ToniStamps: Floating Paper Strips Technique

Ready to try another fun, and pretty easy technique AND use up some of your paper scraps?! Floating Paper Strips is easy enough, and has that WOW effect. You can cut your shape out, or do an entire card front layer with it!

I've done both here, and I also have some more samples to share below from a stamping friend.

What you need for this technique:

Acetate/Window Sheets, page protectors, Transparencies - something plastic and see-through.
strip of paper - card stock, patterned paper, whatever you have.
Dies or punches

Step-by-step:

1. Cut your paper into strips. I used 1/8", 1/4", and 3/16".

2. Cut your window sheet/plastic into the shape/size that you want. I made one in just a rectangle to layer on my card front, then I made another one and cut out a heart.

3. Glue, or glue dot, all of your paper strips onto the plastic.

4. Trim the over-hang.

5. Flip your paper/plastic over, and add Foam Adhesive Strips, or dimensionals - whatever you have to pop it up - to the back BEHIND the paper strips. This hides the foam.

6. Attach to your card fronts, and finish your cards.

On the first one that I made, I used a rectangle of the window sheet - 3 3/4" x 5". I used three sizes of paper strips, with (4) colors. It's kind of an ombre effect.

I hand-cut and then colored the flowers in with some of the same colors. This ties it all together. Run the Clear Wink of Stella over all of the flowers for shimmer! Finished off with Basic Rhinestones.

Stamps: Flowers of Friendship

Ink: Midnight (Catherine Pooler), Misty Moonlight, Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather

Paper: Highland Heather, Purple Posy, Fresh Freesia, Misty Moonlight, White (thick and regular)

Other: Window Sheet, Rhinestones, Clear Wink of Stella marker

Next I wanted to try cutting a shape out of the window sheet. I used a heart die from a very old set of dies...use whatever you have. This time, I wanted a rainbow heart. Paper strips are all 3/16" wide.

Since the floating strips are not taking up the entire background this time, I added some embossing to the White layer behind it.

Close-up shows that I added some In Color Enamel Dots on their same color strips.

Stamps: Blossoms in Bloom

Ink: Onyx Versafine

Paper: White (Thick and regular), Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Misty Moonlight, Just Jade, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Magenta Madness, Real Red

Other: Painted Texture embossing folder, Hearts dies (old), In Color Enamel Dots

We really had a lot of fun with this technique! These next cards were made by Kay R. For her first one, she cut her window sheet in a Circle, and also has an ombre effect with her paper strips. I think the black butterfly die-cut is striking against the circle of colors. Beautiful!

On her next card, Kay went with a rectangle layer, and again used the ombre effect. I love it! This time her die-cut of flowers is in white - again, very striking against the colorful background!