Are you looking for a fun but practical craft to do with your
children or friends?
Stamping is one of those crafts. By using rubber stamps and different coloured inkpads and papers, you can create beautiful cards, gift tags, wrapping paper, book covers and scrapbook pages. The stamps can also be used with permanent inks
to create designs on fabrics.
Stamping is a craft that you can do by yourself as a relaxing, quiet, creative activity or enjoy it in a group. It is fun to share design ideas and stamps with friends at a stamping evening.
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Kids can express their creativity by stamping sheets of paper to make wrapping paper or cards for their friends or family. Family pictures or meaningful verses can be added to cards to create unique and personalized messages. The design possibilities are unlimited.
Stamping supplies can be purchased at craft stores or through Stampin’ Up home parties. In addition to a wide variety of stamps, ink colours and types, there are many other accessories available to decorate your stamping creations. These include ribbon, decorative paper punches, watercolour pencils, paper crimpers, glitter, eyelets and metal brads. Rolls of plain white or craft paper can be used to create gift wraps. Plain, precut white or coloured gift boxes and gift tags and premade plain paper gift bags can be purchased to decorate. There are also a variety of glues and double-sided tapes available to put the
items together.
I hope the Christmas stamping ideas pictured here that my friend Christie Ortman and I created will trigger your imagination.
On the left there is a red pyramid shaped gift box on which stars were stamped using gold ink. A Christmas tree was stamped in red on white paper and then a companion stamp was used with gold ink to create a garland effect. The tree was then cut out and fastened using glue dots to a crumpled green paper before being glued to the box. To close the box, a gold cord is looped around a gold brad.
Next is a white rectangular gift box that
is stamped using red ink and a Merry Christmas roller stamp, a gift tag is created using to/from
and peppermint candy stamps, and then mounted on a square of red
paper and attached to the front of the box. Red ribbon is laced through a hole punched into the top of the box and tied to close the box.
Reindeer, snowflake and snowman gift tags were made using precut gift tags and then stamped with mini designs. These cards were trimmed slightly and then glued to a contrasting coloured tag to give a framed appearance. The reindeer card was decorated with a tiny red pompom on the reindeer’s nose; wiggle eyes and glitter on the antlers.
For the snowflake card, the red ink was dabbed on with a sponge and then white ink was used for the snowflake. The snowman card uses a reverse stamp with blue ink. Then the star was coloured with a yellow marker and glitter was added to the snow.
Various sizes of snowflake stamps were used to stamp a red snowflake design onto craft paper, which was then used to cover a notebook or journal; red paper was crumpled and glued on as an accent binding. A large snowflake was stamped, cut out and decorated with glitter, and then taped to overlap the binding and cover to give an additional accent.
Twill tape handles were added using gold coloured brads.
Plain white cotton fabric was stamped with blue snowflakes using permanent craft ink. Once the ink was heat set, using an iron, the fabric was then stitched into a gift bag.
A co-ordinated gift tag was created using the same snowflake stamp on a precut gift tag along with the to/from stamp.
A plain white paper gift bag was stamped using the pictured holly leaf roller stamp. A colour co-ordinated gift card was created using a reverse stamp of the same holly leaf pattern on paper that was the same colour as the stamping ink. The card was attached to the handle of the gift bag using stretchy gold ribbon.
The snowflake stamps and “Warm Winter Wishes” stamp were used to create the blue and white Christmas card. Some of the blue ink was sponged onto the centre of the white card paper, and then the smaller snowflakes and greeting were added using the same navy ink. The large snowflake was added using a white embossing ink to give a three dimensional effect.
To frame this card, it was mounted on a slightly larger light blue piece of card paper that was then mounted on the navy blue card paper.
Stamping is a craft that you can use all year round to create seasonal decorations, cards and gifts. A thank you to Christie for sharing her talents, stamps and creations with me.
Last chance draw
This is the last reminder for our cookbook draw. All entries must be in by Dec. 6 when the draw will be made. Share with us recipes your family serves at seasonal celebrations. To enter the draw and to share your traditions, send them by e-mail to team@producer.com or mail to: TEAM Resources, c/o The Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 2C4.
We will share some of your recipes and traditions in a special edition of the Producer Dec. 29.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
