I recently had the opportunity to spend the weekend with Loretta Axt, marketing director for Denami Design Rubber Stamps.  Loretta was teaching a series of five classes, over a two-day period, at Angel Art Rubber Stamps located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The classes appealed to me for a variety of reasons. We were going to make a total of 29 different cards during the classes. Each card would be styled differently, so I would have an opportunity to learn some new ways to use a few old stamping tools and tricks. Many of the cards feature a square design, which is perfect for the stamping scrapbooker. After all, our 12 x 12 card stock easily cuts into square cards, right? And, Loretta was going to use a limited number of stamps for the cards we make. 

The later may not seem important. But, for a new stamper, who wonders how many different ways a single stamp can be used, this is very important information. I know that when I consider buying a stamp, I want to make sure I can use it for more than one project. To help you understand this principle better, I'll be showing you 10 of the cards we made over the course of the weekend. And we only used a total of seven different stamps in these cards! We used many of them in different ways, which give the appearance of using a different stamp. This increases the versatility of our stamp collections!

I noticed two different things about the Denami style of stamping. First, Loretta used a lot of layering in her classes. This is perfect way for all of us scrapbookers to use up the scraps we have left over. Layering a stamped image, upon another piece of paper or cardstock, also allows us to introduce more colors to our cards. And since I personally enjoy a lot of color, I love the layered look of the cards. 

The second thing about Denami that I noticed was the use of ribbon and bows as embellishment. Denami makes a wonderful line of curling ribbons that behave similarly to the old paper curling ribbon use for wrapping gifts. But, this "cloth" ribbon, available in gold, silver, or iridescent is made of a fabric, and easily curls in your fingers. I fell in love with the ribbon so much I had to buy a roll of each!

So, enough of an introduction, let's take a look at some of the cards. This article will showcase the Christmas cards made over the 10 days. Future articles will show a variety of techniques I learned and a many other styles of cards. 
These cards are very easy to make. I recommend that you have experience with heat embossing before undertaking many of these cards. But, other than that, you are probably ready to stamp your heart away and make some beautiful holiday greetings. Card one: We used stamp P69 "tree Greetings" and stamped it Pearlescent Ivy Brilliance Ink by Tsukineko onto white card stock. We also stamped the same image with the versamark pad onto green card stock and embossed it using gold embossing powder. (You could use clear embossing ink or even gold pigment ink for this if you so chose.) By taking an x-acto knife and cutting out the inside of the stamped image on the green cardstock, and then lining up the "windows" with the green stamped image, we have created a lovely window card. This was layered onto red card stock, folded, and a bow of white organza and gold twist ribbon was added. For card two, we also used Denami Stamp P69 "Tree Greetings" as our foreground stamp. We stamped this with the versamark pad and embossed with gold embossing powder. This was stamped onto white cardstock and layered onto black cardstock. To make this card even more stunning, we stamped the background Denami stamp P71 in Gold Encore ink by Tsukineko on garnet swirl paper by Bravissimo. We edged this paper with a gold leafing pen by Krylon. We then attached our Tree greetings layers onto the star layer, and attached all of this onto folded black card stock. The result is a stunning card using non-traditional Christmas colors. And to further showcase the versatility of Denami's Tree Greeting stamp P69, we made a wonderful "card within a card".  Stamp the tree-greeting stamp onto a white card. (The cardstock was 7" x 4 ½", and then folded in half to make a card.) . We then set this aside for a few minutes while we stamped P68 "star background" onto red cardstock with gold brilliance ink by Tsukineko. Edge the red piece of cardstock with the gold Krylon pen, and mount it onto an 11" x 7" piece of white cardstock, folded in half. We also layered the inside of this white card with green cardstock. We then took an x-acto knife and cut out a window on the front of the card, slightly larger than the white card with the Christmas greetings we stamped earlier. Using the window cut into the front of the card as a guide, we positioned the smaller card onto the green cardstock. (Before gluing the white card onto the green cardstock, attach a piece of 24" ribbon in hunter green behind the white card.). Once you have your smaller white card in place, tie the ribbon around it, as it this was a present. And, for added embellishments, you can add triangles of the red cardstock inside the card as well. 

	When you are done, the front window of the card will look like this.
	And the inside of the card will look like this.
	Close the card and you have the finished result.  The card within a card concept is perfect for enclosing a gift certificate or money in a unique presentation!

Well so far, we've seen three very different cards, using the same stamp. But, let's move on to a different stamp. This card will use the same star background you saw in the first card, P71 "Christmas Star Background". We stamped this in silver encore ink by Tsukineko. We then edged this with a silver leafing pen by Krylon. For additional decoration, we stamped Denami Design "Christmas Block", N82 with the versamark ink and embossed with silver embossing powder. We cut each of the blocks out and layered them on pink paper. Cutting the images out into separate blocks gives the illusion of having three different stamps, when it is actually only one stamp. We'll see this technique used again in some later examples. Next, we layered each of the blocks onto one longer piece of eggplant colored cardstock and attached to our star background. Finally, we attached the star background onto eggplant cardstock, to complete the card. Our next card is one the easiest to make. It requires only one stamp, N82, Christmas Block Design, as seen above. This time we are going to stamp it with the versamark ink on ruby colored paper and emboss with gold embossing powder. Cut out each block and layer onto malachite paper by Stardream. Layer each of these cubes onto a long strip of gold paper by Bravisimo. Attach this layer onto your white card, and stamp the Merry Christmas greeting below. (Merry Christmas is stamp F90 and is called "contempo Christmas".). We stamped the words with versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. Once again we see a very different look using a single stamp we've used on another card.

Our next card is one of my personal favorites. And once again, we are going to create a special card using stamps you've seen us use before.  This card requires stamps N82 Christmas Block design, which we used in the two previous cards, and P68 "star background" which we used in card three (the card within a card.). This card appeals to me because it has the look of tags. Tag art has become so popular, so why not make miniature tags for your larger cards? (I did cut these tags in a block shape, but you could easily cut this into a tag shape.). I stamped the background stamp in gold brilliance ink by Tsukineko on a white panel and layered it onto black paper. I also stamped the star background onto a strip of malachite paper by stardream. (Set this strip aside until later.) Next, I stamped the Christmas block three times, all in Brilliance inks by Tsukineko. The colors I used were: Pearlescent crimson, Pearlescent Ivy, and Lightening black. I cut one of each block, in one of each color, and layered it onto cubes of stardream paper in the colors malachite, ruby, and rusted. (I layered the crimson on the ruby, the ivy on the malachite, and the lightening black on the rusted papers.) Next I used a 1/8" punch to put a hole into one corner of each of the layered blocks. I ran a length of iridescent cord through each hole and cut the cord to a length that was visually appealing for the tags' dangle. I attached the cord to the top of the white panel stamped with the stars, and attached the previously stamped malachite panel over the top of this to hide the cords. This is all layered on a piece of ruby paper by stardream. Because the ruby paper is so dark, it would be hard to write your message on the inside of the card. So, I decided to decorate the interior of the card to add extra embellishment. I layered a square of white cardstock, stamped with the star background in gold brilliance ink, onto a square of malachite cardstock. I then attached a plain square of white cardstock onto a slightly larger square of ruby cardstock, and mounted it onto my star background at an angle. This provides visual interest and a place for a personal message or greeting. Our next card features the star background P69 and the F90 contempo Christmas stamp. And we add stamp N80 "star cascade). I stamped the star background in versamark ink on both gold paper and green cardstock. Versamark will dry one shade darker than your paper, leaving a watermark effect. I layered a strip of the green paper onto the gold paper. The gold paper is 3 ¾" x 5". But, this will work for a photo 3 ½ x 5 as well. As you'll soon see, this card as "built in" photo corners, making this the perfect card for showing off family pictures during the holidays! Fold a piece of burgundy cardstock in half to create a card. Then, stamp the star cascade in the upper left and lower right corners, at an angle. Unfold the card, and using an x-acto knife, cut around the stars, creating a "slit" to insert the green and gold panel (or a photo). Be careful not to cut all the way to the edges of your card or you will not have a slit to hold the pictures. Additionally, make sure to unfold the card before cutting with your craft knife, or you'll cut through the entire card. Stamp the Merry Christmas greeting (stamp F90) in versamark ink on burgundy card stock and emboss with gold embossing powder. Layer this onto gold cardstock and attach to the star "photo corner at an angle. Finally, embellish this quick and easy card by tying a bow and gluing it to the corner of your Merry Christmas greeting. Our next card features Denami's lovely Christmas Rose stamp, J90. Stamp this twice in versamark ink on pink paper and emboss with silver embossing powder. Layer each of these images onto cream cardstock and then onto silver paper. Using double-sided tape, attach a length of ribbon along the front of the card. Then glue each of your Christmas Rose panels onto the front of your card and you have a quick, elegant Christmas card.  I love the simplicity of this design and by choosing a different stamp you can make this card perfect for any occasion from birthday to "thinking of you".  So, now what do you do once the holidays are over? Thank you notes, of course! And both of our holiday thank you notes feature Denami's gorgeous "Holly Thank you" stamp M43. Fold a piece of ivory cardstock in half. Edge this with a gold Krylon pen. Next layer some gold pattern paper over the card. Now, here comes my favorite part! Stamp the holly thank you image twice, once onto gold paper and once onto vellum. We used the new self-adhesive vellum by Emagination Crafts. Cut the vellum piece in half and line it up with the image you stamped onto the gold paper. Remove the paper on the back of the vellum to expose the adhesive and attach to the panel. You have now just used vellum without any adhesive showing through the paper! Finish your card by wrapping a piece of ribbon around the card along the fold line and tying a bow. This is a lovely, quick, elegant holiday thank you note. And to show the versatility of the Holly thank you stamp (M43), we'll do one final card. Fold a piece of eggplant cardstock in half and edge with a gold Krylon marker. Stamp a piece of gold paper, 1" narrower than the width of the card with K40 "holly garland" using the versamark ink to achieve a watermark effect. Attach this to the outside of your card. Attach a piece of paper, the same size, into the interior of the card. We are going to decorate the outside, and leave the inside for writing a personal message. (This is another example of using a lovely dark card stock and adding a flourish inside so that the writing will show for the recipient.) Stamp the holly thank you in versamark ink on ivory cardstock and emboss with gold embossing powder. Color this by using radiant pearl paints by Angelwings. Edge this panel with your gold Krylon pen. Punch a 1/8" hole into the left and right side of the stamped image. Insert a narrow piece of dark purple or eggplant ribbon through the holes so that it runs behind the image and then layer the stamped image onto ivory cardstock and finally onto a panel of eggplant cardstock. Open up your card and tie a bow on the inside, in the upper part of the card. The bow on the inside adds a surprise and interest.

It's easy enough to give some basic guidelines on making these cards. However, I strongly recommend taking a stamping class to learn new techniques. Radiant pearls are a wonderful paint, safe for use in your scrapbooks, which are very versatile. And a good stamp store will be able to teach you a variety of ways to use them. 

If you are interested in learning more about stamping with Denami stamps, visit their website at Denamidesign.com. The website does feature a listing of stores, around the country, where Loretta or one of the Denami designers will be teaching classes. I strongly recommend taking these classes, as you will learn quite a bit about technique, design, and style. I've been stamping for quite some time now, and I learned some very basic tips in this class. For example: one problem many stampers and scrapbookers alike complain about is the "mark" that often appears on cardstock after it has been folded or creased. Loretta taught us to cover our cardstock with a piece of typing paper before folding and creasing with our bone folders to avoid this mark. It works every time! 

If you have any questions please feel free to write me at Bhamilton@shopa-z.com

Please note: All cards were made by Beverly Patterson-Hamilton, at a series of workshops held by Loretta Axt of Denami Design workshops. 

All stamps mentioned in this article are by Denami Design. 
Where possible paper manufacturers have been given.
All inks used for these cards were by Tsukineko. 
Adhesives used were scotch double-sided tape, tombow mono adhesive, and Fiskars glue pen.
Many cuts were made by using either an x-acto knife or Fiskars microtip scissors.
Ribbon was by Denami Designs.
Self-adhesive vellum by Emgination Crafts.