If you've tried two step stamping and gave up because you weren't able to line up your stamps exactly right you are going to LOVE this card! Why? Because with many two step stamping sets, offsetting the images just a wee bit – which is what usually happens when you are trying to get them perfect! – can create a very pretty “hand colored” look. Take a look:
See how the leaf outlines are not perfectly lined up with their backgrounds? And see how they add a little “movement”, some depth and texture to the card? Here's a look at the front panel without the grounding card base – I think you might see it more here:
I can't tell you how many people gave up on two step stamping thinking they were doing it “wrong”. Believe me, more beauty and card excitement comes from “mistakes” than perfect stamping!
And see that greeting mounting? It was no accident that I chose a swirly layer to go under the stitched circle – here they are apart:
Using two pieces that together would have a natural offset adds to the deliberate “mismatching” of the two step stamping. The addition of a simple greeting lets all that “movement” show off.
That little bit of stitching on the greeting layer prevents it from being too stark but doesn't compete with the lovely offset imagery.
Another tip I would like to share for a card like this where the two step stamping is the feature is to do your two step stamping all the way through with each individual image. Don't do all the backgrounds and then the outlines or vice versa. Doing all one and then all the other can quickly lead to too many or too few images because we aren't seeing the whole picture as we are creating. I do this with my ink pads and stamps to remind me because, hey, stamping and getting carried away, right?
The other thing about two step stamping is you really can't do it “wrong”. If you have a HUGE offset on your first few, go with it! Of course, you can do two step stamping with a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig or other stamp positioning tool but why bother? Use that offset deliciousness to your advantage!
Here are the other things I used to make this card – remember you can click on items, load up your shopping cart and have all your goodies delivered right to your door!
Here's a last peek at this two step stamping beauty, perfect in all its imperfections:
Now that you know that two step stamping is NOT intended to force out your inner perfectionist, get out those stamps and start having fun with them!
