Challenge 4 - Alphabet Stamps

Challenge 4: Alphabet stamps.  I think these are the most underused items in both making cards and scrapbook pages.  Check on later challenges for using words from Thin Cuts and Cricut cartridges.  This challenge is just alphabet stamps.  How can you use them you ask?

Use Alphabets as Titles on a page.  It is easy to take stickers and make titles.  When you start from scratch it just takes a moment to think.  The May Stamp of the Month had “Live Love Laugh”.  You can use words as they are horizontally.  You can cut the letters apart and use them vertically.  You can cut them apart and use them diagonally.  These particular words can use markers or watercolors or even just be wet embossed. You can make a special banner to put them on.  You can use different size alphabets all on the same title – mini-journaling. 

Use Alphabets as decoration.  You can use the letters on a kids page just “abc” on the borders. 

Use solid alphabet stamps in different colors.  Use open alphabets and stamp on different paper both patterned or cardstock.  The Framework Alphabet can be stamped on cardstock or patterned paper and cut for a wonderful effect. The Stamp of the Month for July is S1707 Storybook Alphabet and has examples on page 58 Seasonal Expressions. You can buy the Stamp Of The Month outright or with $50 purchase you can get it for $5 (add shipping and tax at full price). 

Use as words on cards and pages.  The Alphabet stamps start in the catalog on page 71. There is a wonderful card sample right there saying “Hello, hello Hello Friend Hello”.  Take a look at the current catalogs and see what you can get inspired to do.  I keep older catalogs for examples as well.  

Look for ways to use alphabet stamps as borders, as words or as the beginning letter for journaling. Stamp a large 1^st letter on the journaling piece and then use a marker to write the rest of the journaling.   

Open alphabets are also great for use with watercolor or markers.  You can just watercolor with one color or multiple colors on the watercolor paper.  Stamp the letters on the water colored paper and use it as a title as is or cut them out.  You can stamp the letters on water color paper and then use multiple water colors on each letter.  I love that the E stamps come with capitals as well as lower case.  Alphabets are so easy to use once you begin looking for ways to use them.

Card challenge: Use Alphabet stamps on a card.  I used the Storybook Alphabet to spell out THANKS.  I actually put all the stamps on 1 block and kept checking their position to see where they would fit.  I marked the paper with pencil to know where I had to stamp.  I used markers to color it in.  (b262, r140, g46, br99, wg4) You can stamp on the card.  You can stamp on cardstock, or color or even stamp on “light” patterned paper.  You could use a Large 1^st letter and smaller other letters if the word was too large for the card in all capitals.  Stamp your letters on scrap paper and turn your card either portrait or landscape to see how they fit. 

Page Challenge: Use Alphabet stamps on a page.  There is something called “scrap lift”.  That is taking an idea you see and making it your own.  Many of you are doing that with these pages and cards.  It is hard to get an idea from “scratch” but looking at something and saying “What can I do with that?” can be really fun. By changing and adding to it, you are making the project yours.

I used the E1027 Framework Alphabet on page 71 of the Annual book.  It has the capitals and the small letters.  E size is a double set of stamps.  I work on the Close To My Heart Versamat Z1279 on page 107.  The surface is wonderful to work on.  There are numbers all around which adhering the pieces to your 12x12 page easy.  No more marking with a ruler at 3 points – and making mistakes.  One side is a self-healing mat which for cutting out alphabet letters means that I can use a utility knife and cut out the pieces that the scissors can’t get.  The other side of the mat is cushioned to stamp on.  

I used some older cardstock that had embossing on it.  I found that the Archival Black went over better rather than the regular water based black.  For the other letters I used the regular black ink.  Again if you don’t want to make more pages, remember the Flip Flaps that can add photos to every page in many different sizes.  You will find them under barabarapagekell.ctmh.com, Shop and then Pocket Scrapbooking. 

Hint: On small things like letters, I love the Glue Pen Z553.  It is Dual Action Glue Pen – Dry it is temporary so you can check where things might look good.  Wet it is permanent.  (page 108 Annual)

One of my “go to” tools is the Rub and Remove Eraser (Z1207 on page 106 Annual) is really great as it erases misplace adhesive and lasts a long time.  I have used mine a lot  since 2006 and you can hardly tell it has been used. When you are doing small things with either adhesive tape or wet adhesive, there is usually some “sticking” showing through and the eraser takes care of it.  It also works on erasing pencil marks. 

I talked about Workshop Your Way in Challenge 3.  You can buy just the paper packet and coordinating cardstock and all the little things: complements, bling etc.  It is cheaper to buy the Workshop Your Way if you want it all.  You can see me or you can go to my website: barbarapagekell.ctmh.com (https://barbarapagekell.closetomyheart.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=9935&ci=8460) and go to Shop, Kits and Jack and you can download the guide that will give you the Workshop Your Way project.  This paper is called “Jack”.  I do have the Workshop Your Way but I also bought just the paper packet for to have fun with.  For this page, I liked the look of the background on page 37 with the Jack Paper and I sketched out on graph paper what an extended second page might look like with the continuing pattern.  I also used the D1719 Camping life stamp set.