Stretching Your Stamps to Create Patterned Backgrounds

Hi Friends! Emily Mydlowski here with you today sharing ways to stretch your stamps to create patterned background designs. For my projects, I used the popular hexagon-shaped Essentials by Ellen Pieced Together Stamp Set to create three rustic textile-inspired background patterns.

Pattern Making Tips with Hexagonal Shaped Stamps

• For a more organic feel to your patterns, I like to start from the top or side of the card panel/masked area with a “stamped off” image, rather than starting from the center with a whole image and moving your way out to the sides. 
• The spacing between the hexagon impressions will create different depths and dimensions to your pattern. Equal spacing will show off the hexagon shape, while tighter or larger spacing between the stamped images can reduce the perception of the hexagon shape. 
• If you make a little oops with your spacing/pattern building, no problem…just fill in the gaps with some pretty embellishments or a big bold word die cut [wink, wink].

For the partial patterned background areas, rather than using multiple layers of removable tape, I cut my masking paper with a paper trimmer to create Masking Strips that were the perfect width so I could stamp off the images at the edges without worry. 

Horizontal Pattern Background

I added two masking paper strips to the bottom of the card panel and stamped the hexagon pattern between the two masking strips with larger spaces between each impression; starting from the left and working my way to the right. After stamping the images, I removed the masking paper strips, colored in a few of the flowers with Peach Copics and added a stacked Ebony Mondo“hi” die cut. To finish the card, I added a few pearl embellishments and adhered the decorated card panel to a Neenah Desert Storm cardbase. 

Vertical Panel Background

I added a masking paper strip to the left side of the card panel and stamped the hexagon pattern with tighter spacing between each impression; starting from the top left and working my way down the card panel. After stamping the images, I colored in between the stamped images with a peach colored pencil and smoothed out the pencil marks with a Blender Pen and added a bit more rustic coloring with Copic Markers (R32, B93/95 and BV23/31). To finish the card, I added a double-stacked Ebony Mondo “hey” die cut, pearl embellishments and adhered the card panel to a Neenah Desert Storm cardbase.

Full Background Pattern

I added a large masking paper strip to the center of the card and stamped the hexagon pattern starting from the top working my way across and down the card panel. After stamping the images, I colored in the flowers with peach Copics and then stamped the Daydream Blue Painted Stripes to the top and bottom of the masked white space to help ground the Ebony Double-Stacked Mondo“hello” sentiment. To finish the card, I added a few pearl embellishments to the center of the hexagon designs. 

So there we are friends, three ways to stretch your hexagon-shaped stamps to create pattern backgrounds. I hope you enjoyed my post today and inspires you to stretch your stamps in fun new ways. Thanks for stopping by and Big Paper Hugs!

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