Tips & Techniques

Yes. Stampendous is happy to offer its customers archival quality inks, stickers, papers,
and accessories. Our cards and inks are PH Neutral or Acid Free and safe for Scrapbooking.
Embossing powders, glitters, Fun Flock, and all Class A'Peel™ Stickers can be used safely
in your scrapbooks. Please ask our customer service representatives about the items you
are interested in.

Here's a great tutorial on the basics of stamping, hosted by Paper Craft Planet.

Rubber Stamping is a creative and fun way to make greeting cards, bookmarks, and a variety
of other craft projects by transferring artistic designs to almost any surface. There are many
techniques to choose from including stamp pads, markers and colored pencils. By applying
ink or paint to a stamp you can decorate just about anything from scrapbooks to T-shirts or
furniture, even walls!

You can start stamping with very few supplies. Creative Rubber Stamping can be as simple
as making a selection from each of these basic categories: Stamps, Papers (or other surfaces),
Inks, Plus. The more stamp images you have to mix and match, the more the fun multiplies.
The Plus category of glitters, punches, scissors, etc. is optional but offers a variety of ways to
enhance your projects.

Choosing your stamps - The highest quality stamps will have carefully trimmed rubber and
foam mounting that will eliminate many problems with stray ink. Choosing stamps which are
deeply etched also helps to eliminate "edge marks".

Inking your stamps - Be sure to choose an ink appropriate to your stamp type. For wood-
mounted and cling rubber stamps, any ink formulated for stamping will work well. For Perfectly
Clear™ Stamps we prefer Versafine™ ink for a clean, complete impression. Ink your stamp
lightly. Tapping lightly on the pad many times will ensure good ink coverage while avoiding
the problem of inking the extra rubber or stamp mount. Pressing too firmly on the ink pad
causes ink to puddle under the stamp and produce uneven coverage.

Check your stamp - Always check to see that your stamp is well inked as desired before
stamping on to your paper or project.

Press firmly when stamping - Knowing that you have not inked the extra rubber or mount
of your stamp, you will want to press firmly over the whole design of your stamp. If your
image is very large, hold the stamp securely steady with one hand and press firmly over the
whole design with the other hand. Perfectly Clear™ Stamps need less pressure than rubber
stamps.

Don't rock the stamp - The best impressions will be achieved when you stamp straight down,
hold the paper down, and lift the stamp straight up. Rocking the stamp side to side can produce
a blurred or double image.

Dye inks are water based, non-toxic, washable, and many are child safe. Dye inks are trans-
parent and will blend easily and dry quickly on most matte and glossy papers, but will run if
wet again. Dye inks do fade. Dye inks do not work well on clear stamps.

Pigment inks are water/glycerin-based, acid free, non-toxic, fade resistant and more opaque
than dye inks. Pigments are not easily washed out of clothing. Pigments will not dry on glossy
or non-porous papers without embossing. Once embossed they are permanent and can be
safely watercolored. Their slow drying property makes pigments ideal for heat embossing.
Pigment ink is available in pads and markers.

Craft inks are acrylic based ink, acid free, non-solvent based, non-toxic and water soluble until
completely dry or heat set. Once dry you can safely watercolor over them. You can use them
on fabric, wood, paper mache, foam, leather and a variety of other surfaces.

Permanent inks are solvent-based and require special cleaners to remove from the rubber.
They will be permanent and water-resistant on most non-porous surfaces. They are quick
drying and are ideal for stamping on glass, plastic, metal and fired ceramic pieces.

Check out our video for a demo with Versafine™ ink:

Papers are available in many colors, textures, sizes, and decorative shapes. Some papers
are acid free and safe to use with photos for archival quality albums. Stamping on smooth
glossy papers will show off the brightest marker color impressions. Stamping on matte papers
that are soft or textured give a look that is enhanced by colored pencils or watercoloring.
Embossing metallic colors on dark papers is elegant. The primary concern with paper is
whether or not you are using the correct ink. Glossy or coated papers such as velllum and
acetate will not work well with pigment inks like Versafine™ and Versacolor™. You will need
to use a permanent ink on these surfaces like StazOn™. Versafine is perfect for use on more
porous papers and will give you a clear, crisp image which can be watercolored when dry.
Versacolor and Versamark™ are stickier, wetter inks that work well to hold embossing powder
on a page to allow time for heat setting. If you have a question about a particular ink/paper
combination, just email us at askus@stampendous.com.

Sponges or sponge daubers work well for large areas. Q-tips, make-up applicators, or small
brushes work well in tighter spots. To keep your hand from resting on or smearing your card
while you work, use your free hand to hold a ruler or large paint brush handle over your work
as a rest for your other hand. Seal your work with Spray Sealer.

Class A'Peel™ Stickers are intricately cut stickers made from a durable, flexible material.
Simply peel them off of the carrier sheet and apply to any clean, smooth surface, such as
paper, glass, plastic, metal and ceramic. The use of a craft knife to lift and hold the stickers
makes guiding them into position much easier. Press them into place for a long-lasting hold.
For great ideas and projects using Class A'Peel™ Stickers see the Projects section of this
website.

Combine our fabulous glitters and flocks with our exclusive Class A'Peel™ Stickers for a
dynamic background that will wow the recipients of any project you create!

• Peel one side and apply Therm O Web Peel N' Stick double sided adhesive to a large
  area of cardstock with a similar color to the flock or glitter you wish to use.
• Peel the other side and apply your Class A'Peel™ Stickers directly to the adhesive sheet.
• Fill in the remaining areas around the stickers with Fuzzy Fun™ Flock or
  Glitzy Glitter™ in coordinating shades.
• Try leaving portions of the stickers hanging off the edges of your fuzzy or glitzy
  panel for an interesting effect.
• Try combining glitters and flocks for custom mixes or mulitple areas of color.
• Try using our Embossing Powders without heating, in the same way as glitter,
  for more great color combinations.
  
  
  

Jumbo Cling Rubber stamps combine the premium, deep-etched, precision-trimmed rubber you've come to expect from
Stampendous with a whole new scale of fabulous design from Fran Seiford. These sumptuous stamps are much larger
than other stamps available on the market which makes them ideal for home decor items in addition to card making
and scrapbooking. They are perfect for just about any stamping technique including embossing or paper piecing, but
they are additionally well suited for use with acrylic paints and other media designed for the durable home goods market.
Take a look at the fabulous projects we've created with just our first release of these dynamic images...

Build your own custom video playlist at embedr.com

Cling Rubber™ stamps are the same premium quality, precision trimmed rubber stamps as on
our traditional woodmounted version. We've simply removed the wood and added a piece of
cling vinyl to the adhesive side of the foam mount. This allows your rubber image to be used
with an acrylic handle mount just like our Perfectly Clear™ Stamps. We've carefully indexed
the cling vinyl with an actual-size image of the stamp for ease in positioning. The image is
sandwiched between the vinyl and the foam so that it cannot be washed, rubbed or worn off.

You can use Cling Rubber stamps with any kind of ink you'd normally use with your wood-
mounted stamps. They clean the same way, too. But storage is a breeze. Simply use their
adhesive quality to pop them into a Storage Solutions™ Thin container and store them in a
typical magazine holder or hang them on a peg board wall.

For packing purposes, a thin layer of acetate is added to the cling vinyl in the bag. We've
offset it to make it easier to see. Simply remove the acetate layer, leaving the round
cornered cling vinyl attached to the foam, and discard the acetate. Now your cling rubber
is ready to stamp!

It is possible to achieve a pebbly look by coloring over something textured. Art stores sell
special paper for this purpose. You can also use fabric or other materials. It isn't necessary
however to color over texture to create something interesting. Colored pencil shading is an
excellent way to create a great impression.

Contrast. Don't be afraid to add dark colors to shadows or leave some areas blank as high-
lights. With colored pencils you can get a darker shade by simply pressing harder and build up
layers of color. You can achieve a wide range of color with a few pencils by creating layers
of color like orange or red over yellow. Try using different pencil strokes to emphasize contours.