Welcome to Stamp Tips

Basic Rules for Good Design

Basic cardmaking design tips include:

* Use co-ordinated colors and try not to use any more than 3 colors on a card.

* Layer or mat to give your card that professional look.

* Make sure that you are careful when cutting layers - straight edges and exact corners are a "must" for a good looking card.

* Seek out visual "triangles." Images in odd number groups (2,5,7...) are most pleasing. This basic design principle is universal.

* Don`t "overdo" a card. Stop layering and coloring before it looks like "too much." Remember, sometimes less is more.

What is ´direct to paper´?

Have you heard of this technique, but don´t know how to do it? It´s actually very simple! "Direct to paper" means that you don´t use a stamp, but apply the ink directly onto your paper. This works well if you are using the smaller ink pads, such as the Color Box line of Cats Eye and Petal Point pads. Color Box styluses as well as daubers and other tools may also be used to transfer color. This technique is most commonly used to create backgrounds. The best results come from using 2-3 colors.

Storing Your Collage Supplies

You really enjoy collecting "things" to use as collage on your cards - how should you store them? Remember that some collage items can deteriorate. It is best to store like things together and unlike things apart.

You can get ziplock bags from the grocery store to store your supplies in. These are great because they are archivally safe for storage. Try to squeeze as much air out before sealing to help prevent deterioration.

For items like leaves, which may get crushed, buy the small sandwich sized plastic containers from the supermarket.

Punches - what to do if they´re sticking

If you have a punch that keeps "sticking" you just have to cut through a piece of waxed paper a couple of times. This should lubricate the blades and make the punch work much more efficiently.

Getting a great stamped image with your wood-mounted stamps!

Make sure that you have inked your stamp well, by turning it over and inspecting the stamp. Then, place your stamp in the position you want it on your card/paper. Use a straight down/straight up motion: straight down on the paper, hold for several seconds so the ink has time to transer; than straight up again. Try not to "rock" your stamp, or you may be left with unwanted edges.

Stamping on it

If you find that your shrink plastic is curling up on itself too much when it is being heated, just use a wooden popsicle/ice block/icy pole stick to prevent it from curling. This works best when you are heating the plastic with a heat gun (don´t stick your hand into the hot oven if using the oven heating technique!).

Transfering an image to and from a brayer

Ink up a stamp with a dye ink. Roll your brayer across the stamp several times and then roll the brayer onto gloss card stock. Repeat this with a slightly different shade of ink, and you´ll get a great looking background.

Hot Glue Seals

You love stamping and you love using a hot glue gun! You an use your hot glue gun to create your own "seals" for use on collage cards. Just squeeze out a large circle of hot glue and wait until it sets just slightly. Then just press the stamp of your choice into the glue and leave it there until the glue has set. You can use the stamp uninked or ink it up with a metallic pigment ink.

Reversing an image with your brayer

You can use your brayer to reverse an image. Stamp the image in the ink of your choice, and then run the brayer over the stamp once. Then take the brayer and roll the image out on paper. Your original image will appear in reverse.

Stamping in scrapbooks/photo albums

The art of "scrapbooking" (creating decorated and photosafe pages and albums to put your photographs onto)is becoming more and more popular, and you can use your stamping skills to decorate your scrapbook pages as most inks are acid free and photosafe. In addition, many inks are "archival" meaning that they are fadeproof.

Brayering with shadow ink/tea staining

Unfortunately, white cardstock can sometimes be too bright a color for the final “look” that you want for a card. If you have an image stamped onto white card and want to darken the background slightly – a nice coffee/tea stained color maybe - mask your image and brayer over the whole piece with a soft beige color. You will have an antiqued effect.

Preventing it from sticking

If you have a problem with the shrink plastic rolling up and sticking to itself while being heated, then you could try dusting the piece with talcum powder before heating it.

Types available

Shrink plastic comes in several different "colors" including white, black, and clear. Everyone should have a "play" with clear (in my opinion) because it is great fun!

Stamping onto your brayer

Ink up a small stamp with clear pigment ink and stamp it randomly across some gloss card stock. Roll your brayer across a coloured dye ink pad and then roll it onto your gloss card stock. The ink will not stick to the previously stamped images and will create a lovely look.

Streaking/Trailing

Use this technique to create the illusion of motion. Ink up your stamp, stamp onto your paper, and, without lifting the stamp move your image in the direction OPPOSITE the direction your want your image to appear to be moving in. When you lift your stamp, you will discover that the ink has left a trail behind the image. This trailing effect is a common technique for creating motion in drawing, cartooning, etc., and now you can create this effect with your stamp!

Reverse stamping effect with a brayer and pigment ink

Achieve a reverse stamping effect with this technique: brayer 2 or more colors of pigment ink across some glossy cardstock. Take an uninked stamp and stamp it onto the brayered surface - it will actually take the ink "away" from the cardstock. Do this until you have created a look that you like. Emboss or apply fixative to your finished product.

Using a brayer for inking stamps

Some large stamps are very hard to ink up evenly. These stamps can be easily inked up by inking up your brayer and brayering the ink onto the stamp. Be sure to lift up your brayer between rolls on the inkpad. If you roll it back and forth without lifting, your brayer will have ink concentrated on a limited area of the brayer.

Create your own stationary

You can create your own stationary sets with a rollagraph stamp. Fold a piece of card in 1/2 and place it in the centre of a larger piece of notepaper grade paper. Roll your stamp diagonally across all the layers from the bottom corner to the top corner. Remove the card from the top and you have a decorated card and a bordered piece of stationary. Make in sets of 6 and tie the sets with a nice piece of ribbon with a pen attached. Ta da! Instant presents for teachers and friends.