If you’re one of those scrappers reluctant to take the rubberstamping plunge, it’s time to get off the dock and get your feet wet. Rubber Stamping has gained acceptance in the scrapbooking community and with endless products to choose from most would find the navigation to be a bit overwhelming. Let’s put our goggles on and dive into the wonderful world of rubberstamping!
If you have been to a craft store you have undoubtedly gone down the aisle of endless wooden blocks with images on them and wondered how in the world you would even go about choosing a stamp to work in your scrapbook and how cost-effective it would be.
Thinking about what you use most often, the best choice is to start with letter stamps. There are endless fonts and styles, but a simple font is the best to start off with. You will then have to decide which type of letter stamps. Will they be rubber mounted on wood, foam or clear, or rubber that you will need to mount using a special system? If it’s cost and ease of use you are looking for, the foam alphabet stamps are the best for beginners. The next item will be ink. The main ink types are dye-based and pigment. Dye-based inks are quick-drying and come in acid-free permanent colors. Pigment ink is thick and often requires embossing powder and heat to set.
Now that you have some supplies, it’s best to take out some scrap paper and practice. Choose the stamps and inkpads that you will use and, holding the stamp in your hand, proceed to tap several times on the inkpad, making sure your stamp is completely covered with ink. With a straight down motion, gently put your stamp to the paper, being careful not to rock the stamp. Do this as many times as it takes to begin to feel comfortable with the end result. Don’t get discouraged; with a little bit of practice your images will look like the pros!
In the layout “Mother’s Love” see how easily letter stamps are used and directly stamped onto the patterned paper. The flower images were stamped with a two-step process. The first stamp is solid and does not require coloring in. The second stamp is stamped directly over the shadow, giving the flower its detail.
Flower stamps will give you endless uses in most layouts and one set can be made to look different on many pages with a change of colored inks. In the double layout “Keep Your Face To The Sunshine”, stamps were used to create the background and texture paper. After stamping, the paper was wrinkled and distressed to create a unique look.
A stamp with a lined image on it can be used on a layout just like a die cut or sticker. Stamp your image, color with pencils or watercolors, cut out and mount using pop dots to create depth. Don’t forget all your stamps can be used to create cards as well! In the layout “Prom” the rose image was stamped and colored using watercolor pencils.
Now that you have the basics under your belt, trying some wet embossing won’t put you over the edge! Using pigment ink, stamp your letters, then cover with embossing powder. Tap off excess, returning to jar, then use a heat gun (which you may purchase at most craft stores). Heat until you see the powder melt. You can do this directly on your layout or cut out and use like stickers on your layout!
Rubberstamping is fun and can really add a great touch to any layout. Visit your local stamp store and take a class or invite some friends over and have a local rubberstamping demonstrator show you how easy it really is. There are many resources on the internet that can be very helpful to the beginner by just googling rubberstamping! To find the products listed in this article check with your local scrapbook retailer.
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