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Shadow Stamping - Quick Elegant Cards and Pages
by Susan Rice

Description: Shadow stamping is a great technique to give character to your card making and scrapbooking projects.
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Shadow stamping is a new, fun, and simple way of stamping cards and pages. It allows you to craft your very own setting and theme for your projects. Beauty is found in the color combinations, choice of stamps and the moods you create. With shadow stamping you can create elaborate, detailed projects with very little effort.

WHAT IS SHADOW STAMPING?

Basically it is the process of using geometric shapes or solid stamps to create a background for your project. Shadow stamping always includes the use of two or more colors, usually pastels, to create the background. This is your shadow. Once your shadow is created, you stamp your desired image over the shadow in a contrasting color. As you can imagine, this technique has vast possibilities. Shadow stamping has many techniques for varying effects which you may wish to use collectively or on their own.

INKS

There are special inks for shadow stamping, but you can do it without them. The key to remember is that you need light images. To do this with regular inks, use a second or third impression. The shadow will get increasingly lighter with each impression.

BASIC SHADOW STAMPING

Ink the entire shadow and stamp on card or scrapbook page. Stamp your image over the shadow with a contrasting color.

ELEGANT EDGES

Ink only the edges using the sides of your stamp pad or a sponge. Shadow stamping with this technique will add depth to the project. This method may be combined with Basic Shadow Stamping.

SHADOW IN A SHADOW

Ink your shadow but do not stamp. Using a smaller shadow, press the unlinked stamp onto the inked one to remove ink, stamp the results onto your paper. Continue stamping until the desired results are achieved.

MONOPRINT SHADOW STAMPING

This method is just like the "Shadow in a Shadow" technique only instead of using a smaller shadow, use an image. Shadow stamping with this method is great for creating a themed page.

STAMPING ON STAMPS

Ink your shadow stamp. Ink a smaller stamp in a darker color and stamp the image onto your inked shadow stamp. Stamp the results on paper to see your creation.

STYLUS SHADOW STAMPING

Ink your shadow, then using a stylus, draw lines or curves through the wet ink. Stamp on paper.

TRIPLE SHADOW

Ink the first shadow and stamp. Ink a second smaller shadow, turn 90º and stamp; ink a third even smaller shadow, turn another 90º and stamp. Stamp your image over resultant background.

Shadow stamping is a technique as diverse as the imagination. Whether doing basic shadow stamping, stylus , or stamp on stamp shadow stamping, you will find these methods will help you quickly and simply theme and enhance your own distinctive projects.

To see pictures of the different techniques discussed in this article simply visit http://www.clearlyrubberstamping.com/page/shadow_stamping

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