"Good design" is another of those terms that’s hard to pin down, very much in the eye of the beholder. I think if a project has good "bones" - core elements like proportion, contrast, balance, repetition, well chosen colors, and such - that it will always be visually satisfying.
My definition of great design is this: Design so good that it doesn’t need anything else, but from which nothing can be removed.
Books and magazines (I included a chapter with foolproof layouts in BY THE BATCH) or a class or two will provide the theories and vocabulary; honing and fine tuning the application of those theories starts from there. It can be easy and fast for some people but take longer for others. It’s not a race or a competition. And with stamp art or anything else subjective, it’s not important to reach a consensus - we each get to define and practice good and great design in our own way.
It’s a fabulous time to be stamping. Magazines publish projects that range from cards to home décor; people are stamping on clothing and walls and in their scrapbooks. New companies are born every day, so no matter what kind of image a stamper needs or wants, it’s out there!
I choose stamps based on the images rather than limiting myself to one type of stamp - I buy mounted rubber stamps, photopolymer (clear stamps), unmounted rubber. And I carve my own. I’m happy to have so many options.
My stamping friends are experimenting with a variety of things including all sorts of card constructions plus lots of layering, embossing and die cuts. Embellishments are a huge part of almost every project I create or receive. Who knew that there would someday be so many kinds of brads or paper clips!
Editors continue to need projects that span the seasons - cards for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, birthdays and so on. I’m constantly working on gift ideas, projects that include recycled or environmentally friendly materials, incorporate punches or die cuts, glitter and gems…
Manufacturers put endless amounts of creativity into their offerings. I attend two major wholesale trade shows a year (CHA - Craft and Hobby Association), the “World’s Fair” for the industry. There are so many new products it would make your head spin. It’s always exciting to visit with new vendors testing their wings, to see the latest tools and materials, and catch up with friends.
Ideally, taking a class is the single best way for a beginner to get started. Nothing beats a room full of people who are all stamping, asking questions, learning together, having a snack! A good teacher trumps all else, I think. Classes allow people to decide how to spend money, too. Trying before buying makes a lot of sense. But DVDs that you can watch any time, again and again, and books and magazines are excellent teachers, too. We can all be our own best teachers if we ask ourselves a lot of questions and avoid judging ourselves too harshly.
Stamping doesn’t take much to get started (though watch out, if you become a long-time stamper your wallet will get quite a workout). A basic kit would include smooth card stock (easier to stamp than textured), a phrase or two (Happy Birthday, Thinking of You), and one or two images (a large flower, cupcake, Gibson Girls), and something to use for coloring - some gel and glitter pens, a few colored pencils or a small set of watercolors and a brush.
I think it’s important to acknowledge the place that coloring holds in rubber stamping: One of the enduring pleasures of the craft is coloring and coloring is not just for kids. I think it’s one of the main reasons adults get into rubber stamping in the first place. Though most stampers eventually branch out into much more complicated or sophisticated projects, coloring remains a soothing, relaxing, and portable activity that we love.
When I got into stamp design I wanted to do something that others were NOT doing (the same thought process that I use when writing my books). It started by accident. I met Phil Schloss, the owner of Red Castle, Inc., on the phone in 1999 when I called to order a rubber stamp grab bag. During the conversation, I mentioned that I am a product review columnist and he mentioned that he sold a software program called Fit It Volume I (envelope and box software). He sent me a sample. The minute I received it, I was hooked. I spent an entire weekend making boxes and envelopes in every size and shape imaginable. I fell in love with his rubber stamps, too. I had never owned stamps that were so deep - absolutely perfect for clay.
I sent Phil photos of what I was doing and he asked if I would design projects for his web site. I also started publishing projects in magazines that combined Phil's antique image stamps and Fit It templates. Rather than paying me by check, I asked if he’d be willing to make stamps out of my friend Jo Rango's drawings (I raided her sketchbook!) and some images and phrases that I’d designed. He agreed, and the rest - as they say - is history. Red Castle stamps are deep etched red rubber, sold by the sheet only. The detail is amazing. Phil’s very demanding of himself and his stamp manufacturer.
I like having my stamps available by the sheet because they're designed to go together and they’re a good value. Some of the sheets have 40 or more images or phrases. I don’t know what designs I’ll create next, but I think it’s time to raid Jo Rango's sketchbook again.
