Stamping Mad

Step 2 in Stamping a Card - The Paper and Inks

by Nikki Katz on May 30th, 2005

This series is devoted to the steps necessary to stamp a card.

Step 2: The Paper and Inks

Now that you’ve determined the occasion and stamps you want to use, it’s time to pick out the paper and inks. You’ll want to start off with a piece of solid cardstock (in most instances) that you can add layers to. Match the paper to the occasion - soft colors for a baby shower, bright for a birthday, etc. You can then search for coordinating pattern paper as an intermediate layer, or stamp another solid color with a background stamp to coordinate with your base cardstock. You’ll then need the paper that you plan to stamp on (I use white for most of my stamps).

I traditionally use 2-3 colors when making a card. One color is the base cardstock and I often use that as the same color to color in my stamped image. I then choose a color in the same family (typically a lighter shade) and then a contrasting color for borders and accents. This can be incorporated in using ribbon, eyelets, or other subtle ways to give a nice appearance to the card.

The inks will coordinate with the card. If I’m going to be coloring in the stamped image, I traditionally stamp it in black or a dark brown. If the stamp is solid or will not be colored, I usually stamp in the base color or secondary shade.

Step 1: The Occasion
Step 2: The Paper and Ink
Step 3: The Size and Layout
Step 4: Stamp and Color
Step 5: Stamp and Color
Step 6: Put it All Together

Share This

Related Stories

Step 6 in Stamping a Card: Put it All Together
Step 5 in Stamping a Card: The Accessories!
Step 1 in Stamping a Card: The Occasion
Step 4 in Stamping a Card: Stamp and Color
Step 3 in Stamping a Card - The Size and Layout

POSTED IN: Stamping Techniques