Random Stamping

Many people have been asking about how I do random stamping. I don't think I do it any differently than anyone else except I'm big into covering every space on my paper but here's what I do. When I first tried random stamping I read that you were supposed to be thinking of stamping in "triangles" so that's what I did. Here's an example, see how the three buttons make a triangle? I just think of making triangles of every three stamps on my page.

So here is a page full of the same button. When choosing a stamp set to use for random stamping I look for stamps that have a circular shape, flowers, buttons, etc. Sometimes I use stamp sets that don't follow that rule like the You've Got Flair set that's all paisley shapes but, in general, I find circular shapes work best. I usually choose four ink colors to work with and 5-6 stamps. I take the largest stamp and the darkest or brightest color first. Here I used the largest button on the Buttoned Together set with Twilight ink. All of the examples today can be found on my website at http://barbraotten.myctmh.com and don't forget the Deal of the Day where you can buy a stamp set and get a free product too!

Next I take the second largest stamp (in case they are the same size) and the next darkest or brightest color and stamp. See how every three tulip buttons form a triangle? Space them out so you have room for more stamps.

Here I have a medium size button stamp in sweet leaf ink (one of my favorite colors). See the triangle I made with the stamp?


Continue to fill up the page with the stamps, remembering to leave some spaces for the smaller stamps.

Here's the next smallest stamp in sunflower. At this point you can throw the triangle technique out the window. It's now a matter of just fitting the stamp in wherever there is a blank space. Did you ever see that example of a jar filled with rocks, it looks full but it's not when you add small pebbles, then sand, then water, etc. each time you think it's full but it's not really. Same for my idea of random stamping, I keep filling in the smaller and smaller spots.

I ran out of colors in my chosen fourn so I go back to the twilight for a smaller button and find places for it.

Lastly I used the tulip again for the smallest stamp, my idea is always to make sure the white paper spaces are pretty much gone.

Once you have a page done you can play with it. I had a cheapy memo notepad laying around that would look so much better decorated in pretty randomly stamped paper.

Measure the front of your notebook and cut a piece of your stamped cardstock in that size, distress if you like with a sponge and your darkest ink.

Attach to the notebook, can this get any easier?

Cut a strip of paper one inch by the width of your notebook and stamp a sentiment (this one is from the Buttoned Together set still). Distress and glue it down to your notebook, five minutes tops! Hope this helps for you future random stampers!!