How Colour and Detail Can Completely Change a Stamped Page

In a recent art journal page, I explored using colour in stronger blocks within a wreath design, allowing stamped elements to work as both focal points and background texture.

For this page, I deliberately explored how the same stamp designs shift when colour, fragments and personal marks are used to create more movement, atmosphere and drama.

It’s a great reminder of how the same stamps can tell very different stories, depending on how they’re used.

Letting Colour Change the Mood

Where my previous page focused on more structured colour areas, this one leans into flowing colour, contrast, and softer transitions. The blues, warm tones, and pops of red immediately create a different emotional feel - more woodland, more storybook, and more atmospheric.

Colour alone can shift the emotional tone of a page, even before the individual stamped elements are fully noticed.

Using Stamps in Pieces, Not Just as Whole Images

On this page, many of the stamped elements aren’t used as complete images. Instead, I’ve:

• Broken designs into smaller sections

• Tucked fragments into painted areas

• Let parts of images fade into the background

• Layered pieces to suggest more complexity

This is one of the principles behind my stamp design - creating images that work as complete focal points or as subtle fragments, depending on the look you want to achieve.

It also makes pages feel more organic and less “perfectly placed.” 

Adding Personal Touches

Alongside stamping, I added my own hand-drawn and coloured elements, including working into the circular areas with pen and paint.

These little personal touches help the page feel more like my page — not just a stamped design, but a combination of stamping, painting, and drawing.

This is something I really encourage: letting stamped designs become part of a bigger creative conversation on the page.

Same Designs, New Possibilities

This page uses the same stamp designs as my earlier post, but the outcome is completely different. That’s exactly what I love about working this way — it shows how flexible tools can support many styles, moods, and creative approaches.

If you’d like to see how these same stamps were used in a more structured, colour-blocked wreath design, you can view the earlier page HERE or click on photo below:

Tools Used on This Page

For those who like to know the tools behind a page, this project uses stamp designs from my Wild & Free collection for Shady Designs. I’ve linked them below for reference, as they’re a good example of how I design images to be used both whole and in fragments, and to work across different moods and colour stories.

• Wild & Free Fungi & Flora Stamp Set

• Wild & Free Leafy Loops Stamp Set

• Leafing About Stamp

• Hidden Layers Stamp

Final Thoughts

Changing colour, altering layout, breaking designs into fragments, and adding your own hand-drawn elements can completely transform how a stamped page looks and feels.

It’s a great way to build confidence, explore your own style and make your projects truly personal - even when you’re using the same core designs.

Until next time, take care,

Lou
xxx