Prince Charming Pyrammage
Welcome to the first of three projects that I have made to try and make it up to you all for not uploading projects for so long. This Prince Charming pyrammage card is incredibly simple to put together and it is a technique that a lot of crafters rarely use in a DIY format.
Most pyrammage toppers are found in paper-range kits such as those supplied by the likes of Dovecraft, Papermania and Trimcraft. A lot of the topper sheets in the Sugar Buttons kit are also pyrammage. They're all pre-cut and are so easy to throw together. Personally, I find them rather soothing to sit and build, and you can do a task like that sat in front of the TV at night.
This project will hopefully lead you through the process of creating your own pyrammage using the beautiful Prince Charming stamp from the Sugar Buttons collection. This is a perfect option for a man's/boy's card because you can tailor the colours appropriately.
Here we go everybody!
What you will need:
STAMP006 Prince Charming clear stamp set
A4 blue double-spot Sugar Buttons backing card (or other card of your choice)
A4 matte backing card in a contrasting colour
6X6 card & envelope
Distress Ink (I will be using Broken China)
Blending tool
Stamping ink (Memento Tuxedo Black works brilliantly)
Stamping card
Colouring pens (My personal favourites are Spectrum Noir but you can use whatever you have available)
Blu-Tac (Trust me!)
Step One: Preparing.
Before we get started with the stamping we need to prepare the pyrammage layers. This is a good way to use up some scraps if you have them available. The stamping card needs to be trimmed to the following measurements;
1) 3 1/2" x 5"
2) 3" x 4 1/2"
3) 2 1/2" x 4"
4) 2" x 3 1/2"
5) 1 1/2" x 3"
You will notice that these measurements go down in half-inch increments. This will give you enough coverage for the pyrammage while also leaving room for coloured backing card layers in between each.
The matte backing card that you chose earlier needs to be trimmed very close to the above measurements - probably 2-3mm larger so that you get a tiny splash of colour. Referring back to the cover picture at the top of these instructions will give you an idea of how the finished result will look if you're unsure.
Step Two: Stamping.
Once you have trimmed the stamping card to size, you need to stick them together with a NON-PERMANENT method. This is where the Blu-Tack comes in; using a very small amount, stick each of the layers together with the Blu-Tac in order of size.
Now, you must mount your stamp to a clear surface - an acrylic block (or CD case if you don't have a block), otherwise you will have great difficulty lining the stamp up with the layers. When you're ready, ink it up with your chosen stamping ink and firmly stamp the image onto the top of the card pile. Really lean down hard so that you get a good coverage.
Carefully peel off the stamping block and let the ink dry for a few seconds. Now you're ready to colour it in. Don't separate the layers before colouring in, just colour the image as it is.
Step Three: Separating.
Once Prince Charming is all coloured in, you need to separate the layers so that you can distress them and mount them onto their backing mats. You will need to do this very carefully so that the Blu-Tac doesn't tear your card pieces.
Step Four: Distressing.
You don't have to Distress the edges of the layers if you don't want to but if you do then Distress each layer individually so that you get a nice, even covering. Always use an ink colour that is complimentary to the colour scheme you have chosen. Because I have chosen blue backing card, I have used Broken China. Don't worry about going over the coloured areas of the image because it shouldn't distort the colours if you're just using a light layer of ink.
Step Four: Layering up.
Once the layers are Distressed, it is time to mount them onto the mats. Use double-sided tape or an appropriate glue to do this. Don't use 3D foam pads or decoupage silicone for this part, that comes after.
Forgive the pencil marks that I made in this picture; that was a guide for me so that I knew the measurements of each panel. Now comes the pyrammage process. Using 3D foam pads, foam tape or 3D decoupage glue, layer the images up carefully in order of size. Make sure the borders line up well so that the image isn't distorted in any way.
Your topper is now complete.
Step Five: Preparing the Card
Once your pyrammage topper is complete, it is time to prepare the card that it will be matted onto. This is where your 6X6 card and the A4 sheet of Sugar Buttons backing card comes in. You can choose any backing card that will compliment your pyrammage topper, and for this project I chose the blue duo spot. In order to create the best effect, I decided to use both the positive and negative sides of the backing card and layer the topper in the centre so that one side shows white spot on blue and the other side shows blue spot on white. This method will create wastage so save your off-cuts for another project. They're sure to come in handy.
Always measure the card that you will be mounting onto before you trim the backing card; just because the manufacturers declare a card to be 6X6 doesn't always make it so. For instance, the card I used in this project ended up being 5 3/4" square.
You won't need to leave a lot of border between the white card and the backing so trim it as close to the edge of the card as possible. Then mount it to the card using double-sided tape or glue. All that is left to do is position the pyrammage topper in the centre of the card.
Step Six: Final Thought...
This completes the project, but I want to finish by sharing another pyrammage method that is more challenging but certainly creates an impact. I took inspiration for this from a Bazoo pyrammage book that I found at the shop. This book contained conventional pyrammage toppers like what we have just created together, but also something that I have termed 'Zany Pyrammage'.
The Zany Pyrammage uses the same basic technique as described in the previous steps but instead of cutting each layer slightly smaller and smaller each time, this one involves cutting at odd angles.
This example uses the STAMP001 Birthday Ballerina clear stamp set.
Using simple pieces of A6 stamping card, I stamped the same image three times and then an extra little piece for the crown of her head. I coloured them all identically too.
Now, my trick to creating zany pyrammage is to use each layer to accentuate a certain part of the image like you do in decoupage. For instance, the first layer accentuates her balancing leg; the second accentuates the majority of her dress and her extended leg etc. working upwards to the crown of her head (see the last picture if you're unsure).
Once you have created the zany cuts, use Blu-Tac to piece them all together to see how they look before committing to a layout.
I Distressed each layer individually using one of the new Distress Ink colours (Shaded Lilac) and then mounted them up using 3D foam pads. The end result is extremely effective and fits nicely onto a C6 card.
Finally! The last photo uploaded the right way round!
Well, I hope you've enjoyed working through this project with me.
THE END
Well done everyone! I hope you're happy with the result. As
always, if there is anything you're unsure about or if the instructions confuse
you in any way, feel free to contact me. Please don't be afraid to comment on my
project posts and leave me feedback. I'd love to hear how you're all getting
on.
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See you soon for another project! Happy crafting everyone.
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