Stamping paper crafts

Flowers and leaves can also be used to "stamp" gorgeous patterns on to your cards.

You will need to wear gloves if you want to keep your hands clear while doint this.

Choose flowers and leaves that are quite flat. Leaves with very pronounced veins sometimes don't work too well. You will need to experiment with the different ones to get the effects you like. The same goes for flowers.

Lay the leaves printing side up on your working surface and sponge sparingly with printing ink or acrylic paint.

Pick up the sponged leaf and carefully place it inked side down on your card.

Cover with a piece of kitchen wax paper and roll or press it on to the card.

Remove carefully with a tweezers if you need to.

Repeat with other shaped leaves, flowers or cut fruit.

To make your own simple stamp with a potato, first cut the potato in half with a very sharp knife.

Lay one half of the potato cut side down on a piece of scrap paper and trace around it with a pencil

Draw the shape of the stamp you want to make on the scrap paper inside the area that you trace of the potato

Cut out the pattern, and pin it on to the potato in the areas that you are going to cut away.

Use a sharp knife to cut away the areas of the potato that you want to remove.

If this is the first time you are doing potato printing, don't worry, you will get the hang of it. Once you have actually used, or tested out you stamp on scrap paper you will be able to see if you need to cut away more of the potato.

Using a old tile or anything smooth and flat, squeese a dollop of printing ink or acrylic paint on to the tile and spread it evenly with a craft roller.

Use your potato stamp as you would use any other craft stamps.