Crafty Secrets November Linky Party: Paper Piecing with Digital Stamps Tutorial

Please note:  This is my second post for today.  Please scroll down to view my project for Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge 19, or click HERE.  Thank you!

Hello, Friends!  I simply can’t believe that it is already the first Monday in November and time for another Crafty Secrets Linky Party!  With Christmas barreling down on us, I thought I would share a Christmas card made with digital papers and stamps and share a paper piecing with digital stamps tutorial.

Before I get started, I want to remind you that YOU are invited to join the fun!  Go to the Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage BLOG and link up your own NEW project using Crafty Secrets products (digital or traditional) and you’ll have a chance at winning a $50 shopping spree to the online STORE.  Everyone that plays along receives a nice prize.  (Last month, Sandy gave each participant our NEW Retro Kitchen digital kit…so you really DO want to play along!)  The design team is focusing on Christmas this month, but this is an “Anything Goes” challenge, as long as you use Crafty Secrets products somewhere in your creation.  If you don’t have any, check the sidebar on the blog where you’ll find loads of free downloadable images that you can use.  So, no excuses!

Paper Piecing with Digital Stamps Tutorial

I have a true confession to make.  I am not great at coloring stamped images.  Those of you who follow my blog are probably aware of this fact.  I can do it, but I’m never really satisfied with the outcome.  I’ve always liked the look of paper piecing a stamped image, but how do you do that with digital products?  Well, I have really good news for you…it’s amazingly easy!  Here’s my paper pieced Christmas card made with digital papers from our Creating with Retro Christmas CD 5 and our digital Christmas Express Stamp set.

I just love this stamp, and wanted to use it, but not color it…because as we discussed earlier…I am coloring challenged.  I sized my stamp to 4″ x 4 5/8″ and then copied/pasted it into Microsoft Word, where I made 2 copies of the same stamp…so I could create layers, you see?  I use Corel Paintshop Pro because it came with my new computer, but I know a lot of you use PhotoShop or Pic Monkey.  The names of the tools may be slightly different, but the procedure will be the same, and I think you can follow along with what I did, no matter what program you use.

For printing my paper, I use an 80# white text paper that I purchase at Paper and More.  It’s a little heavier than standard white paper, but not as heavy as cardstock.  It has a nice finish, and I find that my digital papers print out really crisp and clear.  I know this will be very basic for some of you who are more accomplished with digital, but I’m going to share the very basic steps so that those who are new to it will be able to follow along.So to print your paper:

1. Open your Retro Christmas CD
2.  Click on cs-retro-christmas-papers
3. Right click on cs-retro-blue-snow
4. Click on “Open”
5. Now your paper will open in whatever program you use. From the tool bar at the top of the page, click IMAGE. Select “Change Image Size” from the drop down menu and choose 8 1/2 x 11.  (Unless you are lucky enough to have a printer that prints 12″ paper.  I do not.)
6. Print your paper and trim to 4 3/4″ x 6 3/4″

I then used embossing folders on the top and bottom of my paper to add texture.  I lightly tapped it with Versamark ink and added Bridal Embossing Tinsel to make every glitter and shine like a sparkling winter night.

Now, to do the paper piecing:

1. Select the paper that says cs-retro-christmas-patches and open it as before
2. Click on your “crop” tool and use it to crop out one of the individual squares from the patchwork paper.  I chose the red polka dot square and then clicked on the check mark to crop it out.
3. Go to EDIT. Click copy. Then open a new file.
4. Click “EDIT” and choose “Paste as a new image”
5. Click on “Image” in your tabs heading. Select Resize image and choose 4″ x 4″.
6. Now, go back to your Microsoft word file that you created with your digital stamp.  Click “copy”
7. In Paintshop Pro, use the EDIT tab and select “Paste as a transparent image” The image will be layered on top of the paper selection and will look like this:

Now you can just go to FILE and select PRINT and print this out, just like that.  I repeated this same step for each of the squares I used from this patchwork sheet, printing them all on one piece of paper.  To do this, I just put the paper back in upside down  and printed. Then I reversed and printed on the blank side.  Then I put it in upside down on the reverse side.  It printed on all four corners of the paper.  I’m sure there are other ways to do this, but this was what made sense to me. When you are all done, go back to the Christmas patch paper and undo all your changes before you close out the file to preserve the original paper.

So, here is a close look at my paper pieced image:

I  printed my two digital stamp images on ultra smooth cardstock. I trimmed around the outside edges of the girl and the snowman image to use as my base.  I fussy cut the girl from the second stamped image so that I could use foam dots to layer her on top of the plain printed stamp.  I fussy cut the individual sections that I wanted to use from my printed digital paper squares cutting just outside the black print lines.  Then I glued them into place, just like doing a puzzle.   I used Spectrum Noir markers to color the girl’s legs and face, and to add some shading to the snowman and snow.Then I secured the finished paper pieced girl to base stamp using foam adhesive. The snowman’s hat was colored, fussy cut and secured with foam adhesive.

To finish the card, I added beautiful Snowflakes on light blue grosgrain ribbon and a pretty bauble I had in my stash.  I used Ranger Black Enamel to add the buttons and eyes on the snowman.  I tore some embossed paper that I found in my scrap drawer and created a snow bank for my scene to rest on.  I just tore the paper and layered it.  Easy peasy!

Here’s a peeky at the inside, with more paper from the Retro CD:

Now, go visit each of the designers listed below and leave them some bloggy love as you go.  Then, go to the Crafty Secrets BLOG and link up your project before midnight Pacific Time, Sunday, November 16th!  We also have a wonderful guest designer joining us this month, so be sure to make BIRGIT NELSON of “Crafting While I Wait” feel welcomed!

Birgit ♥ Dar ♥ Diane ♥ Elizabeth ♥ Gloria ♥ Melody ♥ Michele ♥ Shantaie ♥ Sheila

If you have any questions about today’s tutorial, please feel free to ask!  I’ll be more than happy to help!  I’m finding that working with digital papers and stamps is lots of fun…and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be when I first started!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy