MARGARET'S MUSINGS:  If you have had an opportunity to see our display at anytime over the past few years, you would have seen sample cards by our friend Margaret Appleton. Margaret is always trying something new, and comes up with some great effects with our stamps. She has agreed to write a short piece for each newsletter on stamping in general and on techniques slightly beyond the basics.

Hand-stamped cards are special. I know that we all agree on that. But there are some things that we do as stampers to make them even more special. I have been paying attention to TEXTURE lately. We want our cards to be more than a "picture on a piece of paper".

I think that using different papers is one of the fastest ways to add texture to cards. Just as there are strong and not-so-strong colours, I think that there are strong and not-so-strong types of paper. Combining these papers can provide texture and accentuate a certain look. I have been trying unlikely combinations just for fun.

Mulberry paper always reminds me of frilly, delicate wedding and baby –type cards. It might seem strange to combine it with cork paper. But I combined the two using dark red mulberry as part of the background and cork directly behind the framed image. I also used tiny bits of coloured sea glass on the card and that added texture. A button and a twine bow add to the effect.

Another combination I tried is vellum and sand paper. Once again, the vellum seems delicate but choosing a deep rich colour gives it enough "strength" so that it can hold its own alongside gritty sandpaper. The images were stamped directly on to the square of sandpaper around the outside edge. In the center of the square I stamped a greeting. The vellum was attached over the greeting so that it could be read through the vellum. Brads or grommets as vellum "attachers" give another bit of texture.

The last unlikely combo I put together is corrugated paper and metallic paper. Kraft cardboard and silver paper might seem a strange pair, but when I stamped and embossed a silver image on to silver paper and then mounted it on to the cardboard, the corrugations lifted the image and brought it up out of the flat background.

Most embellishments that stampers are using these days are "texture-makers". But if we are also aware of the paper, ie the surface, to which images and extras are being attached then we will certainly have surpassed "a picture on a piece of paper". If you watch someone admiring one of your cards and that person reaches out a hand to touch and feel the elements of the card then I think that you have probably achieved TEXTURE.

Happy Stamping!