Changing ink colors for digi stamps



There are a variety of ways to work with digi stamps.  Once you

become familiar with the tools in your Word program, the more you will be able to do with your images.  In this tutorial I am using MS Word 2010. 

Since I like to cut out most of my images, it makes sense for me to fill a page prior to printing.  You can take best advantage of your paper real estate by flipping, turning, and resizing your images.  Fill up a 8.5" x 11" sheet --if you are not using all the images right away you have them on hand for quick last minute cards.

Images import in black and print in black, unless you tell your image to print otherwise.  There are thousands of ink colors at your fingertips in your Word program.  Match your favorite chalks, inks, Copics, Prisma, or Bic colors. 

Once you have created your layout click on the image you want in a color.   An icon marked "color" will be a visible tool in the top tool bar.  Click on it and a pull out menu with lots of options will appear. 
In this screen shot I have already selected and colored several images.  Arranging images close is possible with png files.  If you are using jpeg images you will have that white box fixed around the image and waste paper.  Make sure your digi stamps are high resolution and a .png file.


The screen shot on the left shows you the many color options in the pull-out menu.  You will have a choice of tone, saturation, and color fill (which is kind of cool because the outline remains black and the image is a solid fill).
What if you want to customize your colors and go beyond the options in view?
At the bottom of the menu you will discover there are additional tools to select color variations or customize your own colors.

 I like to print on a nice white cardstock that takes media well.  My preference is Strathmore 88 lb. cover Bristol in Ultimate White.  It's an elegant paper and makes lovely note cards as well.

Before you print check your print settings.  To get a deep crisp outline be sure to select best quality  (or photo quality) as many printers have ink saving features and will default to draft print.


Any questions?  Please contact me at:  janet@veralanestudio.com

                                                                                                   

 

A tag for sister

My sisters birthday is tomorrow. 

I must confess, I bought a card. I did.  One of those cards that makes you burst out laughing, (we try to topper-kill

each other that way).  So with the SDC "Tag, you're it" I can at least make a hang tag for her gift.

 

I layered and lifted (paper toweled) various colors to create my background and added paper scraps on the edge of the tag.  Accented with Pitt pen and white Gelly Roll make a loose boarder.  "Sister" is stamped and cut from Kraft paper and "Midge" is stamped on the tag surface and partially paper-pieced. Prisma colors and Pitt are used to touch-up the image.

 

The ribbon is torn from white cotton that is stained from my inking fingers. It's amazing that a small simple tag can create such a mess. : -)

Fiddle

Humphrey just got his summer cut -- he is all ears.  With his slender little body he reminds me of "Fiddle" -- little simple stick dog with full floppy ears, a little sweet, a little mischievous. 

Here Fiddle is paper pieced on white on white on white...pretty simple?  I rolled a little Distress marker around the edges but I think I should have just let the shadows create the contrast. The spine of the card has a slit to accommodate the ribbon tuck.

When I think of Paris

When I think of Paris colors I think of soft hues of linen, petal pinks, creamy coffee and tea tones.  I'm reminded of the pastel colored
macaroons and rich cup of coffee relaxing in Rodin's Garden.

Thanks to  guest Libby Hickson's of the Stampotique Designer's Challenge "French Flair" for reminding me of such pleasures and aesthetics. (I envy that you get to go every summer!)  

For this challenge I created a gift tag I cut from mat board.
The house shape is painted with a white-washed over buttercream and distressed with a little sanding and distressing inks.  Bits of soft color paper and fibers are added.  Cutout window features a portion of  Stampotique's "Little Friends" stamp and the woman figure (my husband's mother) is "Summer of 32."  I have a striped two toned pink tag that I will hang along side it that reads "Pour vous."

It was terrific fun to put off going to the gym and daydream of Paris. 

:-)  Janet

 

Stand-up Skeleton

I've had these craft sticks and blocks in my studio for some time.  I had

glued them together and painted them in more appealing colors and they waited to be put to use.

After completing a new set of digis based on Frida Khalo, the little Skeleton Toy character was screaming to be cut out.  He's a fast little guy to color -- and I like fast.  A little number stamp around the block , some snips and a little Aleen's Tacky Glue makes for a fun little studio friend.  When you make parts in advance, it makes it easier to put things together.

He's a great little character for Dia de los Muertos, but he's going to hang on my shelf year round.

Skeleton Toy and the Frida set are available for instant download in my Etsy store.  Enjoy!

Matchbox Mini Books

I must confess, I had full intentions of making another one this week for the Stampotique recycle challenge but this is my first prototype that I came up with and it's structure is too cute not to share. 

If you like math (wink) you can use any size matchbox, but I have worked the math kinks out for you using two 2 1/8" x 1  7/16" matchbook boxes. 

 

The "drawers" hold a mini book each and the concertina fold which attach to each box also have a booklet in the center. When I measure, I allow for scoring and folding as you want your text pages to sit comfortably in the book spine.

 

 

Materials:

• 2 matchboxes
• 4" thin wire
• 2 beads (elongated) for drawer pulls
• 2 pieces of cardstock for mini book covers 2.5" x 1 6/8"
• 1 piece of cardstock 5 9/16 x 2 1/2" (concertina fold)
• 6 text pages (2 for each book but you can add more) 2 7/16" x 1 15/16"
• 26" thin ribbon
• Beads for ribbon ends
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Paints, papers, stamps, inks
• Ruler
• Bone folder
• Paper Cutter
• Awl ( or something to piece small holes)
• Needle and thread

1. Paint and decorate boxes and drawers or cover with paper.  Set aside to dry.
2. Book Covers:  After you have cut your cardstock to size, distress, stamp, decorate as desired. The long piece is to connect the boxes and the other two are the tiny book covers.   Keep in mind that  about 1 1/2 inches in on both sides of the longer piece will not show as it will be glued to a portion of the box.
3. Color and stamp your text pages as desired. When dry, fold pages in half and allow two sheets (folded) for each booklet.
4. Measure, score, and fold the longer cardstock into four ( 1 3/8") equal sections(three folds).  Zigzag fold.
5. Align the two layers of text pages in the center fold.  With all the pieces together, pierce two holes about 1/4" from the top and bottom.  Sew the text pages into the spine.
6. Covers for the mini books:  Find the center of the 2.5" x 1 6/8" cardstock with your ruler -- (this will be your sewing line) measure and score 1/8" on both sides of the line.  Sew your text pages on the center line.
7. Glue ribbon ends to the center of boxes first, then glue the plain ends of the folded cardstock to cover the ribbons and attach the two boxes.
8. On one end of each "drawer" poke two holes the length of the bead and attach from the inside with a bit of twisted wire.
9. Tuck the little books in the little drawers -- add a charm for a surprise.
10. Add some bead embellishment on the end of the ribbons.  The assembly collapses into a tidy container -- wrap the ribbons to and tie to close.

If you are not a math person you can eyeball the picture above and use the boxes to trace onto your cardstock to approximate your measures. Please feel free to ask me any questions if these directions are not clear. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Digi Stamp

Thanks for stopping by Vera Lane Studio!

Check the new tab, "Free Digi Stamp" for this month's release, "Spring Gal."   She's a simple yet versatile stamp that you may copy for free.

Have her float, fly, or place her in a landscape.  Using Spring Gal as a simple graphic makes 
a perfect image for gift tags, greetings, invites, a thank you, or a simple hello card.

All Vera Lane Studio images are hand drawn and 300-350 resolution. 

If you have any questions on how to use digi stamps please drop me a line at:
janet@veralanestudio.com