When you first got into rubber stamping, I’m sure a stamp wheel or brayer wasn’t listed as a necessary item. While that is the opinion of many, it’s a tool that’s so useful that I have a hard time not recommending it. If you’re puzzled at what to do with a background or border, or maybe you’re just really clumsy at using a stamp positioner to make a stamped border, you might really appreciate having a brayer. It will make background and border making a breeze. There are a few great ways to use a stamp wheel or brayer. Let’s take a look at some applications.
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.
