Photo Blocks Tutorial

Like many of you I'm sure, I have unmounted all of my stamps. This is great - it saves on my limited storage space, it makes it easier for me to find what I'm looking for, and I like using clear blocks (I can see where I'm stamping!). But, with all of these benefits, it also brings a downfall - blank, unused, lonely wood blocks. What do you do with your wood blocks? I am just now starting to find things to do with them. This is actually my first project with them and I think it turned out great!

Step 1
Well, to start out I picked some blocks out of my never ending supply of wood blocks. I tried to pick some of the larger ones for pictures and a few smaller ones just for dsp.

Step 2
Once I had all of my blocks picked out, I laid them out in a pattern that I liked and thought would look good and then measured all of the blocks so I knew how big to make my images in MDS. I really didn't have any great method of doing this. I think I tried to make my image about a 1/8 smaller on each side, so 1/4 inch smaller than the block. Here is my pattern laid out with the measurements written on them.
Step 3
In MDS I started by opening a blank 8 1/2 x 11 project. I then used the square punch and just resized it to what I needed using the ruler measurements on the side and top of the page. Once I had all of my block sizes made, I laid them out somewhat the same on the page so I could visualize how everything was coming together as I worked. With the punch feature on MDS you can fill it with any DPS or any solid color, so I started with that and then I added pictures on top and sized them. The squares that are pictures only I filled the punch with a picture rather than paper. I plan on doing a tutorial to show you how to do this. Here is my MDS final project. I tried printing this at home, but my printer was not cooperating, so I just printed it as an 8x10 at Walmart from the Kodak machine. Once I get my printer working, it will be much cheaper and easier though!Step 4
The rest is easy peasy lemon squeezy. Just cut them all out and use Mod Podge to put them on the blocks. I put one thin layer on the block to hold the picture in place and then put one thin layer over the picture to coat them. I superglued the blocks together so that they wouldn't be tumbling with every bump of the table.