Rubber stamping can be a very rewarding and satisfying craft and even complete beginners can produce beautiful and unique work. There are, however, some pitfalls that await a beginner stamper. Here are some tips to help a complete beginner avoid these pitfalls and to have fun with their stamping. If you have a tip to share then you are very welcome to leave a comment using the button at the bottom of this article!
Rubber Stamping Tips
Here are some tips for beginner stampers:
- Use the right ink - there are many different types of rubber stamping ink available. It is important to pick the right one for a project. If you want to color an image using marker pens or paints, then it is important to use a permanent pigment ink or to heat emboss the image. Dye based inks are quick to dry and are easy to use, but they are likely to bleed when they are wet, so are best used with dry coloring techniques such as pencils or chalks. See About Rubber Stamp Inks for more information.
- Coloring techniques - some rubber stamps need careful coloring to really bring them alive. When buying rubber stamps, remember that colored images that are used to illustrate how the finished image could look have been colored by a professional artist. Many beginner stampers are disappointed when they cannot replicate the image on the stamp or packaging. Take some time to practice different coloring methods to perfect your techniques. Take a look at About.com Painting for some useful tips for beginner painters.
- Pick stamps without words - get the most from your stamps by picking stamps without words or sentiments. A 'Happy Birthday' stamp can only be used for birthdays, however a stamp without words could be used for any occasion. Simply add the text separately using text stamps, handwriting or print text from a computer.
- Basic techniques - learn a few basic techniques. Heat embossing, for instance, gives a professional looking finish to projects.
- Cut and stick images - instead of stamping directly onto the finished project, for instance a greeting card, stamp onto paper and cut this out before adhering it the card. This will avoid the card being ruined by an imperfect stamped image. See Stamp and Cut for more information.
- Practice different stamping techniques - stampers develop their own style of stamping. Try different techniques to see what is best for you. Some people find that they get more even images if they stamp when standing up.
- Don't press too hard! - there is a temptation to press the stamp down hard onto paper or cardstock. This can give a smudged image - particularly with clear stamps. Sometimes a lighter touch is required.
- Don't worry about mistakes - mistakes can be covered up by embellishments or by the clever placing of a stamp.
