Weeks of Wonder: Don't Cry for Me!

Today, I feel like using tissues—and not because I'm on the verge of tears, but because we're going to create a "WoW" with tissue stamping! This easy technique has been around for years, but it's still one of my favorites because it's easy and fun to do and it creates a wonderfully watercolor look you can't get anywhere else.

I've used it in these patriotic themes and "manly" colors of Barn Red, Desert Sand, Honey and Outdoor Denim, primarily because it's unique. Often, tissue stamping is used in light, springy colors and on florals or whimsical designs. I wanted to show how versatile tissue stamping is and how well suited to just about any theme or color scheme.

Using my "Celebrate" card, here's how to achieve that great mottled watercolor look:

Step 1: Crinkle up a standard-sized facial tissue, preserving the odd folds and gaps that will give your stamped image character.

Step 2: Dab the crinkled tissue on a stamp pad—when you're working with tissue stamping, you'll use multiple colors, anywhere from two to four or five. I always like to start with the darkest colors first, and work from dark to light (but you can play with the technique to see what result you like best).

Step 3: Transfer the ink from the crinkled tissue to selected portions of the stamp design. Don't rub or press, just transfer the ink gently to preserve the tissue's crinkled pattern.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 with a second color of ink and transfer the ink to different areas of the stamp image. By working with the darker hues first, you'll easily be able to see on the stamp which areas still need to be covered in ink.

For this particular piece, I only worked in a couple of ink colors, but you may have even more. Simply keep repeating the process until your stamp image is completely covered in inks. If the ink has begun to dry during the different color applications, you can "huff" on the stamp image to remoisten and reactivate the ink immediately before pressing down on paper. And if you cry at all during the process, make them happy tears of delight!