One of the things I like to do in my crafting is to use the paper towels that I have used to wipe off stamps, ink pads, and fingers.
They often have a pretty mix of colors that are great to use as backgrounds.
This was the case with a paper towel I used while making the projects for my January newsletter.
The color inspiration was Gorgeous Grape, Bermuda Bay, and Granny Apple Green which you can see in the paper towel, plus Pacific Point, and maybe a couple of other colors mixed in.
I usually don’t clean my stamps using paper towels.
Instead, I use the purple Simply Shammy from Stampin’ Up! to get most of the ink off the stamp.
Because the stamp is wet from the shammy, I lightly dot it with a paper towel to dry it off so I can quickly move on.
I am using the Stamparatus more and more in my stamping.
I clean each stamp and put it away after each use, especially if I’m having to build the next image on the Stamparatus.
This is the case with Flowering Desert as each image is separate.
I also use the paper towel to wipe off any ink that is on the Stamparatus’ plastic plate.
Don’t want any ink from the plate to transfer over to my project!
So in short, the paper towel is used often and is covered with ink when I’m done.
I saw a pretty sky background in the paper towel, perfect for creating a desert landscape.
Paper towels are usually 2-ply, so you’ll need to separate them.
And this way, you’ll have another piece to use on another project.
You’ll need to secure the paper towel to a piece of card stock so you can easily trim it to the size you need.
I used a glue stick to apply glue to a piece of scrap Whisper White card stock, then applied the towel.
Then, I could trim it down to the size I needed and place it in the Stamparatus for stamping. The Stamparatus was a life-saver especially with this background because of the texture in the paper towel. It would be difficult to get a good, clear stamped image with one try. It took 2, 3, sometimes 4 inkings and stampings to get the color I wanted.
I stamped the big saguaro on a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock using Tranquil Tide ink (again, using the Stamparatus), then fussy cut it out using a pair of scissors.
Recycle and reuse!
Flowering Desert
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Flowering Desert
Ink: Granny Smith Green, Gorgeous Grape, Tranquil Tide
Paper: Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape
Accessories: paper towel, Stamparatus, glue stick, Dimensionals
