The Double Time Technique
(My thanks to Barbara A. Taylor for taking the time to describe this technique to the stamping masses. I have only altered her words for grammatical purposes.)

Check out my Double Time Sheets page! You can see full sheets up close!

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Here is a description that is more technical. It teaches how to use up the entire piece of cardstock without waste:

(In her own words....)

This technique is similar to collage but is not the same since you do not fill in the entire background.  Think of it as creating "wrapping paper" (when completed it looks like it was cut from a larger image). 

You will need: 

2 background stamps (I use Little Shapes or The Shape of Things)

2 image stamps (any semi-bold--bold line stamps), and 1 small word/saying (small words from All Year Cheer sets work well). 

The way that I was shown how to do it is: 

Stamp 2 background stamps (e.g.  Little Shapes, The Shape of Things) on the paper first.  Starting with the lighter color, ink your stamp and stamp repeatedly on the paper until you run out of ink.  

Reink your stamp and repeat until you have a variety of areas on the page stamped.  Repeat with another shape/stamp in another color.  

Then choose 2 different (complimentary) colors and 2 image stamps. Ink these as noted above and stamp in the same manner...both in the existing spaces and on top of some of the other background shapes.  Then choose your words (not too big because you want them to fit into the spaces on the sheet).  Stamp them in black (or any other vivid color) in the spaces.

Out of one sheet, you can get a strip for a scrapbook page, a bookmark, a pencil topper, and about 6-8 layers for 6-8 cards. 

Cut as follows:

Turn your sheet so you are measuring the short side (the 8.5" side is at the top)...hold it this same way throughout the directions below.  

1. Mark at 7" and cut (you will have 1.5" strip), then turn and cut this strip at 10 3/4" (cut off 1/4").

 2. Remaining piece: mark at 5 1/4" (cut off 1.75") for a bookmark, then turn this bookmark piece and cut at 7 5/8". 

 3. With the leftover piece from the bookmark, cut at 2 3/4" (should be 1 3/4" long).

 4. The large remainder piece: cut at 9 1/8" (1 7/8" strip)...this is the layer for cards. Continue to cut as in #4 for more card layers.

***Now, my added description according to the way I do it***

Actually, it's quite easy to create the page you'll use for your projects. You take a regular 8.5 X 11 sheet of cardstock and stamp it with whatever you want your background to be, and in 2-3 coordinating ink colors (I like Little Shapes - a SU! shadow stamp set), stamping several times like Barbara mentioned. Then you pick 1-3 coordinating stamps and stamp them in coordinating or contrasting colors or black (see samples for ideas).  You can also use a word or saying stamp if you like (as in my Hello Spring card below). Then you take the sheet and cut it up into various sizes to use in either cards, bookmarks, bag toppers, gift boxes, notebook pad covers, you name it! The "Double Time" name is due to the many uses that can come from one decorated piece of cardstock. So it's actually a form of collage with a twist on its uses. That's it! I only make cards so far because that's all I want to make. But the options are endless. It's a quick way to put WOW! in your cards and such. You can make up a bunch ahead of time and cut them up when needed. A great time saver. Try it!

Here are more samples to get you going:
Samples 1
Samples 2
Samples 3

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Botanicals, Little Shapes; CS: Ruby Red, Basic Black, Naturals Ivory; Inks: Ruby Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Basic Black; Other: More Mustard Marker; Embellishment: Pop dot

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Watercolor Garden II, Little Shapes, Botanicals; CS: Ruby Red, Basic Black, Naturals Ivory; Inks: Ruby Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Basic Black; Other: More Mustard Marker; Embellishment: Pop dot

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Painted Garden, Little Shapes, Botanicals, Itty Bitty Backgrounds; CS: More Mustard, Basic Black, Naturals Ivory; Inks: Ruby Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Basic Black; Other: Inkworx Air Art Gun; Markers: Basic Black, Ruby Red, More Mustard; Embellishment: Pop dot

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Architectural Elements, Alphabet stamps by Rubber Nation, Little Shapes; CS: Basic Black, Ruby Red, More Mustard, white; Inks: StazOn Jet Black, Ruby Red, More Mustard; Markers: Ruby Red, More Mustard, Basic Black; Other: Inkworx Air Art Gun; Embellishments: pop dots

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Vine & Berry, Botanicals, Little Shapes; CS: Basic Black, Ruby Red, White; Inks: Basic Black, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Old Olive

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Bug Builders, Bunch O' Bugs; CS: Basic Black, Lovely Lilac, Real Red, White; Inks: Lovely Lilac, Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark; Markers: Real Red, Lovely Lilac; Other: purple EP, Inkworx Air Art Gun, printer (Matisse font for saying); Embellishments: Black eyelets, pop dots;

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Fishin', Little Shapes, Announcements, Short Sayings; CS: Really Rust, Old Olive, copper metallic (old SU), Summer Sun, US Vanilla, vellum; Inks: Really Rust, Old Olive, Summer Sun, Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark Other: Pearl Ex Spring Green (on fish cut out on the bookmark); Embellishments: Corner rounder, terra cotta and black eyelets, fibers, pop dot, paper tearing, vellum tape (to secure before attaching eyelets)

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Little Shapes, Hello Spring, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, All Year Cheer I; CS: Yoyo Yellow, Pink Passion, Green Galore, white, acetate; Inks: Yoyo Yellow, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Brilliance Graphite Black; Markers: Green Galore, Pink Passion; Embellishments: Yellow eyelets, hot pink organdy ribbon, 1/8" hole punch

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Sun, Moon, and Stars, Announcements, All Year Cheer I; CS: Basic Black, Baroque Burgundy, Night of Navy, White, vellum; Inks: Brilliance Graphite Black, Baroque Burgundy, Night of Navy; Other: vellum tape; Embellishments: Black organza ribbon

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Fresh Flowers, Little Shapes, AYC I; CS: Real Red, Basic Black, White, Vellum CS; Inks: Real Red, Basic Black, Lovely Lilac, Summer Sun; Marker: Basic Black; Other: Inkworx Air Art Gun; Embellishments: Dimensionals 

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Fresh Flowers, Little Shapes, Birthday Balloons; CS: Real Red, Basic Black, White, Heavy Vellum; Inks: Real Red, Basic Black, Lovely Lilac, Summer Sun, Old Olive; Embellishments: Dimensionals, pop dot

Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Lovely Leaves, Little Shapes, Word stamp by TAC, Definition stamps by Purple Onion Designs; CS: Basic Black, Orchid Opulence, White; Inks: Orchid Opulence, Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, Basic Black, Versamark; Other: Orchid Opulence, Sage Shadow, Barely Banana markers, Air Art gun, Clear EP; Embellishment: Fiber

Kathy Steinman
(using a sheet created by
Jo Ann Anders)



Kim MacNutt
Stamps: Cottage Rose, Little Shapes, All Year Cheer I; CS: Basic Black, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Naturals Ivory; Inks: Basic Black, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Old Olive; Markers: Basic Black, Ruby Red; Other: Inkworx Air Art Gun; Embellishments: Black organdy ribbon, gold wire, heat-crimping of ribbon



Kim MacNutt
Other stamps: Little Shapes, Hero Arts E1118; CS: Basic Black, White, Real Red; Inks: Real Red, Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Basic Black; Markers: Real Red, Basic Black; Other: Air art gun; Embellishments: White fibers, Dimensionals, Paper tearing

Pat Huntoon
(notepad)