Here’s a really easy and cool technique you’ve just got to try! It’s called “thumping” and it’s great for stamps that you’d like to give a mottled effect to. For example, this tree stamp from the Stampin’ Up! stamp set called Lovely as a Tree, I wanted to give it an autumnal feel (yes, yes, I have my seasons all mixed-up again LOL) so I used the thumping technique.

Here’s how to do it:

First I used the Chocolate Chip marker to colour-in the trunk of the tree (put the stamp wood side down on your desk and colour directly onto the rubber with the marker), then to do the thumping on the branches what you do is to hold your marker between your thumb and forefinger up high near the end (not the tip) – in the same way that you hold a pen or pencil and use it drum on the edge of the desk when you’re thinking – only you do that onto the rubber. First I used Old Olive and thumped that onto the branches, then Creamy Caramel and then Ruby Red. The end effect as I said before is a mottled look or in this case an autumnal tree. To finish off I lightly coloured the trunk with some chalk then sponged the edges of the card with Pumpkin Pie inkpad and swiped the edges with the Creamy Caramel inkpad. This was then adhered onto some Old Olive Cardstock then mounted onto the base card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. The background is simply the Well Worn Words background stamp stamped in Pumpkin Pie onto Very Vanilla cardstock and then the edges of the card are sponged lightly with the Creamy Caramel inkpad. The word “Inspire” at the bottom is from the Natural Beauty stamp set and has been stamped using a Chocolate Chip marker onto some Stampin’ Up! chipboard. The edges of the chipboard have been sponged in Creamy Caramel but the rest of the chipboard has been left raw. This was then adhered to the card using Sticky Strip.

Here’s a quick reference list of what I’ve used:

All products by Stampin’ Up! and available for purchase through me at angelasargeant@gmail.com

Well Worn Words background stamp
Lovely as a Tree stamp set (one tree used)
Natural Beauty stamp set (just one word of one stamp used)
Very Vanilla cardstock
Old Olive cardstock
Pumpkin Pie inkpad
Creamy Caramel inkpad
Chocolate Chip marker
Old Olive marker
Ruby Red marker
Stampin’ Pastels (Chocolate Chip)
On Board chipboard
SNAIL Adhesive
Sticky Strip
Sponge

Did you need more information on this project? E-mail me on angelasargeant@gmail.com and I’d be happy to help out and answer any questions you may have.