Stamping with Elle’s Studio | Caroline Aston

Hello Magpies, this month I have been creating with some of the fab stamp sets from Elle’s Studio. I love their stamp sets, they are brilliant quality and so versatile. When creating my layouts, I find myself reaching for them time and time again. They are also great for using on the go, in journals and traveler’s notebooks.

These Are Moments To Treasure

As soon as I saw the new Good Times set, I knew I wanted to use the two circle stamps to create a background.

I started by randomly stamping the circles onto a piece of 12×12” Foundations paper using an embossing ink. Making sure to position some of the circles off the page. I then heat embossed each one using a white embossing powder. Next, I used three colours of Vicki Boutin Watercolour Markers to add colour to the page. Starting by adding the ink to the top of the page and letting it drip down. Then adding some more colour to areas of the page, where the drips had missed or the colours had mixed together too much. The embossing powders create a resist to the watercolours and leave the white pattern showing through.

I wanted to keep the remainder of the page quite minimal as I didn’t want to cover up too much of the background I had created. I printed out a 3×4” photo in black and white, which I matted onto white card. Leaving a bigger border at the bottom, to give it the look of a Polaroid style photo. I selected papers from Vicki Boutin’s Wildflower & Honey and Color Kaleidoscope 6×8” Paper Pads to layer up behind the photo. Tearing the edges to provide a bit more interest and add texture to the page.

Next, I added a number of word and phrase stamps from Elle’s Studio. One beneath the photo and the remainder around the circles on the background. I wanted the phrases to be curved around the circles. To do this, I added the circle stamp to my block first, then added the phrase stamp to the block curving it around the circle. Once I was happy with the position of the phrase on the block I removed the circle from the block before inking up the phrase and stamping.

I used the Title Builder stamp sets to created my title, which I positioned to the left of the photos. Due to the embossing powder I was unable to stamp the larger words directly onto the page. So, I stamped them onto a piece of white cardstock and then fussy cut them out. The stamp set didn’t have the exact phrases/words I wanted to use on their own, however they were part of a bigger phrase. This meant I was able to just add ink to the specific word I wanted. To finish off my title I added five triangles, die cut from a piece of black cardstock. I then added my journaling underneath, on a stamped label.

Finally, I added a small cluster of torn papers to the top left of the page. Along with another word stamp and three little pearls next to each of the stamped phrases around the circle. I finished the page off by using a roller date stamp to add the date to a little tab. Which, I tucked into the layers to the left of the photo.

Documenting Summer Memories

For my second layout I decided to use the stamps to create a rainbow background paper. To do this I started by cutting a piece of white cardstock to 6×8”. Then selected five different phrases from the two Everyday Phrases sets. As well as a number of different colours of ink. I used a stamp positioning tool to line up my stamps in a straight line. Stamping every other row in a different colour ink. I then repositioned the phrases in the positioning tool to create a brick pattern, and filled in the remaining rows.

To make my page, I used my stamped background as I would any other patterned paper. I chose a bright summery photo, which I printed at 6×4”. Then I picked out two B-sides from Vicki Boutin’s Wildflower & Honey. It’s a lovely bright collection, which I thought would work perfectly with my stamped paper. I matted my photo onto black cardstock, then onto a larger piece of the grid paper, leaving space for the title under the photo. Which I stamped using the Titler Builder Vol.3 set.

For my embellishment, I stamped a number of different sized labels and some summery phrases. Positioning them in three areas around the photo. Building up a cluster on the left with some journaling and the location of the photo. I finished off the page by adding a wood veneer heart and a pearl to each cluster. Along with a little stamped banner to the photo.

Thank you for stopping by today, you can find all the Elle’s Studio stamps sets I have used and more in the shop here.

If you love stamping or are just getting started with it, make sure to check out this month’s challenge on the Chat and Inspiration Facebook group. Jackie Ashton is challenging you to use 5 different stamps on your page. You can find all the information about the challenge and how to enter here.

I will be back on 25th with more layouts using Elle’s Studio’s brilliant stamp sets. See you then.