Designing with Vintage Digital Images / Stamps

One of my goals this year was to try to do some "Clean and Simple" style cards.  This style is not always easy for me, but when I seen last weeks image over at "Digital Two For Tuesday", I was inspired that I could do it using this gorgeous image.  Cora works hard finding vintage images, repairing them and posting them for others to use for their personal use.  These images are free and the only thing she ask is that you not post the image for others to download anywhere else.  Please refer them to her site.  She post 2 vintage images every Tuesday on the Digital Two For Tuesday Challenge Blog, and then she post more "bonus" images on her personal blog on Saturdays.  She also sells a few Vintage Clear Stamp Sets in her Etsy Store.  I recieved my first set this week and loved creating my first project and can't wait to use the other images in this set.  I will post all of her links for you further down.

You can copy and print out this image HERE.

So lets get on with today's tutorial for this particular image.
Go to Digital Two For Tuesdays Blog.
Right click on the image.
Click "Save picture as"
Save to a folder that you can find easily.  I save my free digital downloads in one file labeled "Digital Downloads",  then I create files within this one that are labeled per the site I found them because I want to be able to give proper credit if I use them later.  So this one is saved in a file names "Digi 2 4 Tues".  This where I save all of Cora's wonderful images that I choose to download.

Now open up a word document.
Select File, then Page Set up.
Enter the following Settings : top - 0.5, bottom - 1, left - 0.5, right - 0.5, header - 0, footer - 0, Orientation - Landscape.Select OK after you have done this.  A message box will pop up telling you that one of your margins is outside the printable area and ask if you would like to continue.  Select yes.

Now you are on your document page.  Select "Insert", "Picture", and the "from a file".
Now find your file.  "Insert" it in the document.  It will appear very large with a box around it and "handles" at each corner.  Move your mouse pointer to the bottom right corner, hold down the left click button and drag the corner up and to the left, reducing the size.  Reduce it till the right side of the box is aligned at the 4.5" mark.  This is what centers it on your card.  So now the left side of  the box should be aligned with 0 and the right side with 4.5.  If your box disappears, just click on the center of the image and it will reappear again. 
Later we will be cutting our paper at the 5" marker.  Now you need to click you mouse pointer to the side of the image so that your curser appears, hit the space bar til the curser arrives at the 5.5" mark to create some space between image 1 and image 2.  Right Click on the image and copy, then paste.  It will appear huge again.  Grab the bottom right handle again and reduce the size and the document will automatically move it up to the spot where you left your curser.  Now resize the image as you did before until the left side is align with the 5.5" mark and the right side is aligned with the 10" mark. 

Now you have aligned your images horizontally to create 2 cards.  It's time to align them vertically.This one is easy once you move your curser all the way back over to the far left of image 1.  Sometimes that is a little tricky since the image is right up against that spot.  I have accidently deleted my image before while trying to do it, but then you just select "Edit" and "Undo" and you are back in business.  This is actually the hardest part of the whole process, teehee.  I just keep clicking in different spots until the large curser appears to the left of the image.  If you click and it blacks out the images (selecting both of them), or the box appears around image 1, then click below it to clear that and try again til you find that sweet spot that gives you the huge curser. 

Once you have the curser set to the left of image 1, you just hit enter till you get all the way to the bottom of the page.  I usually just hit it till it goes all the way to page 2 and the backspace once and I know I'm as far down as I can go for that page.You are ready to print!

I print mine on thick cardstock, Papertrey Ink because I like the weight and my copics blend best on it.  But you do whatever you like.  I do go to "Properties" when the printer box comes up, and select the heavy weight setting.  As I have said before, I use an Epson and do not have any problem with my ink bleeding with Copics or Prismacolor pensils and OMS, unless I scrub really hard.  I have a friend who finally gave up on printing her digis on her HP and finally bought a cheap Epson just for that.  She said sometimes the HP ink worked ok with her HP and sometimes it ran.  I do not know how other printer inks work and would LOVE to here feedback from others and put some data together on this. 

Once you have printed your card, place the paper horizontially on your paper cutter and cut the paper down the center at the 5.5" point.  Now you have 2 cards.  Turn each card and score/fold at the 4.25" mark (center).  Use your favorite border punch to decorate the front edge.  Color your image.  I used Copics and then some shimmer chalk in the background.  It's a very light pink so I didnt' have to worry about getting it on the green and could get into all those little spaces. Add your favorite sentiment if you wish.  Mine will probably end up being another birthday card, since I am sending out so many this year.  Secure a piece of ribbon!!

Ok so the instructions are long, but trust me you can whip these up really fast.  I just went into alot of detail for beginners!  Wouldn't a make a nice note card gift set!! 

I would love to hear if this tutorial was helpful and if you used it.  Tutorial do take alot of time to post and it encourages me to take the time to do them if I know someone is actually using them. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read!!