Today’s blog post shares how I created and used a torn patterned paper collage background.

The project is part of the monthly Technique Tuesday Blog Hop from the Crafty Collaborations community, a diverse group of Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators from around the world who come together to share inspiration with you.

The theme this month is torn paper and I can’t wait to see all the other ideas that my fellow demonstrators have come up with

Torn Patterned Paper Collage Background

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I do love a project that starts with leftover scraps and a bit of creative freedom – and this one was exactly that.

Rather than starting with a card base, I began with an A4 sheet of white cardstock and treated it like a mini art journal page. No rules, no measuring, just tearing, inking, stamping… and seeing where it took me.

Step 1: Tear, don’t trim

I gathered up scraps of patterned paper from the Thoughtful Journey pack and tore them into rough, organic shapes. Tearing rather than cutting instantly softens the look and gives you those lovely uneven edges that add so much character.

Once torn, I inked all the edges with Pecan Pie ink. This one step makes such a difference – it warms up the colours, adds definition, and helps each piece blend into each other.

Step 2: Build the Background

I adhered the torn pieces directly onto the A4 cardstock, overlapping slightly and letting the patterns and colours guide me. There’s no right or wrong here – just move things around until it feels balanced.

With the background complete, I stamped images from the Sweet Blooms stamp set over the top using Pecan Pie ink. I love how stamping directly onto the background ties everything together and adds an extra layer of interest without overwhelming the design.

Step 3: One sheet → four cards

Once the A4 sheet was finished, I cut it into four panels, instantly giving me four coordinated mats. This is one of my favourite ways to work – you get a cohesive set of cards without having to start from scratch each time.

Each panel was mounted onto a card base, and then I added sentiments from the Layered Thoughts stamp set. I kept the sentiments fairly bold and simple so they stood out against the busy, textured backgrounds.

The finished cards

From one play session I ended up with:

• A warm Thank You card
• A bold Happy Birthday card
• A soft, layered Love card
• And another versatile Thank You design

Same process, same materials – but each card feels slightly different thanks to how the paper and stamping fell.

Why I love this technique

• It’s perfect for using up scraps
• No precision required – very forgiving
• You get multiple cards in one go
• Great for batch-making without everything looking identical

Let’s Hop

I hope you have enjoyed my project. Do leave a comment if you can, because it certainly makes my day. Then it is time to hop around all the other projects

How Can I Help?

If your scraps drawer is overflowing and you fancy a bit of relaxed, creative crafting, I really recommend giving this a try. Start with one big background and see how many cards you can get from it!

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if I can help with your purchases, or if you have a crafty question.

Meanwhile stay safe and stay well

Helen xx

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