Is this some funky dance? Ha! Maybe not. But it is a great technique you can do using our amazing tool, the Stamparatus. The Stamparatus is a stamp placement tool that makes for perfectly stamped images in just the right places. When it was introduced a couple of years ago, it was snatched up by lots of avid stampers and quickly became a favorite tool of many. There are several techniques you can do with it, too, in addition to the hinge step. In case you are not familiar with the Stamparatus or a need a refresher, check out the features of the Stamparatus in this video:
When doing the hinge step technique, you will want to stamp your image or sentiment near the top of a piece of card stock using the Stamparatus. Remove the Stamparatus plate from the hinge (see photo), move the plate down one notch in the hinge, then stamp again. Continue to do the same until the image has been stamped several times all the way down your card stock. You can re-ink the stamp each time or do it without re-inking so the image gets lighter and lighter. You are not going to believe the results! Exact placement, with each image or sentiment perfectly spaced apart. Your inner perfectionist will thank you! Check out this video Stampin' Up!® produced, showcasing this technique. Note that in the video, because Shannon is left handed, she places the hinges to her left, instead of to the right, as the picture above shows.
Earlier this week, when I made this card using the Nothing's Better Than stamp set, I created the "Chocolate" background using this hinge step technique. Starting at the top with Cinnamon Cider ink, I stamped the sentiment all the way down the card stock using the hinge step technique without re-inking the stamp as I went.
In this second card, which I made using the Celebration Tidings stamp set, I used Seaside Spray ink and the hinge step technique to perfectly place the hearts down the side of the Whisper White piece of card stock. Then I replaced the plate at the top of the hinge, re-set the heart stamp between the top two Seaside Spray hearts, then repeated the hinge step technique using Melon Mambo ink. This allows for less space between the images and again, hearts just exactly where I want them, without the guess work or the eye-balling.
There are a couple of other things about this card that I wanted to share. First of all, the Whisper White piece of card stock is mounted onto a piece of 2 3/4" x 8" Seaside Spray card stock that has been folded in half. This gets attached to a quarter piece of card stock (decorated with a 4" x 5 1/4" sheet of Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper) and is the only part of the card that opens. Secondly, I gave color to the Whisper White Crinkled Seam Binding using the Dark Seaside Spray Stampin' Blends.
(To see a complete list of supplies for both of these cards, see below.)
This hinge step technique is the first in a series of techniques I will be sharing during my What's Up? Stampers! Facebook Live videos. These events air at 1pm central every Wednesday on my Business Facebook page.