A Beginner's Guide to Rubber Stamping

Rubber stamping is a fun and versatile hobby that is gaining new interest thanks to scrapbooking, card making, and other paper crafts. With rubber stamps, simply transfer an image to any paper surface by pressing on the back of the stamp. By using different types of inks, additives, and other craft items, you can easily transform basic rubber stamps and paper into beautiful projects.

If you have never used rubber stamps before, you should know that there are three basic types of stamps. The wood mounted stamps are attached to a small piece of wood, which you press to create the image. Foam-mounted seals bond to foam in a similar way. Foam mounted seals are typically cheaper, but can be more difficult to use. The disassembled stamps are attached to wooden or plastic blocks each time you use them, and then transferred to a storage sheet after cleaning. Dismounted stamps give you the most control over your stamp placement, and are great for alphabets because you can stick all the letters in a word to the block at the same time.

No matter what type of stamps you buy, they all generally work the same way. You will need to start collecting decorative paper, blank cards, and other paper products to use as surfaces for your project. You can stamp scrapbook pages, bookmarks, and notepads. The possibilities are endless. https://mystampguide.com/how-many-stamps-do-i-need/

Once you decide what type of project you want to complete, select your stamp and ink. There are inks in all colors, including gold and silver. You can use one color at a time, or you can combine several. If you plan to decorate the image with colored pencils, chalk, or glitter later, you may want to choose black or gray as the outline color to make your colors look better.

Many people start using stamps by pressing the stamp down on the ink pad and then pressing it on the paper. The only problem with this is that it leaves too much ink on the stamp, which can cause smudges on the paper. One solution to this problem is to flip the stamp so that the rubber is facing you, and then, holding the ink pad in the other hand, lightly press the ink onto the stamp with short strokes. In this way, you will get uniform coverage without the risk of staining.

If you want a lighter intensity stamp, press the stamp once on a practice paper and then press the image on your project paper. If not, simply press the stamp onto your project paper with even pressure. Don't press too hard. Your pressure should be firm and even, but you shouldn't have to exert much force.

After making your stamp, let the ink dry completely before trying to add color. This is unless you are using stamping powder. The embossing powder will cause your ink to rise slightly, so it will rise when you touch it. This is something like the treatment used in business cards. The stamping powder should be added while the ink is still wet and then heated with an artisan dryer.

Using rubber stamps is a fun and versatile hobby. You can get stamps in a wide variety of styles and motifs. The best part is that with just a little practice, it's easy to become a rubber stamping professional.