Friday 19 July 2013

How to use a digital stamp - tutorial using Handmade Harbour stamps with Totally Tutorials

I think it is really important to choose the stamp (I have used one from Handmade Harbour stamps)  that you feel most comfortable with and also how you are going to use it - is it going to be a card focal point or a sentiment? Then you  need to download it and save it to your PC - this is usually self-explanatory but I can help if you need it.

Once downloaded you will also need to decide what size you want your card to be as you will have to adjust the size of the image to fit the card - most of the images from Handmade Harbour fit an C5 card and so you can print 2 of them off on an A4 piece of good quality card - super smooth or even watercolour card is best but you will have to find out what thickness your printer is able to cope with.

Now you will have to decide what medium you are going to colour it in. I have chosen the following images and will be using a mix of Pro-Markers and Spectrum Noir pens as I like working with them - I know some people mention Copic Markers but they are quite expensive and not the easiest to get hold of here in the UK.
Fairy stamp from Handmade Harbour

The fairy image will be coloured in pastel colours but the border will be bright to counter the pale colours and you can also cut the sentiment out so that you can add that to another part of the card.

Off to colour them - be back soon...

Welcome back! I have now coloured the 1st image using Spectrum Noir pens - having thought it would be more pastel shading I decided that I had a purple frame that would fit it so changed the colouring to brighter more vibrant colours. Oranges, reds and purples seemed to go it with it - I am not an expert on these type of pens yet and so have tried to get the shading right - I have left the sky and the bulk of her wings uncoloured as I think I might try and use some pastel chalks on them - but might try that on another one... 

I then decided to add a bit of Rangers White Opal liquid pearl (you can get them from Handy Hippo)  to each corner of the frame and a drop of their Ruby red in the heart. Having left these to dry overnight, I then attached it to a C5 scalloped edged card which I got from Handy Hippo too as they come in a great value pack including envelopes

And here is the result....



I hope you like it... will try another one soon.. Love the designs by Handmade Harbour by the way - full of fun!

7 comments:

  1. I love what you've done with my fair image, Felicity - the colours really bring her to life! Thanks for the tutorial, too. Glad to hear you are liking Handmade Harbour stamps!

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    1. Thank you - am looking forward to the next one now and yes your Handmade Harbour stamps are great :)

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  2. Looks pretty, I like the fact that you decide your own colour scheme and colour it in yourself.

    Jan x

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    1. Yes digistamps are great and the ones from Handmade Harbour are really fun ones to colour :)

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  3. But, don't you have to have the right kind of printer to be able to use digital stamps? I have an inkjet and the black ink runs with water and permanent inks both. Is there a way to make the inkjet ink not dissolve? Is it a laser printer you have to have that will print black that you can color over?

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  4. I use a normal inkjet printer when I print mine out and it seems to work fine for me to be honest - I know some markers do "bleed" slightly out of the edges but this also happens with normal stamps too

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