3 Tips

1. Over the years I have saved lots of clear plastic boxes, such as the ones from SU.  Doing my yearly January organizing I decided to use some of these boxes to organize.  When the phone rings I like to keep my hands busy.  That is what SPEAKER phone is for, isn't it?  My favorite card to make is a Stair Step or a Side Step card.  These take lots of images that have to be cut out.  So I am sorting thru my images that I have cut and putting "like ones" into these boxes.  I stamp a lot of these images but also cut them out from decorative paper stacks. 
2. My favorite scissors to use to cut these are my Fiskar's 6" spring loaded ones.  They are sharp and get into corners easily.  One trick that I learned a long time ago is to turn your paper instead of your scissors.  It just takes a little practice and you will be very happy with the results. 
3.  It you want a little dimension to your layers think about using a dot or line of hot glue.  It also creates less bulk when mailing  a layered card.

I have been stamping and cutting out a lot of images for my cards.  I use them either for STAIR STEP CARDS or PAPER PIECING.  I tried stamping on sticker paper just now and like the idea.  Once I cut out the image the backing is already sticky so I only have to stick it onto my card.  YEAH!

I just got some new stamps in from Art Impressions and of course I have to try them out.  I am taking a large sheet of Bristol Board paper (art section of AC Moore's) and stamping as many as I can get onto one sheet.  Then I can color them with my watercolor pencils while I am on the phone or "watching" tv.  I will use a damp #3 watercolor paint brush later.  Since I am not using very much water the Bristol Board paper doesn't warp or buckle.  The Bristol Board paper is very smooth unlike watercolor paper so it stamps nicely. 
The above image is one sheet of stamps.  Sorry  the scan didn't do them justice.  I will watercolor these before I cut them out.  Then I will use them on cards.  I have some stockings to hang on the fireplace for a Christmas card.  I stamped them on decorative paper and cut them out.  The stocking stamp (3 stockings) is also from Art Impressions.

This is a pop up card I just made for a friends birthday using new stamps from Art Impressions.  It starts out flat coming out of the envelope. You pull on the front and the owl pops up.  The greeting then shows where you pulled it out.  The images and sayings are all from Art Impressions.

Cute and fun new card techniques using Art Impressions rubber stamps

I saw this technique on YouTube and just knew I had to try it.  It is easy and fun to do.  I bet you can't make just one!!! 

Supplies

Cut one sheet of heavy card stock 7x5 for the front.  You either want to color this, dry emboss it or use a decorative card stock (one that won't detract from your scene inside).  Or you can adhere decorative paper to the front.  

Cut one sheet of heavy card stock 7x5 for the back,  This can be plain card stock

Die to cut out a "window" on the front piece.  Or manually cut a hole about 3x4" in the center of the front.

Scraps of heavy card stock for two tabs

Score and fold at the 1" mark in from each end

Score and fold at the 1 1/2" mark in from each end

You should have a 4" by 5" space in the center of each.

Decorate this 4 x 5 area on the back piece.  I water colored the Snowy Tree and the Little Lambs from Art Impressions onto watercolor paper and adhered to the 4 x 5" spot.

Position your die in the 4 x 5" center part of the front piece.  I used a Nestabilities die to cut out an opening and ran it thru my Cuttlebug.

Cut two tabs out of scraps of the heavy card stock.  About 1" x 2" each.  These tabs will seem like they are moving.  So think of something interesting to put on them.

Stamp two images onto the tabs or stamp and cut out two images and adhere to the ends of the tabs.  That is what I did.  I stamped and water colored two birds from Art Impressions.  Then I water colored the tabs to match the sky on the background and glued the birds to the ends.  I trimmed my tabs to 1/2" x 2".  Then after gluing the birds onto the tabs I trimmed around the birds so not as much blue showed on the tabs. 

Using a temporary adhesive, place the tabs on the 1" x 5" areas on each side.  Position them where they show the background best and glue the ends of the tabs WITHOUT the images to the 1x5 edges.  If you are putting a word or saying on the back and want to cover up that saying by these two tabs, position them accordingly so when you pull the sides the word will show.  In my case, I wanted them up in the sky but at different levels not to cover the star or the lambs.

Glue or use a Red Line tape along the outside of the two back edges (1x5").  Be sure to tape over the tabs to catch them in with the heavy duty tape. 

Carefully place the front piece over the back piece and press down. 

When you pull back and forth on the two side pieces it will look as though your images on the tabs are moving.  How fun is that?