Stamping is such an enjoyable and and can be used in so many exciting ways. Here are some projects you might like to try at home. Follow the instructions to the letter, or use them as a springboard for your own creative flights of fancy!

• Hand coloured (or purchased) paper (cartridge paper is a good weight)
• Webbing spray Caroline's Collage Butterfly JO2C95
• Caroline's Texture Mat TM12 Ferns
• Picture frame }
• Pre-cut mount } matching sizes
• Frame box kit }
• Pigment inks (in colours of your choice) & black
• Double sided sticky pads / glue stick / double sided sticky tape
• Colour box tools (optional)
• Embossing powders - clear / glitz

Step One:
Colour some cartridge paper in whatever way you choose and whatever medium you have to hand. It will be useful to colour 3 or 4 pieces in toning shades for choice.

Step Two:
Decide which piece to use as a background and give it a quick blast with some webbing spray to add some texture. Cut to the size of the frame box and glue in place. Set aside.

Step Three:
Stamp four butterfly images over some of the remaining coloured papers using black pigment ink and emboss with a glitzy embossing powder. Cut out.

Step Four:
Decorate the butterflies with any glitzy bits you enjoy using. I used accent beads / pearlex powders / stamping foils / glitters. Set aside.

Step Five:
Tear a strip off one of the coloured papers slightly shorter than the backing sheet. Secure it lengthwise down the middle of the backing sheet.

Step Six:
Position three of your butterfly cut-outs on the central strip until you are happy with the arrangement. Secure them with double sided sticky pads.
To add texture and colour to the picture mount, randomly stamp the entire surface with the texture mat using clear embossing ink and powder. Using the toolbox and pigments (I used Encore Ultimate Metallic) colour over the whole area in a fairly random fashion. When satisfied with the results, use a piece of kitchen paper and wipe off the excess ink from the embossed area. Now sprinkle the entire area with embossing powder and heat to set.

Step Seven:
Gather together your frame, mount, frame box and completed butterfly picture and put them together as per the instructions in the frame box kit.

Matching Card

Using the fourth butterfly cut-out, put together s hand made card that reflects the design of your picture. Here are two examples:

Card One:
Cut a circle in the front of a card, just off centre. Use the texture mat as you did for the mount and colour it in similar shades. Place the butterfly over the aperture and secure on the four points. If your circle is not as precise as you'd like use accent beads to hide and enhance the edges. Place a piece of toning paper on the inside right of the card to give some extra detail.

Card Two:
Using a strip of card enhanced with the same resist embossing techniques used on the mount, double mount it on co-ordinating paper or card and glue into place on the left of the card. Position your butterfly cut-out on top of this as you wish and then stamp a greeting in the bottom right corner.

Tulip Card

Decorate plain paper with various stamps and cut into 1" squares using Fiskar's perforating cutting wheel. Assemble the squares onto silver paper and double mount onto a plain white card. The tulip is a cut out embellished with embossing powder, which you then mount on foan in the centre of the card.

This card is wonderfully adaptable - suitable for Mother's Day, best wishes or just as a simple thank you.

Classic Christmas Card

A large square punch makes windows in the card, and the small holly punch out is mounted on foam over stamped coloured squares. The stamps used are Inca 103A (Season's Greetings) and Hero Arts H2309.

Double Heart Card

To make this card, you need a small piece of handmade paper. Cut it to the desired size and adhere to the card.

Punch two hearts from metallic card (we used gold, although the scanner doesn't show it well) and mount them with small sticky pads. The "Love" stamp came from an ink and stamp set from Hero Arts.