DIY text papers (Caardvarks Stamp Box colour challenge)

One of my favourite things to do is to make do it yourself text papers. Art supplies and/or embossing can make them look like art papers. It's way quicker than going shopping, and you can get any look or theme that you want. (Plus it's practically free, and I'm really cheap, hehehe.)

1...Caardvarks challenge for Stamp Box: pink white & black
2...embossing digital images on patterned gesso paper
3...cheap tricks: embroidery knot flower centers
4...making quick custom mats
5...making a long tag (with the SU punch)
6...digital freebies: for ledger & text paper

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Black & White and Pink challenge

hope you can play!

Hope you can join us for this CaardVarks challenge to make something new with the colours of the My Stamp Box logo. The projects that the 'Varks Crew has made are something extraordinary!

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...emboss digital images
(on patterned gesso paper)

Don't do Digis? Of course, you can use patterned gesso paper for stamping instead (or paint gesso over stamed backgrounds)

This beauty is a Digi-Shack image: cherry blossom
(scroll down on this page to find it)

These cherry blossoms are printed & embossed
onto patterned gesso paper made by:

A) printing the ledger paper scan (linked below) onto cardstock
B) Painting a wash on it with Gesso
C) Printing the digital image over that & embossing in clear
D) Colouring with a mix of water-based & Copic markers

The Gesso layer lets you emboss digital images since it keeps the ink wet,
but it also gives your colouring fun texture...

It's a snifty way to make homemade patterned paper on the cheap.
More about my beloved Gesso here.

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Embroidery knot flower centers

Is there any emebellishment cheaper than sewing?

Step 1) Pierce holes where you want the flower stamens (Gesso makes the cardstock nice & strong for this.)

Step 2) Thread needle with embroidery thread & adhere the end at the back of the image.
Step 3) Pull the thread up through the hole to the front image & knot it
Step 4) Return down the same hole you came up & then you have a knot
Step 5) Repeat :o)

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...make custom card mats
(a couple of quick ways)

copic colour mats:

Here's that great trick I learned from Dawn again. Copic coloured papers.

I love the Whitewash for this since it goes on so smoothly--uses very little ink & there's a lot less splotching than more porous papers. (Plus the fact that the ink floats on the surface somewhat means you can blend colours.) {Like I always repeating...I like to use the broad/chisel tips: it applies colour quickly and preserves the finer colouring tip.]

embossed Core'dinations
text pattern papers:


This black text paper is homemade patterned paper.
It's so fast to make! Just print any text on Black Magic Core'dinations & emboss.

I used white embossing powder on this text
(about silk flower making, scanned from a vintage book):

I like this text content for flower cards. It's sized 6x6 inches wide, but if you'd like another size the JPG is linked below too. Of course, you can lighten or colour it if you like...

my distressed mess: I had some double printing & was sloppy with the embossing, but I didn't worry about the flecks ('cause I'm a rebel-haha) --but text will emboss much more clearly on Black Magic Core'dinations if you rubbed an anti-static bag & weren't as sloppy as moi.

faux-stitched faux mat:

lazy person's mat: pierce colour with pink, colour with black, quickie glue pen, glitter. :o)

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...make a long tag
(with the SU punch)

-->The tag is punched by:

1. Cutting a strip of Black Magic to the width of one of SU's tag punches (or any tag punch)
   
2. Slipping the one end of it up & out of the punch (so it's missed by the blade)
   
3. Punching just the top of it, for an extra long tag

-->"I'm here for" is from the LPS set {Topiary}
-->"U" is a piece of thin chipboard (embossed)
-->Ribbon & twine (from the "I want it white" collection)

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(Ledger paper scan & silk flowers scans)

Here are all of the downloads:

ledger paper
(PDF prints 6.5 high x 4.5 wide)

Click links to download:

1) Ledger Paper PDF
2) Ledger paper JPG

silk flower text

(PDF prints at 6x6 inches)

Click links to download:

3) Vintage Silk flowers text PDF
4) Vintage Silk flowers text JPG

Thank You for checkin' this out!

Edited to Add: Thank You Gwen, for reminding me to add this! :-D

(various mediums in your printer)

With gesso (or other goopy media) I can't guarantee it won't affect your printer. Mine was under $50.00 so I play with wild abandon. Maybe experiment with another old printer, if you have a really pricey one? :o)