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Paper Piecing

By April Staker
Off Road Inksters
Intermediate Scramping Team Designer

Let me introduce you to my new love - Paper Piecing!  I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I have had with this technique.  It is a simple idea and fairly easy to do depending on which stamp images you choose to work with.  It is a little bit time consuming, especially if you get addicted!  But one fabulous thing about this is that you can make multiples of the same image and they all turn out so differently from each other. 

One note about the background paper; I find that I prefer the papers that do not have a repeating pattern that is obvious.  I also like the papers that have been aged/distressed (they have inked edges and such).  These papers keep your images random.  They also allow you to created depth with shadowy areas and highlighted areas without a lot of extra effort on your part. 

Supplies

•  Flutter By (The Angel Company)
•  Noir Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior)
•  Cowboy Boots Ink Pad (Retired-The Angel Company)
•  Sublime Gumballs 12" x 12" Paper (Basic Gray)
•  Sublime Confused 12" x 12" Paper (Basic Gray)
•  Sublime Circus Stripe 12" x 12" Paper (Basic Gray)
•  Sublime Lemonade 12" x 12" Paper (Basic Gray)
•  Sublime Orange Cream 12" x 12" Paper (Basic Gray)
•  Sublime Tag (Basic Gray)
•  Rust 12” x 12” Textured Cardstock (Bazzill)
•  Mint 12” x 12” Textured Cardstock (Bazzill)
•  Brown 12” x 12” Textured Cardstock (Bazzill)
•  White 8½” x 11” Cardstock (Hammermill)
•  Fawn Round Top Scrapbook Nails (Chatterbox)
•  Brads: Vintage Beige, Dark Gold, Rustic (All My Memories)
•  Eyelet Words (Making Memories)
•  Safety Pin (Making Memories)
•  Vellum Phrase Sticker (All My Memories)
•  Ribbon (Michael’s)
•  Attic Font (downloaded from internet)
•  Double Sided Tape (Scotch)
•  Small Scissors (Fiskars)
•  Silent Setter (Provo Craft)
•  Scissors (Provo Craft)
•  Tiny Hole Punch (McGill)
•  Paper Trimmer (Fiskars)
•  Scrapbook Mounting Squares (3L)
•  Hammer
•  Makeup Sponge (Target) 

OPTIONAL: 

•  Xyron Machine with double sided adhesive
•  Black Felt Fine Tip Marker such as a Micron pen
•  Gray Tombow Marker (light to medium shade)

Instructions

1.   Cut your cardstock, photos and paper to the following dimensions:

Sublime Gumballs 12" x 12" Paper        
Left Page:
    Accent Strip = 1½” x 4½”

Right Page:
    Bottom = 3½” x 12”
    Middle = 3½” x 6¾”

Mint 12” x 12” Textured Cardstock
        Left Page:
            Photo Mat = 4½” x 6”
            Butterfly Mat =2¼” x 3”

Brown 12” x 12” Textured Cardstock
        Left Page:
            Top Left Photo Mat = 4¼” x 5¾”
            Right Photo Mat =3” x 5”
            Journal Mat = 6¾” x 4½”

White 8½” x 11” Cardstock
        Left Page:
            Journal Mat = 6½” x 4¼”
            All Butterfly Blocks (4) = 2¾” x 2”

        Photos:
        Left Page:
            Left = 4” x 5½”
            Top Right = 3½” x 4”
            Top Middle = 2¾” x 4¾”
            Bottom Right = 4” x 6”

        Right Page:
            Top Left = 3” x 6”
            Bottom Left = 3” x 5”
            Top Right = 3” x 5”
            Middle Right = 3¼” x 5”
            Bottom Right = 3½” x 5”

The Technique:

2.    Using the Noir ink stamp your image onto the white rectangles.  Don’t be too concerned if the image isn’t perfect.  This is a template for you to stick the pieces onto.  Your main concern should be its placement on the cardstock.

3.    Stamp the image, in Noir, once onto the Confused, Circus Stripe, Orange Cream and Lemonade papers.  These images need to be stamped well, but you will be able to touch up small mistakes later.

4.    Cut around each of the images stamped onto the background papers leaving a small margin of extra paper.   Apply Double Sided Tape to the backs of the images (or run them through a Xyron).  I stick these to the edge of my table after I tape them to keep them from getting stuck to something I don’t want them on!  (I like to work at a plastic table while I do this technique – I simply stick the image and pieces to the edge of the table so that they are easy to grab and move as needed.)

5.    Working with one image at a time cut, I use fine pointed scissors (if the scissors do not come to a fine point at the end they tend to rip the paper at the end of the cut) along the lines, as you desire to separate your image into parts.  You could use a craft knife if you feel comfortable with them to do the cutting.  Because we are making four butterflies you will want to cut the image into four sections (they all HAVE to be cut the exact same way so that you can piece them back together).  You could cut the edges of the wings on top and bottom as one part; the striped section of the wings as a second part; the accent section of the wings as a third part; and the body and head as the fourth part.  As you cut each section out apply one part to each of the four rectangle images lining them up carefully.  If you do not like the white edges of the paper you can run a black marker around them before laying them down.  I did not do that on my images, as it didn’t seem to detract from the finished product.  Continue cutting all of the butterflies and piecing them together until you have completed the four rectangles.  You can mix and match the pieces to create the look you prefer.  I tried to make them each have a good variety of color.  You can make them subtler by keeping similar colors together as you piece them.

6.    You can use a fine tipped black felt pen to correct any lines you may have accidentally cut off or to fill in gaps between the pieces.  You may find that you like the way this looks (it can make the image “pop” if it wasn’t stamped really dark.  If you do like this, don’t be afraid to trace all of the lines on your image.  (My samples have only been touched up.)  You may also want to run a gray marker around the outside border of the butterfly to create a shadow.  This also can give it a more 3-D look. 

7.    Ink the white butterfly cardstock edges with the Cowboy Boots ink and a makeup sponge.  I also inked the Gumballs Paper on the right page.

8.    Assemble the pieces.  Put brads, eyelets and the safety pin on before sticking those items down!

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