuttlebugged, or dry embossed flowers
  • Beads, brads, buttons, eyelets, gemstones, pearls, fun flock, glitter, flower soft, dew drops, Stickles...
  • Homemade thickers (paper glued on fun foam & die-cut)

I am all revved up for reviving all my neglected flower sets & using my DP scraps.Of course you don't have to stop at flowers. Imagine trees, animals, houses what ever... and you could doodle on them too, which is a hot look now...

In the next post: how the shaped card in this tut was made & a template...

Hope you're all doing wonderfully,
:O)
Mel

* Not that there's anything wrong with used-car-sales-people. They're good for the enviroment! :O)

20 comments:

Crafting Queen said...

What a great idea. Love you work, it's truly wonderful.

Lisa Olson said...

I love what you have done with this stamp, I have done a similar thing with one of my earlier posts. I think that the way you have put this together is stunning.... I am always trying to encourage my workshop ladies to use their stamps in lots of differnt ways t0o.

L.A. said...

Mel, stop making friends! Migraines and flu are a BAD combo! Thanks for the great post!

Hope the friendship falls apart soon! Feel better...

Elena said...

What a fabulous idea! Really love it! Mel, thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Hope that flu will go away soon... Really sorry that you don't feel good...

Michelle B. AKA JustPaintingAround said...

I hope you feel better soon! It's terrible to be sick at Thanksgiving!!! I can't wait to see the next shape!

Katie Cotton said...

i love this! Great job!

Anonymous said...

Super idea. Feel better soon.

Angie Tieman said...

What a great idea! Can't wait to get in my stamp later and see what I can stamp the back of!

boynecitygrl said...

Mel, you have done it again. That is a fantastical idea. Keep up the awsome work. They broke the mold when they made you.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Beth F

evafromca said...

Mel, this is fantastic!!!!! What a great idea and thanks for all the other little tips you shared and looking forward to your next post, as I love your templates. I hope you feel better soon and be your perky self. Happy Thanksgiving to you!!!

Free Spirit said...

Love this technique. I use it a lot as the flowers are 3d. The kaiser flowers are wonderful. They have matching rhinestones too. Great product and nice price point. Thank you for the demo and the ideas. Happy Thanksgiving !

Elaine said...

GET OUT! I mean seriously, how frigging clever and darling is this? WOW~~~ I have the set and never used it (blush)....now I know I'll be using is sort of in a backwards way! Love your creativity! I am THANKFUL for you and your blog~ LOL

Happy Turkey Day! :)

Jami said...

Fabulous way to get some more mileage out of an old set! Sorry you still are feeling icky...hope you're better quick!! Maybe pumpkin pie will help :)
Happy Thanksgiving.
Hugs, Jami

Anonymous said...

What a great idea, Mel! I love ideas for using what you have, and your ideas are great!
Thanks. Swedie

Rose-Anne said...

Waving all the way from Sydney Australia. Thank you for your inspiration and generous techniques.I just love your blog. I have given you a plug on mine today.
Big hugs from me.

Mada said...

Mel, I am hoping and praying you'll get well real soon.

Thank you for this tut - you're a genius!
I don't have too many stamps so I haven't got bored with any of it yet. Your awesome lesson is extremely helpful - now I see how I can practically double the number of my stamps :)

I also LOVE the card and I'm looking forward to see it 'dissected' in a new post.

Many warm hugs,
Your secret admirer ;)

Susan said...

MEL---as usual, you totally amaze me. This friend you've have, that's made you sick..well, he visited me for 2mo..(UGH..you say, so I hope he soon leaves you 4 good)Get well, soon , so your mojo doesn't stop, fo good!
Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all the MEL Stamping fans, from a Canadian one!

Jessica Diedrich said...

LOVE this!

debinicol said...

Mel, well isn't this the cutest thing! I love this stamp and use it soo much when I do faux cloisonne...have you ever used it that way? love to send you one if you send me your snailmail addy.
great blog! just love it!
thanks chickie!
debi Nicol at yahoo dot com

Maria said...

Are you still planning to sell your SU stamps? I think you'll miss this one especially. LOL! I love that stamp set. . .one of my favorites. I have a lot of favorites. I'm thinking of selling my old SU stamps too. I have too many of them that I haven't touched for years!! I just gotta get the courage to do it.

Your flower is beautiful! Again, another great idea for making something typical into something wow!!

Maria