Think Outside the Square: A Different Way to Use Your Stamps

We often look at a stamp and immediately see the shape it was designed to create.

A square stamp makes us think square card. A border stamp makes us think border. A floral stamp makes us think flowers.

But what happens when you stop looking at the stamp as a whole and start looking at the individual elements within it?

That was the idea behind these cards using the Shady Designs Celtic Square stamp.

Rather than stamping the complete square, I used just part of the design, rotated it and repeated it to create something completely different.

It's a simple change, but it can open up lots of possibilities.

Look at the elements, not just the shape

When designing stamps, I always liked the idea that a design shouldn't dictate exactly how it has to be used.

With this particular stamp, the obvious approach is to stamp the complete square. But by using only one edge, the same design can become a vertical element on a card.

Rotate it, stamp it again, and suddenly you have a completely different shape. The stamp hasn't changed. The way you are looking at it has.

And that's something you can try with stamps you already have in your collection.

Card 1: Soft and elegant

For this card, I used soft blues and greens and stamped one edge of the square towards the right-hand side of the card.

I then rotated the stamp and stamped the same section again, creating a simple vertical design.

Adding the sentiment and flowers completed the card without overwhelming the stamped detail.

The result is quite different from what you might expect from a square stamp.

Card 2: Bright and playful

The same idea works completely differently with a brighter colour palette.

This time I used orange, red, yellow and green, again taking just one edge of the square and rotating the stamp to create the vertical element.

I added the sentiment at the top and bottom, blending the ink slightly to soften the edges, then finished with the flowers.

Same stamp. Same basic idea. Completely different feel.

Card 3: Christmas Colours - without making a Christmas card!

For the final card, I used traditional red and green colours, but the finished design isn't specifically a Christmas card.

Again, I stamped just one edge of the square and rotated it to create the vertical line.

I then masked the stamped area before adding the sentiment, helping to keep the design clean and defined.

Changing the colours and the sentiment completely changes the purpose of the card.

Don't be limited by the shape of the stamp

This is the part of cardmaking I particularly enjoy. A stamp doesn't necessarily have to be used in the way its shape suggests.

Before stamping, have a look at the design and ask yourself:

• What happens if I only use part of it?

• Could you rotate it?

• Could you repeat one element?

• Could you stamp it off the edge of the card?

• Could you use just one corner?

• Could you combine part of it with another stamp?

You don't need a huge collection of stamps to create lots of different designs. Sometimes it's simply about looking at the stamps you already own differently.

For me, that was always one of the pleasures of designing stamps - creating something that could be interpreted in more than one way.

So next time you reach for a stamp, don't automatically use the whole design.

Look beyond the obvious. You might find that the shape you thought you had is only the beginning.

Until next time, take care,

Lou

xxx