Did you know that ordinary paper contains acid? It’s not harmful to you in any way-it is just there because of the standard manufacturing process. But over time, the acid actually causes the paper to self-destruct, becoming brittle and turning yellow as it ages. You don’t want that to happen to the stamping projects that you made with care. That’s why you must use acid-free paper. Sometimes it is called archival or pH-neutral paper. But they mean the same thing. There is no acid used to make it and it will last longer without deteriorating. You can usually find it online or at craft and rubber stamp stores.

There are several types of paper available. You will probably find card stock to be your paper of choice most of the time. This heavyweight paper is available in a wide range of colors. It also comes in two types of finish-matte and glossy. Stampers love the shiny finish of glossy card stock because it makes colors look more vibrant. However, glossy finish is also more slippery, which makes stamping a little more difficult until you get some practice. Glossy finish also requires a process called “heat embossing” to dry the ink and make it last. Card stock is available in standard sheet sizes and can also be found in several pre-folded sizes for use as greeting cards.

Other papers that you may find useful include text-weight paper, cover weight paper, fancy papers, tissue paper and vellum. Each of these paper types is used in different ways in a stamping project. We’ll take a look at how to incorporate them into your creation in another post.

The Original Post is Located Here: Choosing the Right Paper for Stamping

My favorite is probably the use of a rainbow ink pad.  If you want to create a lively mix of colors with your background or border, make sure you have a brayer and a rainbow ink pad.  Next, press and roll the stamp wheel on the rainbow ink pad until the brayer is inked all over.  If the brayer seems like it’s going to drip, you have over-inked and need to dab at the brayer.  Then, take your paper and roll the brayer over it, taking care not to pick the brayer up unless you want an uneven look or have reached the end of the border.

The next way to ink a brayer is to use markers.  You will need brush art markers for this project.  Choose a variety of colors for this process.  Pick the first marker color and, using the side of the marker more than the tip (to prevent wear-down), make jagged line along one part of the brayer until it is an unbroken circle.  Leave a space between and continue this process until the brayer has alternating jagged color and blank space.  Then roll the brayer horizontally (and vertically too) for a great background effect.

The Original Post is Located Here: Stamp Wheels or Brayers

There are some mistakes that you can easily recover from. For example, if you creative a stray line or smudge and you have a white background, you can use a white correction pen with a fine tip to cover over your mistake.

Other recoveries will take a bit of care. For example, if you find that you didn’t put enough ink on the stamp or didn’t put enough pressure while inking, you may be able to fill in the area with a stippled or light dotting effect so that no one will ever notice. If your embossing looks grainy or bumpy instead of professional looking, try adding a few seconds with the heat gun. You can also hide smudging or wayward lines by adding a sponged on background color. This will have the added bonus of providing an extra design feature for your stamping.

There are some cases in which it is better just to start over and learn from your mistakes. In the case of over-embossing – if the image changes color or paper is scorched – you must scrap that attempt and begin again. Some people think that using the wrong color for inking is another such unrecoverable mistake. While this is most times the case, you can also take this opportunity to stamp the image in the correct color next to the wrong color to create a multi-dimensional look.

The Original Post is Located Here: What to Do When You Make a Mistake in Rubber Stamping

First off, you will need a stamp positioner and a clear plastic square. These should be inexpensive materials that you can pick up at any serious art supply shop locally or at an online store. Once you have your materials, place the stamp positioner so that the corner is in the top left position. Next, nestle the plastic square so that it fits tightly into the right angle of the stamp positioner. Choose and ink your stamp and print the image onto the plastic square in the right angle of the stamp positioner. Use the positioner to make a snug fit. Now you are ready to use the plastic square with your image as a guide for your border making.

Choose any part of your border and line up with the plastic square where you want your first image to go. Once you have decided and lined it up, place the stamp positioner around the plastic square like before, so that it fits tightly. Remove the plastic square and stamp the first border image. Continue in like manner all around your border until it is complete. And remember, though it can be exciting to make quick progress, don’t let that excitement ruin your work. Since you are working with a stamp positioner and a plastic square, the chances of smudging are much higher. Take care with your stamping and it will really pay off when making a border.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Steps to Making a Perfectly Stamped Border

-Dye-based ink – This type of ink is an easy ink to use overall and is an excellent choice for a highly detailed stamp design. Clean-up especially is a breeze and will only require a damp paper towel. The downside to this type of ink is that it dries too fast to be used for heat-embossing. Overall, however, it is a great ink for beginners.

-Pigment ink – This ink is much thicker than dye-based ink, which has some advantages and some disadvantages. For the advantages, it does not mix with other inks, even permanent inks, so one color won’t bleed into the next. It also takes longer to dry, so it is ideal for the heat-embossing technique. Its disadvantage is being a little harder to clean.

-Permanent ink – This is the most difficult ink to clean off your stamp, but will also stand the test of time on whatever paper you apply it to.

-Crafter’s ink – This is a pigment ink that has the special property of becoming permanent when heat is applied. You can also use it on a variety of surfaces – like wood, fabric, and pottery – which makes it a versatile ink.

-Fabric ink – If you want your ink to stand up to your washing machine, this is the type. Fabric ink also comes in a variety of colors which are sure to spark your creativity.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Different Types of Ink for Rubber Stamping

You may think that heat-embossing is just to complicated a skill for you to use in your rubber stamping practice. In reality, however, it’s a relatively easy technique that you can learn and use with ease. And what’s really great about it is that it is a technique that will really impress others and make them think that you must be kidding when you tell them that you were the one who made this beautiful design piece. If you use heat-embossing in your rubber stamping, you can be really proud of your work. Here are the steps for heat-embossing:

1. Use an ink pad ever so lightly to ink your stamp.

2. Apply the inked stamp to the paper, but don’t rock the stamp back and forth. It’s imperative that the stamp go on straight without any smudging or smearing.

3. Carefully sprinkle embossing powder over the image on the paper. If you’re using a highly detailed stamp, make sure you use a detail embossing powder, one designed to capture the fine details of your stamp.

4. Recycle the extra embossing powder. You can do this directly by pouring the powder back into the container or indirectly on a scrap piece of paper and then funneling the powder into the embossing powder bottle. Personally, I recommend the second idea since it cuts down on the chance that you’ll smear your work so far.

5. Use the heat gun about four inches away from the image for about 15 seconds. Make sure you don’t count the preheating time in with the 15 seconds for embossing. Preheating should be done separately and last about 10 seconds.

6. After embossing, wait at least 30 seconds before coloring in the embossed image or cutting out the image with scissors. Get creative and enjoy your handiwork!

The Original Post is Located Here: The Basics of Heat Embossing

Now that you have your new rubber stamps, it’s important to know how to maintain them properly, especially when it comes to cleaning. You wouldn’t want your crafting investment to go to waste through poor management, after all. Caring for your rubber stamps is easy as long as you follow this guide and be vigilant.

Vigilance is important. You don’t want inks to stay on your stamps for days or weeks without being cleaned off. It will only make cleaning more difficult when you do get around to it. Commit to cleaning your rubber stamps after each and every project. It’s just like cleaning up the kitchen after making a big meal – you can sit back and enjoy it, but in the end you do have to clean up your mess, unless you want to lose control of your kitchen.

When you do clean your stamps, chances are that they will come clean with just a damp paper towel. There are a few cases when this is not true and your job is going to be a bit harder. First, if you are using pigment ink, you might need to use an old toothbrush with a small amount of water to get all the ink out. It’s important not to submerge the stamp in water lest the glue connecting the rubber part to the wooden block dissolve and leave you with two pieces. If you’re still having trouble with the toothbrush, try a little bit of water and window cleaner mixed together. If you’re using a permanent ink, find a solvent cleaner recommended on that ink. You won’t be able to clean off your sponge without it, so the solvent will be a good investment.

As you can see, cleaning your rubber stamps is a pretty easy task and well worth it when you consider that you can use your stamps for years and countless craft projects, all with a little maintenance.

The Original Post is Located Here: Proper Cleaning of Stamps

People who know that I have used rubber stamps sometimes ask me if rubber stamping is an expensive hobby. For me, it can be a difficult question to answer. Certainly, when you compare it to fishing on one’s own boat or travelling the world, it pales in the comparison. In reality, rubber stamping can be a very thrifty hobby if you are willing to be creative with limited resources or one which will have you always searching for the next color for an ink pad or intricate stamp. None of these are expensive, but the sheer volume can get to you. We’ll take a look at the different components of rubber stamping and what they normally run, and you can make your own decision if rubber stamping is right for you.

The stamps themselves range in price. The cheapest – foam-mounted stamps – are quality stamps that will definitely get the job done. Many people, however, like the feel and durability of wood mounted stamps. These run generally from 4-8 dollars, depending on the size and complexity of the stamp. Acrylic block stamps are a newcomer in the rubber stamping world and have the advantage that stampers can see exactly what they’re doing with the print. They’re generally the same price range as wooden stamps.

You’ll also need things to ink your stamps. Ink pads are inexpensive, generally costing five dollars or less. If you choose to use brush art markers, a basic set of twelve can cost anywhere between ten and twenty dollars. Finally, you’ll need a variety of papers to place your rubber stampings on. Paper is a relatively inexpensive material.

If you are interested in rubber stamping and want a variety of materials but want a small cost, try looking online. You can find a vast array of materials at low prices, allowing you to get more than you would ordinarily have.

The Original Post is Located Here: Is Rubber Stamping an Expensive Hobby-

I’m sure you would agree with me that if you’ve made an investment in rubber stamping supplies, it’s important to know how and then do store the materials properly. This is to insure both the quality and the long life of your supplies. For example, it would be a great shame if all your rubber stamping assets had to be tossed because of poor care. Let’s take a look at how to do this so that your purchases in the world of rubber stamping are truly investments in future craft projects.

The first tip is rather counter-intuitive to most people. For the things that have ink, you will need to store them upside down. So ink pads and brush art markers will all need to be stored so the ink is above their covers.

The second set of tips is pretty obvious. You will need to store paper lying flat for best results. Rubber stamps should be stored flat, with the rubber side down. You will also need to make sure all stamps are clean and dry before you put them away. You wouldn’t want a stamp to go uncleaned and the ink to build up on it and ruin the stamp forever, would you? Certainly not.

Above all, it’s important to protect your stamping materials from the elements. Store supplies out of direct sunlight, safe from dust, and especially away from water. Many stamping hobbyists find it beneficial to have a designated cabinet or craft organizer for all their rubber stamping supplies. This encourages them to keep their supplies both organized and put away so that they are kept safe and sound until the next time they want to stamp. I’m sure you would find that having a craft organizer would help you too in these aims.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Store Your Rubber Stamping Supplies

In order to make a truly believable scene, the work of art will need a foreground and a background. At first glance, this may seem impossible unless you want to painstakingly ink only part of the background images so that they don’t cover over the foreground images. In reality, it is relatively easy to create a realistic looking scene quickly. Let’s take a look at how.

First, ink whatever stamps you are going to use for the foreground and stamp them in the appropriate places in the scene. Take some self-adhesive notes, one for each foreground image, and stamp the foreground stamps onto them as well. Cut carefully around these images and place them over their counterparts on the scene. You have now prepared your foreground and can begin on the background.

Like the foreground items, prepare the background features by inking their appropriate stamps. Next, print the image on your scene as if the foreground images were not there. This means that you will be printing on top of the foreground images, but don’t worry – the self-adhesive cover will protect your foreground features. Once you’re happy with your background, you can remove the self-adhesive covers and enjoy your beautiful, multi-dimensioned scene.

Obviously, if you want to make an even more realistic scene, you can make this process a few steps more complicated by adding a middle area. After you print the things from the last paragraph, make self-adhesive covers for the middle layer items and then create your next background. As a result, you’ll have three levels in your scene. When people see your design, they will truly be amazed that you could have created this with simple rubber stamps and a few self-adhesive notes. And if you want, you’ll never have to tell them your secrets.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Design a Realistic Scene with Rubber Stamps