One of the most frustrating things for beginning stampers is getting the image stamped exactly where they want it. It can take a lot of practice, especially for sentiments, to get them straight. It's my turn to write a back to basics post and I thought I'd show you a few tips on how to use some simple tools to get more professional results. It's all super easy and takes very little time to make a difference in your work.
Many stamps these days are sold as unmounted rubber or clear polymer stamps. I find these the easiest to position and are a great place to start. Both of these types of stamps need an acrylic block to cling to so that you can stamp them.
While many acrylic blocks come without lines, I find that my favorites are the ones that come with a grid on the such as the 2.5 inch Round Block and the 3x4" Rectangular Block. While it may seem logical to purchase the largest block available as it will fit all stamps, you will find that sizing your block closely to the size of your stamp allows you the most control and cleanly stamped image.
The reason the grid lines are so beneficial when stamping is for positioning your rubber on the block and also for lining up for stamping.
Here's a beautiful rubber unmounted stamp from the Floral Tattoo set by Stampers Anonymous. The corner shape of it makes it easy to place on your acrylic block and then stamp in the corner of your paper. I'm using the Le' Romantique 8x8 paper pad by Graphic 45 for this project. If your acrylic block has a grid line near the edges, place the edges of them image along them and then line up with the corner of the paper.
To ink up my stamps, I like to lay them face up and then tap on the ink from the pad rather than pressing the rubber down onto the ink pad.
Line up your stamp, press down and then remove.
Sentiments can be the trickiest stamps to get lined up and usually, the most obvious if not done correctly. Depending on where you've stamped the sentiment, you may be able to trim the layer straight but it's better to get it right the first time as you may not be able to fudge it if you are stamping right onto your finished design.
To stamp this red rubber stamp from the Mother's Day Centers set by CHF you need to carefully position it as you cannot see through it to do so. As you can see, I've used a smaller block here that is close to the size of my stamp for crisp results. If you line up your sentiment or one of the lines thereof along a grid line, this will help you tremendously. You can stamp on a practice paper first to make sure you have it right before committing the impression to your final project.
Line up a grid line with the bottom edge of your paper to get a perfectly level sentiment.
Here's the punching detail from this card. I've used the Swirl Edger Punch for this ornate edge.
The embellishments.
And the final project.
Additional supplies used: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Cream Ruffle Edge Trim by Maya Road, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, Vintage Sew On Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, twine & floss, Vintage Sparklers by Webster's Pages
If you are using clear polymer stamps, they are the easiest to position. Many times you can just use your eye as you can see through the block well to position your image. I would suggest using the grid line approach above for sentiments though to get them perfectly straight.
I love stamping with wood block stamps as they always give a beautiful quality impression. The one drawback with these stamps is positioning. The Stamp-a-ma-Jig is a wonderful and inexpensive tool that you will find invaluable. Besides stamping sentiments it is great for placement when creating a scene, masking and many more complex techniques. I mainly use mine for sentiments though.
The Stamp-a-ma-Jig comes in two pieces...the positioner and an imaging sheet. I've had mine a long time so mine is black but it is totally the same product. If you are like me and tend to lose things, you can buy replacement imaging sheets. I was in a bit of a pinch so I made do with cutting a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic down to size and using it.
This Enjoy the Moment stamp is by Hero Arts and is wood mounted. This means you do not use an acrylic block.
One thing you'll want to do with your wood mount sentiment stamps is to turn them over and take a look at the rubber before stamping. If it's a new and high quality stamp like this Hero Arts one, the rubber should be on perfectly straight. If for some reason your rubber has been stored in a warm environment or stored carelessly with other stamps pressing on it, the rubber may have skewed on the wood base. Make sure it is level before stamping.
To use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, you first position your tool and place the imaging sheet tightly into the notched corner of the tool.
Stamp onto your imaging sheet to get an impression to line up.
Place your imaging sheet over the area you wish to stamp on, lining up your sentiment or image placement as you wish it to look.In this photo it looks a bit off as the imaging sheet raised the bottom right corner when I took my hands away to photograph it.
Holding the imaging sheet in steady, place the Stamp-a-ma-Jig tool tightly up against imaging sheet.
Remove the imaging sheet and placing your wood block into the corner, stamp your image.
Here's how the sentiment looks stamped on this Farmer's Wife Jenni Bowlin paper.
And here's the final project.
Additional supplies: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Trendy & Front Porch Mini Papers by Jenni Bowlin, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, buttons by Basic Grey, twine, Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, Doilies by Little Yellow Bicycle, Tim Holtz Mini Pins by Advantus
I hope these few hints will make a difference in your stamping. Just remember, the more you practice the easier it will get. Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.
Happy Creating!
