September's Exclusive Stamp

One of my favorite items in the September Mercantile Papercrafting kit is the exclusive stamp.  The circular shape was designed specifically so a flatback or flair could fit nicely in the middle.  There are so many ways to use this stamp - punch circles from patterned paper and place them in the centers,  paint the middles, place buttons in the middles ... and on and on.  The "here's the story:" sentiment is quite versatile and a great journaling starter for any layout.

This month, the circular Leaf Frame Stamp comes with a downloadable Outline Cut.

Directions on how to use the Outline Cut are included, but here it is in a nutshell:

1.  Your download will give you file types that can be used in any digital cutting machine. Cut your outline shapes sized at 1.75 inches wide.   I cut more than I may need for a particular project so I always have some on hand.  

Grab a scrap of paper in a contrasting paper and run a temporary adhesive strip across it.

2.  Place your cuts on the adhesive strip and ink up your stamp on an acrylic block.

3.  Position your stamp over the shape so the image will be centered evenly on it.  Using a contrasting scrap of cardstock underneath your cut images helps to position your stamp.

Easy, right?!

I used a waterproof ink with my stamp and then then painted them with blue watercolor:

I love getting an uneven look to my watercolor and achieved this by lightly coloring the image first and then saturating my brush and blotting areas heavily after.

After the stamping the frames on the left, circles punched from patterned paper were added to the centers.  The frames become great "homes" for embellishments.

Our September Papercrafting Kit is a beautiful one!  I hope you love creating with it and please show us what you make!